28 April 2025 - Monday of the 2nd week of Easter - prayers of the faithful

Lord Jesus - you call us to faith. 

Christ Jesus - you call us to hope. 

Lord Jesus - you call us to Easter joy. 

Priest: With Easter joy in our hearts during this 2nd week of the Easter season, we bring our prayers to our heavenly Father: 

1. That we in the Church may bring the light of Christ into the dark corners of our work with a message of hope.

2. That Christ’s victory over death may bring hope and healing to all who are burdened by poverty, disease, prejudice and fear.

3. That those who are doubting their faith may experience the risen Lord and discover the truth through his love.

4. For and increase in vocations to consecrated religious life, the diaconate, the priesthood, and lay ministry. 

5. For all those suffering mentally, physically or spiritually.  For healing and wholeness in their lives. 

6. For all our family members and loved ones who have died, that God will meet them face to face on their journey to eternal life.

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

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

28 April 2025 - Monday of the 2nd week of Easter - John 3:1-8

What struck me about today’s Gospel is how a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews, comes to Jesus in the darkness of the night to ask him questions. It looks like he does not want it known that he is associating himself with Jesus or to have his reputation ruined in that way. It may be hard for us to witness to the faith, but we are called to do so with courage and conviction. I think back to when I was living on an island off the coast of West Africa that was mostly Muslim. In fact, I was the only practicing Christian living on that entire island. However, when some of the Muslim elders saw me praying the rosary or reading the Bible, when they saw me trying to live out my faith in the midst of such a strong presence of another religion, they commented as to the great faith they saw in me and the extent of my devotion and conviction. They publicly commented to those living on the island the respect they had for me for boldly living out my faith. We don’t have to hide by the cover of night. We are baptized by water and the Holy Spirit to proclaim God’s kingdom. During his pontificate, Pope Francis called us to “Go forth” to spread the Good News throughout the land. Hopefully we have the courage and conviction to do so.

26 April 2025 - homily for Saturday of the Octave of Easter - Acts 4: 13-21 - Mark 16:9-15

Today on the Saturday of the octave of Easter, in our first reading and in our Gospel, we continue to hear the members of the early Church preach the Gospel message and give testimony and we hear about the post resurrection appearances of Jesus. Both of these readings emphasize the importance of our faith in Jesus and how we have the responsibility to bear witness to that faith. Even when there is great opposition to us bearing witness to the Gospel message, we still bear responsibility to testify to his resurrection and his teachings. These readings also stress the importance of the authority of God over the authority of man. Peter and John disobey the order they have from the Jewish authorities to bear witness to Christ, asserting their obligation to obey God. These readings reflect the theme at the end of Matthew’s Gospel, of our mission to preach the Gospel message to the whole world and to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

Today, we also celebrate the feast day of Our Lady of Good Counsel, a wonderful story about Mary that takes place in Genazzano, Italy, where the Augustine friars had a monastery and where they ministered in the parish church of Our Lady of Good Counsel. As the Augustinian brothers were renovating the church in 1467, a marble figure of Mary was removed. At that site, there miraculously appeared an image of Mary and the child Jesus. That image took on the title of the parish church, Our Lady of the Good Counsel. According to an old tradition, that same icon was venerated in Albania under the name Our Lady of the Albanians. It is said that this image disappeared from a church as Albania after it was being invaded by infidels. Legend says that it was miraculously relocated by divine intervention to the church in Italy. This church became the site of pilgrimage. Pope John XXIII was a pilgrim to the shrine there on the eve of the Second Vatican Council. Pope John Paul II visited it before going to Albania to re-establish the hierarchy there following the collapse of communism. Mary is known under the title of Mother of Good Counsel for the good advice she gave, especially at the wedding of Cana. Mary is blessed for not only being the Mother of our Lord, but also for being his first disciple.  May we unite our prayers with Mary’s prayers today.   

Prayers of the faithful - 3rd Sunday of Easter - 4 May 2025

Introduction: We continue our celebration of the Easter season on this third weekend of Easter. With great joy, we also celebrate first communion with our children this morning. As we hear about Jesus’ post-resurrection appearance today at the sea of Tiberias to the apostles, may we also gain understanding into the reality of the resurrection in our own lives. May the reality of the resurrection help us to bring the Gospel message to the world and evangelize others. 

Priest: Penitential Rite: 

Lord Jesus, you are a fountain of God’s grace and mercy: Lord have mercy.


Christ Jesus, you give us strength in the Eucharist: Christ, have mercy. 

Lord Jesus: you are the way that leads us to new life: Lord, have mercy 

Prayers of the faithful:
PRIEST: We pray that all of us may be drawn more intimately into God’s love and mercy. We offer our prayers today for our needs and the needs of the world around us.


1. For God’s holy Church, that we may hear the call to be witnesses to Christ’s resurrection in the world, we pray to the Lord.


2. For international cooperation in being good stewards of our environment and in sharing the earth’s resources. We pray to the Lord.


3. For those who are struggling in their lives, for those battling mental health issues, depression, or addictions, may they feel God’s encouragement on their journey. We pray to the Lord.


4. For all who thirst for justice and an end to violence, hatred and prejudice in our neighborhoods, our cities, and throughout the world. We pray to the Lord.

5. For our children receiving first holy communion this morning. May they feel the joy of receiving Christ in their lives through the Eucharist. We pray to the Lord. 


6. For the sick and shut-ins of our parish community. For healing in body, mind, and spirit.  We pray to the Lord. 

7. For the repose of the souls of the faithful departed, for their entry into eternal life. We pray to the Lord. 


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

PRIEST: We are the people you shepherd, O God, the flock you guide. Hear these our prayers and graciously grant them through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord for ever and ever. 

2 May 2025 - homily for Friday of the 2nd week of Easter - Act 5:34-42

The members of the Sanhedrin were so angered by the boldness of the preaching of Peter and his companions that they wanted to put them to death. However, Gamaliel, a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, tells them that they should not make them martyrs, that this would just draw attention to their movement and draw new members, that they should just let the movement die out. The Sanhedrin follow his advice by having them thrown out and not put to death, but in their anger, they still have the apostles flogged. As disciples of Christ, the Gospel message we bring to the world will still insight anger and derision. But it is a message that will live on because it is truly from God. 

Today, we celebrate the feast day of St Athanasius, Bishop of the great city of Alexandria, Egypt, an important center of learning and commerce in the ancient world. Athanasius served as bishop there for 45 years in the 4th century, but he was sent into exile on 5 different occasions.  More than 6 years of that time of exile was spent in the desert.  Athanasius is one of that select group of men and women who have been named as a Doctor of the Church for their contributions to spirituality, theology, and Church doctrine. As Bishop, Athanasius battled Arianism, a belief named after Arius, a priest who lived in Alexandria in that same era. Arius and those who supported Arianism saw Jesus the Son as being subordinate and inferior to God the Father. Many emperors and Church leaders of this era held this same heretical belief. The writings and teaching of Athanasius defended the doctrine of the Trinity and are fundamental as to how we understand the three persons of the Trinity today in the Church’s teachings. We unite our prayers with St Athanasius and entire community of saints today as we celebrate the risen Christ during this joyful Easter season. 

Prayers of the faithful - 3rd Sunday of Easter - 4 May 2025 - prison ministry

Priest: Penitential Rite: 

Lord Jesus, you are a fountain of God’s grace and mercy. 


Christ Jesus, you give us strength in the Eucharist. 

Lord Jesus: you are the way that leads us to new life. 

Prayers of the faithful:
PRIEST: We pray that all of us may be drawn more intimately into God’s love and mercy. We offer our prayers today for our needs, the needs of the world, and the needs of the Church.


1. For God’s holy Church, that we may hear the call to be witnesses to Christ’s resurrection in the world, we pray to the Lord.


2. For international cooperation in being good stewards of our environment and in sharing the earth’s resources. We pray to the Lord.


3. For those who are struggling in their lives, for those battling mental health issues, depression, or addictions. May they feel God’s encouragement on their journey. We we reach out to our brothers to provide support. We pray to the Lord.


