prayers of the faithful - feast of St Jerome - 30 September 2020

Lord Jesus - you are the word of God. 

Christ Jesus - you are the Good Shepherd. 

Lord Jesus - you teach us in the ways of the Father. 

Priest Celebrant: As we come before the Lord who made us and tends us as his flock, let us present our prayers. 

1. For our Holy Father Pope Francis, for Bishop Joseph Kopacz and Bishop emeritus Joseph Latino, and for all our all bishops, that the Lord may lead them and guide them as they shepherd the people of God. 

2. For our children and youth in the midst of their challenging school year.  May they see God accompanying them through both their joys and their challenges this school year.  

3. For the seminarians of our diocese.  For all the priests, deacons, and lay leaders serving in the Diocese of Jackson.  May they feel the Lord leading them and guiding them as they serve the people of God in the state of Mississippi.  

4.  For our president, governor, legislators, and judges; for our country’s security and the safety of the military.  

5. For peace and reconciliation in our communities here in the United States torn apart by gangs and violence, for all victims of warfare, greed, intolerance; for an end to terrorism.  

6. On the feast of St Jerome, we pray that we all may be led closer to God’s holy word and may out its teachings in our lives. 

7. For the sick and shut-ins of our community, for those in the hospital, hospice, and nursing homes, and for their caregivers. 

8. For the repose of the souls of the faithful departed.  

Priest celebrant: We bow before your majesty, O Lord, with reverence and respect.  We present these prayers to you through your son, Jesus Christ, our Lord for ever and ever.  AMEN.  

4 October 2020 - Mass for Respect Life Month - 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time - Matthew 21:33-43

      Today, from Isaiah, Matthew, and the 80th psalm, as our message from Sacred Scripture presents us the image of the vineyard, we commemorate the first Sunday of October and Respect Life Month.   We Catholics celebrate October as Respect Life Month, shining a spotlight on this essential value of our faith.  This year, the month of October calls us to “live the Gospel of Life: to imitate Christ and travel in his footsteps,” commemorating the 25th anniversary of the proclamation of the encyclical EVANGELIUM VITAE  (THE GOSPEL OF LIFE) by Pope John Paul II.  In that encyclical, John Paul II declared that the Gospel of Life is at the heart of Jesus’ saving message to the world.  In taking human flesh, Christ dwells among us and sacrifices his very life for our redemption, revealing the profound dignity of every human being. This human dignity which we all share does not change with our stage of life or our age, with our abilities, with our level of independence, or any other varying circumstance.  Our human dignity is rooted in the permanent fact that each human being is made in the image and likeness of God.  Each one of us is created to share in the very life of God himself.  

      The Gospel of Life is at the very foundation of our life as Christs's disciples. Jesus declared to us that as we treat the least of our brothers and sisters, so we treat Jesus himself.  John Paul II lists many threats to our human dignity, including poverty, malnutrition, murder, and war.  However, he calls particular attention to the threats to human dignity at the beginning and the end of life, which is where human life needs the greatest protection.  In Ancient Israel, those at greatest threat in society were called the ANAWIM - the widow, the orphan, and the stranger.  Today, in modern American, the children in their mothers’ wombs and those members of society approaching the end of their lives are the “least of these” in the estimation of the world.  Practices such as abortion and assisted suicide reject the eternal truth that all human life is to be cherished and to be defended with loving concern. 

       Wednesday, a week ago, when I went out to the prayer vigil in front of the abortion clinic at the noon hour in the Fondren neighborhood of Jackson to say a prayer and to pray for the unborn, it did not matter that some there mocked us and derided us.  God was with us, calling us to stand for the truth of our faith.  Our Catholic Charities here in the Diocese of Jackson has a wonderful program called Born Free, which provides treatment for substance abuse for women who are pregnant.  This is a very needed program in our society, a program for which these women and their families are very grateful, helping their children be born in the best circumstances possible in the midst of their mothers’ struggle with addiction.  In commemoration of Respect Life Month, we here at St Jude are glad to be able to collect items that are needed at the Born Free program. Standing up for the pro-life issues and letting our voices be heard and are actions be seen are important parts of being disciples.  

      Our readings today are particularly relevant to Respect Life Month and the call to live the Gospel of Life.  In Jesus’ parable in Matthew’s Gospel, the tenants who live in the vineyard reject the landowner’s servants and even his own son, whom he sent after they reject all his other messengers.   There are those who reject God’s kingdom and his messengers, just as happened with the tenants in the parable.  Yet, there are others out there who will accept the Kingdom.  So, that begs the question, what does God’s kingdom mean to us? We are living aspects of God’s kingdom already in our lives here on earth.  We await the fulness of the Kingdom in the eternal life to come. However, what is important is that God’s Kingdom calls us to certain values and a certain lifestyle. Frequently, the values of the Kingdom challenge the mores and norms of our modern world - that is something we have to accept and realize and  that is what we face today in our proclamation of his Kingdom.  We have seen this in the Senate, where practicing Catholics or members of the Knights of Columbus are badgered and ridiculed for their faith and their values as they are compared to the values of our secular world.  

