Prayers of the faithful - Feast of the Epiphany - 8 January 2023

Introduction: The bright star in the sky drew the Magi from a distant land to see the newborn king and to offer him treasure. Today, we are drawn to our liturgical celebration by our King, Christ our Lord.  May we offer him our treasures, our prayers, our hopes, and our hearts.  

Penitential rite:

As we rejoice in God’s forgiveness, let us call to mind our sins and our need for God’s mercy: 

Lord Jesus, you came to gather the nations into the peace of God’s kingdom - Lord have mercy. 

Christ Jesus, you come to us in word and in sacrament to strengthen us in holiness - Christ have mercy. 

Lord Jesus, you will come in glory with salvation for your people - Lord have mercy. 

Prayers of the faithful: 

PRIEST:  Let us bring our prayers to God, who hears us when we cry out for help:

1. For the people of all nations of the world, that they may believe the Good News of salvation brought by Christ our Savior, we pray to the Lord. 

2. For people of all faith traditions, that we may work together towards healing and peace, we pray to the Lord. 

3. For all Christians, that together we may meet the challenges facing humanity, we pray to the Lord. 

4. For those in our midst who are sick or in sorrow, that God may be close to them in their pain and in their grief, we pray to the Lord. 

5. For our friends and relatives who have died,  that eternal salvation may be theirs, we pray to the Lord. 

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

PRIEST:  O God, you rule the earth with justice:  help us according to our needs, we pray, through Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. Amen. 

Bulletin reflection - Feast of the Epiphany - 8 January 2023

      We come together this weekend as a community to celebrate the feast of the Epiphany, the visit of the Magi to the child Jesus. The feast of Epiphany is so rich in different messages and symbolism.  The main message of the Magi is that the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ is meant for all, not just a select few, not just for one specific culture or one particular group of people.  There is a lot of symbolism in the gifts that the Magi brought the Christ child.  Their first gift was gold, the most precious of metals, reminding us that God has to be granted first place in our lives, that he is to be worshipped and valued.  In the frankincense they offered as their second gift, we can see it symbolizing our relationship with the Lord through prayer.  Our prayers rise up to God like smoke from the incense. Just as incense must burn in order to yield its fragrance, so too, our prayers must burn in our hearts as we spend time with God through those prayers. That brings us to the third gift myrrh, the ointment that would be lovingly used to prepare Jesus’ body for burial after he was taken down from the cross. Myrrh reminds us of the suffering and sacrifices we will have to make for our faith.  May these gifts the Magi brought remind us of different aspects of our faith.  May we be willing to bring our own gifts in our own way to the Christ child, just as the Magi brought their gifts. Blessings to all of you as we continue our Christmas season and as we celebrate the Magi this weekend.  Father Lincoln.  

January 1, 2023 - Mary, Mother of God - prayers of the faithful

Introduction: How appropriate that on the first day of every year we honor Mary, the holy Mother of God.  For it was Mary’s willing obedience to God’s plan that enabled the incarnation and initiated what in time became Christianity.  Today, as we commemorate the world day of prayer for peace, we look to Mary, the Queen of Peace. 

Lord Jesus, you are mighty God and Prince of Peace. 

Christ Jesus, you are Son of God and Son of Mary. 

Lord Jesus, you are Word made flesh and the splendor of the Father. 

PRIEST:  God graciously blesses all of humanity.  We now bring forward our needs to God with confidence:

1. That those who follow Christ may remain faithful throughout this New Year.  We pray to the Lord. 

2. That all who worship God – in churches, synagogues, and mosques – may grow in respect and tolerance for each other. We pray to the Lord. 

3. That peace may soon come in all the warn-torn corners of our world and those communities torn apart by anger, violence, and disagreements.  We pray to the Lord. 

4. That we may continue to work for peace with justice in our words and our actions.  We pray to the Lord. 

5. That Mary the Mother of God may be an example to all of us of patience, compassion, and love.  We pray to the Lord. 

6. That this New Year of 2023 may bring fresh enthusiasm and strong growth to this community of faith.  We pray to the Lord. 

7. That perpetual light may shine on all our dearly departed, especially those who have passed away in the year of 2022.  We pray for the repose of their soles and for the souls in purgatory.  We pray to the Lord. 

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

PRIEST: Gracious God, you bless your people with peace and justice: accept our prayers and give us your help, through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. Amen.

Bulletin Reflection - Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God

Reflection for Mary, the Mother of God

    Each year on January 1, we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God.  It is very fitting that we celebrate Mary and ask her to accompany us as we embark on a new year.  Mary accompanied Jesus on his journey here on earth.  She accompanied the members of the Early Church.  She accompanies us on our own journey of faith in the modern world.  