4. For all who thirst for justice and an end to violence, hatred and prejudice in our neighborhoods, our cities, and throughout the world. We pray for peace here at CMCF. We pray to the Lord.

5. For the men who entered the Church on Easter weekend. May they feel the joy of receiving Christ in their lives through the Eucharist. We pray to the Lord. 


6. For healing for those who are sick or afflicted in body, mind, and spirit.  We pray to the Lord. 

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


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

PRIEST: We are the people you shepherd, O God, the flock you guide. Hear these our prayers and graciously grant them through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord for ever and ever.

21 April 2025 - homily for Monday Octave of Easter - St Anselm - Acts 2:14 and 22-33

Today is the feast day of St Anselm, Abbot of a Benedictine monastery in France in the 11th century, Archbishop of Canterbury in England, and proclaimed Doctor of the Church in 1720. During his time as Archbishop in England, he went into exile twice due to the tension between the King and the Church in England. Anselm is remembered today as not just a wise, patient Church leader, but also as one of the Fathers of Scholasticism, the theology movement he described as “faith seeking understanding.”  Anselm once said, ““For I do not seek to understand in order that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand. For this also I believe: that unless I believe I shall not understand.” We live in an age when faith is sometimes mocked, when many are persecuted or discriminated against because of their faith.  With the example of the early disciples and the saints throughout history such as St Anselm, may we feel encouragement and edification as we live out our lives as modern disciples of Christ. 

It is wonderful to recognize a great leader of the Church today as we celebrate the Octave of Easter this week.  In our reading from Acts, which we will hear from frequently during in Easter season, as we hear about the formation and development of the Early Church,  we hear a great testimony of faith from St Peter in our first reading. Peter was especially successful in bring Jewish converts to the faith.  During the passion of the Lord during Holy Week, we heard how Peter was fearful, denying the Lord three times and not being strong and confident in his faith.  Now, we hear a very confident Peter, who professes his faith and who is about to proclaim to all God’s plan of salvation. 

As we ourselves journey through this holy season of Easter, may all of us feel God calling out to us today to be evangelizers and messengers of Christ’s Good News in our corner of the world.  

21 April 2025 - prayers of the faithful - Monday of the Octave of Easter

Lord Jesus - You are the glory of the Father. 

Christ Jesus - You are the hope of the hopeless. 

Lord Jesus - You give us strength and courage on our journey of faith. 

Priest: With Easter joy in our hearts, we present our prayers to our merciful and loving Father: 

1.We pray for the holy Church, the bride of Christ, that we may be faithful to our Savior and proclaim the joy of his Resurrection, We pray to the Lord. 

2. We pray for Pope Francis, for the repose of his soul. We give thanks for the many ways he led us as the Good Shepherd. We pray to the Lord. 

3. We pray for Bishop Joseph Kopacz and for our faith community here in the Diocese of Jackson, that, renewed by our Easter mysteries, we as live as servants and live for Christ, We pray to the Lord. 

4. We pray for all the children and youth who have been preparing for the Easter sacraments and for those candidates and catechumens who entered the Church on Easter weekend.  We pray to the Lord. 

5. We pray for all who are struggling in their faith right now, that Christ, risen from the dead, may call their name and lead them back to the faith.  We pray to the Lord. 

6. We pray for all those who have suffered tragedies. For those who are struggling with addictions. That the wounds of Christ may give them encouragement, We pray to the Lord. 

7. We pray for all those who have died. That Christ may shatter their chains and bring them to his banquet in the Father’s house. And for those prayers we hold in our hearts.  We pray to the Lord. 

8. We pray for our Carmelite sisters in the Diocese and our Secular Carmelite group. We pray to the Lord. 

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

Priest: As we journey through the Octave of Easter, we present these prayers to you O heavenly Father through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever.  AMEN. 

4 May 2025 - 3rd Sunday of Easter Cycle C - John 21:1-19; Acts 5:27-32 and 40b-41

The disciples are trying to make sense of what happened. In John’s Gospel, after Jesus appears to Mary Magdala at the empty tomb, after he appears to the disciples in the locked room, we come to today’s Gospel reading at the Sea of Tiberias. Even though Jesus had appeared to the disciples already, today’s Gospel implies that they had left Jerusalem and had gone back to their native Galilee to resume their former way of life as fishermen. Fleeing in fear, they still couldn’t make sense of the resurrection.

It is striking that the main elements of the eucharist are present in today’s reading. This stranger, whom they do not yet realize is the risen Christ, prepares them a meal of bread and roasted fish, fish they would have never caught if it had not been for Jesus’ presence and this miracle. As Jesus invites all of us in the Eucharist to “take this, all of you, and eat of it,” he tells the disciples to come and eat breakfast with him in a meal he has especially prepared. He and the disciples share what they have, eating in unity and community. This is such a simple scene, a beautiful picture of the Church.

Another thing that strikes me in the Gospel is the interaction between Jesus and Peter. We see them reconciling in their dialogue. Despite Peter proclaiming that he was more faithful than the other disciples at the Last Supper, saying that he is ready to go to prison for Jesus, even to his death, Peter alone denied three times that he knew Jesus. Now, in the gentlest and kindest of ways, the risen Lord asks him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”  Just as Peter had earlier denied Jesus three times, in answer to Jesus’ three questions, Peter asserts three times that he loves him. The risen Lord makes Peter and the other disciples realize that they are the ones to continue with Jesus’ mission of feeding the sheep. That is a mission we the Church continue to this day.  In the days before the Second Vatican Council, many members of the Church thought that this was a mission reserved for the bishops, priests and consecrated members of religious communities. But parents, catechists, and all members of the Church, even our youth and our children, share in this mission today. Our Church proclaims today that all of us are to evangelize the world with the Gospel message. 

As we hear this wonderful Gospel today, we celebrate with great joy today our children receiving their first communion. It is indeed an honor and joy for me to celebrate first communion with our children; they are always so excited to receive Christ in the Eucharist for the very first time. I can look at the joy in their eyes and in their faces, assured that they know in the enthusiasm and knowledge of a child what they are receiving.  For these children, the risen Christ is a true reality in their lives.  

Jesus is the Good Shepherd who tends his flock and who finds the lost sheep. I think everyone knows Uno.  He is the lost sheep. He is the mascot of our email service FLOCKNOTE. Uno is always with us at Mass, isn’t he children? He always is dressed for the liturgical season as well. 

We human beings are like the sheep who gets lost or hurt or lonely.  That can include some of us sitting here at church right now. Just as Jesus called Peter and the disciples to continue his mission to feed his lambs and tend his sheep, we are on this mission to connect to those who are lost or hurt or lonely, to reach out to them and to lead them closer to Christ.  

The disciples had to go back to Jerusalem where they began to proclaim what Jesus’ life, words, ministry, suffering, death and rising to new life meant for them and for all of us. Our first reading from Acts shows Peter and the other apostles doing exactly this. They want to share the joy of their encounter with the risen Lord. As we see in Acts, it was a message that not everyone wanted to hear, with many of the key civil and religious leaders trying to stop this message from being heard. Yet, with God’s truth and love guiding them, the disciples would not stop their mission, even when they were arrested, punished, or imprisoned. They united their sufferings and tribulations with the sufferings of our risen Lord.  

If we are to truly to follow in the footsteps of these first disciples,  proclaiming our faith in its fullness, it is not always going to be an easy journey. We follow in the footsteps of all the disciples of Christ who came before us. Because of them, the message of Christ, the message of truth and love, lives on.  

Prayers of the faithful - Friday of the 2nd week of Easter - 2 May 2025

Lord Jesus - you are the resurrection. 

Christ Jesus - you bring us new life. 

Lord Jesus - you bring us hope.

Priest: We present our prayers to our heavenly Father as we commemorate the 2nd week of the Easter season, : 

1. We pray for Pope Francis, our Bishops, and all the clergy, for their fidelity to the truth of the Gospel revealed in the mercy of Christ. 

2. We pray for all Christians, that we may embrace the corporal and spiritual works of mercy we are called to in our Baptism. 

