2 March 2024 - Homily for Saturday of the second week of Lent - First Saturday devotion of our Lady of Fatima - Micah 7:14-15 and 18-20

We hear from different prophets in the Old Testament during the holy season of Lent.  Today, the prophet Micah asserts that God wants the sinner to repent as God extends his love and mercy to us in the reality of our lives.  This message from Micah probably came at the time the Jewish people were returning to Jerusalem from the exile in Babylon in the sixth century BC. They struggled to return after their exile in the midst of the hostility around them, trying to regain their faith and their religious traditions.  Micah states that God will forgive them and pardon them their iniquities, that God will not persist in his anger toward them for their sins, but grant the clemency.  We offered confessions today as a part of our commemoration of the First Saturday devotion called by the apparition of Our Lady of Fatima.  Like the message from the prophet Micah, like the message of the prodigal son in the Gospel today, God calls us to him through our Lady of Fatima.  God calls us to examine our lives during the holy days of Lent, to return to prayer, fasting, and works of charity. May we hear the call of the Lord today through these messages.  

2 March 2024 - Prayers of the faithful - First Saturday Devotion to Our Lady of Fatima - Saturday of the second week of Lent

Penitential Rite: 

Lord Jesus, you the Prince of Peace: Lord, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, you are the Son of God and Son of Mary: Christ, have mercy. 

Lord Jesus, you are Word of God made flesh: Lord, have mercy.

Prayers of the faithful:  

PRIEST:  God graciously blesses us in his love and mercy.  We now bring forward our needs to God with confidence as we commemorate our first Saturday Devotion:

1. That those who follow Christ may grow in their faith during these holy days of Lent.  

2. That God will grant wisdom to our governmental leaders in the decisions they make.

3. For peace in our communities that are torn apart by violence, terrorism, anger, or conflict.

4. That we may all be peacemakers who work for reconciliation, peace, and justice in our relationships and in our families.  

5. That our Mother Mary, Our Lady of Fatima, may be an example to all of us in her patience, compassion, and love.  

6. For Pope Francis and all Church leaders, for wisdom as they lead and guide the people of God. 

7. For the sick and the shut-in.  For our dearly departed family members and loved ones, that perpetual light may shine on them.

8. For those prayers we hold in our hearts.  

PRIEST: Gracious God, you bless your people with peace and justice. As we commemorate our Mother Mary, Our Lady of Fatima, we ask that you accept our prayers and give us your help, through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. Amen. 

10 March 2024 - Homily for the fourth Sunday of Lent - cycle B - Ephesians 2:4-10, John 3:14-21

What a wonderful message we receive from St Paul today from his letter to the Ephesians in the midst of our Lenten journey. Paul asserts that it is by God’s grace that we are saved, from a freely given gift from God, not by our own efforts. As we accompany Jesus on his 40 days in the desert, in his passion and journey of the cross, we realize that if we had been able to achieve salvation by our own efforts, Jesus would not have endured his passion and the death on the cross to die for our sins.  

However, we are called to have an active role in our lives of faith and to cooperate with God’s grace in our lives. Indeed, we are to believe that we are saved by Christ through God’s grace, but we are also to believe what Paul states in the last verse of this passage, that by God’s handiwork, we are created in Christ to perform good works. But performing good works is more than the sum of our individual actions. Our good works must be a way of life for us; it must be the foundation of our life of discipleship. Being saved by grace, we are asked to respond to God’s generous gift to us. We respond through our attitude, our actions, our way of life, and our works of love and charity toward others. Paul asserts that these good works are prepared in advance by God, meaning that they don’t entirely come from our own minds and our own initiative, but rather through cooperating with the Holy Spirit that is working within us. However, we can get wrapped up in our lives, our work, our family, and our little corner of reality. We might believe that we are too busy to do the work to which God is calling us. Or that it will not make a difference. We are still in the middle of Lent, so we can look at the ways we have been practicing our Lenten disciplines. In addition to the time we devote to prayer and sacrifices during Lent, we are called to action in reaching out to the poor, in visiting the sick and the house bound, in reaching out to those who are hurting or broken or in need.  

As a part of our Gospel today, we hear the famous verse John 3:16:  “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” I thought of this message in the context of the sacrament of reconciliation. One common question about the sacrament of reconciliation concerns the underlying reason why we have this sacrament, why we cannot just go directly to God himself. We also might ask why God sent his son Jesus to earth in human form as well. Why do we need to receive our salvation through him? Why couldn’t have God performed an act himself, without coming to earth in human form? Couldn’t it have been just a voice coming down from the heavens?  Throughout history, God works through human beings. Nicodemus mentions Moses at the beginning of the Gospel. God worked through Moses to lead the people of Israel to the promised land.   Jesus himself collaborated with his apostles in his ministry. In fact, many of those Jesus chose to collaborate with were the weak, the fallen, and the vulnerable. Jesus’ apostles were not the rich and the powerful in the community. Jesus sent out the apostles as missionaries, ordering them to preach and heal in his name. Any way we look at it, Jesus wasn’t just a one man operation. With Jesus’ model for ministry, collaborating with others, God works through the priests of the Church through the sacrament of reconciliation. This sacrament allows for the penitent to go to the ritual of this sacrament and to speak his words out loud to God’s representative: what a profound experience. Going to God to confess our sins as individuals is important. We have been looking at the daily examen during Lent, in which we are to reflect upon the day and the ways we have sinned and strayed from the faith. However, going to confession with the priest is very important.   

Whenever I have been on pilgrimage, one of the things I really look forward to is going to confession. When I go on pilgrimage to the Camino of St James in Spain, upon arriving at the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, I always go to confession as a part of the rituals of ending my pilgrimage journey. It would not seem like pilgrimage to me without confession. And I hope that is how all of us approach our journey of faith: to see ourselves as collaborating with God on our faith journey, to see ourselves as disciples of Christ and part of the Body of Christ interacting with the rest of the faithful, to be fully engaged with grace of God that reaches out to us in our daily lives.  

8 March 2024 – homily for Friday of 3rd week of Lent- Mark 12:28-34 - Psalm 8

“Shma Israel, Adonai elo – hey – nu, Adonai e – chad”  This is part of the Shema prayer that we hear in the Gospel today – “Hear O Israel – the Lord our God is Lord alone.” This is a prayer that Jesus prayed on a daily basis as a practicing Jew in ancient Israel.  We can know that God is our Lord and master, but how does that affect our lives? Through the psalmist, the Lord tells us: “I am the Lord your God – Hear my voice.” This might sound easy in theory, but in practice, we know it is not easy at all. To know when the voice of God is calling out to us - that is not always easy to discern. When I was in seminary to study to be a priest, my classmates and I would struggle with God’s will for us as we discerned our vocations. I bet all of us would like to be able to hear God’s voice speak to us loudly and clearly, but it doesn't always work that way. Hearing God’s voices is not always straight-forward. 

Our Lenten disciplines are there to help us on our journey. These disciples are to help us distinguish God’s voice in the midst of many other voices. Through fasting, almsgiving, and praying, we are to open our hearts to God, to hear his voice, to recognize his authority in our lives. As I said – easier said than done. 

7 March 2024 – homily for Thursday of 3rd week in Lent – Psalm 95 - Jeremiah 7:23-28

“If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your hearts.”  As followers of Our Lord Jesus Christ, we certainly do not want hard hearts, but in the busy world we live in, in all the different messages and cynicism that bombards us each day, in the frustrations and anger that may arise within us, we may easily develop hearts that are hard and jaded. The grace of God calls out to us today in the middle of Lent, asking us to renew our hearts and come back to him. Jeremiah spoke out to a people that had hardened their hearts and stiffened their necks. God reminded them through Jeremiah that he had sent them prophets, but often, their message had been rejected. Echoing the reality that Jeremiah spoke about, we can reflect upon how we often reject God in a lot of ways: in our thoughts and our actions, in the thoughtlessness and hardness in which we treat our brothers and sisters, in the way we do not make our faith a priority. What can we do about that?  

