St. Michael's Independent Catholic Church, 6440 King Road, Loomis, CA (2026)

05/30/2026

PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL
May 31, 2026
Holy Trinity
By Denise Johnston

One of the duties of the faithful is to pray for the world. Let us remember all those who most need our prayers.

In today’s first reading, Yahweh stands with Moses on Mount Sinai, saying, “I am Yahweh…. I am a compassionate and gracious God, …” As Yahweh stood with Moses, doesn’t Yahweh stand with us? Especially with those who are suffering, with those who are marginalized? With our LGBTQ community who are under attack today, with hateful rhetoric, with discriminating laws? Isn’t an attack on one, one made in the image of God, an attack on God? Aren’t we all one human family, all children of God, all images of God, rich in diversity and unique in our being? May Yahweh, our God of compassion, stand with us, helping everyone to rejoice, with pride, in being a reflection of God, a reflection of love. We pray.

We hear in the second reading, “…. I ask you all to be joyful, aim to be perfect, have courage, be united in mind, and live peacefully. And the God of love and peace will be with you.” Encourage one another. Live in peace. How do we encourage one another? What are we doing to live in peace? How do we know the God of love and peace is with us, here and now? Do we recognize God in others? May we never fail to encourage and support one another, may we never fail to respect and honor the dignity of each human being, wonderfully made in the image of God, may we never fail to live in peace, to live always with love. We pray.

The message in today’s Gospel is one we’ve heard many times. “For God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be liberated.” Liberated. Through him. Don’t our marginalized sisters and brothers need liberation from the blatant oppression and hate targeting them? Where is liberation needed most today? How can we help liberate with love? How can we help liberate with acceptance and understanding? As we celebrate the most Holy Trinity, may we recognize what God does for us, as Father, as Mother, as Son, as Spirit. May we recognize how God, in all her aspects, works in us, works through us, works for us; may we see how God’s love liberates us all. We pray.

For all prayer requests received by our church, for our families, those we love. Loving God, hear our prayers and bring each one of us and all our concerns to the fulfillment your love intends. We pray through Jesus, our brother. Amen.

05/25/2026

This Memorial Day weekend invites us to remember.

To remember the cost of conflict, the fragility of life, and the deep human longing for peace.

We remember with gratitude all those who gave their lives in service to others and to their country. We honor their courage, their sacrifice, and the love that moved them to place the lives of others before their own.

We hold in prayer the families, friends, and communities who carry the weight of loss and memory. May they be surrounded with compassion, strength, and comfort.

May the memories of those we honor inspire us to live with greater courage, kindness, and hope, and may God guide all peoples and nations toward healing, reconciliation, and lasting peace. 🕊️🌿

05/24/2026

PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL
May 24, 2026
By Denise Johnston

One of the duties of the faithful is to pray for the world. Let us remember all those who most need our prayers.

The first reading depicts a scene with a strong driving wind and tongues as of fire. “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.” Can you imagine being there? Feeling the strong wind? Hearing the different tongues? What was it like? Was it witnessing the profound power of the Holy Spirit? Doesn’t the Spirit have power to change lives? To move in us? To work through us? May the power of the Holy Spirit transform our minds, our hearts, our beings; may we be filled with the Holy Spirit to go forth and make a positive difference in our world, each and every day. We pray.

We hear in the second reading, “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, … “ One Spirit. One body. The body of Christ. As part of the body of Christ, how do we show up in the world? Do we show up with a firm conviction to carry out the work of Christ? Do we show up to care for the most vulnerable? To stand with the marginalized? To feed the hungry? To heal the hurting? May we let the Spirit guide us into being the hands of Christ, the heart of Christ, as we walk through this world tending to those in need. We pray.

In the Gospel story the disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. “Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’” Aren’t we sent with peace? Where do we go and what do we do with it? Do we go to the margins of society, to bring hope and encouragement? Do we go to the oppressed, to lift them up with love? Do we go into the darkness to bring light? De we stand in solidarity with our suffering sisters and brothers across the world? May we go, with peace, with compassion, into the world, bringing unconditional understanding and love to all. We pray.

