19 March 2026 - prayers of the faithful for the solemnity of St Joseph the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Lord Jesus - you were nurtured by your parents, Joseph and Mary. 

Christ Jesus - you are the beloved son of the Father. 

Lord Jesus - you are our savior and redeemer. 

Priest: As we celebrate the solemnity of St Joseph today in the midst of our Lenten journey, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father:

1. For our Holy Father, Pope Francis, our Bishop Joseph Kopacz, and all our Church leaders. May they follow the example of St Joseph as they lead God’s people through a responsible and dedicated leadership.

2. For our Christian community in the Diocese of Jackson. That may we respect and love each other, and be dedicated to our families by following the example of St Joseph. 


3. For those entrusted with responsibility in the ministries of the Church. May they set an example for the people they lead. 


4. May St Joseph inspire us to work for peace and justice in the world. We pray for peace in the Middle East and Ukraine. 

5. For our first responders, for the men and women serving in the military, and for our veterans. 

6. For healing for the sick and afflicted in body, mind, and spirit. 

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

19 Solemnity of St Joseph Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Matthew:1:16, 18-21, 24A

As we celebrate the solemnity of St Joseph, the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary today, I think about how back in 2021, we celebrated the year of St Joseph as declared by Pope Francis. It was not too long ago that St Joseph was added to the Eucharistic prayers, alongside Mary, his spouse.  However, we may find it interesting that in the history of the Church, St Joseph was not given much attention for many centuries.  It was in the 16th century in the era of the Protestant Reformation that devotions to St Joseph were encouraged by the Church in a meaningful way, with Joseph seen as the ideal protector and provider of the family. In 1870, Pope Pius IX declared Joseph as the patron on the universal Church. In addition to his feast day that we celebrate today on March 19th each year, we also celebrate him as Joseph the Worker on May 1 each year. 

Today’s Gospel finds Joseph facing quite a challenge in his life when he became aware of Mary’s pregnancy, knowing that he was not the father. According to the law, Mary could be stoned to death. Yet, not knowing any details, Joseph was willing to break off their relationship quietly and not subject her to shame or danger. When the angel explains the situation to him in a dream, Joseph follows the angel’s instructions. 

Joseph is a man of virtue and faith.  He is a hard working man, a carpenter from a small town in Galilee.  We don’t know a lot of details about Joseph and his life.  We don’t know for sure if he had died by the time of Jesus’ passion and journey to cross, although that is assumed to be the case by many Scripture scholars.  Reflecting Joseph’s humility and simplicity of faith, he is not by any means the center of attention in the Gospel narrative.  We remember Joseph today in a special way on his feast day. We unite our prayers with the prayers of St Joseph. 

 

20 March 2026 - prayers of the faithful for Friday of the 4th week of Lent

Lord Jesus - you call us to reconciliation.

Christ Jesus - you bring us hope.

Lord Jesus - you call us to conversion.

Priest: In the midst of our Lenten journey, we now present our prayer to our heavenly Father: 

1. That God grant wisdom to our governmental leaders to better understand the needs of those they serve and inspire within them fresh ideas to advance the common good.  

2. For peace in the Middle East and throughout the world. 

3. That we in the Church may give witness to the dying and rising of Christ by our lives and be instruments of hope to all who are experiencing loss or limitation. 

4. That God will transform our fears into hope, our selfishness into love, and our despair into new life. 

5. That we may place ourselves at the feet of Jesus to learn and accept the gift of life that Jesus alone offers. 

6. For our adults who are preparing for entry into the Church. For our youth and children preparing for the sacraments. That the Lord continue to bless them and guide them on their journey of faith. 

7. For healing for the sick and the afflicted. 

8. For the prayers we hold in our hearts. 

Priest: With humble hearts, we present these prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever.  AMEN.   

18 March 2026 - prayers of the faithful for Wednesday of the 4th week of Lent

Lord Jesus - you call us to accompany you in your 40 days in the desert. 

Christ Jesus - you call us to prayer, fasting, and works of charity

Lord Jesus - you are our savior and redeemer. 

Priest: On this 4th week of our Lenten journey, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father with faith and hope. 