      As we commemorate Respect Life Month and the anniversary of the encyclical Evangelium Vitae, we can reflect upon how we personally live out the Gospel:  (1) Do we inform ourselves of the Church’s teachings and engage in the civic arena as a follower of Christ and the values of the Gospel?  (2) Do we support and advocate for laws and polices that protect and defend human life?  (3) Do I treat and interact with others in the same way I would treat and interact with Christ himself?  As we celebrate the Gospel of Life today and the beginning of Respect Life Month, may we hear God’s call.  May the Gospel of Life truly have an impact on our lives of faith.   

Prayer and Blessing for Police officers and First Responders - feast of St Michael the Archangel - 29 September 2020

 Almighty God, you lend your strength to all those who are there for us in times of crisis, fear, and hurt.  We pray that you give courage, Lord to our police and to all our first responders who continue to do this important work they are called to do, looking beyond the risk for the sake of those who need your help and protection. We give you thanks for the many ways they give of themselves, their skills, knowledge and help in troubling times. Protect them, O Lord, and give them the wisdom to carry out their duties.  Extend your shielding hand over them and comfort their hearts when they are tired and heartbroken. 

God, we also lift up prayers of thanksgiving and comfort for the families of the police and the first responders and all who support them. Give them hope and courage. Surround them with your loving presence and give them peace when their loved ones run toward uncertainty.  We pray this blessings in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen. 

Mass Schedule - St Jude Catholic Church - Pearl Mississippi - week of September 28 to October 2

 We celebrate a lot of wonderful feast days this week in our Church's liturgical calendar.  Here is our mass schedule at St Jude Catholic Church in Pearl this week.  Masses will be both virtual and in-person at our church.

Tuesday, 9/29 - Feast of the Archangels - Blue Mass for the police and first responders - 6:00 PM

Wednesday, 9/30 - Feast of St Jerome, Doctor of the Church - 6:00 PM

Thursday, 10/1 - Feast of St Therese of Lisieux, Carmelite Nun and Doctor of the Church - 6:00 PM. 

Friday, 10/2 - Feast of the Guardian Angels - 10:00 AM.  

Prayer of the Faithful - the feast of the ARCHANGELS - 29 September 2020

Lord Jesus - you bring us peace - Lord have mercy.

Christ Jesus - you proclaim the justice of God’s kingdom - Christ have mercy. 

Lord Jesus - you lead us to healing and reconciliation - Lord have mercy. 

PRIEST: With humble and sincere hearts, we present our prayers for our first responders, for our needs, the needs of the Church, and the needs of the world.  

1. For our Church leaders and for our governmental leaders, may they lead us in our local and national communities in healing and reconciliation.  

2.  For an end to the violence perpetrated by harsh words, deadly weapons, or cold indifference. May our homes, our nation, and countries around the world become havens of peace.

3. For the grace to see every human being as a child of God, regardless of race, language or culture.

4. For the grace to teach our children and youth how to resolve differences non-violently and respectfully, and the courage to model it in our own behavior. 

5. For our first responders and the men and women who serve in the police department, for the men and women in the military, for their safety, and in thanks for their service to the community. 

6.  For our parish, that we may cultivate welcome, extend hospitality, and encourage the participation of people of all cultures, ethnicities and backgrounds, let us pray to the Lord.

7. For the sick and shut-ins, for healing for us body, mind, and spirit.  

PRIEST:  Heavenly Father, as we celebrate and honor the Archangels on their feast day today, we present our prayers to you through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever.  AMEN.  

29 September 2020 - Feast of the Archangels - BLUE MASS - John 1:47-51

       A few years ago when I was pastor of St James in Tupelo, I started the Blue Mass to honor the police officers and the first responders in our community.  I have been really glad we have been able to continue that tradition here at St Jude, as this is the fourth year in a row we have been able to have a church service here in Pearl on the feast of the Archangels to honor our police department, fire department, and our first responders.  

         The Blue Mass has a wonderful history here in the United States.  The first Blue Mass was celebrated on September 29, 1934 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Washington, DC by Rev. Thomas Dade, who had founded the Catholic Police and Firemen's Society.  On that day, 1,100 police officers and firemen dressed in blue uniforms, processing to St. Patrick's to honor the fallen members of their ranks. The Blue Mass began to spread to other cities in the northeastern United States.  Following the events of 9/11 in 2001, the Blue Mass began to be celebrated in cities from coast to coast to honor the many law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel who gave their lives in the line of duty.  

      With the pandemic and social unrest in our country, our police and first responders are under a lot of stress and pressure. Today, we honor these men and women who are heroes in our community, men and women who put themselves in harm’s way daily to serve, protect, and defend us.  

