13 June 2026 - prayers of the faithful for the memorial of the immaculate heart of Mary - prayers of the faithful for Saturday of the 10th week of ordinary time

Lord Jesus - you are the Son of Mary. 

Christ Jesus - you bring us the Father’s love. 

Lord Jesus - you proclaim the kingdom of God. 

Priest: As we celebrate the Immaculate Heart of Mary today in a special way, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father with faith and hope: 

1. We pray for the Church. That we may work to form our hearts according to the sacred heart of Christ and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. 

2. We pray for Pope Francis, Bishop Joseph Kopacz, and all our clergy and lay leaders. That they may serve God's people with joy and that they may receive care and support from the people. 

3. We pray for our Diocese and our parishes. That we may look to the past with gratitude and discern God's will in our present and future. 

4. We pray for those who have been abandoned and rejected. For those battling mental illness, depression, our addiction.  That they may experience their dignity in the love of Christ.

5. We pray for our country. That we may consecrate our lives to the example of Mary and her immaculate heart.  

6. We pray for the sick, the suffering, and the dying. That they may find healing and strength in Jesus. 

7.  We pray for all those who have died, especially for our family members and loved ones and members of our Christian community. That they may rest secure in the Sacred Heart of Christ. 

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

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

15 June 2026 - Memorial of the Immaculate heart of Mary - homily for Saturday of the 10th week in Ordinary Time - 1 kings 19:19-21

This weekend, we celebrate the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Thus, it is fitting that today we celebrate the immaculate heart of his mother. Mary was single-hearted in her faith and in her devotedness to God. She is an example and an inspiration for us, as sin and anger, frustration and impatience, our ambitions and our jealousies can take us away from our single-hearted devotion to our faith.  

Much of the devotion to the immaculate heart of Mary that we have today has its origin in the medieval period of the Church, especially with St Anselm of Canterbury and St Bernard of Clairvaux. In our modern era, John Paul II had this to say in his encyclical letter Redemptoris Mater: “By her loving consent, Mary first conceived Christ in her heart and then in her womb accepting fully and with a ready heart everything that is decreed in the divine plan. ” 

In looking at the immaculate heart of Mary, we can say that Mary faced a lot of situations in her life that she did not completely comprehend: including when the Angel Gabriel appears to her in the Annunciation, when she received the prediction from Simeon in the Temple, when she loses track of Jesus on their visit to the Temple, when Jesus is faced with starting his earthly ministry at the wedding of Cana, and when Mary witnesses her son dying on the cross. Mary pondered all these things in her heart.  Mary places her trust in God even when she does not completely understand.  She moves forward in her life and in her faith in her single-hearted devotion.  

In our first reading from the first book of Kings, we hear the call of Elisha to be a prophet. In response, Elisha gives a radical surrender to his vocation. When the prophet Elijah casts his mantle upon Elisha, showing the passing of the prophetic authority and grace, Elisha immediately leaves his livelihood to follow God's call, burning his plowing equipment as a sign that there is no turning back. The single-hearted devotion to faith that is symbolized in the immaculate heart of Mary is embodied in Elisha response in following the will of God as well. 

28 June 2026 - prayers of the faithful for the 13th Sunday of Ordinary time - prison ministry

Lord Jesus - you proclaim the values of God’s kingdom. 

Christ Jesus - you call us to listen to God’s prophets in the world. 

Lord Jesus - you hear the cry of the poor. 

Priest: Loving Father, as we gather here before you at Mass today, we ask that you will hear our prayers and draw us closer to you:

1. We pray for Pope Leo XIV, Bishop Kopacz, and the leaders of our Church. May they show our Church to be a place of welcome for all. We hope all find us to be a welcoming place at the Catholic community of St Michael the Archangel. We pray to the Lord. 

2. We pray for our world leaders. May they work together for the good of humanity. We pray to the Lord. 

3.  As we gather to celebrate the Eucharist today, we pray that we will seek to proclaim God’s word and more fully do God’s will. We pray to the Lord. 

4. We pray our children and for our families, that the Lord will watch over them in their summer activities and summer travels. We pray to the Lord. 

5. We pray for the sick and the afflicted. For all who care for the sick and for our medical professionals. For the men going through the BMU program. For the men in the infirmary. We pray to the Lord. 

