6 September 2026 - prayers of the faithful for the 23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time CYCLE A prison ministry

Penitential rite - priest or deacon: 

Lord Jesus - you bring us God’s love. 

Christ Jesus - you call us to faith.

Lord Jesus - you call us to love our neighbor as ourselves. 

Prayers of the Faithful: 

Priest: As St Paul calls us to love each other and to love our neighbor as ourselves, we now present our prayers to our heavenly Father: 

1. For Pope Leo XIV, Bishop Kopacz, and all our Church leaders. May our Church leaders gather us in Jesus’ name, drawing us to mutual love, respect, and shared responsibility. We pray to the Lord. 

2. For our Catholic faith community here at CMCF. May we work together as a family of disciples, following Jesus in trust, honesty, and respect. We pray to the Lord. 

3. That students, teachers, and families be blessed with wisdom and patience throughout the school year. May the Lord bless their studies and school activities. We pray to the Lord. 

4. For our deceased loved ones and family members and for those who have recently died. May they rest in the love of Christ. We pray to the Lord. 

5. On Labor Day weekend, we pray for all workers and for those who are unemployed or looking for new employment. May workers be treated by their employers with dignity and respect. And may they return that same dignity and respect in their daily work. We pray to the Lord. 

6. For those in conflict or in strained relationships. Through God's grace, may we resolve our differences with forgiveness, trust, and mutual love. We pray to the Lord. 

7. For healing for the sick and the suffering. May they feel the compassion of Christ’s presence with them and the support of their community. We pray for the men in the infirmary and in the BMU. 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: Gracious God, receive our prayers. May we all work together to live in harmony and tranquillity. We ask our prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

6 September 2026 - prayers of the faithful for the 23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time CYCLE A

Introduction: As we gather as a community of faith today around the table of the Lord, Jesus promises to be present with us as we gather in his names. Our readings remind us today of the responsibilities we have to one another, to speak the truth of God with love and compassion and to have mutual love for one another. May the Lord guide us to mend brother relationships and to seek reconciliation within our community. 

Penitential rite - priest or deacon: 

Lord Jesus - you bring us God’s love. 

Christ Jesus - you call us to faith.

Lord Jesus - you call us to love our neighbor as ourselves. 

Priest: As St Paul calls us to love each other and to love our neighbor as ourselves, we now present our prayers to our heavenly Father: 

1. For Pope Leo XIV, Bishop Kopacz, and all our Church leaders. May they gather us in Jesus’ name, drawing us to mutual love, respect, and shared responsibility. We pray to the Lord. 

2. For our faith community. May we work together as a family of disciples, following Jesus in trust, honesty, and respect. We pray to the Lord. 

3. That students, teachers, and families be blessed with wisdom and patience throughout the school year. May the Lord bless their students and school activities. We pray to the Lord. 

4. For the faithful departed and for those who have recently died. May they rest in the love of Christ. 

5. On Labor Day weekend, we pray for all workers and for those who are unemployed or looking for new employment. May all workers be treat by their employers with dignity and respect, and they return that seem dignity and respect in their daily work. We pray to the Lord. 

6. For those in conflict or in strained relationships. Through God's grace, may we resolve our differences with forgiveness, trust, and mutual love. We pray to the Lord. 

7. For healing for the sick and the suffering. May they feel the compassion of Christ’s presence with them and the support of their community. 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: Gracious God, receive our prayers. May we all work together to live in harmony and tranquillity. We ask our prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

4 September 2026 - homily for Friday of the 23rd week in Ordinary Time - Our Mother of Consolation - psalm 37

In moments of sorrow and suffering in our lives, we the Christian faithful often turn to Mary for comfort and help. Last month, we commemorated the Assumption of Mary on August 15 and the Queenship of Mary on August 22.  Last in the month, we will honor Mary in her nativity and as our Lady of Sorrows. Today, we commemorate Mary as Our Mother of Consolation. Today’s feast day expresses our confidence in Mary’s presence with us. She is always with us on our journey of faith. We are never alone. 

Members of the Augustinian religious order, of which Pope Leo XIV is a member, have had a devotion to Our Mother of Consolation since the 17th Century. Its origin with the Augustinians is connected with the lives of St Monica and St Augustine, mother and son, who are commonly depicted together with the figures of Mary and the Child Jesus. For many years, St Monica was immersed in sorrow because of the death of her husband and the waywardness of her son. Yet, Monica was granted a vision of Mary and the Child Jesus, who offered her comfort and consolation. By seeing Mary as the Mother of Consolation, we understand Mary as the Mother of God, the benefactress of her people who responds to the many needs of our humans experience. Mary is truly our mother because as she was also a faithful disciple of her son, she learned the lessons of selfless love and generous service. As Mother of Consolation, she is particularly near to those in need of companionship and comfort.

Our psalm states today that we are to trust in the Lord and do good, to take delight in the Lord, that the salvation of the just comes from him. With Mary to help us and guide us, she will point us to her son and bring us closer to him. 

4 September 2026 - prayers of the faithful for Friday of the 22nd week in Ordinary Time

Lord Jesus - you are the son of the Virgin Mary.  

Christ Jesus - you are the living word of God.