3. We pray for all people of good will. That the entire human family may recognize our common bond to work for justice and the good of all peoples. 

4. We pray for all victims of injustice. That they may learn the freedom of mercy and find healing. 

5. We pray for all those enslaved by their past sins or decisions. That the wounds of Christ may encourage them to seek his surpassing love for them. 

6. We pray for the sick, the suffering, and the dying. That they may receive healing and encounter the mystery of their dignity as God's children. 

7. For those prayers we hold in our hearts.

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

Prayers of the faithful - feast of St Joseph the Worker - 2025 May 1

Lord Jesus You grew up with Mary and Joseph in Nazareth.

Christ Jesus - You give dignity to human work. 

Lord Jesus - You are our Lord & Savior.  

PRIEST: Lord, you are the source of all holiness. Let us therefore pray to Our Lord God who gave St. Joseph the light and strength he needed to be faithful at all times: 

1. For Pope Francis, Bishop Joseph Kopacz, and all priests, that they follow the example of St. Joseph and lead us through a responsible and dedicated leadership. We pray to the Lord.

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

3. That those entrusted with responsibility in various ministries of the church may set a modern Christian example for the people they lead. We pray to the Lord.

4. That St Joseph the Worker may inspire all laborers and workers to work wholeheartedly in this world, seeking always to give God glory and be faithful to the duties assigned to them. We pray to the Lord.

5. That through the intercession of  St Joseph, all humanity may find the opportunity to have secure employment and a fitting standard of living. We pray to the Lord.

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

PRIEST: Heavenly Father, we praise you for having led St Joseph to serve your son Jesus and his Mother Mary so faithfully. We ask that you help us to be faithful to our responsibilities and serve you with love. We ask this through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord for ever and ever. AMEN. 

1 May 2025 - Thursday of the 2nd week of Easter - Acts 5:27-33

In Communist countries throughout Europe, May 1 was traditionally celebrated as the Day of the Worker. To put the worker in the context of our Christian values, Pope Pius XII established the feast of St Joseph the Worker in 1955, which we celebrate on May 1 in our liturgical calendar each year. We also celebrate St Joseph on March 19 in our liturgical calendar as the spouse of Mary. Joseph was a carpenter who taught Jesus this trade as well. The Church teaches that no matter what work we undertake in life, we are to do so with dignity and in a manner that allows us to contribute to God’s kingdom and to human society. We can find dignity in all human work, no matter what kind of work it is. We can lift that work up for the glory of the Lord.

It is easy for us to see our work and our lives as our own, to see what we do in life as our own efforts.  But Pope John Paul II used the poignant expression “the Gospel of Work.” He explained in his encyclical “On Human Work,” that in the industrial age, men and women were often reduced to instruments in a society that emphasized productivity over the dignity of the worker. The technological age of our modern world promised something different but failed to deliver. We are still often defined in our secular world by what we do. 

As we celebrate St Joseph the worker today, we continue to hear about the development of the early Church in our reading from the Acts of the Apostles. The apostles state that they are required to follow a higher authority that dictates their consciences and that influences their actions.   The Sanhedrin may have issued an edict that stated that the apostles are required to refrain from preaching Christ’s Good News, but Peter and the other apostles declare that they must obey God, not man. May we always be guided by the values of our faith. 

30 April 2025 - homily for Wednesday of the 2nd week of Easter - Act 5:17-26

Today, we celebrate the feast day of Pope Pius V. He served as pope in the era right after the Protestant Reformation. He was tasked with implementing the teachings of the Council of Trent. In this era, there were a lot of wars and conflicts amongst the various nations, there was the threat of invasion from the Muslims, and there was a lot of corruption that hampered the advancement of the faith. The Council of Trent closed in 1563 after meeting off and on for 18 years. Pope Pius V assumed his papacy in 1566. A member of the Dominicans, Pope Pius V founded new seminaries for the proper training of priests. He published a new Roman missal, a new breviary, and a new catechism. He also implemented legislation against abuses in the Church. Beyond that, he stressed service to the sick and the poor and provided food to the hungry. He received opposition to many of these reforms from the governments in places like France, England, and the Roman Empire. 

We know from history and from the accounts of the Early Church that Peter, Paul, and some of the other apostles were imprisoned many times for the way that they publicly preached the Gospel to the world in the years right after Christ’s death and resurrection. This time, as recounted in today's first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, when Peter and a group of apostles are imprisoned, they are miraculously set free and they go out into the Temple area where they once again preach publicly about Jesus and his proclamation of God's kingdom. Others may try to imprison God’s word and may try to silence it, but we as disciples of Christ should always try to find a way to bring his word to others. 

30 April 2025 - prayers of the faithful - Wednesday of the 2nd week of Easter

Lord Jesus - you call us to be your disciples. 

Christ Jesus - you are the resurrection and the life. 

Lord Jesus - you call us to joy and hope. 

Priest: With Easter joy in our hearts during this 2nd week of the Easter season, we bring our prayers to our heavenly Father: 

1. That we in the Church may bring the light of Christ to others through our words and actions. 

2. For all the newly baptized and for those who came into the Church at Easter, that they may faithfully follow Jesus and be a blessing to their parish communities. 

3. That Christ’s victory over death may bring hope and healing to all who are burdened in life.

4. That those who are struggling in their faith may experience the risen Lord and be encouraged on their journey.

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

6. For all who are suffering mentally, physically or spiritually. For those who are struggling with addictions and mental health issues. For healing in their lives. 

7. For all parishioners and loved ones who have died. For their entry into eternal life. 

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

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

29 April - Tuesday of the 2nd week of Easter - prayers of the faithful

Lord Jesus - You are the resurrection and the life. 

Christ Jesus - You are a light shining in the world. 

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

PRIEST: The power and hope of the risen Christ fills the world with new life. With joy and expectation, let us bring forth our needs and the needs of the world in our prayers today. 

1. That the Church may proclaim Christ’s resurrection to the world in our words and actions. 

2. That our Church leaders embody the hope of paschal mystery which we celebrate in our liturgy during the Easter season. 

3. That the leaders of the nations of the world lead their people with integrity and respect. 

4. That in the light of Christ's victory over death, all Christians may collaborate together to bring the Gospel message to the world. 

5. For the sick and the afflicted. For healing for all of us in body, mind, and spirit. 

6. For our missionaries, for lay people serving in ministry, and for all who proclaim Christ’s Gospel message to the world. 

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

PRIEST: God of glory, you know the deepest desires of our hearts. As we celebrate the Resurrection during the Easter season, make us faithful to you in all we do. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. 

29 April 2025 - Tuesday of the 2nd week of Easter - St Catherine of Siena - Acts 4:32-37

Today, we celebrate the feast day of St Catherine of Siena. She is one of 4 women named as Doctors of the Church, the others being St Teresa of Avila, St Therese of Lisieux, and St Hildegard of Bingen.   St Catherine was an important figure in the Church in the medieval era, having lived in the 14th century. A Dominican lay woman, she was a mystic, author, and advisor to the Pope and Church leaders. She was proclaimed a patron saint of Europe in 1999 by Pope John Paul II. Catherine strongly influenced the return of the Pope from his exile in Avignon, France back to Rome, which was quite an extraordinary crisis for the Church of medieval Europe. Catherine then carried out many missions entrusted by the pope, which was quite unusual for a lay woman in the medieval era. Catherine stated:  “Proclaim the truth and do not be silent through fear.” 

Our first reading today from Acts tells us about the disciples of Christ in the early Church, of how they lived in community. From the beginning of this reading, it mentions four elements that distinguished this early Christian community. The believers formed a community. They were of one mind and one heart, united with each other. No one in the community claims their belongings for themselves; these things were held in common. And they witnessed their faith, their belief in the risen Christ. They witnessed this faith through signs and miracles of healing. The community of believers in the Early Church give us a great example of faith and we live in the modern world as disciples of Christ. 

27 April 2025 - homily for Divine Mercy Sunday - Homily for the 2nd Sunday of Easter Cycle C - Acts 5:12-16 - John 20:19-31

On the Second Sunday of Easter of the Jubilee Year 2000, at the Mass for the canonization of St Faustina Kowalska, Pope John Paul II proclaimed to the world that “from now on throughout the Church this Sunday will be called Divine Mercy Sunday.”

