31 May 2026 - prayers of the faithful for the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity - prison ministry

Penitential Rite

Lord Jesus, you are the Son of the eternal Father.

Christ Jesus, you bring us salvation through your death and resurrection.

Lord Jesus, you nurture us and care for us on our journey.

Priest: The God of the Trinity loves us and saves us. In the name of the Triune God, we present our prayers today with faith and trust:

1. That we in the Church may strive to share with others the good news of salvation brought to us by our Lord Christ Jesus. We pray to the Lord.

2. For peace and reconciliation in all the nations of the world. We pray that the peace and love of God’s kingdom may reign. We pray to the Lord.

3. For anyone who is struggling in life. For those who are facing additions and mental health issues. We pray to the Lord. 

4. For good weather for our farmers and gardeners and our garden project. We pray their crops and gardens provide us nourishment and reflect the beauty and majesty of God in creation. We pray to the Lord.

5. For our children, our youth, our colleges students, and families. May God watch over them and bless them in their summer activities and travels. We pray to the Lord.

6. For the sick and the afflicted of our community. For healing in their lives. We pray for their caregivers and their medical professionals. We pray to the Lord.

7. For our departed loved ones and family members. For their entry into eternal life. For the souls in purgatory. We pray to the Lord.

8. For the prayers we hold in the silence of our hearts. For our prayer intentions spoken and unspoken. We pray to the Lord.

Priest: God of mercy and compassion, in your love for us, you sent your only Son for our salvation. Graciously hear our prayers in his name, for he is Lord with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen. 

31 May 2026 - prayers of the faithful for the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Introduction - We receive baptism and enter into the life of faith in the name of the Most Holy Trinity. We invoke the Triune God today as we begin the mass with the sign of the cross. As we celebrate the joyful Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity this weekend, let us reflect upon our Christian life in the Trinity in our words and our actions.

Penitential Rite

Lord Jesus, you are the Son of the eternal Father: Lord, have mercy.

Christ Jesus, you bring us salvation through your death and resurrection: Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, you nurture us and care for us on our journey: Lord, have mercy.

Priest: The God of the Trinity loves us and saves us. In the name of the Triune God, we present our prayers with faith and trust:

1. That we in the Church may strive to share the good news of salvation brought to us by our Lord Christ Jesus. We pray to the Lord.

2. For peace and reconciliation in all the nations of the world. We pray that the peace and love of God’s kingdom may reign throughout the world. We pray to the Lord.

3. For all who are living out the sacrament of marriage in their lives and all who are preparing to celebrate that sacrament of holy matrimony. We pray that their union of love might reflect the divine love among the three Persons of the Holy Trinity. We pray to the Lord.

4. For good weather for our farmers and gardeners. We pray their crops and gardens provide us nourishment and reflect the beauty and majesty of God in creation. We pray to the Lord.

5. For our children, our youth, our colleges students, and our families. May God watch over them and bless them in their summer activities and travels. We pray to the Lord.

6. For the sick and the afflicted of our community. For healing in their lives and in thanksgiving for their caregivers and medical professionals. We pray to the Lord.

7. For our departed loved ones and family members. For their entry into eternal life. For the souls in purgatory. We pray to the Lord.

8. For the prayers we hold in the silence of our hearts. For our prayer intentions spoken and unspoken. We pray to the Lord.

Priest: God of mercy and compassion, in your love for us, you sent your only Son for our salvation. Graciously hear our prayers in his name, for he is Lord with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen. 

31 May 2026 - bulletin reflection for the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

This weekend, I will be on a mission appeal at a parish in Bristol, Rhone Island in the Diocese of Providence. I enjoy doing mission appeals in the missionary spirit of the Early Church that we have been hearing about in our first readings from the Acts of the Apostles during the Easter season. It gives me a different perspective as a priest here in the Diocese of Jackson, telling stories about our Diocese and our parishes, being Catholic in the midst of the Bible Belt South.

When I go on these mission appeals, I feel that I am truly representing all of you, my parishioners. As we celebrate the Most Holy Trinity this weekend in our liturgical celebration right after the end of the Easter season, may we feel God accompanying us each step of the way on our journey of faith. Father Lincoln.

29 May 2026 - homily for Friday of the 8th week in Ordinary Time - 1 Peter 4:7-13

As we continue to hear from the first letter of Peter today, we hear about what it means to live out our Christian faith in a hostile world and advice to those who face persecution. Peter tells us to love each other intensely, to be good stewards of the graces that God bestows upon us, to be hospitable and welcoming to one another, and to be true to God’s word when we preach. All very good advice. 

Today, we celebrate one of the great leaders of the Church from the 20th century, Pope Paul VI. With the death of John XXIII, Paul  become pope in 1963, in the middle of the Second Vatican Council. His papacy lasted until his death in 1978. His papacy has left a lasting legacy in the Church and in the modern world.  Being Pope at the height of the Cold War and in the midst of the Vietnam War, he addressed the United Nations in New York City in 1965 with these famous words: "No more war, never again war. Peace, it is peace that must guide the destinies of people and of all mankind.” To foster common bonds with all persons of good will, he decreed an annual day of prayer for peace, celebrated on January 1 each year.  Pope Paul VI is famous for this statement which has become a cornerstone of Catholic Social Teaching: “If you want peace, work for justice.”  This message of peace and justice is what I remember most about Pope Paul VI. His initial implementation of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council have had a huge impact on the Church. He was canonized in 2018 by Pope Francis. Along with the canonization of Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII, we remember these great pope from the modern era who had made a huge impact on our practice of Catholicism. 