For all prayer requests received by our church, for our families, and those we love. Loving God, hear our prayers and bring each one of us and all our concerns to the fulfillment your love intends. We pray through Jesus, our brother. Amen.

05/16/2026

PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL
May 17, 2026
The Lord’s Ascension
By Denise Johnston

One of the duties of the faithful is to pray for the world. Let us remember all those who most need our prayers.

In the first reading Jesus ascends into a cloud right after telling his apostles, “…. you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, …. and to the ends of the earth.” You will receive power. When the Holy Spirit comes upon you. You will be my witnesses. How are we witnesses for Jesus today? Do we witness by raising awareness of injustice? Awareness of inequality? Awareness of the growing gap between the rich and the poor? Do we witness by showing mercy? By showing compassion? By showing love? May the Holy Spirit come upon us, empowering us to be witnesses for Jesus, empowering us to live with open hearts, filled with unconditional love for all. We pray.

We hear in today’s second reading, “May the God of our Lord Jesus the Christ, the Father/Mother of glory, give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened ,…." A Spirit of wisdom and revelation. We will come to know God. The eyes of our hearts will be enlightened. Doesn’t this give us hope? Don’t we need hope to journey through life? To face the challenges? To overcome injustice? To shine light in darkness? May the Spirit guide us through life, filling us with courageous hope, may we be blessed with wisdom, may we be enlightened, may we come to know God. We pray.

In the Gospel, Jesus commissions his disciples. “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” Teach all I have commanded you. A message. A mission. And the presence of Jesus wherever we go. How are we doing with our mission? Are our lives a lesson on how to live following the teachings of Jesus? If we let our faith guide us, will it help guide others to Jesus? Will it help us to welcome others into the Body of Christ? May we take our mission seriously, may we live our lives with faithful purpose, may we feel the reassuring presence of God always with us. We pray.

For all prayer requests received by our church, for our families, and those we love.

Loving God, hear our prayers and bring each one of us and all our concerns to the fulfillment your love intends. We pray through Jesus, our brother. Amen.

05/09/2026

PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL
May 10, 2026
By Denise Johnston

One of the duties of the faithful is to pray for the world. Let us remember all those who most need our prayers.

In the first reading Peter and John go to the Samarians, “Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.” Don’t we all receive the Holy Spirit? How do we let the Spirit live in us? Work through us? Do we let the Spirit lead us to living a faith that does justice? To speaking truth to power? To calling out corruption and lies? To standing up for our immigrant sisters and brothers when they are being unjustifiably detained and deported? To standing up for peace when war is raging, causing undeniable suffering and death? May the Holy Spirit live in us, may the Holy Spirit work through us, may the Holy Spirit empower us to live with God’s mercy, compassion, and love. We pray.

We hear from Peter in the second reading telling us to sanctify Christ in our hearts. “For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil.” The will of God. God wants us to do good. Especially when others do evil. How willing are we to suffer for doing God’s will? Doesn’t doing good lead us to God? Bringing us closer? Deepening our relationship? Doesn’t doing good help lead others to God? May we lead by our example, may we always do good, helping to overcome evil; may we sanctify Christ in our hearts, may we do the will of God, no matter the suffering it might bring. We pray.

In the Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” If you love me. Love. There’s nothing more important, is there? When someone does not follow the commandments, does it mean they don’t love Jesus? How do we show our love for Jesus? Is it by loving one another? Is it by caring for one another? By lending a helping hand? By standing in solidarity with the marginalized? By walking with the most vulnerable? May we be committed to keeping the commandments, may we be committed to loving God, may we be committed to loving one another. We pray.

For all prayer requests received by our church, for our families, and those we love.

Loving God, hear our prayers and bring each one of us and all our concerns to the fulfillment your love intends. We pray through Jesus, our brother. Amen.

