MEMORIAL OF SAINT PAUL MIKI AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS AND SAINT DORATHY, VIRGIN AND MARTYR

FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ FEBRUARY 6, 2024

NOVENA IN HONOR OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES [Novena Starts: February 2nd; Feastday: February 11th ~ Novena prayer below]

Greetings beloved family and Happy Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time!

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on February 6, 2024 on EWTN” |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | February 6, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | February 6, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | February 6, 2024 |

Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | February 6, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteries VIRTUAL🌹JOYFUL🌹LUMINOUS🌹SORROWFUL🌹GLORIOUS” on YouTube |

Today’s Bible Readings: Tuesday, February 6, 2024
Reading 1, First Kings 8:22-23, 27-30
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 84:3, 4, 5, 10, 11
Gospel, Mark 7:1-13

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY: MONTH OF THE PASSION OF OUR LORD: The month of February is traditionally dedicated to the Passion of Our Lord in anticipation of the liturgical season of Lent. In this month, we begin to meditate on the mystery of Jesus’ sufferings which culminated in his death on the Cross for the redemption of mankind. Saints who had a special devotion to Christ’s passion include St. Francis of Assisi, who was the first known Saint to receive the stigmata; St. John of the Cross; St. Bridget of Sweden; and St. Catherine of Siena.

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 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

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 🙏

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. Amen🙏

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 🙏

Prayers for Peace | https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/prayers-for-peace/

NOVENA IN HONOR OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES [Novena Starts: February 2nd; Feastday: February 11th]

NOVENA PRAYER: Most Holy Mother Mary, at Lourdes you asked us to do penance and to pray for the conversion of sinners. Obtain for each of us the grace of true repentance. Help those for whom we pray, and especially those who most need God’s mercy. Your Divine Son so loves every soul that He gave His life to pay the price for our redemption. Help us to return His love by making the sacrifices needed to keep his commandments. Most Holy Mother you offered your Divine Son to the Eternal Father when you presented Him in the temple; offer us to the Father as your other children; watch over us and guide us. Blessed Mother, obtain for me the grace I most need, and especially these favors that I ask in this Novena, if they be in keeping with God’s will. Amen.
O Immaculate Virgin Mary, preserved from the slightest stain of sin, and enriched with all the treasures of divine grace, I thank you for the many blessings I have received through your most powerful intercession. You know my needs, my trials, my sufferings. Mother of mercy, I beseech you to hear my prayer, and to obtain for me of your Divine Son the favors I seek in this Novena. (Here make your requests.)

THE MEMORARE: Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of Virgins, my Mother; to thee I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful; O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen🙏(Add your daily Rosary)

Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes Link | https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/novena-to-our-lady-of-lourdes-297

Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs and Saint Dorothy, Virgin and Martyr. 

SAINT PAUL MIKI AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS: St. Paul Miki, a Japanese Jesuit, and his twenty-five companions were martyred in Nagasaki, Japan. They were the first martyrs of East Asia to be canonized. They were killed simultaneously by being raised on crosses and then stabbed with spears. Their executioners were astounded upon seeing their joy at being associated to the Passion of Christ. St. Paul Miki (1562–1597) and his twenty-five companions, known as the Martyrs of Nagasaki, were crucified for the faith in Nagasaki, Japan, in 1597. A Japanese layman of great nobility and wealth, St. Paul was converted to Christianity by St. Francis Xavier. Although the Christian missionaries did not meet with opposition initially, the Japanese rulers eventually launched a brutal campaign to wipe out its progress. The twenty-six men were forced to march 600 miles to meet their death, crucified on a hill, now known as the Holy Mountain, overlooking Nagasaki. The group included Franciscan and Jesuit missionaries and Japanese converts. They were repeatedly offered freedom if they would renounce Christianity; they all declined. When the march ended the martyrs were tied to crosses. They prayed and sang while Paul Miki preached the Gospel in a loud voice. The martyrs were then stabbed to death while they hung on their crosses. Among those martyred were three Japanese Jesuits: Paul Miki, John Goto, James Kisai; six Franciscans, four of whom were Spanish: Peter Baptist, Martin de Aguirre, Francis Blanco, Francis-of-St.-Michael; one Mexican: Philip de las Casas; and one Indian: Gonsalo Garcia; the other seventeen were Japanese: lay people including a soldier, physicians, and altar boys, catechists, simple artisans and servants, old men and innocent children—all united in a common faith and love for Jesus and his church. All were pierced with a lance like their Savior.

