2 October 2025 - homily for the feast of the Guardian angels - homily for Thursday of the 26th week in Ordinary time - Exodus 23:20-23

Our readings today talk about angels on the feast of the guardian angels.  In the Exodus, Moses and the Israelites are told by the Lord that he will send the Angel of the Lord before them, to guide them and show them the way. Our psalm response sends us a similar message, that the Lord has put the angels in charge of us, to guard us in our ways.  

In our Catholic faith, we believe in angels. We see angels as spiritual being who were created by God.  Our English word “angel” comes from the Greek word “angelos”, which means “messenger”.  God sends out angels to carry special messages for him.  Today, we celebrate the feast of the holy Guardian Angels. We see the role of the guardian angel as to guide us to good thoughts, good works, and good words, to keep us from evil. Since the 17th century, we have celebrated a feast honoring the Guardian Angels in October. Indeed, our American society is becoming more secular, but I was looking at an article from Time Magazine that quoted statistics from a study on religious belief in American conducted by Baylor University, which stated that 55% of respondants agreed with the statement: “I was protected from harm by a guardian angel.”  Very interesting. 

I love the prayer to the Guardian Angels.  It is a favorite prayer of many Catholic children, and many Catholic adults remember this prayer from their childhood: Angel of God, My Guardian Dear, to whom God's love commits me here. Ever this day be at my side, to light and guard and rule and guide. Amen. 

In our prayers, we communicate with God and we develop and grow in our faith.  May the angels and saints hear our prayers and pray for us as members of the Kingdom  of God. 

3 October 2025 - Homily for Friday of the 26th week in ordinary time - Baruch 1:15-22

Baruch ben Neriah was the scribe, disciple, secretary, and devoted friend of the prophet Jeremiah. He is credited with authoring the book of Baruch, which we hear in our first reading today.  He lived in Israel in the 6th century before Christ. In our first reading today, Baruch tells us how the people in Israel were contrite for their sins during their exile in Babylon, how they recognized the ways that they and their leaders had strayed from the faith to which God called them. The people recognized the ways that they rejected the word of God, the ways that they turned away from him even though he brought them to the dessert to the land of milk and honey.

Sometimes we don’t understand what God is communicating to us, so he sends special messengers our way.  Sometimes those messengers are prophets like Baruch.  Other times they are angels. In fact, earlier in the week, we celebrated the feast day of the Guardian angels and the feast day of the archangels. Other times, God sends special missionaries and saints to us to bring us a special message and to be for us an example of faith. May we not ignore the prophets that God sends us.  

1 October 2025 - St Therese of the Child Jesus - homily for Wednesday of the 26th week in ordinary time - Luke 9:57-62

Born in 1873 in France, Therese was only 15 years when she entered the Carmelite monastery in Lisieux as a postulant. She died of tuberculosis on September 30, 1897 at the age of 24. She was unknown to most of the world during her lifetime. At the time of her death, she stated: “I have reached the point of not being able to suffer any more, because all suffering is sweet to me." Her last words were: "My God, I love you.” She became known to the world after her death by the publication of her spiritual memoir, Story of a soul, which is the compilation of three different manuscripts that she wrote during her lifetime. She was canonized a saint in 1925 by Pope Pius XI and named a doctor of the church by Pope John Paul II, only one of four women to have that distinction. Her spirituality remains popular to this day, probably because her little way of lifting up our everyday moments to God is very simple to understand and resonates with the Catholic faithful.  

In our Gospel today, someone tells Jesus that he will follow Jesus wherever he goes. Sometimes we do not know where our journey of faith will take us. Therese had a heart for the missions, but her journey of faith led her to her vocation as a cloistered Carmelite nun, dying at a very young age after struggling her whole life with her health. She is now one of the patron saints where her missionary spirit still inspires people today. We unite our prayers with the prayers of St Therese of Lisieux. 

5 October 2025 - prayers of the faithful - 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time - prison ministry

Priest: Penitential Rite:

Lord Jesus - you hear the cry of the poor and the oppressed.

Christ Jesus - you love us with all your heart.

Lord Jesus - you call us to carry our crosses.

Priest: Let us approach our heavenly Father in our prayers today with faith and hope:

1. As we begin Respect Life Month, we unite our prayers with the prayers of the Blessed Mother. We pray that we may build a culture that respects every human life in our families, in our communities, and at CMCF. We pray to the Lord.

2. For those who are distressed or suffering in body, mind, or spirit. For healing and wholeness in their lives. We pray especially for those struggling with mental health issues and addictions.  We pray to the Lord.

