Quotes about Christmas that I shared with the inmates in the prison ministry - weekend of December 30 - 31

If you see someone falling behind, walk beside them.  If you see someone who is lonely and excluded, find a way to include them.  Also remind people that they are children of God.  One small act of kindness could mean the world to someone.  

The message of Christmas is not just hope for the whole world in a general, despite all the world's problems.  The message of Christmas brings hope to you and me in the midst of our struggles, our failures, and our challenges.  

The good news of the birth of Jesus Christ is not just contained to one day or one season.  The love and hope of Christmas can continue everyday if we let the light of Christ shine within us.  

Prayers of the faithful - Feast of the Holy Family - 31 December 2023 - Catholic prison ministry for the men of the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility

Introduction: We celebrate the feast of the Holy Family today as we continue our celebration of the holy season of Christmas.  The holy family gives us a model to follow on our journey of faith.  As we celebrate the final weekend of 2023, let us resolve to pray to the holy family for guidance and support.  Let us look to the holy family for inspiration.  

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

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

Lord Jesus - You are the Son of Mary - Lord have mercy. 

PRIEST: As we celebrate the Holy Family in a special way this weekend in the midst of our celebration of the Christmas season, let us bring our prayers to God, who showers blessings upon all his sons and daughters.

1. For all members of the Christian family, that they may have joy and peace throughout the Christmas season. We pray to the Lord. 

2. For our families, that members of our families may treat each other with tolerance and respect and work towards unity and reconciliation. We pray for all of you men who are separated from your families.  May they feels your love and prayers reaching out to them. We pray to the Lord. 

3. For families where there is hurt, lack of forgiveness, and struggles, that those who have suffered may find healing. We pray to the Lord. 

4. For families that live with illness and health issues, that those called to be care givers may be filled with gentleness and patience. We pray to the Lord. 

5. For families who are homeless, that political leaders work toward providing affordable housing.  

6.  For the members of our families who have died, and for all those who died during 2023. As we lift them up in our prayers, we pray that the light of heaven may be theirs. We pray to the Lord. 

7. For justice for all the men here at CMCF.  May you be able to live a life of dignity and respect.  May you reach out to the other around you out of your faith and out of charity.  We pray to the Lord. 

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

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

4 January 2024 - St Elizabeth Ann Seton - Thursday weekday of the Christmas season - Psalm 44 - Mark 1:40-45

Elizabeth Ann Seton, (1774 - 1821) is the first canonized American born saint (She was canonized in 1975 by Pope Paul VI).  She founded the first congregation of religious sisters to be founded in the United States. She is the patron saint of Catholic schools and of widows. We celebrate her feast day today.  Pope Paul VI had this to say about her:  “Elizabeth Ann Seton is a saint. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is an American. All of us say this with special joy, and with the intention of honoring the land and the nation from which she sprang forth as the first flower in the calendar of the saints. Elizabeth Ann Seton was wholly American! Rejoice for your glorious daughter. Be proud of her. And know how to preserve her fruitful heritage.”  Here is a great quote of hers, a quote that has a basis in the psalms: “He raises me from the dust to feel that I am near him. He drives away all terrors to fill me with his consolations. He is my guide, my friend and Supporter. With such a guide, can I fear? With such a friend, shall I not be satisfied. With such a supporter, can I fall?”

In our psalm today, the psalmist pleads to the Lord: “Redeem us, Lord, because of your mercy.” We see the leper in the Gospel also approach Jesus in his mercy, hoping that Jesus will make us clean.  As we celebrate Elizabeth Ann Seton today and her great example of faith, we ask unite our prayers with her prayers, and may we approach God in his love and mercy.  

prayers of the faithful - Thursday weekday of Christmas - 4 January 2024

Lord Jesus - you are a light to the nations. 

Christ Jesus - you are our hope. 

Lord Jesus - you are the Son of God. 

Prayers of the faithful: 

As we journey through the days of the Christmas season, let us bring our prayers to our loving and merciful God.  

1. For the Church: that, through our words and deeds, we may be a light to those who are searching for direction and a sign of hope for those seeking new beginnings. 

2. For a deeper awareness of the signs along our spiritual journey, that we learn from the people and experiences in our lives how to recognize God’s presence and invitations. 

3. For God’s blessing for the new year of 2024: that God will fill the coming days with health of body, mind, and spirit; that God will renew the gifts of the Spirit within us, and inspire us with new ways to share the Good News with others. 

4. For greater trust: that, like three Magi we celebrate this upcoming weekend, God’s Light may guide us through the unknown of the coming days as we rely more deeply on God’s love and care for us. 

5. For a great utilization of our gifts and talents: that we may offer all our gifts to God and use them in the service of God’s reign.   

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

Heavenly Father, as we celebrate the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the First Friday today, we present our prayers through your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever.  AMEN.  

Prayers of the faithful - Feast of the Epiphany - 7 January 2024

Introduction: The bright star in the sky drew the Magi from a distant land to see the newborn king and to offer him treasure. Today, we are drawn to our liturgical celebration by our King, Christ our Lord. May we offer him our treasures, our prayers, our hopes, and our hearts. 

Penitential rite: As we rejoice in God’s forgiveness, let us call to mind our sins and our need for God’s mercy:


Lord Jesus, you came to gather the nations into the peace of God’s kingdom - Lord have mercy.


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


Lord Jesus, you will come in glory with salvation for your people - Lord have mercy. 

Prayers of the faithful:


PRIEST: Let us bring our prayers to God, who hears us when we cry out for help: 

1. For the people of all nations of the world, that they may believe the Good News of salvation brought by Christ our Savior, we pray to the Lord.


2. For people of all faith traditions, that we may work together towards healing and peace, we pray to the Lord. 

3. For all Christians, that together we may meet the challenges facing humanity, we pray to the Lord.


4. For those in our midst who are sick or in sorrow, that God may be close to them in their pain and in their grief, we pray to the Lord. 

5. For our friends, relatives, and community members who have died, that eternal salvation may be theirs, we pray to the Lord.


6. For the prayers we hold in the silence of our hearts, for our prayers both spoken and unspoken, we pray to the Lord. 

PRIEST: O God, you rule the earth with justice: help us according to our needs, we pray, through Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. Amen.  

Bulletin Reflection - Feast of the Epiphany - 7 January 2024

I have always loved the story of the three Magi.  As a child, they really appealed to my imagination.  In seminary, in the course on the synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, I wrote my major paper on the Magi.  When I went to Spain on the pilgrimage, hiking the pilgrimage trail with a backpack on my back and staying in hostels, I reflected upon the way that the Magi were on pilgrimage to visit the baby Jesus and the Holy Family in the same way I was on pilgrimage to visit the tomb of St James in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Like the Magi being guided by the star to greet and give honor to Jesus, I was guided by the yellow arrows that were painted all along the pilgrimage trail to guide the pilgrims.  And while the Magi gave the Christ child precious gifts, I did not have such treasures to give, but I was able to give St James my prayers and my blessings as I arrived at his Cathedral.  I carried St James in my heart the way the Magi carried Jesus in their hearts. As we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany today, let us honor Jesus and the Holy Family just as they did.  Blessings to all of you - Father Lincoln. 

prayers of the faithful - Friday weekday of Christmas - 5 JANUARY 2024

Lord Jesus - you scatter the darkness. 

Christ Jesus - you bring light to the world.  

Lord Jesus - you bring us hope. 

