SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ JANUARY 19, 2024
WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY 2024: In the Northern Hemisphere beginning today, Thursday, January 18, 2024 and ends Thursday, January 25, 2024. Link for prayers for the entire week below.
PRAY TO PROTECT HUMAN LIFE! 9 DAYS FOR LIFE NOVENA: JANUARY 19-27, 2024
Link for 9 Days for Life Novena below.
Greetings beloved family and Happy Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time!
Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary” on January 19., 2024 on EWTN |
Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | January 19, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | January 19, 2024 |
Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | January 19, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | January 19, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteries VIRTUALš¹JOYFULš¹LUMINOUSš¹SORROWFULš¹GLORIOUS” on YouTube |
Today’s Bible Readings: Friday, January 19, 2024
Reading 1,Ā First Samuel 24:3-21
Responsorial Psalm,Ā Psalms 57:2, 3-4, 6, 11
Gospel,Ā Mark 3:13-19
PRAY TO PROTECT HUMAN LIFE! 9 DAYS FOR LIFE NOVENA: JANUARY 19-27, 2024
9 Days for LifeĀ is a novena for the protection of human life. Each dayās intention is accompanied by a short reflection and suggested actions to help build a culture of life. Link for 9 Days for Life: January 19-27, 2024: https://www.respectlife.org/9-days-for-life
WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY 2024: In the Northern Hemisphere, Thursday, January 18, 2024 and ends Thursday, January 25, 2024
Today is day two of the week of prayer for Christian Unity, which is celebrated around the world from January 18th – 25th. As we begin this year’s week of prayer for Christian Unity with focus on Christians in the Northern Hemisphere, we join our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world in praying for peace, love, justice and unity in our divided and conflicted world so we can better build God’s Kingdom here on earth. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, look down with pity upon us and keep us all united in love and faith, so that we may all be truly one in Christā¦Amenš
The theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2024: “You shall love the Lord your Godā¦ and your neighbor as yourself” ~ Luke 10:27
WPCU 2024 Daily Readings: Link for prayers for the entire week: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2024 | USCCB | https://www.usccb.org/committees/ecumenical-interreligious-affairs/week-prayer-christian-unity-2024
The theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2024 was selected by the Pontifical Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, the World Council of Churches, and the Christian Churches in Burkina Faso, coordinated by the community of Chemin Neuf, a French Catholic and ecumenical community of vowed and lay people and its local community in Burkina Faso.
The theme, taken from the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke, reflects the connection between love of God and love of neighbor with a particular concern for challenging the boundaries of who is considered “neighbor”. In this pericope, Jesus is questioned as to the path to eternal life. His answer is not to only observe the commandments, but to also imitate the love of God in the giving of self for another. It is a call for charity, mercy, justice, and unity.
DAY 2: “HE ANSWERED ā¦”
He answered, āYou shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.ā (Lk 10:27)
SCRIPTURE READINGS:
Deuteronomy 10:12-13
Psalm 133
MEDITATION: The answer the lawyer gives to Jesus may seem simple, drawn from the well-known commandments of God. However, to love God in this way and our neighbors as ourselves can often be difficult. Godās commandment to love him requires deep commitment and means abandoning ourselves entirely, offering our hearts and minds to serve Godās will. We can ask for the grace to follow Christās example, he who offered himself up completely and said, āNot my will but yours be done.āĀ (Lk 22:42). He also manifested his great love to all, including his enemies. We do not get to choose our neighbors. Loving them means being attentive to their needs, accepting their imperfections and encouraging their hopes and aspirations. The same attitude is needed on the path of Christian unity, with regard to one anotherās different traditions.
PRAYER: Lord, give us the grace to know you more deeply, in order to love you with all of our being. Grant us a pure heart, to love our neighbors as ourselves. May the gift of your Holy Spirit enable us to see your presence in our sisters and brothers, that we may love each other with the same unconditional love with which you love us. Through Christ our Lord. Amen š
DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF JANUARY – MONTH OF THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS: The month of January is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. After the Blessed Virgin Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit, the Angel Gabriel appeared to St. Joseph and told him that the Childās name should be called Jesus, meaning āGod Saves.ā According to Jewish law, on the 8th day after his birth a male child was to be circumcised, receive his name, and become a full member of Godās covenant people. According to the old Roman liturgical calendar, the Feast of the Circumcision of Jesus was celebrated on January 1st, eight days after Christmas, the same day that He was given His sacred name. Currently we celebrate the SolemnityĀ of the Mother of God on January 1st and honor the Holy Name of Jesus on January 3rd. For Catholics, Jesusā sacred name is the object of a special devotion symbolized by the monogram āIHS,ā (sometimes called a Christogram), which is the first three letters of the GreekĀ spelling of His name.
