28 June 2026 - homily for mission appeal for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time cycle A - Matthew 10:37-42

It is very wonderful being with all of you here today to celebrate Mass around the table of the Lord. My name is Father Lincoln Dall. I come to you as a brother in Christ from the Diocese of Jackson (Mississippi) in the deep South. When your parish receives a mission visit, you probably expect a missionary serving in a faraway land overseas. However, I’m from missionary territory in our own country. Our Diocese has the lowest percentage of Catholics of any Diocese in the US, about 3%. However, we have the largest Diocese geographically east of the Mississippi River. Most of our 73 parishes and 15 mission churches are small and located in rural areas. We don’t have any large cities in Mississippi, so our parishes are spread out throughout sparsely populated rural areas, which would be familiar to all of you here in southern Indiana. Some counties in Mississippi only have one parish. Some do not even have that.

In our Gospel today, Jesus talks about how his disciples should received a warm welcome when the bring the Gospel to the community. But also Jesus gives us a challenging instruction, warning that “anyone who prefers father or mother to me is not worthy of me”. This challenge reflects the reality of the Early Church, where the threat of persecution was common. In cases where some family members were Christian and some were not, the choice between “preferring” mother or father to following to Christ faced such believers in their daily reality. We see a lot of religious persecution throughout the world today and even a backlash against Christianity in our own country. In the midst of the challenging circumstance of the modern world, we try to bring the Gospel message to the people of the Diocese of Jackson in a warm welcoming spirit in both our words and our actions in different ways. 

As you are hearing my homily today, you probably do not detect a strong Southern accent. That is because I am not originally from Mississippi. I am originally from Chicago. I currently serve as the pastor of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Raymond, MS and Holy Savior Catholic Church in Clinton, MS, two towns just outside the city of Jackson. I have also been working in the chancery office for 8 years, currently serving as vicar general of the Diocese. 

In wanting to share some specific ministry stories with all of you, I thought of the prison ministry in our Diocese, something that is very dear to my own heart. I have been involved in prison ministry for 18 years. I go out to the federal prison in Yazoo City, which has about 6,000 inmates, and the Central Mississippi state prison just outside of Jackson, with about 3,500 inmates. For many years, we struggled to even get access to see the inmates. Often, at the state prison, I would have mass at the foyer of the building where the inmates lived, sometimes in the fire station at the prison, or even on a picnic bench outside the prison cafeteria. Several years ago, we got access to have Mass in the chapel and have been able to go out every week, which has made a huge difference. You can imagine the terrible living conditions we have in the prisons in Mississippi. There is a lot of gang activity, violence, and drug use. Most of the inmates live in housing units that have no air conditioning. Unbelievable. Yet, our ministry has transformed the lives of many inmates. We usually have about 150 inmates attending Mass during any given week. We have 10 men entering the Church this year. For the last two years, we have been operating a garden project as a part of our ministry, where were have garden areas around the prison where the prisoners grow vegetables, herbs, and flowers. It has been a huge success. We try to tie the gardening to our Catholic spirituality. A lot of the produce goes to the prison cafeteria, and in certain raised garden, the inmates get to keep the produce for themselves. I am very passionate about the prison ministry.  It is amazing to see God at work in this mission environment of the prisons. 

I am here as a priest from the missionary Diocese of Jackson to share some of our stories with you as a part of our Church’s larger missionary effort.  Pope Francis always said that we as a Church should never lose our missionary identity, that we are to be a Church who goes forth into the world and invites others to our faith. All of us are called to be missionary in spirit, to be a part of the universal mission effort of the Church. Most importantly, in a world torn apart by divisions and conflict, we must recognize each other as our brothers and sisters in Christ. When we see ourselves as missionary in spirit, when we encounter our neighbor and invite him into our faith, it will open up so many possibility for us as well on our own journey and to see the Gospel in a new wonderful light. 

I am so grateful to be here with all of you this weekend. To celebrate around the altar of the Lord. Your parish is going to have a second collection to help us with the missionary needs of our Diocese, to help our different ministries, our rural parishes, and our rural schools. I want to thank you for any help you are able to give. Also, I ask for your prayers for our Diocese of Jackson. And be assured that I will keep all of you and your parish in my prayers as well.