Prayers of the faithful:

Out of our hope and faith, we present our prayers to our Heavenly Father:

1. For the Church: may she bring justice to the afflicted and peace to the broken-hearted.  

2. For our governmental leaders: that they may grow in wisdom and judgment as the lead the people in the new year of 2024. 

3. For those who feel excluded and separated from the Church and from society, that they may find healing and reconciliation. 

4. That all the faithful here in the Diocese of Jackson may find strength and courage on their journey of faith in this new year.  

5. For our students and teachers, for blessings for them in the new school semester. 

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

As we continue our journey throughout the Christmas season, we present our prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever.  AMEN.  

7 January 2024 - homily for the feast of the Epiphany - Matthew 2:1-12

In the book of Genesis, we meet Abraham, who is to become the patriarch of the Jewish people, with whom God made his covenant.  But, in the 15th chapter of Genesis, Abraham and his wife Sara are childless, making their future seem uncertain. Abraham laments to God that they will leave no heirs. God asks Abraham to go outside, telling him to look up at the sky and count the stars, if he is able to do so. God added: Just so will your descendants be as numerous. This starts the covenant with God to which we trace the people of Israel. One of the Daily Masses during the 4th week of Advent has the reading from the first chapter of Matthew's Gospel that traces Jesus’ genealogy back many generations to Abraham. So, it is appropriate that both Jesus and Abraham are connected to the stars in the heavens, as we hear of holy men from the East directed by a star in their search to find Jesus after his birth. 

It is interesting that only Matthew, the evangelist who wrote directly for a Jewish audience, the one who began his Gospel with the Jewish genealogy of Jesus tracing him back to Abraham, is the only Evangelist to tell us about the Magi, whom we also refer to as three kings or three wisemen. Yet, Matthew’s Gospel highlights these foreigners from the East, non-Jews who searched for the Jesus, who had no awareness of the Jewish faith and of the promises God made to Abraham. Thus, Matthew reminds his readers that they as Jews are a "chosen people,” that they would fulfill Isaiah’s prophesy to be a light to the nations. Israel's centrality in the divine plan gave them a vocation to make God known to the whole world. God is manifest in Christ’s birth and with the visit of the Magi who recognized the importance of his birth.  

The title of today's feast, the Epiphany, shows that Jesus’ birth is God’s revelation to humanity. The tragic irony in this Gospel story is that the Magi journeyed from afar because they believed God was doing something new. Yet, at the same time, the leaders of God’s chosen people read their Sacred scriptures and tried to interpret the signs of the times, but they no longer expected God to reveal anything new. The Jewish leaders of Jesus' day had worked out an uneasy but peaceful existence with the Roman Empire. The Roman government allowed the Jewish clergy to function as long as they did not disrupt the status quo; the Jewish people were allowed to practice their religion in some shape and form. However, the Jewish religious leaders were complicit with the occupying Roman government.  The Magi were awakened in their imagination and in their openness to God’s message, which drew them out of their everyday existence to experience a new wonderful gift from God.  In their truth and in their beliefs, the Magi may not have had the promises of Abraham or a sense of the God of Israel, but they believed that life could be be much more. They believed in a God of revelation without knowing where their journey would take them.  

In his celebration of the Mass for the feast of the Epiphany a few years ago, Pope Francis called the faithful to be like the Magi, to continue to look upward to the sky, to take risks, and to set out to bear gifts for the Christ child. Pope Francis stated that we have to overcome our fear of risk, our self-satisfaction, and our refusal to ask more of life, going out of the ordinary and out of our comfort zone to meet the Christ child. We cannot just look at the ground, at what is before us. We are to look up to the sky, to dream, and to long for God, anticipating the newness he brings. The Magi were not content to just get by and to keep afloat. Unfortunately, there are some in our world today who raise their eyes toward the heavens who choose not to follow Jesus, who choose not to follow the star of Bethlehem, because they are not open to the surprises God might bring. Jesus does not set out to overwhelm us or dazzle us or entertain us, but instead, he gently invites us. We need to be aware of the things that will dazzle us in life, but will mislead us rather than wisely guide us in our faith and on the path God.  

In Spain and in a lot of Latin American countries, the feast of the Epiphany is a major Church celebration and national holiday. We celebrate the Magi at Holy Savior with a lunch and celebration after the Sunday morning Mass. 

Like the Magi, sometimes on our journey of faith, we may not know exactly what we are looking for, we might not know exactly where God is guiding us. But, if we set our sights high enough, God will not hesitate to lead us into new epiphanies and new revelations where we will meet God among us in unexpected and profound ways. 

5 January 2024 - St John Neumann - Weekday of the Christmas season - Friday - 1 John 3:11-24

In our first reading, the letter to John states that the key to discipleship is love. The letter goes on to say that hate and jealousy drive the contempt that most of the world has for Christians. Yet, out of love and compassion, we persevere in our faith and we endure. 

St John Neumann is the saint we celebrate today. He was born in 1811 in the country of Bohemia, a very Catholic country that had a large number of priests at that time. Bohemia is now a part of the Czech Republic. Neumann felt called to travel to North America, where he attended seminary in New York and to serve as a priest in the growing missionary Church there. He had a gift for learning languages, which served him well in the very diverse Catholic community in the United States. Although he started as a diocesan priest, he later joined the Redemptorist missionary order, eventually serving as its provincial. In 1848, he became a US citizen. In 1852, Neumann became the 4th Bishop of Philadelphia, where he established a thriving system of parochial schools. Under his leadership, the schools in his diocese grew in number from 2 to 100. He is the patron saint of Catholic eduction. A hard worker, he died of exhaustion at the young age of 49. Pope Paul VI canonized him in 1977. We here in the United States can count St John Neumann as our of the Fathers of our American Catholic Church. Here is a great quote for St John Neumann about our vocation as Christians: “Everyone who breathes, high and low, educated and ignorant, young and old, man and woman, has a mission, has a work. We are not sent into this world for nothing; we are not born at random…  God sees every one of us; he creates every soul, . . . for a purpose. He needs, he deigns to need, every one of us. He has an end for each of us; we are all equal in His sight, and we are placed in our different ranks and stations, not to get what we can out of them for ourselves, but to labor in them for him. As Christ has his work, we too have ours; as He rejoiced to do His work, we must rejoice in ours also.” What wonderful words upon which we may ponder. 

prayers of the faithful - Wednesday - 3 January 2024

Lord Jesus - you are a light that shines in the world.

Christ Jesus - you are the prince of peace.

Lord Jesus - you are our redeemer.

PRIEST: As we are called to trust in the light that illuminates our path toward the Father, we bring God our prayers today:

1. For Pope Francis, our Church leaders, and all believers, that they carry the light of faith to all in darkness.

2. For the leaders of nations and all our governmental officials, that they respect religious freedom.

3. For those who suffer religious persecution, that they be allowed to freely practice their faith.

4. For those who struggle with addictions, depression, and mental illness, that they find a home in our faith.

5. For our children, youth, and teachers, as they return back to school, that the Lord may bless them in the new semester. 

6. For the sick and the shut-in, for those in the hospital, hospice, and nursing home.

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

PRIEST: Heavenly Father, you light the earth and fill it with blessings. Make your people a beacon of hope for all in darkness. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord forever and ever. Amen.

