prayers of the faithful - ALL SAINTS DAY - 1 NOVEMBER 2021

 Lord Jesus - you bless the poor in Spirit - Lord have mercy. 

Christ Jesus - you call us to a path of holiness - Christ have mercy. 

Lord Jesus - you call us to justice and peace - Lord have mercy. 

As we unite our prayers with the prayers of the community of saints, we present our prayers to our merciful God. 

1. For the Holy Catholic Church, for Francis our Pope, Joseph our Bishop, and for all of our church leaders, for wisdom and clarity of mission, we pray to the Lord:

2. For the governmental leaders of the world, that they would promote justice, holiness, and respect for human life, and work together for the good of all, we pray to the Lord:

3. For our church community, that we would model our lives after the holy men and women of God, becoming more like Christ in all ways, we pray to the Lord:

4. In thanksgiving for the saints of God, for the love and mercy they have shown to the world, we pray to the Lord:

5. For those who are sick or suffering in any way, may they be comforted with the love of Christ. For healing for all of us in mind, body and spirit.  We pray to the Lord:

6. For all those who have died, that the light of Christ would shine upon them, we pray to the Lord:

7. For our own personal needs and intentions, that we now recall in our hearts, we pray to the Lord:

As we honor the saints today, we make these prayers thru your son Jesus Christ, our Lord for ever and ever.  AMEN.  

1 November 2021 - HOMILY FOR ALL SAINTS DAY - Matthew 5:1-12A

     In the Early Church, to be declared a saint, one had to die a martyr’s death for the faith, so the earliest recorded observance we have of a feast dedicated to the saints is a 4th century commemoration of martyrs in the Early Church.  We are not sure how November 1 was selected as a feast to commemorate the saints, but this was the date of a celebration of the saints in Anglo-Saxon Britain beginning in the 9th century; it spread through the Roman Catholic Church soon after that.  

     The Catholic faithful are so grateful that our universal Church in all its wisdom has set a date to celebrate the community of saints.  So what do we mean by saints? Normally, we probably think of those people of faith who led lives of extraordinary holiness, who have been canonized or beatified by the Church.  We think of the saints whom we have celebrated this past month, such as St Francis of Assisi, St Teresa of Avila, St Pope John Paul II, St Jude, St Luke, St Therese of Lisieux, and St Jean de Brebeuf.  In today's celebration, we use the word saint in a much broader sense, referring to all baptized Christians who have died and are now with God in glory in eternal life.  Tomorrow, on All Souls Day, we will remember those who have died but need still a process of purification before they can come face-to-face with God in eternal life.

     Today, our Gospel reading is the Beatitudes from Matthew’s Gospel.  When we think of how we strive toward holiness, perhaps in an examination of conscience we undertake before going to the sacrament of reconciliation, we usually use the ten commandments as the standard.  However, as we hear the Beatitudes today, perhaps we understand how they give us a wonderful guide to living a life of holiness as a disciple of Christ.  Perhaps the key to the Beatitudes is being poor in spirit, in which we are called to humility and openness in they way we receive the kingdom of God in our present lives here on earth, being open to leading a life of compassionate love and service to God and to our neighbor.  The poor in spirit are willing to stand before God with the open hands of a child, to receive what he has to give to us.  The poor in spirit realize that our lives are not about power, control, and our own will, that we are not to depend upon our own spiritual pride.  We are to accept our limitations and our imperfections as we rely on God as the center of our lives. I think that many of us can think of examples of how we have seen the attitudes fo the Beatitudes lived out in the lives of many of the members of the community of saints.  A saint is that person who is willing to follow the life to which Christ invites him. 

    Today’s great feast is an invitation for us to give thanks, for our ancestors, family, loved ones and friends who have gone before us and who have entered eternal life.  We look to that day when we too will be united with them into the eternal kingdom of God. Let us pray for all the saint today - those famous canonized saints as well as the saints we have known and lived alongside in the course of ordinary life.  And may we ask for their prayers on our behalf, that we may live lives of faithfulness and holiness. 

2 November 2021 - homily for All Souls Day - WISDOM 3:1-9

    Today, in our Catholic faith, we commemorate All Souls Day, as we pray for the repose of the souls of the faithful departed.  The Catholic Church has encouraged prayers for the dead since the days the Early Church as a sign of Christian love and charity.  A quote attributed to St Augustine of Hippo states that one of the holiest works and best exercises of piety is to offer sacrifices, alms, and prayers for the dead.  By the early Middle Ages, monasteries started to mark an annual day of prayer for their departed members. Almost 1,000 years ago, the influential Benedictine monastery in Cluny, France offered special prayers and sang the Office for the dead on November 2, the day after the feast of All Saints Day.  This custom spread quickly to the universal Roman Catholic Church.  

      Traditionally, in our Catholic faith, we remember our deceased family members and friends on this day in our prayers.  We here at St Jude and at many parishes throughout the Diocese remember those members and family members who have passed away this past year in our All Souls Day Mass.  There are those deceased loved ones who have entered union and eternal life in God.  However, there are also those who have died but who are not quite ready for union with God, those who are in need of a process of purification.  It is helpful for us to think of purgatory as a process rather than a place.  We can only speculate as to what that process of purification is like.  

      We lift up our prayers for the faithful departed today.  We remember those deceased family members and loved ones who have entered eternal life. In the hope of our Catholic faith, we acknowledge that our earthly death is not the end.  The first reading from Wisdom today reminds us that the souls of the just are in the hands of God, where they at peace, and where no torment can touch them.  Those who live a righteous life able in God’s love in eternal life forever. For us here on earth, our commemoration of All Souls Day reminds us to place our hope and trust in the Lord.  

prayers of the faithful - FRIDAY of the 30th week in ORDINARY TIME - 29 OCTOBER 2021

 Lord Jesus, you are the Son of God - Lord have mercy. 

Christ Jesus, you are our Savior and our Redeemer - Christ have mercy. 

Lord Jesus, you are the king of kings - Lord have mercy. 

Prayers of the faithful: 

My dear brothers and sisters, with humble hearts, we now present our needs to the Lord. 

1. For Pope Francis and the world-wide Church, as we begin the synod process together. 

2. For all the baptized — that we may answer the call to follow Christ every day on our journey.  

3. For those who are suffering and struggling in life - that they may receive help and compassion. 

4. For members of religious groups who are persecuted throughout the world — that they may be able to practice their faith in freedom. 

5. For the men and women in the military - for the men and women who protect us each day - for our first responders - in gratitude for their sacrifices.  

6. For the sick and shut-ins of our community.  For the repose of the souls of the faithful departed. 

God our creator, we pray that you hear our cries: grant our petitions, we pray you, through Christ, our Lord for ever and ever.   Amen.

31 de octubre de 2021 – Trigésimo Primer Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario – Marcos 12:28-34

     En el  Evangelio de San Marcos, un escriba se acercó de Jesús y le preguntó sobre el primero de todos los mandamientos y las leyes de Dios.  En la superficie de esta pregunta, pensamos que hay diez mandamientos para responder. Pero, es mas complicado. En las tradiciones de los judíos, hay 613 leyes de Dios en las escrituras sagradas.  Entonces, esta pregunta y la respuesta son muy diferentes que nuestra imagen inicial.  En la perspectiva de los fariseos y los escribas, en su observancia de la ley de Dios, ellos presentan a Jesucristo una pregunta muy interesante. Este escriba pregunta a Jesús después de escuchar una conversación entre Jesús y los fariseos y los herodianos.  Ellos tienen muchas preguntas, ellos quieren poner una trampa en estas preguntas. Por supuesto, nosotros también tenemos preguntas en el camino de fe. 