3. That our Church leaders and governmental leaders may work together to bring about peace and reconciliation in our world. We pray to the Lord.

4. That all who gather for Mass today from our Community of St Michael the Archangel may live out the values of the Eucharist in their everyday lives, bringing hope to the worldduring this jubilee year of hope. We pray to the Lord.

5. For our family members and loved ones who have died, that the vision of their heavenly destiny bring them peace and fulfillment in God’s eternal kingdom. We pray to the Lord.

6. For all missionaries and for all who proclaim the Gospel in the world, that the Lord fill them with strength and courage. We pray that all of us in the St Michael Catholic community may be missionary in spirit. We pray to the Lord.

7. For the respect for human life from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death, especially the unborn and the most vulnerable in society. We pray to the Lord.

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

Priest: Heavenly Father, we thank you for the blessing you give us in our life lives. We thank you for your grace that helps us meet our challenges in life. We present our prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

30 September 2025 - prayers of the faithful - St Jerome - Tuesday of the 26th week in Ordinary Time

Lord Jesus - you are the living world of God. 

Christ Jesus - you proclaim the kingdom of God. 

Lord Jesus - you bring us the love and mercy of your heavenly Father. 

Priest - As we celebrate St Jerome today, we unite our prayers to his prayers as we present them to our heavenly Father -

1. That we may grow closer to the word of God through our study of Scripture and through our prayer time.

2. That we live out the Gospel of life each day through our prayers and our actions. 

3. That we reach out to those in need through our words and our actions. 

4. That we may continue to commemorate the Jubilee year of hope, seeing ourselves as ambassadors of hope in the world. 

5. That God continue to bless and accompany our students in their studies and their activities. 

6. For the sick and afflicted. From those sufffering from depression, anxiety, and mental health issues. 

7. For the faithful departed. For their entry into eternal life. 

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

Priest - With joyful hearts, we present our prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

30 September 2025 - homily for Tuesday of the 26th week of ordinary time - St Jerome - Psalm 87

Born in 431, Jerome traveled to Rome, where he spent six years studying the Latin and Greek languages and Roman literature. He was also baptized there. Yet, he struggled with his faith and in his temptations during those years, spending time as a monk and as a hermit in the desert. While in the desert, he was disciplined in prayer and fasting and studied Hebrew. He left the desert and studied biblical studies with St Gregory of Nanzianzen in the city of Constantinople. He spent decades of his life compiling an accurate Bible in Latin, completely re-translating the Old Testament and making major revisions to the translation of the New Testament. His translation in Latin, called the Vulgate, was the authoritative benchmark biblical text in Latin for more than 15 centuries. His sharp tongue and ornery disposition made him many enemies in Rome. He withdrew to the Holy Land where he founded a monastery for men, a convent for women, and a hospice for visitors to the Holy Land with some of his followers. He died in the year 420.  He was named as one of the original four doctors of the Church in 1298, showing the importance of his contributions to the Catholic faith. 

The refrain of our psalm today declares - God is with us. God is with us in different ways. God calls us in different ways. Jerome had the talent and the determination to study all those ancient languages and to spend years translating the Bible. His contributions to the faith are immense. Not everyone in the Church is called in the same way. We are not needed to be called in the same way. May we give thanks for the way God is with us on our journey. 

24 September 2025 - prayers of the faithful - Wednesday of the 25th week in Ordinary Time

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

Christ Jesus - you are our hope.

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

Priest: Let us ask the Father to send the Spirit of his Son into our hearts as we pray for the needs of the Church and of the world.

1. That through our evangelization efforts and our works of mercy, we may reveal God{s salvation to others.

2. We pray for the Church through all the world. That the Lord guide and govern the Church by his Holy Spirit.

3. For the sick, the afflicted, and the distressed. That God may comfort and relieve them according to their needs. 

4. For all those holy souls who have died in the peace of Christ: 

May the loving Father give them a place of life and rest. 

5. For all pilgrims and seekers during the Jubilee year of hope. May they be witnesses of hope through their words and their actions. 

6. May we unite all the desires of our hearts and all that is weighing us down in life with the prayers of the blessed mother and the community of saints. 

7. We now make our private petitions to God our almighty Father.

Priest: Father, hear the prayers of your Church. In your great love, make up for what is lacking in our faith. We ask this through Christ our Lord forever and ever. Amen

22 September 2025 - prayers of the faithful - Monday of the 25th week in Ordinary Time

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

Christ Jesus - you forgive the sins of the contrite. 