St. Paul Miki, a Jesuit and a native of Japan, has become the best known among the martyrs of Japan. While hanging upon a cross St. Paul Miki preached to the people gathered for the execution: “The sentence of judgment says these men came to Japan from the Philippines, but I did not come from any other country. I am a true Japanese. The only reason for my being killed is that I have taught the doctrine of Christ. I certainly did teach the doctrine of Christ. I thank God it is for this reason I die. I believe that I am telling only the truth before I die. I know you believe me and I want to say to you all once again: Ask Christ to help you to become happy. I obey Christ. After Christ’s example I forgive my persecutors. I do not hate them. I ask God to have pity on all, and I hope my blood will fall on my fellow men as a fruitful rain.” The crowd who witnessed the testimony of St. Paul Miki and his companions would immortalize his words and use them to further spread Christianity in Japan. When missionaries returned to Japan in the 1860s, at first they found no trace of Christianity. But after establishing themselves they found that thousands of Christians lived around Nagasaki and that they had secretly preserved the faith. Beatified in 1627, the martyrs of Japan were finally canonized in 1862 by Pope Pius IX. With their canonization they became the protomartyrs of the whole Far East. Their collective feast day is February 6th.

PRAYER: O God, strength of all the Saints, who through the Cross were pleased to call the Martyrs Saint Paul Miki and companions to life, grant, we pray, that by their intercession we may hold with courage even until death to the faith that we profess. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever ~ Amen🙏

SAINT DOROTHY, VIRGIN AND MARTYR: St. Dorothy, (meaning the gift of God), also known as Dorothea or Dora, a young virgin from Caesarea in Cappadocia (now Turkey), born in 279 AD. St. Dorothy lost her parents as martyrs in the reign of the Diocletian prosecution. She was known for her strong virtues and angelic nature. The Governor of Caesarena sentenced the holy child away, planning to break her faith and steer her away from her strong beliefs. Roman soldiers captured her and treated her cruelly. She was placed on a rack and offered marriage, if she gave into sacrifice, and death if she refused. She claimed the Lord was her only spouse and she would choose death. Two women who had fallen away from their faith were placed in charge of Dorothy. The fierce fire of faith in her own heart repaired their faith and she led them back to Christ. She was sent back to the rack, and as she was being terribly tortured, the Governor was taken aback by the look of serenity and heavenly bliss she wore on her beautiful face. He asked her why she was so peaceful, and she told him “Because I have brought back two souls to Christ, and because I shall soon be in heaven rejoicing with the angels.” Her joy grew as she was pounded in the face and her sides burned with plates of red-hot iron. “Blessed be Thou,” she cried, when she was sentenced to be beheaded because she would not marry or worship idols, – “blessed be Thou, O Thou Lover of souls! Who dost call me to Paradise, and invitest me to Thy nuptial chamber.”

On her way to be executed, a lawyer who had a history of persecuting Christians, named Theophilus, called out to her and mocked her. He challenged her to send him apples and roses from the garden of her “Spouse”. Dorothy promised to grant his request, and she continued on her road to death. She died in 311 AD, Kayseri, Turkey. Just before she died, a child appeared holding three apples and three roses. St. Dorothy told him to bring them to the lawyer. St. Dorothy ascended to heaven, and when Theophilus saw how beautiful the fruit and flowers were, he knew they couldn’t have been grown on this earth, and stopped rejoicing in the Saint’s death. He then saw Christ in this angel child, received the gifts and cried out: “Truly indeed, Christ is God.” He was converted to Catholicism and soon he too died a martyr’s death for publicly confessing the faith. The shrine of St. Dorothy is in Rome. She’s the Patron Saint of: Brewers; brides; florists; gardeners; midwives; newlyweds.

PRAYER: Lord God, Saint Dorothy always pleased You by her chastity and in the end her martyrdom. May she obtain for us merciful pardon for our sins. Amen🙏

PRAYER INTENTIONS: We thank God for blessing us all with the gift of His precious son, may we be saved by the ame 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 torture victims, the poor, the needy and the most vulnerable in our communities and around the world. 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. We pray for all those who are sick, we particularly pray for sick children, the mentally and physically ill, strokes, heart diseases, and those suffering from breast cancer and other cancers and 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. We pray for peace, love and unity in our families, our marriages and our divided and conflicted world. For God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the gentle 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 their gentle souls through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen. 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. Please let us continue to pray for peace in our families and throughout our divided and conflicted World. Amen🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:

Bible Readings for today, Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ Mark 7:1-13

“You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition”

“When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. (For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, keeping the tradition of the elders. And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without purifying themselves. And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed, the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds.) So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?” He responded, “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts. You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” He went on to say, “How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition! For Moses said, Honor your father and your mother, and Whoever curses father or mother shall die. Yet you say, ‘If someone says to father or mother, “Any support you might have had from me is qorban”’ (meaning, dedicated to God), you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother. You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many such things.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus criticizes the religious experts of the time for giving more importance to their own religious tradition than to the word of God. He says, ‘you put aside the commandment of God to cling to human tradition’. He is saying that they are not getting their priorities right. Jesus makes a distinction between the commandment of God, the word of God, and human tradition. We all have traditions of one kind or another; we have traditional ways of doing things. The church too has its traditional ways of doing things. Today’s Gospel reminds us that the word of God must take priority over all human traditions, including religious traditions. The purpose of tradition should be to give expression to the word of God, to allow that word to take root in our own particular age and culture. It can happen that traditions that once served that purpose in the past may cease to do so in the present. When that happens we have to allow the word of God to purify the traditions that have ceased to serve that word. We have to keep returning to the word of God, which is in fact the church’s most ancient and authoritative tradition. The word of God remains alive and active throughout time; it works to peel away what is no longer serving the Lord in our own personal lives and in the life of our communities and institutions.

