26 July 2026 - Catholic blessing of the backpacks for the beginning of the school year

Let us pray:

God of wisdom and knowledge, we pray for the beginning of the school year as we bless our students and their backpacks today.  

Bless our teachers and our school administrators, that you affirm therm and their calling, in their sacred vocation to teach our students. Make our schools lively centers of sound learning, new discovery, and the pursuit of wisdom.

We thank you for each student. Lead them in your way, your truth, and your life. Let each classroom they enter be a place of life and light. Give each student good friends and let them be good friends for others. Give them learning opportunities that demand their best efforts.

Bless all of our parents. May they help their children receive a good education. May they give encouragement and support to their children. 

May the angels and saints stand guard and keep watch over our students, teachers, and families, keeping them safe and protected.

Bless these our students and their backpacks. May they always feel the divine love and support of Jesus Christ our Good Shepherd. May they feel the love, support, and prayers of our parish family.   

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. AMEN. 

25 July 2026 - Reflection for the Feast of St James - Matthew 20:20-28

On Tuesday, July 22, we celebrated the feast day of St Mary Magdalene, whom Thomas Aquinas named “the apostle to the apostles” for the way she was the first person to witness the resurrected Jesus and to announce the news of his resurrection to the other apostles. Today, July 25, we celebrate the feast day of St James the Greater. To distinguish between the two apostles named James, one was labeled the Greater and the other the Lesser. James the Greater was the son of Zebedee and the brother of John, another of the apostles. It is possible the James’ mother, Mary of Salome, was the mother of the Virgin Mary, so James may have been Jesus’ first cousin. We hear from James’ mother in our Gospel today, as she wants Jesus to put her sons in places of honor when he assumes the throne of his eternal kingdom. 

James became a prominent leader in the Early Church. He was sent to Spain as a missionary, where his tomb has been one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in the world since the early 9th century when his remains were rediscovered by a hermit. The city that developed around his tomb is named after him, Santiago de Compostela.  The pilgrimage of St James is affectionately referred to as the Camino. The first reported appearance of Mary, which happened while she was still alive, took place in the city of Zaragoza, when she appeared to St James to encourage him in the midst of his missionary work in Spain. The site of that appearance is one of the largest churches in Spain, Our Lady of the Pilar. James is recorded as being the first apostle to be put to death as a martyr for the faith, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. More than a half million people will hike the pilgrimage route of St James this year in Spain. Through his witness and through his pilgrimage, James’ evangelization efforts in the modern world still bear a lot of fruit. May we unite our prayers with the prayers of St James the Greater today on his feast day. 

25 July 2026 - prayers of the faithful for the Feast of St James the greater - prison ministry

Lord Jesus, you bring your message of Good News to the world. 

Christ Jesus, you bring new life to your people. 

Lord Jesus, you are the Good Shepherd.  

Priest: As we celebrate the feast day of St James the Apostle today at Mass, we present our prayers to our Heavenly Father: 

1. For the Church and our Church leaders. May our priests and bishops always preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ with integrity and hope.  

2. That our governmental leaders work toward justice, healing, and reconciliation.

3. For all missionaries, peace makers, first responders, and the men and women in the military. May they feel our gratitude and prayers. 

4. That all of us may proclaim the Gospel of life in our words and our actions, respecting human life from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death.

5. For healing for all who are sick or afflicted in mind, body, and spirit. For patience and understanding for their family members and care givers. For the men and women who are sick here at CMCF. 

6. For the repose of the souls of the faithful departed. For our deceased loved ones and family members. 

7. On the feast day of St James, we pray in a special way for the people of Spain and for all pilgrims, especially pilgrims who are journeying to the holy city of Santiago de Compostela on pilgrimage. 

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

Priest: God of love and compassion, you grant rest to the weary and you fill the needs of those who come to you. Hear these our prayers that we make through your son Jesus Christ our Lord for ever and ever. AMEN. 

31 July 2026 - prayers of the faithful for Friday of the 17th week in Ordinary time

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

Christ Jesus - You forgive the sins of the contrite. 

Lord Jesus - you proclaim the values of the kingdom. 

Priest: With faith, hope, and love, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father: 

1. For Pope Leo XIV, Bishop Joseph Kopacz, and all Church leaders. May the Lord bless them as they lead the people of God in integrity and in truth. 

2. For the Catholic faithful. That their faith in God give them courage and hope as we deal with the ups and downs of life. 

3. For those who hold public office. That they will seek not their own interests but the good of the people whom they govern. 

4. As we celebrate the feast day of St Ignatius of Loyola, we pray for all members of the Jesuits and for all missionaries and evangelizers. May we all be missionary in spirit. 

5. For our students at the beginning of the new school year. 

6. For the sick, the afflicted, and the lonely. May the Lord touch them with his healing power. 

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

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

30 July 2026 - prayers of the faithful for Thursday of the 17th week in Ordinary time

Lord Jesus - you call us to listen to God’s prophets. 

Christ Jesus - you bring us hope. 

Lord Jesus - you are the savior of the world. 

Priest: We present our prayers to our Heavenly Father: 

1. May all of us Christian, by word and example, bear witness to the Good News of the Gospel in the world. 

2. May we come to appreciate the treasures of God’s kingdom. 

3. May we initiate actions in our lives that help us grow in our love of the Eucharist. 

4. For the sick and the afflicted. May they be restored to health and find support in their faith and in the love and care of their friends and family members. 

5. For those who are exploring the Catholic faith in their lives. For those who came into the Church this past Easter. 

6. For our students at the beginning of the new school year. 

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

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

31 July 2026 - St Ignatius of Loyola - Friday of the 17th week of Ordinary time - Jeremiah 26:1-9

We hear harsh words from the prophet Jeremiah today from six centuries before Christ’s birth. Even though Israel was told that the people would confront disaster if they did not repent and turn back to the Lord, they become angry and indignant, wanting to put the prophet Jeremiah to death. Sometimes we don’t want to hear God’s message. In my prison ministry, I remember one prisoner at the state prison in Yazoo City telling me that when he was in the process of committing the crime that put him into prison, he knew that God was trying to tell him that he was doing something wrong, but he did not want to hear what God was saying and did it anyway. Sometimes we turn our back on the Lord and ignore him.  Through Jeremiah, the Lord tells the people of Israel that they will be treated like Shiloh if Israel does not repent. Shiloh was an ancient shrine that had been destroyed by the Philistines. 