      Today is the vigil of the feast of the archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, the evening before their feast day of September 29.  St Michael is the patron saint for police officers and first responders and the men and women in the military, which is why this feast is a traditional date for the Blue Mass.   Our English word “angel” comes from the Greek word “angelous” which means messenger. There are untold millions of angels in heaven, all created as pure spirits, in continual praise and adoration of our God.  I have been asked several times as a priest what the difference is between an angel and an archangel.  Since ancient times, it has been believed that angels have different ranks and graces.  It is believed that the three Archangels are at the highest ranks of the angelic hierarchy.  In Scripture, in great events in salvation history, God has sent an “archangel” to proclaim an important message to his people. Often, when God wants to do something requiring courageous effort, he sends St Michael. Michael did battle with Satan and cast him out of heaven after he revolted. Michael is the head of the Heavenly Host, the Five-star General of God's Angelic Army. Michael is also the protector of Israel. 

     God has sent the Archangel Gabriel to announce something that would require strength from the meek and lowly. God sent Gabriel to announce to the Virgin Mary his plan for her to be the Mother of God.  Raphael has been sent by God when a message of healing was needed.  In the book of Tobit in the Old Testament, Raphael healed Tobit’s blindness.

     With the angels, with the archangels, with the community of Saints, and with the parishioners of St Jude, we come together to praise God this evening.  We pray for peace, reconciliation and healing for our state of Mississippi and for our nation.  We pray for an end to violence, war, and terrorism, an end to anger, hatred, and arrogance, those things that divide us.  Our gratitude, love, and prayers go out to those men and women who protect us each day. May St Michael and all your patron saints always be there to watch over you.  

2 October 2020 - Friday of the 26th week in Ordinary Time - The Feast of the Guardian Angels - Matthew 18:1-5, 10

      We in the Catholic Church believe in angels, a belief which is rooted in Scripture. We see angels as spiritual being who were created by God.  Our English word “angel” comes from the Greek word “angelos”, which means “messenger”.  God sends out his angels to carry special messages for him.  

      Today, we celebrate the feast of the Guardian Angels.  It is our belief that each of us has a guardian angel from birth who is there to help us in all things. It is also the belief that homes, cities and states also have guardian angels. A votive Mass to the guardian angels has been recognized since the 9th century.  Devotion to angels developed in the monastic tradition, with St Benedict and St Bernard of Clairvaux popularizing devotion to angels.  A feast in honor of the guardian angels was first observed in the 16th century. In 1615, Pope Paul V added it to the Roman calendar.

Our readings today for the feast of the Guardian Angels talk about angels, with the Gospel from Matthew speaking about an angels protecting children: “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to your that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”  Although we have the wonderful Guardian Angel prayer that children often pray, devotion to the angels, at the heart of it, is an expression of faith in God’s enduring love for us and providential care that God extends to each person each day.  

30 September 2020 - St Jerome - Wednesday of the 26th week in Ordinary Time - Luke 9:57-62

      We hear one of Jesus’ disciples declare today: “I will follow you wherever you go.”  Those are very easy words to say, especially when we don’t know where the road will lead in our journey of faith, when we don’t know the sacrifices we are going to have to make and what we are going to have to leave behind.   

        St Jerome, the saint we celebrate today, was one of the four original Early Church Fathers named as Doctors of the Church in 1298.  This group also included St Ambrose, St Gregory the Great, and St Augustine.  That shows the high esteem in which St Jerome was held.  Born in the middle of the 4th century in a small village in Dalmatia in the Roman Empire, in the area of present-day countries of Slovenia and Croatia, Jerome was not known for his kindness and compassion.  In fact, Jerome was known to be very quick tempered and would attack others in his writings, especially if he thought they were heretical or disobedient.  I guess that in our day Jerome would be one of these bloggers on the internet.  However, what Jerome is know for is his translation of Scripture and his Scripture commentaries.  His translation of the Bible in Latin called the Vulgate was the official version of the Bible in the Catholic Church.  A corrected version of the Vulgate was promulgated at the Council of Trent in the 16th century.  Jerome was a master of the important languages for a Scripture scholar: Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and Chaldaic.  He  complete his studies in Rome and in Trier, Germany.  Jerome spent a lot of time in the Holy Land and also five years in the dessert, devoting that time to prayer, penance, and studies.  Jerome died in Bethlehem in 420.  He is buried in the Basilica of St Mary Major in Rome.  He is the patron saint of archivists, scholars, and librarians.  Paintings of Jerome usually portray him with a skull, which is a remind of the inevitability of death and the vanity of the temporal things of this world.  

FLOCKNOTE REFLECTION - 30 September 2020 - PRAYER - PROPHETS OF A FUTURE NOT OUR OWN

It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.

The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent

enterprise that is God's work. Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of

saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said.

No prayer fully expresses our faith.

No confession brings perfection.

No pastoral visit brings wholeness.

No program accomplishes the Church's mission.

No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about.

We plant the seeds that one day will grow.

We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.

We lay foundations that will need further development.

We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.

This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.

It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an

opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.

We are prophets of a future not our own.