     A veces, tenemos miedo de nuestras preguntas.  Podemos pensar que nuestras preguntas son tontas. Podemos tener miedo que nuestras preguntas pueden avergonzarnos.   Frecuentemente, en el Nuevo Testamento, los discípulos expresar dudas en las preguntas ellos tienen. Tal vez, los discípulos tienen miedo de las respuestas que Jesús pueden dar.   Los fariseos y los escribas tienen muchas preguntas también, pero ellos utilizan estas preguntas para poner Jesús a los márgenes.  En nuestra sociedad, muchas personas utilizan sus preguntas como armas para hacer daño a los demás.   En la fe, necesitamos dejar la tensión de utilizar las preguntas con intenciones malas.  No debemos utilizar las preguntas como ataques.  Muchas veces, tenemos muchas preguntas, pero las respuestas que buscamos no son fáciles y no son sencillas para entender.  Por ejemplo, cuando servía a Canadá y a Ecuador como misionero laico comprometido, yo tenía muchas preguntas, pero en mi servicio como misionero, en la pobreza, la corrupción y la violencia que miraba como misionero cada día, yo regresé a los Estados Unidos con mas preguntas y sin muchas respuestas.

      En el mundo moderno, muchas personas miran las preguntas como debilidad.   Muchas personas piensan que cada pregunta tendrá una respuesta preciso y clara.  Pero, en la fe católica, no tenemos vergüenza para decir que no tenemos todas las respuestas, que en el camino de fe, vamos a encontrar un sentido de misterio y las características de Dios que no podemos comprender en su plenitud.  Nuestro camino de fe no es recto – tiene los giros y las curvas. A veces, en el camino de fe, en nuestra búsqueda como creyentes y como discípulos, en las preguntas, podemos tener dudas, y podemos preguntar la profundidad de la fe.  En verdad, en las preguntas, podemos expresar una crisis de fe. Pero, en las preguntas, en la lucha con las dudas y la incredulidad, podemos fortalecer la fe. Una fe inquisitiva es mejor de una fe perezoso y una fe egoísta.  Una vez, mi profesor en el seminario me preguntó – “Lincoln – ¿que tipo de sacerdote quiere ser?” Yo reflexionaba sobre esta pregunta, y me daba cuenta que no puedo hacer todo como sacerdote. Y para ustedes también – ¿Cuál llamada tienen como seguidores de Cristo? ¿Qué tipo de preguntas necesitan preguntar para crecer en la fe?  ¿Tienen miedo para tener preguntas en la fe?  Necesitamos luchar y buscar con las preguntas. Con las preguntas, podemos reflexionar mucho.  

prayers of the faithful - St Simon and St Jude - 28 October 2021

Lord Jesus - you called your apostles to help you in your ministry. 

Christ Jesus - you are our source and our strength. 

Lord Jesus - you call us to be missionary in spirit.  

Let us unite our prayers with the prayers of St Simon and St Jude on their feast day today: 

For all Church leaders, especially our Pope Francis and Bishop Joseph Kopacz, may they lead the Church in unity and courage in the spirit of the apostles.  

For all of our governmental leaders, may the Lord lead us and guide them in the difficult decisions they have to make. 

For all missionaries, for a missionary spirit in all of us, for great understanding and dialogue amongst the religions of the world. 

For our children, our youth and our families, for a strengthening of our faith and the way we reach out to others in our faith.  

For those who are struggling through life, for those who are still recovering from natural disasters, for healing and help for those who need it. 

For our parish of St Jude, for all who serve here in various missionaries, for continued blessings for our parish.  

For the spirit of Respect life month to last throughout the year, that our society may have a greater respect for life from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death.  

For the sick and shut-in and the repose of the souls of the faithful departed. 

For any desperate prayers we may have and for any seemingly impossible causes, we pray for St Jude for help and for his intercessions.  

Heavenly Father, we present these prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord for ever and ever.  AMEN.

Reflection on stewardship and on the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

      In our Gospel today, a scribe asks Jesus a question about the greatest commandment of all.  We are probably thinking: Well, Jesus has 10 commandments to choose from, so this doesn’t seem like such a difficult question.  However, according to Jewish tradition, there are 613 mitzvot or commandments in their Holy Scriptures, so this question is actually more complicated than it seems on the surface to us.  With the scribes and Pharisees being obsessed in their observance of the law, Jesus is faced with a very challenging proposition.  The scribe poses this question in the Gospel of Mark after he hears Jesus having an intense discussion with some Pharisees and Herodians; they were asking Jesus a barrage of questions in order to try to trap him and get him in trouble with the chief priests and the Jewish elders.  

     Jesus answers that the two greatest commandments revolve around the love of God and love of neighbor.  This weekend, we are going to start discussing stewardship here at St Jude with reflections in the Little Burgundy Book, from the same Catholic Diocese that produces the Little Books we hand out during Advent, Lent, and Easter.  I am looking forward to discussing stewardship together as a parish.  The first thing to say is that stewardship is part of our identity as disciples of Christ, that stewardship is not an option, but rather an essential part of our being.  Stewardship is a way we love God and love our neighbor.  It is an integral part of our identity as brothers and sisters in Christ.  In our discussions these next few weeks, we will discuss how stewardship is a way of life.  I want to encourage you to read the reflections in the Burgundy Book that we are handing out this weekend and to engage in the conversation on stewardship that we are going to have at our parish.

Prayer - Catholic Foundation meeting - 26 October 2021

Blessed are you God of all creation, God of love and mercy.  We come together today as the board of the Catholic foundation.  We are aware of the challenging reality that has been with us in the COVID19 pandemic this past year, with all the changes it has brought to our Church, our world, and our country.  In the midst of this reality, we give thanks for our blessings, for our benefactors, and for God’s grace that helps us meet our challenges.  Thank for the great service that Catholic Foundation has been to the people of God of our Diocese and to our parishes, schools, and organizations.   Help us to have the hearts of servant disciples, to work in collaboration with the Diocese and our Bishop. Lead us and guide us in our service.  In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. AMEN. 

26 October 2021 – homily for Tuesday of 30th week in Ordinary Time – Luke 13:18-21

     We know that with the pandemic, many were not able to come to Mass in-person on a regular basis.   We have to tried to meet that challenge through streaming Masses on the internet, and then for a year, we had Masses outside in cars.  When I arrived at St Jude four years ago, when St Jude had two priests, we had three Masses on the weekend.  Now we have five Masses every weekend, six Masses on the weekend that we have Latin Mass.  With me saying Masses at Millsaps College most Sunday evenings and with me helping out at the Carmelite monastery with some of their daily Masses during the week, we have a lot of Mass opportunities going on.  Many parishes are looking for ways to reach out to parishioners and to re-engage them.  However, that being said, many parishioners are staying home from Mass.  Baptism rates are down.  Those getting married in the Catholic Church and those entering the Catholic Church through the RCIA program - those rates are down too.  Down so much that it is very disturbing. In talking to other Protestant pastors, it is happening with Protestant denominations as well.

     The reality I just described is in contrast to the message in the Gospel today that compares the kingdom of God to a small mustard that can grow at an astonishing rate into a huge bush. Jesus made this comparison in order to encourage his disciples in their proclamation of God’s kingdom and in their missionary efforts.  Yet, we are reminded time and again that we are to trust in the Lord, to go about doing his work with great encouragement and enthusiasm.  We always get a lot of encouragement from Pope Francis, who wants the Church to be inviting and welcoming.  I remember that as a missionary, it was hard to see results most of the time, knowing that often we plant the seed, and then the harvest will take a long ways down the road, and the results may be very different than what we anticipated. May we feel the Lord encouraging us today in our Gospel reading, to never give up and to keep the faith.

