11 April 2024 - prayers of the faithful - Thursday of the 2nd week of Easter

Lord Jesus - you call us to faith. 

Christ Jesus - you are the resurrection. 

Lord Jesus - you call us to Easter joy. 

Priest: With Easter joy in our hearts during this 2nd week of the Easter season, we bring our prayers to our heavenly Father: 

1. For the Church: that we may bring the light of Christ into the dark corners of the world through a message of hope for all who are struggling.

2. That the newly baptized may faithfully follow Jesus and keep the light of Christ burning in their lives.

3. That Christ’s victory over death may bring hope and healing to all who are burdened by poverty, disease, prejudice and fear.

4. That those who are confused or doubting their faith may experience the Risen Lord in their lives and discover the truth through His love.

5. For vocations to religious life, the priesthood, and the diaconate; for vocations to marriage and the single life: that all may be faithful to their call in life from God. 

6. For all those suffering mentally, physically or spiritually.  For healing in their lives. 

7. For all parishioners and loved ones who have died: that God will meet them face to face on their journey to eternal life.

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

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

Friday of the Second Week of Easter - Prayers of the faithful - 12 April 2024

Lord Jesus - You are the resurrection - Lord have mercy. 

Christ Jesus - You give us new life - Christ have mercy. 

Lord Jesus - You are a light shining in the darkness of the world - Lord have mercy. 

PRIEST: Christ is Risen. The power of his resurrection fills the world with new life. With hope and expectation, we bring him our needs in our prayers this morning. 

1. That the Church may boldly and faithfully proclaim the Resurrection of Christ to the world in our words and actions. 

2. That the leaders of the Church may embody the mysteries of new life which we celebrate in our liturgy during the Easter season. 

3. That the leaders of the nations of the world may help those in greatest need. 

4. That in the light of Christ's victory over death, nations may work together to overcome violence, especially acts of violence committed against the poor, the weak, & the unborn. 

5. For the sick and shut-in, for healing in body, mind, and spirit. 

6. For our medical professions, for our first responders, and for the men and women in the military. 

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

PRIEST: God of glory, you know the deepest desires of our hearts. As we celebrate the Resurrection, make us faithful to you in all we do. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

10 April 2024 - prayers of the faithful - Wednesday of the 2nd week of Easter

Lord Jesus - you call us to be your disciples. 

Christ Jesus - you are the resurrection and the life. 

Lord Jesus - you call us to joy and hope. 

Priest: With Easter joy in our hearts during this 2nd week of the Easter season, we bring our prayers to our heavenly Father: 

1. That we in the Church may bring the light of Christ to others through our words and our actions. 

2. For all the newly baptized and for those who came into the Church at Easter, that they may faithfully follow Jesus and be a blessing to their parish communities. 

3. That Christ’s victory over death may bring hope and healing to all who are burdened in life.

4. For all who are struggling in their faith: that they may experience the risen Lord and be encouraged on their journey.

5. For vocations to religious life, the priesthood, the diaconate, and lay ministry. 

6. For all those suffering mentally, physically or spiritually. For those struggling with addictions. For healing in their lives. 

7. For all parishioners and loved ones who have died. For their entry into eternal life. 

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

Priest: We present these prayers this evening thru your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever.  AMEN. 

Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter - Prayers of the faithful - 9 April 2024

Lord Jesus - You are the resurrection and the life - Lord have mercy. 

Christ Jesus - You are a light shining in the world - Christ have mercy. 

Lord Jesus - You are the beloved son of the Father - Lord have mercy. 

PRIEST: The power and hope of the risen Christ fills the world with new life. With joy and expectation, let us bring forth our needs and the needs of the world in our prayers this evening. 

1. That the Church may proclaim Christ’s resurrection to the world in our words and our actions. 

2. That the leaders of the Church may embody the hope of paschal mystery which we celebrate in our liturgy during the Easter season. 

3. That the leaders of the nations of the world lead their people with integrity and respect. 

4. That in the light of Christ's victory over death, that all Christians may collaborate to bring the Gospel message to the world. 

5. For the sick and shut-in, for healing for all of us in body, mind, and spirit. 

6. For our missionaries, for lay people serving in ministry, and for all who proclaim Christ’s Gospel to the world. 

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

PRIEST: God of glory, you know the deepest desires of our hearts. As we celebrate the Resurrection, make us faithful to you in all we do. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayers of the faithful - 3rd Sunday of Easter - 14 April 2024

Introduction: We continue our celebration of the Easter season this weekend. As we hear about Jesus’ post-resurrection appearance today, as he explains the reality of his death and resurrection to them, may we also gain understanding into the reality of the resurrection in our own lives. May the reality of the resurrection help us to bring the Gospel message to the world and evangelize others.  

Lord Jesus, you are a fountain of God’s grace and mercy: Lord have mercy.

Christ Jesus, you bring us peace and reconciliation: Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus: you are the way that leads us to new life: Lord, have mercy 

Prayers of the faithful:

PRIEST:  We pray that all of us may be drawn more intimately into God’s love and mercy.  We offer our prayers today for our needs and the needs of the world around us.

1. For God’s holy Church, that we may hear the same call as the disciples in today’s Gospel, being witnesses to Christ’s resurrection in the world, we pray to the Lord. 

2. For international cooperation in being good stewards of our environment and sharing the earth’s resources. We pray to the Lord.

3. For those who are struggling in their lives, for those battling mental illness, depression, or addictions, may they feel God encouraging them on their journey. We pray to the Lord.

4. For all who thirst for justice and an end to violence, hatred and prejudice in our cities, our neighborhoods, our country, and throughout the world. We pray to the Lord.

5. For the sick and shut-ins of our parish community.  We pray to the Lord. 

6. For the repose of the souls of the faithful departed, for their entry into eternal life. 

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

PRIEST:  We are the people you shepherd, O God, the flock you guide. Hear these our prayers and graciously grant them through Christ, our Lord for ever and ever. 

12 April 2024 - St Teresa of the Andes - homily for Friday of the 2nd week of Easter - Acts 5:34-42

St Teresa of the Andes was a Carmelite nun who died on this date, April 12, at the age of 19 in 1920 in Chile in South America. She is the first saint canonized from that devoutly Catholic country. Pope John Paul II named her as a patron saint of the youth. At her canonization in 1993, John Paul II spoke about her joyful youthful enthusiasm and the great example of faith she gives to the youth of our modern era. We pray for our youth of our parish and of our Diocese today, asking for the prayers of St Teresa of the Andes. She once wrote in a letter: "A soul united to Jesus and identified with him can do everything. It seems to me that this can be reached only by prayer.” She also wrote: “I am God’s. He created me and is my beginning and my end.”  She died of typhus during Holy Week in 1920. More than 100,000 pilgrims visit her shrine each year in a remote part of Chile. We unite our prayers to the intercessions of St Teresa of the Andes today. 

In our first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles, we hear the apostles rejoice in the way they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor at the hands of man for the sake of the Gospel and for the sake of Jesus’ name. The apostles left the Temple area after they had been flogged and ordered by the Sanhedrin to stop preaching the Gospel. But, Peter and the other apostles continued their preaching with even more enthusiasm after that event. What a great example of faith their witness is for us today. 

We all carry our crosses in life.  Those in the early Church suffered greatly in their attempts to be witnesses to the faith. Many of the saints such as Teresa of the Andes endured harsh conditions and obstacles in their journey of faith, including disease and illness. In the challenges and sufferings we face, may we find courage and hope. 

11 April 2024 - St Stanislaus - homily for Thursday of the 2nd week of Easter - Acts 5:27-33

The saint we celebrate today, St Stanislaus, is an important figure in the history of the Church in Eastern Europe. He was born in Szczepanow near Kraków in present day Poland in 1030. His preaching and his example of faith brought about real conversion in many of his flock. He became bishop of Kraków in 1072. In this era, there was a tense political situation in Poland at the time. Stanislaus was an outspoken critic of the king, of wars that Stanislaus saw as unjust and other actions he saw as immoral.  At first the king repented, but then returned to his old ways.  Continuing to be outspoken against the king, Stanislaus was charged with treason and threatened with death. When the king’s soldiers refused to kill Stanislaus, the king killed him himself.  Supposedly the king repented for his actions after he fled his country and lived in exile.  