Trappist monk Thomas Merton had this to say: We can often hide the precepts of God’s wisdom in our hearts – the precepts of humility, meekness, charity, renunciation, faith, and prayer. The values that the precepts and prayers communicate, the life that they are trying to give us, can remain completely hidden from our human eyes.   

Let us open our hearts up to the Lord, to the values he is trying to teach us. Let us not turn our hearts away from him, not matter how much of a temptation that may be. Let our hearts not become hardened. 

Bulletin Reflection - Laetare Sunday - 4th Sunday of Lent

This weekend at Mass, you will notice that I am wearing rose colored vestments, a departure from the normal liturgical color that characterizes our Lenten journey.  This color rose points us to the joy of Easter Sunday and the entire Easter season, a time when we will celebrate the resurrection of our Lord.  

I have enjoyed praying the stations of the cross with all of you during Lent each Friday, followed by all of us celebrating Daily Mass together and then sharing a Lenten meal together. A lot of you are not able to come to our normal Daily Masses during the year due to your work schedule and other activities, so it is wonderful to be able to celebrate Daily Mass with more of you during Lent. Lent calls out to us in the disciplines of prayer, fasting, and works of charity. Hopefully, the things we have learned about our journey of faith will continue to affect us after Lent is over. 

I have spoken about gratitude and have encouraged you to pray different Catholic devotions during Lent. One of the quotes of gratitude that I have this week is from the Greek storyteller Aesop, who was born six centuries before Christ. He said this: “A grateful heart will always find opportunities to show its gratitude.” May we all find ways to express our gratitude to the Lord and to others. Blessings to you on this fourth week of Lent. Father Lincoln.  

Prayers of the faithful - 4th Sunday of Lent - 10 March 2024

Introduction: In the middle of the holy season of Lent, we celebrate Laetare Sunday, characterized by the liturgical color of rose. We rejoice today that Jesus’ journey to the cross do not end with his placement in the tomb. As we hear the story of Nicodemus in the Gospel today, we pray that we also may continue to learn how to be a better disciple of Christ in the midst of our Lenten journey.  Please kneel in silence. 

Penitential Rite: 

Lord Jesus, you are the beloved son of God. 

Christ Jesus, you summon the sinner to repentance.

Lord Jesus, you call us out of darkness into light.

Priest: Every day, the works of the Lord are made visible by our faith. As we place our trust in the Lord, let us now turn to him with our needs, the needs of our brothers and sisters, and the needs of the Church:

1. For the Church, that the light we shine upon the world will help spread the love of Christ to all God’s children, we pray to the Lord.

2. For those who live in the darkness of war, violence, and poverty: that they may find hope in the light of Christ, we pray to the Lord.

3. For those in our RCIA program who will be entering the Church on Easter weekend. That they may realize the grace of God at work in their lives. We also pray for our youth preparing for the sacrament of confirmation. We pray to the Lord.

4. That the new life we see in nature in the springtime may be reflected in the renewal of our mission in the world, we pray to the Lord.

5. For the faithful departed, for their entry into eternal life. For healing for our sick and shut-ins. We pray to the Lord.

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

Priest: Lord of light, we pray that your light may ever guide us on our way. We make our prayers today through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

prayers of the faithful - 8 March 2024 - Friday of the third week of LENT

Lord Jesus - you are humble of heart - Lord have mercy. 

Christ Jesus - you call us to be missionary in spirit - Christ have mercy. 

Lord Jesus - you are the beloved Son of the Father - Lord have mercy. 

PRIEST: As we continue our Lenten journey today, let us bring our prayers to God: 

1. That, by prayer, fasting and almsgiving, the holy people of God will accompany Jesus on his journey during these holy days of Lent.  

2. That all Christians and people of goodwill may listen to the Word of God and obey his commandments in their daily lives. 

3. That we will find time each day for God, seeking him in the silence of our hearts and learning to love him more and more. 

4. That God will lead us to the path of justice and peace.  We pray for those who are being harmed in the world by war, terrorism, and violence. We pray especially for the people of Ukraine and the holy land.  

5. That our religious and governmental leaders will work together, especially to help the marginalized and the vulnerable.  

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

PRIEST: God of mercy, keep us in your love.  We ask these prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever.  AMEN.  

prayers of the faithful - Thursday of the third week of Lent - 7 March 2024

Lord Jesus - you bring us hope. 

Christ Jesus - you bring us new life. 

Lord Jesus - you give us encouragement on our journey of faith. 

PRIEST: We bring our prayers to the Lord for our needs, the needs of the Church, and the needs of the world. 

1. We pray that as we continue our Lenten journey, that Christ may breathe new life into his church and into his church leaders.  

2. That our eyes, minds, and hearts be open to the holiness of creation and to the ways we can reach out to our brothers and sisters. We pray that we all may be God’s stewards of God’s creation. 

3. That the Lord will continue to guide our governmental leaders in strength and wisdom as they lead us in justice and peace. We pray for peace in those places torn apart by war and violence, especially in Ukraine and the holy land. 

4. That all of the sick receive the assistance that they need.  In gratitude for our medical professionals and caregivers of the sick.  

5. For strength and courage to bear our crosses and sufferings with patience and courage. 

6. For all who are recovering for natural disasters, that they receive the assistance they need for recovery. 

7. For those prayers we hold in our hearts. 

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 to you through your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever.  AMEN. 

Prayers of the faithful - Wednesday of the third week of Lent - 6 March 2024

Lord Jesus - you ask us to carry our crosses.  

Christ Jesus - you are the word of God. 

Lord Jesus - you came as a servant. 

As we come together in faith and worship today, we offer our prayer petitions to our heavenly Father: 

1. That our lay and ordained leaders will proclaim the truth of our Lord Jesus Christ, teaching and admonishing with wisdom. 

2. That we may continue to practice the Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving as we continue our Lenten journey. 

3. For an end to terrorism and war in the world. For peaceful resolutions to all conflicts between nations. 

4. For the spiritual growth of our parish community, that we will commit ourselves to Christ’s Gospel message with zeal, self-sacrifice, and hope. 

5. That we may unite the crosses that we carry to the cross of Christ. 

6.  For those who risk their lives in order to protect others, that they be strengthened, shielded, and aided. 

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

Loving Father, we ask that you guide us in the right paths and give us courage to face the challenges of life.  We present our prayers through your son, Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever.  AMEN. 

prayers of the faithful - Tuesday of the third week of Lent - 5 MARCH 2024

Lord Jesus - you call us to give thanks. 

Christ Jesus - you call us to a life of service. 

Lord Jesus - you call us to holiness. 

Priest: Let us bring our prayers to God in trust and hope, as God is the true source of mercy and compassion.

1. For all Christians, that they may continue their Lenten journey in faith and holiness.  

2. For obedience to the will of God amongst Christ’s followers, even when God’s will challenges us and when his will is difficult to follow.  

3. For unity and collaboration amongst all Christians.  

4. For those who hunger and thirst in a physical sense, and for those who hunger and thirst for justice and righteousness.  

5. For the people in need in the Diocese of Jackson, particularly the sick, those looking for work, those feeling lost in life, and those battling addictions and mental health issues. 

6. For all who have gone before us in faith, for their entry into eternal life.  

7. For the people of Ukraine and the holy land who are in the midst of war, for safety, courage, and protection.  

8. For healing for the sick and shut-in. 

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

Priest: God of mercy and compassion, you give new heart to your people: Hear the prayers we make in faith, through Jesus Christ our Lord forever and ever. Amen. 