1. That this Lenten season be a time for all of us for healing, consolation, and peace. 

2. That the Lord enlighten his Church, opening our hearts and minds to know his truth. 

3. That our governmental leaders will work together to meet the challenges we face in society. 

4. That God liberate us to feel his divine presence in our struggles as well as our joys. 

5. That the Lord lead us to find ways to reach out to those who struggle with hunger, disease and addiction. 

6. For peace in our lives. May all who are sick, dying, or grieving know your loving presence.

7. For peace in the Middle East and throughout the world. 

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

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

18 March 2026 - homily for Wednesday of the 4th week of Lent - St Cyril of Jerusalem - Isaiah 49:8-15

Scripture scholars believe that the 49th chapter of Isaiah was written after the first phase of refugees from Babylon relocated back to Jerusalem in 539 BCE after being in exile for 70 years.  The people had suffered greatly for having been taken away from the land that God had promised to them.  Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord gives them  encouragement and hope. The message calls the prisoners to liberation and those in darkness to light. Like a mother who does not abandon her child, God will not abandon his people. Although these words would have been very welcome to the people of Israel, I am sure they were rather skeptical based on the experience they had in exile.

 As we hear these words of hope during our Lenten journey, we celebrate Cyril of Jerusalem today. Cyril lived in a difficult time in Church history. The heresy of Arianism, which denied the divinity of Christ, was gaining popularity during Cyril’s lifetime. He was Bishop of Jerusalem during the 4th century. One of the most valuable things Cyril left us was he catechesis that was used in the Lenten season in preparing adults for baptism at Easter. This work is a great example of theology and liturgy in the Early Church. Cyril was exiled several times as Bishop in response to his defense of the Church and of the faith. Yet, in the midst of the challenges he faced in life, he leaves us these encouraging and comforting words about how the Holy Spirit works within us: “The Spirit comes gently and makes himself known by his fragrance. He is not felt as a burden, for he is light, very light. Rays of light and knowledge stream before him as he approaches. The Spirit comes with the tenderness of a true friend and protector to save, to heal, to teach, to counsel, to strengthen, to console.” Cyril of Jerusalem was named a Doctor of the Church in 1883 for his teachings on the Catholic faith. We unite our prayers with Cyril of Jerusalem and all the community of saints today. 

17 March 2026 - homily for Tuesday of the 4th week in Lent - St Patrick - Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12

St Patrick’s day goes beyond the day of the a saint in the Catholic Church. It is a holiday in here in the United States that is very much associated to Irish-American heritage and their contributions to our country.  As a native of Chicago, where the Irish-American Daily family serviced as mayor for many years, the Chicago River in the downtown area is dyed the color green and a huge parade takes place.  But who was St Patrick?  We might not know a lot of details about this saint, or we might just assume a lot of things about him. He lived in the 4th and 5th century.  For the facts we have, it appears that Patrick was actually born in England and brought to Ireland as a captive. He served a king there for six years. He escaped his captivity and returned to England, firm and devout in his Catholic faith. He went to Gaul (present day France), where he became a priest and bishop.  He returned to Ireland as a Bishop and a missionary. His missionary success in Ireland in converting the faithful there to Christianity is honored in his role as the patron saint of that country. 

In the prophet Ezekiel’s message today, water is an important symbol for the Jewish people who had experienced a terrible exile from their beloved holy city of Jerusalem. In his vision, Ezekiel describes a life-giving stream that nourishes trees that bear an abundance of fruit and that gives life to many creatures. In many ways, that waterway is a sanctuary. With the problems that we have had with the water system here in Jackson, with the scarcity of water for a lot of cities here in the United States and in other countries that has brought about a lot of attention in the public media, we perhaps do not take access to clean water for granted like we did here in the United States for many years. May we see our Lord as the source of life-giving water for us. 

17 March 2026 - prayers of the faithful for Tuesday of the 4th week of Lent - St Patrick

Lord Jesus - you bring us justice. 

Christ Jesus - you bring us hope. 

Lord Jesus - you proclaim the kingdom of God. 

Priest: As we journey through Lent, we pause to celebrate the feast of Patrick today, the patron saint of Ireland. We praise God, who sustained Patrick and who sustains the Church in good times and bad. 

1. That the leaders of our Church may have the courage and wisdom of St Patrick.  

2. That those who are struggling on their journey may know the love and support of the Christian Community wherever they may be. 

3. That peace and reconciliation may grow here in our country and throughout the world. We pray especially for peace in the Middle East. 

4. That we in our actions, our words, and our prayers reach out to the most vulnerable and defenseless in society. We pray that we may reflect the Gospel of Life in our words and our actions.  

5. That the marginalized and the oppressed be treated with dignity and respect.  

6. For the sick and the afflicted. For healing in body, mind and spirit. 

7. For our first responders, the men and women serving in the military, and our veterans. 

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

Priest: God of truth and beauty, you look after us on our journey through life. Always keep your flock in your care. We present these prayers through your son Jesus Christ Our Lord forever and ever.  Amen.