The law of God vs the law of man. The values of the Gospel vs the values of the secular world. The call of earthly whims and desires vs the call we have from God. Just as St Stanislaus battled these things in his own era, the apostles battled these seemingly different realities as they came up for trial before the Jewish authorities in our reading from Acts today. The apostles saw their calling to preach the Gospel as intrinsic to the lives that they lived here on earth. May all of us continue to find our spiritual way in the midst of our earthly journey.

10 April 2024 - homily for Wednesday of the 2nd week of Easter - Acts 5:17-26

We know from history and from the accounts of the Early Church that Paul and Peter and some of the other apostles were imprisoned many times for the way that they publicly preached the Gospel to the world in the years right after Christ’s death and resurrection. As recounted in today's first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Peter and a group of apostles were imprisoned, then they were miraculously set free and went into the Temple area where they once again preached publicly about Jesus and his proclamation of God's kingdom.  

We can imprison God’s word in the world just as the chief priest and the Jewish authorities imprisoned God’s word when they put Peter and the other apostles in prison. The Gospel message needs to be more than just words to us. Christ's message needs to be more than words that touch our imagination. We are called to put God’s word into action, to practice our faith each day, and to have God’s word  inspire us and to motivate us on our journey. It is difficult to live out our faith sometimes. Sometimes our lives seem so busy that we do not make time for God or for Church in our hectic, chaotic lives. But God always meets us in our reality and helps us with the ups and downs of life.

9 April 2024 - homily for Tuesday of the second week of Easter - Act 4:32-37

I am always edified from this reading from the fourth chapter of Acts that we hear during the Easter season, telling us about the community of the faithful in the early Church, of how they were of one heart and one mind, how they shared their things in common and took care of those in need. However, we don’t often hear from the fifth chapter of Acts, the story of Ananias and Sapphira.  This couple sold a piece of property, but they kept a portion of the money they received for themselves.  Peter asks Ananias why he did that. When Ananias denies this deed to Peter, Peter accuses him of lying to God, at which point, Ananias falls down dead.  Then Peter asks the same thing of Sapphira, at which point she also falls down dead. In St Peter’s basilica in Rome, there is an altar where a painting depicts this scene. It is called the Altar of the lie. A lot of times we put things before God, don’t we? We make other things our gods and our idols. Sometimes we refuse to be truthful to God. Not being truthful can disrupt or break our relationship with God or with our brothers and sisters. May the Lord set us free to truly follow our faith.  

Prayers of the faithful - Easter Mass - 30 March 2024 - prison ministry

Priest: Our joy on this holy day gives us the confidence to place our trust in God for all things.  Let present our prayers for our needs, the needs of the Church, and the needs of the world. 

1. For the holy Church, that by word and example, we may always proclaim the glory of the resurrection of the Lord in the midst of our lived reality, we pray to the Lord. 

2. That the peace that God has willed from the very moment of creation may grow in our hearts, in our families, in our community, and in the whole world, we pray to the Lord. 

3. For the newly initiated members of our Christian family here at our community of St Michael the Archangel. May they grow in their life in Christ Jesus, we pray to the Lord. 

4. For Christians around the world, that our faith in the resurrection may lead us to seek true unity in Christ, we pray to the Lord. 

5. For all of us gathered at Mass today, that just as Christ was raised from the dead, that we too might live in newness of life, we pray to the Lord. 

6. For those who have died; for their entry into eternal life. For healing for the sick.  For those suffering from addictions, mental illness, and depression. We pray to the Lord. 

7. For all the men who serve in leadership in our community of St Michael the Archangel.  For all of our volunteers who help our community.  For all of our benefactors who help us financially.  And the support of Mr Hunt, Ms Christopher, Mr Chisholm, and all the wardens, administrators, and guards who have helped our community.  We pray to the Lord. 

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

Priest: God of love and mercy, you raised your only begotten son from the dead to eternal life with you. Raise us out of sin and death into new life with you. We present our prayers to you this evening through your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN.

A Reflection on the Paschal Mystery as we enter Holy Week

In the seasons of Lent and Easter in particular, we celebrate the Paschal mystery in a special way: the passion, death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord. Recently, I had someone ask me about the Paschal mystery, if I could explain it to him in terms that an ordinary person can understand. As we just celebrated Palm Sunday with the Gospel reading of Christ’s passion, as we Catholics commonly pray the stations of the cross on Fridays during Lent, as we are getting ready to have our new members enter the Church at the Easter Vigil Mass and the youth receive the sacrament of confirmation the first week of Easter, the Paschal mystery is present in our liturgies and in our prayers in different ways.

The Paschal mystery is present in the reality of our lives in different ways as well. I think of this time of the year, when the coldness and darkness of winter gives way to our springtime gardens and warmer weather. The Paschal mystery is present in a special way in the ways we reach out to people who are broken or in need. The youth of Holy Savior and Immaculate Conception are going going out to Shower Power in Jackson this Holy Week, a place that reaches out to the homeless and the poor where they can clean up and get a meal and be loved. I was just reading the letters that I had the seven men write who are entering the Church at the prison this Easter weekend. Many of these men were gang members or who suffered from lives entrenched in addiction and violence. At our Catholic ministry at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, the inmates find a loving community that welcomes them and loves them and accompanies them on the ups and downs of their journey of faith. In our daily ministry of our parish, we have very joyful moments, such as meeting with parents who are preparing for the baptism of their child and planning for the sacrament of matrimony for couples who are getting married. However, we also anoint the sick and commemorate our dearly departed loved ones through our funeral liturgies, meeting people in times of struggle and suffering as well. These are all examples of how the Paschal mystery is present in the reality of the Church and in the reality of our daily lives.

I want to personally invite all of you to our Holy Week Liturgies. We had a wonderful engagement at our Palm Sunday liturgies this weekend. We are hoping to have a good showing at our liturgies this week for Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Saturday, and Easter Sunday. Join us in accompanying our Lord Jesus Christ during Holy Week.

Tuesday, March 26

Diocese of Jackson Chrism Mass, 10:30 am in the Cathedral of St Peter the Apostle, Jackson.

Holy Thursday, March 28

11:00 am Mass at Immaculate Conception, Raymond. 

6:00 pm Mass at Holy Savior, Clinton.

Good Friday, March 2911:00 am liturgy at Immaculate Conception 

1:00 pm stations of the cross at Holy Savior 

6:00 pm liturgy at Holy Savior

Easter Saturday Vigil

7:00 pm Mass at Holy Savior

Easter Sunday

8:00 am Mass at Immaculate Conception 10:30 am Mass at Holy Savior

Also, keep our prison ministry in your prayers during Holy Week. We will be celebrating Good Friday at the state prison in Pearl that afternoon and Easter Mass at noon on Saturday. Thank you for the love and support so many of you have shown our prison ministry.

Blessings to all of you during Holy Week. Father Lincoln.

Prayers of the faithful - Monday of Holy Week - 25 March 2024

Lord Jesus - you are our hope. 

Christ Jesus - you are the way. 

Lord Jesus - you are our light. 

Priest: As we celebrate mass on this Monday of Holy Week, let us present our prayers to God: 

1. Let us pray for the Church. That in this holiest of weeks, her members might cling to Jesus, the world’s true Hope, in their own suffering and difficulties. 

2. Let us pray for the world and all our world’s leaders. For an end to violence and terrorism.

3. We pray for all those who suffering. For those fighting addictions.  For those who need healing body, mind and spirit. 