Sister Faustina was a young, uneducated nun in a convent of the Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Poland. She came from a poor family that struggled during the years after WWI. She had only three years of formal education, so hers were the humblest tasks in the convent, usually working in the kitchen and the garden. Yet, Sister Faustina received extraordinary revelations from Jesus between 1931 and 1938. Jesus asked her to record these experiences in her notebook. The image of Divine Mercy that we have comes from these revelations. However, the concept of Jesus’ divine mercy can also be found in the spirituality of other saints, especially St Ambrose, St Catherine of Siena, and St Therese of Lisieux. 

We see Christ’s divine mercy at work in today’s Gospel, as Christ appears to the disciples as they are hiding in a locked room after his death and resurrection. I think of in this Jubilee Year, Cathedrals and Churches designate specific doors where pilgrims enter, symbolizing Jesus and the way to salvation and redemption, symbolizing Jesus as the door to which we enter our faith. However, we all have places in our hearts and in our lives where we lock the doors, whether they be bad memories we have, sinful habits or addictions we cannot leave behind, or vulnerable parts of our lives we are afraid to share. As we celebrate the mercy of God in a special way today on this second Sunday of the Easter season, we are reminded that the risen Christ does not wait for the doors to be unlocked in order to enter our lives. Rather, our of his love and mercy for us, he enters our locked rooms and transforms our fears into inner peace, just as he did with Thomas and the other disciples in today’s Gospel. We are called to invite the risen Jesus into the locked places in our hearts and allow his Divine Mercy to bring Easter peace to our deepest fears. 

In addition to the Divine Mercy being a strong devotion in our Catholic faith, the Sacred Heart of Jesus is one of the oldest devotions in the Church. Just as we celebrate Divine Mercy today on the second Sunday of Easter each year, we honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the first Friday of each month in a special way. I see the devotions to Christ’s Sacred Heart and his Divine Mercy as being inseparable. Jesus’ Sacred Heart overflows with merciful love for us. We are to overflow with merciful love to others as well. In the 14th century, St Catherine of Siena states that God’s love always crosses a bridge of mercy to reach us. We actually celebrate the feast day of St Catherine of Siena this upcoming Tuesday. 

The disciples in the Early Church brought Christ’s mercy to the people in acts of healing in our first reading today in the Acts of the Apostles. People believed in their power to heal in Christ’s name, bringing many of the sick to them, with all of them being cured. They even believed that if Peter’s shadow fell on them, they would be healed. 

Pope John Paul II first declared Divine Mercy Sunday, but Pope Francis will be remembered in for his constant emphasis on God’s mercy, for the way he reached out to those who needed that mercy, and the importance of fraternity in a divided world. At the funeral Mass, Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re stated that “Pope Francis always placed the Gospel of mercy at the center, repeatedly emphasizing that God never tires of forgiving us.” Pope Francis called mercy “the air we breathe,” meaning that that God’s mercy is what we need most. Without God’s mercy, it would be impossible for us to live, it would be impossible for us to be disciples of Christ.

You probably remember that in September of last year, a young girl in Rankin county was convicted of killing her mother and shooting her stepfather. She just turned 16 years old last week. Since September, she has been incarcerated over at CMCF where we do prison ministry. A family friend who is Catholic had asked us to visit her and reach out to her, but the prison officials denied us access. For the last few months, however, she has been attending the gardening classes that we have been leading. In fact, she asked one of our Catholic inmates if she could get a strawberry plant, which we brought out to her this weekend. The warden of the youth facility asked us to help the youth with the gardening classes, knowing that it would help them. Everyone deserves God’s love and mercy. Everyone should have a chance at God’s love and forgiveness. That is what we are called to recognize on Divine Mercy Sunday. That is one of the beautiful messages that Pope Francis brought to the world. 

That is the point that a lot of people miss. Mercy is something we can bring to people in the everyday moments of life. That is why the message I have been trying to convey to the youth this year is that going on a service trip for a week is a great experience that will impact your life and your faith, but equally important are the works of mercy that we perform on a regular basis as a community of faith and everyday ways that we reach out to people who need our help in our local community. God’s mercy is often most embodied in those simple everyday acts such as teaching someone to garden or doing the yard work for the Carmelite nuns, or in a phone call to someone who is sick or lonely, or in the cup of coffee or snack that is offered to the prisoner. Or in a hug, telling the person that you love them and that God’s loves them. Or not giving up on a young girl who has committed a horrible crime and bringing her the strawberry plant that she asks for. 

Blessings to all of you as we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday today. 

Prayers of the faithful - 2nd Sunday of Easter - Divine Mercy Sunday - 27 April 2025 - CMCF prison ministry

Introduction: We celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday on the 2nd Sunday of the Easter season. God’s mercy for his people has its purest expression in the sacrifice of his son. God’s mercy continues to flow into our world and into all creation until the end of time. We pray that we may be merciful and forgiving to others, sharing the precious gift of God’s mercy. 

Priest - Penitential rite:


Lord Jesus, your resurrection stands as the great sign of the Father’s love. 

Christ Jesus, you give us new birth and living hope.


Lord Jesus, you give us your Easter peace. 

Priest: God’s mercy endures forever and his love is everlasting. Assured of God’s eternal love and mercy, we pray for those in need of his love and mercy today:



1. That we the Church may be an instrument of God’s mercy wherever and whenever it is needed in the world. We pray to the Lord.


2. That the peace the risen Lord offered his first disciples reign over the whole world, particularly in places afflicted by war, violence, conflict, or terrorism. We pray to the Lord.


3. For recovery and renewal in communities recovering from natural disasters. We pray to the Lord.


4. For those who were initiated into the Church on Easter. That the witness of their faith may serve as an inspiration to us. We pray to the Lord.


5. For Christians everywhere, that we may recognize the Lord in our midst: in God’s holy word, in the Eucharist, in those around us, and in all those in need. We pray to the Lord.


6. For healing for the sick and the afflicted, for those in the hospital, hospice, and nursing home. For healing in body, mind, and spirit. We pray to the Lord.

7. For those men suffering from anxiety, addictions, and mental health issues. For healing and wholeness for them. We pray to the Lord. 


8. For the faithful departed, for their entry into enteral life. We pray to the Lord.


9. For the prayers we hold in the silence of our hearts, for our intentions spoken and unspoken, we pray to the Lord.



Priest: Merciful God, hear our prayers for all in need. Kindle our own generosity so that we may share the blessing you bestow upon us, through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our risen Lord forever and ever. 

Bulletin Reflection - Divine Mercy Sunday - 27 April 2025

This weekend, we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. In 2000, Pope John Paul II declared that the second Sunday of the Easter season would be known as Divine Mercy Sunday. This reflects the devotion that so many Catholic faithful have to Christ’s divine mercy. Sister Faustina had Christ’s divine mercy revealed to her in visions in 1931, but this devotion also dates back to traditions in the early Church. God’s mercy meets us in the midst of our suffering and our brokenness. May the message of Divine Mercy Sunday be an integral part of our faith. Blessings to all of you as we commemorate Divine Mercy Sunday this week in the midst of our joyful Easter season. Father Lincoln.

Prayers of the faithful - 2nd Sunday of Easter - Divine Mercy Sunday - 27 April 2025

Introduction: We celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday on the 2nd Sunday of the Easter season. God’s mercy for his people has its purest expression in the sacrifice of his beloved son. God’s mercy continues to flow into our world and into all creation until the end of time. We pray that we may be merciful and forgiving to others, sharing the precious gift of God’s mercy. 

Priest - Penitential rite: 

Lord Jesus, your resurrection stands as the great sign of the Father’s love. 

Christ Jesus, you give us new birth and living hope.


Lord Jesus, you give us your Easter peace. 

Priest: God’s mercy endures forever and his love is everlasting. Assured of God’s eternal love and mercy, we pray for those in need of his love and mercy today:


1. That we the Church may be an instrument of God’s mercy wherever and whenever it is needed in our world. We pray to the Lord.