St Ignatius of Loyolas, the saint we celebrate, would admit that for many years in his life, he had turned his back on God. Ignatius was born in 1491, the year before Columbus sailed for America. He had a brother who sailed with Columbus. He was the youngest of 11 children from a family in the Basque country in mountainous area of Northeastern Spain.  He was trained to be a member of the royal court and to be a solider, but while fighting at the siege of Pamplona in 1621, he suffered a broken leg that had to be re-broken after it was not set properly.  His friends carried him more than a hundred miles back from the sight of battle to his family’s ancestral home. Ignatius was confined to his bed for a long period of time during his recuperation from his injuries, where he learned about saints such as St Dominic and St Francis of Assisi. He also read stories about Christ and his ministry. This brought about a profound conversion of faith. After spending time as a hermit in a cave and time wandering as a pilgrim, where he was able to reflect upon his vocation, Ignatius enrolled in the University of Paris at the age of 30 to become a priest, a very advanced age to be in formation for the priesthood. He had to study Latin with young boys in order to get ready for his study of theology.  Even though Ignatius had turned his back on God for most of his early life, he had opened his life to God after that battle injury. From the humble beginnings of his conversion, he wrote his spiritual exercises while trying to discern God’s will for him in his life.  With a group of good friends from the University, Ignatius of Loyola went on to found the religious order of the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits, an order of priests that still has great influence in Catholicism today.  We celebrate Ignatius of Loyola today. May we pray that his prayers and intercessions accompany us on our own journey.

30 July 2026 - Solanus Casey - Thursday of the 17th week in Ordinary time - Jeremiah 18:1-6

Born in 1870, Solanus Casey was thrown out of a diocesan seminary due to his poor academic performance. He entered the Capuchin Franciscan seminary, where he also struggled. He was ordained as a Capuchin Franciscan as a simplex priest, only allowed to celebrate mass but to perform no other priestly duties. He was not allowed to hear confession and not allowed to priest. He served as a porter and sacristan with the Franciscans throughout the 53 years of his priesthood, tasks he accepted with great humility. At the monastery in Detroit, in the midst of his duties, he also gave wise spiritual advice, giving great spiritual advice and bringing healing to many. When he died in 1957, more than 20,000 passed by his casket to pay their respects.  

Jeremiah is sent to a potter’s workshop by God to be taught some lessons. One lesson Jeremiah learns today is this:  just as a potter has complete control over his clay and makes whatever he wills, so is the Lord master of his people. We are like clay in God’s hands.  He will fashion us and mold us if we let him. The Lord teaches us lessons in our ordinary lives, just as he taught Jeremiah from the ordinary daily work of a potter. 

29 July 2026 - St Mary and St Martha and St Lazarus - Wednesday of the 17th week in Ordinary Time - John 11:19-27

For many years, we celebrated the feast of St Martha on July 29 of each year. However, back in 2022, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments announced that they were adding the names of Martha’s brother Lazarus and her sister May to this feast day as well. We hear the Gospels how at different times this family opened their hearts and their homes to Jesus. We hear in the Gospel today how the sisters come to Jesus at the death of their brother. Even though this family was friends with Jesus, we hear how they came to terms with Jesus being their Lord and their savior. Jesus was dear friends with these three siblings. He showed great human emotion at the death of his friend Lazarus. All of us human beings have our strengths and weaknesses, shown by the strengths and weaknesses of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus in the Gospels. We meet God in the midst of our reality, in the midst of those strengths and weaknesses. 

We can see in that Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, although they were members of the same family, they had very different personalities. Martha was more of a person of hard work and action, Mary was more drawn to prayer and contemplation. The Church needs all of those different personalities and from the different walks of life. Think of how we have priests who are theologians, theologians, canon lawyers, school administrators, and missionaries. Priests in the small towns in the Delta and as rectors of cathedrals. The Church always has had people of action and people of prayer, people of the establishment and prophetic voices of the poor. As we celebrate Mary, Martha, and Lazarus today, let us learn from their experiences, and may we look for balance in our lives of faith. May we all be beloved friends of Jesus just as these three siblings were.  

29 July 2026 - prayers of the faithful for Wednesday of the 17th week in Ordinary time

Lord Jesus - you call us to holiness. 

Christ Jesus - you are our redeemer and our savior. 

Lord Jesus - you bring healing into our lives. 

Priest: With faith and hope, let us present our prayers to our heavenly Father: 

1. For the Spirit’s wisdom for Pope Leo XIV and for all our Church leaders.  2. For a spirit of humility and generosity in the way we all approach our faith. 

3. For good weather for our crops and gardens. For all farmers, gardeners, and seasonal farm laborers. 

4. For peace in the Holy Land and Ukraine. For unity and reconciliation where there is conflict and war. 

5. For those experiencing the hardships of earthquakes, storms, fires or the heat.

6. For those who have died recently. For the spiritual and physical well-being of all our Church community. 

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

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

28 July 2026 - prayers of the faithful for Tuesday of the 17th week in Ordinary time

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

Christ Jesus - you renew your covenant with your people. 

Lord Jesus - you bring us salvation. 

Priest: With faith and hope, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father: 

1. For Pope Leo XIV, Bishop Kopacz, our clergy, and our lay leaders. May they lead us with word and deed in

faith, hope and love.

2. May our world leaders work for peace and unity. 

3. May we be inspired to spread the missionary Gospel message throughout the world.  

4. For those who have been affected by the hot summer weather and by natural disasters. 

5. For those who have died. For their entry into eternal life. 

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

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

28 July 2026 - Blessed Stanley Rother - homily for Tuesday of the 17th week in Ordinary time - Jeremiah 14:17-22

Born in 1935 to a devout Catholic family in Oklahoma, he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Oklahoma City after struggling through the academic courses at seminary. After serving as associate pastor in different parishes in Oklahoma for 5 years, he asked to serve as a priest in his Diocese’s mission site in Guatemala. He not only provided great care for their spiritual needs, he also used the agricultural and construction skills he learned as a youth to help improve their living conditions. He returned to Oklahoma briefly, fearing for his life due to conflicts between the governmental forces and the poor, with a guerrilla movement trying to press the government to enact changes. He was killed in his rectory in 1981. He is the first American born priest to be beatified. He was declared a martyr for the faith by the Vatican.

In Jeremiah today, we hear how the people of Israel are suffering, yet they are not afraid to ask God why. They ask: God, have you cast us off? Are we loathsome to you? The people acknowledge the sins of their fathers and the sins that they themselves have committed. They ask God to remember the covenant that he made with them, to forgive them in honor of his own name.

We live in a society where so many people are not willing to acknowledge the wrongs that they have done. It is easier to blame the system, to blame someone else, to not take responsibility. The people of Israel confronted God in the midst of suffering from a great draught.  Do we cry out to God in the same way when are suffering or going through obstacles? 

26 July 2026 - homily for the 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time CYCLE A - Mathew 13:44-52

We have been hearing a series of parables from Matthew’s Gospel these past few weeks explaining what the Kingdom of God is about. Today, in simile form, he explains the kingdom of God, centered around the idea of discovery. God is like a treasure that someone finds in a field. It is like a merchant discovering the finest pearl. It is like a net that is thrown into the sea that catches all kinds of fish. 

Through these examples, the kingdom of God is both commonplace and rare at the same time. It is familiar to us, but it also can be surprising. God’s kingdom is to bring us joy when we encounter it. Jesus ends today’s Gospel by stating that every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like one who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old. Jesus suggests to us that God’s kingdom is both ancient and new. It is both expected and unexpected.  