28 October 2021 - homily for the feast of St Simon and St Jude – Luke 6:12-16

      We celebrate the feast of St Jude and St Simon today, two of Jesus’ apostles.  In Scripture, there are not a lot of details given about the apostles, but we also know many things about about them from the Tradition that has been passed down to us, things that are not included in Scripture.  Jude has become a popular saint in the Church.  He is mentioned in the list of the apostles in the Gospel of Luke and in Acts.  St. Jude is known as the patron saint of lost causes and desperate situations in our Roman Catholic tradition.  This is due to the tradition that, because his name was similar to the traitor Judas Iscariot, originally, few Christians prayed for his intercessions, out of the mistaken belief that they would be praying to Judas Iscariot.  As a result, St. Jude was somewhat ignored, so he became eager to assist anyone who approached him, to the point of intervening in very dire circumstances.  To encourage veneration of this "forgotten" apostle, the Church maintained that St. Jude would intervene in any lost cause to prove his saintliness and zeal for Christ, and thus St. Jude became the patron of lost causes.  It is so interesting to see the roots of some of the traditions we have in our Church

        Simon is mentioned on all four lists of the apostles.  On two of those lists he is called "the Zealot.”  The Zealots were members of a very nationalistic Jewish sect that saw the Messiah coming to restore them to military greatness and to lead a free and independent nation. Tradition has it that Simon and Jude went to Persia together as missionaries, where they were martyred for the faith.  They are buried together in the same tomb in St Peter’s basilica, below the St Joseph Altar at the left transept of the basilica. 

        Even though we don't know a lot of details about many of the apostles, we do know that they are responsible for passing down the faith that we practice today, that they suffered and sacrificed in order to spread God’s word throughout the world.  As we hear in the Gospel of the 12 apostles whom Jesus called by name, we know that they were not the richest, not the most intelligent, not from the most prestigious families in society, but rather that they were very human in their weaknesses and their flaws.   They came from all walks of life, including tax collectors, tradesmen, and fisherman.  In the midst of our human flaws and weaknesses, the Lord calls us to be his followers, to live out our faith in the reality of our lives.  

         St Jude is our parish’s patron saint.  We pray for his intercession today in a special way.  We will pray the litany of St Jude at the conclusion of Mass today.  

27 October 2021 – homily for Wednesday of 30th week in Ordinary Time – Luke 13:22-30

    Yesterday, at the Tuesday daily Mass, in our Gospel reading, Jesus compared the Kingdom of God to a small mustard seed that is able to grow and flourish into a large bush. He compared the kingdom to a woman who made leaven a whole batch of dough with yeast, about how God’s kingdom can grow and flourish amongst believers. Today, we hear Jesus tell us to go through the narrow gate in response to a question about how many will be saved.  After our life here on earth, we hope to enter into eternal life with our Lord. Will he recognize us?  Will he acknowledge us as one of his disciples?

    When I was on retreat in Spain two years ago praying the spiritual exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola, one of the prayer methods we used was called contemplative prayer, a way of sharing time with God and nurturing our relationship with him. That is an essential component in our journey of faith.  It does not necessarily matter how many types of prayers we use or how many different prayer methods we master.  What is important is that we foster and nourish our relationship with God, that we spend time with him on a regular basis. Once we have established that relationship with God, once we start growing and developing our relationship with him, our words and our actions will be affected by it as well.  Then we can truly call ourselves disciples of the Lord. Then we can hope to enter through the narrow door.

29 October 2021 - homily for Friday of the 30th week in ordinary time – Romans 9:1-5, Luke 14:1-6

     We’ve been hearing from Paul’s letter to the Romans these last several weeks.  I think of how we can have different callings in our ministry: to serve as a priest, to serve as a cloistered monk or nun, to serve as a youth minister, to serve as a catechist or a eucharistic minister or a lector, to serve as a missionary in a foreign land.  Paul received a special calling from God: to bring the Good News to the Gentiles.  However, today, Paul appeals specifically to the Jews, to his own people.  Paul was not only a Jew, but, specifically, he was a Pharisee.  And he approached the Pharisees in the book of Acts by announcing, “Brother, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee.”  Paul knew from where he came, and he spends several chapters in his letter to the Romans addressing the Jews as the chosen people in the history of salvation. Paul expresses a sense of sadness in our reading today, because the Jews had been offered salvation in Christ before any other people, and yet many of the Jews had rejected that offer. 

     We hear about the Pharisees in today's Gospel as well.  The Pharisees try to trap Jesus as they scrutinize his every move.  Jesus tries to explain to them that it is not bad to do a good act for someone on the Sabbath, that it is not breaking the spirit of God’s law. 

     God calls out to us no matter who we are – whether we and our ancestors have lived in the same town for generations, or whether we are newly arrived in a place.  It does not matter if we were born into Christianity and have always had a strong relationship with God, or if this is something new for us.  Maybe we have been struggling with our faith for a while.  Maybe we are doing the best we can do.  No matter where we are on our journey, our faith calls out to us, and God hopes for us to respond.  We are all brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Catholic sacrament of holy matrimony - readings

First reading - Genesis 2:18-24

The Lord God said: “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him.” So the Lord God formed out of the ground various wild animals and various birds of the air, and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them; whatever the man called each of them would be its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, all the birds of the air, and all wild animals; but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man. So the Lord God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. The Lord God then built up into a woman the rib that he had taken from the man. When he brought her to the man, the man said: “This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; This one shall be called ‘woman’ for out of ‘her man’ this one has been taken.” That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body. The Word of the Lord.

Psalm 145

R: How good is the Lord to all.

The Lord is kind and full of compassion,

slow to anger, abounding in mercy.

How good is the Lord to all,

compassionate to all his creatures.

R. How good is the Lord to all.

All your works shall thank you, O Lord,

and all your faithful ones bless you.

The eyes of all look to you

and you give them their food in due season.

R. How good is the Lord to all.

The Lord is righteous in all his ways

and holy in all his deeds.

The Lord is close to all who call him,

who call on him in truth.

R. How good is the Lord to all.

Second reading - 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:8a

Brothers and sisters: Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts. But I shall show you a still more excellent way. If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. The Word of the Lord.

Gospel - Mark 10:6-9

Jesus said: “From the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate.  The Gospel of the Lord.  

prayers of the faithful - 22 October 2021 - 29th week in ORDINARY TIME

 Lord Jesus, you gather the nations in justice and peace, Lord have mercy.

Christ Jesus, you come to us in word and in sacrament, Christ have mercy.

Lord Jesus, you will come again in glory, Lord have mercy.

Prayers of the faithful:

Priest:  God is aware of the needs of all people, so let us now present our prayer intentions with confidence:

1. For all the followers of Jesus, that we may grow in unity and charity.

2. For our governmental leaders, for wisdom in the way they govern.  

3. For the community that gathers here to worship God, that we may treat each other with care and respect, we pray to the Lord.

4. For our youth and children; may they all find the vocation to which God calls them.

5. For the sick and shut-in of our parish community. For healing and wholeness.

6. For the souls of the faithful departed, we pray to the Lord.  

Priest: Heavenly Father, you open wide your love and mercy to us. Hear the call of your people and be with us in our needs, through Christ, our Lord for ever and ever. Amen.

prayers of the faithful - 21 OCTOBER 2021 - 29th week in ORDINARY TIME

Lord Jesus - you call us to faith. 

Christ Jesus - you fulfill God’s law. 

Lord Jesus - you bring us the Father’s truth.  

We now bring our prayers to our heavenly Father: 

1. For workers and the unemployed: that all workers may receive respect and protection of their rights, and that employers may find that workers they need.  

