19 July 2026 - homily for the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time CYCLE A - Matthew 13:24-43

In May of last year, when I was on the Camino in Spain with a group of young adults, I had a free day to myself before I returned to the United States. I decided to visit the city of Segovia, site of a famous Roman aqueduct built in the first century and the shrine where St John of the Cross is buried. In Segovia, I also got to visit the home of the famous Spanish poet Antonio Machado, who died in 1939. In this humble apartment, Machado wrote many of his well-known poems. One of Machado’s poems talks about the state of his soul. This is what Machado wrote:

One clear day the wind with the

aroma of jasmine called my heart:

( The wind said:) "In exchange for my aroma I'd love to

 have the fragrance of all your roses."

(I replied:) " I have no roses, there aren't any

 flowers in my garden; all have died."

(The wind then said:) " I will then take the fountain's waters,

the yellow leaves and the withered petals."

The wind left...My heart wailed....

" Soul, what have you done to your garden?"

 As Machado writes, our soul can be a beautiful garden, with lovely flowers and a sweet aroma. Or our soul be a garden where all the flowers have withered, where there is nothing be dead plants and parched ground. 

The parable of the weeds that Jesus presents to us today addresses how we can think we are doing all the right things on our journey of faith, like going to mass and cultivating our prayer life and reaching out to others in works of charity. We can be confident that we are doing the right things in our life of faith, but the weeds or other expectant things can still spring up and surprise us. While we should not be anxious or paranoid, we cannot live in a state of complacency either. We still need to before of those things for which we are to repent and to renew ourselves. We are still to purge the weeds that take root in our hearts. 

God to come to us in a quiet whisper or a calm breeze, just as the spirit of the divine spoke in Machado’s poem in the wind fragranced with the aroma of jasmine. God’s message of salvation and God’s call to follow him can be as subtle and as beautiful as the smell of jasmine blooming on a hot summer’s night. Yet, if we’ve neglected our faith, if the garden of our soul has not been cultivated, we might not be ready to receive his message, no matter how beautiful and inviting that message may be. 

When I was in Rome with the youth choir from St Richard Church in Jackson back in 2010, we visited St Paul’s basilica outside the ancient walls of Rome. For centuries, Church officials had tried to find the exact place where Paul’s tomb was located.  One spot of ground was ruled out because it looked like it was solid rock, so they thought that there was no way St Paul could have been buried on that spot. However, it turned out not to be rock, it was just soil that had been hardened for so long that it was hard as rock.  Underneath that hard soil was the place where the tomb of St. Paul was finally found in 2006, not that long ago. Just like soil that can become hard as a rock, our hearts can become so hard that we might not think that this is the place where we will find God or find meaning in life, so we start looking in other places.          

The great Catholic writer Ron Rolheiser writes that there are many tragic ways to die in our world, but there are two ways that are most tragic of all.  If we die without expressing the love we have in our hearts for God and for our brothers and sisters, or if we die without feeling the love that God has for us, without feeling the love of our brothers and sisters, that is the greatest tragedy of all. Indeed, God is love.  And since we were made in the image of God, we are called to love, we are called to experience the love of others. May we cultivate our lives of faith so that we are always ready to experience God. 

12 July 2026 - 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time CYCLE A - Matthew 13:1-23

It is amazing to think about how rapidly the population of the world has grown. In 1804, the population of the world reached 1 billion people for the first time in history.  In 1927, the population reached 2 billion.  Today, the population of world is approximately 8.3 billion people. Both China and India each have more than 1.4 billion people. Food is one issue countries have faced with this growing population.  In the 1960s, agronomists knew this challenge was coming. One agronomist from the United States went to India with a newly developed wheat seed. He convinced the Indian authorities to try this new seed. They planted this new strain of wheat in the Punjab region of India; the results were amazing. They later introduced a new variety of rice. These new seeds enabled India and other Asian countries to avert famine. Today, with its huge population, India produces a food surplus and has become a major rice exporter. This story illustrates the power of a seed, how it can change the world. In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us about power of the word of God using the parable of the sower who sows seeds in different types of ground. 