Catholic theology uses the principle of “both/and” to express complementary spiritual and doctrinal truths that exist together in our faith in creative tension, rather than forcing us to make a choice between them. Some of these things may seem like opposing concepts, but they can exist together at the same time. 

Let us start with God himself. God is both immanent and transcendent. In being immanent, God is present to us here on earth. He is accessible to us and is actively involved with all of his creation. God, the creator the universe, is still active here in the universe and he is present in our human experiences. God is also transcendent, meaning that as the creator of the universe, he is beyond time and space. The greatness and holiness and power of God is beyond our human understanding, meaning there is always an aspect of mystery to God. Even though we can know God in different ways and learn about God, God is still separate from the created world and independent of us. We human beings can strive toward the holiness and perfection to which God calls us and which is exemplified in God, but we will never achieve the holiness and perfection of God. These two concepts of immanence and transcendence may seem contradictory and independent of each other, but they both co-exist with each other and they are important aspects of God that exist together at the same time. 

I know that the youth and some of their parents are studying apologetics this summer. It if first and foremost important for us to always be learning about our faith and to understand the concepts of our faith. As a part of that learning process, apologetics can give us the ability to explain our faith to others & defend our faith. With us being in a stronghold of the Baptist Church here in Clinton, and with Catholicism being a small part of Christianity in our Diocese, it is important for us to understand our Catholic faith ourselves and to be able to explain importance concepts of our faith to others. 

Next, I would like to look at Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition as two important Pilars of our Catholic faith. Many of our Protestant and Baptist brothers and sisters see Scripture as being the sole foundation on which our Christian faith is built. We Catholics also see the eminent position of Scripture in our faith. In the Mass, we not only have the liturgy of the Word that has four different readings from Scripture, both from the Old and the New Testament, but also so much of what the priest says at Mass is taken directly or indirectly from Scripture. The Catholic Church teaches that God is the ultimate author of Sacred Scripture. Through the Holy Spirit, God inspired human authors, which at the same time, preserving the human authors’ free will and unique personalities. God allowed these human authors to communicate God’s divine intentions through Sacred Scripture, ensuring the texts convey the truth of salvation. At the same time, Tradition exists alongside Scripture. Catholic theology teaches that Sacred Tradition come from the same divine source as Sacred Scripture, that Sacred Tradition is to be accepted by the faithful with equal devotion. While Sacred Scripture is the written record of God's word throughout history, Sacred Tradition is the living transmission of the faith, which includes the Apostles' oral preaching, their examples, and the institutions and Traditions that have been established in the history of the Church. Our belief in the Trinity and belief in the Assumption of Mary and tradition of praying for the dead all are connected to beliefs found in Scripture, but they were explicitly developed and passed down through the Sacred Tradition of the Church and are seen as truths of our Catholic faith. 

Finally, we have God’s grace and good works as important components of God’s plan of salvation. Catholics believe that salvation is a freely given gift that we receive when we cooperate with God’s grace through faith. However, we must actively live out our faith through our actions and good works. It is not enough to be a hearer of God’s word. We need to be a doer of God’s word. We receive God’s grace in our lives, but we have the free will to accept it or to reject it. We are to see ourselves as workers in the vineyard of the Lord, actively cooperating with the grace that God gives us on our journey of faith. But we Catholics in no way see us earning our salvation through these good works. Through the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives, God works in us through our works. 

There is always so much to learn about God’s kingdom, so much to discover about his kingdom. To the people of Jesus’ day, he was telling them that God’s kingdom was closer than they realized. Jesus invites all of us to discover the treasures of God’s kingdom that are around us. As I have mentioned in the examples about God's kingdom, some of the aspects of the kingdom may surprise us. 

Prayers of the faithful - ministry commissioning ceremony at CMCF state prison - 20 July 2026

Priest: With faith and hope, we present our prayers this afternoon to our heavenly Father: 

1. For Bishop Kopacz, Commissioner Cain, and Mr King who are joining us for Mass today. May the Lord lead them and guide them in their leadership in wisdom and in truth. We pray to the Lord. 

2. That we bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to others though our words and our actions. We pray to the Lord. 

3.  For those suffering with illness, disease, addictions, anxiety, or mental health issues. May the Holy Spirit may come to them in mercy, relieve their pain and their afflictions, and grant them healing and wholeness. We pray to the Lord. 

4. Despite the difficulties and challenges we face on our journey of faith, may we have faith that God is always at work in us, no matter what our challenges may be. We pray to the Lord. 

5. For all who have died, especially our loved ones and family members. May they rejoice in the mercy of God and the triumph of the resurrection. We pray to the Lord. 

7. For our children and our families. May the Lord continue to bless them on their journey. May they feel our love and prayers. We pray for our children as the soon start the new school year. We pray to the Lord. 

8. For the men in the BMU program. For those who just graduated the BMU program. For the men here at CMCF in the hospice and infirmary. We pray to the Lord. 

9. In silence, we pray to the God of Mercy for our own prayer intentions and for the special prayer intentions of others. We pray to the Lord. 

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

Readings for Mass at CMCF State Prison - Mass of the Holy Spirit - 20 July 2026

FIRST READING - A reading from the letter of St James (James 1:22-25) 

Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror. He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like. But the one who peers into the perfect law* of freedom and perseveres, and is not a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, such a one shall be blessed in what he does.

The word of the Lord. 

Responsorial Psalm 

R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.



Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.


R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.



Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.


R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.



See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.


R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Luke 5:1-11)

While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.

He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.

After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.”

Simon said in reply, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.”

When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that they were in danger of sinking.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”

For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”

When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him. 

The Gospel of the Lord. 

24 July 2026 - prayers of the faithful for Friday of the 16th week of ordinary time

Lord Jesus - you give hope to the hopeless. 

Christ Jesus - you forgive the sins of the contrite. 

Lord Jesus - you bring healing to the sick and the afflicted. 

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

1. May we grow in our humility and in our recognition of the gifts and blessings we receive from God. 

2. May we strive for a fuller life in the Holy Spirit, allowing the Spirit to lead us and guide us in life. 

3. May all who are traveling. May God guide us to our designations and protect us from harm. 

4. For our governmental leaders. That God will give them wisdom in addressing current challenges and the courage to work for the greater good. 

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

6. That we may all work toward peace and reconciliation. 

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

Priest: Gracious and merciful Father, we ask that you hear the prayers that we present to you today through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN.

26 July 2026 - prayers of the faithful for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time CYCLE A - PRISON MINISTRY

Lord Jesus - you lead us to the treasures of God’s kingdom. 

Christ Jesus - you give us the grace to meet our challenges in life. 

Lord Jesus - you call us to wisdom and truth. 

Prayers of the faithful: 

Priest: As we gather as a community of faith for Mass today, we now bring our needs and the needs of the world to our loving God:

1. For Pope Leo XIV, Bishop Kopacz, and all our Church leaders. May they always lead us in truth and in justice. We pray to the Lord. 

