FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ JANUARY 30, 2024
Greetings, beloved family and Happy Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time!
Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on January 30, 2024 on EWTN” |
Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | January 30, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | January 30, 2024 |
Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | January 30, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | January 30, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteries VIRTUALđšJOYFULđšLUMINOUSđšSORROWFULđšGLORIOUS” on YouTube |
Today’s Bible Readings: Tuesday, January 30, 2024
Reading 1, Second Samuel 18:9-10, 14, 24-25, 30-19:3
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
Gospel, Mark 5:21-43
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 Childâs name should be called Jesus, meaning âGod Saves.â 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 Godâs 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 Solemnity of the Mother of God on January 1st and honor the Holy Name of Jesus on January 3rd. For Catholics, Jesusâ sacred name is the object of a special devotion symbolized by the monogram âIHS,â (sometimes called a Christogram), which is the first three letters of the Greek spelling of His name.
On this special feast day, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we pray for the sick and dying. We especially pray for our loved ones who have recently died 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 Christ⌠Amen đ âď¸đŻâď¸đŻâď¸đŻ
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 đ
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. Amenđ
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 đ
Prayers for Peace | https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/prayers-for-peace/
SAINTS OF THE DAY: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Bathildis, Queen of France and Saint Martina of Rome, Virgin and Martyr and Saint Hyacintha of Mariscotti, Virgin.
SAINT BATHILDIS, QUEEN OF FRANCE: St Bathildis (c630-680) also known as Baldechilde, Baldhild, Bathild, Bathildes, Bathilde, Bauteur) was an an English girl of the 7th century captured by pirates and sold in 641 as a slave to the household of Erchinoald, mayor of the palace of Paris in Neustria under King Clovis II. Her unusual qualities of mind and her virtues inspired the confidence of her master who gave many of the affairs of the household into her charge and, after the death of his wife, wished to marry her. At this the young girl fled and did not return until Erchinoald had married again. About this time Clovis II met her at the house of the mayor of the palace, and was impressed by her beauty, grace and the good report he had of her.  He freed and married her, 649. This sudden elevation did not diminish the virtues of Bathildis but gave them a new lustre. Her humility, spirit of prayer and large-hearted generosity to the poor were particularly noticeable.
Seven years after their marriage Clovis II died, 656, leaving Bathildis with three sons, Clothaire, Childeric, and Thierry. An assembly of the leading nobles proclaimed Clothaire III, aged five, king under the regency of his mother, Bathildis. Aided by the authority and advice of Erchinoald and the saintly bishops, Eloi (Eligius) of Noyon, Ouen of Rouen, LeĂŠger of Autun, and Chrodebert of Paris, the queen was able to carry out useful reforms. She abolished the disgraceful trade in Christian slaves, and firmly repressed simony among the clergy. She also led the way in founding charitable and religious institutions, such as hospitals and monasteries. Through her generosity the Abbey of Corbey was founded for men, and the Abbey of Chelles near Paris for women. At about this date the famous Abbeys of Jumièges, Jouarre, and Luxeuil were established, most probably in large part through Bathildis’ generosity. Berthilde, the first Abbess of Chelles, who is honoured as a saint, came from Jouarre. The queen wished to renounce her position and enter the religious life, but her duties kept her at court. Erchinoald died in 659 and was succeeded by Ebroin. Notwithstanding the ambition of the new mayor of the palace, the queen was able to maintain her authority and to use it for the benefit of the kingdom. After her children were well established in their respective territories, Clotaire III assumed the throne, Childeric IV in Austrasia and Thierry in Burgundy, she returned to her wish for a secluded life and withdrew to her favourite Abbey of Chelles near Paris and led a life of prayer and self-denial.
On entering the abbey she laid down the insignia of royalty and desired to be the lowest in rank among the inmates. It was her pleasure to take her position after the novices and to serve the poor and infirm with her own hands. Prayer and manual toil occupied her time, nor did she wish any allusion made to the grandeur of her past position. In this manner she passed fifteen years of retirement. At the beginning of the year 680 she had a presentiment of the approach of death and made religious preparation for it. Before her own end, that of Radegonde occurred, a child whom she had held at the baptismal font and had trained in Christian virtue. St. Bathildis died on January 30, 680
She was buried in the Abbey of Chelles and was canonized by Pope Nicholas I.
PRAYER: God, you inspired St. Bathildis to strive for perfect charity and so attain Your Kingdom at the end of her pilgrimage on earth. Strengthen us through her intercession that we may advance rejoicing in the way of love. Amenđ
SAINT MARTINA OF ROME, VIRGIN AND MARTYR: St. Martina of Rome (d. 228 A.D.) was a Roman virgin, born to a noble Roman family and orphaned at a young age. She was zealous in the practice of her faith, remained a virgin, and, in preparation for the Christian persecutions sweeping the city, gave much of her inheritance to the poor, that she might be more free to hasten towards martyrdom, during the persecution which had recently begun.