For 3 weeks in a row, Jesus will speak to us in parables from Matthew’s Gospel. Jesus uses parables to help us better understand the Kingdom of God. As we hear about the sower who sows some seeds that die, while other seeds take root and produce fruit, we can think about how God’s word taking root in our lives and the ways we sow the seeds of his kingdom. Like a farmer who faces floods, drought, or other kinds of disasters, as disciples, we are called to plant seeds of hope and faith through our evangelization efforts, to sow the best seeds available to us. Just as the farmer uses the sun, wind, and rain to produce a good harvest, we are to use the reality of God’s creation around us to sow and plant. As the Son of God, Jesus works in us through the presence of the Holy Spirit, providing the grace to nourish our faith. If we apply ourselves in our life of faith, if we use the resources around us, and if we give it our best effort, will we be able to truly grow as disciples ourselves and evangelize others. 

Some years ago, evangelizer Sherry Waddell was the speaker at our Diocesan convocation. She is the author of a book entitled Forming Intentional Disciples. In her book, Waddell states that we make a big mistake in our parishes by assuming that all those who have been baptized and grow up Catholic are truly evangelized themselves. She asserts that many baptized Catholics who attend mass on a regular basis have not really been evangelized yet and do not know how to live productive spiritual lives. Yet, the challenges we have in our life of discipleship should not frustrate us or cause us to be cynical. We are to face our challenges with enthusiasm and hope, to be on fire for the Lord. 

Jesus’ message was rejected in his hometown. He received opposition and hostility from the Jewish authorities. Many times, the synagogues refused Jesus entrance to preach, causing him to go out to preach to the people on the hillsides and the shore. Jesus’ parable today about the seeds that were sown in different types of soil attempted to encourage the apostles and give them hope. This parable assured them that his Good News would produce the intended affect in spite of the challenges and opposition. At the time Matthew was writing his Gospel, his Jewish-Christian community also experienced a lot of adversity, just as we modern disciples face many challenges as well.  

Father Raju had been asking for me to come up and visit you here in Clarksdale and Shelby for a while now. In the midst of my busy schedule in the Jackson area, with my parish ministry and chancery work and prison ministry, I am glad I have the opportunity this weekend to visit all of you. I know that chancery office can feel so far away from here. But know that our hearts are with you in the challenges that we all face in our ministries. I was a teacher in Greenville for 4 years before I became a priest. And I was pastor in Yazoo City and Belzoni for 2 1/2 years, so I know the reality of the Delta, and I really enjoyed my time in the Delta. We all need to find hope and encouragement in our lives of faith, don’t we? I know that the Catholic community in the Delta has a lot of history and a lot of commitment to the faith. With the Catholic schools in Greenville and in Clarksdale, that tradition is being kept alive in Catholic education. Keeping our parishes alive in the Delta is important. So, it is great to be with you this weekend and to celebrate together around the altar of the Lord. 

17 July 2026 - homily for Friday of the 15th week of Ordinary Time - St Charbel - Isaiah 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8

Our reading from the 38th chapter of Isaiah today shows how God can help us when we turn to him in our lowest moments. King Hezekiah faces a terminal illness. He pleads to God to have mercy on him. God hears his sincere prayers, heals him, and extends his life by 15 years. God grants Hezekiah a second chance. God hears the cries of those with sincere and humble hearts. 

We celebrate the feast day of a Lebanese priest today named St Charbel Makhluf. We have a lot of Lebanese in our Diocese of Jackson, especially in the Jackson metro area and in the Mississippi Delta, and one of my good friends form seminary is Lebanese, so celebrate St Charbel today resonates with me in a lot of ways. Charbel was born in a small village in Lebanon in 1828 to a very humble family.  His father, a mule driver, died when he was 3, so he was raised by an uncle.  He entered the Monastery of St Maron in Lebanon and was ordained a priest.   For the last 23 years of his life, he lived as a hermit in the desert where he practiced a life of strict fasting and of strong devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.  People sought him out for his prayers due to his reputation for holiness.   The life of a hermit is challenging, disciplined, and austere; it is not a life that draws everyone.  But God calls us different way, just as he calls some to the life of a monk or a hermit.  May God's calling, and his life and mercy, call out to us today.  