2. For all who are suffering, who are lonely, or who are facing difficult trials in life.  May they feel God’s healing presence with them. We pray to the Lord. 

3. For the Catholic community here at CMCF. May the Holy Spirit open our eyes to the true treasures of our faith and to the practice of love and charity to the needy and the forgotten. We pray to the Lord. 

4. For our children. May the Lord bless their studies and their activities this upcoming school year. May our families feel our love and prayers always reaching out to them. We pray to the Lord. 

5. For our deceased family members and loved ones. For their union with God’s eternal kingdom. We pray to the Lord. 

6. For our stewardship of God’s creation. May we promote respect for all of God’s creation and for the resources of the earth. We pray to the Lord. 

7. May we have the courage to share our faith journey with others. May we offer to others the joy of experiencing the life of discipleship. We pray to the Lord. 

8. For a greater love for the Word of God. May we make space in our busy lives to allow the Word of God to challenge us and transform us. We pray to the Lord. 

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

Priest: Loving God, you teach us to bring all our needs to you. Hear the prayers we place before you today. Fill us with the grace to live as your faithful disciples. We make our prayers through Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN.  

Bulletin reflection for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time CYCLE A - 26 July 2026

This weekend is the feast of St James the Apostle, which reminds me of the years I spent as pastor of St James Catholic Church up in Tupelo.  It also reminds me of the times I have been hiking the pilgrimage of the Camino of St James in Spain. Celebrating the saints throughout the year is an important connection we have to the history of the Catholic Church and to the apostolic traditions of our faith. This weekend we also have the blessing of the backpacks as our children, youth, and college students get ready to go back to school. We pray that the Lord accompany them in their studies and in their school activities this school year.  Have a blessed week everyone. Father Lincoln. 

26 July 2026 - prayers of the faithful for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Introduction: On this 17th weekend of Ordinary time, this is the 3rd weekend in a row that we hear parables from the Gospel of Matthew. Today, Jesus compares the kingdom of God to a hidden treasure of great wealth. As we gather together today for Mass as a community of faith, may we ask God for the wisdom to recognize what is truly valuable in our life of faith and the grace to seek those things above everything else. 

Lord Jesus - you lead us to the treasures of God’s kingdom. 

Christ Jesus - you give us the grace to meet our challenges in life. 

Lord Jesus - you call us to wisdom and truth. 

Prayers of the faithful: 

Priest: As we gather as a community of faith for Mass today, we now bring our needs and the needs of the world to our loving God:

1. For Pope Leo XIV, Bishop Kopacz, and all our Church leaders, that they will always lead us in truth and in justice. We pray to the Lord. 

2. For all who are suffering, who are lonely, or who are facing difficult trials in life.  May they feel God’s healing presence with them. We pray to the Lord. 

3. For our local parishes of Holy Savior and Immaculate Conception. May the Holy Spirit open our eyes to the true treasures of faith and to the practice of love and charity to the needy and the forgotten. We pray to the Lord. 

4. For our children, youth, and college students. May the Lord bless their studies and their activities this upcoming school year. We pray to the Lord. 

4. For the faithful departed, especially our family members and loved ones. For their union with God’s eternal kingdom. We pray to the Lord. 

5. For our stewardship of God’s creation. May we promote respect for all of God’s creation and for the resources of the earth. We pray to the Lord. 

6. May we have the courage to share our faith journey with others. May we offer to others the joy of experiencing the life of discipleship. We pray to the Lord. 

7. For a greater love for the Word of God. May we make space in our busy lives to allow the Word of God to challenge us and transform us. We pray to the Lord. 

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

Priest: Loving God, you teach us to bring all our needs to you. Hear the prayers we place before you today. Fill us with the grace to live as your faithful disciples. We make our prayers through Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

24 July 2026 - St Francis Solano - Friday of the 16th week in Ordinary Time - Jeremiah 4:13-17

St Francis Solano was born in the province of Córdoba, Spain in 1549. At the age of 20, he joined the Franciscan Friars minor which followed a strict routine of prayer, fasting, and silence. After his studies, he became an itinerant preacher.  During a plague in Grenada, he ministered to and tended to the sick and the dying. He requested to be sent to Africa as a missionary, by at the request of the King of Spain, he joined at group of Franciscan missionary that were sent to America. He served in the regions of Paraguay, Argentina, and Peru. He learned the local languages to be able to minister to the native people there. He had a love of visiting the sick. On those visits he would often play the violin for them, as he was a talented musician. He died in Lima, Peru in 1610 and was canonized a saint in 1726. He is exemplary life of faith served as a wonderful means of evangelization in his missionary work. 

In our passage from the 4th Chapter of Jeremiah today, God calls his people to repent, affirming the covenant he has made with them. While the people always associated the Ark of the Covenant in the Temple with God’s presence that was with them, but the prophesy foretells an era when they will not need the ark to be God’s presence with them, that his presence will always be completely with them wherever they are. This message of repentance is made in the midst of the threat of the Babylonian exile, when the people will be separated from their holy city and their religious sites. We must never forget God’s fidelity to us, no matter what we are going through. 

Catholic Prayer for College Students at the Beginning of the School Year

Gracious God,
We thank you for our college students who are beginning a new year of studies. 
As they start they new semester, we ask for a blessing for Tiffany, Silas, and Greta. 
May you watch over them O Lord in their studies and their school activities. 
Provide them with strength, courage, patience, and perseverance. 

Lead and guide their professors as they help them learn this semester. 
May their studies help them grow intellectually and help them learn in their field of study. 
May you grow on your journey of faith this school year and may you feel the Lord accompanying you every step of the way. 

Know the love and prayers of your parish family will be with you always. 

May God bless you on your journey. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. AMEN. 

23 July 2026 - prayers of the faithful for Thursday of the 16th week of ordinary time

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

Christ Jesus - you bring us hope.

Lord Jesus - you are the savior of the world. 

Priest: With faith and hope, we now present our prayers to our heavenly Father: 

1. For greater wisdom on our journey of faith. For wisdom for our governmental leaders and Church leaders. 

2. For gift of peace in our local communities and throughout the world. May we be open to greater dialogue and opportunities for reconciliation. 

3. For those who came in to the Church this past year. That the Lord continue to bless them on their journey of faith. 

4. For all who are struggling with addictions. That God will free them and help them find the assistance they need. 

5. For the grace to live out the Gospel of life in our daily lives. 

6. For our children and youth who will be starting the new school year. May the Lord bless them on their journey.

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

Priest: We give thanks for the blessings we receive in life. We give thanks for God’s grace that helps us meet our challenges. We present our prayers though your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

23 July 2026 - St Bridget of Sweden - homily for Thursday of the 16th week of Ordinary time - Jeremiah 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13

Born in 1303 in Sweden, St Bridget of Sweden had a great devotion to Christ’s passion throughout her lifetime. She was married to a Swedish landowner for 28 years and had 8 children with him. She served as a lady in waiting to the queen of Spain. When her husband died, she committed herself to austerity and celibacy. She founded a monastery for both men and women. That community developed into a religious order known as the Brigantines. She advised the popes who were in exile in Avignon, France to return to Rome. She was known as a prophet and did not refrain from preaching the strong words that God put in her mouth. She is the patron saint of the country of Sweden and one of the co-patron saints of Europe. 