3 January 2024 – Weekday in the season of Christmas – Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus - Wednesday - 1 John 2:29 – 3:6

We are in the first week of the new year of 2024 celebrating the joyful season of Christmas. In our first readings during our Daily Masses this week, we are hearing from the letters of John from the New Testament. These letters were probably produced by the same community that wrote the Gospel of John more than 100 years after Christ’s birth. Even in this era, this community was still trying to understand who Jesus really was, especially regarding his identity of being both human and divine. In today’s reading, we hear this community being called to have confidence in its faith in the Lord, in the identity as children of God. However, we hear the community dealing very openly with sin, about the need to turn away from their sins to truly be disciples of Christ. 

Today, January 3, we celebrate the feast of the Holy Name of Jesus. Both St. Bernardine of Sienna (1380-1444) and his student St. John of Capistrano (1386-1456) promoted devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus. In their preaching missions throughout Italy, they carried a monogram of the Holy Name surrounded by rays. In its origin, the monogram IHS is an abbreviation of the name Jesus in Greek: I and H representing Iota and Eta, the first two letters of the name; to which later was added S, a Sigma, the final letter. A later tradition holds that IHS also represents the Latin Iesus Hominum Salvator, meaning “Jesus Savior of Mankind.”

Pope Cement VII in 1530 allowed the Franciscans to celebrate a feast day in honor of the Holy Name. Pope Innocent XIII extended this to the universal Church in 1721, to be celebrate in early January.  The feast day was dropped with the revision of the liturgical calendar in 1969 by Pope Paul VI, but was later brought back by Pope John Paul II.  What a wonderful feast day to celebrate in this Octave of Christmas. 

prayers of the faithful - 2 January 2024 - Tuesday weekday of Octave of Christmas

Lord Jesus - you are the light of the nations. 

Christ Jesus - you are the prince of peace.  

Lord Jesus - you are our hope and our joy.  

PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL 

PRIEST: The light of Christ is revealed to the nations of the world during this holy season of Christmas. Let us now turn to God our Father, confident that he will hear and answer our prayers:

1. For the whole Church, that all who follow Jesus will continue to lead others to his light. 

2.For peace on earth, that the peace which Christ brings will become a reality for all nations. We pray for peace in Ukraine and the Holy Land. 

3. For all who have died or are suffering as a result of violence, warfare or natural disasters. We pray for an end to such violence and conflicts.  

4. For all who are seeking meaning and purpose in their lives that, at the end of their searching, they will come to recognize that Christ is the source of wisdom and light in the world.

5. For the parishes of our Diocese, that we may build strong community of faith in order for us to be powerful witnesses to the presence of God in the world. 

6. For all who are sick or suffering, neglected or bereaved, that the light of Christ will lead them out of darkness. 

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

PRIEST: Father of light, you revealed to people of faith your Word made flesh. We ask that you draw us beyond the limits of this world into your eternal kingdom. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord forever and ever.  AMEN.  

2 January 2024 - Memorial of Gregory of Nazianzus and Basil the Great, Doctors of the Church and Saints of the Day - Tuesday weekday in the season of Christmas - 1 John 2:22 -29

We hear a very strong opening in our first reading from the first letter of John today, as it is asked: “Who is the liar?”  We hear the word “liar” being hurled at people a lot in politics and in social media. It strikes me as to how uncivil our public discourse has become in recent years. But, I think this question in our reading today is there to get our attention, to show what a travesty it is to deny our faith. A couple of times, it states in the reading the importance of remaining in Christ. For if we remain in him, his truth will remain in us.  

Four great Fathers of the Eastern Church were recognized as Doctors of the Church by Pope Pius V in 1568:  John Chrysostom, Basil the Great, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Athanasius of Alexandria.  We celebrate two of these great saints today - Gregory of Nazianzus and Basil the Great.  Basil and Gregory were both from Cappadocia in present day Turkey. Basil was a monk who became the Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia in 370 AD; hr fought vigorously against the Arian heresy. The monastic rule that Basil wrote is still followed in monasteries in the East to this day. Gregory, a great friend of Basil’s, became Bishop of Constantinople. He was a great theologian and preacher. As we celebrate the Christmas season, this quote from Gregory of Nazianzus is very appropriate: “What Jesus was, he laid aside; what he was not, he assumed. He takes upon himself the poverty of my flesh so that I may receive the riches of his divinity.”  

During the Christmas and Advent seasons, we have celebrated great saints who have helped us in the welcoming Christ into the world and into our lives as we celebrate his birth. As we celebrate this two great Church fathers on their feast day, let us never forget the roots of our faith.  

1 January 2024 – homily for the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God – Luke 2:16-21

      In our Catholic faith, we have many titles for our Mother Mary. Some of these titles describe the different attributes that Mary has: Morning Star, Queen of the Prophets, Vessel of Honor, Queen of the Angels, and Mirror of Justice. Some of these titles are related to different devotions and apparitions of the Blessed Mother:  Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of the Rosary, and Our Lady of Lourdes. On her feast day of January 1, we celebrate and honor Mary in a special way as the Mother of God. This is the first and most important title that we ascribe to Mary. This title describes the place Mary has in our lives and describes the loving and genuine devotion we have to our Mother. 

       Christian historian Jaroslav Pelikan states that Mary has inspired more people than any other woman who has ever lived. Rose Kennedy, the matriarch of the Kennedy family and a very devout  Catholic, reflected upon all the tragedies she endured throughout her lifetime, stating that she constantly found inspiration and consolation in our Blessed Mother, who never lost her faith in God or her faith in her Son even when she saw Jesus crucified and reviled. One of the most essential lessons that Mary teaches us is her willingness to accept her suffering and to learn from it.  From the very beginning, when Mary was told about Jesus’ upcoming birth by the Angel, she opened herself up to God with the response of “yes” and she prepared herself for whatever was to come according to God’s will, even if she did not always understand.  It is easy to agree to something like this, but difficult to live this out faithfully throughout one’s life.  Yet, Mary went through her sufferings and agony, remaining faithful to God. Mary’s strength and courage help her move through the struggles and challenges of her life by relying on God’s mercy and on the help and support of her family and loved ones. Through the pain of seeing her son suffer, through the agony of not understanding how her life and the life of her son unfolded, Mary took all those experiences into her heart and pondered them.   

        On the feast of the Holy Family that we celebrated at Mass yesterday, with the child Jesus being presented at the Temple, with the message from the Angel conveyed by the shepherds to Mary in today’s Gospel, Mary took all these things into her heart and reflected on them. Sometimes, our lives and struggles can seem overwhelming.  When this happens, we are to be like Mary and reflect on them in our hearts.  I remember when I had a parishioner who had gone through the tragic death of her son, Sister Paulinus, a Sister of Mercy and a very good friend of this lady, told her that her experiences mirrored those of Mary, of how Mary grieved for her son and pondered her sorrows in her heart, maintaining her faith and her love for God.  May Mary, the Mother of God, always accompany us on our journey of faith. 

On January 1 of each year, the Pope issues a prayer for peace, a tradition that started with Pope Paul VI in 1968.  Last year, in the context of the pandemic that the world had a experience, the title of his message was, “No one can be saved alone. Combatting Covid-19 together, embarking together on paths of peace.” As always, the Popes reflect the reality of the world in their prayer for peace each January 1. This year, the Pope addresses a reality that we are increasingly having to address in the reality of our modern world: artificial intelligence.  The pope states that all forms of artificial intelligence should be used to alleviate human suffering, promote integral development and help end wars and conflicts, not increase inequality and injustice in the world. The Pope asserts that “Artificial intelligence ought to serve our best human potential and our highest aspirations, not compete with them.” In a world where there is a lot of violence and crime in our communities, where places like the Holy Land and Ukraine are locked into war and bloodshed, there are many ways in which we need to unite as a Church to pray for peace today.  We unite our prayers with the Pope and with the Blessed Mother.  