This prayer was first presented by Cardinal John Dearden of Detroit in 1979 and quoted by Pope Francis in 2015. Sometime, the prayer is falsely attributed to St Oscar Romero, although I think the sentiment of this prayer is in the spirit of St Oscar Romero.  The USCCB website states that this prayer is an excerpt from a homily written for Cardinal Dearden by Father Ken Untener for a Mass for Deceased Priests. Father Untener was named bishop of Saginaw, Michigan in 1980.

This prayer talks about planting seed, which is what ministry in our Church is often about.  Our work is not centered on us, but are centered on God.  We do our work, but it is enhanced and aided by God’s grace.  We are just a small part of a small story of the kingdom of God.  I have referred this quote before, but I heard this quote again at a virtual conference this past week on stewardship.  This prayer is worth looking at again and again.  

Prayers of the faithful - 25th week in ordinary time - 25 September 2020

 Lord Jesus, you bring healing to us and you forgive us our sins: Christ, have mercy.

Christ Jesus, you bring us the Father's love: Christ have mercy. 

Lord Jesus, you came that we might have life in its fullness: Lord, heave mercy.

Prayers of the faithful:

We present our prayers to our heavenly Father: 

1. That the leaders of the Church may preach with faith & courage, spreading the Gospel message throughout the world.

2. That our governmental leaders will gain wisdom from God during these challenging times as they lead their people.  

3. That Christian missionaries may be blessed and protected.

4. That those who are recovering from the recent storms & hurricanes & wildfires in different parts of the United States may receive the assistance that they need.  We pray for aid workers and all who are helping in the recovery process.  

5. That we may continue to care for our neighbors — in good days and bad.  We pray for those who are struggling with depression, mental illness, and addictions.  

6. That our community may be strengthened — and bring comfort, healing and life to all parishioners.

7. For the sick & shut-in - for the repose of the souls of the faithful departed.

Heavenly Father, as we are gathered by the word of life, as we are supported by the power of the sacraments, as we advance in the way of salvation and love, wee ask our prayers through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, as he is our Lord forever and ever.  

 

27 de septiembre de 2020 – la homilía del Domingo XXVI de tiempo ordinario - Ciclo A – Mateo 21, 28-32; Ezequiel 18, 25-28; Filipenses 2,1-11.

     ¿Como podemos tener una conversión en nuestro corazón, en nuestra vida, en nuestra realidad? Las lecturas de hoy hablan sobre este tema.  El profeta Ezequiel habla sobre la responsabilidad personal que necesitamos tener en la vida de fe, una responsabilidad de convertir el alma a Dios. Recibimos el don de salvación de nuestro Salvador, un don que recibimos gratis, un don que no ganamos por nuestras acciones y nuestras obras. Según Ezequiel, nuestras obras y nuestro camino de fe tienen consecuencias por nuestra salvación, especialmente si no nos arrepentimos de nuestros pecados y nuestras debilidades. 

         En el Evangelio de hoy, tenemos un lección sobre nuestra responsabilidad  también. No es suficiente para seguir nuestro Señor y sus mandamientos sólo con nuestras palabras y nuestros pensamientos, pero es necesario que nuestras obras y nuestra acciones acompañen nuestras palabras. Sin cambios en nuestra vida, no es una verdadera conversión. Por esta razón, según el Evangelio de San Mateo, los publicanos y las prostitutas precederán a los maestros de la ley en el Reino de Dios. Las prostitutas y los publicanos dijeron “no” en sus palabras y en sus vidas a la voluntad de Dios antes de su conversión a Dios, pero después, en el gran cambio en su vida de fe, ellos  siguen nuestro Señor en su plenitud.  Los maestros de la ley dicen que ellos siguen el camino de fe, pero no sienten la necesidad de convertirse y de hacer penitencia por los pecados en su vida. Con sus palabras, ellos dicen “sí” a Dios, pero en sus obras y sus acciones , ellos dicen “no.” 

      En la carta a los Filipenses, Pablo quiere animar a esta comunidad de fe, diciéndoles que ellos sean iguales en mente, en corazón y en amor por Cristo. Sin embargo, con todo el entusiasmo que podamos tener por nuestra fe, no debemos vivir nuestra fe con arrogancia y orgullo, no debemos dominar nuestra fe sobre los demás, sino que debemos vivir de la misma manera que Jesús vivió: con  humildad, como siervo, sin gloria para sí mismo, con la proclamación del reino de Dios en todas las cosas.

       San Pablo vio la esperanza, el gozo y el aliento en su fe, en la nueva vida que él tenía en Cristo.  En nuestro mundo moderno, podemos seguir el mismo camino de discipulado que recorrió Pablo, podemos encontrar pedazos de esperanza, gozo y apoyo en nuestras dificultades, desafíos y sufrimientos.

