Prayers of the faithful for Friday of the 6th week of Easter - 15 May 2026

Lord Jesus - you are the word of God. 

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

Lord Jesus - you call us to faith.  

Priest: With humble hearts, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father: 

1. That God will strengthen the spirits of the Catholic faithful our Diocese, helping us form supportive relationships and guiding us in our ministries. 

2. That husbands and wives may appreciate the gift that they are to one another and strengthen the partnership of life that they’ve formed together.   

3. For peace in communities experiencing terrorism, violence, conflict, or war. They we may work to mend brokenness and practice justice. For peace especially in Ukraine and the Middle East. 

4. For all who are unemployed. For those looking for new employment.

5. For our students may feel God’s presence with them at the end of the school year and during the upcoming summer months. 

6. For our first responders. For the men and women in the military. For our veterans.  May they feel the love and support of those whom they serve.  

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

Priest: We present our prayers through the risen Christ, our Lord forever and ever.  AMEN. 

Prayers of the faithful for Thursday of the 6th week of Easter - 14 May 2026

Lord Jesus - you are the word of God. 

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

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

Priest: With humble hearts, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father: 

1. For the parishes of the Diocese of Jackson. That God will strenghten our parishes and their ministries. 

2. For couples preparing for marriage. For all married couples. That the Lord will bless them in the sacrament of holy matrimony. 

3. That those who have experienced abuse find healing in God and renew their vision for a future filled with God’s promises. 

4. That all Christians may receive the gifts of the Spirit. May we all generously participate in the mission which Christ entrusted to the Church.

5. That our students may feel God’s presence with them during the upcoming months of summer vacation. 

6. For healing in body, mind, and spirit for the afflicted. 

7. For the prayers we hold in our hearts. We unite our prayers today with St Matthias and with all the apostles. 

Priest: We present our prayers through the risen Christ, our Lord forever and ever.  AMEN. 

14 May 2026 - homily for the feast of St Matthias - homily for Thursday of the 6th week of Easter - Acts 1:15-17, 20-26

In our reading today from Acts today, we heart how Matthias was chosen to replace Judas in the group of apostles. He was chosen before the descent of the Holy Spirit, but the choice of Matthias was not made by the risen Christ, but by the other eleven apostles. Tradition passes down that the apostles were sent to different parts of the world to spread the Good News. James went to Spain, Thomas went to India, and Matthias went to Ethiopia where he died as a martyr. Just as pilgrims believe that James' remains are laid to rest in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain, it is believed that the remains of Matthias are located at the Abbey of St Matthias in Trier, Germany, having been brought there by Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine. Just as the remains of St James were rediscovered by a hermit in the 9th century in Spain, the remains of St Matthias were rediscovered there in the 13th century, at which time the abbey became a popular place of pilgrimage.  

Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis have challenged us as modern believers to undertake a new evangelization in the world. We have heard this term “new evangelization” very often. Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis saw this new evangelization as an attempt to evangelize our own corner of the world, especially those of us who live in the traditionally Christian countries were our faith is often under attack and where a lot of people have left the faith or have become inactive. Pope Francis saw all Christians called to this new evangelization. St Matthias and the other apostles are great examples of evangelization for us. St Matthias faced many unknowns and many challenges as he preached the Gospel throughout the world.  We also are faced with challenges as we bring the Gospel to others. May we be inspired to live in the spirit of the Early Church and to energetically witness to our world.

13 May 2026 - Homily for Wednesday of the 6th week of Easter - Our Lady of Fatima - Acts 17:15, 22-18:1

One way to look at missionary work would be to take the attitude of bringing God to the people of a foreign land for the very first time very.  However, presently in the Catholic Church, missionaries are taught that people have God present to them and working in their lives in many ways even before they formally adopt Christianity as their faith.  Many times, they may be unaware of the different ways God is at work in their lives. 

In our first reading in the Acts of the Apostles, we hear of Paul preaching to the people of Athens. It's astounding to hear about Paul's travels throughout the ancient Mediterranean world, but it's even more noteworthy to hear how Paul speaks not only to those who are highly educated in philosophy, but also how he can relate so well to the common people, the city dwellers, the rural residents, and the slaves alike, helping to bring so many diverse people together in the Way of Jesus. In today's reading, Paul makes use of a shrine “to an unknown god” to introduce the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ to the Athenians, telling them that they unknowingly have worshipped the God who made heaven and earth, the God who gives life and breath and all of creation.  He is the God that the poets and the philosophers of the world have in common. 

