19 April 2026 - prayers of the faithful for the 3rd Sunday in Easter Cycle A

Introduction: With great joy, we gather for Mass today on the 3rd weekend of Easter in the midst of our Easter journey. We celebrate the risen Christ in our readings today, hearing about his encounter with the disciples on the road to Emmaus. May we be aware to the ways we meet the risen Christ in the reality of our daily lives.

Lord Jesus, you are a fountain of God’s grace and mercy: Lord have mercy.
Christ Jesus, you give us food for our journey in the Eucharist: Christ, have mercy. 

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

Priest: As we continue our journey through the Easter season, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father: 

1. That we may always live as a eucharistic people and promote a eucharistic culture in our parish and in society. We pray to the Lord. 

2. For our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV, Bishop Kopacz, and all our Church leaders. That they may lead their people to a richer appreciation to the presence of the Lord in the breaking of the bread. We pray to the Lord. 

3. For our civic leader and the people whom they serve, especially the most vulnerable. We pray to the Lord. 

4. That we Christians may not drift from meeting the Lord each week in the Eucharist. For a greater love for the Mass and our liturgies. We pray to the Lord. 

5. For our children, youth, and college students. May they feel the risen Lord accompanying them through the last weeks of the school year. We pray to the Lord. 

6. For the sick, the afflicted, the aged, and the homebound. May they know the care and love of Christ through our ministries. We pray to the Lord. 

7. For peace throughout the world, especially in Ukraine and in the Middle East. For the safety of the men and women serving in the military. We pray to the Lord. 

8. For our deceased loved ones and family members. For their eternal union with God. We pray to the Lord. 

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

Priest: Heavenly Father, we present these prayers the risen Christ. He is our Lord forever and ever. AMEN.  

19 April 2026 - bulletin reflection for the 3rd Sunday of Easter

As we continue our celebration of the Easter season, I am thankful for all the participation we have had in our parish during Lent, Holy Week, and now the Easter season. We had a good turnout for our Divine Mercy prayer service last Sunday afternoon. As you know, as a priest, I promote the different devotions of the Church, and try to find ways to get more parishioners involved in them. With our Gospel last week of the apostle Thomas wanting to touch the wounds of Jesus and our Gospel today of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, we hear of the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus and the disciples trying to make sense of what is going on in their lives of faith. May this Easter season help us in our understanding and our practice of our Catholic faith. Have a blessed week everyone - Father Lincoln. 

16 April 2026 - prayers of the faithful for Thursday of the 2nd week of Easter

Lord Jesus - you are the resurrection

Christ Jesus - you bring us new life

Lord Jesus - you bring us hope.

Priest: We present our prayers to our heavenly Father with faith and hope during this 2nd week of the Easter season: 

1. For Leo XIV our Pope, the communion of Bishops, and all the clergy. For their fidelity to the truth of the Gospel revealed in the mercy of Christ. 

2. That all Christians may embrace the corporal and spiritual works of mercy that we are called to in our baptism. 

3. For all people of good will. That the entire human family may recognize our common bond to work for justice and peace and for the good of all peoples. 

4. For all victims of injustice.That they may learn the freedom of mercy and find healing in their brokenness. 

5. For all those enslaved by their past sins or past decisions. That the presence of the risen Christ encourage them to seek his mercy and love. 

6. We pray for the sick, the suffering, and the dying. That they may receive healing and encounter the mystery of their dignity as God's children. 

7. For those prayers we hold in our hearts.

Priest: Heavenly Father, we present these prayers through your son Jesus Christ our Lord forever and ever.  AMEN.    

16 April 2026 - homily for Thursday of the 2nd week of Easter - Acts

God’s grace works in the lives of the saints in different ways. St Bernadette is the saint we celebrate today. She was born to a poor family in France in the year 1844.  She suffered poor health throughout her life, but God allowed the Blessed Virgin Mary to appear to her in the small French village of Lourdes to bring a special message of mercy and repentance to the world. At Mary’s command, Bernadette dug a hole in the ground and brought the healing water of a hidden spring to the surface.To this day, millions of pilgrims each year from all over the world still flock to this holy site to encounter God’s healing presence in their lives. Bernadette eventually became a nun and died at the age of 35 due to her fragile health. Her body lies in a glass reliquary at the Chapel Convent in Nevers, France. I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Lourdes in both 2018 and 2025 on pilgrimage and to experience the healing waters of the spring there. It was an amazing experience that I will never forget. 