     Todavía estamos en medio de la pandemia de COVID-19. La temporada de la gripe ya está comenzando. El invierno y el frío vienen. Todos debemos seguir siendo cuidadosos y tomar medidas de seguridad para protegernos a nosotros mismos, a nuestros familiares y a nuestros vecinos. Sin embargo, todavía necesitamos escuchar la llamada la fe, la llamada a santificar el día del Señor, la llamada a ser parte de nuestra comunidad parroquial. Para la mayoría de nosotros, es seguro asistir a misa, ya sea una de las misas diarias durante la semana, una misa autocine el fin de semana o una misa tradicional en la iglesia el domingo en español. Tenemos algunas actividades maravillosas de formación en la fe en las que podemos participar tanto virtualmente como en persona. Dios todavía nos llama en medio de las dificultades y desafíos que enfrentamos hoy. Debemos responder con fe y con amor.

Reflection for 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Philippians 2:1-11

       I love our second reading Paul’s letter to the Philippians.  This reading probably sounds very familiar to us as we hear the last part of this reading each year on Palm Sunday.  Biblical scholars believe that Paul adapted these words from a hymn in the early Church.  The contrasts that Paul points out in this reading are striking: Jesus was indeed divine, but he took on human likeness; those both in heaven and on earth are to bend their knee to honor Jesus; and in the humiliation that Jesus suffered on the cross, he gained for us victory over sin; and through his humiliation, he has earned our exaltation. 

       In this letter, Paul starts by encouraging this community of faith, telling them to be of the same in mind, heart, and love of Christ.  Yet, in all of the enthusiasm we can have for our faith, we’re not to live out our faith with arrogance or pride, we are not to lord our faith over others. We are to live in the same manner that Jesus lived: by being humble, by being a servant, by not seeking glory for himself, but by proclaiming the kingdom of God in all things.

         Paul saw hope, joy, and encouragement in his faith, in the new life he had in Christ, which he tried to pass down to the communities he founded as he asked those in Philippi to imitate him and the way he lived out his faith.  In our modern world, as we follow along this same journey of discipleship that Paul walked, where are called to find glimmers of hope, joy, and support in our difficulties, challenges, sufferings.  

          We are still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Flu season is already starting.  The weather is getting colder.  We all need to continue to be careful and to take safety measures to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our neighbors.  Yet, we still need to hear the call to faith, the call to keep the Sabbath holy, the call to be a part of our parish community.  For most of us, it is safe to come to mass, whether it be one of the sparsely attended daily masses during the week, a drive-in mass on the weekend, or a traditional mass in church on Sunday.  We have some wonderful faith formation activities we can participate both virtually and in person.  God is still calling us and reaching out to us even in the midst of the difficulties and challenges we face today.  Let us respond in faith and in love.  

Prayers of the faithful - 23 September 2020 - 25th week in Ordinary Time

Lord Jesus - you bring us God’s love. 

Christ Jesus - you call us to repentance. 

Lord Jesus - you bring us new life.  

Introduction: The Lord God is present in the midst of our assembly. Let us call to the Lord in our prayers.   

1. For our Church and parish community. For our faithfulness to the covenant we have with God.  We pray to the Lord.

2. For Pope Francis, Bishop Joseph Kopacz, and all our church leaders, lay and ordained; may they hear God’s voice call out to them as they serve the Church. We pray to the Lord.

3. For the leaders of nations, states, and cities; that they may help us to realize the holiness of every human person. We pray to the Lord.

4. For all who fight against racism, oppression, and social injustice. For peacemakers. We pray to the Lord.

5. For those from whom we are separated or alienated, for the forgotten or ignored. May we work to heal old wounds and strive towards healing and reconciliation. We pray to the Lord.

6. For the sick and shut-ins.  For those who have died, that they will see the face of God. We pray to the Lord.

Priest:  Lord God, Father of us all, hear the prayers we make to you for every member of the human family. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

prayers of the faithful - 22 September 2020 - 25th week in Ordinary Time

 Lord Jesus - you hear the cry of the poor and the lonely 

Christ Jesus - you are compassionate and just 

Lord Jesus - you call us to holiness.  

Prayers of the Faithful:

Priest:  As we open our hearts to God’s will for us in our lives, let us now present our prayers: 

1. We pray for our Church and our Church leaders – that our Church leaders will help us live out the Law of God in our lives as to draw others to Christ. 

2. We pray for all political leaders – that they may enact policies that benefits all in their countries - both the wealthy and those in need.  

3. That we may reach out to the poor, the marginalized, the oppressed, and those who are searching for meaning in their lives.  

4. For those who have been adversely affected by natural disasters, especially those affected by the hurricanes on the Gulf coast and on the East Coast, and for those affected by wildfires out West.   

5. For the sick and the shut-in - for those who need healing in their lives - for those in the hospitals, hospice, and nursing homes. 

6.  For those who have died – that those who sought to live righteously in this life, may now enter enteral life with God. 

7. For the prayers we offer up in our hearts today.   

Priest:  Merciful God, we seek your way.  The way of mercy, steadfast love and service to our neighbor in need. We do so simply and sincerely through Christ our Lord for ever and ever.  AMEN.