6 March 2024 – Homily for Wednesday of the 3rd week in Lent – Deuteronomy 4:1 and 5-9; Matthew 5:17-19

Moses is a key figure in the Old Testament, a key figure in the Jewish faith, and a key figure in our Catholic faith. Moses presents God’s law and commandments to the people, telling them that they must be careful to observe the law because they come from God. Our reading from Deuteronomy reminds us of the importance that God and his law are to have in our daily lives. God’s law is central to the Gospel message today as well. Jesus states that came to complete the law given to Moses, that God's law is to be obeyed. Some in Ancient Israel hoped that Jesus came to abolish the law. It is important to note that Jesus places importance in living in the spirit of the law and not just the letter of the law. While this is challenging to do, it is infinitely pleasing to God.

We don’t hear people talking about God’s law very much in the modern world.  We hear a lot about secular justice, about what is politically correct, about not wanting to offend anyone, about not limiting our individual freedoms. We want to do what feels good or what is convenient.  But we don’t hear a lot about the content of God’s law. 

It is easy to blame Pope Francis or to blame the Church or to blame others for what we see going on in our Church today.  We need to see our own responsibility for forming ourselves in the faith, in attending mass, and celebrating the sacraments. We should not accept mediocrity or complacency in the way we live of our faith. Our faith should be full of passion, enthusiasm, and love. We as a Church should want to draw others into our community of faith, but we are also called to embrace God’s law and to proclaim it to the world as well. God is love and mercy. Out of God’s love and mercy, he asks for our obedience. God expects a certain standard of conduct from us as is laid out in his law. Let us approach our faith this Lent with open and obedient hearts. 

5 March 2024 - St Kieran of Saighir - Tuesday of the third week of Lent - Matthew 18:21-35 - Psalm 25

On March 17, we celebrate the famous St Patrick.  But I found another Irish saint whom we celebrate today on March 5 - St Kieran of Saighir. Like a lot of saints from the early centuries of the Church, a lot we know about St Kieran has been passed down in legend.  He was born in the fourth or fifth century. Legend says that as an adult he wanted to learn more about God, so he traveled to Rome, where he studied, was baptized, and became a priest. He was ordained a bishop either in Rome or in Ireland. Kieran is known as one of the apostles of Ireland who helped grow and develop the faith there. Like Francis of Assisi, he is known for his love of animals, so he is often pictured with a badger, a deer, and a fox. It is said that he spent time living in a cave where he befriended and cared for sick or hurt animals. Another legend tells of St. Patrick giving St Kieran a bell that rang for the first time when he reached the site of a holy well in Saighir, and there he built his church. This became renowned as a sacred place, and many ancient kings are buried there. He built a monastery in Kilkenny, where the ruins of the original church, the monastery, the well, and other holy sites related to St. Kieran can be found.  

The psalmist today asks the Lord to remember his mercies.  We often want God’s mercy when it applies directly to us.  But, then, sometimes, we don’t necessarily want God’s mercy for others.  Sometimes, in those situations, we are a bit more strict in our interpretation of what God’s mercy is all about, which is the point of the Gospel today. I found the following prayer written by a Jesuit priest, based upon the Anima Christi, a prayer made famous by Ignatian spirituality.  I thought it was very appropriate to today’s readings: 

Soul of Christ:

Jesus, may you flow into me. 

May your body and blood  

be my food and my drink. 

May your passion and death 

be my strength and life. 

Jesus, with you by my side 

enough has been given. 

May the shelter I seek 

be the shadow of your cross. 

Let me not run from the love 

which you offer. 

But hold me safe from the forces of evil. 

On each of my dyings 

shed your light and your love. 

Keep calling me until the day comes, 

when with your saints, 

I will praise you forever. 

Amen. 

By David L Fleming, SJ 

Adapted from ANIMA CHRISTI

3 March 2024 - Third Sunday of Lent - Bulletin Reflection

I love the season of Lent, of the way this holy time of 40 days calls us to reflect upon our lives of the faith and the ways we need conversion and renewal. Last week, we priests in Yazoo City, Clinton, and Vicksburg went to each other’s parishes for our Lenten reconciliation services.  I enjoy going to the others parishes in our deanery to listen to confessions and to bring the holy sacrament of reconciliation to the people of our Diocese.  I also love praying the stations of the cross and having our Lenten meals each Friday evening during Lent with all of you. My hope is that what we practice during Lent may continue to resonate in our live after this holy season has ended.  Blessings to all of you on our Lenten journey.  Father Lincoln.  

3 March 2024 - Third Sunday of Lent - Prayers of the faithful

Introduction: Today, we hear God deliver the 10 commandments to his people through Moses.  The commandments give this people a way to live out their covenant with God. Lent gives us an opportunity to examine our consciences and to recall the times when we have failed to live up to the commandments. This Lent, let us repent from our sins, reconcile with God and with those we have wronged, and pray for the grace to do better on our journey of faith. Please kneel in silence.  

Priest: Penitential Rite:

Lord Jesus, you suffered death on the cross to bring us redemption and new life, Lord have mercy. 

Christ Jesus, you bring us the power and wisdom of God, Christ have mercy. 

Lord Jesus, you strengthen us in our weaknesses, Lord have mercy. 

Priest: We come to God in our prayers to day, offering up our needs and the needs of others, confident that God will hear our prayers: 

1. That we in the Church may have the zeal and passion to proclaim the Gospel message and be witnesses through our words and actions, we pray to the Lord. 

2. That the leaders of the world may find God’s wisdom in his law and commandments.  May the nations of the world foster respect for God’s truth and for their neighbors. We pray to the Lord. 

3. For all workers and for all who do business in the world, that they may treat others fairly and follow God’s values in their business dealings, we pray to the Lord. 

4. For the adults and youth preparing for the Easter sacraments, that they heed God’s wisdom in following God’s commandments in their daily lives, we pray to the Lord. 

5. That we may proclaim the message of Christ crucified as a sign of God’s love and mercy to the world.  We pray to the Lord. 

6. For healing for our sick family members, community members, and loved ones. For the faithful departed, for their entry into eternal life.  We pray to the Lord. 

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

Priest: Ever faithful God, as you give us your commandments as a sign of your covenant of love, we ask that you hear the prayers we make today through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever.  AMEN.   

3 March 2024 - Homily for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Cycle B - Exodus 20:1-17; John 2:13-25

The trajectory of the Gospel readings at the Sunday Masses during Lent take us through many key events in Christ’s life and public ministry. The first Sunday in Lent, we heard about Jesus being thrust into the desert by the Holy Spirit, where he was tempted by Satan. Last Sunday, we heard about Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountaintop in the presence of some of his apostles. This weekend, we hear of Jesus cleansing the Temple of all the things that is not leading the people to God. Jesus tells those who doubt him: Destroy this temple and I shall raise it up in three days. The people were perplexed by Jesus’ words, thinking that Jesus was speaking about the physical building of the Temple in Jerusalem. How would Jesus raise up such a huge building in three days? Many of them also did not understand what the resurrection was all about, which is what he was really speaking about.     

Just as Jesus tried to cleanse the physical Temple in Jerusalem, we must cleanse our lives from the all that does not lead us to God. As we hear in the book of Exodus about God giving the people of Israel the 10 commandments, we are reminded of how knowing God’s commandments and striving to live out these values in our lives is one of the ways that we can be cleansed for God. We cannot achieve salvation on our own; it is not something we ourselves can earn. We achieve our salvation through our Savior Jesus Christ through a freely given gift from God. But God also asks us to cooperate in his plan for salvation. As the story of Exodus and the gift of God’s commandments demonstrates, God offers his loves to his people. God is always striving to love us and to draw us to himself.  

