20 October 2024 - World Mission Sunday - Prayers of the faithful - Prison ministry

Introduction: Today we celebrate World Mission Sunday, a day in which we bring to mind the missionaries who preach and live the Gospel, especially to those who have not heard it or who have not understood it. May all of us feel the call from God to be a missionary of Christ’s Gospel message. 

Lord Jesus - your work is done in faithfulness. 

Christ Jesus - all the earth is full of your love. 

Lord Jesus - you are our help and our shield. 

Priest: As we approach your grace in our prayers today, we present our needs, the needs of the Church, and the needs of the world: 

1. That we in the Church may obey Christ’s command to serve others by reaching out to those in need. We pray to the Lord. 

2. That we may live responsibly on planet earth, being good stewards of God’s creation. We pray to the Lord. 

3. For all missionaries, that they know the support of the faithful by our generosity and our willingness to collaborate with them. We pray for a missionary spirit for all of here at CMCF. We pray to the Lord. 

4. For nuns and monks in consecrated religious communities. For all who volunteer in our Catholic community of St Michael the Archangel. For all who offer their lives to serve others in valuable and necessary ways. We pray to the Lord. 

5. For all families, especially those suffering from division, that they put aside their anger and their disagreements and strive toward mutual support. We pray to the Lord. 

6. For our loved ones and family members who have died, for their entry into eternal life. We pray to the Lord. 

7. That in commemoration of respect life month, we would all proclaim the Gospel of Life in the way we live out our lives of faith each day, we pray to the Lord. 

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

Priest: Heavenly Father, hear the needs we voice today. Grant them according to your will. We make our prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

31 October 2024 - Thursday of 30th week in Ordinary Time - Luke 13:31-35

The Pharisees think they have all the answers. As a consequence, they are always criticizing Jesus and trying to bring him down. In tryin to entrap him, they are not open to the wisdom and goodness of his ministry and teachings. As Jesus says, the Pharisees reject the prophets that God sends them. They are unwilling to see the signs of God around them. Pope Francis, in an interview with America Magazine in the first years of his papacy, had this to say about the openness we need to have for God in our lives: “If one has the answers to all the questions - that is the proof that God is not with him. It means that he is a false prophet using religion for himself. The great leaders of the people of God, like Moses, have always left room for doubt. You must leave room for the Lord, not for our certainties; we must be humble.” As we search for God in our lives, are we concentrating so much on the answers we think we have, that we aren’t open to hear God’s voice as it comes to us in unexpected ways?  We are called to be open to mystery, ambiguity, and uncertainty on our journey of faith. We are called to be open to truly listening not only to God, but to our brothers and sisters, to their experiences and their journeys. We must realize that we do not always have all of the answers. 

30 October 2024 - homily for Wednesday of the 30th week of Ordinary Time - Luke 13:22-30

From the crowds, someone shouts out to Jesus, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” Jesus’ teachings and his proclamation of God’s kingdom attracted a lot of interest from the people, but he also drew a lot of questions from the crowds. The people wanted to know more about what God’s kingdom was about. Jesus asks that we incorporate the teachings of God’s kingdom into the reality of our daily lives, through the ups and downs of our journey of faith. 

God calls us to delve deeper into the rich teachings of our faith traditions. Our Catholic moral teachings contain a great richness for us. Through the Beatitudes and the Ten Commandments, through the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity, we can learn so much about our faith. We need to continuously form our conscience and grow in our faith so that we can continue to make the right decisions that our faith demands from us. And we are marking an end to the month of October, a month that honors the blessed Virgin Mary and her role in the history of salvation, a month that calls us to specifically look at how the respect for all human life is an important part of our Catholic faith, a month that calls us to recognize our call to be missionaries throughout the world. The Church gives us a lot to reflect upon on our journey of faith. 

We heard about the question that someone in the crowd shouted out to Jesus in today’s Gospel. Perhaps the question we should be asking is not how many will be eventually saved, but rather how God is calling us to live according to his will here on earth. Perhaps we need to ask ourselves how we are incorporating his love and mercy into our lives in serving God and our brothers and sisters. 

Prayers of the faithful - 30 October 2023 - Wednesday of the 30th week in Ordinary Time

Lord Jesus - you call us to be people of prayer. 

Christ Jesus - you proclaim the justice of God’s kingdom. 

Lord Jesus - you bring us hope. 

Priest: We now present our prayers to our heavenly Father: 

1. For our Church leaders and governmental leaders, that they may exercise wisdom and prudence in their leadership.  

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

3. For those who hunger for food, for those who hunger for meaning in life, for those who hunger for justice and righteousness, that their hunger may be fulfilled.  

4. For all who live amidst civil unrest, conflict, war or violence, that God will break these destructive cycles, healing the divisions that exist within the community and protecting the innocent.

5. That God will renew and strengthen all who work to advance the good of society, protect them from harm, and help them to use their gifts and talents fully. 

6. For respect life month in the month of October, that we may grow in our respect for human life from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death. 

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.  

 

Prayers of the faithful - 29 October 2023 - Tuesday of the 30th week in Ordinary Time

Lord Jesus - you bring us hope in our faith. 

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

Lord Jesus - you are our savior and our redeemer. 

Priest: With humble hearts, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father: 

1. For our Church leaders and our governmental leaders, that God will lead them in guide them in their leadership challenges and in the difficult decisions they have to make. 

2. For all who are recovering from natural disasters, especially the hurricanes that hit Florida, North Carolina, and the Southeast: that God will ease their pain, give them strength, and renew their hope. 

3. For all missing children, particularly those caught in human trafficking: that God will free them and reunite them with their families.

4. For an end to violence in families, neighborhoods, and cities: that God will open new ways to resolve differences and protect the life and dignity of each person

5. For all who are sick: that God’s healing love will strengthen them, remove their pain, and restore them to wholeness.

6. For our deceased families members, loved ones, and community members, for their entry into eternal life. For the souls in purgatory. 

7. For the prayers we hold in the deep recesses of our hearts.

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

29 October 2024 - Tuesday of the 30th week in ordinary time - Luke 13:18-21

There is so much to learn about God's kingdom, so Jesus teaches us about the kingdom in parables.  The kingdom of God is like a small mustard seed that grows into a large bush that can provide shade and feed many birds. The kingdom of God is like this small seed in our lives, in that it starts out in its smallest beginnings in our human hearts. Our faith can grow in our lives if we open ourselves up to God’s will and God’s holy word. God can transform us from within, in ways we could never imagine. 

Yeast is another image that symbolically describes the kingdom of God. Yeast a powerful agent of change. Without yeast, dough cannot be transformed into a freshly baked loaf of bread when baked in the oven. Without yeast, there is no bread. It is the bread of life that provides us nourishment and stamina, the staple of life for us as human beings. 

Like the yeast that helps bread to rise or a small seed that grows into a large plant, the kingdom of God produces a transformation for those who are open to God’s grace, to those who are willing to receive the new life that Christ offers to us. 

Lord, may we be open to the ways the kingdom of God can transform us. May we increase our zeal and openness to your kingdom, O heavenly Father. May you, O Lord, instill in us a holy desire to live a life of faith that proclaims your kingdom and that announces your glory to all.

27 October 2024 - 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle B - Mark 10:46-52

What do we want from Jesus?  What do we want from our faith?  These questions popped into my mind as I thought about our Gospel readings from the last several weeks from the 10th chapter of Mark. People are asking questions of Jesus and wanting different things from him. Two weeks ago, a prosperous young man asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Even though the people of Ancient Israel would have seen his prosperity as a blessing from God, he walks away from his encounter with Jesus in sadness, unwilling to make a leap of faith in order to follow Jesus unconditionally. In last Sunday’s Gospel, James and John asked Jesus to grant them positions of honor when he enters his glory in God's kingdom. In today’s Gospel, Bartimaeus is sitting on the roadside, certainly not in a position of honor or glory. 