2. That World Mission Money may rekindle in every believer zeal for carrying the Gospel into all the world.  

3. For unity in our Church and our country, that we may not bear hatred for any neighbor, but love him as ourselves.

4. For those suffering for the sake of righteousness, that their trials may yield a joyful harvest.

5. For peace within our families through unity in Christ.

6. For our own personal Mass intentions.

We present our prayers through your son Jesus Christ our Lord forever and ever.  AMEN.  

24 OCTOBER 2021 – homily for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time -- WORLD MISSION SUNDAY – Mark 10: 46-52

      What do we want from Jesus?  What do we want from our faith?  What do we want out of life?  These questions came to my mind as I thought about our Gospel readings from the last several weeks from the 10th chapter of Mark, in which people ask questions of Jesus, in which different people want different things from him.  Two weeks ago, a rich young man asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life.  Although the people of Ancient Israel would have seen this young man’s prosperity as a blessing from God, he walks away from his encounter with Jesus in sadness, unwilling to give away his possessions to the poor, unwilling to make that final leap in order to follow Jesus unconditionally as his disciple. Then, in last week’s Gospel, James and John asked Jesus to grant them positions of honor when he rises to his glory in God's kingdom.   Today, we meet the blind man Bartimaeus, begging on the side of the road, certainly not in a position of honor or glory.  Bartimaeus asks Jesus to have pity on him. 

      Like James and John who want to be honored and who want to rise to positions above the other apostles, like the rich man who cannot let go of his attachment to wealth and possessions, we can become prisoners to many things in our lives. Amassing material possessions, or attaining a position of power, or fitting into the value system of our modern world, or having a good time -  all those things are not intrinsically bad in themselves.  However, the ways of our modern world can seduce us away from God. 

       We can learn so much from what Bartimaeus asks of Jesus. Indian Jesuit priest Father Paul Coutinho, wrote a book entitled How Big is Your God?  In his book, Father Coutinho states that God is fundamentally an experience, not a theology.  This makes sense, but there are many Christians who approach God as a theological construct or an idea rather than an experience in their lives.  Some Christians approach their faith as a set of commandments and rules rather than a personal experience with the living Christ.  For Bartimaeus, God is an experience in his life, an experience that he realizes can help him. He reaches out to Jesus without any constraints or embarrassment, as he shouts out to him from the side of the road: “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me, have mercy on me!”  But what do the other disciples do?  Rather than encourage Bartimaeus or laud him for his great faith in Jesus’ power to heal, rather than validate his recognition of Jesus as the Messiah, in the lineage of King David, Jesus’ disciples try to restrain him and silence him!  But Bartimaeus is direct and tenacious, as he won't back down, as he keeps calling out, “Son of David, have pity on me!” 

     This is a great Gospel for us to hear on World Mission Sunday. It is our yearly opportunity to honor our life as Catholics through the special call we received at baptism to be missionaries. It reminds us of the service offered by the Church’s missionaries in bringing Christ’s message of salvation to all people in all lands.  Jesus reaches out to Bartimaeus in a missionary spirit today with his message of Good News, telling Bartimaeus to go on his way, that his faith has saved him.  Yet, upon gaining his sight, Bartimaeus does not go off on his own, but immediately, he decides to follow Jesus on the way.   It is thought by some Scripture scholars that Bartimaeus was in Jesus’ group of followers who went to Jerusalem and were with him before he died.

     The theme for World Mission Sunday this year is taken from the Acts of the Apostles, which states: “We cannot but speak about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).  Pope Francis explains this theme by stating: “as Christians, we cannot keep the Lord to ourselves,” as we “recall with gratitude all those men and women who by their testimony of life help us to renew our baptismal commitment to be generous and joyful apostles of the Gospel.” Indeed, as disciples of Christ, we should want to share our own experience with Christ with others.  We should see no other alternative. 

     Think about how Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, would have been of little account to his neighbors and his community. Yet, he was able to see more clearly than many who followed Jesus. He already believed that Jesus was the Messiah and trusted Him to heal his blindness. The way he jumped up to run to our Lord and then instantly followed him when he received his sight reveal just how much Bartimaeus rejoiced, not only in having his eyes opened, but also in his faith. That reflects that joy that should be in all of our hearts in the missionary spirit to which the Church calls us.  But, how many believers are willing to express their faith with the exuberance and gratitude of Bartimaeus?  

     Most of you are aware, before the COVID pandemic, yet I was going out regularly with some of our parishioners to the prison and to Whitfield state hospital.  We are eagerly waiting to restart our ministries out there once we get the go ahead.  Until recently, I had been going to the parishes out in Paulding and in Newton on a regular basis to celebrate Mass because no other priest is available.  Even now, with my business weekend Mass schedule, I still go out to Millsaps to minister to the college student at the Mass there on Sunday evenings.  It is my missionary spirit and my love of the Gospel that propels me to want to continue with those ministries.  I bet all of us can find opportunities where we can reach out to others and share our love of the Gospel. 

     In our desire to evangelize and to share the Gospel with others, let us willingly show our belief in the Christ who heals spiritual blindness as joyfully as Bartimaeus – for all the world to see.

prayers of the faithful - 20 October 2021 - 29th week in Ordinary Time

Lord Jesus - you bring us to new life. 

Christ Jesus - you forgive the sins of the contrite

Lord Jesus - you are seated at the right hand of the Father. 

Let us pray to our heavenly Father who hears the cries of the humble.

1. We pray for the Church and its leaders – may they continue to preach the scriptures with fidelity, humility and in true repentance.

2. We pray for all who may never have heard the Gospel message, that through the work of the missions and the witness of each of us, they might hear and believe the Good News.

3. We pray for our parish and our Diocese, that we Catholics here in Mississippi may continue help us other on our journey of faith.  

4. We pray for those who are sick and for those who care for them, that their suffering be turned into lasting joy.

5. For the Gospel of Life during Respect Life month, that all of us may respect human life from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death.  

Lord God, may all our words and actions spring from humble and sincere hearts. Receive our prayers in the name of your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN.  

22 October 2021 - homily for Friday of the 29th week in Ordinary Time - Luke 12:54-59

     Today's Gospel from Luke addresses how some in Jesus' day could interpret the weather from the clouds and from the appearance of the earth, yet they were not able to see the truth in the signs that Jesus put before them in his proclamation of God's kingdom.  That is still true today, isn’t it?  In the modern world, we are very technologically advanced and have made many scientific discoveries, yet we often miss the message that God is trying to convey to us.  “The signs of the times” was an important message of the Second Vatican Counsel, as it called us to interpret God's Word through the signs of our modern era, yet to also be true to the original message of Jesus & the message preached by the early Church fathers. 

     Our saint today comes from the era of the Early Church: St Mary of Salome, sometimes just referred to as Salome.  “Salome” is an Aramaic word that has the same root as the Hebrew word “shalom,” meaning “peace.” Mary of Salome is the wife of Zebedee and the mother of John and James the Greater, Apostles of Jesus. I remember seeing a statue of her near the altar at the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain at the place where her son James is buried.  There is also a tradition that sees Mary Salome as the sister of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  That tradition sees her being at Christ’s death and crucifixion as recorded in the Gospels, as bringing spices to anoint his body in the tomb.  Mary of Salome is a witness of the faith, the mother of two apostles who lived a life of faith and tried to follow God’s will for her in her life.  Tradition has it, Mary Salome went to Italy after Christ’s death and resurrection and witnessed to the Gospel there.  All of us are on different journeys in our lives of faith.  May the Lord bless us and help us to do his will. 