05/02/2026

PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL
May 3, 2026
By Denise Johnston

One of the duties of the faithful is to pray for the world. Let us remember all those who most need our prayers.

In the first reading the Twelve called the community of disciples together. "It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. … The word of God continued to spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly…” Aren’t we all called to be disciples? Aren’t we all called to serve at God’s table? Aren’t we all called to share the word of God? Can’t we do this by how we live our lives? By living out the Gospel message? By living with open hearts, open minds, open arms? By following the teachings of Jesus? May we always live a life led by God’s love, may we always serve at God’s table, may we always serve others, may we always serve with love. We pray.

We hear from Peter in the second reading, “Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God,…” Jesus, our living stone. Rejected and condemned in his time. Executed, crucified. Sometimes, aren’t the followers of Jesus rejected too? Condemned for following the Gospel teachings? Can’t we be living stones? Building God’s kin-dom, here and now? Can’t we build with truth and honesty? With integrity and morals? With acceptance and understanding? With caring and love? May we, stone by stone, help build the kin-dom, with compassion, with mercy, with love, day by day. We pray.

In the Gospel story we hear Jesus tell his disciples,"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.” Thomas then questioned Jesus who answered him, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” Have faith. Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Isn’t that easier said than done sometimes? How can our hearts not be troubled when there is so much suffering today? From war? From poverty? From discrimination? From blatant cruelty perpetrated on the most vulnerable? When our hearts are heavy, troubled by the world’s evils, isn’t it hard to have faith? Yet, isn’t that when we need it most? May we always find our faith, may it light the darkness, may it lift up our troubled hearts, may it help show us Jesus, the way, the truth, and the life. We pray.

For all prayer requests received by our church, for our families, those we love.

Loving God, bring each one of us and all our concerns to the fulfillment your love intends. Amen.

04/26/2026

PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL
April 26, 2026
By Denise Johnston

one of the duties of the faithful is to pray for the world. Let us remember all those who most need our prayers.

In the first reading we hear Peter tell the crowds, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus the Christ for the forgiveness of turning from God; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” The gift of the Holy Spirit. That’s pretty powerful, isn’t it? How do we receive that gift? How do we use it? Do we let the Spirit guide us as we travel down the path of life? Do we let the Spirit guide us into uncomfortable areas that challenge us? Into living a faith that does justice? A faith that lives out the Gospel message? May the Spirit give strength to sustain us, courage for our convictions, passion in our purpose; may the Spirit guide us to being the best we can be. We pray.

Peter continues teaching in the second reading, “If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this is a grace before God. For to this you have been called, because the Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps.” Suffer for doing what is good. Follow in Christ’s footsteps. Don’t we need to faithfully follow in Christ’s footsteps? Don’t we need to know that sometimes we will suffer for doing good? Don’t we need to do good anyway? To walk in the way of Jesus? Didn’t he show us the way? If Jesus were alive today, wouldn’t he speak truth to power? Wouldn’t he seek justice for the immigrant? Wouldn’t he seek peace and condemn war? Wouldn’t he call out corruption and lies? Wouldn’t he be crucified, again, by those in power? May we follow in the footsteps of Jesus, striving to do good, despite what it might cost us; may we walk in the way of Jesus, taking one step at a time, letting his love, his grace, guide us. We pray.

The Gospel story of the Good Shepherd. “Jesus said again, ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep…I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.’" Gate for the sheep. A guardian. A good shepherd. Protecting. Guiding. Isn’t Jesus always there with us, accompanying us on our life’s journey? Where does Jesus lead us? How often do we go astray? Doesn’t Jesus help us find our way back through our faith? May we recognize Jesus as our Good Shepherd, may we recognize when others guide us, like a good shepherd, helping us to find our way; may we let Jesus lead us to having life in him, to having life more abundantly. We pray.

For all prayer requests received by our church, for our families, those we love. Loving God, hear our prayers and bring each one of us and all our concerns to the fulfillment your love intends. Amen.

St. Michael's Independent Catholic Church

05/30/2026

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