This week and next week during daily Mass, we will hear from the prophet Jeremiah in our first readings. Jeremiah compares the love that God has for his people with the ways Israel is not faithful to God. Israel has abandoned the founts of life giving water that God offers them to the broken dry cisterns that Israel chooses to dig themselves. Do we go to God for spiritual fulfillment in life? Or do we choose to try in vain to find that fulfillment within ourselves? If we rely solely on our earthly pursuits and not on God, we will remain spiritually unfulfilled. 

22 July 2026 - prayers of the faithful for Wednesday of the 16th week in Ordinary Time

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

Christ Jesus - you are our redeemer and our savior. 

Lord Jesus - you bring us hope. 

Priest: As we celebrate St Mary Magdalene today as the apostle of the apostles, we bring our prayers to our heavenly father: 

1. That our Church leaders may be an example to the people by the humble way they live out their faith. 

2. That our elected officials strive to serve with faithfulness the people who elected them. 

3. For purity of heart as we walk down the path of faith. 

4. For an atmosphere of love and respect in our homes and in our communities. 

5. For a greater sense of stewardship of God’s creation and of the gifts God has bestowed upon us. 

6. We offer our prayers for those who have died. May they rise to heavenly glory. 

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

Priest: We ask these prayers through Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

22 July 2026 - homily for the feast of St Mary Magdalene - John 20:1-2, 11-18

The Mass of St Mary Magdalene has long been celebrated on July 22 each year. However, Pope Francis officially elevated the liturgical status of this mass from a memorial to a full Feast day back in 2016, putting this celebration on par with the Masses for the other apostles on their feast days. The change was made to emphasize her importance as the first witness to Christ’s resurrection. 

Mary Magdalene is sometimes referred to as the apostle to the apostles, referencing her encounter with the risen Lord in the Gospel of John. Mary of Magdalene is weeping at the place of Christ’s tomb, seeing that it is empty, thinking that his body has been stolen. The Lord appears to hear, but at first she is unable to recognize him because of her grief and sense of loss. Yet, when Jesus calls her by name, she is able to recognize him, and calls out to him, Rabbouni, Teacher. She goes out to announce to the other disciples the Good News, that Jesus is risen from the tomb. 

The resurrection is not just an historical event. It is not just a doctrine of our faith that we are called to blindly believe. The resurrection is a connection that each one of us has with Jesus as his disciple, a personal connection. We have the promise that Jesus is indeed alive and that he can speak to us directly in our hearts. He can transform our pain and our sufferings into hope and encouragement. 

After her encounter with Jesus, Mary Magdalene did not want to stay there in that encounter and hold onto him. Her immediate response was driven by her sense of ministry and mission, of sharing that experience with others. She goes to others to share the Good News. We too are to share our experiences of Christ with the world, not to hold onto them as private experiences.  

We can learn from Mary Magdalene because we cannot relate to her so easily. Like Mary Magdalene, our own fears and our own sufferings can be overwhelming sometimes on our journey of faith. Her faith and courage give an example of faith to follow. She learns to have faith and to trust in the presence of Christ’s love and mercy. Her witness was very important to the Early Church. As we honor Mary Magdalene today, may we unite our prayers with her prayers. 

21 July 2026 - prayers of the faithful for Tuesday of the 16th week in Ordinary Time

Lord Jesus - you are the son of God and the son of Mary. 

Christ Jesus - you bring us hope. 

Lord Jesus - you are the savior of the world. 

Priest - The Lord has opened our minds and hearts to the wisdom of God. Let us bring our needs to our loving God.

1. That the Lord to inspire the leaders of God’s people to lead us to the truth of our faith. 

2. That the Lord to direct and motivate our political leaders to attend to those in need. 

3. That the Lord assist this faith community to always remember that God dwells with us. 

4. That our children and youth be inspired by the corporal and spiritual works of mercy of the Church. 

5. For healing and wholeness for the sick, the lonely, the aged, and the afflicted. 

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

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

21 July 2026 - homily for Tuesday of the 16th week in Ordinary Time - Micah 7:14-15, 18-20

The first reading today from the prophet Micah was written at the time the Jews were returning from exile in Babylon in the 6th century BC. Micah was a prophet in the same era as Isaiah and Hosea. God always sent messengers to the people of Israel to remind them of his covenant with them and of the ways they had turned away from their faith. 

Micah was pleading to God to take care of his people. They had confidence in the Lord’s faithfulness and steadfast love. The reading highlights how God desire to shepherd his people and how he delights in showing steadfast mercy toward them. Our human frailty and our temptation to sin is in contrast with the boundless forgiveness and compassion of God. 

No matter where we are on our journey of faith, it is good for us to be reminded of God’s faithfulness to us, of our call to repentance and renewal in the context of his faithfulness.

Prayers of the faithful - ministry commissioning ceremony at CMCF - 20 July 2026

Priest: With faith and hope, we present our prayers this afternoon to our heavenly Father: 

1. For Bishop Kopacz, Commissioner Cain, and Mr King who are joining us for Mass today. May the Lord lead them and guide them in their leadership in wisdom and in truth. We pray to the Lord. 

2. That we bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to others though our words and our actions. We pray to the Lord. 

3.  For those suffering with illness, disease, addictions, anxiety, or mental health issues. May the Holy Spirit may come to them in mercy, relieve their pain and their afflictions, and grant them healing and wholeness. We pray to the Lord. 

4. Despite the difficulties and challenges we face on our journey of faith, may we have faith that God is always at work in us, no matter what our challenges may be. We pray to the Lord. 

5. For all who have died, especially our loved ones and family members. May they rejoice in the mercy of God and the triumph of the resurrection. We pray to the Lord. 

7. For our children and our families. May the Lord continue to bless them on their journey. May they feel our love and prayers. We pray for our children as the soon start the new school year. We pray to the Lord. 

8. For the men in the BMU program. For those who just graduated the BMU program. For the men here at CMCF in the hospice and infirmary. We pray to the Lord. 

9. In silence, we pray to the God of Mercy for our own prayer intentions and for the special prayer intentions of others. We pray to the Lord. 

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

Bulletin Reflection - 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

We are thankful for the ordination of Hunter and Chris to the diaconate this weekend. They have worked very hard and have been very dedicated to reach this ordination day. We give thanks that they will be serving as deacons in our parishes here at Holy Savior and Immaculate Conception. We pray that the Holy Spirit lead them and guide them as they serve in our parishes. Have a blessed week everyone. Father Lincoln.  