20 October 2021 – Wednesday of 29th week in Ordinary Time – Romans 6:12-18

       We are disciples of Christ, we die to our old life in the waters of baptism, and we rise to new life in him.  Even though we strive toward perfection as disciples of Christ in our journey of faith, that does not me we still don’t struggle with sin, that we don’t face temptations on our journey.  In his letter to the Romans, Paul acknowledges the reality of sin.  He acknowledges that the power of sin is still active in the reality of the lives of faithful.  That is one of the aspects of our Catholic faith that I really like, as we as Catholics openly acknowledge this power that sin can have over us even as we walk as believers.   We are called to a cycle of conversion and repentance continuously on our journey of faith.  We are called to confess our sins, to repent, to do penance and to strive to do better.

      In an article in America Magazine when he was first elected Pope, Pope Francis was asked: Who is Jorge Mario Bergoglio?  He answered very simply:  "I am a sinner. This the most accurate definition. It is not a figure of speech, a literary genre. I am a sinner." We are all sinners, this is true, even the Pope. However, we have the help of God’s grace, which Paul says is the source of our liberty and security.  

      It is already near the end of October.  I have already scheduled our Advent reconciliation service here at St Jude for the first Monday in the season of Advent on November 29.  Bishop Kopacz and Monsignor Flannery have already agreed to come to help listen to confessions that evening.  Advent and Lent are great season for us to partake of this wonderful sacrament of reconciliation, healing, and forgiveness.  However, we should all go to the sacrament of reconciliation more frequently than just in our two penitential seasons.  May the Lord lead us and guide us to the path of righteousness as we journey with Jesus in faith.  

21 October 2021 - Thursday of the 29th week in ordinary time – Psalm 1:1-5 - Romans 6:19-23

     “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord” – this is the refrain we hear in the psalm today.  The message in the psalm is to bring us hope, as we as Christ's disciples are to place our hope in our faith, in the salvation we have in him.  The psalm states that we are blessed if we do not follow the advice of the wicked, if we do not walk in the way of sinners.  We are blessed if we follow the laws of the Lord. 

      Yet, even if we place our hope in the Lord, we are held accountable and responsible as Christ's disciples as well.  Paul tells the Romans that while before they were slaves to impurity and lawlessness, now they are to live in righteousness as Christ's disciples.  Sometimes in what we are going through in our daily lives, it came be difficult to have hope. Yet, our readings challenge us today in our faith.  When I was a missionary in Ecuador, I remember meeting nuns who had served in difficult situations in remote mission sites, serving the people at those mission sites their entire adult lives.  They had to meet many challenges in their service to the Church, but they always did so with joy and gladness in their hearts no matter how difficult things seemed.  They put their hope in the Lord.  May we do the same.

19 October 2021 - North American Martyrs - Isaac Jogues - Jean de Brebeuf and Companions - Tuesday of the 29th week of Ordinary Time - Psalm 40

       In the Early Church, to be considered a saint, one had to die a death as a martyr, to give his life for the faith.  This was the time of great persecution for Christians in the first several centuries of the Early Church before Christianity was recognized as a religion in the Roman Empire.  We recognize many great saints from this time period.  Today, we commemorate and recognize eight martyrs from the early days of missionary work in North America, when the faith was brought over by missionaries from countries such as Spain and France.  These six Jesuit priests and two Jesuit laymen who were martyred over an eight year period in the middle of the 17th century as they served as missionaries in North America in the present day countries of Canada and the United States.  These French missionaries met violent deaths in the region of eastern Canada and New York states as they brought the Gospel message to the native people of the Americas.  These eight martyrs were canonized as a group by Pope Pius IX in 1930.  With the month of October designated as World Mission Month and this upcoming Sunday designated as World Mission Sunday, it is appropriate that we recognize them on their feast day today, highlighting their missionary spirit, a missionary spirit that all of us are called to have in our hearts as modern disciples of Christ.  

     One of those martyred was Jean de Brebeuf.  He arrived in the French settlements in present-day Canada in 1624.  He spent 24 years ministering to the Huron people there and baptized thousands of them into the Catholic faith. Brebeuf spoke the Huron language fluently.  His dictionary and catechism in that language are the best records modern linguists have of that language.  He even composed a Christmas hymn entitled the Huron Carol in both French and Huron.  It is the first Christmas Carol composed in North America.  Brebeuf was martyred in 1649 with another Jesuit priest, Father Gabriel Lalemant, at the hands of the Iroquois, enemies of the Hurons.  

      Father Isaac Jogues is also included in this list of North American martyrs.  He arrived at the Jesuit missions in 1635, following in the footsteps of Brebeuf.  Seven years later, he was captured by the Iroquois and was tortured terribly, with many of his fingers severed from his right hand.  He was able to survive being kept as slave of the Iroquois for more than a year.  He returned to France, but had to get a dispensation from the Pope in order to continue as a priest who could celebrate mass due to the disfigurement of his hand and his inability to hold the host properly.  He returned to North America in 1646, where he was again captured, but this time put to death.  

      These courageous missionaries call out to us today.  Our psalmist states today:  Here I am Lord, I come to do your will.  So many of our missionaries and saints exemplify this in their lives, in the missionary work and in this sacrifices.  Let us unite our prayers with the prayers of the North American martyrs today.  

Flocknote reflection - North American Martyrs - feast day of 19 October 2021

     Early Church writer Tertullian from Carthage in present-day Tunisia in North Africa in the 2nd century wrote: “The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians.” The martyrs who stood up for the Church in its early years paved the way for Christianity to spread in the ancient world and to eventually become a recognized religion in the Roman empire in the early 4th century.  Today, we recognize six Jesuit priests and two Jesuit laymen who were martyred over an eight year period in the middle of the 17th century as they served as missionaries in North America in the present day countries of Canada and the United States.  These French missionaries met violent deaths in the region of eastern Canada and New York states as they brought the Gospel message to the native people of the Americas.  These eight martyrs were canonized as a group by Pope Pius IX in 1930.  With the month of October designated as World Mission Month and this upcoming Sunday designated as World Mission Sunday, it is appropriate that we recognize them on their feast day today, highlighting their missionary spirit.  

     One of those missionaries who was martyred was Jean de Brebeuf.  He arrived in the French settlements in present-day Canada in 1624.  He was the founder of the Huron missions there.  He spent 24 years ministering to the Huron people and celebrating thousands of baptisms.  He worked hard in learning the Huron language.  His dictionary and catechism in that language are the best records modern linguists have of the Huron language.  He composed a Christmas hymn entitled the Huron Carol in both French and Huron.  It is the first Christmas Carol composed in North America.  

      In 1649, Jean de Brebeuf and fellow Jesuit priest Gabriel Lalemant were captured, severely tortured and eventually murdered by members of the Iroquois tribe, who were the enemies of the Huron. Their torture and deaths were so brutal that I will not write down the details.  The life of Jean de Brebeuf is portrayed in the famous novel Black Robe by Irish-Canadian-American author Brian Moore, a marvelous novel about the Catholic missionary efforts in North America in the 17th century.  Moore used the journals of the Jesuit missionaries as the source material of this novel, at the urging of his close friend, Catholic English novelist Graham Greene.  Jean de Brebeuf and his missionary companions call out to us today, calling us to be missionary in spirit and to continue their efforts to spread the Gospel message throughout the world with love and compassion.  

       Below is a link of a video by Chris Stefanick of Real Life Catholic, speaking about the life of Jean de Brebeuf.   I think you will enjoy this wonderful video.  