Lent is a wonderful time in our Church year where we can reflect upon our response to God and upon God’s love. We can start by asking ourselves if we truly believe that God loves us.  If we we believe that God is our ally in helping to cleanse us from all that separates us from God and our faith.  If we are able to place our trust in God’s love.  

I chose the theme of gratitude for Lent this year because gratitude is such an important value in our Catholic faith and because there seems to be a lack of gratitude in many aspects of our world.  Here is a great quote from 19th century American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson: “People only see what they are prepared to see. If you look for what is good and what you can be grateful for, you will find it everywhere.” We need to open our see to see what we should be grateful for in life and to reflect on our lives in through the lens of gratitude. Jesuit Indian priest Anthony de Mello has this to say: “You sanctify whatever you are grateful for.” Yes, indeed we do make holy the things for which we are grateful. Maybe think of a person for which you are grateful and write that person a letter. I thought of a college friend and an aunt for whom I am grateful and for whom I will express that gratitude in a letter. 

As we think of those things we need to purge in our lives and those things we need to fast from, let us also give thanks to the Lord for all things and to have a heart of gratitude.  

prayers of the Faithful - Saturday of the 1st week of Lent - 24 February 2024

PENITENTIAL RITE:

Lord Jesus - you call us to trust in you - Lord have mercy. 

Christ Jesus - you call us to faith - Christ have mercy.  

Lord Jesus - you give us hope on our journey - Lord have mercy. 

PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL:

Priest: With hope and trust in these first days of our Lenten journey, let us present our prayers to God:

1. That our church leaders may lead us and guide us to put greater trust and hope in the Lord. 

2. That our world leaders may help us address the problems that afflict us.  We pray for peace in those war-torn areas of the world. 

3. For our first responders, the men and women in the military, and our medical professionals. 

4. For our children and youth.  May they see God accompanying them on their journey in their studies and in their school activities. 

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

6. For the repose of the souls of the faithful departed. For our deceased loved ones and family members.  For the souls in purgatory. 

7. For those who are struggling to heal in the brokenness of life. 

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

Priest: Heavenly Father, may we always place our trust in you.  We present these prayers to you through your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord for ever and ever.  AMEN.  

Prayers of the faithful - 1 March 2024 - Friday of the 2nd week of Lent

Lord Jesus - you call us to faithfulness. 

Christ Jesus - you ask us to accompany you during the holy weeks of Lent. 

Lord Jesus - you call us to hope. 

PRIEST: With faith and trust, we present our prayers to our God of love and mercy: 

1.  We pray for the grace to have a greater love for our families, for the Church, and for our community.

2. We pray for all of our parishes in the Diocese of Jackson may bear much fruit and may nurture all who seek the wonder and peace of God’s love.

3. We pray for peace in our world and at this time and healing for those who are victims of violence and war. 

4. We pray that all of us may dedicate time, prayer, and reflection on the future of our Church as we keep mind the goals of the Synod and the reimagining process in our Diocese. 

5. We pray for the sick and shut-ins and for those we are in the hospital, hospice, or nursing home.  

6. For all our children and youth, that the Lord will continue to accompany them in their studies and in their activities.  

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

PRIEST: We ask, Lord, that you hear the prayers we offer in your name and show us the way to live our lives as you desire with love and kindness in our hearts. We make these prayers through Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. Amen.

24 February 2024 - homily for Saturday of the first week of Lent - Deuteronomy 26:16-19

Today, Moses reminds the people that they have a solemn agreement with God, that they are to walk in God’s; keep his statutes, commandments, and ordinances; and obey him.  This is a binding agreement between the people and God.  However, we know that if the people fail and stray from the faith, they will not be abandoned by God. God is always faithful to us.  Emphasizing this, the Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation states: “Though time and again we have broken your covenant, You have bound the human family to yourself
 through Jesus Christ our redeemer with a bond so tight that it can never be undone." 

The law and commandments of the Old Testament emphasized the external observance of rules and regulations. In many ways, the Gospel message emphasizes the interior attitude and the mutual relationships between God, our brothers and sisters, and ourselves. Today’s Gospel passage on loving even one’s enemies shows how far God’s commands are to be observed.  May this message about God’s laws and commandments reach the depths of our minds and our hearts as we continue our Lenten journey.  

28 February 2023 - Prayers of the faithful - Wednesday of the 2nd week of Lent

Penitential rite: 

Lord Jesus - you call us to faith.

Christ Jesus - you call us to holiness. 

Lord Jesus - you call us to works of action. 

Priest: With faith and hope, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father in the midst of our Lenten journey: 

1. That the power of Christ’s mission and ministry may give us in the Church vision and perspective for our lives and the courage to live for God each day. 

2. That we may recognize our need for God in every part of our lives and that we may deepen our trust and reliance on God. 

3. That we may not be blinded by comfort or privilege to the struggles and suffering of others, gaining new insights on our journey of faith. 

4. For discernment: that we may see beyond the false answers of consumerism and prosperity, that we may recognize that we will find the true fulfillment of our hungers and desires in God. 

5. For all who are persecuted or suffering for their faith: that they may have the strength to bear the burdens of life and be witnesses of our faith. 

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

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

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

 

29 February 2023 - prayers of the faithful - Thursday of the 2nd week in Lent

Penitential Rite: 

Lord Jesus - you call us to wisdom. 

Christ Jesus - you call us to follow you on our Lenten journey. 

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

Priest: In faith and hope, as we continue our Lenten journey, let us now bring our prayers to our heavenly Father:

1. For all who are discerning God's call or beginning a new commitment: that God will free them from fear, guide them along the path to life, and help them to trust that God will provide for our needs.

2. For greater trust: that we may rely upon God’s love and providence as we enter the deeper waters of vocation, marriage, parenting and employment

3. For a deepening conversion of heart: that God’s Spirit will help us discover our misdirection, guide us in practicing the teachings of Christ, and lead us to faith, hope, and love.  

4. For all those in the RCIA process: that they may receive the Gospel message as a word of life and grow in their knowledge and love of God

5. For all who feel unwelcome or unworthy before God: that God’s unconditional love may heal and free them so that they may live in the freedom of the children of God. 

6. For healing for the sick and shut-in.  For the faithful departed, for their entry into eternal life. 

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

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

 

prayers of the faithful - 27 February 2024 - Tuesday of the 2nd week of Lent

Penitential rite: 

Lord Jesus - you call us to faith. 

Christ Jesus - you call us to holiness. 

Lord Jesus - you call us to love. 

Priest: Out of the depths of our faith, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father:

1. That we that Church may be attentive to God’s invitation and allow Jesus to draw our attention away from our fear and limitations so that we can respond to all that God asks.

2. That the life and teachings of Christ may help us grow in our faith and be the foundation of our lives and inspire all our words, deeds, and desires

3. For a greater recognition of our poverty: that the Spirit of God will help us acknowledge how much we need God, free us to ask for God’s help, and open us to receive God’s wisdom and insight. 

4. That we may follow Christ away from the noise and demands of daily life and enter the silent depths of our hearts where we can hear God’s words of life and love. 

5. For all who lead others to God, particularly spiritual directors, retreat masters, and evangelists: that God will inspire their words, open hearts to receive them, and help many to encounter Christ. 

6. For the sick and the shut-in, for all who need healing in their lives in body, mind, or spirit. 

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

Priest: As we continue on our journey as disciples during these holy days of Lent, we present these prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever.  AMEN.  