Like James and John who want positions of honor in eternal life, like the rich young man who cannot free himself from his possessions, we also can become prisoners to many things in life. Having nice things, or attaining a position of power, or fitting into the value system of our modern secular world: all those things are not intrinsically bad in themselves. Yet, these things can seduce us and entice us away from God. 

We can learn so much from what Bartimaeus asks of Jesus. My good friend Sister Paulinus Oakes, a Sister of Mercy who was a legend in our Diocese of Jackson for many decades, gave me a book when I first started my priesthood by Jesuit priest Father Paul Coutinho from India, entitled How Big is Your God? I find myself going back and rereading the short chapters in this book from time to time. In one chapter, Father Coutinho states that God is fundamentally an experience, not a theology. This makes sense, but many Christians approach God as a theological construct or idea rather than an experience or relationship in their lives. We can approach our faith as a set of rules and commandments, rather than a personal experience with the living Christ. For Bartimaeus, God is an experience in his life. He reaches out to Jesus without any constraints or embarrassment, as he shouts out to him from the side of the road: “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me, have mercy on me!” 

And what do the disciples try to do?  Rather than encourage Bartimaeus or recognize his great faith in Jesus’ power to heal, they try to restrain him and silence him. But Bartimaeus is tenacious; he won't back down, as he keeps calling out, “Son of David, have pity on me!” Bartimaeus is also shrewd; he knows that in the code of honor in Ancient Israel, it would be difficult for Jesus to accept the honor Bartimaeus bestowed upon him by calling him Messiah without rewarding Bartimaeus in some way. We recall how the rich young man was unable to give up his possessions in order to follow Jesus unconditionally, yet Bartimaeus throws off his cloak with joy in order to follow Jesus with his newly gained sight, even though this cloak is probably his only worldly possession. Not only has Bartimaeus gained his physical sight, but his sight of faith has been renewed and energized – he can now follow Jesus wholeheartedly as his disciple. 

Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung states that reality is that which affects us. In other words, whatever affects us in our lives is real to us. Bartimaeus had faith in God. He had faith in God's power to heal and to be a real presence in his life. God affects Bartimaeus' life: God motivates him, touches him, opens up infinite possibilities for him.  Thus, for Bartimaeus, God is VERY REAL!

What about us? Does our faith and our relationship with Jesus make God a reality in our lives? As we hear the story of Bartimaeus today, we might ask ourselves if there is anything we need to ask of God, if there is anything we need to do in order to make God a much more real presence for us. It’s good for us to reflect upon the reality of God in our lives as we think about how God is asking us to use our talents, gifts, and treasures. 

prayers of the faithful - 25 October 2024 - Friday of the 29th week in ordinary time

Lord Jesus - you called us to be your disciples. 

Christ Jesus - you are our source and our strength. 

Lord Jesus - you call us to be missionary in spirit.  

Priest: Let us unite our prayers with all believers today as we present our prayer petitions to God: 

1. For all Church leaders, especially Pope Francis and Bishop Joseph Kopacz, may they lead the Church in unity and courage. 

2. For all of our governmental leaders, may the Lord lead them and guide them in the difficult decisions they have to make. 

3. For all missionaries serving the Church throughout the world, for a missionary spirit in all of us, for greater understanding and dialogue amongst the religions of the world. 

4. For our children, our youth, and our families, for a strengthening of our faith and a greater effort in the way we reach out to families.  

5. For those who are struggling through life, for those who are recovering from natural disasters, for those facing addictions, depression, and mental health issues, for healing and help for those who need it. 

6. For our parish, for all who serve here in various ministries, for continued blessings for our parish.  

7. For the spirit of Respect life month to last throughout the year, that all of us may have a greater respect for life from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death.  

8. For the sick and shut-in. For the repose of the souls of the faithful departed. 

9. For the prayers we hold in our hearts today. 

Priest: Heavenly Father, with faith and hope, we present these prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord for ever and ever.  AMEN.

Prayers of the faithful - 24 October 2024 - Thursday of the 29th week in Ordinary Time

Lord Jesus - you call us to be missionary in spirit. 

Christ Jesus - you call us to have hope in the Gospel message. 

Lord Jesus - you are the word of God. 

Priest: With joy in our hearts, let us now present our prayers to our heavenly Father: 

1. That our Church leaders will guide us to a greater love and appreciation for the Eucharist. 

2. That the fire of the Holy Spirit will embolden us in the Church to give witness to God and to courageously follow the example of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

3. That we may embrace the cross of Jesus Christ as we experience opposition, hardship or rejection on our journey of faith, allowing God to raise us to new life.   

4. For all who are persecuted for the sake of the Gospel, that God will protect and sustain those who risk their lives to bring the Gospel message to those in unsafe or distant places. 

5. That the Holy Spirit will grant us wisdom and humility in the spiritual and corporal works of mercy we carry out in our daily lives.  

6. For the sick and the shut in, for healing in their lives.  For the repose of the souls of the faithful departed, for their entry into enteral life with God. 

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

Priest: As journey through October as the month of the missions and as respect life month, we present our prayers through your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

Prayers of the faithful - 23 October 2024- Wednesday of the 29th week in Ordinary Time

Lord Jesus - you are our savior and our redeemer. 

Christ Jesus - you are the Lamb of God. 

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

Priest: With joyful hearts, let us present our prayers to our heavenly Father: 

1. For the grace of sacrificial love: that God will help us to make sacrifices and to endure hardships in caring for our families and in bringing the Gospel message to others.  

2. For all who are discouraged by the difficulties of life: that the compassionate love of God will renew their hearts and lead them through their struggles. 

3. For all recovering from the hurricanes, that God will ease their suffering, give them strength, and help them to find the resources that they need to recover. 

4. For civility in public discourse, that public figures and elected officials may respect the human dignity of each other and find ways to address the real issues facing our world and nation. We pray for our upcoming national election. 

5. For healing for the sick and the shut-in.  For the faithful departed, for their entry into eternal life.  

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

Priest: Heavenly Father, with faith and hope, we present our prayers today through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. Amen.

25 October 2024 - Friday of the 29th week in Ordinary Time - Ephesians 4:1-6

In the first chapters of his letter to the Ephesians, Paul explains to them the many ways God has blessed and graced their community. He states that as a result of those blessings, they are to walk in a manner that is consistent with that holiness and those blessings which they have received. Paul is under house arrest at this time in Rome, so he therefore calls himself a prisoner for the Lord in his letter. He states that the attributes they are to follow are humility, gentleness, and patience. These virtues are consistent with a life of servanthood, of being of service to others, not putting ourselves above others. It is easy for us to get impatient with things. It is easy to us to just see things from our own perspective and to not think of the needs and perspective of others. Paul states that the one faith, the one baptism, and the one Lord are to unite us and bring us together. I guess that with serving as a missionary in different countries, and of going to other Dioceses representing our Diocese of Jackson to give mission appeals and to celebrate Mass in different parts of the country, of approaching my life as a priest through the lens of service and servanthood, I see the daily lived reality of this message Paul is communicating to us today. May we all to live out our faith as servants and with a sense of community, of serving the Lord together. 

24 October 2024 - Thursday of the 29th week of Ordinary Time - Anthony Mary Claret - Luke 12:49-53

St Anthony Mary Claret was born in 1807 in the Catalonia region of Spain. We celebrate his feast day today. After spending five years as a priest giving retreats and missions in Spain, he founded a religious order named the Congregation of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in 1849, commonly known as the Claretians. That same year, he was named as Bishop of Santiago in Cuba. Arriving in Cuba as the Bishop, he found his Diocese to be in very bad spiritual condition, so he initiated reform measures, including the establishment of a teaching order of sisters in the Diocese. In 1857, he was named as chaplain to Queen Isabella II of Spain, so he returned to his home country. As Isabella’s advisor, he helped revive the Catalonian language and spread the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Blessed Sacrament. After a revolution in Spain in 1868, he died in exile with Queen Isabella in 1870. His missionary spirit lives on in the ministry of the Claretians, which number more than 3,000 priests and brothers and who serve in more than 70 countries throughout the world. 