28 June 2026 - homily for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary time - 2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16A; Matthew 10:37-42

When I prepare for my homilies and first look at the readings for a Sunday, I try to see a common theme in them. Sometimes the theme is direct and evident.  Other times the theme is more subtle. The theme that strikes me in today’s readings is the importance of being welcoming and hospitable.  

One of the American Catholics I admire greatly is Dorothy Day.  I had heard about her when I was a college student at Wake Forest, since she passed away when I was in college. As a young adult, before her conversion to Catholicism, Dorothy Day was a journalist who very much lived in the secular world, with organized religion being of little importance to her. However, she was not content with that lifestyle and was searching for something else. She came to the Catholic faith through he friendship with a religious sister who lived near her home in New York. In 1933, with her friend Peter Maurin, she started the Catholic Worker Movement and their houses of hospitality, modeled after the way the monasteries would welcome visitors and strangers in the Middles Ages. All people were welcome to the Catholic Worker houses of hospitality, especially the poor, the downtrodden, the outcasts. Since this was in the middle of the Great Depression in the 1930s, those who needed to be welcomed were vast. Today, many decades after their founding, there are more than 175 Catholic Worker Houses operating throughout the world. Dorothy Day once said: “Those who do not see the face of Christ in the poor, are atheists” who do not receive the entirety of Christ’s Good News.  She also said: "If I have achieved anything in my life, it is because I have not been embarrassed to talk about God." 

In our first reading today, a reward is promised to the Shuemite woman who welcomed and gave hospitality to the prophet Elijah. Her hospitality foreshadows the promise in today’s Gospel, for the person who “receives (or welcomes) a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward.”  What a wonderful welcome this Shunemite woman made for Elisha in her humble abode: a small room on the roof of the house, with a bed, a table, a chair, even a lamp.  This humble, generous gesture of hospitality, offered simply out of respect for a man of God and with no thought of a reward whatever, grants her, in fact, a wonderful reward: next year, she and her husband, who were childless up to this point, would receive the gift of new life in a child born to them.  Elisha tells her that next year “you will hold a son in your arms”. So too, today’s Gospel tells us that even a simple gift of a cup of cold water will not go unnoticed by the Lord.

The idea of a warm welcome is only part of today’s Gospel message.  Jesus gives us a challenging instruction, warning that “anyone who prefers father or mother to me is not worthy of me”. This challenge reflects the reality of the Early Church, where the threat of persecution was pervasive. In cases where some family members were Christian and some were not, the choice between “preferring” mother or father to following to Christ faced such believers in their daily reality. We only have to look at what is in the newspapers or on the TV to see that this was not simply a challenge for those first Christians. We see a lot of religious persecution throughout the world today and even a backlash against Christianity in our own country. At first glance, some of these phrases in the Gospel reading may seem enigmatic, but delving into them, they are certainly relevant to our modern reality. 

When our Diocese formulated goals some years ago, the term “intentional disciple” was used a lot. So, what exactly is an intentional disciple? It is one who listens and learns from Jesus, our teacher, and then chooses to follow the teacher and apply what he teaches. An intentional disciples intends to practice what is taught. St Paul’s message to Christ’s disciples in Rome in the second reading today stresses the radical change we receive in the waters of baptism: a “death” to our old existence, a death to selfishness and sin. As baptized disciples of Christ, we are made new creations who live in the light of Christ’s resurrection.  As disciples of Christ, we can truly be intentional disciples, in union with Christ, in union with Christ’s love, embodying the values of his Good News. May we all strive to follow Jesus as true disciples. 

5 July 2026 - homily for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Matthew 11:25-30

Today’s Gospel from Matthew comes right after Jesus reproaches the powerful towns of Chorazin and Bethsaida, who witness his miracles and mighty deeds, but who still do not believe in him. Today, Jesus is telling us the reason for their unbelief and what is most important for our faith. 