Lord Jesus - you are our savior and our redeemer.

Priest: Gathered together in Christ as brothers and sisters, let us call to mind God's many blessings and ask him to hear the prayers:

1. For all bishops, priests, and Church leaders. May the Lord bless them in their service. We pray to the Lord. 

2. For all those who serve in public office and for all those entrusted with the common good. We pray to the Lord. 

3. For all who suffer oppression, exploitation, sickness, anxiety, and depression. For healing and wholeness. We pray to the Lord. 

4. For those who have died in Christ, and for all those who mourn their loss. We pray to the Lord. We pray to the Lord. 

5. May we all grow in our reverence and respect for the Lord. May we all be good stewards of God’s creation. We pray to the Lord. 

6. Let us unite our prayers with the prayers of Mary and the community of saints. We pray to the Lord. 

7. For a special blessing from God for our pilgrimage journey. May this experience inspire us to be pilgrims of hope in the world in our daily reality. We pray to the Lord. 

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

Priest: God of love, our refuge and strength, hear the prayers of your Church, and grant us today what we ask of you in faith. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. Amen.

5 October 2025 - prayers of the faithful - 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time -

Introduction: We gather at Mass today as a family of faith. We are called to express our faith and deepen our faith as we celebrate around the altar of the Lord and as we receive the Eucharist together. Today our mass is dedicated to the Catholic value of the respect for human life as we commemorate October as Respect Life Month.

Priest: Penitential Rite:

Lord Jesus - you hear the cry of the poor and the oppressed.

Christ Jesus - you love us with all your heart.

Lord Jesus - you call us to carry our crosses.

Priest: Let us approach our heavenly Father in our prayers today with faith and hope:

1. As we begin Respect Life Month, we unite our prayers with the prayers of the Blessed Mother, that we may build a culture that respects every human life. We pray to the Lord.

2. For those who are distressed or suffering in body, mind, or spirit. For healing and wholeness in their lives. We pray to the Lord.

3. That our Church leaders and governmental leaders may work together to bring about peace and reconciliation in our world. We pray to the Lord.

4. That all who gather for Mass today live out the values of the Eucharist in

their everyday lives, bringing hope to the worldduring this jubilee year of hope. We pray to the Lord.

5. For the faithful departed, that the vision of their heavenly destiny bring them peace and fulfillment in God’s eternal kingdom. We pray to the Lord.

6. For all missionaries and for all who proclaim the Gospel in the world, that the Lord fill them with strength and courage. We pray to the Lord.

7. For the respect for human life from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death, especially the unborn and the most vulnerable in

society. We pray to the Lord.

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

Priest: Heavenly Father, we thank you for the blessing you give us in our life lives. We thank you for your grace that helps us meet our challenges in life.

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

Bulletin Reflection - 5 October 2025 - 27th Sunday in Ordinary time

The month of October is Respect Life Month and the Month of World Missions. It is also a month in which we honor Mary in a special way,especially through the Catholic devotion of the rosary. October is a wonderful month for us to reflect upon the ways that we live out the values of the respect for human life in our words and our actions. It also is a good time for us to reflect upon the ways we are missionary in spirit and the waywe support the missions. As I reflect upon the four mission appeals that I went on this past summer, I think about the ways I shared the stories from our missionary Diocese of Jackson. I think of the diversity of expressionwe have in living out our Catholic faith. Have a blessed week everyone - Father Lincoln .

5 October 2025 - Respect Life Mass - homily for 26th Sunday in OrdinaryTime - Luke 17 5-10

Every October, the holy Catholic Church in the United States observes Respect Life, with Respect Life Sunday falling on the first Sunday of the month. Respect Life Month has been commemorated every year since 1972, the year before the Supreme Court legalized abortion with the Roe vs Wade decision. This is a time for us to reflect up the sacred gift of human life that is a value of our Catholic faith and to renew our commitment to building a culture that protects and promotes human life from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death. 

Our theme this year for this month is “Life: Our Sign of Hope”, which ties into the Jubilee Year of Hope. Our ethic of life in the Catholic faith affirms that every human being bears the image of God and deserves dignity and respect. From the unborn child in his mother’s womb, to the person on death row in prison, from the elderly person in a nursing home or our neighbor who is struggling with mental health issues or poverty or addiction, our Catholic faith proclaims firmly that all human life is sacred. We are to be signs of hope by loving, protecting, and serving human life in different ways. While a lot of the issues covered by our ethic of respecting human life, it is important that we do not see it as just one issue. 