In the Gospel today, Jesus states that he came to set the world on fire, meaning that the radical nature of the Gospel message will stir up a lot of opposition in the world. Having been a missionary overseas myself, I can tell you that our Catholic missionary work can cause a lot of controversy and can be seen as too radical even by some devout Catholics. Yet, the missionary saints like St Anthony Mary Claret stirred up the faith in many people throughout the world through their passion and their tireless work.  May we continue to do our part to advance the Gospel message.  

20 October 2024 - World Mission Sunday - Prayers of the faithful

Introduction: Today we celebrate World Mission Sunday, a day in which we bring to mind the missionaries who preach and live the Gospel, especially to those who have not heard it or who have not understood it. May all of us feel the call from God to be a missionary of Christ’s Gospel message.

Lord Jesus - your work is done in faithfulness. Christ Jesus - all the earth is full of your love. Lord Jesus - you are our help and our shield.

Priest: As we approach your grace in our prayers today, we present our needs, the needs of the Church, and the needs of the world:

1. That we in the Church may obey Christ’s command to serve by ministering to those in need. We pray to the Lord.

2. That we may live responsibly on earth, being good stewards of God’s creation. We pray to the Lord.

3. For all missionaries and for all who work in pastoral care, that they know the support of the faithful by our generosity and our willingness to collaborate with them. We pray to the Lord.

4. For members of consecrated religious communities, for parish ministers, and for all our volunteers. For all who offer their lives to serve others in valuable and necessary ways. We pray to the Lord.

5. For families, especially those suffering from division, that they put aside their anger and their disagreements and strive toward mutual support. We pray to the Lord.

6. For the faithful departed, for their entry into eternal life. We pray to the Lord.

7. That in commemoration of respect life month, we would all proclaim the Gospel of Life in the way we live out our lives of faith each day, we pray to the Lord.

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

Priest: Heavenly Father, hear the needs we voice today. Grant them according to your will. We make our prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

23 October 2024 - John of Capistrano - Wednesday of the 29th week in Ordinary Time - Luke 12:39-48

The saint we celebrate today is St John of Capistrano. His Spanish name is San Juan Capistrano. There is a mission named after him in Southern California in Orange County, founded by the Franciscan missionaries from Spain who brought the Catholic faith to the native people of California. John of Capistrano was born in Italy in the late 14th century. He was imprisoned during a war with a neighboring town. After his release from a lengthy imprisonment, he entered the Franciscan community in Perugia in Italy. After his ordination to the priesthood, he preached in countries all over Europe, including Italy, Germany, Bohemia, Austria, Hungary, Poland, and Russia. Through his preaching, John tried to unify the Christians throughout Europe. It is around this date, October 23, that the swallows leave the mission as they make their way down to Argentina to leave the upcoming winter weather of the northern hemisphere. They faithfully return to the mission in southern California in the middle of March.

In the Gospel today, Jesus tells us that we do not know the hour in which the son of God will return, so we always need to be prepared. We never know where our journey through life will take us. May we be prepared no matter where we are on that journey.  

22 Oct 2024 - homily for Tuesday of the 29th week in Ordinary Time - Ephesians 2:12-22

For a couple of weeks, we had readings from Paul’s letter to the Galatians. Now, since the middle of last week, we have been hearing from his letter to the Ephesians. In this letter, Paul brings up topics to the Christian community at Ephesus that are still relevant to us in the modern world today.Today, he states that there can be no unity without the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The forgiveness and commonality we all need only comes from our salvation through the cross of Christ. Jesus is the person who can tear down the walls of hostility that are put up by human beings. I see the disunity we have in our own community here in the Jackson area, where we see a lot of effort tearing the community down when that effort can be put forth to lift the community up. It saddens me to see the crime, violence, and disrespect that have overtaken our communities. If our society keeps on turning away from the Church and seeking fulfillment elsewhere, will we ever be able to adequately address these things that are tearing our society apart and bringing us down? Through Christ, we can bring people together and work for common solutions and for the betterment of our world. We are all called as disciples of Christ to proclaim the kingdom of God in our current reality, not just wait for our entry into eternal life.  

20 October 2024 - World Mission Sunday - 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

As a part of my role as Vicar General of the Diocese, I coordinate the Mission Appeals, education of the missions, and our support of the missions within our Diocese. At the start of October, we celebrated the feast day of St Therese of Lisieux, a cloistered Carmelite nun who is one of the patron saints of the missions. All of us Catholics are to be missionary in spirit. Pope Francis has stated that we must never lose our missionary identity as a Church, that we all should go forth and invite people into our faith just as all missionaries do as they proclaim the Gospel message. Later this month, I am going to have the wonderful opportunity to attend the national Pontifical Mission Societies conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico, representing our Diocese. Let us hear the call to be missionary as we commemorate World Mission Sunday. Father Lincoln.

20 October 2024 - 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time - World Mission Sunday - Mark 10:35-45

The brothers James and John approach Jesus having thought long and hard about what they can ask of him. Their question is simple:  They want to ask to be with him when he enters his kingdom in glory; one at his right and one at his left. With today’s Gospel, I thought of a book on prayer I read by Father Ron Rolheiser.  In the preface to the book, Father Rolheiser speaks about how spirituality often gets drowned out in our modern world by our emphasis on the physical, on what we measure, see, taste, touch, and smell. When so many in our society center their lives on what is digitized, or what is on the screen of a TV or smartphone or computer, or on what material possessions we have or we can acquire, spirituality can get pushed aside. When our lives are centered upon the physical realm or upon what we see on the surface, it is hard to focus our attention on faith and prayer. With that as a backdrop, we can see how James and John think of things is worldly terms: of who will have power and who will sit in the place of honor. James and John view greatness through the values of the world, not through the lens of faith and spirituality.

As we hear this wonderful Gospel today and think about how we see the world as people of faith, we celebrate World Mission Sunday.  We celebrate our call to mission as we ourselves are a Mission Diocese. A priest at our deanery meeting this past year very adamantly asserted that he thought we should not label ourselves as a missionary diocese any longer, that we should lose that identity. However, that designation is made by the USCCB; it is not something we decide on our own. Think of the financial challenges many of our small parishes face in our Diocese and the small percentage of Catholics we have; that reflects the missionary identity of our Diocese. Many people in our Diocese have told me that they did not have a lot of Catholics in school with them growing up. Our children and you in Clinton face that reality today. In addition, as a priest, I can sometimes feel a sense of discrimination from the public in my different encounters in the community as well. So, I myself am very glad we have the identity of a mission diocese, because that certainly reflects our reality. 

The theme Pope Francis chose for World mission Sunday this year is rooted in the Gospel of Matthew: “Go and Invite Everyone to the Banquet.” This theme reflects the inclusive and urgent call to bring God’s love to everyone. As disciples of Christ, we are all called in this universal mission to spread the Gospel and invite all to experience the joy of Christ’s message. I often mention this theme of going and forth and inviting in my homilies, so hopefully this message sounds familiar. 

I feel a strong missionary spirit in our Diocese. I have shared with all of you my own missionary journey that led me to become a priest in the Diocese of Jackson, of mission work with the street people and the indigenous people of Canada, of working in a remote mission site in Ecuador in South America, of teaching at a mission school for a year in Texas, and then being a member of the Mississippi Delta Corps, teaching Spanish in the Delta for four years. All of us can be missionary in spirit in different ways. Jesus went to the margins of his own community with his ministry and his Good News. We are called the same. I have recently started an outreach committee in the parish, trying to coordinate our efforts to reach out to others in the community. And we have come up with a lot of good ideas. But on World Mission Sunday we are also to look beyond our local community, to support the global mission of our Church in different ways. We receive help from different Dioceses from the Mission Appeals we have. I myself have been to Rhode Island, California, and Iowa this year on Mission Appeals. We also receive help from the Catholic Extension Society. However, we as a Diocese are also called to support this missions beyond our local community. The second collection today is a part of that effort. 