 

1 March 2024 - Friday of the second week of Lent - Blessed Engelmar Unzeitig - Matthew 21:33-43 and 45-46

I love learning about different saints and the ways they lived out their faith. Engelmar Unzeitig was born in Moravia, currently part of the Czech Republic, in 1911. At the age of 18 he entered the seminary of the Mariannhill Missionaries. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1939 and spent 1940 as parish priest in Austria. In 1941, he was arrested by the Gestapo police, being sent to the Dachau concentration camp. While in Dachau, he studied Russian in order to reach out to those prisoners at the concentration camp from Eastern Europe. In the autumn of 1944, he volunteered to help those prisoners who were sick from typhoid, a disease he contracted himself.  He died on March 2, 1945. The other prisoners were very touched by his humility and his holiness.  In 2016, Pope Francis declared him to be a martyr for the faith, which opened his way to beatification in that same year. 

In the last several days in our Gospel readings at Mass, we have heard Jesus tell the disciples that they needed to be servants, observing how the scribes and Pharisees put an emphasis on glory and accolades. We also heard the story about the rich man and Lazarus, how the rich man did not recognize the suffering of Lazarus that was right before his eyes. Today’s Gospel presents a parable about rich landowner and the vineyard. Jesus sees himself as the stone which the builders had rejected, which has now become the cornerstone. People in society often ignore or reject others for different reasons. The saint we celebrate today, Engelmar Unzeitig, was imprisoned for being a Catholic priest. Jesus calls us to reach out to the least of our brothers and sisters, not to reject them.  How are we doing so on our Lenten journey? 

28 February 2024 - Wednesday of the second week of Lent - Jeremiah 18:18-20

We hear from different prophets and different books of the Old Testament in the daily masses during Lent. Today, the prophet Jeremiah laments how the people have turned against him. Jeremiah prays to God out of fear for his own safety. The people plot against Jeremiah. Perhaps this brings to our mind those who are plotting against Jesus on his journey to the cross. Today, in the Gospel, Jesus points out the importance of serving others rather than wanting to be served ourselves. 

In his book City of God, St Augustine writes: “A good man, though a slave, is free; but a wicked man, though he reigns, is a slave. For he serves, not one man alone, but, what is worse, as many masters as he has vices.”  St Augustine, a bishop in North Africa in the early 5th century, wrote at the time of the downfall of the Roman empire. According to Augustine, a man was not a slave by nature or by law. Man’s freedom was a function of his moral state. Augustine believed that our vices become our masters and our gods.  Although Jeremiah feared for his life, through his faith and his obedience to God, he was a free man, freer than those that turned away from God and plotted against his prophets. So, we might ask: What is enslaving us on our journey of faith?  What is keeping us from giving our total selves to God?

29 February 2024 - Thursday of second week in Lent – Jeremiah 17:5-10

Sometimes we see ourselves as blessed or cursed based upon how we are doing in the ways of the world. If we are successful at work, esteemed by family and friends, if we are economically successful and are able to make a good living, then we see these things as blessing from the Lord.  However, we take a lot for granted in life. When we are in good health, when our personal relationships are doing ok, we chug along in life and don’t even think twice about it. For four years when I served as a missionary, I did not have running water and thus did not have a shower where I could bathe myself. I had to take a sponge bath with a bucket of dirty water from the river and a bar of soap made from palm oil that had a terrible effect on my skin. To this day, when I take a shower with a nice bar of soap, I give thanks to God for being able to do even a simple thing like that. 

Our reading from Jeremiah looks at blessings and curses differently, telling us that we are cursed if we put our trust in human beings and if we put the things of the world ahead of God. Whether it is subconsciously or consciously, many of us put our trust in the things of this world. However, if we don’t put our trust in the Lord, Jeremiah tells us that we are like a barren bush in the desert that stays static and does not change with the seasons. May we look into our hearts this Lenten season to see how we need to change and return to the Lord. 

27 February 2024 - Tuesday of the 2nd week in Lent - Isaiah 1:10, 16-20 - St Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows

Born in Italy into a large family in 1838, St Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows lost his mother when he was only four years old. He was educated by the Jesuits and survived two serious illnesses as a child.  Feeling called to religious life, he was unfortunately turned down by the Jesuits due to his young age of 17. After his sister died of cholera, his call to enter the religious life became even stronger. He was accepted by the Passionists. He was known for his love for the poor, for his devout prayer life, and for his kindness toward others. After four years of studies, he contracted tuberculosis. He patiently and quietly accepted his sufferings. He died in 1862 at the age of 24.  He was canonized in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV.  He was declared a patron saint of Catholic youth and of students studying for the priesthood. In 1959, Pope John XXIII declared him to be patron saint of the Abruzzi region of Italy, where he spent the last two years of his life. 

Isaiah addresses the people of Sodom and Gomorrah today, telling them to wash themselves clean of their sins, that they can instead put aside sins that are a brilliant scarlet red, making them as white as snow. Sodom and Gomorrah are infamous in our day for cities who turned their back to God and who reveled in their sins, making a mockery of God. I know that in the days of 2024 in Jackson there have been a lot of killings and murders. I was driving home at night after being at the prison and at the chancery office at about 9:00 pm. I was stopped at a light on Capital Street and heard what sounded like gun fire and I just about jumped out of my skin. With our own communities torn apart by violence and anger, I wonder what the prophet Isaiah would say to us. What are the things we need to work on as individuals and as a community during our Lenten journey?  Perhaps the way St Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows approached the ordinary moments of his life is a good example for us. 

prayers of the faithful - 2nd Sunday of Lent - 24 February 2024 - Prison Ministry

Introduction: As we continue our journey during Lent, we look to the future, knowing that Jesus will suffer greatly and will be put to death on a cross. Yet, we also know that Jesus will be raised from the dead and ascend to the Father in glory, opening the way to eternal life for us. We mark these days of Lent with prayers, fasting, and almsgiving, knowing that our destiny lies in our eternal life with the Lord.

Priest - Penitential rite:

Lord Jesus, you are the light that dispels the darkness of sin and death, Lord have mercy.

Christ Jesus, you are the Savior of the world, Christ have mercy.

Lord Jesus, you are the way that leads to everlasting life, Lord have mercy.

PRIEST: As we continue our journey through Lent, we present our prayers to God, asking that his mercy be upon us as we place our trust in him:

1. For the Church, that we may be transfigured in God’s glory by carrying out Christ’s mission and working to bring God's kingdom to fulfillment through works of mercy and kindness, we pray to the Lord.

2. That the hearts of all Christians be transfigured, over-flowing with peace, justice, hope, and love, driving out conflict, despair, and hate, we pray to the Lord.

3. For the men of our community preparing for entry into the Church at Easter, that they may increase in their faith and trust in God, we pray to the Lord.

4. For our Catholic community of St Michael the Archangel, that we may find blessings in all who come to us with a sincere desire to realize God’s presence, we pray to the Lord.

5. For our family members and loved ones who have died, for their entry into eternal life, we pray to the Lord.

6. For all who are sick and are in need of healing.  For those struggling with addictions, mental health, and depression, we pray to the Lord. 

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

PRIEST: God of glory and wonder, bless us as we work to transfigure the world around us. May your kindness be upon us as we place our trust in you. We make our prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

18 February 2024 - 1st Sunday of Lent - prayers of the faithful - Central Mississippi Correction Facility - prison ministry

Introduction: The Holy Spirit gathers all of us at Mass today on this first Sunday of Lent, the 40 day journey we undertake with Jesus. We are particularly aware of the temptations we face in life during this holy season. May the Holy Spirit, who accompanied Jesus in the desert and who accompanies us wherever we go, give us the strength to resist our temptations. Please kneel in silence.

Priest - penitential rite:

Lord Jesus - you call us to give thanks, Lord have mercy.

Christ Jesus - you call us to a life of service, Christ have mercy.

