The theme of today’s readings is God’s love.  We often hear about God’s love in our readings at Mass.  In fact, last Sunday, the second reading from the first letter of John stated that God’s commandment that we are to follow is this: “we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as (Jesus) commanded us.” Today’s second reading, also from the same first letter of St John, states that the centre of all living is love. It is not only the center of Christian living, but should be at the center of any kind of life. There are so many saints that have e ..read more

Lord Jesus - you are the word of God.  Christ Jesus - you bring us the love of the Father.  Lord Jesus - you call us to a life of discipleship.   Priest: With humble hearts, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father:  1. For all the parishes of the Diocese of Jackson: that God will strengthen the spirits of our parishioners, help them form supportive relationships, and guide them in their ministries and services.  2. For all couples preparing for marriage: that they may appreciate the gift that they are to one another and form a partnership of life for the good of ..read more

Today, we celebrate the feast day of a saint whose great work and enthusiasm as a priest in the state of Hawaii is remembered more than 135 years after his death. The date of a saint’s entry into enteral life is usually used for his feast day, but in this saint’s case, the date of his feast day which chosen for a different reason. On May 10, 1873, Father Damien De Veuster, a Belgian priest with the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, arrived on the island of Molokai in the Hawaiian islands to begin his ministry at the leper colony there. Damien had been born to a very poor fam ..read more

Our psalm today declares: The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power….The LORD has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.  He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel.”  The Lord’s saving power was revealed in a new covenant with his Son Jesus Christ, fully human and fully divine, whom we celebrate in a special way during the Easter season.  May is also the month of Mary.  Many Catholics around the world celebrate a May crowning, in which flowers is present to an image of Mary, celebra ..read more

We hear Jesus tell us about how he is sending us the Holy Spirit – called the Spirit of truth – to lead us and guide us to all truth.  We hear the word “truth” being bantered about all the time all around us, don’t we?  We hear some say: “I want the truth to come out” or “I am hear to speak the truth.”  Sometimes what we think is the truth can be our own perspective or how we see things, even though we don’t want to admit it.  We live in a world that is so divided these days that it might be difficult discerning what the truth is. It seems like even journalism today is more ..read more

Lord Jesus - you are the vine and we are the branches.  Christ Jesus - you lead us to new life.  Lord Jesus - you bring us hope and encouragement.  Priest: With the Easter joy of the risen Lord in our hearts, we bring our prayers to our heavenly Father:  1. For all Church leaders, may they learn wisdom and patience from God, leading their people in justice and peace.   2. For Christians everywhere: that we who have been called to follow Christ may instruments of healing and forgiveness in their families and communities.  4. For all who suffer for the Gospel: that ..read more

Lord Jesus - you bring us hope.  Christ Jesus - you bring us the Father’s love.   Lord Jesus - you bring us redemption and salvation.  Priest; As we continue our celebration of the Easter season, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father:  1. For the Church: that we may allow Christ to bring forth abundant life within us and guide us in using our gifts for God’s glory 2. For a heart of mercy: that we may put our intentions and words into action in reaching out to those in need.  3. For all who minister in the church: that they will faithfully help others find Chris ..read more

Lord Jesus - you tend your lambs - Lord have mercy.  Christ Jesus - you feed your sheep - Christ have mercy.  Lord Jesus - you shepherd your flock - Lord have mercy.  Priest: With faith and hope in the risen Christ, we present our prayer to our God of love and mercy:  1. For the Church throughout the world. May our faith in God’s love be expressed in our love for one another. We pray to the Lord.  2. For peace in our world. May all lands that suffer violence and injustice find peace and reconciliation. We pray to the Lord.  3. For the poor, the homeless, and for t ..read more

Lord Jesus - you call all of us to be your disciples. Christ Jesus - you draw us beyond our limitations. Lord Jesus - you call us to be missionary spirit.  Priest: As we celebrate the apostles Philip and James today on their feast day, let us bring our prayers to our heavenly Father: 1. For missionaries and evangelizers, that all of us may proclaim Christ’s Gospel to the world in our words and our actions. 2. For our youth and our children, that the Lord will continue to accompany them and bless them and their families on their journey of faith. 3. For all who are graduating this month fr ..read more

Today, we celebrate two of the twelve apostles: Philip and James the Lesser.  We know that James is the son of Alphaeus, but we do not know much else about him. He is known as James the Lesser to distinguish him from the other apostle named James, James the Greater, who was the son of Zebedee.   Philip came from Bethsaida in Galilee, the same town as Peter and Andrew. We hear of Jesus’ interaction with Philip in the story of the feeding of the crowds with the multiplication of the loaves and the fish as told in the Gospel of John. Philip is asked by Jesus about where they can get bre ..read more