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. 

25 June 2026 - Thursday of the 12th week - 2 Kings 24:8-17

Throughout the first and second books of Kings, we hear about the different kings who reigned in Israel, how they were often unfaithful to God and how they led the people astray from the path of faith. God gave them chance after chance, asking them to repent and to mend their ways, but the kings and the people often turned back to their evil ways and away from the Lord. Today, we hear about the Babylonians invading Israel, securing victory, and sending King Jehoiachin, the army, skilled craftsmen, and the king’s officers and functionaries into exile in Babylon, leaving behind the poor in Israel. The exile is a very difficult and painful event in Israel’s history, something that they never forget. The return to Jerusalem after many years in exile and the restoration of the Temple and the rituals there and the restoration of their relationship with God are all a big part of the history of Israel, part of which motivated the establishment of the country Israel in the Holy Land after WWII. This is a part of the history of the people of Israel and part of our faith history as well. It is important for us to put our trust in God and to follow him on our journey of faith, to not put our full trust and hope in the things of this world, which many of the kings of Israel did. May we learn from history. 

25 June 2026 - prayers of the faithful for Thursday of the 12th week in Ordinary time

Lord have mercy - you send us God’s Holy Spirit. 

Christ have mercy - you forgive the sins of the contrite. 

Lord have mercy - you are the beloved son of the Father.

Priest: Let us now turn to our loving God as we offer our prayers today: 

1. For Pope Leo XIV, Bishop Kopacz, and all our Church leaders. May they teach us to acknowledge Christ in the reality of our lives. 

2. For the end of war, violence, and hatred. May we work toward the peace of God’s kingdom. 

3. For all lawyers, judges, and those who work in the judicial system. May they work for the justice of God’s kingdom.

4. For our children, youth, families, and college students. May the Lord accompany them during their travels and their summer break. 

5. For all who grieve and mourn. May they be comforted. 

6. For family members who have died. May all the dead now rest in the assurance of God’s peace. 

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

Priest: God of Providence, may we receive your care and your loving plan for our lives. We ask this through Christ, our Lord forever and ever. Amen. 

24 June 2026 - homily for the Solemnity of the Nativity of John the Baptist — Wednesday - Luke 1:57-66, 80

John the Baptist died before Jesus’ death and resurrection, but even so, before those events, John was able to be a strong Gospel witness for Jesus, knowing that Jesus was the Messiah, the one for whom he paved the way. Even while he was in prison, John was occupied with the question of Jesus being the promised one, sending his disciples to Jesus to ask him that very question. In the Gospel of John, Jesus asserts that John is greatest in the line of prophets in the Jewish faith, a very strong claim.  

Today’s solemnity celebrates the birth of John the Baptist to his parents Zechariah and Elizabeth. The date of his birth falls around the day in our calendar of the summer solstice, the time of the greatest amount of daylight in the northern hemisphere, which took place on Sunday, June 21 this year. The summer solstice was a time of great festivals of many pagan religions, including the Romans. With creation on earth being dependent on light for all dimensions of life, the pagans wanted to appease the gods who they saw as controlling the sun. The birth of Jesus comes around the time of the winter solstice, when daylight starts increasing in the northern hemisphere of the world. Through our celebrations of the births of Jesus and John the Baptist, we celebrate Jesus as the light of the world. In his life and ministry, John testified to the light, even when he was in the womb of his mother Elizabeth, leaping for joy when he and his mother were in the presence of Mary, with Jesus in her womb. From the moment of he was conceived, John was brave in his testimony, confronting many of the social and political attitudes of his time. From the beginning of John’s existence, he was called by God to a specific prophetic task. From the moment of our own baptism, we to are called to give testimony to the faith and to be a part of the Father’s plan. We can help to build up God’s kingdom here on earth and to be a part of Christ’s mission and ministry. We unite our prayers with the prayers of John the Baptist today as we celebrate his birth.  

24 June 2026 - prayers of the faithful for Wednesday of the 12th week in Ordinary time

Lord Jesus - You bring us God’s grace and God’s peace. 

Christ Jesus - You call us to a life of holiness. 

Lord Jesus -  You are the resurrection.

Priest: Let us turn to God in love and offer in our prayers our needs and the needs of the world. 

1. For Leo XIV, our pope, Joseph Kopacz, our bishop, and all who lead

us in faith. May they imitate the heart of Jesus Christ and offer compassion to all who are burdened by life. 

2. For all people who face war, hatred, and hopelessness. May people beaten they find in Christ the love and compassion that they need. 

3. For all those affected by natural disasters, floods, storms, and droughts. For recovery and for the help that they need. 

4. For all people who face affliction, disease, and undiagnosed illness. May the they know the healing heart of Christ. May hope be born in our human vulnerability. 

5. For those who have entered eternal life know eternal union with God. 

6. For all people bowed down by burdens and broken relationships. May they feel God’s love and wisdom in their lives. 

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

Priest: God of eternal peace, comfort those lost in sin and heartache. We ask our prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. Amen.

23 June 2026 - prayers of the faithful for Tuesday of the 12th week in Ordinary Time

Lord have mercy - you embody God’s love and mercy. 

Christ have mercy - you forgive the sins of the contrite. 

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

Priest: Let us now bring our needs before the God, who hears our prayers: 

1. That the Church and our Church leaders may witness God’s mercy, justice, and peace to the world. 

2. That the actions of the leaders of government and society be rooted in patience and faithfulness. 

3. That those who struggle to see God’s goodness due to grief or suffering: may be surrounded by the comfort of a faithful community.

4. May anger and hardness of heart be converted to compassion, humility, and joy. 

5. For those who have died, especially our loved ones and family members.  May they rejoice in the eternal communion of God. 

6. For a greater sense of stewardship of the gifts God has bestowed upon us and care of God’s creation. 

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

Priest: Holy God, Source of all love and unity, hear these prayers we bring before you. Through belief in your triune mystery, grant us healing, peace, and the grace to live as your people. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

23 June 2026 - homily for Tuesday of the 12th week in Ordinary Time - 2 Kings 19:9b-11, 14-21, 31-35a, 36

St Joseph Cafasso was born in the countryside in the town of Castelnuovo d’Asti in 1811. In 1834 he was ordained to the priesthood in Turin. He taught at the ecclesiastical college in Turin, which was dedicated to forming diocesan priests. Among his students was another future saint, John Bosco, who had been born in the same town as Joseph, and whom he had known from childhood.
While teaching at the major seminary, St Joseph was also known for guiding his flock with kindness and serenity. His fellow citizens had such high regard for him that they suggested he take a place in the legislative assembly. He refused, however, saying, “In the day of judgment, the Lord will ask me if I was a good priest, not a good deputy.” He was known as a model of priestly life. He was particularly drawn to the pastoral care of inmates, especially those condemned to death. He stood by their side as they were lead to the execution, bringing them to repentance by showing them God’s mercy and compassion. He died in Turin on June 23, 1860, at the age of 49. His relics can be found in the Sanctuary of the Consolata in Turin.

In our faith and in our trust of God, we are to  find refuge in him. Whenever we are threatened by external forces against our faith, we should not give way to fear and and we should not give way to falsehood. Rather than allowing the threatening message of the Assyrian King to weaken his spirit, King Hezekiah  turned immediately to the Lord for security and his heart’s desire was granted. When we prefer the wide gate to the narrow gate, we have not learned to trust in God as King Hezekiah did. Entering through the narrow gate could mean for us to live in loving and holy obedience unto God for the good of others even as we remain steadfast in the face of the temptations and trials of life.