St Therese of Lisieux is one of the patron saints of the missions. However, she did not serve as a missionary in a faraway land. She lived her whole life in the same region of France, dying at the age of 24 in a Carmelite monastery from tuberculosis. Yet, Pope John Paul II named her as a patron saint of the missions due to her prayers and support of missionaries, of her love of the Church’s missionary spirit of spreading the Gospel throughout the world. Like Therese, we are all called to that same missionary spirit. We can all be missionaries of Christ’s Good News. 

12 October 2024 - Saturday of the 27th week in Ordinary Time - Our Lady of the Pillar - Galatians 3:22-29

Earlier this week, we commemorated Our Lady of Champion, an apparition of Mary that took place in northern Wisconsin in the middle of the 19th century. Today we celebrate another Marian feast, Our Lady of the Pillar, which is recognized as the first Marian apparition in the history of Christianity and the only Marian apparition that happened while the Blessed mother was still alive. So, technically, it would be a bilocation, not an apparition. 

According to tradition, the Apostle James the Greater traveled as a missionary to Spain to bring the people there the Gospel message.  James confronted many challenges and did not see many converts to the faith. In 40 AD, dejected and sitting at the banks of the Erbo River in the city of Zaragoza, Mary appeared to him, accompanied by angels, to console him and encourage him. With the child Jesus in her arms and standing on a pillar, the Blessing Mother asked James to build a church on this site, a place where God would work miracles and wonders through her intercession. The church of Our Lady of the Pillar in Zaragoza is the first church dedicated to Mary. During the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s, bombs went through the roof but did not explode. Three now deactivated bombs are currently on display in one of the Basilica’s walls. The Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar was redesigned and expanded several times. The current church was completed in the 17th century. On Oct. 12, 1492, the feast day of Our Lady of the Pillar, Christopher Columbus arrived on American land and the first Mass in the Americas was celebrated.

We hear Paul address the theme of faith with the Galatians in the first reading today. Mary has been instrumental throughout the history of the Church in helper believers deepen their faith in her son. Her many apparitions testify to the way Mary has been very active in the Church throughout history. As we honor Mary today, may we recognize the many ways she leads us closer to her Son. 

prayers of the faithful - feast of St Luke the Evangelist - 18 October 2024

Lord Jesus - you call us out of our weaknesses.

Christ Jesus - you are the word of God.

Lord Jesus - you call us as your disciples.

Priest: As we celebrate St Luke the Evangelist today, we present our prayers to our merciful God:

1. For all of our Church leaders who lead us and guide us in the faith. May they help us grow in wisdom and charity.

2. As St Luke was a physician, we pray for all physicians and medical professionals. May their hard work and talents be a service of love and mercy to our community.

3. For all missionaries throughout the world, for all who spread the Good News to others.

4. For all pilgrims and for all travelers. May the Lord bless them and keep them safe. 

5. For the sick and shut-ins. For healing in body, mind, and spirit.

6. For the faithful departed, for their entry into eternal life. 

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

Priest: Heavenly Father, you called St Luke to be a missionary of your Gospel message. Help us all recognize our missionary calling. We present these prayers to you through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN.

Prayers of the faithful - 17 October 2024 - St Ignatius of Antioch - Thursday of the 28th week of Ordinary Time

Lord Jesus - you came to bring the Good News to all - Lord have mercy. 

Christ Jesus - you came to set the captives free - Christ have mercy. 

Lord Jesus - you are the Savior of the world - Lord have mercy.  

Prayers of the Faithful: 

Priest: We unite our prayers today with St Ignatius of Antioch and with all the community of saints:

1. On this feast of Ignatius of Antioch, we pray for for all of our Church leaders, especially Bishop Joseph Kopacz and Pope Francis, for wisdom and courage as they lead and guide our Church. 

2. For a missionary spirit for all of us, that we may see ourselves as missionaries who bring the message of the Gospel to our corner of the world. 

3. That our governmental leaders have a vision of leading us forward with a healthy sense of community and unity. 

4. That we may all practice peace and justice and a respect for life and God’s creation in our words and our actions. 

5. That we may all look into our hearts and see the potential and vocation God has for us. 

6. For a spirit of healing for the sick and shut-in of our parish, for their care givers and families.  

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

Priest:  With humble hearts, we present these prayer thru your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever.  Amen.  

16 October 2024 - St Margaret Mary Alacoque - Wednesday of the 28th week in Ordinary Time - prayers of the faithful

Lord Jesus - you call us to be missionary in spirit. 

Christ Jesus - you call us to respect all human life. 

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

Priest: As we celebrate St Margaret Mary Alacoque today on her feast day, we unite our prayers with her prayers and the prayers of the community of saints: 

1. That we in the Church may be instruments of God’s mercy, guides for all who are seeking God, and companions to those developing a relationship with God. 

2. We pray that we all may be missionary in spirit in the reality of our lives.  

3. That we may all put greater trust in God in the midst of our sufferings and our needs. 

4. That our faith community may welcome all visitors as if they were Christ and that our liturgies may help them draw closer to God. May we strive for a spirit of welcome and hospitality. 

5. For healing for the sick and shut-in.  For those in the hospital, hospice, and nursing home. 

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

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

18 October 2024 - Friday - Homily for the Feast of St Luke - Luke 10:1-9

Today we celebrate the feast of St Luke. Luke was not one of the original 12 apostles. We have no proof that Luke ever personally knew Jesus during Jesus’ life here on earth. However, Luke was a companion of St Paul. Both Paul and Luke are the main contributors to the New Testament, with Luke having written the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. We all have different gifts that God gives us. Luke’s writings have brought the Good News of Jesus Christ to many throughout the history of the Church. For that we give thanks. 

We hear of Jesus sending the 72 disciples out as missionaries in our Gospel today. One of the main messages I have been trying to get across to all of our parishioners and to all involved in our ministries is how important it is to be evangelizers of the Gospel message. We can take many classes of religious education. We can send the youth on trips to other states. We can have an enriching journey of faith. But if we do not share our faith with others, if Christ’s disciples hide the light of their faith under a rock and do not share it with others, then we are not proclaiming his message to the world, which is our duty as his disciples. As we celebrate the feast day of St Luke today, may we think of ways we can put this work of evangelization into action.  

17 October 2024 - homily for Thursday of the 28th week in Ordinary Time - St Ignatius of Antioch - Psalm 98:1-6

There are not a lot of details known about the life of St Ignatius of Antioch. Born in Syria and a convert to Christianity, he became Bishop of the important city of Antioch. The Emperor Trajan forced Christians to choose between death and denying their faith. Ignatius was condemned to death when he refused to deny Christ. Ignatius is best known for the 7 letters he wrote on his journey to Rome to face martyrdom. He wrote to different churches located in Asia Minor, imploring them to remain faithful to God and to obey their bishops and superiors. He also defends the faith from heretical beliefs in these letters as well. Regarding his martyrdom, he wrote this: “The only thing I ask of you is to allow me to offer the libation of my blood to God. I am the wheat of the Lord; may I be ground by the teeth of the beasts to become the immaculate bread of Christ.”  He urged Christian unity to the end of his life and remained faithful even to his death around the year 107. 

Our psalmist states: “The Lord has made known his salvation.” Ignatius of Antioch and the martyrs of the Early Church found strength in the salvation they received in their Lord Jesus Christ. May the salvation we received in our Lord bring us strength and courage. 