On this feast day, as we continue the week of prayer for Christian Unity, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we particularly pray for the sick and dying and we continue to remember our beloved late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on the first memorial anniversary of his death. We pray for the repose of his gentle soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May the gentle soul of Pope Benedict XVI and souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christā¦ Amen š āļøšÆāļøšÆāļøšÆ
Please let us continue to pray for peace all over the world, particularly in the Middle East, for an end to the current war in Israel-Palestine, and the Ukraine-Russia conflicts and for peace in our families and throughout our divided and conflicted World. Amen š
PRAYER FOR THE DEAD: In your hands, O Lord, we humbly entrust our brothers and sisters. In this life, you embraced them with your tender love; deliver them now from every evil, and bid them eternal rest. The old order has passed away: welcome them into paradise, where there will be no sorrow, no weeping or pain, but fullness of peace and joy with your Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amenš
A PRAYER FOR PEACE: Lord Jesus Christ, You are the true King of peace. In You alone is found freedom. Please free our world from conflict. Bring unity to troubled nations. Let Your glorious peace reign in every heart. Dispel all darkness and evil. Protect the dignity of every human life. Replace hatred with Your love. Give wisdom to world leaders. Free them from selfish ambition. Eliminate all violence and war. Glorious Virgin Mary, Saint Michael the Archangel, Every Angel and Saint: Please pray for peace. Pray for unity amongst nations. Pray for unity amongst all people. Pray for the most vulnerable. Pray for those suffering. Pray for the fearful. Pray for those most in need. Pray for us all. Jesus, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us. Jesus, hear our prayers. Jesus, I trust in You! Amen š
Prayers for Peace | https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/prayers-for-peace/
SAINTS OF THE DAY: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Canute IV, King of Denmark, Martyr; Saint Henry of Uppsala, Bishop and Martyr and Saints Marius, Martha, Audifax, and Abachum, Martyrs.
SAINT CANUTE IV OF DENMARK, KING AND MARTYR: St. Canute (1042 ā 1086 A.D.), also known as Canutus or Canute the Holy, was one of thirteen sons born to the king of Denmark. St. Canute later succeeded his brother to the throne and reigned as king from 1080 to 1086. Saint Canute, King of Denmark, was endowed with excellent qualities of both mind and body. He was a devout Catholic, a zealous propagator of the faith, and a brave warrior, in addition to being a man of prayer, penance, austerity, and charity towards the poor and weak among his people. The happiness of his people and the interests of the Church were his motivation, often putting him in opposition to the aristocracy. He fought against the barbarian nations and worked to strengthen the power of the monarchy, but some of his laws were unpopular and caused unrest among the people. Canute sought to expand Denmak’s territory and believed he had a claim to the English throne. After having provided for the peace and safety of his country, he married Eltha, daughter of Robert, Earl of Flanders, who proved herself a spouse worthy of him. They are the parents of Blessed Charles, Count of Amiens and Flanders, a martyr for his faith, brutally slain like his father, while in prayer.
In 1085 he gathered his fleet and planned an invasion of England to overthrow William the Conquerer, a plan which was never realized. Instead, a revolt broke out against St. Canute, causing him to take refuge inside St. Alban’s Priory in Odense, a monastery which he had founded. Perceiving his danger, he confessed his sins at the foot of the altar and received Holy Communion. Stretching out his arms before the altar, the Saint fervently recommended his soul to his Creator; in this posture he was struck down on his knees by the enemies of his Christian reign. St. Canute, his brother, Prince Olaf, and seventeen of his men – the entire royal party were assassinated by rebels in front of the altar. St. Canute was buried in St. Alban’s, renamed c. 1300 St. Canute’s Cathedral. He was named a martyr for the faith and miracles were recorded at his tomb, and, at the request (1099) of King Erik III Evergood of Denmark, he was canonized in the year 1101 by Pope Paschal II, the first Danish saint. St. Canute is the Patron Saint of Zeeland, Denmark.
Saint Canute IV of Denmark, King and Martyr ~ Pray for us š
SAINTS MARIUS; MARTHA; AUDIFAX AND ABACHUM, MARTYRS: Saints Marius, Martha, Audifax, and Abachum (died 270) were, according to their largely legendary passio of the 6th century, four saints of the same family (a married couple and their two sons). They came from Persia to Rome, and were martyred in 270 for sympathizing with Christian martyrs and burying their bodies. Marius, a Persian nobleman, his wife Martha, and his sons Audifax and Abachum came to believe in Christ and became Christians. In imitation of the early Christians of Jerusalem, they gladly gave away their fortune to the poor. Then the family traveled to Rome during the reign of Emperor Claudius II (268-270) to venerate the tombs of the Apostles and lend their aid to the persecuted Christians. They visited the Christians in prison, encouraged them by word and deed, and shared with them their goods. And like Tobias of old, they buried the bodies of the saints and among other things, they gathered the ashes of the Martyrs and buried them with respect.