31 December 2023 - Feast of the Holy Family - Luke 2:22-40

     Today is the first Sunday of our Christmas season.  Even though the Christmas season is only 2 weeks long in our Church’s liturgical year, we have a group of special celebrations within this time. Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. Tomorrow on January 1, we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. The feast of the Epiphany is the Sunday after that. The Christmas season concludes on Monday, January 8 with the Baptism of the Lord. 

    The one word that struck me when I was thinking about today’s celebration was the word “holy.”  We celebrate the holy family today, but what does it mean to be holy?  We throw around the word “holy” around so much when we talk about faith, but perhaps we’re not sure what the word “holy” really means for us as Christians. Many believers may mistakenly believe that to be holy, we need to run away from the world. Or that we need to be in church praying on our knees all day long or praying the rosary every hour of the day. But, being holy doesn’t mean walking around with a halo, not being allowed to have any fun, or despising the things of the material world. Being holy is not about withdrawing from the world or about being stoic all the time. Being holy is to brings us life and to refine who we are as human beings. Being holy is not put a damper on our emotions, but rather to elevate our emotions. Holy people are probably the most joyful people we can meet.

      On our journey of faith as Catholics, we are called to attend Mass each weekend, to spend time in prayer and in spiritual formation, and to do good works of mercy as fruits of our faith. Yet, none of those things are what really define holiness. Holiness is about how we respond to God’s call, how we are guided by the Holy Spirit.  In today’s Gospel from Luke, the Holy Family traveling to the Temple in Jerusalem, presenting Jesus in the Temple to perform the purification rituals prescribed by Jewish law. In making that sacrifice, they are following God’s call to holiness in their lives, in incorporating their faith into the reality of their lives and in consecrating that reality to God. 

       Just as the Holy Family responded to this call to holiness, we also are to surrender to God’s will and to desire to have our faith in the center of our lives. In our call to holiness, one of the most important things is knowing when to say yes in life and knowing when to say no. In holiness, we engage in life. Like we saw in Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, in the way they lived in holiness, we are called to engage in life in all of its difficulties, its struggles, and its tensions, but we are to do so in a way that reflects the fidelity we have to the will of God.

Prayers of the faithful - 1 January 2024 - Mary, Mother of God

Introduction: On the first day of the new year, we honor Mary, the holy Mother of God. It was Mary’s willing obedience to God’s plan that enabled the incarnation and initiated what in time became Christianity. Today, as we commemorate the world day of prayer for peace, we look to Mary, the Queen of Peace. 

Lord Jesus, you are mighty God and Prince of Peace.
Christ Jesus, you are Son of God and Son of Mary.
Lord Jesus, you are Word made flesh and the splendor of the Father. 

PRIEST: God graciously blesses all of humanity. We now bring forward our needs to God with confidence and faith:


1. That those who follow Christ may remain faithful throughout this New Year. We pray to the Lord.


2. That all who worship God in churches, synagogues, and mosques may grow in respect and tolerance for each other. We pray to the Lord.


3. That peace may soon come in all the warn-torn corners of our world and to those communities torn apart by anger, violence, and disagreements. We pray to the Lord.


4. That we may continue to work for peace with justice in our words and our actions throughout the new year of 2024. We pray to the Lord.


5. That Mary the Mother of God may be an example to all of us of patience, compassion, and love. We pray to the Lord.


6. That this new year may bring fresh enthusiasm and strong growth to this community of faith and to all parishes throughout our Diocese. We pray to the Lord.


7. That perpetual light may shine on all our dearly departed, especially those who have passed away in the year of 2023. We pray for the repose of their souls and for the souls in purgatory. We pray to the Lord.


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

PRIEST: Gracious God, you bless your people with peace and justice: accept our prayers and give us your help, through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. Amen. 

Prayers of the faithful - Feast of the Holy Family - December 31, 2023

Introduction: We celebrate the feast of the Holy Family today as we continue our celebration of the holy season of Christmas.  The holy family gives us a model to follow on our journey of faith.  As we celebrate the final weekend of 2023, let us resolve to pray to the holy family for guidance and support.  Let us look to the holy family for inspiration.  

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

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

Lord Jesus - You are the Son of Mary - Lord have mercy. 

PRIEST: As we celebrate the Holy Family in a special way this weekend in the midst of our celebration of the Christmas season, let us bring our prayers to God, who showers blessings upon all his sons and daughters.

1. For all members of the Christian family, that they may have joy and peace throughout the Christmas season. We pray to the Lord. 

2. For the families of our community, that members of our families may treat each other with tolerance and respect and work towards unity and reconciliation. We pray to the Lord. 

3. For families where there is hurt and difficulty, that those who have suffered may find healing. We pray to the Lord. 

4. For families that live with illness and frailty, that those called to be care givers may be filled with gentleness and patience. We pray to the Lord. 

5. For families who are homeless, that political leaders work toward providing affordable housing.  

6.  For the members of our families who have died, and for all those who died during 2023. As we lift them up in our prayers, we pray that the light of heaven may be theirs. We pray to the Lord. 

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

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

Bulletin Reflection - 31 December 2023 - Feast of the Holy Family

We gather to celebrate two wonderful feast days within the Christmas season: the Holy Family on December 31 and Mary the Mother of God on January 1. Also, on January 1, the Pope will pray an annual prayer for peace, a tradition which began with Pope Paul VI in 1968. This year, Pope Francis reflects upon the impact of artificial intelligence on world peace, urging the international community to adopt a binding international treaty that regulates its development and use. The pope asserts that new technologies must always be directed to “the pursuit of peace and the common good, in the service of the integral development of individuals and communities.” We unite our prayers with the prayers of Pope Francis, the Holy Family, and our Mother Mary as we celebrate these wonderful feast days. We are very glad to have visitors and out-of-town family members and friends joining us for Mass during the holiday season.  Blessing to all of you and your loved ones this Christmas season - Father Lincoln. 

Prayers of the Faithful - Christmas Mass - Central Mississippi Correctional Facility - Men

Lord Jesus - you are the savior of the world.

Christ Jesus - you are the beloved son of the Father.

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

Priest: Today, we celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God with us. As we assured of God’s closeness to us in our celebration of our Christmas Mass, we present our prayers with our needs and the needs of the world:

1. That we may be a light in the world in the way we proclaim by word and deed the Gospel message of our Lord, Emmanuel, we pray to the Lord.

2. That all the nations of the world may work for peace, following the example of the prince of peace. We pray for those places in the world torn apart by war, especially in the Holy Lord and Ukraine. We pray for peace in our communities here in Mississippi and with everyone here at CMCF.  We pray to the Lord.

3. For the poor, the outcasts, and the homeless, that they may never be told that there is no room in the inn for them, we pray to the Lord.

4. For those who are struggling this time of the year, due to grief, stress, mental health issues, personal problems, or separation from our family, that we may find comfort in the knowledge that God remains with us through all our hardships and struggles.  We pray to the Lord. 

5. For all who are dealing with illness and health issues, for those battling addictions, for those trying to cope with anxiety, depression. For comfort, healing, and wholeness. We pray to the Lord.

6. For the faithful departed, for their entry into eternal life. We pray to the Lord. 

7. For all of us, our families, friends, that the holy season of Christmas may be filled with love, joy, and peace. We pray to the Lord.

8. We give thanks for the many blessings God has bestowed upon us this year, especially here at the Catholic community of St Michael the Archangel.  We pray to the Lord. 

