Friday of the first week of Lent - 27 February 2026 - prayers of the faithful

Lord Jesus - you call us to the Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting, and charity. 

Christ Jesus - you bring us joy on our Lenten journey of faith. 

Lord Jesus - you call us to repent for our sins. 

Priest: We now bring our prayers to our loving and merciful God in this first week of Lent: 

1. That God may strengthen our friendships and family relationships and deepen our compassionate concern and assistance toward those who are alone or isolated.

2. For our first responders, our military veterans, and for the men and women in the military. For courage and strength on their journey. 

3. For missionaries and for all who bring Christ’s Good News to others in the different corners of the world. May the Lord accompany them in the efforts. 

4. For our children, youth, and college students, that Lent be a meaningful time for them on their journey of faith. 

5. That our words and actions may reflect the values of the Gospel of Life, as we respect the dignity of each human being. 

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

Priest: With faith and hope during these holy days of Lent, we present these prayers through your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN.  

27 February 2026 - homily for Friday of the 1st week of Lent - Ezekiel 18:21-28

Today, the saint we celebrate is Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows. He was born in 1838 in Italy into a large family. His mother died when he was four years old. He was educated by the Jesuits and was very sickly as a child. He applied to join the Jesuits, but was rejected because he was only 17 years old. He later was accepted to the Passionist Father where he became well-known for his love for the poor, for his devout prayer life, and for his kindness toward others. After four years of studies, he contracted tuberculosis. He patiently and quietly accepted his sufferings, dying in 1862 at the age of 24. He was canonized in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV.  He is a patron saint of Catholic youth and of students studying for the priesthood. In 1959, Pope John XXIII declared him to be patron saint of the Abruzzi region of Italy, where he spent the last two years of his life. 

As we commemorate St Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows today, the prophet Ezekiel brings us a message in the midst of our Lenten journey, telling us that the Lord does not delight when a wicked man remains in his wickedness, but rather God delights when the wicked man transforms his heart. There are many in our world today who turn their backs on both God’s law and man’s law, who want to stay on those evil paths and do not want to hear the voice of God calling out to them. We may say that the laws of God and the laws of man are unfair, but what about the ways that we break those laws, the ways we give way to temptation and go down the wrong path? Our Lenten journey calls out to return to the Lord and to renew out lives of faith. It is difficult to break old habits and to reform our lives. It is hard to break out of addictions, laziness, and complacency. But that is what the Lord is calling us to do. And the Lord will rejoice when we are able to do so. 

26 February 2026 - homily for Thursday of the 1st week of Lent - Matthew 7:7-12

Blessed Francisco Bejarano Fernández was a Catholic priest of the diocese of Córdoba, Spain. He dedicated his life to serving the community of Añora, where he was born on June 1, 1877. He was known for his holiness as a priest and his dedication to his parish and to his ministry. He died in the Spanish Civil War while in prison on February 26, 1938. Many priests and bishops were martyred during that war. He was beatified by Pope Francis in the cathedral in Córdoba Spain in 2021. 

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”   We hear this famous verse as a part of the Gospel from St Matthew this afternoon. When we see an image of a door as a symbol of our faith, we can picture that door either open or closed.  It can a door that is inviting us in or a door that closing us off from our faith.  In 2011, Pope Benedict XVI wrote an apostolic letter Porta Fidei - The Door of Faith – a letter that declared the year of faith for us in the Catholic Church. Pope Benedict declared that “door of faith” is always open for us, that it ushers us into the life of communion with God and offers us entry into his Church.  He said that it is possible for us to cross the threshold of the door of faith when the word of God is proclaimed and our heart allows itself to be shaped by God’s transforming grace. Pope Benedict went on to say that to enter through the door of faith is to set out on a journey that lasts a lifetime. Yet, we can be afraid to open the door of faith. Sometimes, we fear what will happen next in our lives. Sometimes, it is difficult taking that first step or taking a risk. The Lord tells us to knock at the door. We have to be willing to take that chance no matter how frightening it may seem. 

Thursday of the first week of Lent - 26 February 2026 - prayers of the faithful

PENITENTIAL RITE:

Lord Jesus - you call us to trust in you - Lord have mercy. 

Christ Jesus - you call us to faith - Christ have mercy.  