In our first reading from Acts today, the apostles give witness before the Sanhedrin that they are following a higher authority that dictates their consciences and their actions, an authority that is sometimes in conflict with civil authority. The Sanhedrin issued an edict that the apostles refrain from preaching the Gospel, but Peter and his companions declare that they must obey God, not man. We see situations like this in our modern world today. We Catholics in modern America live in a land where capital punishment is practiced and condoned by our secular society. Even though the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs Wade, some individual states still allow abortion. Our own Diocese sued the federal government some years ago, along with other Catholic Dioceses and Catholic institutions to protest that provisions in insurance plans that we were forced to follow that violate the Gospel of Life. By refusing to obey the authorities, Peter and his companions put their lives in danger. Their belief in the risen Lord compelled them to speak out and to follow their conscience. Although man put Jesus to death, they knew that God had raised him up. May the example of these apostles inspire us on our own journeys. 

15 April 2026 - homily for Wednesday of the 2nd week of Easter - St Cesar de Bus - Acts 5:17-26

Cesar de Bus was born in France as the 7th of 13 children in 1544 in the era of the Protestant Reformation. He became a soldier at the age of 18, fighting in the war against the French Protestant Huguenots. After leaving the war, he lived a very worldly life in Paris, devoted to poetry and painting, but also in the pursuit of worldly pleasures. Returning home, he worked as a caretaker of a church. Passing by a shrine dedicated to the Blessed Mother one night, he had a mystical experience that led him to a deep conversion of faith. Ordained a priest in 1582 in Avignon, he was inspired by the holiness of St Charles Borromeo. He founded two orders: the Ursulines of Province for women and the Fathers of Christian doctrine for men. The male order disbanded under the French Revolution, but an Italian branch of that order survived. That order continues in Italy, France, and Brazil to this day. He died in 1607. He was canonized in 2022 by Pope Francis. 

Peter, Paul, and the rest of the apostles were imprisoned many times for the way that they publicly preached the Gospel to the world in the years after Christ’s death and resurrection. As told in today's first reading from the Acts, when Peter and a group of apostles were imprisoned, they were miraculously set free and went out into the Temple area where they resumed preaching publicly about Jesus and his proclamation of God's kingdom.  

We can create different prisons for ourselves, but we ourselves can also imprison God’s word in the world just as the chief priests and the Jewish authorities did when they put Peter and the other apostles in prison. Christ’s Gospel message needs to be more than just words to us. We are called to put those words into action. God’s word is there in our lives to inspire us, motivate us, and guide us along our journey. It can be a big challenge for us to live out our faith each day. Our lives can seem so busy that we sometimes do not make time for God or for Church. But God always meets us in our reality. 

If God’s words do not infuse our words and actions, if God’s word does not have a place in our reality, then his word will be imprisoned just as it was when the first apostles were put into jail. How can we set God’s word free?   

15 April 2026 - prayers of the faithful for 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 actions. 

2. For all the newly baptized and for those who came into the Church at Easter. For our youth who received the sacrament of confirmation last week. May they 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 those who are struggling in their faith. May they experience the risen Lord in their lives and be encouraged on their journey.

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

6. For all who are suffering mentally, physically or spiritually. For those who are struggling with addictions and mental health issues. For healing and wholeness. 

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

8. For peace throughout the world, especially in Ukraine and in the Middle East. For the safety of the men and women in the military. 

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

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

13 April 2026 - prayers of the faithful for Monday of the 2nd week of Easter

Lord Jesus - you call us to faith. 

Christ Jesus - you call us to hope. 

Lord Jesus - you call us to Easter joy. 

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

1. That we in the Church may bring the light of Christ to those in darkness.

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

3. That those who have doubts or who are searching in their faith may experience the risen Lord and discover the truth through his love.

4. For and increase in vocations to consecrated religious life, the diaconate, the priesthood, and lay ministry. 

5. For all those suffering mentally, physically or spiritually.  For healing and wholeness in their lives. 

6. For all our family members and loved ones who have died. May God meet them face to face on their journey to eternal life.

7. For peace throughout the world, especially in Ukraine and the Middle East. For safety for the men and women serving in the military. 

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

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