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

Priest: It is your will that your son became incarnate on Christmas and changed the world for all time. Help us to incarnate your son in our lives. Help us to change the world to reflect your love and mercy. We make our prayers through your incarnate son, Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. Amen.

31 December 2023 - Feast of the Holy Family - Sirach 3:2-6 and 12-14 - Colossians 3:12-21 - Matthew 2:13-15 and 19-23

Today is the first Sunday of our Christmas season.  Even though the Christmas season is only 2 weeks long in our Church’s liturgical year, we have a group of special celebrations within this time. Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. Tomorrow on January 1, we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. The feast of the Epiphany is the Sunday after that. The Christmas season concludes on Monday, January 8 with the Baptism of the Lord. 

As we celebrate Mary, Joseph, and Jesus as the Holy Family in today’s Gospel reading from Matthew, we think back to the 4th Sunday of Advent, when we heard about the Angel Gabriel appears to Mary, telling her about the upcoming birth of Jesus. In today’s Gospel, the Angel appears, but this time to Joseph again in a series of dreams after the birth of Jesus. The Angel gives Joseph instructions as to what he needs to do in order to protect and take care of his family. When we think about the feast of the Holy Family that we celebrate today, we probably think about the families in which we grew up, and if we are adults, the families that we are developing now ourselves. In the other readings we hear today, we hear of attributes that we should aspire to in our families: honoring and obeying our parents, and showing compassion, kindness, humility, and patience toward one another in our families. Those are great ideals, but sometimes our families fall short.

The one word that struck me when I was thinking about today’s celebration was the word “holy.”  We celebrate the holy family today, but what does it mean to be holy?  We throw the word “holy” around so much when we talk about faith – we even sing the “Holy Holy” every time we celebrate mass together. But, perhaps we are not quite sure what the word “holy” really means for us as followers of Christ. Many believers may mistakenly believe that to be holy, we need to run away from the world. Or that to be holy we need to be in church praying on our knees all day long or praying the rosary every hour of the day. But, being holy doesn’t mean walking around with a halo, not being allowed to have any fun, or despising the things of this world. Being holy is not about withdrawing from the world or about being stoic all the time. Rather, being holy is to brings us life and to refine who we are as human beings. Being holy is not put a damper on our emotions, but rather to elevate them. Holy people are probably the most joyful people we can meet.

On our journey of faith as Catholics, we are called to attend Mass each weekend, to spend time in prayer and in spiritual formation, and to do good works of charity and mercy as fruits of our faith. However, none of those things are what really define holiness. Holiness is about how we respond to God’s call for us in our lives, how we are guided by the Holy Spirit. Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were led by God in their lives as they traveled to Egypt and to other places as part of God’s plan for them, then as they returned to Nazareth where Jesus was raised by his parents in the Jewish faith. In the spirit of the way Mary, Joseph, and Jesus lived their lives in holiness, we are called to be holy as well, to live each moment of our lives in what God is calling it to be, in living with the goal of being a disciple of Christ in the forefront of our minds. In holiness, we are to surrender to God’s will and we to desire to have our faith in the center of our lives. In our call to holiness, one of the most important things is knowing when to say yes in life and knowing when to say no. In holiness, we engage in life. Like we saw in Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, in the way they lived in holiness, we are called to engage in life in all of its difficulties, its struggles, and its tensions, but we are to do so in a way that reflects the fidelity we have to the will of God. 

29 December 2023 - – memorial of St Thomas Beckett – the fifth day in the Octave of Christmas – Luke 2:22-35

Simeon waited patiently for many years in the solitude and silence of the Temple. Finally, he sees what he has been waiting for as he embraces the child Jesus and rejoices in his knowledge of God’s fidelity. In his faith and patience, Simeon was called in a special way to love God and to live as a disciple of Christ. 

We are called to put our trust and confidence in God just as Simeon did in fidelity. It was in this trust and confidence that called Simeon to wait patiently until he could be in the presence of the Christ. As we hear about Simeon in today’s Gospel, we celebrate a saint today who was called to stand up for his faith in his own particular way. Yesterday, we honored the Holy Innocents, the children who were martyred by King Herod when he felt threatened by the birth of Jesus. Today, we honor Thomas Beckett, also a martyr in the faith. Beckett was chancellor and trusted friend to King Henry II in 12th century England. The king appointed him as Archbishop of Canterbury. Despite his loyalty and friendship with the king, Beckett stood firm when King Henry tried to overtake Church authority through the Constitutions of Clarendon, which would have denied the clergy the right of trial by a Church court and would have prevented them from making direct appeal to Rome. Thomas fled to France for safety when the king threatened him, remaining in exile there for 7 years. He returned to England even though he knew it would mean certain death for him. Four of the king's knights murdered Thomas Beckett in the Canterbury Cathedral shortly after his return. The king saw Thomas Beckett as a “troublesome priest.”  Yet, even in our modern world, we admire the courage of Thomas Beckett and his willingness to sacrifice for the faith. May we take courage from the patience of Simeon and the steadfastness of Thomas Beckett.  

28 December 2023 - Feast of the Holy Innocents - Matthew 2:13-18

Right after we celebrate Christmas, our church recognizes three feast days in a row. The day after Christmas is the feast of St. Stephen, a martyr in the early Church.  Yesterday, we have the feast of St John the Evangelist, who was also one of the original apostles. Today, we celebrate and honor the Holy Innocents, children who were massacred by King Herod in Bethlehem when he had heard of Jesus' birth. 

Matthew’s Gospel tells us about the massacre of the holy innocents as part of the story of the Magi, quoting the prophet Jeremiah: “A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled, since they were no more.”  Jeremiah portrays Rachel, the wife of Jacob, the patriarch of the people of Israel, as weeping at the place where the Israelites were led by the conquering Assyrians for their march to Babylon. As Rachel is depicted weeping for her people forced into exile, as the parents of the children massacred at Bethlehem weep for their loss, we have a lot to weep for in our modern world. There are many innocent victims of crime and violence who suffer each day.       

Yet, while the prophet Jeremiah calls for weeping, he also brings a message of hope and liberation to the people of Israel forced into exile.  Herod's actions were brutal and painful, but they weren't the final word.  God gives us hope in the birth of Christ. Through Jesus, God proclaims his kingdom and promises us salvation. May we in our words and actions help proclaim God’s kingdom and work towards the values of God’s kingdom each day.  

Prayers of the Faithful - Christmas Mass - Central Mississippi Correctional Facility - Women

Lord Jesus - you are the savior of the world.

Christ Jesus - you are the beloved son of the Father.

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

Priest: Today, we celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God with us. As we assured of God’s closeness to us in our celebration of our Christmas Mass, we present our prayers with our needs and the needs of the world:

1. That we may be a light in the world in the way we proclaim by word and deed the Gospel message of our Lord, Emmanuel, we pray to the Lord.

2. That all the nations of the world may work for peace, following the example of the prince of peace. We pray for those places in the world torn apart by war, especially in the Holy Lord and Ukraine. We pray for peace in our communities here in Mississippi and at CMCF.  We pray to the Lord.

3. For the poor, the outcasts, and the homeless, that they may never be told that there is no room in the inn for them, we pray to the Lord.

4. For those who are struggling this time of the year, due to grief, stress, mental health issues, personal problems, or separation from our family, that we may find comfort in the knowledge that God remains with us through all our hardships and struggles.  We pray to the Lord. 