Lord Jesus - you give us hope on our journey - Lord have mercy. 

PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL:

Priest: With hope and trust during this first week of Lent, let us present our prayers to God:

1. That Pope Leo XIV and our church leaders may lead us and guide us to put greater trust and hope in the Lord. 

2. That our world leaders may help us address the problems that afflict us.  We pray for peace in those war-torn and violent areas of the world. 

3. For our first responders, the men and women in the military, our veterans, and our medical professionals. 

4. For our children, youth, and college students. May they see God accompanying them in their studies and in their school activities. 

5. For the sick and afflicted. For healing for those who need it in mind, body, and spirit.  

6. For the repose of the souls of the faithful departed. For our deceased loved ones and family members.  For the souls in purgatory. For their entry into eternal life

7. For those who are struggling to find healing in the brokenness of life. 

8. For those prayers we hold in our hearts today.  

Priest: Heavenly Father, may we always place our trust in you. We present these prayers to you through your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord for ever and ever.  AMEN.  

25 February 2026 - St Sebastian of Aparicio - homily for Wednesday of the 1st week of Lent - Psalm 51

 We celebrate some very interesting saints in our calendar of saints. Born of Spanish peasants in 1502, Sebastian of Aparicio worked as a shepherd as a child and a hired field worker as a young man. He travelled to Puebla, Mexico at age 31 in the early years of the explorers where he built plows and wagons and worked as a farm hand. He spent 10 years building a 466 mile road from Mexico City to Zacatecas, and conducting the postal and delivery service along the route. That road is still in use today. Sebastian eventually became very wealthy, but lived simply, and was very generous in helping the poor. He eventually gave away his wealth and became a Franciscan at age 72, spending his remaining 25 years begging alms for his brother Franciscans. He is noted for performing many miracles of healing. He died at the age of 98.  He was beatified in 1789. He is the patron saint of road builders and travelers. 

A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn. We hear this message in the psalm today, a very appropriate message for the holy season of Lent. We are called to lived humble lives of service and to strive to change our ways and to repent from our sins. In a society where everyone want to be the winner and to lift themselves above everyone else, this message today is somewhat counter-cultural. May we strive toward a life of humility and service during these holy days of Lent. 

Wednesday of the first week of Lent - prayers of the faithful - 25 February 2026

Lord Jesus - you call us to forgiveness.

Christ Jesus - you bring us your healing presence.

Lord Jesus - you call us to a life of discipleship. 

Priest: As we journey through the beginning of the holy season of Lent, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father: 

1. That the Lord will renew the Church. May all the Catholic faithful be bold and dynamic witnesses to God’s love in the world. 

2. That the Lord will strengthen us to bear our daily challenges and to carry our crosses. 

3. For all the adult catechumens and candidates in the OCIA program. For all the children and youth preparing for the Easter sacraments. 

4. That we welcome those who are separated or alienated from the Church. That God open our hearts to all who are seeking something in life. 

5. That the Lord will shepherd our beloved sick and grieving; console the homebound and the lonely, and comfort the afraid and the imprisoned.

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

Priest: With faith and hope on our Lenten journey, we present these prayers through your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN.

Tuesday of the first week of Lent - 24 February 2026 - prayers of the faithful

Lord Jesus - you hear the cry of the poor. 

Christ Jesus - you bring us hope. 

Lord Jesus - you heal the afflicted. 

Priest: We present our prayers in the midst of our Lenten journey with faith and hope to God the Father: 

1. That the Church may bring healing to all parts of the world during the holy season of Lent. 

2. That we may humbly recognize God gifts that are manifested in the different people we meet on our journey. 

3. May all who are engaged, married, single or widowed be channels of God’s love. May they be inspired by a deeper commitment to help and welcome those who are poor, suffering, or marginalized.

4. For the unity of all Christians. May we work together to heal wounds, barriers, and divisions so that together we may find more effective ways to heal the broken world.

5. May we believe in the power of miracles, finding inspiration in faith and strength through prayer.

6. May we engage in the Lenten disciples of prayer, fasting, and charity in the reality of our everyday lives. 

7. For all who are sick, dying, or grieving. For healing and wholeness. 

8. For the personal intentions we hold in the silence of our hearts. For those who have asked for our prayers. 

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