Prayer service - 40 days of life - opening prayer - 23 September 2020

Heavenly Father, creator of all life, we come to you to day in prayer for 40 days for life.  We thank you for the gift of Life that you have given to each of us. You have made us your children and have filled us with your Holy Spirit. We turn to you, Father, to ask for your protection for our unborn brothers and sisters. We pray that mothers and fathers will place the life of their unborn children above their own needs and wants. We pray that family and community members will offer their support for unborn children.  We pray that the well-being of both mother and child will be the focus of all health care workers.  And we pray that government leaders will seek ways to uphold the dignity of human life. We place all these prayers before you through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and in the name of your son Jesus Christ.  AMEN. 

Flocknote Reflection - 23 September 2020 - Reflection on practicing our faith during the pandemic and keeping the Sabbath holy

“When you are before the altar where Christ reposes, you ought no longer think you are in the midst of men, but believe that there are troops of angels and archangels standing by you and trembling with respect before the sovereign master of heaven and earth. Therefore, when you are in the church, be there in silence, fear, and veneration.”  ST JOHN CHRYSOSTOM (347-407)

    What a wonderful quote we have from St John Chrysostom, about what we should feel when we enter church and when we celebrate Mass.  It has been hard during this time of pandemic, when we were not able to practice our faith in the ways that we normally do.  I will never forget what it felt like commemorating Holy Week and The Triduum with face masks and an empty church. We were not even able to celebrate those liturgies in our church, but in our small chapel. 

    The important thing during this challenging time is to find ways to practice our faith, to keep the Lord’s day holy, to come back to church.  We here at St Jude have been very diligent in sanitizing our facilities and observing protocols that will keep us all safe.  When I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Africa and a missionary in South America, there were protocols I had to observe in order to keep safe, to keep alive, really.  I was very diligent about preparing clean water to drink, which included getting rain water or well water in buckets, filtering it, boiling it, and treating it with iodine or bleach. It was a ritual and protocol I had to observe very carefully.  We here at St Jude are so very careful in trying to keep all of us safe in the protocols and safety measures we are observing. 

I know that we all have our own realities and our own underlying vulnerabilities and medical conditions, but I want to communicate to you how safe it is to return to St Jude for Mass.  Our daily masses in church are very lightly attended and you do not need to make an on-line reservation to attend, so we want to particularly invite the elderly and those who feel particularly vulnerable to those daily masses.  There is currently a dispensation in place in our Diocese from attending mass on Sunday, meaning that attending a weekday mass will fulfill your weekly obligation.  We are still continuing to stream our masses online on Facebook, but we want to encourage live attendance at mass as well. 

We are start our adult faith formation program this week.  I want to encourage all of you to attend it.  I myself will be leading one of the small discussion groups.  We will be using the program THE SEARCH from the Formed website.  This is another way that we can continue the practice of our faith: continue to be formed in our faith and to grow in our faith.  

Blessings to all of you.  Have a blessed week.  

Father Lincoln 

Catechetical Sunday - 20 September 2020

    Our theme for Catechetical Sunday comes from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians.  Paul writes: “I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you.” Paul uses this phrase to explain the tradition of the Eucharist and in receiving the body and blood of Christ. The faith we proclaim and believe is the faith that was received by others, the faith that they passed down to us.  

       We have the responsibility to pass down the faith to future generations in a society where so many of our traditions and framework and history are under attack.  We are thankful for our parents who are passing down the faith to their children.  We are thankful for our catechists who are helping our children and our youth learn and grow in the ways of the faith.

       Let us all offer up this prayer and blessings for our catechists this weekend:  Loving Father, pour forth your Holy Spirit upon your catechists, that they may be able to proclaim your Word, who is your Son, Jesus Christ. May you render open the minds and hearts of your catechists, so that they may be receptive and responsive to your Holy Spirit.  May they be like Mary, becoming living instruments of your Word.  Help them to be faithful witnesses of the new life we have in the Gospel so that your Church may become ever more alive. Let the fire of your love enkindle the hearts of your catechists so that they may be instruments of drawing others to love of you in the Church of your Son. We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen. 

22 September 2020 - Tuesday of the 25th week in Ordinary Time - Proverbs 21:1-6, 10-13

      One of the media outlets I check out regularly is a group called Sancta Familia media that comes out of the Glasgow area of Scotland, run by two young men who very enthusiastically report about the Catholic faith in Scotland.   One of their recent videos is about St Serf, a Scottish saint who lived in the 6th century.  There are a lot of churches and shrines named after him in Scotland.  There is a group of caves in the Scottish region of Fife, the region of Scotland where some of my own ancestors are from, that are said to be the caves where Serf lived as a hermit. They are now on the grounds of a Carmelite monastery.  On the walls of the caves are drawings that date back to the time before Christianity arrived in England and Scotland, depicting the sun, a god that was worshipped in the pagan religions of that country.  Tradition passes down that Serf established different monasteries in the region of Fife and that he also established a monastery on an island located on one of the larger lakes in that region.  Like a lot of saints of that era, it is had to differentiate legend from fact, but certainly St Serf is remembered in Tradition by being a man of prayer and faith who helped spread Christ’s Good News in Scotland. 

