Prayers of the faithful - 4th Sunday of Advent - 22 December 2024

Penitential rite - Priest - 

Lord Jesus - you call us to be faithful.
Christ Jesus - you come to be born in our hearts. 

Lord Jesus - you proclaim justice. 

Priest: On this last Sunday of Advent, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father with hope and trust: 

1. That the hearts of all of us Christians be filled with joy as we recognize God-with-us in the people and experiences of life. We pray to the Lord.


2. That we, like Mary, may believe that God is always with us. May we place our trust and hope in God in all the challenges and obstacles we face. We pray to the Lord. 

3. That we may be grateful for all the gifts and opportunities that God offers us and that we may rejoice in the blessings which come to us each day. We pray to the Lord.

4. We pray for our families and our children, especially during this holiday season. May they feel our love and prayers. We pray to the Lord. 


5. For those who are sick in body, mind, or spirit. For those battling addictions. For those coping with anxiety, depression, and mental illness. For comfort, healing, and wholeness. We pray to the Lord. 


6. For the prayers we hold in the silence of our hearts. We pray to the Lord. 

Priest: With Advent joy, we present our prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

Message from Father Lincoln for Advent - Prison ministry

The season of Advent is from Sunday, December 1 until Tuesday, December 24, the evening of which we celebrate Christmas Eve and the birth of our Lord. Each season in the Catholic Church has a seasonal color. The colors for Advent and Lent are purple, signifying a time of repentance, conversion, and preparation. In Advent, the goal is to prepare for the coming of Jesus at Christmas. An Advent wreath that has four candles. A candle is lit each week during Advent to mark the days of this season. You may also have had an Advent Calendar when you were a child. We are going to have an Advent wreath for our Catholic community at CMCF. Every Catholic Church has an Advent wreath as well. 

There are two celebrations dedicated to Mary the first two weeks of December.  The Celebration of the Immaculate Conception, which commemorates the conception of Mary in the womb of her mother without sin, is celebrated normally on December 8. Because December 8 falls on a Sunday this year, this celebration is transferred to Monday, December 9. The Immaculate Conception of Mary is the patronal saint of our country, the United States. On December 12 each year, we celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe, an apparition of Mary who appeared to a man named Juan Diego in Mexico City in the year 1531.  Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patronal saint of all the Americas. 

We hope that you will join us for our celebrations of Advent this year at our Catholic community here at CMCF.  All are welcome, as we are all brothers in Christ. Father Lincoln. 

Prayers of the faithful - Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception - 9 December 2024 - prison ministry

Penitential Rite - Priest: 


Lord Jesus - you protected Mary from sin - Lord have mercy.


Christ Jesus - you sanctified Mary in your presence - Christ have mercy.


Lord Jesus - you presented Mary to your Church - Lord have mercy. 

Prayers of the faithful
 Priest: As we celebrate Mary today in a special way, let us present our prayers to God, who has brought salvation to all the world:

1. For the Holy Church, that Christians may do God’s will with joy in their hearts, as Mary did in her life. We pray to the Lord.


2. For the nations of the world, that their leaders may reach out to the needy and forgotten with compassion and mercy. We pray to the Lord.


3. For believers everywhere, that experiencing God’s mercy, they may be merciful to others and work toward healing. We pray to the Lord.


4. For all children, born and unborn, that they may be loved as warmly as Mary’s own child Jesus. We pray to the Lord.


5. For the sick of our community, for all who need healing in body, mind and spirit. We want to pray especially for the men in the infirmary and on hospice. We pray to the Lord.


6. For God’s chosen ones who have died, that they may find a home in heaven with Mary and all the saints. We pray to the Lord.


7. For the prayers we hold in the silence of our hearts. We pray to the Lord.


Priest: O God, your power is seen in the lives of your people. Continue to support us with your grace, we pray, through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. Amen. 

Prayers of the Faithful for Catholic funeral Mass

Priest:  My brothers and sisters, Christ is risen from the dead and is seated at the right hand of the Father, when he intercedes for us.  In confidence, we now join our prayers to his prayers as we pray for our brother Jeffrey. The response to each prayer will be: Lord hear our prayer.  

1. In baptism, our brother Jeffrey was given the pledge of eternal life. May he now be admitted to the company of the saints. We pray to the Lord.  

2. For our brother, who ate the body of Christ, the bread of life, that he may be raised up on the last day. We pray to the Lord. 

3. For Jeffrey’s family and friends, that they may be sustained by their faith and by the knowledge that they will be reunited with their sister one day in God’s heavenly Kingdom. We pray to the Lord. 

4.  Many friends and members of our families have gone before us and await the Kingdom. Grant them an everlasting home with your Son.  We pray to the Lord. 