6. For our first responders. For the men and women serving in the military. For our veterans. We pray to the Lord. 

7. For our gardeners and our farmers. For good weather for them. For a bountiful harvest. For those who struggle to put food on their table. We pray to the Lord. 

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

Priest: Almighty God, you have called us to be children of light in a world of darkness. We ask that you hear our prayers, which come to you through Jesus, your Son, our Lord forever and ever. Amen.

28 June 2026 - prayers of the faithful for the 13th Sunday of Ordinary time

Introduction: We commemorate the 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time. In our readings today, we are told of the new life we received through our baptism in Christ. We are challenged to take our crosses and to follow Jesus in the reality of our lives. May we find hope and encouragement in the daily reality of our journey of faith. 

Lord Jesus - you proclaim the values of God’s kingdom. 

Christ Jesus - you call us to listen to God’s prophets in the world. 

Lord Jesus - you hear the cry of the poor. 

Priest: Loving Father, as we gather here before you at Mass today, we ask that you will hear our prayers and draw us closer to you:

1. We pray for Pope Leo XIV, Bishop Kopacz, and the leaders of our Church. May they show our Church to be a place of welcome for all. We pray to the Lord. 

2. We pray for our world leaders. May they work together for the good of humanity. We pray to the Lord. 

3.  As we gather to celebrate the Eucharist today, we pray that we will seek to proclaim God’s word and more fully do God’s will. We pray to the Lord. 

4. We pray for our faith community. May we have a spirit of welcome and hospitality towards the people around us. We pray to the Lord. 

5. We pray for the sick and the afflicted of our parish. For all who care for the sick and for our medical professionals. We pray to the Lord. 

6. For our first responders. For the men and women serving in the military. For our veterans. We pray to the Lord. 

7. For our gardeners and our farmers. For good weather for them. For a bountiful harvest. For those who struggle to put food on their table. We pray to the Lord. 

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

Priest: Almighty God, you have called us to be children of light in a world of darkness. We ask that you hear our prayers, which come to you through Jesus, your Son, our Lord forever and ever. Amen.

28 June 2026 - Bulletin reflection - 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

We are now at the end of June as the summer months are passing by. This weekend I am in southern Indiana for a mission appeal. I will be taking some quiet time next week for prayer and contemplation. It is important for us to take time to pray and reflect in the midst of our very busy lives. Even as a priest, with my busy schedule, this can be very challenging for me. We always have to remind ourselves to look for the presence of God in our reality, in the joys and in the challenges. Have a blessed week everyone. Father Lincoln. 

26 June 2026 - Friday of the 12th week in Ordinary Time - 2 Kings 25:1-12

Our reading today from the second book of Kings continues to tell of the tragic fall of the city of Jerusalem to the Babylonias in the year 586 BC, with the destruction of the Temple and the other large buildings in the city. The destruction of Jerusalem and the exile to Babylon is a consequence of the sins and unfaithfulness of the people of Israel. The prophets had warned Israel to give up their idol worship are to return to the practice of justice. The people did not listen and paid the consequence for their infidelity. 

We must be accountable for our actions and take responsibility for the practice of our faith. Their exile from the promised land and the destruction of the Temple forced the people of Israel to see that God is not confined to certain place or a single building. This forced Israel to see that their priorities were too focused on the ways of the world and not the ways of God. 

We can feel like we are in the wilderness sometimes. It may be difficult for us to keep our faith alive in the realities of life that we are facing. We are called to reflect upon how we cooperate with God’s grace in our lives and how our sins and temptations take us away from God. 

26 June 2026 - prayers of the faithful for Friday of the 11th week in Ordinary time

Lord have mercy - you call us to missionary in spirit. 

Christ have mercy - you proclaim the good news of the Gospel. 

Lord have mercy - you bring us God’s peace. 

Priest: We come before our loving Father as we lift our prayers to heaven. 

1. For Leo XIV, our pope, and Joseph Kopacz, our bishop. For all who lead us in faith and love. 

2. May the words and actions of our daily lives help us to bear witness to the joy of the Gospel. 

3. For all civic and governmental leaders. May our worldwide leaders work for the basic needs of people.

4. May we welcome the lost and the marginalized. 

5. For the anguished and the sorrowful. May their hope be in Christ’s healing love. 

6. For our beloved dead. May God welcome home our loved ones who have taken their last breath here on earth. 

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

Priest: Gracious and merciful Father, listen to our needs as we reach out to you for purpose, hope, and direction.