5. For all who are dealing with illness and health issues, for those battling addictions, for those trying to cope with anxiety, depression. For comfort, healing, and wholeness. We pray to the Lord.

6. For the faithful departed, for their entry into eternal life. We pray to the Lord. 

7. For all of us, our families, friends, that the holy season of Christmas may be filled with love, joy, and peace. We pray to the Lord.

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

Priest: It is your will that your son became incarnate on Christmas and changed the world for all time. Help us to incarnate your son in our lives. Help us to change the world to reflect your love and mercy. We make our prayers through your incarnate son, Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. Amen.

prayers of the faithful - 29 December 2022 - octave of Christmas - feast of St Thomas Beckett

Lord Jesus - you call us to faith. 

Christ Jesus - you call us to hope. 

Lord Jesus - you call us to love. 

Priest: As we unite our prayers with St Thomas Beckett, with the martyrs of our faith, and with the community of saints, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father:  

1. For members of the Church: that we may recognize and honor the dignity which we have been given in being called children of God. 

2. For the grace to grow in wisdom: that the Spirit will give us insight into our experiences and help us to learn from them how to hear God’s invitation and fully respond to God. 

3. For our Church leaders and governmental leaders: may they help proclaim justice and peace throughout the land.  

4. For all families: that family members may support one another and help each other grow in wisdom, age, and grace, and walk closer with God each day. 

5. For our children and youth: may God accompany them through their Christmas break.  

6. For the sick and shut-in, for those who need healing in mind, body and spirit. 

7. For the prayers we hold in our hearts. 

Priest: We make our prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever.  AMEN.   

prayers of the faithful - 28 December 2022 - Thursday - feast of the holy innocents - martyrs

Lord Jesus - you are a light for the nations.  

Christ Jesus - you are our savior and our redeemer. 

Lord Jesus - you bring us hope and truth. 

Priest: As we journey through the holy days of the Christmas season and as we commemorate the holy innocents today, we bring our prayers to our loving Father. 

1. For our Bishops and Church leaders, may they lead us to the truth of the Gospel message and help us to evangelize the world. We pray for Bishop Kopacz who is visiting his family in Pennsylvania for the Christmas vacation. 

2. For all parents and families, may they help their children grow in wisdom and in the values of the faith. 

3. For those traveling during the Christmas holidays, for safety for them. 

4. For the sick and sick-in. For those needing healing in their lives body, mind, and spirit. For those struggling with mental health issues, depression, and addictions. 

5. For the men in the women in the military, for first responders, for medical professionals, for all who are working and who are away from their families during the holidays.  

6. For the prayers we hold in our hearts this morning.  

Priest: In Christmas hope and joy, we present these prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever.  AMEN. 

Prayers of the faithful - 27 December 2022 - feast of St John the Evangelist - Wednesday

Lord Jesus - you followed the Father’s will. 

Christ Jesus - you are the new covenant between God and his people. 

Lord Jesus - you are the Savior of the world. 

Priest: As we celebrate the joyful Christmas season and as we celebrate St John the Evangelist today, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father:

1. For all believers, that we all may share Christ’s Good News with others in humility and patience.  

2. For the leaders of the nations, may they work towards the resolution of conflicts and work towards peace and justice throughout the world. 

3. For those who struggle to find peace and joy throughout the holiday season, that those who suffer from illness, loss, and hardship may feel the grace of God helping them in the midst of their reality. 

4. For our Diocese and for all members of God’s family, that the joy of the Christmas season may bear fruit in their hearts. 

5. For all those who are traveling this holiday season, for safety for them.  

6. For our personal needs and intentions that we recall in the silence of our hearts today.  

Priest: Heavenly Father, we thank you for the blessings you give us in life and we thank you for your grace that helps us meet our challenges. We present these prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever.  AMEN. 

 

Prayers of the faithful - 26 December 2023 - Octave of Christmas - feast of St Stephen, Martyr

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6.  For our family members and loved ones who have died. For the faithful departed who entered eternal life in 2023.  Fo the souls in purgatory.  

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

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

27 December 2023 - Homily for the Feast of St John the Evangelist - John 20:1-8

     We celebrate the feast days of the Evangelists and the Apostles in our Church’s liturgical calendar, signifying to us their importance in the Early Church and the faith that has been passed down to us. Two days after we celebrate Christ’s birth, we celebrate the feast of St John, Evangelist and Apostle. The poetic opening words of his Gospel were proclaimed at our Mass on Christmas day, of Christ as the Word of God who came into the world.  

        Today, we hear from one of the last chapters in John’s Gospel, about how some of Christ’s followers arrived at his empty tomb with great amazement. These disciples had believed in Jesus, the Son of God, the Savior of the world, but they had just seen him put to death. They were trying to make sense of all that happen in the life of Jesus, wondering what his life and his death meant, wondering where God’s was directing them. Mary Magdalene and Peter were the first to reach Christ’s tomb. What they saw did match their hopes and expectations. Yet, when John reached the tomb, he went inside, he saw, and he believed. 

         Sometimes things happen in life that don’t make sense. Sometimes our lives take a direction that we can’t anticipate, testing our faith. Yet, we are asked to lift all of this up to the Lord and to walk by faith. We are asked to believe. Just as these early disciples were often frustrated and confused, we are called on to follow the example of St John. May we look at all that is going on around us and face our reality head-on. In the midst of the conflicting and confusing messages we receive in the world, may we have hope. May we believe.  

Fourth Sunday of Advent - 24 December 2023 - Advent reflection - Advent wreath

We use the candles on the Advent wreath to mark the days of the Advent season. Today, we commemorate the fourth Sunday of Advent, and then in the evening, we celebrate the Vigil Mass of Christmas, which means that the fourth week of Advent is very short. Our celebration of the Christmas season is upon us as we conclude this season of preparation.

On this fourth Sunday of Advent, we light all four candles on the Advent wreath:

Father, all-powerful God, your eternal word took flesh on earth when the Blessed Virgin Mary with great joy placed her life at the service of your plan. As we light the four candles on our Advent wreath on this last Sunday of Advent, we lift up our minds and our hearts in hope to hear the voice announce God’s glory. May we open our minds to receive the Holy Spirit in preparation for the coming of Christ into our world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. AMEN. 

Saturday of the third week of Advent - 23 December 2023 - St John the Baptist

In our Gospel today in Daily Mass, we hear about the birth of John the Baptist. As an adult, John assumed an important role is paving the way for Jesus’ ministry and his proclamation of God’s kingdom. Thursday, we heard of Mary’s visit to John the Baptist’s mother, Elizabeth, as both women ministered to each other in the midst of their reality.

All of us have a certain reality in life. All of us have unique talents, gifts, and personalities given to us by God. Just as Jesus and John the Baptist had different gifts and talents, just as they each had their own calling and vocation, we use the gifts and talents in the context of the way God calls us on our journey of faith.

During these reflections during Advent, I spoke about the calling each one of us has as disciples of Christ to evangelization and to acts of mercy. We respond to that call in our own unique way, with our own talents, gifts, and personalities, with our own unique reality of life. In the prison ministry, I see the inmates of our Catholic community evangelizing their fellow inmates with our Catholic faith. I see them reaching out to them in acts of mercy and charity. The prison environment is a unique context for evangelization and acts of mercy. We, too, are to respond to our environment in similar acts of mercy and evangelization. I want to encourage all of you to continue to discern where God calling you to evangelize your corner of the world and to reach out to others in acts of mercy and charity.

Luke 1:57-66

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be? For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.”