5. Many people die by violence, war, and famine each day.  Show you mercy to those who suffer so unjustly there sins against your love. Gather them to the eternal kingdom of peace. We pray to the Lord. 

Priest: Lord God, giver of peace and healer of souls, hear the prayers of our Redeemer and the voices of your people.  Grant all those who sleep in Christ a place in your kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord.  AMEN.  

26 December 2024 - feast of St Stephen, Martyr - Octave of Christmas - Acts 6:8-10 and 7:54-59

On the day after we celebrate the birth of Christ, we commemorate St Stephen, the first martyr in the early Church after Christ’s death and resurrection. This commemoration reflects the way that Christ’s birth is part of the pascal mystery, which also includes Christ’s life and ministry, his death and resurrection, his ascension into heaven, and his coming again in the end times. As we celebrate with great joy Christ’s birth, we also know that with our joys in life, we also have sufferings and struggles, which we recall today in our commemoration of St Stephen. 

Stephen is described as a man of faith filled with God’s grace and wondrous powers, of proclaiming the kingdom of God through great signs amongst the people. His great faith and wisdom did not touch the hearts of the leaders of the people of Israel, but rather infuriated them, so he was stoned to death through the hardness of their hearts. We note how the Acts of Apostles states that Paul was present at his stoning, and probably participated in that event. 

We all have joys in life. We have our crosses to bear as well. As I write this homily on a day in November, the very next day I celebrate a baptism and have a funeral as well. Often the ministry of us priests reflects the great joys and the great sorrows we have in life. Yet, we never forget Christ’s victory over sin and death, a victory that allowed St Stephen to keep the faith until the end. We unite our prayers with the prayers of St Stephen today. 

Prayers of the faithful - 26 December 2024 - Feast of St Stephen - Octave of Christmas - Thursday

Lord Jesus - You are the glory of Israel - Lord have mercy. 

Christ Jesus - You are the long awaited Messiah - Christ have mercy. 

Lord Jesus - You are the Prince of Peace - Lord have mercy. 

PRIEST: As we commemorate St Stephen and the martyrs of the faith today at Mass, let us bring our prayers to our God of love and mercy: 

1. For the members of our Christian family, that they may have joy and peace throughout the Christmas season. 

2. For our governmental leaders, that they lead the people with peace and justice. 

3. For those who suffer for their faith or are persecuted for their faith, that the Lord will give them strength and courage in their struggles.  

4. For those who live with illness and frailty, for their caregivers and family members, for healing in their lives. 

5. For the homeless, the poor, and the hungry, may they receive the help they need. 

6.  For our family members and loved ones who have died. For the faithful departed who entered eternal life in 2024.  Fo the souls in purgatory.  

7. For the prayers we hold in the silence of our hearts.  

PRIEST: O God, your care for us is constant. We ask that you hear the prayers we make in faith and trust through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord for ever and ever.  AMEN.  

25 December 2024 - Christmas Day - Prayers of the faithful

Introduction: Merry Christmas everyone! This glorious morning, we celebrate God’s greatest gift: his son Jesus Christ. Jesus did not come into the world in a spectacular way, but instead in a humble stable in an unfamiliar town after a long difficult journey. Soon, the skies were filled with angels from heaven to announce the glad tidings to the shepherds in the fields. We come in joy today to worship our newborn king. 

Priest: Penitential rite 

Lord Jesus - you were born in the humble stable in Bethlehem. 

Christ Jesus - you are the son of Mary.


Lord Jesus - you bring us Christmas joy as we celebrate your birth. 

Priest: On this joyful day, we celebrate God’s greatest gift to us in the birth of our Savior. Now, let us call to mind our needs and the needs of our brothers and sisters, as we place our confidence in God’s love for us: 

1. That Jesus may ever be born in the hearts of all Christians, prompting us to recognize him in our neighbor, leading us to works of mercy and generosity. We pray to the Lord.


2. That the angels’ glad tidings of peace may come to fruition, from the war-torn nations of the world to our communities that are plagued by crime and violence. We pray to the Lord. 

3. That those who do not have a home may find a place that is warm, safe, and welcoming. We pray to the Lord.


4. For that who are grieving the loss of a loved one or a family member, that they may find hope and consolation in God’s loving care. We pray to the Lord. 

5. For Christians everywhere, that we may celebrate the Eucharist with joy and be reminded of God’s magnificent gift of our Savior each time we gather together for Mass. We pray to the Lord.


6. For the prayers we hold in the silence of our hearts. For all our intentions spoken and unspoken. We pray to the Lord. 

Priest: Generous God, we rejoice today in the gift of your only begotten son. As he leads us from darkness to light and from sin to redemption, we ask that you listen to our prayers as we celebrate his birth, for he is our Lord forever and ever. AMEN.