19 July 2026 - Prayers of the faithful for the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle A - prison ministry

Mass introduction: Today, as we celebrate the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, we continue to  hear parables from the Gospel of Matthew. We are reminded this weekend in our readings that God’s patience and mercy far exceed our own. Just as the wheat and the weeds grow together, God allows us time to grow in grace. Let us open our hearts to his word and the working of the Holy Spirit. We welcome our new deacons today, Chris and Hunter, as they celebrate mass as deacons for the first time at our parishes. 

Penitential Rite: Preist: 

Lord Jesus, you come to our aid in our weakness. 

Christ Jesus, you judge with clemency and govern with compassion. 

Lord Jesus, you are generous in kindness to all who call upon you. 

Prayers of the faithful: 

Priest: With mercy, God hears our prayers for ourselves and for the world. We now present our prayers to the Lord:

1. That we, the baptized of the Church, may bear the good fruit of God’s compassion, kindness, and mercy. We pray to the Lord. 

 2. We pray for the governmental leaders of the world. May those in positions of power lead with justice and clemency. We pray to the Lord. 

 3. For those who are hungry. May the Lord may provide for their needs through the generosity and mercy of others. We pray to the Lord. 

 4. That parents plant the mustard seed of faith in their children’s lives and nurture it with their own faithful witness. We pray for the welfare of the children, spouses, and families of the men and women here at CMCF. We pray to the Lord. 

5. For those carrying the burden of illness, injury, or disease. May the Spirit of God come to their aid and grant them healing and wholeness. We pray to the Lord. 

6. For the lay leaders of our Catholic community Here at CMCF. May the Lord give them wisdom and perseverance. We pray to the Lord. 

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

9. For the prayers we hold in our hearts. For those who have asked us to pray for them. We pray to the Lord. 

Priest:  Loving Father, you show forth your might power with gentleness and clemency, and you know the hearts of all your holy ones. We present these prayers today through your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN.

19 July 2026 - Prayers of the faithful for the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle A

Lord Jesus, you come to our aid in our weakness. 

Christ Jesus, you judge with clemency and govern with compassion. 

Lord Jesus, you are generous in kindness to all who call upon you. 

Priest: With mercy, God hears our prayers for ourselves and for the world. We now present our prayers to the Lord:

1. That we, the baptized of the Church, may bear the good fruit of God’s compassion, kindness, and mercy. We pray to the Lord. 

 2. We pray for the governmental leaders of the world. May those in positions of power lead with justice and clemency. We pray to the Lord. 

 3. For those who are hungry. May the Lord may provide for their needs through the generosity and mercy of others. We pray to the Lord. 

 4. That parents plant the mustard seed of faith in their children’s lives and nurture it with their own faithful witness. We pray to the Lord. 

5. For those carrying the burden of illness or injury. May the Spirit of God come to their aid and grant them healing and wholeness. We pray to the Lord. 

6. For the lay leaders of our Catholic community. May the Lord give them wisdom and perseverance. We pray to the Lord. 

7. For Hunter and Chris who are ordained to the diaconate this weekend. For the Holy Spirit to guide them in their ministry. For all deacons who serve in ministry in our Diocese. We pray to the Lord. 

8. For all who have died. For their entry into eternal life. We pray to the Lord. 

9. For the prayers we hold in our hearts. For those who have asked us to pray for them. We pray to the Lord. 

Priest:  Loving Father, you show forth your might power with gentleness and clemency, and you know the hearts of all your holy ones. We present these prayers today through your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

19 July 2026 - homily for the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time CYCLE A - Matthew 13:24-43

In May of last year, when I was on the Camino in Spain with a group of young adults, I had a free day to myself before I returned to the United States. I decided to visit the city of Segovia, site of a famous Roman aqueduct built in the first century and the shrine where St John of the Cross is buried. In Segovia, I also got to visit the home of the famous Spanish poet Antonio Machado, who died in 1939. In this humble apartment, Machado wrote many of his well-known poems. One of Machado’s poems talks about the state of his soul. This is what Machado wrote:

One clear day the wind with the

aroma of jasmine called my heart:

( The wind said:) "In exchange for my aroma I'd love to

 have the fragrance of all your roses."

(I replied:) " I have no roses, there aren't any

 flowers in my garden; all have died."

(The wind then said:) " I will then take the fountain's waters,

the yellow leaves and the withered petals."

The wind left...My heart wailed....

" Soul, what have you done to your garden?"

 As Machado writes, our soul can be a beautiful garden, with lovely flowers and a sweet aroma. Or our soul be a garden where all the flowers have withered, where there is nothing be dead plants and parched ground. 

The parable of the weeds that Jesus presents to us today addresses how we can think we are doing all the right things on our journey of faith, like going to mass and cultivating our prayer life and reaching out to others in works of charity. We can be confident that we are doing the right things in our life of faith, but the weeds or other expectant things can still spring up and surprise us. While we should not be anxious or paranoid, we cannot live in a state of complacency either. We still need to before of those things for which we are to repent and to renew ourselves. We are still to purge the weeds that take root in our hearts. 

God to come to us in a quiet whisper or a calm breeze, just as the spirit of the divine spoke in Machado’s poem in the wind fragranced with the aroma of jasmine. God’s message of salvation and God’s call to follow him can be as subtle and as beautiful as the smell of jasmine blooming on a hot summer’s night. Yet, if we’ve neglected our faith, if the garden of our soul has not been cultivated, we might not be ready to receive his message, no matter how beautiful and inviting that message may be. 

When I was in Rome with the youth choir from St Richard Church in Jackson back in 2010, we visited St Paul’s basilica outside the ancient walls of Rome. For centuries, Church officials had tried to find the exact place where Paul’s tomb was located.  One spot of ground was ruled out because it looked like it was solid rock, so they thought that there was no way St Paul could have been buried on that spot. However, it turned out not to be rock, it was just soil that had been hardened for so long that it was hard as rock.  Underneath that hard soil was the place where the tomb of St. Paul was finally found in 2006, not that long ago. Just like soil that can become hard as a rock, our hearts can become so hard that we might not think that this is the place where we will find God or find meaning in life, so we start looking in other places.          

The great Catholic writer Ron Rolheiser writes that there are many tragic ways to die in our world, but there are two ways that are most tragic of all.  If we die without expressing the love we have in our hearts for God and for our brothers and sisters, or if we die without feeling the love that God has for us, without feeling the love of our brothers and sisters, that is the greatest tragedy of all. Indeed, God is love.  And since we were made in the image of God, we are called to love, we are called to experience the love of others. May we cultivate our lives of faith so that we are always ready to experience God. 

12 July 2026 - 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time CYCLE A - Matthew 13:1-23

It is amazing to think about how rapidly the population of the world has grown. In 1804, the population of the world reached 1 billion people for the first time in history.  In 1927, the population reached 2 billion.  Today, the population of world is approximately 8.3 billion people. Both China and India each have more than 1.4 billion people. Food is one issue countries have faced with this growing population.  In the 1960s, agronomists knew this challenge was coming. One agronomist from the United States went to India with a newly developed wheat seed. He convinced the Indian authorities to try this new seed. They planted this new strain of wheat in the Punjab region of India; the results were amazing. They later introduced a new variety of rice. These new seeds enabled India and other Asian countries to avert famine. Today, with its huge population, India produces a food surplus and has become a major rice exporter. This story illustrates the power of a seed, how it can change the world. In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us about power of the word of God using the parable of the sower who sows seeds in different types of ground. 