4. For our first responders, military personnel, and medical professionals.  

5. For all Christians who are commemorating holy week, that the hope of Jesus will burn in their hearts always.

7. For our own prayer intentions. For the prayers we hold in our hearts today. 

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

25 March 2024 - homily for Monday of Holy Week - John 12:1-11

Today we hear a very striking Gospel account of Jesus' encounter with Mary of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus. Mary is in a home near the city of Jerusalem during the last Passover that Jesus would partake in just before his death. She takes a jar of enormously expensive perfume that would cost thousands of dollars in today's money. She lovingly anoints Jesus' feet with the perfume. In response, Judas remarks that it would be better to give this money to the poor, that this is an extravagant waste. 

Mary was the one whom Jesus complimented for have gathered at his feet to listen to his teachings. When her brother Lazarus died, it was Mary who rushed out to Jesus when he came to their home, weeping and pleading, “Jesus, if you would have been here, my brother would not have died.” 

In today's Gospel, Mary falls at Jesus’ feet as if she knew something the others did not recognize: that Jesus would soon die and would need to be prepared for burial. Sensing something, Mary wants to do something special for him. 

In ancient Israel, anointing was used for rituals of elevating one's status, such as anointing the head of one becoming a priest, prophet, or king.  Anointing was used in a status transformation, for example, in anointing the whole body of a dead person. Here, neither Jesus' head nor his whole body is anointed, just his feet. In ancient Israel, the feet were the body part that symbolized action.  he anointing of Jesus' feet points to a ritual of a forthcoming transformative action in which Jesus would do something significant. The streets where people walked in Ancient Israel were very dirty, so it was customary for guests to have their feet washed by a servant when entering a home before they ate a meal. In this case, a servant does not do the washing, but rather Mary, the wealthy woman of the household. In this action, she acknowledges this forthcoming significant action that will occur in Jesus' life. 

How can we be more like Mary in the reality of our lives? Mary’s life had been so deeply touched by Jesus that she wanted to do something precious and significant in return to honor him. Can we be so deeply touched by Jesus acting in our lives that we also want to respond in a special way? May we reflect upon this as we approach Holy Week and the Easter season. 

Prayers of the faithful for the mass of the sacrament of confirmation - 3 April 2024 - Holy Savior Catholic Church - Clinton Mississippi

Bishop: My dear friends, may we be one in prayer to God our Father as we are one in faith, hope and love.  As we celebrate the risen Christ today in the octave of Easter, we present our prayers: 

1. For the youth who are confirmed by the gift of the Holy Spirit today, that they may always give witness to Christ by their lives. We pray to the Lord. 

2. For the parents, godparents, sponsors, and teachers who have led our confirmation candidates in faith, that by their word and example they may always encourage them to follow the way of our Savior Jesus Christ. We pray to the Lord. 

3. For the holy Church of God, in union with Pope Francis, Bishop Joseph Kopacz, and all the lay and ordained leaders of our Diocese, that God may allow us to journey together in faith. We pray to the Lord. 

4. For all people of every race and nation, that they may acknowledge the one God as Father, and seek his kingdom of joy and peace. We pray to end of war, terrorism, and violence in our world. We pray to the Lord.   

5. That we all may recognize and give thanks to the risen Lord in the breaking of the bread and in every circumstance where Christ reveals himself to us. We pray to the Lord. 

6. For the sick of our community, for those in the hospital, hospice, and nursing homes, for healing and wholeness. We pray to the Lord. 

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

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

Bishop: God our Father, you sent your Holy Spirit to the apostles, and through them and their successors you give the Holy Spirit to your people. May the gift of the Holy Spirit continue to grow in the hearts of our confirmation candidates and in the hearts of all who believe. We ask this through your son Jesus Christ, our risen Lord forever and ever.  AMEN.  

7 April 2024 - Divine Mercy Sunday - Second Sunday of Easter — John 20:19-31

Thomas probably felt hurt and angry that he was not present when the other disciples saw the risen Christ. Yet, he must have been hopeful as he was present when Jesus appeared to the group of apostles again. When Jesus appeared to them in the locked room, he could have berated Thomas for his unbelief, perhaps sending Thomas fleeing in fear for his hardness of heart. But, Jesus pours out his mercy upon Thomas, instructing Thomas to touch the wounds of the crucifixion and the nail marks on his side. Besides proving to Thomas that he did indeed rise from the dead, Jesus meets Thomas in the pain and confusion of his disbelief. Jesus knows his pain intimately. He did not dismiss it or punish Thomas for it. In his mercy, Jesus is able to bring Thomas to new life. The encounter between Jesus and Thomas fits so well into our celebration of the feast of Divine Mercy on this second Sunday of Easter.  

Divine Mercy calls us to place our hope in our loving and compassionate God, as he is ever-ready to embrace us and forgive our sins. Believing in God goes hand-in-hand with believing in his Divine Mercy. Divine Mercy is often associated with the visions and revelations of St. Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun and mystic from the first half of the 20th century. Pope John Paul II had a great devotion to Sister Faustina, inspiring him to declare the Second Sunday of Easter to be Divine Mercy Sunday. 

In the Nicene Creed, we profess that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, that he will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. Yes, Jesus will judge us, but also in his power and authority to judge, we are reminded in today’s feast day that Jesus also grants mercy. I think of the mercy that the priest expresses in the person of Christ, as he pronounces to the penitent at the end of the sacrament of reconciliation: I absolve you of your sins in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In understanding mercy properly, mercy is to be seen as a superabundance of justice, not an exception to it.  Justice and mercy are not mutually exclusive. Mercy is a form of justice. Mercy looks at the personal responsibility of the accused and distributes justice precisely by granting mercy. Mercy does not turn a blind eye to justice, but fulfills its obligations to justice by going beyond those obligations.  

The Shrine of Divine Mercy in Cracow, Poland has the following inscription:  “Those who sincerely say ‘Jesus, I trust in You’ will find comfort in all their anxieties and fears. There is nothing more man needs than Divine Mercy – that love which is benevolent, which is compassionate, which raises man above his weakness to the infinite heights to the holiness of God.” We the Church announce that Jesus’ divine mercy calls out to us in the reality of life: in the sins we commit; in our struggles, personal hurts, and rejections; in the way we have fallen away for our faith and have just gone through the motions. In a practical way, I see Divine Mercy Sunday calling us to three steps: 

First, we are to ask for Christ’s divine mercy, to approach him in prayer, to repent from our sins, and to ask God to pour out his mercy upon us. 

Second, we are to be merciful to others, to let Christ’s mercy, love, and forgiveness flow through us to others.  

Third, we are called to completely trust in Jesus and in his divine mercy. The more we trust in Jesus, the more we will receive. 

Blessings to all of you on Divine Mercy Sunday.  

5 April 2024 - Friday in the Octave of Easter - Acts 4:1-12

During the Easter season, we hear readings from the Acts of the Apostles about the ministry and development of the early Church. Yesterday, in Acts, we heard how the healing of a lame man gave Peter and John the opportunity to preach the Gospel message and to call the crowds to conversion and repentance. Peter and John brought the reality of the risen Christ to the lives of the people, showing how our faith in Jesus can work miracles.  Not only did Peter and John attract the interest of the crowds, but they also attracted the attention of the Sadducees, the head of the Temple guards, and the chief priests in a negative way. Even though the authorities take Peter and John into custody, this gives Peter and John the opportunity to address the elders and to proclaim the Gospel, telling them that the name of Jesus is the only name that truly saves.

During the pandemic, Bishop Kopacz passed on a book to me entitled Finding Christ in the Crisis: What the Pandemic Can Teach Us. The pandemic challenged us in different ways, including in our life of faith. Some of the faithful were mad at the Church, at our response to the pandemic. Others took it as an opportunity to withdraw from the faith. Yet, perhaps we need to look at the blessings that an event such as the pandemic can bring us. Peter and John used a real life situation as an opportunity to evangelize. We can look at the pandemic to see how we had previously taken our faith for granted and how we can evangelize to others. On a parish level, perhaps the pandemic is allowing us to examine the way we do ministry. As always, let us look at the way God is calling out to us in the reality of our lives. 