Blessings to all of you - have a blessed week.  Father Lincoln.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnNQvJBQDMI

17 de octubre de 2021 - XXIX domingo del tiempo ordinario - Lucas 10:1-9

      Los hermanos Santiago y Juan se acercan a Jesús.  Ellos reflexionan mucho en lo que pueden pedirle.  Su pregunta es sencillo: quieren preguntarle a Jesucristo si pueden estar con él cuando entre en su reino en gloria, uno a su derecha y otro a su izquierda. Con este mensaje del Evangelio este domingo, pensé en un libro sobre la oración que estoy leyendo.  El libro habla de cómo la espiritualidad a menudo está perdida en el mundo moderno por el énfasis en lo físico, en lo que medimos, vemos, saboreamos, tocamos y olemos.  Cuando tantos en la sociedad centran la vida en lo que está digitalizado, o lo que está en la pantalla de un televisor, un celular o una computadora, o lo que pueden comprar con dinero, la espiritualidad se deja de lado.   Cuando la vida se centra en el ámbito físico o en lo que vemos en la superficie, es difícil para nosotros sentirnos atraídos por la fe, la espiritualidad y la oración.  Con este punto de vista, podemos ver cómo Santiago y Juan piensan en la perspectiva del mundo físico: de quién tendrá poder y quién se sentará en el lugar del respeto y el honor.  Los apóstoles Santiago y Juan ven la grandeza y la gloria en la forma en que nuestro mundo valora estas cosas, no a través del lente de la fe y la espiritualidad.   Entonces, es importante para nosotros hablar sobre la oración hoy y sobre nuestra relación con Cristo, porque ese es el centro del mensaje del Evangelio este domingo. Es mucho lo que todos podemos aprender explorando la oración juntos como personas de fe.

        Muchos de nosotros, incluso aquellos de nosotros que somos cristianos de toda la vida y que vamos a la iglesia con regularidad, podemos tener algunos desafíos y conceptos erróneos al desarrollar una relación con Dios y al desarrollar la vida de oración.  Necesitamos comenzar diciendo que no hay solo una manera correcta de orar y que no hay un punto de partida para nuestras oraciones. Lo más importante acerca de la oración es que debemos presentarnos para la oración y debemos hacerlo con regularidad.  Seamos honestos: como cristianos, todos queremos hacer tiempo para la oración en la vida. Pero no queremos perdernos nada más en la vida. Entonces, al hacer tiempo para la oración y el tiempo para fortalecer una relación con Dios, la disciplina es importante. A veces, cuando encontramos tiempo para orar, podemos estar distraídos, cansados, desenfocados, frustrados e impacientes.  Con demasiada frecuencia, tenemos la falsa expectativa de que la oración debe ser siempre emocionante, intensa y llena de energía, pero no siempre será así.  Llevamos nuestra realidad a Dios en nuestras oraciones. Llevamos a Dios el ritmo de nuestra vida, que incluye nuestra energía y nuestro entusiasmo, pero también nuestro cansancio y nuestra inquietud.  Podríamos sentir que solo podemos ponernos en la presencia de Dios y orar cuando estamos llenos de gozo o cuando no tenemos nada que esconder, cuando estamos enfocados y cuando podemos prestar la debida atención a Dios de una manera amorosa y reverente. Esto puede evitar que vayamos a Dios en oración con regularidad.  Dios quiere que seamos honestos con él, que vayamos a él en nuestra realidad presente, con sentimientos que son nuestros.  Entonces, cuando estamos enojados o frustrados o desenfocados o decepcionados de nosotros mismos, es probablemente cuando más necesitamos a Dios, y ese puede ser el momento en el que debemos alejarnos de la oración.

       Sabemos que estamos llamados a la santidad y a luchar hacia la perfección, pero es posible que tengamos un sentido distorsionado de lo que eso significa.  Sí, estamos llamados a esforzarnos por alcanzar los valores de la fe en la vida diaria, pero si pensamos que vamos a lograr un estado sin deficiencias y fallas, eso no es realista.  Es la llamada a la santidad, debemos invitar a Dios a caminar con nosotros y acompañarnos a pesar de nuestros defectos e imperfecciones, mientras seguimos esforzándonos por alcanzar los valores de la fe.  Dios quiere que en la vida de oración le llevemos nuestra impotencia y nuestras debilidades, que caminemos con él y no nos escondamos de él.

      Una cosa que me encanta de nuestro programa del. Catequesis del Buen Pastor de las clases de doctrina para nuestros niños es que habla de las ovejas reconociendo la voz de Jesús, el Buen Pastor llamándolas. Cada voz que escuchamos tiene su cadencia y mensaje particulares.  Muchas voces diferentes nos llaman en el mundo.  Algunas voces tienen un mensaje de alegría, virtud, amor, perdón y nueva vida. Sin embargo, algunas voces nos llaman con amargura, ira, violencia y división. ¿Cómo reconocemos la voz de Dios en medio de todas las demás voces?  Sin una vida de oración y una relación continua con Jesús, o no escucharemos su voz, o si la escuchamos, tal vez no reconozcamos su voz con todos los demás ruidos que hay.

      En la oración, la voz de Dios puede llegar a nosotros de maneras diferentes. En susurros, pero también en voz alta y autoritaria. Con una voz que nos desafía y nos estira, pero que nos tranquiliza y nos consuela. Su voz puede llamarnos al disfrute, la gratitud y una nueva vida, pero también al servicio y la abnegación.

      Consideremos nuestro Evangelio hoy como una invitación a seguir los pasos de Jesús, a crecer en nuestra relación con él, a crecer en la vida de oración.

Bulletin reflection - 24 October 2021 - St Jude Catholic Church - Pearl, Mississippi

      Today, with the universal Church, we celebrate World Missions Sunday. Pope Francis’ message for World Mission Sunday this year reflects on the theme taken from the Acts of the Apostles: “We cannot but speak about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). The Pope states that “as Christians, we cannot keep the Lord to ourselves,” as we “recall with gratitude all those men and women who by their testimony of life help us to renew our baptismal commitment to be generous and joyful apostles of the Gospel.” 

 

    World Mission Sunday is something special to us in the Diocese of Jackson, as we are designated a mission diocese.  Also, as most of you know, I spent a good part of my life in mission service in the Church.  But even if we have not been to the missions ourselves in a faraway land, we are all called to be missionaries in our own corner of the world.  Indeed, in a sense, we can say that the whole world right now in mission territory.  

       On World Mission Sunday, we are called to join our Holy Father in supporting his missions. As we pray and respond here at home in Mississippi, we share in those celebrations taking place in parishes and schools throughout the world. Together, through our prayers and financial support, we bring the Lord’s mercy and concrete help to the most vulnerable communities in the Pope’s missions.

 

       In a world where so much divides us, World Mission Sunday rejoices in our unity as missionaries by our baptism, as it offers us an opportunity to support the life-giving presence of the Church among the poor and marginalized in more than 1,000 mission dioceses throughout the world.

Blessings - Father Lincoln 

  

18 October 2021 - St Luke the Evangelist - Luke 10:1-9

     We read the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, another book of the Bible that he wrote, but how much do we know about St Luke?  According to tradition he was a physician and a Gentile convert to the Way of Jesus.  Luke is mentioned in the letter to the Colossians by St Paul as a dear friend, so Luke was probably an associate of St Paul’s and probably accompanied him on some of his missionary journeys.  

      Luke came from Antioch in Syria. In the Early Church, Antioch emerged as an important center of Christianity. Not much after the time of St Luke, the influential theologian and Church leader Ignatius of Antioch was the Bishop of that city.  The city of Antioch was also an important center of culture and learning.  Most biblical scholars believe that the intended audience for the Gospel of Luke was Gentile.  

       When Jesus sends out his disciples for their missionary journey, I think of the journeys that all of us take as modern day disciples of Christ and how we are called to prepare for those journeys.