Lord Jesus - you call us to holiness, Lord have mercy.

Priest: On this first Sunday of our Lenten journey, let us bring our prayers to God, who is the source of mercy and compassion.

1. For all Christians, that God may help us observe the disciplines of prayer, fasting, and charity on our Lenten journey, we pray to the Lord.

2. For obedience to the will of God for all followers of Christ, even when God’s will challenges us, we pray to the Lord.

3. For unity and collaboration amongst all Christians, that we may be united in proclaiming the Gospel message to the world, we pray to the Lord.

4. For those who hunger and thirst in a physical sense, and for those who hunger and thirst for justice and righteousness. We pray for justice for all the men here at CMCF.  We pray to the Lord.

5. For the people in need, particularly the sick, the unemployed, those feeling lost in life, and those battling addictions, depression, and mental illness, we pray to the Lord.

6. For all of our loved ones and family members who have died, for their entry into eternal life, we pray to the Lord.

7. For those who are sick.  We especially pray for those with the flu or with COVID.  We pray for healing and recovery.  We pray to the Lord. 

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

Priest: God of mercy and compassion, you give new hearts to your people. We ask that you hear the prayers we make in faith, through Jesus Christ our Lord forever and ever. Amen.

Prayers of the faithful for Friday of the first week of Lent - 23 February 2024

Penitential Rite: 

You were sent to heal the contrite of heart: Lord, have mercy.

You came to call sinners: Christ, have mercy.


You bring us love and compassion: Lord, have mercy.

Prayers of the faithful: 

Priest: My dear sisters and brothers, as we place our trust in God’s care, let us bring forward our intentions to our heavenly Father: 

1. For Pope Francis, that he may continue to encourage and challenge all the faithful as he leads us and guides us as our Pope, especially during these holy days of Lent.  

2. For peace throughout the world. For all our local communities that are experiencing crime and violence. 

3. For all believers, that our trust in God’s providence may grow each day. 

4. For people who suffer from depression, mental illness, and addictions, that they may receive the help they need.

5. For all who are sick, that they may be healed by Christ, through the Church. 

6. For those who have died, that they may share the salvation won by Christ. 

7. That we may heed the call for repentance and conversion during these holy days of Lent. 

7. For the prayers we hold in our hearts.  

Priest: Faithful God, we rejoice in the mercy you show your people: hear our prayers, that we may always give you glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord forever and ever. Amen. 

prayers of the faithful for the feast of the Chair of Peter - 22 February 2024

PENITENTIAL RITE:

Lord Jesus - you built your church on the apostles.  

Christ Jesus - you call us to holiness. 

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

PRIEST: The Lord Jesus built his Church on the apostles. United with them and in fidelity to apostolic teachings, we now present our needs to God.

1. For the Successor of St. Peter, our Holy Father Pope Francis, that he be strong in his mission and strengthen the whole Church in faith. 

2. For Bishop Joseph Kopacz and for all bishops, that they grow in union with Peter, share the zeal of Paul, and lead us by the grace of the Holy Spirit. 

3. For all who are persecuted for their faith.  For those who have given up their lives for the faith. May we be faithful when we are ridiculed or insulted for practicing our religion. 

4. For a return to Mass for those who have strayed from the faith.  We pray for their return to strengthen our Church and strengthen our faith communities. 

5. For all children, born and unborn.  For loving families, loving communities, and loving parishes to help them grow in obedience and love.  

6. For the poor and the oppressed, for those who live in war torn parts of the world, for our communities experiencing crime and violence and crime. 

7. For the sick, the dying, and all the deceased, that through the intercession of the apostles, they may experience the light of the Gospel. 

8. For the prayers we hold in our hearts. 

PRIEST:  Father, as rejoice in the call to belong to the Church, may we be united with the successors of your Apostles. We make our prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN.  

prayers of the faithful - 21 February 2024 - Wednesday of the first week of Lent

Penitential Rite: 

Lord Jesus, you are the light that dispels the darkness of the world, Lord have mercy. 

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

Lord Jesus, you are the way that leads us to the eternal kingdom of God: Lord have mercy. 

Prayers of the Faithful 

Priest: The Lord looks upon us with love and mercy, calling us to approach him in awe and respect. Let us pray for our needs and the needs of others.

1. That the Church throughout the world might listen to God’s beloved Son and trust in his promises, especially during this holy season of Lent. 

2. That our world may be transformed by peace and harmony. We pray for an end to war, violence, and terrorism in our communities in the United States and in the nations of the world. 

3. For our governmental leaders, that they may they put aside differences and work together in unity and solidarity. 

4. For those children preparing for first communion, for the youth preparing for confirmation, and for those adults in our RCIA program. May their Lenten journey help them deepen their faith and trust in the Son of God.  

5. That all of us may follow the Gospel of life in our words and in our actions, respecting human life from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death. 

6. For all those affected by bad weather and natural disasters.  

7.  For our sick and shut-in.  For the faithful departed, for their entry into eternal life. 

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

Priest:  Our soul waits for you, O Lord, for you are our help and our protection. Hear these our prayers and graciously grant them through Jesus Christ your Son, our Lord for ever and ever.  AMEN. 

prayers of the faithful - 20 February 2024 - Tuesday of the first week of Lent

PENITENTIAL RITE:

Lord Jesus - you call us to trust in you - Lord have mercy. 

Christ Jesus - you call us to faith in you - Christ have mercy.  

Lord Jesus - you give us hope and inspiration - Lord have mercy. 

PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL:

Priest: With hope and trust in these first days of our Lenten journey, let us present our prayers to God:

1. That our church leaders may lead us and guide us in putting our trust and hope in the Lord, especially during these holy days of Lent. 

2. That our world leaders may put aside conflict and difference to work toward the common good.  We pray for peace in those war-torn areas of the world. 

3. For our first responders, the men and women in the military, and our medical professionals.  In gratitude for all they do. 

4. For our children and youth.  May they see God accompanying them on their journey. 

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

6. For the repose of the souls of the faithful departed. For our deceased loved ones and family members.  For the souls in purgatory. 

7. For those who are struggling to heal in the brokenness of life. 

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

Priest: Heavenly Father, may we always place our trust in you.  We present these prayers to you through your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord for ever and ever.  AMEN.  

25 February 2024 - Second Sunday of Lent - prayers of the faithful

Introduction: As we continue our journey during Lent, we look to the future, knowing that Jesus will suffer greatly and will be put to death on a cross. Yet, we also know that Jesus will be raised from the dead and ascend to the Father in glory, opening the way to eternal life for us. We mark these days of Lent with prayers, fasting, and almsgiving, knowing that our destiny lies in our eternal life with the Lord.

Priest - Penitential rite:

Lord Jesus, you are the light that dispels the darkness of sin and death, Lord have mercy.

Christ Jesus, you are the Savior of the world, Christ have mercy.

Lord Jesus, you are the way that leads to everlasting life, Lord have mercy.

PRIEST: As we continue our journey through Lent, we present our prayers to God, asking that his mercy be upon us as we place our trust in him:

1. For the Church, that we may be transfigured in God’s glory by carrying out Christ’s mission and working to bring the kingdom to fulfillment through works of mercy and love, we pray to the Lord.

2. That the hearts of all Christians be transfigured, over-flowing with peace, justice, hope, and love, driving out conflict, despair, and hate, we pray to the Lord.

3. For our candidates and catechumens in the RCIA process and for our youth preparing for confirmation, that they may increase in their faith and trust in God, we pray to the Lord.

4. For our parish community, that we may find blessings in all who come to us with a sincere desire to realize God’s presence, we pray to the Lord.

5. For the repose of the souls of the faithful departed, for their entry into eternal life, and for the souls in purgatory, we pray to the Lord.