2. That the peace the risen Lord offered his first disciples reign over the whole world, particularly in countries and communities afflicted by war, violence, conflict, or terrorism. We pray to the Lord.


3. For recovery and renewal in communities recovering from natural disasters. We pray to the Lord.


4. For those in our parish and throughout the Diocese who were initiated into the Church on Easter. For our children who receive the sacrament of first holy communion next weekend. That the witness of their faith may serve as an inspiration to us. We pray to the Lord.


5. For Christians everywhere, that we may recognize the Lord in our midst: in God’s holy word, in the Eucharist, in those around us, and in all those in need. We pray to the Lord.


6. For healing for the sick and the afflicted, for those in the hospital, hospice, and nursing home. For healing in body, mind, and spirit. We pray to the Lord.


7. For the faithful departed, for their entry into enteral life. We pray to the Lord.
 8. For the prayers we hold in the silence of our hearts, for our intentions spoken and unspoken, we pray to the Lord.


Priest: Merciful God, hear our prayers for all in need. Kindle our own generosity so that we may share the blessing you bestow upon us, through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our risen Lord forever and ever.

25 April 2025 - Friday of the octave of Easter - Acts 4:1-12

Yesterday, in our reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we heard how through the healing of a lame man, Peter and John addressed the crowds about their need for repentance. Peter and John brought the reality of the risen Christ into the lives of the people, bringing a miracle of faith into their lives. Not only did Peter and John attract the attention of the crowds, but they attracted the attention of the Sadducees, the head of the Temple guards, and the chief priests, which we hear about in today’s first reading. Even though the authorities take Peter and John into custody, this gives Peter and John the opportunity to address the elders and to proclaim the message that the name of Jesus is the only name that saves.

We celebrate the resurrected Christ during the Octave of Easter in a special way. I always love celebrating these daily Masses of the Octave of Easter with all of you in a special way. Some of us priests have said that this is why we do not want the annual priests’ retreat to take place during the Octave, because that takes us out of our parishes that week during this important time in the liturgical year. I will be taking my retreat on the Camino in Spain the first week in May this year - I am certainly looking forward to that. Like Peter and John in Acts today, let us think of ways that we can witness the reality of the risen Christ to others. 

Friday of the octave of Easter - prayers of the faithful - 25 April 2025

Lord Jesus - You are the glory of the Father.  

Christ Jesus - You give hope to the hopeless. 

Lord Jesus - You give us strength and courage. 

Priest: We present our prayers to our merciful Father in hope and trust on this Friday of the Octave of Easter: 

1.That the Church, the bride of Christ, may be faithful to our Savior and proclaim the joy of his Resurrection. 

2. We pray for our parish family, that renewed through the Easter mysteries, we live as servants and live for Christ. 

3. For all those who have been initiated in the Church at the Easter Vigil Mass. For our children preparing for first holy Eucharist. That they may feel our love and prayers reaching out to them.

4. For all who are struggling in their faith right now. That Christ, risen from the dead, may call their name and lead them back to the faith. 

5. We pray for all those who have suffered tragedies. For the sick in the hospital, hospice, and nursing home. That Christ’s presence in their lives may give them encouragement. 

6. For our family members and loved ones who have died, that Christ may shatter their chains and bring them to the Father’s heavenly banquet. 

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

Priest: On this Friday in the Octave of Easter, we present these prayer to you heavenly Father, through your son, Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever.  AMEN. 

24 April 2025 - St Fidelus of Sigmaringen - homily for Thursday of the Octave of Easter - Acts 3:11-26

Born in Sigmaringen, Germany in 1577, St Fidelus started his adult life as a lawyer who traveled around Europe tutoring aristocrats and defending the poor. He became a Franciscan Capuchin monk in 1612. He became a Catholic missionary in Switzerland in that area Europe that had become heavily Protestant after the Reformation. Accused of being a spy for the Austrian empire, he was stabbed to death in 1622. He was canonized by Pope Benedict XIV. 

In our reading from Acts, we hear about Peter and John heading off to the Temple to pray when a lame man stops them and asks them for assistance. Instead of giving him money to help him economically, they heal him through the Holy Spirit. This man is overcome by joy as he leaps around and shouts praises to God. This commotion draws the attention of a large crowd, which gives Peter the opportunity to preach to the people about Jesus.  They tell the crowd about what happened to their Lord. They want the people to repent, to change their lives, to become followers of the Lord. But it is not the miracle itself that draws our attention, but rather the power and the truth behind that miracle, the way it teaches us about God’s kingdom and about our faith. 

May we learn from the growth and development of the early Church this week in our first readings at daily Mass from the Acts of the Apostles.

Prayers of the faithful - Thursday of the Octave of Easter - 24 April 2025

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

Christ Jesus - you call us to seek you in the midst of our reality.

Lord Jesus - you are the resurrection.

Priest: Our joy is in Christ’s rising from the dead. In our Easter joy, let as present our prayers to God the Father:

1. That Pope Francis, Bishop Kopacz, and all our church leaders continue to inspire the members of the body of Christ to deepen their reverence and prayer on their journey of faith.

2. That pastors may lead and serve their flock entrusted to their care with humility and wisdom.

3. That all governmental leaders may reach out to their people in hope and unity.

4. For all those who are sick and need healing in their lives. 

5. For our medical professionals, first responders, the men and women in the military. For those on the front lines and who keep us safe.

6. For the prophets whom God has sent to us in our midst, that we may let their message enter our hearts.

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

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

Priest: Father, you know the many needs of your people. Hear and answer the prayers that we make through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN.

Prayers of the faithful - Wednesday of the Octave of Easter - 23 April 2025

Lord Jesus - you bring us Easter joy.  

Christ Jesus - you raise us to new life. 

Lord Jesus - you bring us hope. 

PRIEST: We place our needs before God, rejoicing because Christ has triumphed over death and has brought us salvation:

1. For the Holy Father, Pope Francis, Bishop Kopacz, and all our Church leaders, that they may continue to lead the Church in witnessing to the joyful truth of the Resurrection. 

2. For all who have dedicated their lives to God, that they may be Christ’s witnesses in the world. 

3. For the unemployed, for those struggling economically, for the hungry and the homeless, for those crying out for justice, and for those battling addictions. That their needs be met. 

4. For the family of God gathered here at Mass in Easter joy, that we may bear witness to the risen Christ and reflect him in our lives. 

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

6. For those who have died, that they may rise to eternal life in Christ. 

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

PRIEST: Almighty Father, your beloved son has risen from the dead, as he promised us. In peace and joy we present our prayers to you, through the same risen Lord, who lives and reigns for ever and ever.  Amen. 

22 April 2025 - prayers of the faithful - Tuesday of Octave of Easter

Lord Jesus - you are the living word of God - Lord have mercy.

Christ Jesus - you bring us hope and truth - Christ have mercy.

Lord Jesus - you are the Word of God - Lord have mercy.

PRIEST: As we celebrate the Octave of Easter, we bring our prayers to our heavenly Father:

1. That Christ’s love may be visible in our words and actions.

2. That the Holy Spirit may help find that truth in Christ our Savior in the reality of our lives.

3. For our children preparing for the sacrament of holy Eucharist. For those who entered the Church on Easter weekend. That they find hope and encouragement on their journey.

4. For all who are suffering or struggling in any way, and for all who need healing of body, mind or spirit: that the love of family, friends, and neighbors may remind them of God’s loving care.

5. For the faithful departed. For their entry into eternal life. For the souls in purgatory.

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

PRIEST: Heavenly Father, we ask that you continue to lead and guide your people during the holy season of Easter. Hear our prayers that we make through your son Jesus Christ, our risen Lord forever and ever. Amen.

23 April 2025 - homily for Wednesday of the Octave of Easter - St George - Luke 24:13-35

There is a lot of mythology associated with the saint we celebrate today – St George. His name probably brings to our mind the image of this courageous saint slaying a dragon – certainly some of the mythology that has sprung up about him throughout history.  We do know that George was a Roman soldier who rose to the rank of officer and who was born in the latter part of the 3rd century before the Roman Empire officially recognized Christianity. The Roman Emperor Diocletian put George to death for his unwillingness to give up his Christian faith. George became one of the most venerated Catholic saints, having become the patron of Crusaders and soldiers, and having been depicted often in iconography. 