    In addition, each year of January 1, the Pope issues a prayer for peace. This tradition started with Pope Paul VI in 1968. This year’s theme centers upon all we have gone through as a society these past several years: “No one can be saved alone. Combatting Covid-19 together, embarking together on paths of peace.”  Pope Francis uses a quote from 1 Thessalonians about how Paul urged the Thessalonians to remain stedfast, as Paul wrote: “Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” Pope Francis writes: “when tragic events seem to overwhelm our lives, we are called to keep our hearts open to hope and to trust in God, who makes himself present, accompanies us with tenderness, sustains us in our weariness and, above all, guides our path.”

     We pray for peace, unity, healing, and reconciliation in the new year of 2023.  We pray for a end to the anger, strife, impatience, and discord that has divided our society in recent years.  We wish all of you and your families a blessed new year of 2023 as we continue to celebrate the season of Christmas.  Father Lincoln.  

13 January 2023 - St Hilary of Portiers, Doctor of the Church - homily for Friday of the first week in Ordinary Time - Hebrews 4: 1-5, 11

     Our reading from the letter to the Hebrews addresses entering into the rest of God, a rest only God can give. Rest has a deeper meaning beyond a physical rest. The promise that God gave to the Israelites is a foreshadowing of that  promise given to Christians in Christ’s Good News. The Israelites saw the Promised Land as the place of rest that God provided for his people. For the Israelites, the Promised Land was a share in God’s own rest, which he enjoyed after he had finished his creative work as told in the book of Genesis. The author now relates the meaning of God’s rest to Psalm 95, which we heard yesterday: “Therefore I swore in my anger: ‘They shall never enter my rest.’” Our reading today tells us that we should take the opportunity of God’s rest when it is offered to us since the Israelites in the desert did not take that opportunity given to them. The Israelites doubted the word of God and thus were forced to wander in the desert for many years before they were able to enter the Promised Land. We Christians are invited to a different promised land: to God’s kingdom and to the salvation that Christ offers to us. Our hope is that one day we will gain entry to that perfect place of rest: eternal life with God.  And even now, we are called to a day of rest on Sundays, on the Sabbath, on the Lord’s day. 

   As we reflect on the letter of the Hebrews today, we celebrate the feast day of an important early Church Father and Doctor of the Church: St Hilary, the Bishop of Poitiers in France in the 4th century.  A convert to Christianity as an adult and very gentle and courteous man, Hilary's writings on the Trinity and on Christ’s divinity were important in the development of these doctrines in the Early Church and in combating the Arian heresy that denied Christ’s divinity.  At one point, Hilary was sent into exile for refusing to back down from his beliefs.  As we honor St Hilary today, let us give thanks for all the men and women who courageously defended the faith throughout history. 

12 January 2023 - Thursday of 1st week of ordinary time – Psalm 95

    Yesterday, in Psalm 105, we heard this refrain: “The Lord remembers his covenant forever.”  Today, from Psalm 95, we hear a refrain that links us to the Psalm refrain from yesterday: “If today you hears God’s voice, harden not your hearts.”  We can hear God’s voice calling out to us in many different ways.  However, God does not force us or coerce us to follow his voice; it is our choice to follow that voice or to ignore it. Unfortunately, our hearts can be hardened in a lot of ways. Sometimes, the grind of daily life can take its toll on us and we can become immune to things around us, accepting the status quo and not working toward the values of God’s kingdom.  

    I think of the leper in the Gospel today. He believed in the values of God’s kingdom. His heart was open to the possibility of Christ’s healing power in his life. If his heart had been hardened, he would not have seen that possibility at all.  He would not have had faith in Jesus.  Having an open heart and being open to God’s will for us in our lives can make all the difference in the world. 

11 January 2023 - Wednesday of the 1st week of Ordinary Time - Psalm 105

     “The Lord remembers his covenant forever” This is the refrain we hear in the psalm today.  Remembering is important to us as human beings.  We remember our loved ones who are no longer with us.  We remember happy memories from our childhood and our youth.  We remember those who passed down the faith to us.  We remember those who made sacrifices for us so that we could succeed in life and get a good education.  However, there are probably things that we wish we did not remember, that still cause pain and suffering in our lives after the passing of so many years.  Sometimes we want to let go of a painful memory, of the hurt it still causes us, but that is difficult to do. Yet, remembering both the good and the bad, the joys and the sorrows, make us who we are. Perhaps those thing we do not want to remember comprise those difficult and challenging experiences that helped us grow and learn.  

         The Lord remembers the covenant that he makes with his people, even after the people deny him, disobey him, and choose the ways of the world over his ways. May all of us as disciples of Christ remember the Lord’s covenant. It is a convent that should be at the foundation of our journey through life.