        This week in our first readings in the daily masses, we hear from different books of wisdom literature from the Old Testament.  Today, we hear a collection of short sayings from the book of Proverbs that contrast the ways of the wicked and the arrogant to the ways of the wise and the just.  At the heart of these sayings is the way that God does not judge us by the surface or by what he sees on the outside, but rather by what is going on in us on the inside and in our life of faith, how we truly live out the Gospel.  Saints like St Serf and the stories about them also tells us about men and women who have lived out their faith in the reality and challenges that they faced in life.  Lord, may your teachings and your holy word and the example of the community of saints inspire us, lead us, and guide us on our journey of faith.  

25 September 2020 - Friday of the 25th week in Ordinary Time - Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

      Our first reading today - Ecclesiastes in Greek or Qoheleth in Hebrew -  is a part of the Wisdom tradition in Israel’s scriptures. It is a common reading read in funeral liturgies.  In this reading, a wise person reflects on different times in his life: a times of death and birth, times of killing and healing, times of weeping and laughing.  There are times and seasons in the way nature and ecology functions.  There are times and season in our lives. While each time and season may seem to happen randomly, the underlying significance of this reading today is that there is a divine purpose for everything that happens in our lives.  We are reminded in the sovereignty of God, the creator and ruler of heaven and earth.  I think one of the things we have learned during this pandemic is that there are so many things that are beyond our human control of things.  We may have a smart phone in our pockets that is more powerful than the computers that put the man on the moon.  We may have advanced technology that many of our us could not have imagined as children.  But there are many elements of our existence that are beyond our control.  We cannot conquer time.  God appoints each moment.  Indeed, our lives here on earth are a mixture of joy and sorrow, of pleasure and pain, of harmony and struggle, of life and death.  Each season has an appropriate time in the cycle of life.  Nothing stays the same.  

Drive-in mass at St Jude Catholic Church - Pearl Mississippi

Drive-in mass on an evening that was threatening rain.  Thankfully, the rain held off.  

 

St Michael the Archangel Catholic Church - Paulding Mississippi

Since right before Christmas, I have been celebrating mass at different times at the Catholic Church in Paulding (in Jasper County Mississippi) since there is not another priest available to celebrate mass in that parish.  I love going there.  It is actually a beautiful drive through back roads, rather than the interstate.  This parish is the second oldest parish in Mississippi.  (The oldest is Fort Adams near Natchez in the southwest part of the state.)  The bottom photo is of my good friend Charlie Carlyle from Yazoo County who was providing the music at this mass.  

23 September 2020 - Padre Pio - Wednesday of the 25th week in Ordinary Time - Luke 9:1-6

      Today, we celebrate the feast day of Padre Pio, one of the most popular saints in the Catholic Church.  Padre Pio was born to a family of farmers in southern Italy in 1887.  As a youth, he became a Capuchin Franciscan.  His life at the monastery was interrupted by a stint in the Italian army in WWI and a bout with tuberculosis.  In 1918, after celebrating mass, he had a vision of Jesus and developed the stigmata on his hands, feet, and side.  He became a celebrity, with busloads of people coming to him for confession each day.  There are a good number of people who have reported cures and healings after praying for the intercession of Padre Pio.  Padre Pio saw Jesus in the sick and the suffering.  His canonization by Pope John Paul II in 2002 was one of the largest crowds to attend a canonization.  The Pope stated this about Padre Pio at his canonization: “The life and mission of Padre Pio testify that difficulties and sorrows, if accepted with love, transform themselves into a privileged journey of holiness, which opens the person toward a greater good, known only to the Lord.”  It is interesting, that on the day we celebrate the feast of Padre Pio, we hear about Jesus sending out his apostles to be missionaries to the world, giving them authority over demon, to cure diseases, to heal the sick, and to proclaim the kingdom of God.  Padre Pio lived out this mandate in the call God gave him and in the way he answered that call.  

Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church - Greenville Mississippi

 

Last week, I had the wonderful opportunity to celebrate mass with priests from the Society of the Divine Word at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Greenville, Mississippi.  Before going to seminary and being ordained as a priest for the Diocese of Jackson in 2008, I taught Spanish at Greenville High School as a member of the Mississippi Teacher Corps.  During that time, I was a parishioner at Sacred Heart Parish, so going back now as the vicar general of the Diocese of Jackson and as a priest in the Diocese was a very special experience that brought back a lot of memories.  Father Eric Groner, the priest while I was a parishioner there, also got to come back for the mass.  I had my first mass there at this parish as a priest on June 1, 2008.  This is a place that touched my life in a very profound way and a place that brings back a lot of memories.  This mass was in honor of the founding of the Society of the Divine Word in the Netherlands in the late 19th century by German priests who were forced out of their homeland due to religious persecutions.  And this mass was also to honor the founding a seminary at this site in Greenville that was the first seminary in the United States to accept African American men as seminarians in preparation for the priesthood.  It was a joy to be celebrating in Greenville that day.  