After a prayer of thanksgiving to God, Jesus praises God for what he has revealed to the little ones, but what is not known to the wise and the learned. Think of how often in the Gospels the scribes and Pharisees lord their knowledge and their wisdom over others, but who fail to learn from Jesus, while the tax collectors and sinners and his group of faithful disciples are able to open their hearts to his message and his proclamation of God’s kingdom. 

In Jesus stating that God’s mysteries are hidden from the wise and the learning, he is not telling us that he is against education. In fact, we are encouraged to learn more about our faith and to study Scripture as disciples of Christ. This refers to the spiritual pride we can have when we think that we rely entirely on our own strength and our own capabilities. This creates the burdens that are to much to bear. Jesus tell us to take his yoke upon us and to learn from him. In the ancient world, a yoke was a wooden beam that was placed over the necks to two animals to allow them to pull a heavy plow or wagon. When Jesus invites us to place ourselves in his yoke, he invites us to be yoked together with him, not to be pulling ourselves through life by ourselves. He Jesus is with us every step away, telling us that we will not have to go through our trials and our struggles alone. 

From the youngest and the oldest in our families and in our community of faith, we can all learn from each other. Parents have a leadership role and a responsibility in the faith lives of their children, but they can also learn from their children as well. Just as our faith community has to create time and space for an encounters with God, the family has to do so as well.  

I mentioned how important it is to constantly be learning more about our faith and to be curious about our faith in a healthy way, rooted in humility and a thirst for God’s truth, not rooted in arrogance or intellectual pride. As disciples of Christ, we are to strive for spiritual growth, a deepening of our prayer life, and an appreciation of God’s creation. St Anselm of Canterbury from the 11th century called theology faith seeking reason, showing that the two are compatible and complement each other on our journey of faith. We are called to have a holy desire to apply our intellect to study and learn more about our faith. The more we learn and discover about God, the more our love for him will grow, which should be the ultimate purpose of our lives. 

I have stressed the importance of always learning about our Catholic faith and always wanting to know about God and theology of our Church. There is always so much to learn. 

I want to show you a real life example of how I try to learn more about the faith. When it was announced that we are going to have the national consecration of the Sacred Heart, I wanted to know more about the Sacred Heart, even though I had already read extensively about this devotion. I started reading some documents written by the Popes, starting with the encyclical Pope Francis wrote last year, and then documents written by the Pope Pius XII, Pope Pius XI, Leo XIII, and all the way back to Pius VI in 1794. This gave me a really good historical overview of the importance of this devotion in the history of our faith. The good thing is, all these Vatican documents are available free of charge from the Vatican website with an easy Google search. I then found two books recommended by the US Bishops to read. Jesuit priest John Croiset was the spiritual advisor to St Mary Margaret when she had these visions of Jesus’ Sacred Heart in the 17th century. He wrote a book about this devotion, which is considered a spiritual classic. He wrote about his first hand knowledge about St Margaret Mary’s visions and his own observations. Then, the US Bishops recommended a recent book written by Jesuit priest James Kubicki about the Sacred Heart, which was a wonderful book. That led me to other books that he has written, including this wonderful volume of daily reflections that I am using for preparation for writing homilies. I am always looking for those types of resources.  In my research on the Sacred Heart, I found a wonderful article published by Bishop Robert Barron’s publishing house Word on Fire about the connection between the Sacred Heart and the Eucharist. A mom of one of our youth said that I should be always promoting education on the Eucharist and its important in our Catholic faith. The is something I have always tried to do in my service as a priest. 

I cannot mention this enough, about the importance of each of us personally delving deeper into our Catholic faith. In his visit to the US, Pope Benedict XVI spoke about how educating ourselves in the faith and the Church providing a means of this education is an essential part of the Church’s mission of proclaiming the Good News. Pope Benedict spoke about the importance of encounter. I can truly say that I encounter Jesus in my studies and my readings and the way I search for his truth in my life. Pope Benedict stated that there is a crisis of truth and a crisis of faith in the world today, where many have abandoned their search for God. So, yes, all of us, our children and youth, and first and foremost our adults need to be involved in education in faith on different levels, especially since our adults are passing on this faith to our children and youth. 