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

PRIEST: God of glory and wonder, bless us as we work to transfigure the world around us. May your kindness be upon us as we place our trust in you. We make our prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

Bulletin Reflection on the Second Sunday of Lent - 25 February 2024

We are continuing our journey during Lent during this second weekend of Lent. Last week, our Diocese had a convocation of priests, deacons, and lay ecclesial ministers, as we heard Dr Ralph Martin speak about his book, The Desire of All Fulfillment, which addresses the spirituality and approaches to prayer by seven saints of the Catholic faith. One of the saints included in the book is St Teresa of Avila, a 16th century Carmelite nun who reformed the Carmelite order. Addressing our Lenten theme of gratitude, St Teresa stated, “If souls are humble, they will be moved to give thanks.” Out of our humility we are to give thanks to the Lord for the joys and blessings we have in life, but also for the struggles and challenges that help us grow on our journey. We look forward to our continuing Lenten journey and we give thanks for all those who are helping in the liturgies and activities we have in our parishes of Holy Savior and Immaculate Conception during Lent. Have a blessed week everyone - Father Lincoln.

25 February 2024 - Homily for the 2nd Sunday of Lent - Cycle B - Mark 9: 2-10

     In the modern world, it is easy to take books for granted.  I have so many books on my shelves that I have no idea how many I have, but they certainly number in the hundreds. However, for most of human history, books were rare. In Ancient Israel, the scribes, those who were literate and who copied and interpreted Sacred Scripture, held a special role in society. Johannes Guttenberg changed the world in the year 1440 with the invention of the printing press. Things changed dramatically when books could be massed produced for the public. Today, with the internet, the ipad, and with e-books like Kindle, things are changing once again. The Bibles that were produced by the monks and the scribes before the invention of the printing press were very fancy indeed. They contained elaborate illustrations and what was called illuminated letters. A simple letter takes on a whole new life by the way it is illustrated and illuminated. The opening letter of a Scripture passage was embellished into a very fancy image. Back before the turn of the millennium in the year 2000, St John’s Benedictine Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota commissioned a hand-produced illuminated Bible, the first one to be commissioned by an abbey or monastery since the 15th century with the invention of the printing press. It took about 13 years and a cost of over $8 million dollars to hand-produce this one Bible. The calligrapher of the Queen of England was one of the main collaborators of this project. I cannot imagine the work, imagination, and courage that it took to produce this Bible at St John’s Abbey.

      I bring up the Illuminated St John’s Bible because illumination is at the heart of today’s Gospel on this Second Sunday of Lent. Jesus’ assent on Mount Tabor with Peter, James, and John is a pinnacle event in his earthly life and ministry, as Jesus’ divinity is revealed in a special way to these three disciples by means of a miraculous, supernatural light, by means of illumination. It took this blinding light for Peter, James, and John to see and understand Jesus true identity. All of us probably need some sort of illumination in some aspect of our lives in order for us to perceive how God is truly present to us. 

      Trappist monk Thomas Merton tells a story in his book Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander of how his life was illuminated one day while walking through downtown Louisville, Kentucky. Looking out at the crowds in the downtown area, Merton was overwhelmed by his love for the people around him, even though they were strangers to him. Merton said it was like he was waking up from a dream of separateness and self-isolation in world, of renunciation and false holiness. Merton felt an immense sense of joy of being a member of the human race, of sharing his humanity with the humanity of our savior, Jesus Christ. Merton had been a monk for 17 years when he had this illumination. It made him realize that even though he was a monk, he was still a part of the world, and holiness was not a separate quality that he could just experience in his life in the monastery. He experienced holiness on that busy street corner in Louisville, in knowing that he was united with, not separate from, the humanity of his brothers and sisters.

     Jesus’ Transfiguration reminds us that the light is always with us in the presence of Jesus in the world, as Jesus is indeed the full manifestation of God’s light. The light that shines from Jesus at the transfiguration is the light that shines from Jesus in his resurrection at Easter time at the culmination of our Lenten journey: this is the light of Jesus' triumph over darkness. On our journey through the 40 days of Lent, we are to emerge out of the darkness. We are to truly be children of the light. The Transfiguration is the perfect model for us of how Christ can illuminate us in our commitment to be his disciples. The Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting, and works of charity can also help us on the road to that illumination.

      As we contemplate the Transfiguration, we must not forget that Jesus and the three disciples did not remain on the mountain forever. They came down from the mountain and brought the illumination of that event to the people down below. We also must bring the illumination we receive as disciples of Christ to the world around us. We must bring the insights and growth that we receive on our Lenten journey to our daily lives and to the rest of the year. As we continue our Lenten journey on this Second Sunday of Lent, let us feel the light of the Transfiguration encouraging us and giving us strength.

23 February 2024 - homily for Friday of the first week of Lent - Ezekiel 18:21-28

     Yesterday, we celebrated the Feast of the Chair of Peter, the Apostle, honoring Peter and the first Pope and the Chair that has been occupied by the successor Bishops of Rome. Today, our saint is another great leader from the Early Church, St Polycarp. He was Bishop of Smyrna in modern-day Turkey. Tradition has it that Polycarp was converted to Christianity by St John the Evangelist. He  was also a good friend of St Ignatius of Antioch, another Father of the Early Church. Both Polycarp and Ignatius of Lyons were important links between the Apostles and the patristic era of the Early Church. Polycarp was a great defender of the faith against heresies. He was burned at the stake with 12 of his companions after he was arrested by the Roman authorities in the middle of the 2nd century. Today, in our modern American Church, we have Church leaders like Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Bishop Robert Barron who give us practical advice on how to live out our lives of discipleship in the modern world.  Polycarp offered advice to the followers in the Early Church as well. Here is one of his quotes:  “Let us therefore forsake the vanity of the crowd and their false teachings, and turn back to the word delivered to us from the beginning.”

     As we honor St Polycarp today, the prophet Ezekiel brings us a message in the midst of our Lenten journey, telling us that the Lord does not delight when a wicked man stays in his wickedness, but instead he delights when the wicked man changes his heart. There are many in our world today who turn their backs on God’s law and man’s law, who want to stay on those evil paths and do not want to hear the voice of the Lord. We may say that the laws of God and the laws of man are unfair, but what about the ways that we break those laws, the ways we give way to temptation and go down the wrong path? Our Lenten journey calls out to us to change our ways and to turn back to God. We know that it is hard to break old habits and to reform our lives. It is hard to break out of addictions, laziness, and complacency. But that is what the Lord is calling us to do. And the Lord will rejoice when we are able to do so. 

22 February 2024 - homily for the Feast of the Chair of Peter - Thursday of the first week of Lent - Matthew 16:13-19

      “I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” We hear Jesus speak these words to Peter in Matthew’s Gospel today as we celebrate the feast of the Chair of Peter.  It is not the actual physical "chair" that we celebrate today, but rather Peter the Apostle and his function within the group of apostles and within the early Church. As we know, this developed into the office of the Pope which Pope Francis occupies today.  

      I remember that when the news of Pope Benedict's resignation was announced by the Vatican in 2013, I was approached by a couple of reporters in Tupelo where I was stationed as a priest, asked about the impact that the pope has on our local parishes here in Mississippi.  And indeed the Pope has a great impact on us as Catholics.  Whereas some Protestant denominations are very loosely structured in terms of hierarchy, our pope is an active leader who has a very real role in the lives of Catholics. The dogma and doctrine he declares, the reflections and statements he makes, his style and the topics he emphasizes during his pontificate, all of this has a great impact on us as Catholics. May we pray with St Peter today, uniting our prayers with his.  May we pray for Pope Francis and for his leadership of our Church. 