Friday of the third week of Advent - 22 December 2023 - Mary’s Magnificat

In our Gospel today in Daily Mass, we hear Mary’s joyful hymn of praise, the Magnificat. Mary proclaims this hymn of praise in response to the greeting she receives from her cousin Elizabeth. The Magnificat reimagines the world differently in light of God’s justice, with the hungry being filled with good things, with the lowly being lifted up by God, with God bringing mercy and assistance to his chosen people. This is very different from the reality many face in our world today, with the mighty, the powerful, and the rich asserting their domination over others and receiving preference in different ways.

Bishop Kopacz has challenged us parishes and us priests to a reimagining process in which we reflected upon what it means to be one, holy, catholic, and apostolic as a Church and as a parish. He is asking us to look at the reality of our parish and community, at the demographic trends that we face. He is asking us to look at our liturgies, at our involvement in the community, at our outreach to the poor and the needy, at our evangelization efforts to fallen away Catholics and to those in the community in general. This reimagining process we are undertaking fits well into the vision of the magnificat, which reimagines what the world can be in the context of the peace and justice of God’s kingdom. It is good for all of us to think about what our parish can be, what our Church can be. It challenges us to be bold, creative, courageous, and imaginative. Blessings to all of you - Father Lincoln.

Luke 1:46-56

Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. For he has looked upon his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever.”

Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her home.

Thursday of the third week of Advent - 21 December 2023 - Mary ministers to her cousin Elizabeth

In the days right before our celebration of Christmas, we hear Gospel readings at Daily Mass that lead up to the events of Christ’s birth. Today, we hear of Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth. Mary ministers to her cousin Elizabeth in Elizabeth’s time of need. Elizabeth, in turn, ministers to Mary. The interaction between these two remarkable women of faith provides a strong example to us. Mary could have secluded herself in prayer and isolation after the announcement from the Angel Gabriel about the upcoming birth of our Savior. Instead, Mary performs an act of mercy in her visit to her cousin Elizabeth. Mary is a woman of great prayer and reflection, as she ponders everything that happens to her in the silence of her heart. We are to be people of prayer and action as well. May we reflect upon this in these last days of Advent and in the days of the Christmas season to come. Blessings to all of you - Father Lincoln.

Luke 1:39-45

Mary set out in those days and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

Wednesday of the third week of Advent - 20 December 2023 - The Annunciation

In our Gospel today at Daily Mass, we hear the Angel Gabriel announce to Mary: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” She was frightened by this proclamation. The Angel told her not to be afraid, explaining about the upcoming birth of Jesus, explaining how Mary was chosen for this special role in the history of salvation.

Think of how when we start something new, it can be a total shock to us. Whether it be a new teacher on the first day of school, a worker at a new job, a priest celebrating his first Mass, a student on the first day at a new school, or a parent with a new born child. All these things pale in comparison to what was told to Mary in the annunciation and the ways her life would completely change. However, when we start something new, we need to take it one day at a time. We need to be patient with ourselves and with others. Like Mary, we need to ponder things in our hearts.

Our world has changed in many ways. Our Church has experienced many changes as well. We may see some of these changes as positive. We may be frightened at some of these changes. I know that the reality of the Church and the reality of the world have changed greatly in the fifteen years since my ordination to the priesthood. I am the first vicar general in our Diocese to also have responsibilities as pastor. But the shortage of priests and the reality of our Diocese dictate certain changes. There will certainly be more changes ahead of us as we adapt to the reality of the world and as that reality changes even more.

Like Mary, we need not be afraid. However, we are called to face this reality that is upon us and to reflect upon it. This reality may be calling us to certain actions as individuals, as a parish, and as a Diocese.

Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her,” Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”

But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.”

Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Tuesday of the third week of Advent - 19 December 2023 - Advent prayer

I had posted a couple of Advent prayers in these Flocknote reflections this Advent season. The following prayer I adopted from a prayer on the website My Catholic Life. May our prayers be lifted up to the Lord as we continue our journey during Advent and as we get ever closer to the birth of our Savior. Blessings - Father Lincoln.

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, we love you and we thank you with profound gratitude for uniting yourself with humanity. You first entered into this world through the immaculate womb of your Blessed Mother. She brought you into the world, body and blood, soul and divinity. She carried you in her heart in her perfect love for you and in her perfect obedience to the will of the Father. 

Precious Lord Jesus, as we enter these last days of the Advent season, please continue to open our eyes to see the great value and blessing of your incarnation. Help us to discover your presence in the world and in our own souls. May we desire to see, understand, and experience the profound effects that your incarnation has on our lives. May we desire to receive those effects more fully during the Advent and Christmas seasons. May each human being become a sanctuary in which you dwell, so that we may bring your presence into the world just as our Blessing Mother Mary brought you into the world.

Loving Jesus, may you always be our king and our God. In obedience, may we abandon ourselves to you. May we seek to put our trust in your tender care. May you draw us closer to you and free us from our sins, so that we may love you with our pure and holy hearts. 

Mother Mary, as you carried your dear son into our world, you also carried him in your heart. Pray for us during these seasons of Advent and Christmas, that we may surrender ourselves to the Father’s will in imitation of you. You said “yes” to all that God asked of you. You never hesitated to fully embrace his will. May we imitate your perfect example so that we may share a deeper union with you and your divine son. Come, Lord Jesus, come. AMEN. 

Monday of the third week of Advent - 18 December 2023 - Christ the light

In October 2023, I moved to Winnipeg, Canada to serve as a lay missionary, working at an inner city soup kitchen and food bank as my missionary assignment. It was my first winter in Canada. It was cold and dark. The soup kitchen operated in an old storefront in the worst part of the downtown area, surrounded by single-occupancy hotels where a lot of the poor were housed. It was a harsh reality. A local Mennonite congregation sponsored our missionary unit. I attended Mass each week at the nearby parish of St Ignatius of Loyola, served by a Jesuit priest. On Christmas Eve of that year, I was asked by one of the ministers at the Mennonite church to give a reflection about how I experienced Christ as a light in my life during their worship service. I had just been a missionary for a couple month in a city and a country that was still so new to me. However, I knew immediately how I saw Christ as a light. In my service in the soup kitchen and food bank, in the relationships I was forging with the poor, the street people, my fellow volunteers, and my fellow missionaries, I saw Christ in a very real way. Our lives as missionaries were very minimalist and serving as a missionary in the harsh Canadian was very challenging, but the joy I felt in the two years I served there had the bright light of Christ all over it in a very real way. To this day, just reflecting upon that experience, I feel so much love and have so many wonderful memories.

As we celebrate Christmas this upcoming weekend, it would be good for us to reflect upon the ways we experience Christ as a light in our lives. Blessings - Father Lincoln. 

Third Sunday of Advent - Guadete Sunday - 17 December 2023

This third Sunday of Advent that we celebrate today is called Guadete Sunday. The tradition of this third Sunday goes back to the fourth or fifth century, which is where we trace back the tradition of Advent. Gaudete Sunday shifts the focus of Advent. The first two weeks of Advent focus on the coming of the Lord, on our preparations, our watching, our alertness. As we prepare during Advent, we focus on a lot of details. On Guadete Sunday, there is a greater sense of joyful anticipation as the birth of the Lord drawers closer. There is a special liturgical color for Guadete Sunday, as the priest wears a rose-colored vestment and the Advent wreath has a rose-colored candle which is lit. The word “Gaudete” is the Latin word for “rejoice.” We rejoice in our Lord who loves us. We await his coming, not with fear, but with great joy. In his second letter to the Thessalonians, St Paul states: “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances, we give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” Let us rejoice in the coming of the Lord on this third Sunday of Advent.