4 April 2024 - Isidore of Seville - Thursday of the Octave of Easter - Acts 3:11-26

We look back at history and see times of great change and conflict.  That is the case of the era of Isidore of Seville, the saint we celebrate today, from the sixth century in the country of Spain. The Visigoths had invaded Spain and right before Isidore’s birth, they established their own capital in that country.  The Visigoths believed in the Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ. This heresy divided the Church in Spain. Isidore was influential in uniting the Christians in Spain and in making Spain a great center of culture and learning.  Spain was able to have a positive influence on other countries in Europe. 

Isidore wrote an encyclopedia that was used as a foundational textbook for many centuries. He oversaw the building of seminaries and school, he wrote numerous books, and even wrote a new liturgy called the Mozarabic rite, which is still used in Spain today.  Pope Innocent XIII proclaim him to be a Doctor of the Church in 1722. Because of his influence on learning, Isidore has been declared the patron saint of the internet.  

In our reading today from Acts, we  hear about Peter and John heading off to the Temple to pray when a lame man stops them for help. Instead of giving him money to help him, they heal him through the Holy Spirit. This man leaps for joy and shouts praises to God, drawing the attention of a large crowd and giving Peter the opportunity to preach the Gospel message. Peter tells the crowd about what happened to their Lord, calling them to repentance.  We are all called to evangelization and to be witnesses of the faith in different ways, as is shown in the lives of St Isidore of Spain and of St Peter.  May we heed this call to evangelize and to be witnesses in our own lives. 

Friday of the octave of Easter - prayers of the faithful - 5 April 2024

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

Christ Jesus - You give hope to the hopeless - Christ have mercy. 

Lord Jesus - You give us strength and courage - Lord have mercy. 

Priest: We present our prayers to our merciful Father in hope and trust: 

1.We pray for the Church, the bride of Christ, that we may be faithful to our Savior and proclaim the joy of his Resurrection. We pray to the Lord. 

2. We pray for our Parish family, that renewed through the Easter mysteries, we live as servants and live for Christ. We pray to the Lord. 

3. We pray for all those who have been preparing for the Easter sacraments, that they feel our love and prayers reaching out to them. We pray to the Lord. 

4. We pray for all who are struggling in their faith right now: that Christ, risen from the dead, may call their name and lead them back to the faith, We pray to the Lord. 

5. We pray for all those who have suffered tragedies. For the sick in the hospital, hospice, and nursing home. That the presence of Christ may give them encouragement, We pray to the Lord. 

6. For all those who have died, that Christ may shatter their chains and bring them to his banquet in the Father’s house. 

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

Priest: On this Friday in the Octave of Easter, we present these prayer to you heavenly Father, through your son, Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever.  AMEN. 

Prayers of the faithful - Thursday of the Octave of Easter - 4 April 2024

Lord Jesus - you call us to a life of discipleship - Lord have mercy.

Christ Jesus - you call us to seek you in the midst of our reality - Christ have mercy.

Lord Jesus - you are the resurrection - Lord have mercy.

Priest: Our joy is in Christ’s rising from the dead. In our Easter joy, let as present our prayers to God the Father:

1. That Pope Francis, Bishop Kopacz, and all our church leaders inspire the members of the body of Christ to deeper reverence and prayer on their journey of faith.

2. That pastors may lead and serve their flock entrusted to their care with humility and wisdom.

3. That all governmental leaders may reach out to their people in hope and unity.

4. For all those who are sick and need healing in their lives. 

5. For our medical professionals, first responders, the men and women in the military, and those on the front lines, for all who keep us safe.

6. For the prophets whom God has sent to us in our midst, that we may let their message enter our hearts.

6. For the faithful departed, for their entry into eternal life.

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

Priest: Father, you know the many needs of your people. Hear and answer the prayers that we make through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN.

3 April 2024 - homily for Wednesday of the Octave of Easter - St Richard of Chichester - Acts 3:1-10

Today, as we commemorate the octave of Easter, we hear from the Acts of the Apostles, about Peter and John curing man who is lame. For the next several days we hear from Acts in our daily Masses, of how Peter and John use this miracle of healing to address the crowds and the Jewish authorities, calling them to repentance. We heard a lot about repentance and conversion during Lent; that same message is still an integral part of what we will hear in the coming weeks of the Easter season, since that theme helps us make sense of the reality of Christ’s resurrection. 

Sometimes it is difficult to try to comprehend the complexities of human history. I think of how the Crusades are difficult to understand in the trajectory of human history. The Crusades and the Muslim invasion of Spain are central events to the pilgrimage of St James that I have experienced in Spain. It is easy in my modern 21st century American mentality to condemn that era of history, or to the other extreme, just to ignore it. It is hard not to judge these events from my modern perspective. I bring this up because Richard of Chichester is the saint we celebrate today. I learned about him when I was assigned to St Richard parish in Jackson. I grew to love St Richard and to appreciate his teachings. Richard was Bishop in Chichester, England in the 13th century in a very challenging time. For most of Richard’s time as bishop, King Henry III denied him access to his cathedral and the revenue due to the Diocese from a dispute between the King and the Church. Richard had to roam his Diocese to find a place to stay, relying on the generosity of the faithful. Pope Innocent IV called on Richard to preach in favor of the Crusades throughout England, which he obediently did. However, in the midst of those journeys, he came down with fever and died at the age of 56. He is buried in Chichester Cathedral in England, which became a popular place of pilgrimage. However, that site was destroyed under King Henry VIII in 1538 when England broke away from the Catholic faith. Richard’s remains and any artifacts that remained in Chichester were destroyed. It is interesting that the composers of the rock musical Godspell chose St Richard’s prayer as the basis of one of their songs: 

Thanks be to you, our Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits which you have given us, for all the pains and insults which you bore for us. O most merciful Redeemer, Friend, and Brother, may we know you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly. Day by Day.  St Richard, pray for us.  

Prayers of the faithful - Octave of Easter - 3 April 2024

Lord Jesus - you bring us Easter Joy - Lord have mercy. 

Christ Jesus - you raise us to new life - Christ have mercy. 

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

PRIEST: We now place our needs before God, rejoicing because Christ has triumphed over death and has brought us salvation:

1. For the Holy Father, Pope Francis and all Church leaders, that they may continue to lead the Church in witnessing to the joyful truth of the Resurrection, let us pray to the Lord. 

2. For all who have dedicated their lives to God, that they may be Christ’s witnesses in the world, let us pray to the Lord. 

3. For the unemployed, for those struggling economically, for the hungry and the homeless, for those crying out for justice, for those battling addictions, that their needs be met, let us pray to the Lord. 

4. For the family of God, gathered here in Easter joy, that we may bear witness to the risen Christ and reflect him in our lives, let us pray to the Lord.

5. For the sick and shut-in. For all those who need healing in body, mind, or spirit. And for those who have died, that they may rise to eternal life in Christ, let us pray to the Lord. 

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

PRIEST: Almighty Father, your beloved son has risen from the dead, as he promised us. In peace and joy we present our prayers to you, through the same risen Lord, who lives and reigns for ever and ever.  Amen. 

prayers of the faithful - Tuesday of Octave of Easter - 2 APRIL 2024

Lord Jesus - you are the living word of God - Lord have mercy.

Christ Jesus - you bring us hope and truth - Christ have mercy.

Lord Jesus - you are the Word of God - Lord have mercy.

As we celebrate the Octave of Easter, let us now bring our prayers to our heavenly Father:

1. For all who follow Christ, that his love may be visible in their words and actions.

2. For those who seek Christ's truth in their lives, that the Holy Spirit may help find that truth in Christ our Savior.

3. For all youth and adults who are receiving the sacraments this year, that they find hope and encouragement on their journey.

4. For all who are suffering or struggling in any way, and for all who need healing of body, mind or spirit: that the love of family, friends, and neighbors may remind them of God’s loving care.