17 May 2026 - prayers of the faithful for the Ascension - prison ministry

Lord Jesus, you are the eternal Son of the Father. 

Christ Jesus, your presence fills the universe. 

Lord Jesus, you guide us home with you into bright glory. 

PRIEST: We now present our prayers for our needs and the needs of the world to the God the Father who sent us his son, our Lord Jesus Christ:

1. For God’s pilgrim people throughout the world. We pray for a willingness to follow the path of love and mercy that God sets before us. We pray to the Lord.

2. For those who feel alone or abandoned. May we reach out to help our neighbors lost among violence, depression, addictions, and neglect. We pray to the Lord. 

3. For those who have served our country whom we remember on the Memorial Day weekend. For those who lost their lives in defending our country. For the families who survived them and mourned them. We pray to the Lord. 

4. For an affirmation and awareness of the dignity of all human life.  We pray to the Lord. 

5. For our family members and loved ones. May they feel our prayers and love reaching out to them each day. We pray to the Lord. 

6. For all who are grieving or suffering in different ways. May Christ Jesus offer hope and encouragement through the struggles of our journey. We pray to the Lord. 

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

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

PRIEST: God of all, we believe that we shall see the good things that you have in store for us in the land of the living. Hear the sound of our call, have mercy on us and answer us, through your son Jesus Christ, our risen Lord forever and ever. AMEN.

17 de marzo de 2026 - homilía de la Ascensión de nuestro Señor Jesucristo - Hechos de los Apóstoles 1:1-11 - Mateo 28:16-20

Hoy, celebramos con la Iglesia universal la Ascensión de nuestro Señor, Jesucristo. Tal vez, tenemos preguntas sobre el motivo de esta celebración en la temporada de pascua. Por supuesto, después de la resurrección de Cristo, los discípulos de nuestro Señor quisieron tener su presencia visible siempre con nosotros.

La ascensión es un misterio de nuestra fe católica. La ascensión de nuestro Señor es la culminación de los misterios pascuales de la vida, el ministerio, la pasión, la muerte y la resurrección de Cristo. La ascensión de Cristo el paso final antes de la venida del Espíritu Santo en Pentecostés.

Pero, ¿qué significa esta palabra “Ascensión”? No utilizamos esta palabra frecuentemente en las conversaciones diarias en el mundo moderno. La Ascensión de Jesucristo no es solo una ascensión física donde él pasa de un espacio aquí en la tierra a otro espacio en los cielos. Podemos decir que la ascensión es una intensificación de la presencia del Señor en nuestra realidad, comprendiendo que él no nos abandona después de la resurrección.

Con esta celebración de la Ascensión, tal vez, preguntamos: ¿Dónde está Jesucristo, entonces, en el cielo o en la tierra?  La respuesta es sencilla: en el cielo, por supuesto, pero también, dentro de cada uno de nosotros. Es lo mismo que ocurre en la Misa: mientras la hostia, el cuerpo y la sangre de Cristo, está fuera de nosotros, la vemos y la adoramos. Cuando  recibimos la eucaristía y comulgamos, no la vemos más, ha desaparecido, se ha hecho parte de nosotros. Dios no está en los sucesos materiales que suceden en el mundo, sino en el corazón de las personas que viven cada día como sus discípulos.

La presencia de Dios está en muchos lugares en el mundo: en su sagrada palabra, en los sacramentos, en la Iglesia, en nuestra comunidad, en los más pobres y débiles del mundo, en sus discípulos, en las acciones de amor y de misericordia que hacemos a nuestro prójimo. La ascensión no es la ausencia de Dios en la tierra o en nuestra vida, sino la presencia intensificada de Dios en nuestra vida diaria.

El monje el orden del Císter Bernardo de Claraval habló de tres venidas de Cristo. Cristo vino en su nacimiento en Nazaret. El vendrá de nuevo al final de los tiempos. Y él viene a nuestros corazones cada día en nuestro camino de fe. Cristo ascendió a los cielos, pero está siempre con nosotros en espíritu. Nuestra humanidad se realiza en Dios. Debemos recordar lo que Jesús nos proclamó al final del Evangelio de Mateo que escuchamos este domingo: «yo estaré con ustedes todos los días, hasta el fin del mundo.» (Mateo 28:20).

Todos nosotros, como discípulos de Cristo: los sacerdotes, los miembros de las comunidades religiosas, los diáconos, y todos los laicos también -  estamos llamados a vivir como testigos de la resurrección y ascensión de Jesús.  Es la llamada que tenemos hoy y que tenemos cada día en nuestro camino de fe.  

29 May 2026 - prayers of the faithful for Friday of the 8th week of ordinary time

Lord Jesus - you bring us your father’s love. 

Christ Jesus - you embody God’s justice. 

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

Priest: With faith and hope, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father: 

1. That we in the Church may see God in the people and events and experiences of our lives. 

2. That God will stir up into a flame the gift of the Spirit in our lives. 

3. For a greater sense of reverence and respect for God’s creation. 

4. For greater unity amongst all Christians. 

5. That we work together to promote a just and safe society. 

6. For our first responders, our veterans, and the men and women serving in the military. For peace throughout the world. 

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

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