16 October 2024 - St Margaret Mary Alacoque - homily for Wednesday of the 28th week in Ordinary Time - Luke 11:42-46

Mary Margaret Alacoque entered the Visitation nuns at the age of 24, having been very sickly as a child and a youth. In 1674, three years after entering the convent, she started receiving revelations from Christ, revealing to her that his human heart was to be a symbol for all humankind of his human and divine love for us. These revelations revealed the first Friday devotion to his Sacred Heart and to the importance of frequent reception of the Eucharist. The revelations lasted for 13 months. She received hostility from some of her fellow sisters and theologians who were summoned to investigate her revelations, declaring her to be delusional. However, a Jesuit priest who became her new confessor recognized the holiness of her revelations and supported her. She died at the age of 43, stating: “I need nothing but God, and to lose myself in the heart of Jesus.” The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, popularized by her revelations, remains one of the most loved devotions of the Church to this day. 

We hear Jesus call out the Pharisees today for the way they cling to the superficial practice of the faith but neglect their inner growth. I love the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the First Friday devotion, rooted in the revelations received by St Mary Margaret Alacoque. Fidelity to the devotions and traditions of our Catholic faith help us grow in our inner faith life.  May we be true to these devotions and traditions. 

the feast of St Francis of Assisi - Peace prayer of St Francis - 4 October 2024

We celebrate the feast day of St Francis of Assisi today, October 4, 2024.

Peace prayer of St Francis of Assisi 

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

The serenity prayer - long version

 We have been asked by the family of Mrs Betty Cox to have the serenity prayer read at her funeral.  It is a beautiful prayer. Most people only know the shortened version.  Most people do not know the name of the author.  He was a professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. 

The Serenity prayer

     God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference.

     Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time. Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, taking, as he did, this sinful world as it is,
not as I would like it.

     Trusting that he will make all things right, if I surrender to his will. That I may be reasonably happy in this world and supremely happy in the next.

      Written by Dr Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr.

prayer for blessing of the pets - October 2024

Our blessing of the pets will take place at Holy Savior parish in Clinton on Monday, September 30, 2024 at 6:00 pm. 

Almighty Lord, our Creator, we give you praise, glory, honor, and blessings as we celebrate the feast day of St Francis of Assisi this week.  St Francis saw you, God, in all creation. He saw you in all creatures, big and small, for to you alone do all these things belong.  We praise you for giving us our animal friends, the birds of the air and the fish of the sea, all these creatures which fill the world. May we think of you and thank you when we play with and care for our pets. We give you thanks for our pets who are our friends and companions. We ask you, Lord, that we may be good to our pets always, so that they may be happy and week-cared for. Help us always to take care of them so that they will be healthy. O God, your world is so wonderful. May we all come into your eternal kingdom where we shall see even more wonderful things and where we shall live and love for ever. This we ask to your eternal praise as we bless our animals today in honor of St Francis Assisi whom we celebrate on his feast day this week. May almighty God bless all of our pets in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. AMEN

13 October 2024 - Prayers of the faithful - prison ministry - 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Priest - Penitential rite:

Lord Jesus - you call us to follow the commandments. 

Christ Jesus - you teach us the ways of truth.

Lord Jesus - you show us the way to God's kingdom.

Priest: Heavenly Father, you fill our days with blessings in answer to our prayers. Let us now turn to you in our needs:

1. That the Church embody the word of God and help all believers to know the saving power of Christ. We pray to the Lord.

2. That as individuals and as a community we be good stewards of the earth’s resources and all of God’s creation. We pray to the Lord.

3. That past injustices amongst the peoples of the earth may give way to justice, peace, and abundant blessings. We pray to the Lord.

4. That we may allow God’s word to penetrate our hearts, making his word living and effective in what we say and what we do. We pray to the Lord.

5. That Christians of every race and national original celebrate their oneness in Christ. We pray to the Lord.

6. As we commemorate respect life month in October, we pray that the Gospel of Life be followed by all in society. We pray to the Lord.

7. That God’s healing presence come into the lives of the sick and the afflicted. We pray for all here at CMCF who are dealing with addictions, mental health issues, anxiety, and depression. We pray to the Lord.

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

Priest: As the abundance of your grace inspires us to bring our prayers to you, we make our prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

15 October 2024 - St Teresa of Avila - Tuesday of the 28th week in Ordinary Time

    At the beginning of this month, we celebrated the feast day of Therese of Lisieux, a Carmelite nun who lived in France in the late 19th century. She was named as a Doctor of the Church by Pope John Paul II. Today, we celebrate another Carmelite nun who also has been named as a Doctor of the Church: Teresa of Avila from the 16th century in Spain. Teresa was born in Avila, Spain in 1515, two years before the actions of Augustinian monk Martin Luther that led to the Protestant Reformation in the Church. She was born in the era of the Spanish Conquistadors, the Spanish Inquisition, and right after the Moors were expelled from Spain. It was an era of great change and turmoil. Yet, with the Protestant Reformation threatening Catholicism, reform movements in the Church were not taken lightly. Teresa, a Carmelite sister, felt called by God to reform her religious order, to get them back to the humble roots of the monasticism of her order that she felt had become distorted throughout the centuries. She and her companion John of the Cross founded monasteries based on their reform measures, with the Discalced Carmelites, or barefoot Carmelites, becoming its own religious order. Besides being an important reformer in the Church, Teresa is an important theologian and mystic. She is also an important figure in the history of Spain.  There have been movements to name her as Spain’s patron saint, replacing St James. 

The book The Interior Castle was written in 1577 by Teresa as a guide for spiritual development through service and prayer. The Interior Castle was inspired by her vision of the soul as a diamond in the shape of a castle containing seven mansions, which she interpreted as the journey of faith through seven stages, ending with union with God. Teresa’s mysticism and her actions in living out her faith and in reforming the Carmelite order are an example to all of us as to how we can mix our prayer life and interior life with a life of service and action and living out our faith. What is interesting about Teresa of Avila is that in 1855 at the age of 40 she had a profound interior experience with Jesus that enacted a conversion within her. She identified greatly with St Mary Magdalene and St Augustine, two saints we strongly associate with repentance and conversion. Being a member of the secular Discalced Carmelite order, St Teresa is a very important saint in my life. 

As Jesus tries to get the Pharisees to see what should be of greatest importance to them on their journey of faith in our Gospel today, Teresa tried to do a similar thing to her fellow Carmelites. May we unite our prayers with the prayers of St Teresa of Avila today. 

Bulletin Reflection - 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time - 13 October 2024

October is respect life month and world mission month as well. As Catholics, the respect for life and the missionary spirit should not be seen as options that we can choose to follow, but rather essential to our identity as Catholics. It would be good for us to think about different activities we can participate in that reflection these two important values within our Catholic faith. Perhaps we can engage in an act of mercy this month in an intentional way. And find a way for us to contribute to help a family or a pro-life organization. We heard St James tell us in the Letter of James that we should be doers of God’s word, not just hearers of his word. That is certainly good advice to follow. Have a blessed week everyone. Father Lincoln. 

13 October 2024 - Prayers of the faithful - 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Introduction: We come to Mass today in the midst of our lived reality. Perhaps we are worn out from work. Perhaps we are trying to cope with family tensions or marital difficulties. Perhaps we are feeling grief, guilt, or despair. We come to Mass in the midst of our brokenness and weaknesses. As we look to God at Mass today, we recognize that all things are possible in him.

Priest - Penitential rite

Lord Jesus - you call us to follow the commandments. Christ Jesus - you teach us the ways of truth.

Lord Jesus - you show us the way to the kingdom.

Priest: Heavenly Father, you fill our days with blessings in answer to our prayers. We now turn to you in our needs:

1. That the Church embody the word of God and help all believers to know the saving power of Christ. We pray to the Lord.

2. That as individuals and as a community we be good stewards of the earth’s resources and all of God’s creation. We pray to the Lord.