5. For the faithful departed, for their entry into eternal life, and for the souls in purgatory.

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

Heavenly Father, we ask that you continue to lead and guide your people during the holy season of Easter. Hear our prayers that we make through your son Jesus Christ, our risen Lord forever and ever. Amen.

2 April 2024 - homily for Tuesday of octave of Easter – Acts 2:36-41

With the universal Catholic Church, we rejoice in our celebration of Christ’s resurrection during this joyful Easter season. Early Church Father St. Athanasius stated that “the fifty days from the Sunday of the Resurrection to Pentecost Sunday are celebrated in joy and exultation as one feast day, indeed as one ‘great Sunday.’“ However, the first eight days or octave specifically celebrate the solemnity of Easter every day. I always enjoy celebrating the Octave of Easter at my parish with the Catholic faithful. 

In our reading from the Acts of the Apostles today, we hear about 3,000 people who were baptized in response to the message that Peter preached. Some of the crowd during Christ’s passion who wanted to crucify him might have also been the same people who were baptized that day. Our reading tells us that the people “were cut to the heart” when they realized that Jesus, who was just crucified, was made Lord and Christ by God.

The call to repentance that Peter makes to the crowd, and his proclamation of what God is all about, is a radical message compared to the messages people receive in our secular world today. Sometime we forget about the radical nature of Christ’s Gospel. We can often take our faith for granted. Unfortunately, we can mistakenly approach our faith and the Church like a consumer in society, looking to what we can get out of it, not looking at our responsibilities as disciples of Christ. Like the crowd that Peter addressed that day, may we be cut to the heart. May we give thanks for the presence of the resurrected Christ in our lives and the opportunity to live out our faith.  

Prayers of the faithful - Easter Mass - 30 March 2024 - prison ministry

Priest: Our joy on this holy night gives us the confidence to place our trust in God for all things.  Let present our prayers for our needs, the needs of the Church, and the needs of the world. 

1. For the holy Church, that by word and example, we may always proclaim the glory of the resurrection of the Lord in the midst of our lived reality, we pray to the Lord. 

2. That the peace that God has willed from the very moment of creation may grow in our hearts, in our families, in our community, and in the whole world, we pray to the Lord. 

3. For the newly baptized and the newly initiated members of our Christian family here at our community of St Michael the Archangel. May grow in their life in Christ Jesus, we pray to the Lord. 

4. For Christians around the world, that our faith in the resurrection may lead us to seek true unity in Christ, we pray to the Lord. 

5. For all of us gathered at Mass today, that just as Christ was raised from the dead, that we too might live in newness of life, we pray to the Lord. 

6. For those who have died; for their entry into eternal life. For healing for the sick.  For those suffering from addictions, mental illness, and depression. We pray to the Lord. 

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

Priest: God of love and mercy, you raised your only begotten son from the dead to eternal life with you. Raise us out of sin and death into new life with you. We present our prayers to you this evening through your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN.

Prayers of the faithful - Palm Sunday - 24 March 2024 - Prison ministry

Penitential rite: 

Lord Jesus - in your words and actions, you reveal your Father’s love. 

Christ Jesus, in your passion and death, you emptied yourself for our sake. 

Lord Jesus, in your resurrection, you have been given the name that is above every other name. 

Priest: In our commemoration of Palm Sunday, we give voice to our needs and the needs of our brothers and sisters, relying on the Lord for help, confident that the Lord will answer our prayers: 

1. For the Church, that we may boldly testify to our faith and work tirelessly to carry out Christ’s mission in the world, we pray to the Lord. 

2. That peace may flower in the Holy Land, the Middle East, and Ukraine, spreading to the ends of the earth, we pray to the Lord. 

3. For all who welcome the Lord into their lives with devotion and praise, especially those who will enter the Church at Easter, we pray to the Lord. 

4. For an end to the death penalty. We pray for all those in our correctional system and for those who have been affected by their crimes. We pray to the Lord. 

5. That our commemoration of Holy Week next week may strength our commitment to carry our crosses and assist others to carry their crosses, we pray to the Lord. 

6. For our family members and loved ones who have died. For healing for the sick.  We continue to pray for those who are suffering from the flu, from COVID, and respiratory illnesses. We pray to the Lord. 

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

Priest: God of compassion, your son turned to you again and again in order to obey your will in the midst of his pain, suffering, and death. Give us the grace to accept your will and to carry our crosses. We present our prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever.  AMEN.

31 March 2024 - homily for Easter morning - John 20:1-9

Last night, our Easter fire burned brightly in the midst of the darkness of the night and in the midst in the darkness of Jesus’ tomb where he was placed after his death on the cross. Our Easter Vigil Mass started our celebration of Christ’s resurrection this weekend as we rejoice in the risen Christ. Today is not about the memories or ideals or profound thoughts from our Gospel Message. Our celebration on this Easter morning is about Jesus, as he is alive and present to us and loving us from his heart. In our Easter faith, we encounter Jesus in a very real way. It is Jesus himself in whom we rejoice this morning. 

The Easter fire that started our Mass last night not only represents the light of Christ that shines so brightly in the world; it also represents the mystery of creation in which God created the universe. Our first reading last night from Exodus spoke about God liberating the people of Israel from slavery: liberation from their bondage in Egypt and liberation from their sins. God freed his people in order for them to live with him in holiness and unity. God liberates all of us who have been baptized in Christ. We blessed the water last night in the Easter Vigil mass; that water will be used today to give us a special blessing and it will be used in our baptisms throughout the Easter season.

Today, we gather as believers who place our faith and hope in the risen Lord.  Today’s Gospel speaks of the gathering of the first disciples that discovered the empty tomb. This small community of disciples had their dreams and hopes shaken when they saw their Lord crucified. Their hearts were filled with sorrow and confusion. They could not make sense of the empty tomb. The Gospel ends today by saying that “they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.” Yet, once they start understanding the reality of the risen Lord, their lives will change in ways they could never have imagined, with a new focus, new passion, and new purpose.  

This Easter morning, the cross gives way to the empty tomb.  Shattering loss gives way to new life and new hope. Though we live many centuries after the first followers of Christ arrived at that empty tomb, we, in a sense, arrive at that empty tomb this morning as well. We are called to that same focus and sense of purpose that engaged Mary Magdalene, Simon Peter, John, and that group of disciples that formed the Early Church. The light shining from Christ’s tomb calls out to us this morning. We are to do more than believe Christ’s Gospel. We are to live it radical message: not just on Easter morning, but every morning. 

In Luke’s account of the last supper that Jesus had with his disciples, which we celebrated on Holy Thursday this past week, Jesus gave us his body and blood, telling us to do this in remembrance of him. In the shadow of the empty tomb that the disciples found on Easter morning, in the light of resurrected Lord, we are called to remember, we are called to proclaim, and we are called to live out the Gospel message that he left us. However, we do not sing “Alleluia” today on Easter morning only because this is the day that Jesus has risen from the dead. We also sing alleluia also because we ourselves live in the light of his resurrection.  

Prayers of the faithful - 17 March 2024 - 5th Sunday of Lent - CMCF women's prison ministry

Introduction: On this final Sunday of Lent before Palm Sunday, we hear of Jesus spending time with his disciples in the days of the Passover feast before his death on the cross. During these last weeks of Lent, Christ continues to call us out of our harmful habits and from all that separates us from God. As the Lord meets us in his holy word and in the Sacrament of Eucharist today, let us open our lives to him in a special way as we continue our journey during Lent. 

Priest - Penitential rite 

Lord Jesus, you continue your journey to the cross, Lord have mercy.  

Christ Jesus, you are the Messiah, the son of God, Christ have mercy. 

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

Priest: We place our trust in the Lord, that he hears our voices as we call out to him in supplication with our needs, the needs of our neighbor, and the needs of the Church: 

1. For the Church, that we may loosen the things that bind us to sin and death, bringing forgiveness and new life to those in darkness. We pray to the Lord. 

2. That the nations of the world may put down their weapons of destruction. May we all work toward peace and justice in our own corner of the world, even here at CMCF. We pray to the Lord. 