Lord Jesus - you love us with your sacred heart. 

Priest: We present our prayers to our heavenly Father as we celebrate the Sacred heart of our Lord Jesus Christ at Mass today and as we honor his mother Mary: 

1. That the Holy Spirit will renew and encourage those who working for peace and justice in their families, in their communities, and in the world. 

2. That the Lord will lead us to help the suffering and the afflicted.

3. That God will free us from all that is keeping us from hearing his holy Word and implement his Word in our daily lives. 

4. For a deepening of compassion for others. May we hear the cry of the poor and the cry of the physically and mentally challenged. 

5. For all those affected by natural disasters and the hot summer weather. 

6. For healing in body, mind, and spirit for those in the hospital, the hospice, and the nursing home.  

7. That we may unite our prayers today with our Savior’s Sacred Heart. For all the prayers we hold in the silence of our hearts. 

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

3 September 2026 - prayers of the faithful for Thursday of the 22nd week in Ordinary time

Lord Jesus - you heal our brokenness. 

Christ Jesus - you bring us the love of the Father. 

Lord Jesus - you hear the cry of the poor. 

Priest: We bring our prayers this morning to our heavenly Father, unity our prayers of St Mother Teresa of Calcutta: 

1. For all who hand on the faith to others, particularly preachers, teachers, and parents. May they share their faith clearly and convincingly and with love and compassion.  

2. That we would strive toward greater integrity and wholeness in the ways we live out our lives of faith. 

3. For those who are recovering from natural disasters. For those affected by the hot summer weather. That they may receive the help that they need.  

4. For greater respect for and stewardship of earth’s resources. May we treasure the natural resources that God has given us and wisely use them for the good of the human family

5. For healing for the sick in body, mind, and spirit. For those struggling with addiction, anxiety, depression, and mental health issues. 

6. That God may lead all of us to serve others in works of mercy and charity. 

7. For our children, youth, and college students. May the Lord accompany them on their journey of faith and in their studies and school activities. 

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

Priest: In a spirit of generosity and love, we present our prayers through your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

3 September 2026 - homily for Thursday of the 23rd week in ordinary time - St Gregory the Great - 1 Corinthians 8:1b-7, 11-13

Today, September 3, is the feast day of St Gregory the Great (540 – 604).   James Barmby, a Church historian writes:  “It is impossible to conceive what would have been the confusion, the lawlessness, the chaotic state of the Middle Ages without the medieval papacy; and of the medieval papacy, the real father is Gregory the Great.”  During the lifetime of St Gregory the Great, it must have felt like Christianity was being attacked on just about every front, including the Goths who were invading Rome. In the Church, Gregory the Great’s liturgical reforms and the strengthening of Church Doctrine helped Christianity survive and pass down the faith to future generations. The Gregorian Chant style of music is famously named after him. Pope Gregory ordered a compilation of melodies of Christian hymns and chants sung throughout the Christian world, organized by the Schola Cantorum, which provided music for the Pope in all his liturgical services. Yet, in all that he had to address as Pope, Gregory the Great never forgot the love and mercy of God. He is quoted as saying:  “The proof of love is in the works.  Where love exists, it works great things.  But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist.”   We celebrate the feast day of St Gregory the Great today with great joy.  

I have enjoyed the readings from St Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians we have been hearing in our daily masses. Today, the Corinthians face a curious dilemma: Should they eat food that has been given as an offering to a foreign idol?  Could they accept eat such food while at a pagan household or temple?  Would they compromise their Christian faith by eating such food?  St Paul tells the Corinthians that there is no need to worry about food offered to idols, because the idols do not represent anything. There is only one God. Those idols are not God. In the ancient world, there were many false gods and pagan idols, but the followers of Jesus know that they did not have any real existence. Although St Paul has no problems himself eating such meat, he resolves to not eat such meat so it would not be a source of scandal to other members of the community, especially those who are faced with temptations. St Paul is acting pastorally and out of love. And it all comes down to love. That is to be at the center of our faith. 

2 September 2026 - homily for Wednesday of the 23rd week in Ordinary Time - Luke 6:20-26

 On September 2, the Church remembers the group of 191 Catholics who were killed in the French Revolution for their faith on September 2 and 3, 1792. They are referred to as the September martyrs. After they refused to take oaths in support of the civil constitution of the clergy, an act condemned by the Vatican, which would place Catholic priests under the control of the state, these priests and religious brothers were imprisoned in a Carmelite convent. In the space of two days, they were massacred by revolutionary mobs. They were beatified by Pope Pius XI in 1926. 

I think that often the Beatitudes do not get a lot of attention in Catholic faith, not the attention they deserve. And to be honest, they are not always easy to understand. The Beatitudes blessings, but we might wonder how it can be a blessing to grieve or to be poor or to weep or to be hated? Our secular world certainly does not see those things as blessings. When we are thrown out our comfort zone or when we are stretched, those are often the times of great growth and enrichment. Perhaps the Beatitudes challenge those things that we assume to be at the heart of our culture and our values. Perhaps they challenge our comfort zone. Perhaps we don’t know what to make of the Beatitudes no matter how many times we ponder their meaning. Blessed are those in our society who exemplify the values of the Beatitudes.