So, yes, it should feel it is a joy and a privilege to be in God’s presence as we study and learn about about him and about our faith. The words “Catholic identity” should not be this phrase that we toss around and we don’t even know what it means. Catholic identity should be something we explore every day on our journey of faith. 

21 June 2026 - Catholic blessing for Father's Day

God our Father, you govern and protect your people and you shepherd them with a father’s love.

You place fathers in our families and in our communities as signs of your love, care, and protection.

We pray for our fathers with us today that they may be faithful to the example shown to us in sacred Scripture:

steadfast in love, 

forgiving and merciful,

sustaining their families, 

and caring for the poor and the oppressed.

We pray for wisdom for our fathers, that they may encourage and guide their children and members of our community.

Guide our fathers and grandfathers with the spirit of your love. May they grow in holiness and draw their family ever closer to you.

We ask this blessing for our fathers and grandfathers and great grandfathers today – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. AMEN.

21 June 2026 - prayer to confront our fears - inspired by the spirituality of St Therese

In our reading from the 10th chapter of Matthew's Gospel on the weekend of 21 June 2026, Jesus states three times that we are not to be afraid. But often, we can be afraid on our journey of faith. Here is a prayer that addresses those fears that was inspired by the spirit of St Therese, the little flower: 

Dear Father: My heart and mind are flooded with fears. Sometimes I am paralyzed,  I feel unable to go on. These fears are overwhelming, they remain with me day and night. Yet I hold onto your truth. You have told us not to fear, for you have overcome the world. So I cling to you, I trust in your promises, that you will never fail me, never forsake me. In moments of such crippling fear, I choose to hold your hand. I know you have experienced the most fearful places, I know that you have risen again. In you all promises meet and new life begins. You are my Savior, I hide in you, protected by your love, and sheltered by your grace. My Father. Amen. 

Prayers of the faithful for the 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time - 5 July 2026

Introduction: With great joy, we celebrate our nation’s independence day this weekend and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. As we gather as a community of faith, may we give thanks for the many blessings we have as individuals, as families, and as a nation. We we approach the Lord’s table today with reverence and hope. 

Lord Jesus - you give praise to your heavenly Father. 

Christ Jesus - you reach out to those who are burdened in life. 

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

Priest: Christ invites us to come to him with all that burdens us. In his name, we now offer our prayers with hope and trust: 

1. We pray for Pope Leo XIV, Bishop Kopacz, and all the bishops of our Church. May they be strengthened by the Spirit in proclaiming the Gospel to the world. We pray to the Lord. 

2. We pray for all religious and governmental leaders. At all levels, may they be led to a realistic collaboration to bring peace to the world. We pray to the Lord. 

3. We pray for people struggling with anxiety or stress in their lives, especially those who have suffered abuse of any kind. May we, as members of your church, reach out to all in need to help lighten their burdens. We pray to the Lord. 

4. We pray for the sick and the afflicted of our parish. For all who have asked for our prayers. We pray to the Lord. 
5. We pray for our country as we celebrate the 4th of July this weekend. We pray to the Lord. 

6. For boldness and courage in our lives of discipleship. That we may be faithful in our witness to the Gospel message and dedicated in our service. We pray to the Lord. 

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

Priest: We praise you, O God, for all the ways in which you care for your people. Receive these prayers on behalf of those who seek healing and release from life’s burdens. We ask this through Christ our Lord forever and ever. Amen.

Bulletin Reflection - 5 July 2026 - 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

This weekend we celebrate our country’s national holiday and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. As we remember how the US Bishops consecrated our country to the Sacred Heart of Jesus last month in honor of that 25th anniversary, I pray that all of us continue to grow in our devotion to the Sacred Heart and in our love for the Eucharist. May we continue to find ways that we can live out the spirit of the Eucharist each day. I wish all of you a blessed holiday weekend. May we pray together for our country and give thanks for the many blessings we have had as a nation. Father Lincoln.