20 de septiembre de 2020 - Vigésimo quinto domingo del tiempo ordinario - Salmo 145

     Hoy, en la Iglesia Católica de los Estados Unidos, celebramos el el domingo catequético. El domingo pasado, iniciamos el programa de las clases de doctrina en nuestra parroquia este año escolar. Hoy, también, queremos reconocer el compromiso que nuestros maestros y catequistas y que nosotros, como parroquia, hacemos al educar a nuestros niños y a nuestros jóvenes en la fe.

      El tema del domingo catequético de este año viene de la primera carta de San Pablo a los Corintios, lo cual es maravilloso, porque hemos estado escuchando lecturas del libro en las misas diarias durante las últimas semanas. Nuestro tema es: "Recibí del Señor lo que también te entregué".  Este tema se centra en la sustancia principal de la catequesis: una invitación a una nueva vida que nos da Cristo mismo.  Este tema muestra que la fe viva requiere movimiento, inspirando a todos aquellos que escuchan la Palabra de Dios a compartirla como testigos del Dios vivo y verdadero.  Los catequistas son los instrumentos a través de los cuales muchos llegan al encuentro de Cristo y escuchan esta invitación.   Estamos agradecidos aquí en nuestra parroquia por tener un grupo de catequistas dedicados - hombre y mujeres de fe.

     San Pablo es un ejemplo para nosotros este domingo catequético.  San Pablo mismo tuvo un encuentro concreto con Cristo en su camino. Iba por todo el campo persiguiendo a los seguidores de Jesús cuando Cristo literalmente lo derribó de su caballo y lo cegó con un brillante rayo de luz.  Cristo llamó a San Pablo a una misión especial.  Pablo aceptó esta misión con valentía y tenacidad.  Si todos los cristianos pudiéramos tener el gozo, el compromiso y el entusiasmo que Pablo tenía en su camino fe, no habría límites en las formas en que podríamos llevar el mensaje de Cristo al mundo.  La educación religiosa para niños, jóvenes y adultos es muy importante en este momento, especialmente en las formas en que ha sido difícil practicar la fe en la realidad de la pandemia de COVID-19.  Nuestra fe y nuestra comunidad de fe nos ayudan en el camino de fe y nos ayudan a superar y soportar lo que enfrentamos en la vida. Por eso es tan importante para nosotros educarnos siempre en la fe.  Crecer y educarnos como individuos y como comunidad, ayúdanos en este camino de fe de toda la vida.  Ser parte de nuestro programa de las clases de doctrina e ir a Misa y recibir la Eucaristía son pilares importantes para nuestra fe católica.  Debemos darnos cuenta de que nuestra fe no es algo que se detiene y permanece estático en la vida. Es como una planta; si no crece, si no recibe alimentación, morirá.  Alimentamos la fe por la Eucaristía, por nuestras experiencias de educación religiosa, por la forma en que aplicamos la fe en la vida diaria.

         Ustedes conocen que yo trabajaba como misionero en las selvas del Ecuador.   Del centro de misión en el aldea de Borbón en Ecuador, servíamos alrededor de noventa aldeas diferentes a lo largo de un vasto sistema fluvial en esa selva.  Ya les he contado cómo viajaba a pie y en canoa muchas horas para llegar a cualquiera de esos pueblos y aldeas.  Puede imaginarse cómo la mayoría de las personas que vivían en la selva no tenía muchas oportunidades de ir a misa con regularidad. Algunas de las capillas de estas aldeas no tenían misa una vez al año.  Aquí en nuestra parroquia de St Jude, somos bendecidos con una comunidad católica que tiene una historia maravillosa. Somos bendecidos con un hermosa iglesia y con los recursos que los miembros aquí han trabajado arduamente para tener aquí.   Sin embargo, seré muy honesto contigo. Si no luchamos por la fe, si no nos comprometemos con la fe católica, si no alimentamos a nuestros hijos y a nosotros mismos en la fe, ¿qué pasará con el catolicismo en nuestro sociedad? Es una situación grave, pero si trabajamos juntos, si estamos comprometidos en la fe y si reflejamos en la comunidad y en nuestras vidas la presencia de Cristo que está con nosotros, nuestra fe crecerá y se desarrollará y atraerá a nuestro prójimo.  Hoy, en el domingo catequético, es bueno para mirar las formas en que queremos crecer en la fe.

      Me encanta las palabras que escuchamos hoy en el salmo, como el salmista puede decir:  Un día tras otro bendeciré tu nombre y no cesará mi boca de alabarte. Muy digno de alabanza es el Señor, por ser su grandeza incalculable.  Esta declaración sólo se puede venir de la boca de una persona de fe. Una persona que se sigue formando en la fe, que tiene entusiasmo por su fe y que transmite la fe a su prójimo. Que aspiremos a ser ese mismo tipo de persona de fe.