In our first reading today from the Book of Kings of Israel and Judah, the King of Israel, the great and renowned King Solomon, dedicated the Temple that he had prepared and built for the Lord. The King prayed on behalf of the whole people, offering their prayers and thanksgiving to the Lord, before the Holy Presence of God present on the Ark of the Covenant. The King thanked and praised the Lord for all the wonders and great things which He had done on behalf and for the sake of all the people, and praised Him for the Covenant which He had made and constantly renewed with all of the people dearly beloved to Him, and showed the humility of the people upon God’s willingness to dwell among them in the humble House which the King had prepared and built for Him. That House, the Temple of God in Jerusalem, also known popularly as Solomon’s Temple, was far from simple or small, as it was well-known throughout history as a great marvel of mankind’s works, as a grand House and Temple that was built for the purpose of Divine worship. What King Solomon meant was that, no matter how glorious or grand the Temple of Jerusalem might have been, but there is truly no place could have been worthy enough to contain the Lord, the Master of all the whole Universe, the King of Kings and Almighty God, He Who is almighty and all-powerful. But yet, God willingly came down to us, to dwell in our midst, and He wanted to show His people that He truly loved them all, reaching out to them and gathering all of them back to His loving Presence. But in time, the people’s love and obedience for the Lord became merely a formality, and they did not love Him wholeheartedly anymore. Although King Solomon had been faithful to the Lord during the early years and period of his reign like David his father before him, but in the later part of his reign, he likely became corrupted by power and worldly glory, and he ended up being easily swayed by his many wives and concubines, who caused him to disobey God and to sin against Him, in doing what the Lord had forbidden, by raising altars and idols to the pagan gods to satisfy the needs of those wives and concubines, and this was when political and worldly desires trumped the need for one to be truly faithful and committed to the Lord. The later kings of Israel and Judah after Solomon also often did the same things, in disobeying the Lord and not being truly and wholly committed to Him, and thus leading the people into the path of sin and evil.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all called to remember the obligations and the focus that all of us should have in the Lord as Christians, that is as those who have believed in the Lord and accepted Him as our God and Saviour. Each and every one of us have been entrusted by the Lord with the Law and commandments which He has taught and shown to us. However, we cannot just be blind followers or merely paying lip service to the Lord through those Law, commandments and obligations. Instead, we must be truly genuine in obeying God, in our wholehearted commitment to follow Him and to do His will, and we must always be filled with love for Him, in committing ourselves wholly to the path that He has led us all into. We are called follow the lives of the Saints, especially those we celebrate today. The perseverance and faith of St. Paul Miki and his faithful companions in martyrdom, the Twenty-Six Holy Martyrs of Japan, all of these have shown us all what it truly means to be Christians, to be full of love and commitment to God, and as they laid crucified on a hill in Nagasaki, their place of martyrdom, pierced by lances in mockery of the Lord’s Crucifixion, they never gave up on their faith and continued to keep their faith in the Lord to the very end, despite having many opportunities to recant their faith and live. They showed their ultimate commitment and love for the Lord, and therefore gained the promise of eternal glory and true happiness in Heaven with God. This is what we are all reminded of today, so that in our own lives, we may also strive to follow the great examples of our holy and faithful predecessors, the Twenty-Six Holy Martyrs of Japan. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace to realise our calling and mission in life as Christians, as those whom God has called and chosen, to be the ones to carry out His will and to be the witnesses of His truth and love to all the people. May we follow in the footsteps of our courageous and faithful predecessors, those who have dedicated themselves and their lives to serve the Lord, to follow Him and to do their best for the greater glory of God. May the Lord, our most loving God and Father, Who has always loved us and cared for us, continue to guide and strengthen us in our journey of faith through life. May the intercession of the Holy Martyrs of Japan be with us always. St. Paul Miki and Companions, Holy Martyrs of Japan, pray for us! Amen🙏

Let us pray:

My divine Lord, You and You alone are worthy of all worship, adoration and praise. You and You alone deserve the worship I offer You from the depths of my heart. Help me and Your entire Church to always interiorize our exterior acts of worship so as to give You the glory that is due Your holy name. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Paul and his Companions and Saint Dorothy ~ Pray for us🙏

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 during this Ordinary Time. Have a blessed, safe, and fruitful week. May God keep us all safe and well ~ Amen🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