As I reflect upon our Gospel today in the Octave of Easter, I think of how our theological knowledge of our faith is important, but that there is no substitute for a personal encounter and relationship with Christ. The disciples on the Road to Emmaus presumed Jesus to be dead, so they did not recognize him as he appeared to them in the midst of their journey. However, through this direct interaction with Jesus, through the kindness they offered him, who they supposed to be a stranger, and through them breaking open God’s word and breaking bread together, they recognize Jesus who is in front of them and they believe. This encounter inspires these two disciples to share their experiences and to bring the Gospel message to others. We are also called to offer acts of kindness to the stranger.  We are also called to break open God’s word, to have his word interact with the reality of life. In the Eucharist, in the breaking of the bread around the Lord’s table, we are to receive nourishment and encouragement. Like the disciples on the Road to Emmaus, we also are pilgrims on a journey. 

22 April 2025 - Tuesday in the Octave of Easter - Acts 2:36-41

We heard from different prophets in our first readings at daily Mass during Lent, prophets such as the Isaiah and Hosea. These prophets called the people of Ancient Israel to repentance and conversion when they turned away from God. During the Easter season, we hear about the establishment and development of the Early Church after the death and resurrection of Jesus in the first readings of the daily masses from the Acts of the Apostles.  This week we celebrate the Octave of Easter, a special liturgical time in our Church at the start of the Easter season. In our reading today from Acts, we hear about 3,000 people who were baptized in response to the message that Peter preached. On Good Friday, we heard the crowd cry out in the midst of Christ’s passion, “crucify him.” Some of those in those crowds who wanted Jesus to die could have been the very ones who responded to Peter’s call of repentance and baptism in our reading today. The people “were cut to the heart” when they realized that Jesus, who was just crucified, was made Christ and Lord by God.

As the Church grew in the ancient world, there were many martyrs who gave up their lives for the faith. St Abdiesus was a deacon serving in Persia when he was martyred in the year 342 under King Shapur II. Others were martyred with him. His feast day is today. We unite our prayers with the martyrs and the community of saints as we commemorate the Octave of Easter. 

20 April 2025 - homily for Easter Sunday - John 20:1-9

The solemnity of Easter, the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead after his crucifixion and his placement in the tomb, is central to our Catholic faith and our identity as Christ’s disciples. The resurrection is God’s definitive answer to death. Nothing is stronger nor more powerful than God. Through the this resurrection, God has conquered both sin and death.

However, we know that at times all of us as human beings can feel a lack of hope in our lives and a sense of despair. At times, we can look at what is going in the modern world in general or in the struggles and challenges we have in our personal lives, and we can become very discouraged. It seems that there is no end to this variety of problems in the modern world for which there are no easy answers or solutions.

From the Gospel texts that follow the passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ, the apostles had gone into hiding from fear of being put to death themselves. In our Gospel today, we hear how their fear and confusion deepens as they see an empty tomb and cannot make sense of what is going on.  

Every 25 years, the Pope declares a special Jubilee Year. Many of us adults probably remember the Jubilee Year of 2000 that celebrated the new Millennium. For the Jubilee Year of 2025, Pope Francis has called us to be pilgrims of hope. Since the celebration of Easter morning is a celebration of hope in many ways, it is good for us to feel that we can truly be pilgrims of hope in the reality of our world. 

One thing I encourage you to do is to go on a pilgrimage or to visit a holy site during this jubilee year.  I myself am going on the Camino pilgrimage of St James in Spain in May. I leave on May 4. I cannot wait to be back on the Camino, my first time since January 2017. I am going to serve as spiritual director on a pilgrimage to the Marian sites in Lourdes, Fatima, and Medjugorje in September. I am also making plans to visit the Father McGivney shrine and pilgrimage site in Connecticut when I go up to the Rhode Island for a mission appeal. Father McGivney is the founder of the Knights of Columbus. I have always been very interested in him. You could even go to a place more local, such as the Ave Maria Grotto in Culman, Alabama, St Mary Basilica in Natchez, or our Diocesan cathedral in downtown Jackson. Going on a pilgrimage is a traditional Catholic way to celebrate the Jubilee Year. It will enliven your soul and give encouragement to your faith. It is a great way to celebrate the resurrected Christ. 

I also encourage you to choose a saint, either an official canonized saint or another member of the community of saints, to be your patron saint, especially during the Jubilee year. This Lent, we highlighted saints in our Sunday Mass homilies who spoke to us on our Lenten journey, such as St Martin de Porres, St Maximillian Kolbe, Dorothy Day, St Francis of Assisi, Gerald Manley Hopkins, and Flannery O’Connor. As you know, I am a big believer in the saints and in their ability to help us, guide us, and inspire us. All of those saints I mentioned inspire me and accompany me in different ways. Learn about the saint you choose. Pray with that saints and feel in your heart the advice that saint gives to you. Thankfully, there are so many resources, media sources, and books available to help us learn about the saints. We can find hope in the way the saints lived out their journey of faith. 

The hope of our faith, the hope of the resurrection is not optimism or out-of-reach idealism. Hope is God’s gift to us, the call we have to holiness and to cooperate with God’s will. This is the hope of the resurrection that calls out to us today on Easter Sunday.  The heart of Jesus speaks to our heart today, offering us new ways to approach the reality of our lives. French Catholic writer and philosopher Blaise Pascal from the 17th century wrote that the human heart has its reasons which our human intellect will never understand. The hope that resides in our hearts in the hope of the new life we have in the resurrected Christ. We accompanied Jesus on the way to the cross during the weeks of Lent. Now, in the light of the resurrection, we continue to carry the crosses in our lives as pilgrims of hope. 

prayers of the faithful - Catholic funeral mass - George Saul - 12 April 2025

Prayers of the Faithful 

Priest:  My brothers and sisters, Christ is risen from the dead and is seated at the right hand of the Father, when he intercedes for us.  In confidence, we now join our prayers to his prayers as we pray for our brother George. The response to each prayer will be: Lord hear our prayer.  

1. In baptism, our brother George was given the pledge of eternal life. May he now be admitted to the company of the saints. We pray to the Lord.  

2. For our brother, who ate the body of Christ, the bread of life, that he may be raised up on the last day. We pray to the Lord. 

3. For George’s family, friends, and fellow parishioners here at Holy Savior, that they may be sustained by their faith and by the knowledge that they will be reunited with their brother one day in God’s heavenly Kingdom. We pray to the Lord. 

4. Many friends and members of our families have gone before us and await the Kingdom. Grant them an everlasting home with your Son.  We pray to the Lord. 

5. Many people die by violence, war, and famine each day.  Show you mercy to those who suffer so unjustly there sins against your love. Gather them to the eternal kingdom of peace. We pray to the Lord. 

6. May the prayers of Mary, the Mother of God, who stood by the cross as her son was dying, help those who mourn and be with all of us in our time of need. We pray to the Lord.

Priest: Lord God, giver of peace and healer of souls, hear the prayers of our Redeemer and the voices of your people.  Grant all those who sleep in Christ a place in your kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord.  AMEN.  

12 April 2025 - Saturday of the 5th week of Lent - Ezekiel 37:21-28 - John 11:45-56

We are getting ready to enter Holy Week, a time we Catholics look forward to each year. The theme of unity is found throughout our readings today. Ezekiel gives the people a message from the Lord, saying that he will bring the people of Israel back from all the nations to which they dispersed.  Ezekiel states: “Never again shall they be two nations, and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms.” However, we hear the chief priests, the Pharisees, and the Sanhedrin state that if they believe in Jesus and stand united with him and his ministry, that their power and their nation will be in jeopardy, that the Romans will take that away from them. 