For 3 weeks in a row, Jesus will speak to us in parables from Matthew’s Gospel. Jesus uses parables to help us better understand the Kingdom of God. As we hear about the sower who sows some seeds that die, while other seeds take root and produce fruit, we can think about how God’s word taking root in our lives and the ways we sow the seeds of his kingdom. Like a farmer who faces floods, drought, or other kinds of disasters, as disciples, we are called to plant seeds of hope and faith through our evangelization efforts, to sow the best seeds available to us. Just as the farmer uses the sun, wind, and rain to produce a good harvest, we are to use the reality of God’s creation around us to sow and plant. As the Son of God, Jesus works in us through the presence of the Holy Spirit, providing the grace to nourish our faith. If we apply ourselves in our life of faith, if we use the resources around us, and if we give it our best effort, will we be able to truly grow as disciples ourselves and evangelize others. 

Some years ago, evangelizer Sherry Waddell was the speaker at our Diocesan convocation. She is the author of a book entitled Forming Intentional Disciples. In her book, Waddell states that we make a big mistake in our parishes by assuming that all those who have been baptized and grow up Catholic are truly evangelized themselves. She asserts that many baptized Catholics who attend mass on a regular basis have not really been evangelized yet and do not know how to live productive spiritual lives. Yet, the challenges we have in our life of discipleship should not frustrate us or cause us to be cynical. We are to face our challenges with enthusiasm and hope, to be on fire for the Lord. 

Jesus’ message was rejected in his hometown. He received opposition and hostility from the Jewish authorities. Many times, the synagogues refused Jesus entrance to preach, causing him to go out to preach to the people on the hillsides and the shore. Jesus’ parable today about the seeds that were sown in different types of soil attempted to encourage the apostles and give them hope. This parable assured them that his Good News would produce the intended affect in spite of the challenges and opposition. At the time Matthew was writing his Gospel, his Jewish-Christian community also experienced a lot of adversity, just as we modern disciples face many challenges as well.  

Father Raju had been asking for me to come up and visit you here in Clarksdale and Shelby for a while now. In the midst of my busy schedule in the Jackson area, with my parish ministry and chancery work and prison ministry, I am glad I have the opportunity this weekend to visit all of you. I know that chancery office can feel so far away from here. But know that our hearts are with you in the challenges that we all face in our ministries. I was a teacher in Greenville for 4 years before I became a priest. And I was pastor in Yazoo City and Belzoni for 2 1/2 years, so I know the reality of the Delta, and I really enjoyed my time in the Delta. We all need to find hope and encouragement in our lives of faith, don’t we? I know that the Catholic community in the Delta has a lot of history and a lot of commitment to the faith. With the Catholic schools in Greenville and in Clarksdale, that tradition is being kept alive in Catholic education. Keeping our parishes alive in the Delta is important. So, it is great to be with you this weekend and to celebrate together around the altar of the Lord. 

17 July 2026 - homily for Friday of the 15th week of Ordinary Time - St Charbel - Isaiah 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8

Our reading from the 38th chapter of Isaiah today shows how God can help us when we turn to him in our lowest moments. King Hezekiah faces a terminal illness. He pleads to God to have mercy on him. God hears his sincere prayers, heals him, and extends his life by 15 years. God grants Hezekiah a second chance. God hears the cries of those with sincere and humble hearts. 

We celebrate the feast day of a Lebanese priest today named St Charbel Makhluf. We have a lot of Lebanese in our Diocese of Jackson, especially in the Jackson metro area and in the Mississippi Delta, and one of my good friends form seminary is Lebanese, so celebrate St Charbel today resonates with me in a lot of ways. Charbel was born in a small village in Lebanon in 1828 to a very humble family.  His father, a mule driver, died when he was 3, so he was raised by an uncle.  He entered the Monastery of St Maron in Lebanon and was ordained a priest.   For the last 23 years of his life, he lived as a hermit in the desert where he practiced a life of strict fasting and of strong devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.  People sought him out for his prayers due to his reputation for holiness.   The life of a hermit is challenging, disciplined, and austere; it is not a life that draws everyone.  But God calls us different way, just as he calls some to the life of a monk or a hermit.  May God's calling, and his life and mercy, call out to us today.  

13 July 2026 - prayers of the faithful for Monday of the 15th week in Ordinary Time

Lord Jesus - you call us to faith.

Christ Jesus - you forgive the sins of the contrite. 

Lord Jesus - you are our Lord and our savior. 

Priest - As we unite our prayers with the prayers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father -

1. That Pope Leo XIV, Bishop Kopacz, and all our Church leaders lead us in wisdom and justice. We pray to the Lord. 

2. That during our celebration of the novena of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, we may all grow in our love and devotion to Mary. We pray to the Lord. 

3. For members of the Carmelite order throughout the world. For our Carmelite sisters in our diocese and for members of the secular Carmelite order in our diocese. May the Lord bless them in their vocations. We pray to the Lord. 

4. That we may all be missionary in spirit and engaged in the new Evangelization efforts of the Church. We pray to the Lord. 

5. For the sick and afflicted. For those struggling with addictions, anxiety, depression, and mental health issues. For healing and wholeness. We pray to the Lord. 

6. For our children and youth on their journey of faith. We pray to the Lord. 

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

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

13 July 2026 - homily for Monday of the 15th week in Ordinary Time - Isaiah 1:10-17

We hear the Lord tell the people through the prophet Isaiah that he does not care about the sacrifices that they made in the Temple, sacrifices that were an important part of their Temple worship to God. The people tried to be faithful in the way they worshipped God in the Temple, as they prayed there and offered sacrifices and celebrated the important religious feasts. However, their faith remained mostly in the Temple. It did not transform and permeate their daily lives. It did not change the way the practiced justice or the way they treated the widows and the orphans. This message speaks to all of us very profoundly this evening. How has our faith transformed us as individuals, as families, as a parish, as a community? Mississippi has one of the highest rates of people going to church each week in the country, but Jackson is also one of the most violent cities in the nations. God does not want a life of faith without justice. Our faith must permeate our homes, our businesses, our schools, our governmental institutions, and the streets. How are we living out our faith in the ordinary moments of our daily lives? 

I was very happy to see so many people yesterday celebrate with us at mass and enjoying fellowship together.  May we feel a sense of community and share our faith with each other, lifting each other up. 