3. That past injustices amongst the peoples of the earth give way to justice, peace, and abundant blessings. We pray to the Lord.

4. That we may allow God’s word to penetrate our hearts, making his word living and effective in what we say and in what we do. We pray to the Lord.

5. That Christians of every race and national original celebrate their oneness in Christ. We pray to the Lord.

6. As we commemorate respect life month, we pray that the Gospel of Life be followed by all in society. We pray to the Lord.

7. That God’s healing presence come into the lives of the sick and the afflicted. We pray to the Lord.

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

Priest: As the abundance of your grace inspires us to bring our prayers to you, we make our prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

13 October 2024 - 28th Sunday of Ordinary time - Cycle B - Mark 10:17-27

In our Gospel today, an eager young man approaches Jesus, asking Jesus what he needs to do to inherit eternal life in God's kingdom. Yet, by the conclusion of today’s Gospel, his joy and enthusiasm are gone as he walks away in sadness. What exactly is the point of this Gospel that brings up issues of wealth and poverty, of where we place our confidence and our priorities in life?

As Christians, we are called to see the world through the lens of faith.  But, we also see the world through the lens of our modern world, which is a very different viewpoint. Our perspective influences everything. Jesus told the young man that even though he follows God's commandments, he lacks one thing. The rich young man has many possessions that he does not want to part with.  We hear this Gospel from our own perspective, but think of a person living in extreme poverty in a different part of the world, with difficulty putting food on the table. That person would hear this Gospel differently. 

We can get so accustomed to the comforts and possessions of our modern American lifestyle.  As an accountant and as a priest, someone who is responsible for the budget of a parish, and all of you who have to manage your work and household budgets, we know that it is not easy. In recent years, you have heard Pope Francis scold his priests, telling us that he doesn’t want to see priests driving fancy cars or living in luxurious rectory. The Pope wants us priests to model Gospel simplicity in our lifestyle. In my 8 years as a lay missionary, I lived a standard of life that is very different than our lives here in the US. I was just telling a friend about how when I take a hot shower, with nice smelling soap or shower gel, I always say a prayer of thanks to God, because I think of what it was like to take a bucket bath with a buck of slimy river water and terrible smelling harsh soap made from palm oil that was very irritating to my skin. We often take for granted the lifestyle we have here in the United States. 

As I thought about how we are sometime not grateful for the things we take for granted, our 2nd reading from the Letter to the Hebrews reminds us that God's word will go to the very depths of our hearts to change us only if we allow his word to work within us. If we invite God’s word into our lives, it will bring change, conversion, and renewal in ways we could not have imagined. It will help us foster gratitude in our lives. If we treat our material possessions as idols, or if our material possessions are stumbling blocks in our lives like they were in the young man in the Gospel, our hearts will not be truly open to love God and love our neighbor.  

This month of October is dedicated to the respect of human life in our Church. Our theme this year for respect life month is from the 10th chapter of John’s Gospel. In talking about how he is there for the sheep, Jesus contrasts this to others who are like thieves and bandits, who come to destroy or steal or kill the sheep. Jesus says: “I came that they might have life, and have it abundantly.” In the context of the Eucharistic revival going on in our country, our Bishops state that all of our Catholic efforts to promote a respect for human life should be grounded in the Eucharist and in the Eucharistic culture we are promoting in our parishes and in our families. 

I think it is important to mention that there are many issues that are highlighted in pro-life month, respecting human life from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death. This includes protecting the infant in the womb, the sick, the elderly, and the mentally ill; it includes reaching out to the lonely, the prisoner, the hungry, and those battling addiction; it includes being good stewards of the environment, addressing access to housing and health care, and the rights of the worker. There is a lot to Respect Life Month. It is not just about one issue.  

I really love celebrating Respect Life Month each year in our parish communities here in the Diocese of Jackson.  May we open our hearts to this pro-life message.  May we open our hearts to the way God is calling out to us today.  

11 October 2024 - John XXIII - Friday of the 27th week in Ordinary Time - Psalm 111

We celebrate the great pope St John XXIII on his feast day. Born in 1881 as Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli to a humble family in northern Italy, he always remained true to his roots, even becoming a secular Franciscan while studying for the priesthood in the Diocesan seminary. He later studied canon law, became the bishop’s secretary, became a stretcher bearer in World War I, and became the director the Society of the Propagation of the faith for the country of Italy. He later became a diplomat for the Vatican in the countries of Bulgaria, Turkey, and France.  

Becoming the Bishop of Venice in 1953, he was soon appointed as a Cardinal.  He was elected Pope at the age of 77 in 1958, a post he held until June 1963. He is remember for his joy and his wit and for having called the Second Vatican Council to breath life into the Church, to return to the apostolic roots of the Church, and for the Church to speak to the reality of the modern world. John XXIII died before the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council, but the legacy he left the Church still lives today. 

Our psalm states today: The Lord will remember his covenant for ever. At the heart of our faith is our covenant with God. Pope John XXIII remembered that covenant in his leadership of the Church and in the way he tried to preach the Gospel of peace and justice in the reality of the modern world. He was canonized as a saint at the same time as Pope John Paul II, recognizing two great leaders of our modern Church. 

10 October 2024 - Daniel Comboni - Thursday of the 27th week in Ordinary Time - Galatians 3:1-5

We have been hearing passages from Paul’s letter to the Galatians at the daily masses these past several days. We can all get impatient, frustrated, and upset about things, but St Paul seems to have been in a really bad mood in the way he begins today’s passage: “O stupid Galatians!” St Paul is upset at the way the Galatians have been forsaking their faith. They are still relying on their human works and human efforts rather than placing their trust in God. There are some times when we Catholics in the South can be accused by our brothers and sisters in the Evangelical Christian denominations, claiming that we rely on our good works and our own efforts in order to achieve our salvation in our faith. Yet, that is definitely a false perception of what we believe. Our good works are to be a fruit of our faith and a fruit of our life of discipleship, from the salvation we receive through Christ as a freely given gift. 

I worked as a lay missionary with the Comboni missionaries for three years, so I am very familiar with the saint of the day, Daniel Comboni. 

He was born into a poor family of farmers in Italy in 1831. He is the only one of 8 children of his parents who made it to adulthood. He was ordained a priest in 1854. He always dreamed of being a missionary to Africa. He became the first bishop of the Sudan in Africa. He died at the young age of 50 from all of the hardships he went through as a missionary, but his love for God lives on in all priests, brothers, and nuns of the Comboni missionaries who work all over the world. I remember some of the Comboni priests telling me how in 1964 all of the Comboni missionaries were expelled from the south of Sudan when an anti-Christian government took power in the country.  Thousands of missionaries returned to Rome, many of whom had been in the Sudan most of their adult lives serving the Lord.  Daniel Comboni and so many of the Comboni Missionaries willingly gave up their lives for their love of their faith and in service to the calling they received from God. As I thought of the way St Paul called the Galatians to put their trust in God, Daniel Comboni and the Comboni missionaries are great examples for us. 

prayers of the faithful - 15 October 2024 - Tuesday of the 28th week in Ordinary Time

Lord Jesus - you are a light in the world - Lord have mercy. 

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

Lord Jesus - you call us to serve our neighbor - Lord have mercy. 

Priest: We now bring our prayers to the God of justice and mercy:

1. For our Church, that Christians everywhere will work together for justice, unity, and reconciliation.  

2. For our governmental leaders, that they may they lead and guide their people in wisdom and courage.  

3.  For our first responders, for the men and women in the military, for those who protect us and keep us safe.  We pray for them and their families. 

4. For our children and youth, that their studies, rest, and play may always serve God’s glory.  

5. For the sick and shut-ins of our community, for healing and wholeness, for their caregivers and their families.  

6. For the repose of the souls of the faithful departed, for their entry into eternal life.  

7 . For our own prayer intentions that rest in the silence of our hearts. 

