31 July 2024 - prayers of the faithful - feast of St Ignatius of Loyola - Wednesday of the 17th week in Ordinary Time

Lord Jesus - you call us to works of mercy. 

Christ Jesus - you bring us the love of the Father. 

Lord Jesus - you bring us faith and hope. 

Prayers of the faithful: 

As we celebrate the feast day of St Ignatius of Loyola today, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father:

1. For all the holy men and women who serve the body of Christ in the Church. 

2. That the nations of the world will work for justice and peace. 

3. That all who suffer and struggle through life may see their crosses united with the cross of Christ. 

4. For those who are sick or injured, for their care giver and for their medical professionals, for healing in their lives.  

5. That in our celebration of Mass today, we feel ourselves surrounded by St Ignatius and for the other members of the community of faith. 

6. For all of our students, teachers, and families, for blessings for them at the beginning of the school year. 

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

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

30 July 2024 - prayers of the faithful - Tuesday of the 17th week in Ordinary Time

Lord Jesus, you are our everlasting treasure.


Christ Jesus, you are the Lamb of God. 

Lord Jesus, you call us to be good stewards of creation.  

Prayers of the faithful:
Priest: Let us seek the Lord in all things. We now pray for our needs, the needs of our brothers and sisters, and the needs of the Church: 

1. That we the Church may treat all human beings with dignity and respect in our word and our actions. 

2. That we as a nation may protect the freedom to practice religion. 

3. For an end to terrorism, war, and violence. For healing and reconciliation in our families, our communities, and our nation.  

4. For a united spirit in our parishes, in our Diocese, and in our communities. 

5. For healing for the sick and the afflicted in body, mind and spirit, for those who are suffering from addictions, depression, and mental illness. 

6. For the prayers we hold in the silence for our hearts, we pray to the Lord. 

Priest: God of holiness, you lovingly renew our minds and our spirits. We seek your mercy as we offer our prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

31 July 2024 - Wednesday of the 17th week of Ordinary Time - feast day of St Ignatius of Loyola - Psalm 59

St Ignatius, the saint we celebrate today, had turned his back on God for many years of his life, even though he was raised as a Catholic. Ignatius was born in late 15th century in 1491, the year before Columbus sailed for America. Ignatius had an older brother who sailed with Columbus on that famous voyage in 1492. Ignatius was the youngest of 11 children from a family in the Basque country in northern Spain. His mom died when he was young, so he was raised by members of his extended family. He was trained to be a member of the royal court and to be a solider, but while fighting at the siege of the battle of Pamplona in 1621, he suffered a broken leg that had to be re-broken after it was not set properly. He was carried him more than a hundred miles back from the battlefield to his family’s ancestral home in Loyola. Ignatius was confined to his bed for a long period of time during his recuperation from his injuries, where he learned about saints such as Dominic and Francis of Assisi and where he read stories about Christ and his proclamation of God’s kingdom. This brought about a profound conversion of faith in Ignatius. After spending time as a hermit in a cave and time wandering as a pilgrim, where he was able to reflect and ponder, Ignatius enrolled in the university of Paris at the age of 30 to become a priest, a very advanced age to be in formation for the priesthood. He studied Latin in classes with young boys in order to get ready for his study of theology. Even though Ignatius had turned his back on God for most of his early life, he had opened his life to God through his time of conversion. From the humble beginnings of his conversion, to the way he wrote his spiritual exercises while trying to discern God’s will for him in his life, Ignatius of Loyola went on to found the religious order of the Society of Jesus – the Jesuits -  an order of priests that still has great influence in Catholicism today. 

Our psalm states today: God is my refuge on the day of distress. Ignatius took refuge in God in the reality of his life.  He tried to see God in all things: it the joys and the accomplishments, in the struggles and the strife.  St Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us. 

30 July 2024 - Tuesday of the 17th week of Ordinary Time - St Peter Chrysologus - Psalm 79 - Jeremiah 14:17-22

Our saint of the day is also a Doctor of the Church – St Peter Chrysologus. His name may seem a little odd to us, but the word “Chrysologus” means “golden-tongued” or “golden-worded.”. He was given that name due to the brief and eloquent homilies he used to give.  Chrysologus was the bishop in Ravena, Italy from the year 433 until his death in 450. He was made a Doctor of the Church in 1729. He was known for giving concise advice and concise explanations of Bible passages that resonated with the faithful. In one quote, he asserted that there are three things that we need to practice in our lives of faith that will help our faith remain constant and that will help our virtue and our values to endure. Those three things are prayer, fasting, and mercy. These are also the three holy practices that we are called to in the season of Lent in preparation for Easter each year.

In our psalm today, the psalmist asks God to deliver us for the glory of his name. We, God’s people, are to give thanks to God and to praise him from generation to generation. In the prophet Jeremiah, today, the people look out at the destruction of their nation, bring them to tears, but they recognize their wickedness and sinfulness, the reason for this destruction. If we give glory and praise to God’s name, perhaps we will recognize the consequences that our actions bring. Perhaps it will help us to look at our actions and our lives of faith and the calling God is giving us. 

Pope Francis - Prayer intention for the month of July 2024

For the pastoral care of the sick:

We pray that the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick confer to those who receive it and their loved ones the power of the Lord and become ever more a visible sign of compassion and hope for all.

Prayers of the faithful - 28 July 2024 - 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Introduction:  As we hear the Gospel of the multiplication of the loaves and the fish today, we gather for our Eucharistic meal today, as we are invited to receive the bread of eternal life. May the miracle we witness today bring us a deeper understanding and belief in the saving gift the Lord offers to each one of us. 

Penitential Rite: Priest: 

Lord Jesus - You look with compassion upon your people - Lord have mercy. 

Christ Jesus - you are the great prophet who has arisen in our midst - Christ have mercy. 

Lord Jesus - you feed your people with the finest wheat - Lord have mercy. 

Priest: Let us now give voice to our needs and the needs of the world as we place our trust in the Lord. 

1. That we in the Church may place our trust in God that what we are able to offer may be enough to fill the needs of many. We pray to the Lord. 

2. That hunger may be eliminated in every nation and in every household. That those who lack adequate drinking water may have their needs filled. We pray for those working to solve the drinking water problem in Jackson.  We pray to the Lord. 

3. For those who assist in food pantries and soup kitchens. In gratitude for their work.  We pray to the Lord. 

4. For recovery and safety from all those who have been affected by natural disasters.  We pray to the Lord. 

5. For healing for the sick in body, mind, and spirit. We pray to the Lord. 

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

Priest: Generous God, may we continue to trust in your love and benevolence and our ability to bring your generosity to those in need. We present our prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

28 July 2024 - Bulletin Reflection - 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

As we have been celebrating the Eucharistic renewal in our country these last couple of years and as I have been working on my project as a part of the Eucharistic renewal with the University of Notre Dame as forming the inmates as Eucharistic missionaries in the prison environment as a part of our Catholic prison ministry, I have come to appreciate different aspects of the Eucharist. This week, the Gospel tells us of the multiplication of the loaves and the fish. Next week, in the Gospel, Jesus will explain to us that he is the bread of life. The Eucharist goes way beyond our reception of the host at Mass. It goes beyond our prayers in Eucharistic adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. May we see the connection to the Eucharist in the meals and fellowship we share together. Those moments are truly Eucharistic encounters. Have a blessed week everyone - Father Lincoln.