3. For those who suffer with addictions, that they may find the strength and courage to break through those terrible bonds. We pray to the Lord. 

4.We pray that our Catholic community here at CMCF be a place of welcome for all. We pray to the Lord. 

5. That we may reach out in mercy and understanding to those who are bound tightly to sin and hate, we pray to the Lord. 

6. For those who have died. For healing for the sick in body, mind, and spirit. For all the men and women who have been sick here at CMCF.  We pray to the Lord. 

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

Priest: Merciful God, you give us hope in the midst of despair. You bring us light in the darkness. You give us new life in our death. We make our prayers today through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever.  AMEN.

prayers of the faithful - 31 March 2024 - Easter Morning

Introduction - We rejoice that this is the day the Lord has made. God’s love reaches out to all of us today on Easter morning. By Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, he has conquered sin and defeated death. A new life has dawned, as God’s love survives sin and overcomes death. Jesus has shown us the way to the Father. May the promise of the resurrection fill us with hope and lead us to eternal life.

Lord Jesus, you are the risen Christ.

Christ Jesus, you were anointed by God with the Holy Spirit. Lord Jesus, you will come again to judge the living and the dead.

Priest: Filled with joy by the promise of the resurrection, we bring our prayers to God with hope and trust:

1. That by our mercy and compassion we in the Church may raise our brothers and sisters out of their pain and suffering, sharing the good news of the risen Christ with them, we pray to the Lord.

2. That the peace that Christ brings may extend to the nations of the world, filling their hearts with justice and healing, we pray to the Lord.

3. For all who entered the Church at the Easter vigil Mass yesterday evening, that they may grow in love of the Lord as they live as children of the light, we pray to the Lord.

4. For all who suffer from illness, hunger, isolation, or neglect, that their burdens may be lifted by Christ’s continuing mission in the world, we pray to the Lord. 5. For the sick and shut-in, for all who cannot be at Mass with us today, that they may feel our love and prayers reaching out to them, we pray to the Lord. 6. May our Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting, and work of charity continue in our daily lives in the joyful Easter season, we pray to the Lord.

7. For the repose of the souls of the faithful departed. For their entry into eternal life. We pray to the Lord.

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

Priest: God of creation, out of love, you have given us your only begotten son and you have raised him from the dead. We make our prayers today through your son Jesus Christ, for he is our Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

Prayers of the faithful - Easter Vigil Mass - 30 March 2024

Priest: Our joy on this holy night gives us the confidence to place our trust in God for all things. Let present our prayers for our needs, the needs of the Church, and the needs of the world.

1. For the holy Church, that by word and example, we may always proclaim the glory of the resurrection of the Lord in the midst of our lived reality, we pray to the Lord.

2. That the peace that God has willed from the very moment of creation may grow in our hearts, in our families, in our community, and in the whole world, we pray to the Lord.

3. For the newly baptized and the newly initiated members of our Christian family here and throughout the world, that they may grow in our new life in Christ Jesus, we pray to the Lord.

4. For Christians around the world, that our faith in the resurrection may lead us to seek true unity in Christ, we pray to the Lord.

5. For all of us gathered at Mass this evening, that just as Christ was raised from the dead, that we too might live in newness of life, we pray to the Lord.

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

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

Priest: God of love and mercy, you raised your only begotten son from the dead to eternal life with you. Raise us out of sin and death into new life with you. We present our prayers to you this evening through your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN.

Bulletin reflection - Easter Weekend - 30 March 2024 and 31 March 2024

Easter has arrived! It is wonderful to celebrate Holy Week and the Easter season as a community of faith. I want to welcome all of you to Mass this weekend, especially our out-of-town guests and family members. I have enjoyed journeying through the Lenten season with all of you as we have explored the theme of gratitude. I have enjoyed praying the stations of the cross on Friday evenings and the Lenten meals we have had together as a parish faith community. We look forward to a joyful Easter season together as we celebrate Easter weekend and as we journey toward the celebration of Pentecost.

The disciples tried to make sense of what they encountered in the empty tomb on Easter morning. We must make sense of the resurrected Christ in the reality of our lives and our world, especially with all the confusing messages and noise that we hear in our secular world. We are called to live out the reality of the resurrection in our lives each day. Our celebration of the Easter season will help us make sense of this reality. Blessings to all of you - Father Lincoln.

Prayers of the faithful - Holy Thursday - 28 March 2024

Introduction: We begin the Paschal Triduum this evening, the three-day remembrance of Christ's passion, crucifixion, and resurrection. We are called to remember how Christ’s life ended here on earth, in triumph disguised as defeat. This evening on Holy Thursday we hear how Jesus gave his disciples a model for the mission of the Church, as he came to them as a servant on his knees to wash their feet. May Jesus’ lesson be a model for us as proclaim his passion, death, and rising to the world. May we continue to be of service to our neighbor.

Penitential rite - Priest

Lord Jesus, you washed the feet of your disciples.

Christ Jesus, you gave us the Eucharist as the everlasting memorial of your light and life.

Lord Jesus, you summon us to your table of reconciliation and peace.

Priest: Animated by the love that Jesus shows humanity as he washed the feet of the disciples and commanded us to do likewise, we turn to God with our needs and the needs of the world:

1. For the Church, that with love and compassion, we may serve those in need just as Jesus served his disciples at the Last Supper, we pray to the Lord.

2. For those who are suffering in pain, in grief, or from want, that their burden may be lifted through God’s mercy, we pray to the Lord.

3. For all who dedicate their lives to both ordained and lay ministry, that they may be renewed in mind and spirit as they serve God’s mission, we pray to the Lord.

4. For our Jewish brothers and sisters, that our prayers to God be united with their prayers, we pray to the Lord.

5. For our faith communities of Holy Savior and Immaculate Conception, especially for those who will be received into the Church on this upcoming Easter weekend, that our participation during these holy days renew in us our mission to serve one another, we pray to the Lord.

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

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

Priest: God of the eternal covenant, you so loved the world that you gave us your only son to live for us, to die for us, and to guide us to you. We ask that you inspire us to serve one another. We make our prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN.

Prayers of the faithful - Wednesday of Holy Week - 27 March 2024

Lord Jesus - you reach out to us in our brokenness. 

Christ Jesus - you bring us that hope of our faith. 

Lord Jesus - you call us to conversion and renewal. 

PRIEST: In faith and trust, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father as we journey with Jesus during Holy Week: 

1. That God will lead us to forgiveness and healing in our live. 

2. For those who are struggling on their journey of faith, that our commemoration of Holy Week touch their hearts and encourage them on their journey. 

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

4. For our sick and shut-in: that God’s love will renew them and strengthen them and bring them healing in body, mind, and spirit. 

5. For the faithful departed, for their entry into eternal life.  And for the souls in a process of purification in purgatory. 

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

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

Prayers of the faithful - Tuesday of Holy Week - 26 March 2024

Lord Jesus - you call us to reconciliation and healing . 

Christ Jesus - you bring us hope. 

Lord Jesus - you call us to conversion. 

In faith and trust, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father as we commemorate Holy Week: 

1. That our journey of faith will inspire us to reach out to others in spiritual and corporal works of mercy.

2. That we will work toward forgiveness and healing in our own lives and in our community.  

3. That we in the Church may be witnesses to the truth and freedom of our faith. 

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

5. That God will strengthen all our families in faith, hope, and love. 

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

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

30 March 2024 - Homily for the Easter Vigil Mass - Mark 16:1-7 - Exodus 14:15—15:1 - Isaiah 55:1-11 - Baruch 3:9-15 and 32--4:4

The liturgy of the Easter Vigil Mass is symbolized by the darkness of the night. The darkness represents the darkness in the world, the darkness in the universe, the darkness in our human hearts. But there is power and hope in the darkness as a light is struck. The darkness is broken by Christ the light. 