Novena to our Lady of Mount Carmel - Carmelite monastery - Jackson MISSISSIPPI - July 2026

Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Mass at 5:30 pm Carmelite monastery, Terry Road, South Jackson - all are invited and encouraged to come and celebrate with our Carmelite sisters and with the people of our Diocese 

July 7 - Father Joe Dyer, Christ the King

July 8 - Father Stephen, St Therese 

July 9 - Father Matthew Simmons, St Joseph Gluckstadt

July 10 - Father Kevin Slattery, St John Crystal Springs 

July 11 - Father Kevin Slattery, St John Crystal Springs 

July 12 - Sunday Mass - Father Vijaya - Holy Ghost Jackson - with reception following Mass

July 13 - Father Lincoln Dall - Holy Savior Clinton and Immaculate Conception 

July 14 - Bishop Kopacz 

July 15 - Father Leon - Holy Family Jackson 

July 16 - 7:30 AM - Feast Day of Lady of Mount Carmel - Bishop Kopacz

17 July 2026 - prayers of the faithful for Friday of the 15th week in Ordinary time

Lord Jesus - you bring us hope. 

Christ Jesus - you forgive the sins of the contrite. 

Lord Jesus - you bring healing into our lives. 

Priest: With hearts and minds renewed through the love of Christ, we bring our needs to the Lord in our prayers today: 

1. That our obedience to the leaders of the church be strengthened and their service to the church be renewed. 

2. That our civil leaders deepen their sense of service to the people. 

3. That our faith community be a sign of God’s love for all people as we worship and work together. 

4. That we may grow in our love of the Eucharist and embody the spirit of the Eucharist in our words and our actions.

5. For Hunter and Chris and for all the deacons who will be ordained this weekend. 

6. For peace throughout the world, especially in Ukraine and the Middle East. 

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

Priest: We give you thanks for your beloved Son Jesus who cares for his flock. We make our prayers through him, for he is our Lord forever and ever. Amen.

16 July 2026 - prayers of the faithful for Thursday of the 15th week in Ordinary Time - Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Lord Jesus - you are the son of God and the son of Mary. 

Christ Jesus - you will come again in glory. 

Lord Jesus - you call us to repentance and conversion. 

1. That our Church leaders will help us grow in our respect for human life from moment of conception to the moment of natural death. 

2. For Christian unity amongst all Christian denominations. 

3. For those who have left the Church or who have become inactive in their faith. May our Lord Jesus lead them back. 

4. For all who have died. That they rest and rejoice in the glory of God’s kingdom, we pray to the Lord. 

5. That all of us Christians work to advance Christ’s mission and ministry on earth. 

6. That Mary will always draw us closer to her son. 

7. For our Carmelite sisters in the Diocese of Jackson and the Secular Carmelite group in our Diocese. 

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

Priest: God our Shepherd, feeds us and protects us. We present our prayers to God the Father today through his son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

15 June 2026 - prayers of the faithful for Wednesday of the 15th week in Ordinary Time

Lord Jesus - you bring us the love of your father. 

Christ Jesus - you are our savior and our redeemer. 

Lord Jesus - you bring us hope. 

Priest: As a people of faith, we bring our needs and the needs of our neighbors to God:

1. For the shepherds of our Church. May they listen lovingly to the voice of the Good Shepherd and follow him faithfully. 

2. That those who serve in public office may listen creatively and patiently to the voices of those who elected them and work for their good. 

3. For parents and teachers. That they shepherd their children and students with respect, love, and concern. 

4. For the sick and the afflicted. For those struggling with mental health issues, anxiety, depression, or addictions. For healing and wholeness. 

5. For a greater care for God’s creation and the resources of the earth. 

6. For the prayers we hold in our hearts today. For those who have asked for our prayers. 

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

16 July 2026 - homily for Thursday of the 15th week of Ordinary time - feast day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel - Matthew 11:28-30

The Carmelite monastery here in Jackson, Mississippi has a novena each year that leads up to today’s feast day, celebrating the special devotion and apparition of Mary in Our Lady of Mount Carmel. In the Old Testament, Mount Carmel was a place of refuge. In the era of the Christian Church, hermits began living there in the 12th century and dedicated a chapel on the mountain to our Mother Mary. This evolved into the celebration of a special mass and office of readings dedicated to Mary as Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Since the 15th century, popular devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel has centered on the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, also known as the Brown Scapular. Traditionally, Mary is said to have presented the scapular to an English Carmelite monk named Saint Simon Stock in the 13th century, which leads to the devotion that we have in the Brown Scapular today. 

This feast day was officially recognized by the Church in 1726 under the title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.  This group of hermits at Mount Carmel evolved into the religious order of the Carmelites in the 13th century. That order went through a reform movement in the 16th century under the leadership of St Teresa of Avila and St John of the Cross. 

In the different ways Mary appears to the faithful, she always points us to her son in a very special way. Jesus tells us to that we can only know the Father through the son. We come to the faith through Jesus. And Mary helps us in that process. May the intercession and prayers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel lead us to her son. Jesus tells us to come to him with all that is burdening us. Mary will help bring us to her son with all that is weighing us down. 

15 July 2026 - St Bonaventure - homily for Wednesday of the 15th week in Ordinary Time - Isaiah 10:5-7 and 13b-16

In the first reading from the prophet Isaiah, we hear how God uses the Assyrians to punish Israel for the way they have turned away from God. The Assyrians take credit for this themselves. This should serve as a warning for us of the dangers of spiritual pride. No matter our power or our success, we should see the role God has in our lives. 

St. Bonaventure was born in Italy in 1221. He entered the Franciscans as a young man after having been very sickly as a young boy and after have been inspired by St Francis of Assisi through that illness.  Bonaventure not only gives us the example of a great theologian and accomplished scholar, but he also led a life of great holiness & devotion.  Known as the "Seraphic Doctor" for the warmth and charity of his writings, he was instrumental in shaping the Franciscan Order, integrating faith with rational thought, and promoting mysticism based on experience. One of his famous quotes states: “When we pray, the voice of the heart must be heard more than that (voice) proceeding from the mouth.” He died in 1274 at the age of 53. He was canonized in 1482 by the Franciscan Pope Sixtus IV. In 1588 he was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Sixtus V, given the title the Seraphic Doctor, reflecting his profound love for God. "Seraphic" refers to the Seraphim, the highest order of angels known for their burning charity. The title reflects how Bonaventure’s theology was motivated by passionate love, prayer, and his deep mysticism.

14 July 2026 - prayers of the faithful for Tuesday of the 15th week in Ordinary time

Lord Jesus - you are our hope. 

Christ Jesus - you are our strength. 

Lord Jesus - you are our savior. 

PRIEST: In faith and hope, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father: 

1. That the Church and her leaders may always be a beacon of hope in times of challenge and conflict. 

2. For all missionaries, evangelizers, and catechists. May God be in their hearts and their minds as they share their love of God with others. 

3. For the sick, the suffering, and the dying. May they receive love and compassion in their time of need. 

4. For the deceased members of our families and communities. May the angels may gather them before the throne of God. 

5. That we may grow in our love of the Eucharist and embody the spirit of the Eucharist in our words and our actions. 

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

PRIEST: In a spirit of hope and faith, we present these prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. AMEN.