21 February 2024 - homily for Wednesday of the first week of Lent – Jonah 3:1-10

     We heard from the prophet Isaiah yesterday telling us about how God’s will and God’s holy word are to be planted as seeds in our lives. Today, we hear a story from the book of Jonah, of how Jonah was sent to the great city of Nineveh to call the people there to repentance. Nineveh was not just any city. It was the capital of Assyria, the nation that had destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel and held the southern kingdom of Judah as a vassal state for almost one hundred years. Assyria was a brutal occupying force that forever changed Israel's future. Jonah is called out by God to go and prophesy to the capital city of Israel’s enemy.  You can imagine that Jonah did not cherish that role. 

      We could berate and criticize Jonah for his little faith and for his reluctance to accept this call from God. However, we could try to identify with Jonah for a moment rather than criticize him, to empathize with the seemingly impossible mission to which God has called him. The message we receive from our own modern secular world is that we cannot make a big difference in the world, that we might as well just fall in line and make the best living we can for ourselves and our family. Our calling from God and our values may tell us we need to head East to Nineveh, but we all too often turn around, walk away, and get on the boat with Jonah as a means of escape. Perhaps we find it too difficult or too lonely to walk the path of faith, to choose that path over the ways of our secular world. And by running away, perhaps we find ourselves in the belly of the whale, or out of touch with our calling from God, or very distant from our faith. 

      We are called to reflect upon those things that we try to flee in our life of faith, things that we are being called to do by God, but we are scared or uninterested or just don’t have the inclination to do what God is asking us to do. The story of Jonah give us a lot to think about on our Lenten journey.  

20 February 2024 - homily for Tuesday of 1st week of Lent – Isaiah 55:10-11

     We hear a very short two-verse reading from the prophet Isaiah today.  We hear from Isaiah a lot in the seasons of Lent and Advent, since Isaiah’s prophecies often foreshadow events that will later occur in Jesus’ life. Many of the regions of the state of Mississippi have rich farmland, especially the Delta. So, the analogy in Isaiah can resonate with us here in Mississippi, about how the snow and the rain hit the soil so that seeds and grains will burst forth in the fields, producing bread for those who are hungry. God’s word is supposed to do the same in our lives. It is not supposed to return to God with empty promises, but rather to accomplish the purposes for which he sent it to earth.

      What purpose does God have for us this Lent? How is God calling out to us during this holy season?  What seeds are being planted in our lives?  Just as we are hoping for a good planting season and harvest for our farmers this spring in Mississippi, we are hoping for a good Lenten season for us that will produce a bountiful harvest in our own lives.  

10 February 2024 - homily for Saturday of the fifth week of Ordinary Time - St Scholastica - Mark 8:1-10

     The saint we celebrate today in our liturgical calendar is St Scholastica, the twin sister of St Benedict, who lived in the 5th and 6th centuries. She established a monastery of nuns only five miles from the famous monastery of Monte Casino that her brother founded. Benedict became the spiritual director for his sister and her group of nuns. St Scholastica is honored as the foundress of Benedictine monasticism for religious sisters. Both Scholastica and her brother Benedict had a huge influence in the development of monasticism and the Church for many centuries. With fewer monasteries and fewer vocations to consecrated religious life in the modern world, it is hard for us to comprehend the influence the monasteries had on society, culture, and learning in the era of the Middle Ages. Today, as we celebrate St Scholastica as the patron saint of nuns and religious sisters, we honor all of those women who serve in religious life and contribute so greatly to our society today. They are certainly symbols of God’s mercy and justice in the world. 

     We hear the Gospel reading of the miracle of the loaves and fish today. We have modern day miracles of loaves and fish as well. Yesterday, thanks to the generosity of the Carmelite sisters and others, I was able to bring some food out to the prison for us to have a Mardi Gras party. The fellowship and food we have at those celebrations is so important to our prison ministry. And what touches the men most of all is the generosity of the many people who reach out to help them.  How we live out our faith is so important.  All of us live busy lives with a lot of responsibilities and obligations. But how is our life of faith bearing fruit?  How are we reaching out to others? 

18 February 2024 - 1st Sunday of Lent - prayers of the faithful

Introduction: The Holy Spirit gathers all of us at Mass today on this first Sunday of Lent, the 40 day journey we undertake with our Lord Jesus Christ. We are particularly aware of the temptations we face in life during this holy season. May the Holy Spirit, who accompanied Jesus in the desert and who accompanies us wherever we go, give us the strength to resist our temptations. Please kneel in silence.

Priest - penitential rite:

Lord Jesus - you call us to give thanks, Lord have mercy.

Christ Jesus - you call us to a life of service, Christ have mercy.

Lord Jesus - you call us to holiness, Lord have mercy.

Priest: On this first Sunday of our Lenten journey, let us bring our prayers to God, who is the source of mercy and compassion.

1. For all Christians, that God may help us observe the disciplines of prayer, fasting, and charity on our Lenten journey, we pray to the Lord.

2. For obedience to the will of God for all followers of Christ, even when God’s will challenges us, we pray to the Lord.

3. For unity and collaboration amongst all Christians, that we may be united in proclaiming the Gospel message to the world, we pray to the Lord.

4. For those who hunger and thirst in a physical sense, and for those who hunger and thirst for justice and righteousness, we pray to the Lord.

5. For the people in need in the Diocese of Jackson, particularly our sick, the unemployed, those feeling lost in life, and those battling addictions and mental illness, we pray to the Lord.

6. For all who have gone before us in faith, for their entry into eternal life, we pray to the Lord.

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

Priest: God of mercy and compassion, you give new hearts to your people. We ask that you hear the prayers we make in faith, through Jesus Christ our Lord forever and ever. Amen.

Reflection - 18 February 2024 - 1st Sunday of Lent

We started our Lenten journey with the smudge of ash on our forehead this past Wednesday. We had our first Stations of the Cross of the Lenten season last Friday and had our first fish fry. We have now started our Lenten journey. I look forward to Lent this year at Holy Savior and Immaculate Conception, at the different liturgies and activities we offer. I am grateful for the Knights of Columbus who are helping with the fish friends and for the ladies who are helping with the other Friday Lenten meals and with the Young at Heart luncheons we will have during Lent. I have chosen the theme of gratitude for us to emphasize during the Lenten season, since gratitude is an important part of our Catholic faith and a value that is often lacking in the modern world. We will send a gratitude handout through Flocknote each week for you to follow. I am using the following quote from Pope John Paul II this week about gratitude: “Remember the past with gratitude. Live the present with enthusiasm. Look forward to the future with confidence.” Blessings to all of you on this first Sunday of Lent. Father Lincoln.

prayers of the faithful - Friday after Ash Wednesday - 16 February 2024

Lord Jesus - you call us to give thanks. 

Christ Jesus - you call us to a life of service. 

Lord Jesus - you call us to holiness. 

Priest: Let us bring our prayers to God, the source of mercy and compassion.

1. For all Christians who are beginning their holy Lenten journey.  For strength and courage on our Lenten journey. 

2. For obedience to the will of God amongst the followers of Christ, even when God will challenges us and even when our journey is difficult and complicated.  

3. For unity and collaboration amongst all Christians.  

4. For those who hunger and thirst in a physical sense, and for those who hunger and thirst for justice and righteousness.  

5. For people in need in the Diocese of Jackson, particularly the sick, those looking for work, those feeling lost in life, and those battling addictions.  

6. For all who have gone before us in faith, for their entry into eternal life.  For the souls in purgatory. 

7. For the people of Ukraine in the midst of war, for safety, courage, and protection.  

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

Priest: God of mercy and compassion, as we begin our Lenten journey, we humbly ask that you hear the prayers we make in faith, through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. Amen.