It was not long before they themselves were arrested; and when neither threats nor allurements could make them offer sacrifice to the idols, they were savagely flogged. Martha was the first to die, but not before she had fervently exhorted her husband and sons to endure steadfastly whatever tortures might be inflicted for the faith. Martha was drowned thirteen miles from Rome in a place known as Santa Ninfa. Marius and his sons were beheaded in the same place and their bodies thrown into the fire. Felicitas, a saintly Roman woman, succeeded in recovering the half-burnt bodies and buried them on her estate. The Roman Martyrology says this happened about the 4th century. These Saints are mentioned in all the western martyrologies.
PRAYER:Ā Lord, we devoutly recall the sufferings of Sts. Marius, Martha, Audifax, and Abachum. Give success to our joyful prayers and grant us also constancy in our Faith. Amenš
SAINT HENRY OF UPPSALA, BISHOP AND MARTYR: St. Henry also known as Henrik was born in 1100 in the Kingdom of England. St. Henry was an Englishman living in Rome. He accompanied the papal legate and fellow Englishman NicholasĀ CardinalĀ Breakspear (later Pope Adrian IV) to Scandinavia in 1151 and was consecratedĀ bishopĀ of Uppsala, Sweden, the next year by the cardinal. St. Henry accompanied KingĀ EricĀ ofĀ Sweden on his crusade to Finland, where he converted many pagans. However, remaining behind after the king had returned home to Sweden. St. Henry was murdered on January 20, 1156 by a Finnish convert named Lalli, on whom he had imposed aĀ penanceĀ for aĀ murderĀ he had committed. Reputedly, the murderer put on the bishop’sĀ birretum,Ā but when he tried to take it off his flesh adhered to it. This is noted as one of the saint’s outstanding miracles. The saint’s cult spread rapidly in Sweden and Finland, and with the growth of the bridgettine convents it was carried to the European continent. OneĀ historia rhythmica, Gaude cetus fidelium,Ā and oneĀ Sequence, Cetus noster,Ā are known. His epitaph may be found in Nousis, Finland, where his relics were kept, until they were translated in 1300 to the cathedral in Abo (Tartu). He was canonized in 1158. He is the national Patron Saint of Finland and one of the most popular saints of the Middle Ages, and of today.
St. Henry of Uppsala, Bishop and Martyr ~ Pray for us š
PRAYER INTENTIONS: We thank God for blessing us all with the gift of His precious son, may we be saved by the name of our Savior Jesus Christ! May the Lord grant us His grace as we continue to serve Him in spirit and in truth. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we continue to pray for all those who are sick and dying, especially sick children, those who are sick with the coronavirus, mental illness, stroke, heart diseases, and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. May God restore them to good health and grant them His Divine healing and intervention. May our Mother Mary comfort them, may the Angels and Saints watch over them and may the Holy Spirit guide them in peace and comfort during this challenging time. We pray for the safety and well-being of us all and our families, for those affected directly or indirectly, for all Healthcare workers and for an end to the coronavirus disease.. Amen. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for torture victims, the poor, the needy and the most vulnerable in our communities and around the world. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the souls of the faithful departed and for all widows and widowers. And we continue to pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Bishops, the Clergy and all those who preach the Gospel. We pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, for the Church, for persecuted christians, for all the innocent who suffer violence due to political or religious unrest, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the worldā¦ Amenš
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:
Bible Readings for today, Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB |
https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Gospel Reading ~ Mark 3:13-19
“Jesus summoned those whom He wanted and they came to Him”
“Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him. He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles, that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons: He appointed the Twelve: Simon, whom he named Peter; James, son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus; Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.”
Our Gospel reading today, details the account of the Lord calling and appointing His Apostles, the chief twelve among all of His disciples and followers. They were meant to be the leaders of the Lordās followers, and together with the other disciples and followers, they were to do the will of God, and carry out whatever mission that the Lord has entrusted to them. The Gospel reading says that Jesus chose those whom He wanted; He chose these twelve very deliberately. They were to receive intensive training and instruction so as to share in His ministry in a special way. Yet, by the end of Markās Gospel, everyone of this group had deserted Him, the first mentioned of the group, Simon Peter, had denied Him publicly, and the last mentioned, Judas Iscariot, had betrayed Him to His enemies. In spite of the fact that these twelve had spent more time in His company than others, listening to Him, seeing what He did, they failed Him when the cross came into view. They were not faithful to their calling. Although Jesus calls people, calls each one of us, He cannot force us to respond to His call. Although He has a purpose for our lives, He is helpless before our refusal to co-operate with His purpose for us. Yet, in the Gospel of Mark, the failure of the twelve was not the end of their relationship with Jesus. After he rose from the dead, He appeared to them in Galilee and renewed His relationship with them. The Lord may be helpless before our failure but He remains faithful to us in spite of our unfaithfulness to Him and He is always at work to bring some good out of our failures.