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

Prayers of the faithful - 11 October 2024 - Feast of John XXIII - Friday of the 27th week in Ordinary Time

Lord Jesus - you are the living word of God. 

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

Lord Jesus - you are our savior and redeemer. 

PRIEST:  Let us unite our prayers with the prayers of John XXIII today as we honor him on his feast day:  

1. For our Church and our Church leaders, that they may they the people in peace, compassion, and justice.  

2. For all the faithful, that we may be witnesses of the faith in the modern world and may we dialogue with the world in the spirit of John XXIII. 

3. For greater communication and dialogue amongst the religions of the world.  For an end to war, violence, and terrorism.  We pray for peace in the world, especially in Israel and Ukraine. 

4. For a conversion of hearts, that we may put aside our pride of heart and work toward healing and reconciliation in our relationships.  

5. For healing of the sick and shut-ins. For the repose of the souls of the faithful departed.  

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

PRIEST:  God of mercy and compassion, may we proclaim the Gospel with our words and our actions.  We present our prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever.  AMEN.  

Prayers of the faithful - 10 October 2024 - Thursday of the 27th week in Ordinary Time

Lord Jesus - you are a light in the world - Lord have mercy. 

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

Lord Jesus - you call us to serve our neighbor - Lord have mercy. 

Priest: We now bring our prayers to the God of justice and mercy:

1. For our Church, that Christians everywhere will work together for justice, peace, and reconciliation.  

2. For our governmental leaders, that they may they lead and guide their people in wisdom and unity.  

3.  For our first responders, for the men and women in the military, for those who protect us and keep us safe.  We pray for them and their families. 

4. For our children and youth, that their studies, rest, and play may always serve God’s glory.  

5. For the sick and shut-ins of our community, for healing and wholeness, and for their caregivers and their families.  

6. For the repose of the souls of the faithful departed, for their entry into eternal life.  For the souls in purgatory. 

7 . For our own prayer intentions that rest in the silence of our hearts. 

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

Prayers of the Faithful - Our Lady of Champion - Wednesday of the 27th week in Ordinary Time - 9 October 2024

Lord Jesus - you came to earth as a humble servant - Lord have mercy. 

Christ Jesus - you are the son of Mary - Christ have mercy. 

Lord Jesus - you meet us in our grief and in our sorrow - Lord have mercy.  

Prayers of the faithful: 

Priest:  Let us unite our prayers with the prayers of Mary as we celebrate Our Lady of Champion today. Let us pray for our needs, the needs of the Church, and the needs of the world:

1. For our governmental leaders and Church leaders - that they may lead all of us to be faithful disciples.  

2. That all the nations of the world and their leaders may work for true economic justice and equality. 

3. For the poor, the stranger, and the oppressed - that they may be welcomed by our community. 

4. That we may trust in Mary’s intercessions and imitate her virtues.  

5. For the sick and shut-ins. For healing for them in body, mind, and spirit.

6. For the repose of the souls of the faithful departed. For their entry into eternal life. 

7. For the prayers we hold in our heart.  

Priest: Gracious God, you chose Mary to bear our Savior. Hear the prayers of your children and grant them in the name of your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

8 October 2024 - Prayers of the faithful - Tuesday of the 27th week in Ordinary Time

Lord Jesus - you are a light shining in the word. 

Christ Jesus - you bring us God’s truth. 

Lord Jesus - you are our savior and our redeemer. 

Priest: Heavenly Father: We bring to you our prayers with humble hearts this evening: 

1. That we may have a greater respect for and stewardship of that earth’s resources. May we treasure the natural resources that God has given us and use them wisely. 

2. That God will send healing to all who are ill, giving them strength and courage. 

3. That God will watch over all schools and protect our students from sickness, violence, and bullying, helping all our students to grow in knowledge and self-awareness. 

4. That the Holy Spirit will renew the dedication of those working for peace and help us all work together to defeat the common enemies of violence, ignorance, and poverty. 

5. For vocations to the priesthood, consecrated religious life, the diaconate, and lay ministry. 

6. 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.  

9 October 2024 - Our Lady of Champion - homily for Wednesday of the 27th week in Ordinary Time - Psalm 117

There are not many apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary that have been officially sanctioned by the Church. In fact, on September 19 of this year, the Vatican made an official statement on Our Lady of Medjugorje, which started in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1981. The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith for the Vatican approved the “spiritual experience connected with Medjugorje” as a place of pilgrimage, but declined to make a judgment about the supernatural character of the alleged private revelations associated with the shrine. 

That bring us to Our Lady of Champion, which is an officially sanctioned apparition right here in the United States. We celebrate the feast day of Our Lady of Champion is today. The apparition was formally approved on December 8, 2010, by Bishop David L. Ricken, becoming the first Marian apparition approved by the Catholic Church in the United States. 

The apparitions of Our Lady of Champion took place near Green Bay, Wisconsin in October 1859 and were seen by Adele Brise, a young woman who had immigrated from Belgium to the United States with her parents several years earlier. Adele first saw a woman in white standing between two trees.  When she told the parish priest about what she saw, he told her to ask, ”In the Name of God, who are you and what do you wish of me?” After seeing the apparition again, she asked with question, with the apparition replying, "I am the Queen of Heaven, who prays for the conversion of sinners, and I wish you to do the same." The apparition told her to "gather the children in this wild country and teach them what they should know for salvation.” She spent her whole life teaching children about the faith, eventually forming a group of lay women who lived according the rule of the Third Order Franciscans. Adele Brise died in 1896. 

Our psalm today states: “Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.” We all are called to do that in different ways.  Through the apparition of Our Lady of Champion, Adele Brise received the call to educate children. But all of us, in our own way, are called to spread the Good News of the Gospel. 

8 October 2024 - Tuesday of the 27th week in Ordinary Time - Galatians 1:13-24

For two weeks, we will be hearing from St Paul’s letter to the Galatians. In today’s reading from the beginning of that letter, St Paul tells the people about his past history of being a devout Jew and a prosecutor of the followers of Christ. Yet, God revealed his son to St Paul in a special way through a powerful conversion experience. St Paul becomes a disciple of Christ with great zeal and enthusiasm. Immediately, Paul became a missionary and traveled around the Roman Empire and the Ancient Mediterranean world, proclaim Christ’s Good News wherever he went. Paul is very honest in sharing his story with others. 

It was back in 1992, 32 years ago, that I went I up to Winnipeg to be a lay missionary, so I have been following this road for a long time. One thing I feel so passionate about is encouraging the laity in not being afraid to witness to others, to be creative in proclaiming the Gospel in the same way that St Paul and the apostles were enthusiastic and creative. We are all called to be passionate evangelizers of the Gospel message. 

prayers of the faithful - 6 October 2024 - 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time - prison ministry

Penitential Rite - Priest 

Lord Jesus - you bring peace and pardon to the sinner. 

Christ Jesus - you give us the gift of the Holy Spirit to strengthen us on our journey. 

Lord Jesus - you call us to faithfulness and love. 

Priest: We turn our hearts to the Lord in our prayers this afternoon, offering up our needs and our lives:

1. That our Catholic community of St Michael the Archangel may always be welcoming to others and build up solidarity with the other ministries and other men here at CMCF.  We pray to the Lord. 

2. We pray for peace in those places in the world that are divided by war, terrorism, or violence.  We pray especially for end of violence in our communities here in the state of Mississippi.  We pray for an end to war in Ukraine and the Holy Land. We pray for peace and end to the violence and cycle of drug addiction here at CMCF. We pray to the Lord. 

3. We pray that people everywhere will embrace a universal respect for life. We pray to the Lord. 

4. For those who shepherd the faithful in the Church, that they will always seek God’s will. We pray to the Lord. 

5. For the sick and for all who are burdened by physical and mental illness. That they find courage in the Lord, through whom all things are possible.  We pray to the Lord. 