The symbolism of a light in the midst of darkness speaks to us at our Easter Vigil mass. As the Easter fire spread throughout our community with the lighting of our individual candles, as the Easter proclamation is sung while the Paschal candle came front and center in the church, we saw how the light of Christ enters our world. The light that God sends into the world is present in different ways that we hear in our readings tonight. God sent his light into the world when he created it. He lit the way for the people of Israel to be liberated from slavery and oppression. God sends us life giving water to refresh us and bring us new life through the message of the prophet Isaiah and through the passion, death, and resurrection of his Son.

Tonight, we celebrate the Easter mysteries in a special way with our catechumen and our candidates who are entering the Church and whole will received first Holy Eucharist for the first time. This is an exciting evening for all of us as we celebrate our Catholic faith and the resurrection of our Lord.

From the beginning of time, human beings have searched for meaning and for something greater than themselves. The search can bring us some wonderful, unexpected joys. But, unfortunately, that search can also lead us to some dark, foreboding places as well. Tonight, we know that this search that we undertake as Catholics is to lead us to only one place: to the salvation, redemption, and new life that we have in our Lord.  The saints have accompanied us on our journey this evening and we invoke their presence through the litany of saints.  The saints are here in their prayers and intercessions, uniting with us around the altar of the Lord on this joyful night. With us tonight are saints who accompanied Jesus during his earthly journey – John the Baptist, Joseph, the Virgin Mary, and Mary of Magdala.  With us tonight are saints who were preachers of the word: Paul, Francis of Assisi, and Pope John XXIII. With us tonight are holy men and women who lived their faith in the reality of their world: Teresa of Avila, Benedict, and Elizabeth Ann Seton.  We unite our prayers with those of the saints and we ask for their continued help on our journey.

The Easter Vigil mass fills our hearts with joy tonight with the light of the paschal candle, the smell of the incense and the sounds of the bells, the joyful Easter hymns sung by the choir, and the Gospel message of Christ’s resurrection, of the ladies who come to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body only to find the tomb empty. The stone has been rolled back from the entrance to the tomb. Jesus has risen! May the joy of the Easter season that fills our hearts help us remove those stone that are holding us down. Tonight is not an end. As we continue our journey through the Easter season in the upcoming weeks, may we continue to allow the Easter mysteries to convert our hearts and the reality of our daily lives.   

Prayers of the faithful - Palm Sunday - 24 March 2024

Lord Jesus - in your words and actions, you reveal your Father’s love - Lord have mercy.

Christ Jesus, in your passion and death, you emptied yourself for our sake - Christ have mercy. 

Lord Jesus, in your resurrection, you have been given the name that is above every other name - Lord have mercy. 

Priest: In our commemoration of Palm Sunday, we give voice to our needs and the needs of our brothers and sisters, relying on the Lord for help, confident that the Lord will answer our prayers:

1. For the universal Church, that we may boldly testify to our faith and work tirelessly to carry out Christ’s mission, we pray to the Lord.

2. That peace may flower in the Holy Land, the Middle East, and Ukraine, spreading to the ends of the earth, we pray to the Lord.

3. For all who welcome the Lord into their lives with devotion and praise, especially those who will enter the Church on Easter weekend, we pray to the Lord.

4. For an end to the death penalty. We pray for all those in our correctional system and for those who have been affected by their crimes. We pray to the Lord.

5. For all of us who will be participating in the liturgies of holy week, that our participation may strength our commitment to carry our crosses and assist others with their crosses, we pray to the Lord.

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

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

Priest: God of compassion, your son turned to you again and again in order to obey your will in the midst of his pain, suffering, and death. Give us the grace to accept your will and to carry our crosses. We present our prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN.

Bulletin Reflection for Palm Sunday - 24 March 2024

This weekend, we commemorate Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week. We have been journeying with Jesus during Lent since our commemoration of Ash Wednesday. We have been with Jesus in the silence and solitude of the desert, starting and ending our masses at Holy Savior in silence on our knees. Lent is a special time for us, different than the other times in our liturgical year.

Holy Week is a very special time for us Catholic, the culmination of our liturgical year. While our secular world has all kinds of other celebrations going on, with sporting events and proms and other social activities, while we have work and actives in our busy lives, it is important for us to make time to journey with Jesus during Holy Week. The events of Holy Week that commemorate his passion, death, and resurrection are called to penetrate our hearts and make a difference in our lives.

We invite all of you to join us for our liturgies this upcoming Holy Week, especially the Triduum of liturgies on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Vigil. Holy Week is a great opportunity for us as a community to celebrate the mysteries of our faith together. Blessings - Father Lincoln.

29 March 2024 - homily for Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion - John 18:1—19:42

As we listen to the Passion from the Gospel of John today, we can only imagine the uncertainty and fear that Jesus’ followers felt. We have been journeying with Jesus during the forty days of Lent.  Many of us have been praying the stations of the cross each Friday, commemorating that Jesus died on a Friday. 

On the day that Jesus’ day, many of his followers had fled in fear. His followers had seen Jesus perform miracles and had seen him heal the sick. He had heard him speak of himself as the life and the resurrection (John 11:25). However, now they saw him die an agonizing death on the cross. Jesus was crucified as if he were a notorious criminal. His followers had placed their hope in the future in him. In the midst of the chaos and violence of Good Friday, his followers seem to have forgotten his promise to come back to them. They felt lost, directionless, and abandoned. Yet, in John’s Gospel, Jesus promises his disciples before he commences his passion: “I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you.”  

In the reality of life, we can feel different emotions: anger, frustration, confusion, despair, abandonment, isolation, desperation, and weariness.  At times we may have felt lost and directionless like many of Christ’s  followers on Good Friday.  The promise Jesus made to his followers echoes in our hearts today on Good Friday: I will not leave you alone.  I will come to you. At times, these promises may feel very far away from our reality. But Jesus’ promises are always there with us.

We are called to have hope today on Good Friday, even though this is the day of Jesus’ death.  In the death of Christ, in the cross of Christ crucified, the goodness of God reaches out to us: the hope of resurrection and the hope of new life. Good Friday is not the end for us; there is still hope to come. In Good Friday, the moment of death is at the same time a moment of new life. This hopeless moment was the moment when eternal hope was given. This terrible moment of injustice was at the very same time a moment of God’s grace. This moment of excruciating suffering guaranteed that suffering would end one day, once and for all. This moment of sadness welcomes us to God’s eternal joy. The capture and death of Christ also purchases for us life and freedom. This is a solemn and serious day, but it paves the way for Easter joy.

28 March 2018 – Holy Thursday – 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 - John 13:1-15

When I was serving as pastor at St James up in Tupelo, Riley Manning, the religion reporter for the Tupelo Daily Journal, sent me an email, inquiring about Lent and Holy Week from a Catholic perspective. He asked: For those who may not know, what is Holy Week and why is it important?

In answering that question, I paraphrased a quote from Pope Benedict XVI, who stated that during Holy Week, we Christians reenact, relive, and share in the mystery of Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection. Pope Benedict said, that in many ways, the events of Holy Week tell us what our faith is all about. 

We commemorate Holy Thursday today in the start of the Triduum of Holy Week. One event of significance we have in the Holy Thursday liturgy is the establishment of the Eucharist for us as followers of Christ. Paul tells us the simple and profound words of Jesus during the Passover that he celebrates with his disciples: “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In those words, Jesus gives us the gift of the Eucharist and the mandate that goes with it as well. Paul goes on to say: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.”