In our first reading today from the Book of the prophet Samuel, the story of King Saul and his successor King David continues. God chose David to be the one to replace and succeed Saul as King and ruler over all of His people because of Saulās disobedience and sin. Saul became deeply jealous and angry at David, and wanted to kill him so that he could eliminate this major threat to his rule and legitimacy. Yet, in doing so, Saul actually opened himself to even more temptations of the evil one and all the worldly attachments and temptations he had experienced, which led him to chase after David, and David had to flee from place to place with some of his supporters and friends. But God was with David, and He protected him for all the years and time he spent in exile and on the run from King Saul. Godās favour was on him, and in this particular occasion highlighted in our first reading today, David and his companions encountered King Saul and his troops, who were all sleeping soundly, likely by Godās intervention. Such an opportunity was likely very rare, and it presented the perfect opportunity for David to end all of his struggles and difficulties, and in one strike, he could have killed Saul and therefore claim the kingdom completely for himself. His companions were urging him to do exactly that, but David resisted the temptations, and told his companions that they must not touch Saul, for he was also Godās anointed one. Here we can see the great qualities and virtues that David had which made him to be truly worthy of the kingship as compared to Saul. While Saul was proud and arrogant, ambitious and disobedient, David was humble and committed to God, obeyed His Law and commandments, and he did not touch another person or harm him when he was vulnerable as we heard in our reading from the Book of Samuel today. Unlike Saul, who attempted on several occasions to harm and kill David in several separate occasions, out of jealousy and allowing himself to be tempted by Satan, David was humble and committed to God, and remembered His Law and commandments, while Saul had disobeyed them many times, especially with his desire to kill David, which is against Godās commandment, āYou shall not kill.ā David himself was not a perfect and blameless man, as he had his flaws and shortcomings just like all of us, but he tried his best to remain faithful and committed to God, and resisted the temptations of worldly glory and desire as best as he could. He repented from his sins and mistakes, and tried his best to do what God has told him to do. In this way, therefore, he showed us all what it means for us to be disciples and followers of Christ, as we all should be obedient to the will, Law and commandments of God in all the things we say and do, in our whole entire lives. As Christians, we should always strive to live our lives most worthily as those whom the Lord had called and chosen to be His own beloved people, to proclaim His truth to the nations.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are reminded of Godās calling for us to follow Him and His path, to do what is good and righteous, and in accordance with His Law and commandments. Each and every one of us as Christians should do what the Lord has shown and taught us, and also the examples set by His holy men and women, our holy predecessors, the saints and martyrs throughout time and history, and also like what King David of Israel had done in our Scripture reading today, in sparing the life of King Saul, his predecessor, who wanted to kill David out of jealousy and anger. All of us as Christians should always strive to do Godās will and to listen to Him speaking in our hearts and minds. We are all called to turn away from the path of sin, and resist the many temptations present all around us. We are all reminded to stay away from the path of wickedness and evil, from all sorts of greed and desires for worldly things, from our ambitions and ego, that we will not end up losing our way in this journey of life we have. Let us all do our best to help and remind one another so that we will continue to be faithful to the Lord despite all the trials and challenges, difficulties and hardships that we may have to endure in our path. We must be strengthened and inspired by following the good examples of the Lordās servants, His Saints, including those whom we celebrate today. May the Lord continue to bless us and guide us in our journey of faith so that we may continue to do our best in living our lives to the best of our abilities. May He empower each and every one of us, so that by our every actions, words and deeds, we will always be ever faithful and committed to the Lord, and our faith may truly be shown to all, and that through us and our works and efforts, more and more people may come to believe in God as well, like how King David, the Apostles and many other holy Saints of God had inspired us all. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and may He guide us and give us the courage and strength to persevere through the many challenges and trials that we may have to face in our journey as Christians, in each and every moments. Amenš
Let us pray:
My all-powerful Lord, I thank You for the grace You have given me to proclaim the truth of Your saving message to those whom I encounter every day. Help me to fulfill my mission to preach in both word and deed and to do so with the gentle yet powerful authority given me by You. I offer myself to Your service, dear Lord. Do with me as You will. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen š
Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Canute, King of Denmark, Saint Henry of Uppsala and Saints Marius, Martha, Audifax, and Abachum, Martyrs ~ Pray for usš
Thanking God for the gift of this new year and praying for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and our world and for God’s Divine Mercy and Grace upon us all as we begin this Ordinary Time. Wishing all of us a most blessed, safe, healthy, prosperous and grace-filled New Year and a relaxing weekend! Amenš
Blessings and love always, Philomenaš
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