She was martyred under Roman Emperor Alexander Severus. According to the accounts of her martyrdom, she was discovered praying in a church and was arrested by three Roman soldiers, officers of a search party, and commanded to follow them to a temple of Apollo. She cheerfully agreed, saying she would do so after praying for a short time and taking leave of her bishop. She was ordered to pay homage to the pagan gods, which she refused. She was then cruelly tortured over several days. She was raked with iron hooks and scourged, and when a bright light enveloped her, some of her torturers were converted like Saint Paul, to the Christian faith amid her fervent prayers. She was then taken to the temple of Diana to be forced to offer sacrifice, but at her presence the temple’s demon left with a scream. They next tried to throw her to a lion (it showed no interest in her) and to burn her alive, but she would not catch fire. Finally, she was beheaded. Her death occurred on January 1st during the fourth year of Alexander Severus.
Her relics were found in 1634, during the papacy of Urban VIII, near the Mamertine Prison, with those of several other martyrs. All were placed in a beautiful church dedicated to Saint Martina in the Roman Forum. Urban VIII spared no efforts in promoting her veneration; and through his solicitude the Office was enhanced with hymns for Matins and Lauds. In these we read that her soul rose to heaven, where she was seen afterwards upon a royal throne, while the Blessed sang praises to God.
REFLECTION: God calls His Saints to Him at every age; little children turn to Him with faith and love, strong men in their mature years, white-haired grandparents and servants of God in their golden age. And we find martyrs ready for every torment, at all epochs of life. What is important is to be ready and to desire the most important day of our life â that of our death.
PRAYER: Saint Martina of Rome, Pray for us. That we may be made worthy to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Amenđ
SAINT HYACINTHA OF MARISCOTTI, VIRGIN: St. Hyacintha born of a noble family near Viterbo (Italy,) Hyacintha entered a local convent of sisters who followed the Third Order Rule. However, she supplied herself with enough food, clothing and other goods to live a very comfortable life amid these sisters who had pledged to mortification. At one point in her time there, a serious illness required that Hyacinthaâs confessor bring Holy Communion to her room. Upon entering, he was scandalized to see how soft of a life she had provided for herself, so he advised her to live more humbly. After hearing this, Hyacintha then disposed of her fine clothes and special foods. She eventually became very penitential in food and clothing, and was ready to do the most humble work in the convent. She developed a special devotion to the sufferings of Christ and by her penances became an inspiration to the sisters in her convent. The people loved her so much that her veil had to be replaced multiple times due to people clipping off pieces of it to keep for themselves. She was canonized in 1807.
Saint Hyacintha of Mariscotti, Virgin ~ Pray for us đ
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 humbly pray for peace, love and unity in our families, our marriages and our divided and conflicted world. Every life is a gift. We continue to pray for all those who are sick and dying, especially sick children, those who mentally and physically ill, strokes, 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. We pray for an end to wars, political and religious unrest. 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 world⌠Amenđ
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:
Bible Readings for today, Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Gospel Reading ~ Mark 5:21-43
âIf I but touch His clothes, I shall be cured.â
“Little girl, I say to you, arise!”
“When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea. One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward. Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying, âMy daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live.â He went off with him and a large crowd followed him. There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse. She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. She said, âIf I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.â Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, âWho has touched my clothes?â But his disciples said to him, âYou see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, Who touched me?â And he looked around to see who had done it. The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. He said to her, âDaughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.â While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue officialâs house arrived and said, âYour daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?â Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, âDo not be afraid; just have faith.â He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, he caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. So he went in and said to them, âWhy this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.â And they ridiculed him. Then he put them all out. He took along the childâs father and mother and those who were with him and entered the room where the child was. He took the child by the hand and said to her, âTalitha koum,â which means, âLittle girl, I say to you, arise!â The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. At that they were utterly astounded. He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat.”