Perhaps it is the washing of the feet of the twelve representatives of our community of faith, representing Christ’s disciples, that helps explain to us what the Eucharist should mean to us and how we are to live out the spirit of the Eucharist in our lives. At his first Holy Thursday mass as Pope, Pope Francis, made headlines all over the world. Normally, the Pope celebrates Holy Thursday at one of the major basilicas in Rome, either St Peter or St John Lateran. The pope usually washes the feet of 12 priests during the mass, symbolizing the 12 apostles. However, instead, Pope Francis visited a youth prison for the Holy Thursday celebration, washing the feet of 12 inmates, which included 2 women and 2 Muslims. That was the first time that women had ever been included in the foot washing ceremony on Holy Thursday as celebrated by a Pope. This evening, we will have the foot washing of 12 representatives of our community of faith. Yet, all of us present today should feel Jesus washing our feet. Perhaps some of us feel resistance in our lives of faith right now. Perhaps we are resistant to have Jesus wash our feet just as Peter was resistant. Perhaps we don’t want Jesus to wash our feet, to give himself to us, to let him be a servant for various reasons. Perhaps we want our independence, to live according to our own laws and the laws of man rather than the laws of God. Perhaps we don’t want to admit that we need to healed or saved or washed. Or perhaps we don’t feel worthy.  Perhaps this year during Holy Week, God is calling us to name that part of ourselves that we need to surrender to him, that we need Jesus to love and to embrace, to wash and to clean. 

Jesus gives us a mandate in the Gospel as he washes the feet of his apostles in a show of servanthood: to follow his model and to do for our brothers and sisters what Jesus has done for us. The Gospel tells us that Jesus loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end. We are to love in the same way. As Jesus washes our feet today, we are to feel love and gratitude in our hearts . The way we approach the Eucharist and to live out the Eucharist, both today and everyday, is to flow out of that love and gratitude.

Today we enter into the three days of liturgies before Easter – it is called the Triduum. As we celebrate Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday together as a community of faith, let us see these three liturgies as a single prayer in our final preparation as we enter into the redemption and salvation of humanity as we commemorate the passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord.  

27 March 2024 - Wednesday of Holy Week - Gregory of Narek - Matthew 26:14-25

Gregory of Narek was born in Armenia in the middle of the 10th century. After the death of his parents, Gregory and his older brother were raised by an uncle who had them educated at the Narek monastery where the uncle was a monk. Gregory entered the monastery and was ordained a priest in 977. Gregory served as a professor of theology, writing a mystical interpretation of the Song of Songs and a long mystical poem called the Book of Prayer.” He died in the early 11th century and was buried within the walls of the Narek monastery in Turkey where he had spent his life. In 2015, when the world commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire, Pope Francis concelebrated a Mass at the Vatican with the Patriarch of the Armenian Church, declaring Gregory of Narek a Doctor of the Church.

We honor Gregory of Narek today in the middle of Holy Week as we get ready to celebrate the Triduum starting tomorrow. Yesterday, at the Chrism Mass, the priests of our Diocese renewed their promise of obedience to the Bishop. As I made the choice yesterday at Mass to continue to be obedient to him, I thought about the different choices we make in life. We make good choices that bring us closer to God, but we also make bad choices that turn away from God and lead us astray on our journey. 

In today's Gospel, Judas betrayed Jesus after he shared a meal with Jesus and the rest of his disciples on the Jewish holidays. Yet, Judas knew in his heart that he would deliver Jesus into the hands of those who wanted to kill him. Judas is an example of choosing to go down the wrong road and abandoning the faith. 

Jesus, as the Son of God, could have demanded that people serve him. But Jesus came to serve others, not to be served. Tomorrow, on Holy Thursday, we will remember how Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, an action usually performed by a slave or a servant. Jesus came to serve and to help others, which is so different from the attitude that Judas had, how he would betray his friend for his personal gain.

As we commemorate Holy Week this week, let us remember all those things we need to get rid of so that we will be more like Jesus, who came to serve, and less like Judas, who betrayed Jesus and thought of his own gain.

26 March 2024 - Tuesday of Holy Week - John 13:21-33 and 36-38

As we commemorate Tuesday of Holy Week, the same day that we celebrate the chrism Mass at the Cathedral of St Peter the Apostle in downtown Jackson, we hear from John’s Gospel about the ways that both Judas and Peter betray Jesus.  

We may think of the ways that we have betrayed Jesus, our family, and our loved ones. We break bread with Jesus in the Eucharist and receive him into our lives in that special way, but then we turn our back on Jesus when we live out our lives in ways that are contrary to the values of our faith. We go to confession to turn away from our sins and promise to do better with the help of our faith, but then we go and commit some of the same sins that we have just confessed. Let us pray that we, like Peter, may weep bitterly for all the wrongs we have done and all the good left undone.  Let us pray for conversion and renewal. 

24 March 2024 – homily for Palm Sunday – Cycle B – Mark 14:1 - 15:27 - Mark 11:1-10

     Way back on February 14, on Ash Wednesday, we started our journey with Jesus in the desert for 40 days. That was more than a month ago.  Now that we are one week away from Easter Sunday, we are close to the end of our journey. We Catholics know that Lent is a special time of the year for us, a time of repentance, renewal, and conversion.

     Today, at the beginning of Mass, we heard from Mark's Gospe about Jesus entering the city of Jerusalem on a humble colt. The crowd welcomed Jesus into the holy city like he was a triumphant conqueror.  The crowd was astonished at the majesty of his presence. Yet, a short time afterwards, Jesus enters into his passion and death on a cross. As he carried his cross, as he died this humiliating death, the crowds saw his appearance as lowly and humble, in contrast to his triumphant entrance into the city. Jesus became the object of public derision. 

     On Palm Sunday, as we commemorate our annual entry into Holy Week, we commemorate this paradox, these dual aspects of our faith. On Palm Sunday, with the reading of Jesus’ entry in Jerusalem and with the reading of the passion, there is both triumph and rejection. With Jesus nailed to the cross, there is both death and a promise of rebirth.

     There were two different types of people that welcomed Jesus into the holy city of Jerusalem. Some of them waved palms and shouted “Hosanna in the highest;” they were expecting a Messiah who would bring power. might, and military glory to the nation of Israel. However, others in the crowd were looking for someone who would bring them a new-found hope in the midst of desolation and despair. They wanted a Messiah who would understand their lowliness, who would bring healing and refreshment to their bodies and souls, a Messiah who would be with them in their misery and suffering. 

     Which group are we with? Are we willing to wave the palm branches this morning, seeing hope and new life and encouragement in the midst of our Lenten journey, in the midst of what is weighing down our hearts?

     Palm Sunday presents us a paradox. It would be easy to try to simplify it, to not wrestle with the paradox in our minds. We started Mass today by recalling the moment when Jesus was most accepted by the public as he entered the city of Jerusalem. Then, we turned abruptly to the Passion, to his public betrayal and public failure. While the laws of man condemned Jesus, the law of God raised him up and the mind of God never left his side. Jesus stays the course throughout his passion, even with all the internal and societal pressures that are weighing him down on this journey, that are wanting to bring him failure. Thankfully, we know that the end of Holy Week will bring us hope and resurrection. As we celebrate Palm Sunday today and trace Jesus’ journey every step of the way during Holy Week, may we sense God’s presence with us on our own journeys, with everything that is weighing us down. 

Prayers of the faithful - Friday of the fifth week of Lent - 22 March 2024

Lord Jesus, you call us out of our complacency. 

Christ Jesus, you are the Messiah, the son of God. 

Lord Jesus, you are the way that leads us to new life. 

Priest: We place our trust in the Lord, that God will hear our voices as we call out to him in supplication with our needs, the needs of our neighbor, and the needs of the Church: 

1. For God’s holy Church, that we may loosen all that binds us to sin and death, bringing forgiveness, reconciliation and new life to those in darkness. We pray to the Lord. 

2. That the nations of the world may put down their weapons of destruction. May we all work toward peace and justice. We pray to the Lord. 

3. For those who suffer with addiction mental illness, and depressions, that they may find the strength and courage in their journey, we pray to the Lord. 

4. For those who will enter the Church on Easter weekend and for our children and youth preparing for the sacraments. For the new life and the blessings they will receive from Christ, we pray to the Lord. 

5. That we may reach out in mercy and understanding to those who are constrained by sin and hate, we pray to the Lord. 

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

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

Priest: Merciful God, you give us hope in the midst of despair and you bring us light in the darkness. We make our prayers today through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever.  AMEN.