6. For all present here at Mass with us today, that their faith bring them a deeper understanding of God’s kingdom. We pray to the Lord. 

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

Priest: God our creator, you have given us salvation. May our prayers and strivings be acceptable to you as we await Christ’s return.  We present our prayers through your son, for he is our Lord forever and ever.  AMEN. 

Prayers of the faithful - 6 October 2024 - 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Introduction: October is respect life month. Our first reading today reminds us that God brought life to all of us. As God created the first man and the first woman, he has blessed humanity with the ability to share in the creation of new life. We are called to exercise this blessing with care and respect. We are to value life at every stage and to pray for those lives that are most vulnerable.

Penitential Rite - Priest

Lord Jesus - you bring peace and pardon to the sinner.

Christ Jesus - you give us the gift of the Holy Spirit to strengthen us on our journey. Lord Jesus - you call us to faithfulness and love.

Priest: We now turn our hearts to the Lord, offering up our needs and our lives:

1. That the Church may always be welcoming to others and build up solidarity with all people of good will. We pray to the Lord.

2. We pray for peace in those places in the world that are divided by war, terrorism, or violence. We pray especially for end of violence in our communities here in the state of Mississippi. We pray for an end to war in Ukraine and the Holy Land. We pray to the Lord.

3. We pray that people everywhere will embrace a universal respect for life from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death. We pray to the Lord.

4. For those who shepherd the faithful in the Church, that they will always seek God’s will. We pray to the Lord.

5. For the sick and for all who are burdened by physical and mental illness. That they find courage in the Lord, through whom all things are possible. We pray to the Lord.

6. For all present here at Mass today, that their faith and simplicity bring them a deeper understanding of God’s kingdom. We pray to the Lord.

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

Priest: God our creator, you have given us salvation. May our prayers and strivings be acceptable to you as we await Christ’s return. We present our prayers through your son, for he is our Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

Bulletin Reflection - 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time - 6 October 2024

We celebrate different liturgical themes throughout the year. In November, we celebrate the month of remembrance, as we commemorate and remember the faithful departed. In December, we commemorate Advent as we get ready for Christmas. In October, we honor the values of Catholic social teaching through respect life month. Respect for human life and being good stewards of all of God’s creation are at the foundation of our Catholic faith. Respect for human life has different characteristics, respecting human life from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death. We commemorate respect life month with great joy. Blessings to all of you. Father Lincoln.

6 October 2024 - homily for the 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time - Genesis 2:18-24

It is very wonderful being with all of you here today to celebrate Mass around the table of the Lord.  My name is Father Lincoln Dall.  I come to you as a brother in Christ from the Diocese of Jackson in Mississippi, in the deep South. When you receive a visit from a missionary at your parish, you are probably expecting a missionary serving in a faraway land. I am from a missionary territory in our own country. Our Diocese has the lowest percentage of Catholics of any Diocese in the US, about 3%. Most of our 90 parishes are small and located in rural areas, far different from the reality here in Los Angeles.  We also do not have any large cities in Mississippi, so our parishes are spread out throughout sparsely populated rural areas.  

Today, we hear the familiar creation story from the opening chapters of the book of Genesis, of how God created the universe as a fruit of his goodness and creativity. God created the universe because he did not want to be alone, just as God saw that man would not want to be alone and how man needed a partner. The birds of the air and the wild animals of the earth were a part of God’s creation. Friday, we celebrated the feast day of St Francis of Assisi, a saint who had a deep love for all of God’s creation here on earth.  Even though Francis was born in the 12th century, his teachings still speak to our modern world today. I think of our Diocese of Jackson and your Diocese here in Des Moines, how our states are both very rural, how we see God’s creation in the nature around us. But our rural states present us a lot of challenges in our ministry, with priests covering many small parishes and of traveling large distances.  We try to respond to those needs in our ministries in the Diocese of Jackson with our Catholic schools that are located in rural areas, with our small parishes located in remote parts of our Diocese, and with the different intercultural ministries that we have, including our growing Hispanic population and our historic African American parishes. 

You probably do not detect a strong Southern accent in my voice. That is because I am not originally from Mississippi. I am actually originally from Chicago. I am currently the pastor of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Raymond, MS and Holy Savior Catholic Church in Clinton, MS, two towns just outside the city of Jackson. I have also been serving as the vicar general of the Diocese for the past five years. 

In wanting to share some specific ministry stories with all of you from our Diocese, I thought of the prison ministry in our Diocese, something that is very dear to my own heart. I have been involved in prison ministry most of my priesthood.  I go out to the federal prison in Yazoo City, which has about 6,000 inmates, and the Mississippi state prison just outside of Jackson, with about 4,000 inmates. Often, the prisons in Mississippi are places of gangs, of violence, and of drugs, places without a lot of hope. For many years, we struggled to even get access to see the inmates.  Often, at the state prison, I would have mass at the foyer of the building where the inmates lived, sometimes in the fire station at the prison, or even on a picnic bench outside the prison cafeteria.  About a year ago, we got access to have Mass in the chapel and have been able to go out every week, which has made a huge difference. You probably can imagine what terrible living conditions they have in the prisons in Mississippi. If you can believe, most of the inmates live in housing units that have no air conditioning at all. Unbelievable. Yet, our ministry has transformed the lives of many inmates. We sometimes have more than 200 inmates attending Mass during any given week. We have had more than 20 men enter the Church this year. I have inmates themselves as the leaders of our Catholic community at the prison, even Eucharistic ministers. They try to be witnesses of our Catholic faith to the other inmates. You can tell I am very passionate about the prison ministry.  It is amazing to see God at work in this mission environment of the prisons. 

I am here as a priest from the missionary Diocese of Jackson to share some of our stories with you as a part of our Church’s larger missionary effort.  Pope Francis has said that we as a Church should never lose our missionary identity. We always need to be a Church who goes forth into the world and invites others to our faith. Pope Francis calls all of us to be missionary in spirit, for all Catholics to be a part of the universal mission effort of the Church.  And I think most importantly, in a world torn apart by divisions and conflict, we must recognize each other as our brothers and sisters in Christ. When we see ourselves as missionary in spirit, when we encounter our neighbor and invite him into our faith, it will open up so many possibility for us as well on our own journey and to see the Gospel in a new wonderful light. 

I am so grateful to be here with all of you this weekend. To celebrate around the altar of the Lord.  Your parish is going to have a second collection to help us with the missionary needs of our Diocese, to help our prison ministry, our rural parishes, and our rural schools. I want to thank you for any help you are able to give. Also, I am ask for your prayers for our Diocese of Jackson.  And be assured that I will keep all of you and your parish in my prayers as well.

Readings for the feast of the archangels - 29 September 2024

A reading from the book of Revelation:

(Rev 12:7-12) 

War broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. The dragon and its angels fought back, but they did not prevail and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who deceived the whole world, was thrown down to earth, and its angels were thrown down with it.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have salvation and power come, and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed. For the accuser of our brothers is cast out, who accuses them before our God day and night. They conquered him by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; love for life did not deter them from death. Therefore, rejoice, you heavens, and you who dwell in them.”

The word of the Lord - Thanks be to God. 

Responsorial Psalm - 138

R. (1) In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.

I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,

for you have heard the words of my mouth;

in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;

I will worship at your holy temple and give thanks to your name. 

R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.

Because of your kindness and your truth;

for you have made great above all things your name and your promise.

When I called, you answered me; you built up strength within me.

R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.

All the kings of the earth shall give thanks to you, O LORD

when they hear the words of your mouth;

And they shall sing of the ways of the LORD

“Great is the glory of the LORD

R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (John 1:47-51) 

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him.” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” nAnd he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

The Gospel of the Lord - Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ. 

Prayer of St Michael the Archangel 

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.