In today’s Gospel reading, two people approach Jesus for help. There is the story of Jesus healing the 12 year old daughter of Jairus and the story of the healing of the woman with haemorrhage or bleeding problem for 12 years. These two stories are interconnected. At the centre of the two stories are two adults who differ greatly from each one. Jairus was a synagogue official and, therefore, a person of reasonably high social status and probably well to do. The other person is a woman, whose name we are not given; she had a condition which excluded her from the synagogue and had become impoverished because of her illness. Here we have two people from opposite ends of the social and religious spectrum. Yet, they have something in common and that is their trusting faith in Jesus as the Lord and giver of life. Jairus fell at Jesusâ feet in a very public way; the woman came up behind Jesus and secretly touched his cloak. One didnât mind being noticed; the other didnât want to be noticed. They approach Jesus in very different ways but their faith is equally strong. Yet, it was the woman that Jesus challenged to be more public about her faith, with the question, âWho touched me?â The Lord looks to us to publicly witness to our trusting faith in Him. Our public witness is a support to the faith of others. Faith in the Lord can bring together people who otherwise might have very little else in common. The church, the community of believers, is very diverse. All of humanity is there. The gospel reading also suggests that the Lord wants to engage with each one of us in our uniqueness. He wants a personal relationship with each of us. That is why He wanted to meet the woman who touched the hem of His cloak. He needed to look into her eyes, to talk to her, to confirm her faith that led her to Him. The woman who wanted to be anonymous found herself addressed by Jesus as âmy daughterâ. The Lord calls each of us by name; He relates to us as the unique individual that we are. Jairus and his family had faith in the Lord even though his young daughter had passed away by the time the Lord reached his place. But the Lord raised the dead daughter of Jairus back into life because of his great faith in the Lord.
Our first reading today from the Book of the prophet Samuel, details the continuation of the story of the reign of King David, regarding the rebellion of Absalom, one of Davidâs own sons, whose ambitions and pride led him to rebel against his own father, and attempted to seize the kingdom for himself in an attempted coup. In todayâs reading, all this attempted coup was ultimately a failure because God was with David, while Absalom depended solely on his might and the means of the world to sustain himself. Absalom was proud and ambitious, and he sought to gain power for himself, by winning over the people and the members of the elite, and his confidence led him to his downfall and undoing. According to the first reading, at the Battle of Ephraimâs Wood, Absalomâs forces was routed and defeated by those who were loyal to David. Absalom himself was caught up amidst the trees while he was fleeing, and Joab, Davidâs army commander killed Absalom there where the latter had been trapped. Then, when the news of Absalomâs death was relayed to David, the King was beset with a great grief, and proclaimed great sorrow and mourning for Absalom. Absalom might have indeed betrayed his father, and committed a great treason and sin, but ultimately, to David, Absalom was still his son, someone whom he loved and cared for. It would not be too far to think that had Absalom survived, Absalom might have been forgiven by David. The grief of David in the first reading is very moving. Even though his son Absalom had led a rebellion against his father, he was still Davidâs son and on hearing the news of Absalomâs death David grieved bitter tears, as any father would for a son, even a rebellious son. What is significant about this turn of events is that, it actually shows us all the same kind of love and interaction which God has shown to us, His beloved ones, the ones whom He has cared for as His own beloved people and children. God has always been loving and kind towards us, and He has always desired to show His mercy and forgiveness towards us. We may have committed a lot of wicked deeds and evils in our lives, but we are still beloved by God, and while He indeed despises our sins and wickedness, but this does not change the fact that He loves each and every one of us. This was just like how David loved Absalom despite what Absalom had done to him. This reminds us all of Godâs love and mercy, and how we should respond to Him.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded of the great love which the Lord, our loving God has for each one of us, and how He wants us all to be healed from our afflictions and hardships, the challenges and trials, all the obstacles which may come in between us and Him. All of us are reminded that God has always been kind and loving towards us, regardless of the wickedness, evils and rebelliousness of our lives and actions, which have kept many of us away from the path of the Lord, for all these time. However, too many of us are too proud and besotted by sin and evil, that we fail to realise this love and compassionate mercy which God has for all of us. Let us all therefore spend some time to reflect upon our lives and see in what way that we can be better disciples and followers of the Lord, so that in all things we will grow ever stronger in faith, and that we will continue to be empowered, strengthened and encouraged to walk in the path of righteousness and virtue, in turning away from our sins, the wickedness and temptations of the world, which are easily found all around us. We must always be vigilant and careful lest those temptations and pressures bring us to our downfall and destruction. Let us all put our faith and trust always in the Lord from now on, and let us all continue to do His will and works at all times. May our good Lord be with us all, and may He guide and empower us all in all the things we say and do, in our every good efforts and works, in all of our endeavours for the greater glory of God. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace to love our fellow brothers and sisters unconditionally, by caring for everyone we encounter in life regardless who they are. May God be with us always, now and forevermore. Amenđ
Let us pray
My compassionate Lord, You consoled this grieving father and instilled within him the gifts of faith and hope. Please also speak your command of love to me, calling me to trust in You no matter what I struggle with in life. May I always have faith in You and never fall into despair or fear. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amenđ
Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Bathildis, Queen of France and Saint Martina of Rome and Saint Hyacintha of Mariscotti, Virgin ~ Pray for us đ
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 during this Ordinary Time. Wishing all of us a most blessed, safe, healthy, prosperous and grace-filled New Year. Have a blessed, safe and fruitful week ~ Amenđ
Blessings and Love always, Philomena đ
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