        I am getting ready to return to Spain in January to hike on the Camino for two weeks, my first time hiking on the Camino in five years. When I go on a hike, I am so careful as to what I take, since I carry everything in my backpack and thus every ounce counts.  Everyone little items, such as a paper clip or safety pin or a nail clippers, has to have a purpose and has to be necessary.  I try very hard to take the minimal amount of things because I don’t want anything weighing me down on my journey, which is the approach Jesus takes when sending out his disciples on mission.  So much can weigh us down, even when we do not realize it.  On our journey of faith, we can be weighed down by our anger, our hurt feelings, our lack of forgiveness, our impatience, our laziness, our sarcasm, and our inability to live by the morals and virtues of our faith.   

        This upcoming weekend, we will commemorate World Mission Sunday.  This month of October, we commemorate World Missions Month.   According to Pope Francis, we can all learn from the missionary saints and martyrs.  Luke, the apostles, and the fathers and mothers of the Early Church have so much to teach us by their words and their example.  The hardships Luke and this contemporaries went through in order to practice their faith and to bring Christ’s Good News to others is hard for us to imagine today.  St Luke, we unite our prayers to your prayers today as we celebrate your feast day.  St Luke - pray for us.  

17 October 2021 - 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mark 10:35-45

      The brothers James and John approach Jesus.  They have thought long and hard about what they can ask of him.  Their question is simple:  They want to ask Jesus if they can be with him when he enters his kingdom in glory - one at his right and one at his left.  With today’s Gospel, I thought of a book on prayer I am currently reading by Father Ron Rolheiser.   In the preface to this book, Father Rolheiser speaks about how spirituality often gets drowned out in our modern world by our emphasis on the physical, on what we measure, see, taste, touch, and smell.  When so many in our society center their lives on what is digitized, or what is on the screen of a TV or smartphone or computer, or on what material possessions we have or we can acquire, spirituality can get pushed aside so easily.  When our lives are centered upon the physical realm or upon what we see on the surface, it is hard for us to focus our attention on faith, spirituality, and prayer.  With that as a backdrop, we can see how James and John think of things is worldly terms: of who will have power and who will sit in the place of respect and honor.   James and John view greatness and glory in the way our world values these things, not through the lens of faith and spirituality.  It is important for us to talk about prayer today and about our relationship with Christ, because that is at the heart of our Gospel message today, about.  There is so much all of us can learn exploring prayer together as people of faith, no matter where we are on our journey of faith.  

       So many of us, even those of us who are life-long Christians and who go to church on a regular basis and who are engaged in our faith in different ways may have some challenges and misconceptions in developing a relationship with God and in developing our life of prayer.  We need to begin by saying that there is no one right way to pray and that there is no one starting point for our prayers.   The most important thing about prayer is that we need to show up for prayer and we need to show up on a regular basis. Let us be honest: As Christians, we all want to make time for prayer in our lives.  But we do not want to miss out on anything else in our busy lives, right?  So, in making time for prayer and time for forging a relationship with God, discipline is important.  Sometimes, when we do find time for prayer, we can be distracted, tired, unfocused, frustrated, and  impatient.  Too often, we have the false expectation that prayer needs to always be exciting, intense, and full of energy, but that is not always going to be the case.  We bring our reality to God in our prayers.  We bring to God the rhythm of our lives, which includes our energy and our enthusiasm, but also our tiredness and our restlessness as well.   We might feel like we can only put ourselves in God’s presence and pray when we are full of joy or when we have nothing to hide, when we are focused and when we can give proper attention to God in a loving and reverent way.  This may keep us from going to God in prayer on a regular basis.  God wants us to be real with him, to come to him in our present reality, with feelings that are our own.  So, when we are angry or frustrated or upset or unfocused or even disappointed in ourselves - that is probably when we need God the most, and that may be the time when way stay away from prayer based on how we feel and based on what is going on in our lives. 

       We know we are called to holiness and called to strive toward perfection, but we might have a distorted sense of what that means.  Yes, we are called to strive toward the values of our faith in our daily lives, but if we think we are going to achieve a state with no deficiencies, no flaws, and no faults, then we are going to always fall short and get down on ourselves.  It our call to holiness, we are to invite God to walk with us and accompany despite our flaws and imperfections, while still striving toward the values of our faith.  God wants us in our prayer life to bring our helplessness and our weaknesses to him, to walk with him and not hide from him.  

       One thing I love about our Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program of religious education for our children is that it speaks about the sheep recognizing the voice of Jesus, the Good Shepherd calling out to them.  The sheep know the voice of the Good Shepherd - they recognize his voice immediately because each voice we hear has its particular cadence and message.  Many different voices call out to us in the world.  Some voices have a message of joy, virtue, love, forgiveness, and life.  However, some voices call out to us in hatred, bitterness, anger, violence, and division.  How do we recognize the voice of God in the midst of all the other voices?  Without a prayer life and a continuing relationship with Jesus, either we will not hear his voice, or if we hear it, perhaps we will not recognize his voice with all the other noise out there.  

      In prayer, God’s voice can reach out to us in different ways.  In quiet whispers, but also in a loud authoritative voice too.  In a voice that challenges us and stretches us, but also at times in a voice that soothes us, comforts us, and consoles us.  His voice can call us to enjoyment, gratitude, and new life, but also to service, sacrifice, and self-denial.  

      Today’s Gospel reading of Jesus’ interaction with his disciples comes from the 10th chapter of Mark’s Gospel.  In the 11th chapter of Luke’s Gospel, the disciples see Jesus praying in a particular place, so they ask him to teach them how to play.  Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus praying to his Father in so many different places and circumstances: when he is filled with joy, when he is suffering anguish and agony, when others are around him, when he is alone in the middle of the night, when he is on the top of the mountain, when he is on the plain, but above all, when he is in the ordinary circumstances of his daily life.  The disciples saw what came from Jesus’ prayer life: the depth of graciousness, the power to love and forgive his enemies, the power to bring healing into the lives of those who were afflicted and hurting, the desire to reach out to the marginalized and the oppressed, the ability to transform the lives of others, the desire to serve others rather than to lord power over them.  The disciples realized that a lot of the strength Jesus came from prayer.  

       Let us look at our Gospel today as an invitation to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, to grow in our relationship with him, to grow in our life of prayer.  

prayers of the faithful - feast of St Luke the Evangelist - 18 October 2021

Lord Jesus - you call us out of our weaknesses 

Christ Jesus - you are the word of God. 

Lord Jesus - you call us to repentance and conversion.   

As we celebrate St Luke the Evangelist today on his feast day, we present our prayers to our loving and merciful God:

1. For all of our Church leaders who lead us and guide us in the faith.  May they help us grow in wisdom and charity.  

2. As St Luke was a physician, we pray for all physicians and medical professional, especially during these challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic.  May their hard work and talents be a service of love and mercy to our community. 

3. For all missionaries throughout the world, for all who spread the word of God to others. 

4. For all students, may the Lord lead them and guide them in their studies and their activities throughout this school year.  

5. For the sick and shut-ins and for the repose of the souls of the faithful departed, we pray to the Lord.  

6. For those prayers we hold in our hearts today.  

You called St Luke to be a missionary of your Gospel.  Help us all recognize our missionary calling.  We present these prayers to you through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever.  AMEN.  