13 July 2026 - prayers of the faithful for Monday of the 15th week in Ordinary Time

Lord Jesus - you call us to faith.

Christ Jesus - you forgive the sins of the contrite. 

Lord Jesus - you are our Lord and our savior. 

Priest - As we unite our prayers with the prayers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father -

1. That Pope Leo XIV, Bishop Kopacz, and all our Church leaders lead us in wisdom and justice. We pray to the Lord. 

2. That during our celebration of the novena of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, we may all grow in our love and devotion to Mary. We pray to the Lord. 

3. For members of the Carmelite order throughout the world. For our Carmelite sisters in our diocese and for members of the secular Carmelite order in our diocese. May the Lord bless them in their vocations. We pray to the Lord. 

4. That we may all be missionary in spirit and engaged in the new Evangelization efforts of the Church. We pray to the Lord. 

5. For the sick and afflicted. For those struggling with addictions, anxiety, depression, and mental health issues. For healing and wholeness. We pray to the Lord. 

6. For our children and youth on their journey of faith. We pray to the Lord. 

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

Priest - With joyful hearts, let us present these prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN.

13 July 2026 - homily for Monday of the 15th week in Ordinary Time - Isaiah 1:10-17

We hear the Lord tell the people through the prophet Isaiah that he does not care about the sacrifices that they made in the Temple, sacrifices that were an important part of their Temple worship to God. The people tried to be faithful in the way they worshipped God in the Temple, as they prayed there and offered sacrifices and celebrated the important religious feasts. However, their faith remained mostly in the Temple. It did not transform and permeate their daily lives. It did not change the way the practiced justice or the way they treated the widows and the orphans. This message speaks to all of us very profoundly this evening. How has our faith transformed us as individuals, as families, as a parish, as a community? Mississippi has one of the highest rates of people going to church each week in the country, but Jackson is also one of the most violent cities in the nations. God does not want a life of faith without justice. Our faith must permeate our homes, our businesses, our schools, our governmental institutions, and the streets. How are we living out our faith in the ordinary moments of our daily lives? 

I was very happy to see so many people yesterday celebrate with us at mass and enjoying fellowship together.  May we feel a sense of community and share our faith with each other, lifting each other up. 

Novena to our Lady of Mount Carmel - Carmelite monastery - Jackson MISSISSIPPI - July 2026

Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Mass at 5:30 pm Carmelite monastery, Terry Road, South Jackson - all are invited and encouraged to come and celebrate with our Carmelite sisters and with the people of our Diocese 

July 7 - Father Joe Dyer, Christ the King

July 8 - Father Stephen, St Therese 

July 9 - Father Matthew Simmons, St Joseph Gluckstadt

July 10 - Father Kevin Slattery, St John Crystal Springs 

July 11 - Father Kevin Slattery, St John Crystal Springs 

July 12 - Sunday Mass - Father Vijaya - Holy Ghost Jackson - with reception following Mass

July 13 - Father Lincoln Dall - Holy Savior Clinton and Immaculate Conception 

July 14 - Bishop Kopacz 

July 15 - Father Leon - Holy Family Jackson 

July 16 - 7:30 AM - Feast Day of Lady of Mount Carmel - Bishop Kopacz

17 July 2026 - prayers of the faithful for Friday of the 15th week in Ordinary time

Lord Jesus - you bring us hope. 

Christ Jesus - you forgive the sins of the contrite. 

Lord Jesus - you bring healing into our lives. 

Priest: With hearts and minds renewed through the love of Christ, we bring our needs to the Lord in our prayers today: 

1. That our obedience to the leaders of the church be strengthened and their service to the church be renewed. 

2. That our civil leaders deepen their sense of service to the people. 

3. That our faith community be a sign of God’s love for all people as we worship and work together. 

4. That we may grow in our love of the Eucharist and embody the spirit of the Eucharist in our words and our actions.

5. For Hunter and Chris and for all the deacons who will be ordained this weekend. 

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

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

Priest: We give you thanks for your beloved Son Jesus who cares for his flock. We make our prayers through him, for he is our Lord forever and ever. Amen.