In our Gospel message from Luke, the disciples have been following Jesus for some time now, listening to his proclamation of God’s kingdom, seeing him pray and practice his faith, and perform healings and miracles. The disciples ask him: Lord increase our faith. Faith is at the foundation of our life of discipleship as Catholics. This Gospel ties in so well with Respect Life Sunday today, since without faith, we will not be able to see God in creation, we will not be able to proclaim the Gospel of Life or live out these values in our words and our actions. Without faith, it would be easy to be without hope, to just dwell on the dark things we see in this world. Faith gives us a new vision and a new version of life. Faith allows us to have hope. Faith frees us and enables us to see God’s love and mercy at work in our lives, in the lives of others, and in the world. 

The prophet Habakkuk looks out at the world and he sees violence, destruction, and misery. We see things like that in the world today. I saw on the news a few days ago that a chef at Brennan’s restaurant in New Orleans was killed in a drive by shooting as he waited in his car to pick up his two year old son from day care. How can we live in a world like that? Habakkuk cries out to the Lord, and at first, it appears that the Lord does not hear his cries. Finally, the Lord answers him with a vision. God tells the prophet that the just one who has faith will live. Like Habukkuk, we place our faith is in the new life Christ gives us here on earth and in the promise of eternal life to come. Like Habukkuk, we can become frustrated with our lives and with what we see in the world. God encourages us to have faith in our thoughts, our words, and our actions. We are to believe that our faith is life saving. The just person perseveres on his journey of faith, in his actions, and his prayers. He trusts in the saving power of God and in the salvation we have in our Jesus Christ. 

As you know, I just got back this past week from pilgrimage primarily focused on different shrines linked to apparitions of the Blessed Mother, including Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal, Our Lady of Lourdes in France, and Our Lady of Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzagovina. In a talk we had with a Franciscan friar in Medjurgoje, he spoke about how the call to go on pilgrimage starts with the grace of God working within us, of a decision that we make out of our faith. Jesus says that we don’t need to start with an enormoous amount of faith, that faith as tiny as a small mustard seed can change the world. All three of these apparitions that we visited appeared to children or youth in the 19th and 20th century who were living in very humble situations, of Mary speaking in an honest and direct message for the whole world. She brought a greeting of peace. She called people to the faith, to bring them closer to her son. It was an amazing pilgrimage experience for me and some of our Holy Savior parishioners. I will share more of that experience in the coming weeks. 

I want to close with a prayer for hope written in honor of 2025 Respect Life Sunday. 

Heavenly Father, in the sacrament of baptism, you give us the gift of new life. Through your son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, you have made us your own. 

Help us to recognize the gift of human life as a sign of hope in the world. Reveal to us the places where your precious gift of life is most in need of protection. Strengthen us to defend life in all stages and circumstances, from the child in the womb, to the elderly and the dying. 

Guided by the Holy Spirit, guard us from discouragement and give us the grace to be messengers of hope. May we be filled with confidence that nothing can separate us from your love. AMEN.

23 September 2025 - homily for Tuesday of the 25th week in ordinary time - Luke 8:16-18

Today, we celebrate the feast day of Padre Pio, one of the most popular saints in the Catholic Church.  Padre Pio was born to a humble family of farmers in southern Italy in 1887.  As a youth, he became a Capuchin Franciscan.  His life at the monastery was interrupted by a stint in the Italian army in WWI and a bout with tuberculosis. He was very sickly during this time period, very close to the point of death.  In 1918, after celebrating mass, he had a vision of Jesus and developed the stigmata on his hands, feet, and side.  He became a celebrity, with busloads of people coming to him for confession each day. Many people have reported cures and healings after praying for the intercession of Padre Pio. He had the gift of the sacrament of confession where he could look into their souls and see their true sins. He also had the gift of bilocation where he could appear at two places at once. One time, while remaining in his monastery, he bilocated to a prison in Hungary to bring communion to a bishop who was imprisoned there. I love that; if I was able to bilocare, I would bring communion to the men and women who are a part of our prison ministry. Padre Pio saw Jesus in the sick and the suffering.  Through money donated to him, he founded a renowned prison on the grounds of his monastery, even when his religious superiors wanted to use that money for the financial well-being of the monastery. 

His canonization by Pope John Paul II in 2002 was one of the largest crowds to attend a canonization.  The Pope stated this about Padre Pio: “The life and mission of Padre Pio testify that difficulties and sorrows, if accepted with love, transform themselves into a privileged journey of holiness, which opens the person toward a greater good, known only to the Lord.”