15 October 2021 - Friday of the 28th week in Ordinary Time - Mass at the Carmelite monastery - feast day of Teresa of Avila - Wisdom 7:7-14

    At the beginning of the month, we celebrated the feast day of Therese of Lisieux, Carmelite nun who lived in France in the late 19th century.  She was named as a Doctor of the Church by Pope John Paul II.  Today, we celebrate another Carmelite nun who also has been named  Doctor of the Church: Teresa of Avila from 16th century Spain. Teresa was born in Avila, Spain in 1515, two years before the actions of Augustinian monk Martin Luther that stated the events that led to the Protestant Reformation in the Church.  She was born in the era of the Spanish Conquistadors, the Spanish Inquisition, and right after the Moors were expelled from Spain.  It was an era of movement, change, and turmoil.  Yet, with the Protestant Reformation threatening Catholicism, reform movements in the Church were not taken lightly.  Teresa felt called by God to reform the Carmelite order, to get them back to the humble roots of monasticism that started this religious order that she felt had become distorted throughout the centuries.  She and her companion John of the Cross founded monasteries based on their reform measures, with the Discalced Carmelites becoming its own religious order.  Besides being an important reformer in the Church, Teresa is an important theologian and mystic in the history of Christianity.  She is also an important figure in the history of Spain.  There have been movements to name her as Spain’s patron saint, replacing St James. The Interior Castle was written in 1577 by Teresa as a guide for spiritual development through service and prayer. The Interior Castle was inspired by her vision of the soul as a diamond in the shape of a castle containing seven mansions, which she interpreted as the journey of faith through seven stages, ending with union with God.  Teresa’s mysticism and her actions in living out her faith and in reforming the Carmelite order are an example to all of us as to how we can mix our prayer life and interior life with a life of service and action and living out our faith.  What is interesting about Teresa of Avila is that in 1855 at the age of 40 she had a profound interior experience with Jesus that enacted a conversion within her.  She identified greatly with St Mary Magdalene and St Augustine, two saints we strongly associate with repentance and conversion.  As you can tell, me speaking about Teresa of Avila today, she is a saint with whom I have a very strong devotion. I have been to Avila on three different occasions and will possibly go to Avila again when I go to Spain in January.  

     Our first reading from the book of Wisdom speaks paying for the spirit of wisdom from God, of valuing wisdom beyond any other treasure we can have in the world, of passing on the wisdom that is learned to others.  Certainly, we see in St Teresa a wise teacher in the faith who has a lot of wisdom and rich spiritual treasures to pass down to us in her teachings.  The wisdom and teachings of St Teresa of Avila are a treasure not only for the members of the Carmelite order, but also for the entire Church and the entire world.  We united our prayers with the prayers of St Teresa of Avila today.  

 

Prayers of the faithful - feast of St Teresa of Avila - 15 October 2021

Lord Jesus - you hear the cry of the poor

Christ Jesus - you call us to spread the Good News of the Gospel 

Lord Jesus - you are our Savior and Redeemer

We unite our prayers with the prayer of St Teresa of Avila today, as we present our prayers to God: 

1. For our Church leaders, for a missionary spirit as we spread the Gospel message throughout the world. 

2. For governmental leaders, may they promote peace and justice throughout the land. 

3. For children and youth, may God accompany them through their studies and activities this school year and may they hear God calling them to a vocation in life. 

4. For those who need healing in their lives body, mind or spirit.  May God’s healing presence bring them encouragement, healing, and hope. 

5. For Carmelite communities throughout the world, especially for our Carmelite sisters here in the Diocese of Jackson and the our secular Carmelite lay group in the Diocese.  

6. For the faithful departed - for the souls in purgatory - for their entry into eternal life.  

7. For the prayers we hold in our hearts today. 

With humble hearts, we present these prayers through your son Jesus Christ our Lord forever and ever. AMEN.  

prayers of the faithful - 14 October 2021 - 28th week in ordinary time

Lord Jesus - you bring us salvation. 

Christ Jesus - you proclaim justice. 

Lord Jesus - you bring us hope.

The Lord’s mercy never ends, so we present our prayers to God with confidence.

1. For the leaders of the Church, that they may sincerely and fully live the message they preach. 

2. For those who are unwilling to recognize God’s mercy, that they may know the welcome extended to those who repent and who are contrite. 

3. For those on the margins of society, for men and women who are exploited, that justice and equality may prevail in our land. 

4. For those who endure sickness, in mind or body, that the support of the Christians and their family and friends may remind them of God’s healing care. 

5. For all the faithful departed, that they may be raised to life through Jesus’ resurrection. 

6. For all the prayers we hold in our hearts today. 

O God of endless goodness, your love and mercy have no end: hear the prayers your people make in faith, through Jesus Christ our Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

prayers of the faithful - 13 October 2021 - 28th week in Ordinary Time

 Lord Jesus - you are the word of God. 

Christ Jesus - you proclaim justice and peace. 

Lord Jesus - you are truth. 

Let us bring our prayers into the presence of the Lord of hosts:

1. For all the members of the Church, that we may be thankful for what we have been given. 

2. For those who lead countries and governments, that they may help their citizens live full and happy lives.

3. For all men and women of goodwill, that they may discover the true happiness that is found only in God. 

4. For all who suffer in mind, body and spirit; for all who are battling addictions; for all who cannot make peace with their past; that the God’s peace and serenity may fill them. 

5. For those who have died, and all who mourn after them, that eternal peace and comfort may be theirs. 

6. We present the prayer that reside in the silence of our hearts.

God of hosts, you turn your face to your people: let your grace fill us according to our needs, through Christ our Lord forever and ever. Amen.

prayers of the faithful - 12 October 2021 - 28th week in ordinary time

Lord Jesus - you call us out of our weaknesses. 

Christ Jesus - you call us to faith. 

Lord Jesus - you call us to spread the Good News.  

Brothers and sisters, we make our prayers to God, who gently shepherds all the flock.

1. For Christians everywhere, that their belief in life after death may sustain them in difficult times.

2. For the stranger in our midst, particularly those in any kind of need, that they may experience friendship and support. 

3. For couples preparing for marriage, that the gentle shepherd may show them the right path to follow. 

4. For the faithful departed, that a place at the eternal banquet may be theirs. 

5. For members of our Christian community, for our loved ones, our family members and our friends, particularly all who are in need of prayer at this time.

6. For the prayers in the silence of our hearts.  

God our shepherd, you invite us to your table in heaven: give us the grace we need on our journey there, we pray, through Jesus Christ our Lord forever and ever. Amen.

14 October 2021 - Thursday of the 28th week in ordinary time - Romans 3:21-29

       Today, in the letter to the Romans, St Paul addresses how we become right before God. Yes, according to St Paul, salvation comes through our faith in Christ.  But, when he is writing this letter, some of the Jewish Christians in the Christian communities saw the foundation of their faith and their life in God still to be rooted in Mosaic law.  For example, they were urging all Christians, including those Gentiles who converted to Christianity, to be circumcised as was required for all Jews by Mosaic law before the new covenant with Christ. 

     Paul goes on to say that we are justified freely by God’s grace through our redemption in Christ Jesus. God’s grace is an interesting topic in our faith.  We can come up with a theological definition of God’s grace, but it is something we need to experience and to recognize to really begin to understand it.  God’s grace is a freely given gift to us.  It is not something that we earn or merit on our own.  Paul sees God’s grace as a work of God’s spontaneous love for humanity. The Catechism states this about God’s grace:  "Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God, adoptive sons (and daughters), partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life.  Grace is a participation in the life of God. It introduces us into the intimacy of the life of Trinity.” We experience God’s grace through our participation in the sacraments in our Catholic faith.  We experience God’s grace in the messiness, struggles, and difficulties in life.  We experience God’s grace in the ordinary moments in our lives as well. One way to experience God’s grace is to pray for his will in our lives, and when we discern his will in our hearts, to follow. We thank God for the gift of our faith today, the gift to celebrate Mass today as a community around the table of the Lord.  We thank him for the gift of his grace.