Prayer for the lighting of three candles on our Advent wreath:

Lord God, on this Third Sunday of Advent, the witness of John the Baptist leads us to Christ and helps us prepare a path for the coming of our Lord. With joy, we light three candles on our wreath today as we get ever closer to Christmas Day.

May we, your people, who look forward to the birthday of Christ on Christmas, experience the joy of salvation and celebrate that feast with love and thanksgiving. We ask this through Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Saturday of the second week of Advent - 16 December 2023 - Sirach

Normally, we hear from the prophet Isaiah in our first readings at Daily Mass during Advent. Today, we hear from the Sirach, a book of wisdom literature. This book is a part of the Catholic Bible, but not the Protestant Bible. It was originally written in Hebrew by the scribe Ben Sirach around the years 200 to 175 BC, and then translated into Greek. Today, Sirach writes about the prophet Elijah. Elijah is praised as the prophet of the Northern Kingdom who prophesied in the name of God against King Ahab in the 9th century before Christ. Elijah denounced the worship of the foreign idol Baal. Elijah’s dramatic story is found in the First Book of Kings in chapters 17 - 19 and in chapters 1 - 2 of the Second Book of Kings. Elijah is supposed to come back to earth one day to signify the imminent coming of the Messiah, which is why we hear this reading during Advent today. In the Gospel, Jesus addresses the return of Elijah, but also names John the Baptist as the precursor of the coming of the Messiah. The prophets prepared the way for the coming of the Lord. In our words and actions, we, too, are to prepare for his coming. Blessings to all of you - Father Lincoln.

Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11

In those days, like a fire, there appeared the prophet Elijah whose words were as a flaming furnace. Their staff of bread he shattered, in his zeal he reduced them to straits; By the Lord’s word he shut up the heavens and three times brought down fire. How awesome are you, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds! Whose glory is equal to yours? You were taken aloft in a whirlwind of fire, in a chariot with fiery horses. You were destined, it is written, in time to come to put an end to wrath before the day of the LORD, to turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons, and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob. Blessed is he who shall have seen you and who falls asleep in your friendship.

Matthew 17:9a, 10-13

As they were coming down from the mountain, the disciples asked Jesus, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

He said in reply, “Elijah will indeed come and restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased. So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

Prayers of the faithful - 3rd Sunday of ADVENT - 17 December 2023 - Central Mississippi Correctional Facility

Introduction: For the second Sunday in a row, we hear from John the Baptist in our Gospel reading.  Just as John the Baptist prepared the way for the Lord and made a path for his coming, may we also continue to prepare a path for the Lord in our hearts as we await his coming at Christmas.  This weekend, we celebrate Guadete Sunday, the third Sunday in Advent.  

Lord Jesus - you are the Son of the Most High. 

Christ Jesus - you bring us God’s wisdom. 

Lord Jesus - your kingdom is without end. 

Priest: With Advent joy and hope, in this third week of waiting and preparation, we present our prayers this morning to our Heavenly Father. 

1. We pray for our children, that the Lord may accompany them in the final days of their school semester and during the days of the Christmas break. We pray that our children may feel our love and prayers.  We pray to the Lord.

2. For the Gospel of Life, that we will work to protect human life, especially the unborn and those who are vulnerable. We pray especially for the men here who are battling addictions, depression, and mental illness. We pray to the Lord.

3. We pray for those of us who have lost a loved one, especially this last year. We pray for the souls of all our family members who have died. We pray to the Lord.

4. We pray for all our Church leaders and all who work toward reform in our Church. We pray to the Lord.

5. We pray for healing and forgiveness in our own lives, in the lives of all the men at CMCF, and in families. We pray that we will make a special effort to reach out to those who are lonely or struggling this holiday season. We pray to the Lord.

6. For all of us who are sick, for healing for us in body, mind and spirit. We pray to the Lord.

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

Priest: Generous God, as we prepare for the birth of our savior, we thank you for our many blessings. Continue to look with favor on us. We present these prayers through your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord for ever and ever. AMEN.

25 December 2023 - Christmas Day - Prayers of the faithful

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

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

Christ Jesus - you are the son of Mary.

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

Priest: On this joyful day when we celebrate God’s greatest gift to us, our celebration of our Savior’s birth, we call to mind our needs and the needs of our brothers and sisters, confident in God’s generosity:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

25 December 2023 - homily for Mass on Christmas Day – John 1:1-5 and 9-14

Today we celebrate Christmas Day as we commemorate Christ’s birth into our world. Last night, at Christmas eve mass, we heard a reading from the Gospel of Luke that described Jesus’ birth in a humble manger in Bethlehem. Today, we hear from the beginning of John’s Gospel, with images are more directly poetic and theological in nature, particularly the image of light. 

For the people of the ancient Mediterranean world, light and darkness were two separate realities. Darkness did not signify the absence of light, but rather the presence of darkness, just as light meant the presence of light.  Just as light can push out the presence of darkness, darkness can push out light.

The image of light is associated with life in John’s Gospel in a special way. Jesus comes to the world as both light and life. John tells us that Jesus is the word of God in whom all living things come into being. Since we all have light as living beings, light and life go hand in hand. Light and life have their origin in God’s created work. As created beings, we can hand down this light to others, but we can’t create God’s light ourselves.

We use the symbolism of light in a special way in the Sacrament of Baptism. We receive the light of Christ in our lives when we are baptized. In the Sacrament of Baptism, the godparents light a candle for the baptized child from the paschal candle that represents Christ. They are told to keep the light of Christ alive in the life of the child that was just received the sacrament of baptism.

There are times in our lives when the darkness can overwhelm us.  I remember one Christmas that I spent in Ecuador in small village of San Francisco de Onzole in the middle of the rainforest jungle. The village was located on the banks of a large river. This village had no electricity at all.  On Christmas eve, the villagers spent the whole night in the church, singing Christmas carols in Spanish to the sounds of maracas and drums. We sat in the church in the late night hours in the hot humid tropical climate on Christmas eve, with the only light present coming from a few candles in the middle of the church.The night felt immense and dark, but I felt the light of Christ in the joy of the people and in the light coming from the candle

Things can come out of the darkness of the world and hit us unexpectedly, taking our focus off Jesus and off our faith in him. The Roman philosopher Cicero, born a century before Jesus, described the Roman Empire as “a light to the whole world.” We can focus on the light in other things, taking the focus off our faith. We can focus on our work, our personal ambitions, our national identity, success or material possessions.  Those lights can outshine our Catholic faith and the light of Jesus in the world. 

 As part of our Church's faith, we believe in the Word of God that created the world and that came to earth as the baby Jesus as a light to our world.  This truth that Jesus brings can seem very distant from our daily reality, especially now with secular message that is taking over our society. The violence, darkness, and chaos of our world can overwhelm us. With all we witness in our daily lives, it may seem like the light of God and the light of truth are being drowned out. We need God’s light to serve as our compass, to lead us and guide us.

It is important that we as Catholics strongly reaffirm with our lives the salvation that comes with Christ’s birth as a light in our world. In the humble manger in Bethlehem, this light that now illuminates our lives was made manifest to the world. Christ as a light is the way that leads to the fullness of our humanity as it is revealed to us. It would be beneficial for all of us this Christmas season to ask ourselves how Jesus functions as a light in our own lives and what we can do in order to follow the light of Christ and to be that light to others.