We as disciples of Christ are called to be one with him. So often in life we can be divided from our brothers and sisters. In the fear and uncertainty we have in the world today, we can either try to be more united, or we can be more divided, so these are just not realities that existed in the Old and New Testaments, they are realities we are facing today. Just look how so many in the world lash out at others in self-righteousness.  We are so critical of our neighbor, even when we do the same things ourselves. Gossip, sarcasm, ridicule, judgements, and ego can rule our lives. Ezekiel called the people to unity.  Will we follow his call?  Or will we follow the sins of the chief priests, the Pharisees, and the Sanhedrin?

19 April 2025 - Prayers of the faithful - Easter Vigil Mass - CMCF prison ministry

Priest: Our joy on this holy day gives us the confidence to place our trust in God for all things. Let present our prayers for our needs, the needs of the Church, and the needs of the world:

1. For the holy Church, that by word and example, we may always proclaim the glory of the resurrection of the Lord in the midst of our reality. We pray to the Lord.

2. That the peace that God has willed from the very moment of creation grows in our hearts, in our families, in our community, and in the whole world. We pray to the Lord.

3. For the newly initiated members of our Christian family here and throughout the world, that they may grow in their new life in Christ Jesus. We pray for all the men of the community of St Michael the Archangel here at CMCF. We pray to the Lord.

4. For Christians around the world, that our faith in the resurrection may lead us to seek true unity in Christ. We pray to the Lord.

5. For all of us gathered at Mass today, that just as Christ was raised from the dead, that we too might live in newness of life. We pray to the Lord.

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

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

Priest: God of love and mercy, you raised your only begotten son from the dead to eternal life with you. Raise us out of sin and death into new life. We present our prayers to you this evening through your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN.

19 April 2025 - Prayers of the faithful - Easter Vigil Mass

Priest: Our joy on this holy night gives us the confidence to place our trust in God for all things. Let present our prayers for our needs, the needs of the Church, and the needs of the world.

1. For the holy Church, that by word and example, we may always proclaim the glory of the resurrection of the Lord in the midst of our reality. We pray to the Lord.

2. That the peace that God has willed from the very moment of creation grows in our hearts, in our families, in our community, and in the whole world. We pray to the Lord.

3. For the newly initiated members of our Christian family here and throughout the world, that they may grow in their new life in Christ Jesus. We pray to the Lord.

4. For Christians around the world, that our faith in the resurrection may lead us to seek true unity in Christ. We pray to the Lord.

5. For all of us gathered at Mass this evening, that just as Christ was raised from the dead, that we too might live in newness of life. We pray to the Lord.

6. For the repose of the souls of the faithful departed. For healing for the sick and the shut-in. We pray to the Lord.

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

Priest: God of love and mercy, you raised your only begotten son from the dead to eternal life with you. Raise us out of sin and death into new life. We present our prayers to you this evening through your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN.

Bulletin Reflection - Easter weekend - 19 April 2025 and 20 April 2025

We welcome all of you to our Easter weekend liturgies. We especially extend a warm welcome to any visitors we have at our parish this weekend. Holy Week is the summit of our Church’s liturgical year, as we celebrate the paschal mystery of the Lord: his passion, death, and resurrection. I hope that you experience the joy of the resurrection in your heart and in your life of faith, no matter what reality you are experiencing in your life. I pray that you experience hope on your journey of faith as we continue to celebrate the Extraordinary Jubilee Year, calling us to be pilgrims of hope in the world. In a couple of weeks, we will celebrate first communion with our children, which will be a very joyful occasion in the life of our parish. Blessings to all of you this Easter weekend. I will not be attending the priests retreat this upcoming week, so I hope you will join us in celebrating our daily Masses in the Octave of Easter this upcoming week. Blessings - Father Lincoln.

19 April 2025 - homily for Easter Vigil Mass - Luke 24:1-12

"Christ yesterday and today, the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega. All things belong to him and all the ages. To him be glory and power through every age. Forever. Amen."

We began our Easter vigil celebration this evening with the blessing of the new paschal candle and the lighting of the candle with the Easter fire. We used the above words to proclaim the lordship of Jesus Christ, the son of God and the savior of the world. Through the lighting of the paschal candle, we mark the light of Christ that comes into the world through his paschal mystery, through his resurrection. 

With Christ’s death, a great silence and a great stillness came over the earth. The earth trembled. Christ's disciples knew that he was the truth, the word incarnate. Because of his death, every semblance of reason was muted and hushed. 

The three women arrived at his tomb, only to find it empty, only to receive this message: “Do not be amazed! You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Behold the place where they laid him. But go and tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you.’”

Tonight we participate in the most important liturgical celebration of the Church year. Tonight’s Mass contains rich sacramental symbols. Based on the traditions of the Early Church, our liturgy calls upon nature’s most basic element: open air, fire, water, light and darkness. Tonight’s liturgy emphasizes the cosmic dimensions of Christ’s Resurrection. Tonight’s readings present key moments from salvation history: the Exodus of the Jewish people from their slavery in Egypt; the prophet Isaiah calling the people to the waters of salvation; and the prophet Ezekiel calling the nation of Israel to renewal and new life during their exile in Babylon. 

Tonight, we have one adult entering the Church. With great joy, we welcome her to our Holy Savior community through her profession of faith. Tonight, we the Catholic faithful will renew our baptismal promises and receive a blessing of special Easter holy water. We have commemorated the 40 days of Lent and Holy Week. Tonight, with great joy, we enter the Easter season in which we will celebrate the resurrected Christ in a special way.  Tonight, sacramentally, we are untied with the apostolic Church and with Christians around the world we are celebrating the risen Lord. We join with all of creation in thanking God for our savior and our redeemer. 

18 April 2025 - Homily for Good Friday - Isaiah 52:13—53:12 - John 18:1—19:42

Today, on the day that Jesus died, we come to Mass to venerate the cross of Christ, to behold the wood of his cross, on which hung the salvation of the world. Eucharistic prayer for reconciliation #1 states that on the cross, Christ’s arms were outstretched between heaven and earth, becoming a lasting sign of your covenant. We remember that this day, a covenant between God and man was sealed with nails, splinters, and blood. 

The prophet Isaiah describes a suffering servant, foreshadowing the arrival of Christ, as servant who bears our infirmities and endures our sufferings. On the wood we venerate and touch on the cross of Christ, we see the shoot that has emerged from the parched earth as described by Isaiah. Christ is nailed to the cross, becoming one with his cross.  For our own brokenness, from our sins and our own sufferings, we see the cross that has served to bring us salvation. In the cross, we see that we are saved. We see how much God loves us. 

The harsh reality of our world reflects the reality of Good Friday. Of those who died an unjust death here on earth. The war and violence that continue. Those who die a lonely death. Those who have lost hope in the future. Christ is still being crucified today. 

However, we still have the love of Christ and the mercy of the Father. Christ constantly intercedes for us. As Christ looks upon the violence and torment of the world, he proclaims: Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. Despite the reality and hardship of the world, our savior speaks on our hope, offering us the cross as a witness of hope, a promise of the new life that is offered to us in our faith. We are to behold the wood of the cross, on which hung the salvation of the world. 

17 April 2025 - Prayers of the faithful - Holy Thursday

Introduction: We begin the Paschal Triduum this evening, the three-day remembrance of Christ's passion, crucifixion, and resurrection. We are called to remember how Christ’s life ended here on earth, in triumph disguised as defeat. This evening on Holy Thursday, we hear how Jesus gave his disciples a model for the mission of our Church, as he came to them as a servant on his knees to wash their feet. May Jesus’ lesson be a model for us as we proclaim his passion, death, and rising to the world.

Penitential rite - Priest

Lord Jesus, you washed the feet of your disciples.

Christ Jesus, you gave us the Eucharist as the everlasting memorial of your light and life.

Lord Jesus, you summon us to your table of reconciliation and peace.

Priest: Animated by the love that Jesus shows humanity as he washed the feet of the disciples and commanded us to do likewise, we turn to God with our needs and the needs of the world:

1. That with love and compassion, we in the Church may serve those in need just as Jesus served his disciples at the Last Supper. We pray to the Lord.

2. For those who are suffering in pain, in grief, or from want, that their burden may be lifted through God’s mercy. We pray to the Lord.