Deacon John had graciously asked me to preach the homily this morning because he knew how much Padre Pio means to me. In October 2022, Deacon John and his wife Kelly were a part of a group that went on a pilgrimage to Rome, and part of the pilgrimage went to San Giovanni Rotundo, where Padre Pio lived in his monastery. We celebrated mass at the altar where he regularly celebrated mass. We prayed the rosary at procession at night. We saw his incorrupt body there. The modern basilica there has beautiful mosaics everywhere. Seeing the mosaic of him bringing the eucharist to the bishop in prison really touched me. Seeing the place where he lived and hearing stories of his life was very inspiring.  

Today’s Gospel talks about how we are part of Jesus’family when we hear the word of God and act upon it on our lives. That will be our challenge when we go back to our lives after pilgrimage. We are called to reflect upon how the pilgrimage experience is calling us to action and transformation. Praying with Mary to see where we are called to action will be very important. That reflection and prayer and action will be something God is calling us to do. That is the task of all pilgrims. 

Blessing with water ritual - Our lady of Lourdes

This blessing with water ritual was used during our visit to the shrine of Our lady of Lourdes in September 2025. It was adapted from the tourism website of Our Lady of Lourdes. 

Lord Jesus, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, your Immaculate Mother, Our Lady of Lourdes, we ask you to bless this water that we are going to use as a sign of faith and purification.

May we, through this water, be washed of our sins. May our body and soul be healed and renewed. May your peace, love, and boundless compassion fill our hearts.

O Mary, refuge of the sick, we humbly ask that you intercede with your Son for us. Give us strength, healing, and grace to live in fidelity to your divine love.

As we wash our hands, may we be reminded of how we are to be the hands of Christ to the world. May others see your son through the work of our hands and through our words and our actions. 

As we wash our face, may we be reminded of how we should bring the light of Christ to the world, how we are to bring hope to the hopeless, and how a small act of kindness or smile can brighten someone’s day. 

As we drink this water, may we feel Christ’s healing presence flow through our body. May this water cleanse us and motivate our desire to seek forgiveness.  May we be reminded of the life-giving water of our baptismal promises. 

We thank you, Lord, for your infinite love and endless mercy. We entrust to you our sufferings, our sorrows and our hopes.

Let us pray:  

O ever-Immaculate Virgin, Mother of Mercy,

you are health of the sick, refuge of sinners,

and comforter of the afflicted.

You know our wants, our troubles, and our sufferings;

look with mercy on us, your children.

By appearing in the Grotto of Lourdes,

you were pleased to make it a privileged sanctuary,

whence you dispense your favours;

Already many sufferers have obtained healing

and remedy for their infirmities, both spiritual and corporal.

We come, therefore, with unfailing confidence

to implore your maternal intercession.

Obtain, O loving Mother, the grant of my requests.

(Mention any requests)

Through gratitude for your intercession and favors,

we endeavour to imitate your virtues,

One day, may we share in your glory

and bless you in eternity. 

In the name of the Father, Son, and holy spirit. Amen.

 

20 September 2025 - prayers of the faithful - Saturday of the 24th week in Ordinary Time

Lord Jesus - you bring us the joy of your presence. 

Christ Jesus - you have compassion for your people. 

Lord Jesus - you help us cultivate the seeds of faith. 

Priest: We are called to take our place at the feast in God’s kingdom. With confidence in his love for us, let us open our hearts to God in our prayers today: 

1. For the Holy Catholic Church, that bishops, pastors, and other Church leaders may lead the people in faith and serve with love the flock which has been entrusted to their care. We pray to the Lord. 

2. That all the peoples of the world may rejoice in the blessing of true peace, the peace which Christ himself gives to us. May we work toward an end of war and violence. We pray to the Lord. 

3. For the hungry, the homeless, the prisoner, and those suffering from addictions and mental health issues. For wholeness and strength. We pray to the Lord. 

4. For healing for the sick and the afflicted in body, mind, and spirit. We pray to the Lord. 

5. That the Lord continue to accompany our children and youth through their studies and activities this semester. We pray to the Lord. 

6. Our God may touch our hearts throughout our experiences and devotions during our pilgrimage. We pray to the Lord. 

7. For the faithful departed in Christ, that those who have gone before us in the faith may take their places at the feast in God’s kingdom. We pray to the Lord. 

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

Priest: Almighty and eternal God, maker of all things in heaven and earth. Mercifully accept the prayers we make through Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. Amen.