 Today, as we hear about the zeal and energy of Paul and the disciples of Christ in the Early Church, we celebrate Mary in a special way in the feast of our Lady of Fatima.  On this day in 1917, Mary appeared to 3 shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. The children, aged 7 to 10, were named Jacinta, Francisco, and Lucia. Mary appeared to them once a month from May through October of that year. She asked them to pray the rosary for world peace, for an end to WWI, for sinners, and for the conversion of Russia. This message of the conversion of Russia has made news during the current war between Russia and Ukraine. The feast of Our Lady of Fatima was approved by the local bishop in Portugal in 1930 to mark the date of the first appearance to these children. The feast has been at part of our Church's worldwide calendar since 2002.  The main message of Fatima is for us to constantly pray.  

I have grown in my devotion to Our Lady of Fatima as we have practiced the first Saturday devotions of Our Lady of Fatima for several years now at Holy Savior, a big commitment for us in our busy schedules, but a commitment I am glad we have made. I also have loved the two visits I have had to Fatima as well. 

Our Mother Mary has appeared to the faithful in different forms throughout history.  Each time, she has brought converts to the faith through her message of peace, healing, and love. Mary brings the faithful closer to her son.  We celebrate Our Lady of Fatima in a special way today. Together with Mary, we pray for our families and for peace in the world.  

 

Prayers of the faithful for Wednesday of the 6th week of Easter - 13 May 2026

Lord Jesus - you bring us the joy of the Gospel. 

Christ Jesus - you are son of God and the son of Mary. 

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

Priest: We present our prayers to our heavenly Father with faith and hope:

1. That the Spirit will guide our study of God’s Word and help us to witness to God’s message in our lives.

2. That all who are ill or afflicted feels God’s healing love in their lives. 

3. That God will guide all those who are seeking employment to good opportunities 

4. For those who are struggling and for those in isolation. May the feel God’s presence with them. 

5. For peace in the world, especially in Ukraine and the Middle East.

6. For our deceased loved ones and family members. For their entry into eternal life. 

7. As we pray with our Lady of Fatima today, we united our prayers with the prayers and intercession of Mary. 

Priest: With Easter joy, we present our prayers through your son Jesus Christ. He is our risen Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

Prayers of the faithful for Tuesday of the 6th week of Easter - 12 May 2026

Lord Jesus - you bring us Easter joy. 

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

Lord Jesus - you forgive the sins of the contrite. 

Priest: With joyful hearts, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father: 

1. That through reading and praying the scriptures, our hearts may be set on fire and our commitment to God may grow

2. For missionaries, pilgrims, and aid workers. For courage, wisdom, and safety on their journeys. 

3. That we may always be aware of God’s presence with us. 

4. For a deeper appreciation of the gift of the Eucharist. 

5. For those who entered the Church at Easter. For those children and youth who received the Easter sacraments. For continued blessings on their journey of faith. 

6. For those who are recovering from natural disasters. 

Priest: With Easter joy, we present these prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our risen Lord forever and ever. AMEN.

12 May 2026 - homily for Tuesday of the 6th week of Easter - Acts 16:22-34

St Dominic de la Calzada was born into a peasant family in the province of Burgos in north central Spain in 1019, which is more than 1,000 years ago.  As a young man, he applied to be a Benedictine monk two different times, but was turned down. He instead lived as a young man as a hermit in a cave. He collaborated with the newly arrived bishop in the area to combat a plague of locusts. The bishop was very impressed with young Dominic and he was ordained a Diocesan priest. He spent a lot of time in his priesthood improving the pilgrimage route, building bridges, clearing land, and even building an alternative causeway route on the pilgrimage trail of St James that is now part of the modern Camino pilgrimage route in northern Spain. The town that he founded on the Camino is named after him and remains one of the highlights of the pilgrimage trail: Santo Domingo de la Calzada. Unfortunately, that town was one of the hardest hit places in Spain during the pandemic, with many of its residents dying.  There are coops of roosters in the cathedral named after him where he is interred in the crypt. The roosters represent a story that is told about him. If the rooster crows while you are in mass there, reportedly you will have good luck on the rest of the Camino.  What I love about Santo Domingo de la Calzada is that he shows how after doors close in our lives, we can still serve the Lord in creative and resourceful ways. 

Just as St Dominic de la Calzada adapted to his reality and the challenges he faced in his ministry, we have heard in our readings from ACTS at our daily masses about the challenges Paul and his companions faced in preaching the Gospel message. Today, we hear how Paul and Silas are stripped, beaten with rods, and thrown into prison.  Rather than bemoan their situation, they lift it up to the Lord, they sing hymns of praise and they pray to the Lord.  and praying for the other prisoners to hear. God answers their prayers with an earthquake that provides them a means of escape. Yet, they use this opportunity instead to convert souls and to preach the Gospel. Yes, God always meets us in our reality. We can us that reality and the opportunities God gives us to preach the Gospel.