3. For all who serve others in ministry, that they may be renewed in mind and spirit as they serve God’s mission. We pray to the Lord.

4. For our Jewish brothers and sisters, that our prayers to God be united with their prayers. We pray to the Lord.

5. For our faith communities of Holy Savior and Immaculate Conception, especially for those who will receive the sacraments of initiation on Easter weekend, that our participation during these holy days renew our mission to serve one another. We pray to the Lord.

6. For the repose of the souls of the faithful departed. For healing for the sick and the shut-in. We pray to the Lord.

7. For the prayers we hold in the silence of our hearts, for our intentions spoken and unspoken. We pray to the Lord.

Priest: God of the eternal covenant, you so loved the world that you gave us your only son to live for us, to die for us, and to guide us to you. We make our prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN.

17 April 2025 - Homily for Holy Thursday - 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 - John 13:1-15

This evening, we begin our three-day liturgy which marks the holiest days of the liturgical year. The Sacred Paschal Triduum begins at sundown on Holy Thursday with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and concludes with sundown on Easter Sunday, with its highpoint the celebration of the Easter Vigil on Saturday. 

This evening’s Mass is glorious celebration of two great gifts Christ has given to his Church: the the Eucharist and Holy Orders. The priesthood that Christ proclaims is rooted in humble service, commanding us to love others through service. As he approaches his death on the cross, he finds ways to personally stay close to us. 

The institution of the Eucharist is recalled in St Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians, as Paul writes about the night Jesus was handed over. At that Last Supper, the simple Passover meal Jesus shares with his disciples is transformed as he establishes a new and everlasting covenant with all people. Christ knew that the hour of his death was near, that he would soon depart the earth in human form, so he instituted the Eucharist so that he would remain in sacramental form with us. Christ command us: “Do this in remembrance of me”. 

Christ’s holy Church has never failed to heed this command. We must be ready every day to celebrate the feast of Jesus’ love for us in the Eucharist and, in the strength of the Eucharist, to continue our own pilgrimage journey as servants of the people of God and of the whole world. At the end of the liturgy, the consecrated hosts will be taken out of the tabernacle as we prepare for the liturgy of Good Friday. 

While Matthew, Mark, and Luke provide a description of the institution of the Eucharist at the last supper, John’s Gospel describes Jesus washing the feet of his disciples.  Jesus uses this act of service to teach his disciples the importance of serving each other in simplicity and humility. As Christ does for us, we are to do for others. 

The priest of the Church see out priesthood as rooted in the Last Supper, as we lead the Eucharistic prayer with you each time we celebrate Mass and as we remember this event. I as a priest will enact the washing of the feet. Just as Jesus humbly knelt before his disciples, so I as the priest will kneel before all of you at Mass tonight.

As we start the Triduum of liturgies this evening, we as the people of God participate in the summit of our liturgical year. May we give thanks this evening for the gift of the Eucharist and the gift of these sacred mysteries of our faith. 

16 April 2025 - homily for Wednesday of Holy Week - Isaiah 50:4-9A

As we get ready to begin the Triduum of liturgies tomorrow during Holy Week, we hear from the prophet Isaiah as he foreshadows what Jesus is to endure in his passion. Jesus made his way to the cross not by rebelling,  not by turning his back.  As Isaiah foreshadows, he does not give his back to those who beat him. He does not shield himself from  the indignities that are heaped upon him. 

Yet, Isaiah states, “The Lord God is my help – therefore I am not disgraced.” Even though Jesus was treated disgracefully during his passion, even though they tried to shame in every way, Jesus, in reality, was not disgraced due to his relationship with God. God’s reality is different from what we see on the surface. God brings grace and dignity to our lives, most especially to the moments of struggle and suffering. 

God identifies with the poor, the abandoned, and those that suffer. Pope Francis has exemplified this often in his Holy Thursday liturgies as pope by visiting a prison and washing the feet of the prisoners. 

God the Father did not abandon Jesus. God did not abandon the martyrs who died for our faith. In the midst of our suffering and struggles, in the midst of our daily reality, God does not abandon us.  God is there.  

16 April 2025 - Prayers of the faithful - Wednesday of Holy Week

Lord Jesus - you heal our brokenness. 

Christ Jesus - you bring us hope. 

Lord Jesus - you call us to conversion and renewal. 

PRIEST: In faith and trust, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father as we journey with Jesus during Holy Week: 

1. That God will lead us to forgiveness and healing in our lives. 

2. That our commemoration of Holy Week will touch the hearts of those who are struggling on their journey of faith, encourage them and giving them strength. 

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

4. That God’s love will renew those are sick, strengthening them and bringing them healing in body, mind, and spirit. 

5. For the faithful departed, for their entry into eternal life.  And for the souls in purgatory. 

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

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

15 April 2025 - homily for Tuesday of Holy Week - John 13:21-31, 36-38, Isaiah 49:1-6

“Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, yet my reward is with the Lord, my recompense is with my God.”  We hear these words from the prophet Isaiah this morning, helping us reflect upon how often on our journey of faith, we may be following what we think is the will of God in our lives, yet we feel that we have no results to show for it. Often, in our secular culture, we see success in the results we get, in what we produce, in how much profit we make, or in how many material possessions we accumulate.  In our work life or in our personal life, we can be impatient if the results don’t come quickly. In the years I served as a lay missionary, results were often hard to recognize. I walked by faith in my missionary service, knowing that I was following the will of God. 

The ways of our world are not often God’s ways. God’s plan leads us to salvation, not earthly accomplishment. Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord says his people: I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth. 

In our commemoration of Holy Week, we are called to accompany Jesus as he carries his cross. In our Gospel today, we hear Jesus tell his disciples about the end of his earthly journey, which is a part of God’s plan of salvation for all of humanity. May we never forget that God’s ways are often very radical compared to the ways of our world.  As we complete our journey with Jesus during Holy Week, may we not lose sight of where we are going.

Prayers of the faithful - Tuesday of Holy Week - 15 April 2025

Lord Jesus - you call us to reconciliation and healing.  

Christ Jesus - you bring us hope. 

Lord Jesus - you call us to conversion and renewal. 

Priest: In faith and trust, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father as we commemorate Holy Week: 

1. That our journey of faith will inspire us to reach out to others in spiritual and corporal works of mercy.

2. That we will work toward forgiveness and healing in our own lives and in our community.  

3. That we in the Church may be witnesses to the truth and freedom of our faith. 

4. For healing for the sick and the shut-in. For those in the hospital, hospice, and nursing home. For those suffering from addictions or mental health issues. 

5. That God will strengthen all our families in faith, hope, and love. 

6. That we the Catholic faithful may grow in our faith during Holy Week. 

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

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

13 April - Palm Sunday - Prayers of the faithful - CMCF prison ministry

Priest: 

Lord Jesus - in word and in actions, you reveal to us your Father’s love. 

Christ Jesus, in your passion and death, you emptied yourself for our sake. 

Lord Jesus, in your resurrection, you have been given the name that is above every other name. 

Priest: In our commemoration of Palm Sunday, we give voice to our needs and the needs of our neighbors, relying on the Lord for help, confident that the Lord will answer our prayers:

1. That we in the universal Church may boldly testify to our faith and work tirelessly to carry out Christ’s mission. We pray to the Lord.

2. For peace in the Holy Land, the Middle East, and Ukraine. For peace in communities torn apart by violence and anger. We pray to the Lord. 

3. For all who welcome the Lord into their lives with devotion and praise, especially those men who will enter the Church on Easter weekend. We pray to the Lord.

4. For an end to the death penalty. For justice for all here in CMCF in their sentences and their cases. We pray to the Lord.

5. That our observance of Holy week strengthen our commitment to carry our crosses and assist others with their crosses. 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.  For healing for the sick and the afflicted in body, mind, and spirit. For healing for those suffering from addictions, mental health issues, anxiety, or depression. We pray to the Lord.

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

Priest: God of compassion, your son turned to you again and again in order to obey your will in the midst of his pain, suffering, and death. Give us the grace to accept your will and to carry our crosses. We present our prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN.