FIRST WEEK OF LENT
SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ FEBRUARY 20, 2024
Greetings beloved family and Happy Tuesday of the First Week of Lent! May God’s grace and mercy be with us all as we embark on this journey of the Lenten seasonš
Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on February 20, 2024 on EWTN” |
Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | February 20, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | February 20, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | February 20, 2024 |
Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | February 20, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteries VIRTUALš¹JOYFULš¹LUMINOUSš¹SORROWFULš¹GLORIOUS” on YouTube |
Today’s Bible Readings: Tuesday, February 20, 2024
Reading 1,Ā Isaiah 55:10-11
Responsorial Psalm,Ā Psalms 34:4-5, 6-7, 16-17, 18-19
Gospel,Ā Matthew 6:7-15
40 Days in the Desert. A Lenten journey with our Lord | Day Six: Solitude | Tuesday of the First Week of Lent | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-in-the-desert-a-lenten-journey-with-our-lord/day-six-solitude/
40 Days at the foot of the Cross. A Gaze of Love from the Heart of our Blessed Mother Mary | Day Six ā A Leap of Joy Remembered | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-at-the-foot-of-the-cross/day-six-a-leap-of-joy-remembered/
A PRAYER TO WALK HUMBLY THROUGH LENT: Father, InĀ Micah 6:8, You say, āO people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.ā Today we choose to walk humbly with You. We choose to live by YourĀ Holy SpiritĀ and to follow Your lead. Help us to hear You clearly, for we do not want to walk by pride or self-sufficiency, we want to walk with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen š
God of goodness and mercy, hear my prayer as I begin this Lenten journey with you. Let me be honest with myself as I look into my heart and soul, noticing the times I turn away from you. Guide me as I humbly seek to repent and return to your love. May humility guide my efforts to be reconciled with you and live forever in your abundant grace. Transform me this Lent, heavenly Father. Give me the strength to commit myself to grow closer to you each day. Amenš
LENTEN FAST AND ABSTINENCE (Lenten Fast and Abstinence regulations from the USCCB): Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence.
For members of the Latin Catholic Church, the norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon members of the Latin Catholic Church from age 14 onwards
Members of the Eastern Catholic Churches are to observe the particular law of their own sui iuris Church. If possible, the fast on Good Friday is continued until the Easter Vigil (on Holy Saturday night) as the āpaschal fastā to honor the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus, and to prepare ourselves to share more fully and to celebrate more readily His Resurrection.
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, as we continue our Lenten journey, 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 Christā¦ Amen š āļøšÆāļøšÆāļøšÆ
During this season of Lent, please let us all 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 ofĀ Saints Jacinta and Francisco Marto (Patron Saint of Bodily ills; Portuguese children; Captives; People ridiculed for their piety; Prisoners; Against sickness) and Saint Eucherius of Orleans, Bishop. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints, we humbly pray for the sick, we particularly pray for those who are sick with cancer and otherĀ terminal diseases and those suffering from the coronavirus disease. We also pray for peace, love and unity in our families and the world. Amenš
SAINTS JACINTA AND FRANCISCO MARTO: St. Francisco (1908-1919) and St. Jacinta Marto (1910ā1920) were siblings and the youngest of the three shepherd children, who, along with their cousin, LĆŗcia Santos, witnessed three apparitions of an angel in 1916 and six apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1917 while tending sheep in the countryside of Fatima, Portugal. The apparitions of our Blessed Mother Mary is now commonly known as Our Lady of Fatima. Jacinta and Francisco were entrusted by Our Lady of Fatima with many messages and warnings for the world, and that they were to do penance and pray for the conversion of sinners. During the first apparition, which took place May 13, 1917, Our Lady asked the three children to say the Rosary and to make sacrifices, offering them for the conversion of sinners. Both became prayerful mystics, much wiser than their age, on account of these visits. Although only young children, they faithfully offered up many sacrifices as Our Lady requested, by praying the rosary daily, giving their lunches to the poor and going without food themselves, denying themselves water on hot days, wearing a rough rope next to her skin, calmly facing ridicule on account of the apparitions, they offered up their daily crosses and bravely enduring the suffering that ended in their deaths. One time she said to her mother, āOh Mama ā¦ do you see Our Lady of the Cova da Iria?ā
In October 1918, Francisco and Jacinta became seriously ill with the Spanish influenza. Our Blessed Mother appeared to them again and told Francisco and Jacinta that they would die young and that she would soon come to take them to heaven. Jacinta explained: Our Lady came to see us and she said that soon she will come to get Francisco to bring him to heaven. Francisco died first. Bed-ridden, Francisco requested his first Communion. The following day, Francisco died, April 14, 1919. Jacinta the next year suffered a long illness as well with two hospitalizations. She was eventually transferred to a Lisbon hospital and operated for an abscess in her chest, but her health did not improve. She died alone on February 20, 1920, at age 9. Their feast is marked on the anniversary of Jacintaās death, February 20.
Pope John Paul II beatified Francisco and Jacinta on May 13, 2000, on the 83rd anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady at Fatima. Pope Francis on May 13, 2017 officially declared Francisco and Jacinta Marto saints of the Catholic Church. They were canonized on the 100th anniversary of the first Apparition of Our Lady of FĆ”tima in front of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims at Fatima, Portugal ā teaching us that even young children can become saints. Saints Francisco and Jacinta are the youngest non-martyrs to be canonized in the history of the Church. They are the Patron Saint of Bodily ills; Portuguese children; Captives; People ridiculed for their piety; Prisoners; Against sickness.
Saint Jacinta once said, āTell everybody that God grants us graces through the Immaculate Heart of Mary; that people are to ask her for them; and that the Heart of Jesus wants the Immaculate Heart of Mary to be venerated at His side. Tell them also to pray to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for peace, since God entrusted it to herā.
PRAYER: Saints Jacinta and Francisco, pray for us that we will remain committedĀ in our devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary for peace in our homes, families and our divided and conflicted world ~Amenš
SAINT EUCHERIUS OF ORLEANS, BISHOP: St. Eucherius was born at Orleans of a very illustrious family. St. Eucherius was the nephew of Suavaric, bishop of Auxerre, who was the Bishop of OrlĆ©ans.Ā At his birth his parents dedicated him to God, for his mother had been advised in a vision that he would some day be Bishop of the city of Orleans. They took great care to form both his mind and his heart. His improvement in virtue kept pace with his progress in learning; he meditated assiduously on the sacred writings. His meditations on the Epistles of St. Paul influenced him to abandon the world, especially on Saint Paul’s manner of speaking on the world and its enjoyments, calling them mere empty shadows which deceive us and vanish away. These reflections at length sank so deeply into his mind that he resolved to leave the world. To put this design in execution, about the year 714 he retired to the abbey of Jumiege in Normandy, the diocese of Rouen and soon acquired a reputation for sanctity, where he spent six or seven years in the practice of penitential austerities and obedience.
When his uncle, Suaveric, the Bishop of Orleans, died, the senate and people with the clergy of that city, begged permission to elect Eucherius to the vacant see. Charles Martel, mayor of the palace, who practically governed France, granted their request, despite his own lack of favor toward the Saint. The Saint entreated his monks to screen him from the honors threatening him; but they preferred the public good to any private inclinations, and resigned him to accept that important charge. Thus, St. Eucherius left his beloved solitude to assume the episcopal dignity and he was consecrated with universal applause in 721.
Saint Eucherius apostolic zeal was tempered with such meekness that he was beloved by all who knew him. Charles Martel, to defray the expenses of his wars and other undertakings, often stripped the churches of their revenues. Saint Eucherius reproved these encroachments with so much zeal that in the year 737, Charles banished him to Cologne. The extraordinary esteem which his virtue procured him in that city caused Charles to have him taken to a fortress in the territory of Liege. The governor of that country was so charmed with his virtue that he made him the distributer of his large alms, and allowed him to retire to the monastery of Sarchinium, or Saint Tron’s. Here prayer and contemplation were his whole employment until the year 743, in which he died, on the 20th of February.
PRAYER:Ā God, Light and Shepherd of souls, You established St. Eucherius as Bishop in Your Church to feed Your flock by his word and form it by his example. Help us through his intercession to keep the Faith he taught by his word and follow the way he showed by his example ~ Amenš
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 the sick and dying. We particularly pray for sick children, those who are sick with convulsive disorder, mental illness, 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. 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 peace, love and unity in our families, our marriages and our divided and conflicted world. Every life is a gift. We pray 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 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. 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. Amenš
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:
Bible Readings for today, Tuesday of the First Week of Lent | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Gospel Reading ~ Matthew 6:7-15
“This is how you are to pray”
“Jesus said to His disciples: āIn praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. āThis is how you are to pray: āOur Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. āIf you forgive men their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.ā
In todayās Gospel reading from the Gospel of St. Matthew, the Lord Jesus talked to His disciples and followers about the matter of praying to God. He told them all that when they pray, they must not be like those who often said a lot and made a lot of words and yet, they did not truly embody and understand what they were saying. The Lord also spoke against all those who spoke many words and did not even understand what prayer is all about. Jesus says, āYour Father knows what you need before you ask Himā. Hence, He taught all of His disciples on how they should be praying, with the prayer which He Himself has made, the prayer that we now know well as the Pater Noster, or āOur Fatherā, also known as āThe Lordās Prayerā because it is He Himself Who has taught us this perfect prayer. This is the only prayer in the Gospels that Jesus teaches His disciples, and all of us, to pray. It has had a privileged place among Christian prayers because it has been given to us by the Lord Himself. Jesus says that prayer is not about informing God about something God is not aware of. There is no need for many words, He says, because your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. Our prayer does not inform God. Rather, our prayer forms us. In praying we acknowledge who God is and who we are before God. In doing so we grow in our relationship with God and we become more fully the person God is calling us to be. The prayer that Jesus gives us, the Lordās Prayer, has two parts to it. In the first part, we acknowledge who God is and in the second part who we are before God. In those opening petitions we acknowledge the priority of Godās name, Godās kingdom and Godās will. In a sense, we invite God to be God. In the following petitions we acknowledge who we are before God, dependent on God for our fundamental needs, our physical needs symbolized by bread and our spiritual needs, our need for forgiveness for our sins and for strength in time of temptation by evil. This very short prayer is both a prayer in itself and a teaching on prayer. It is a prayer that shows us what is at the heart of all prayer. According to Jesusā prayer, we need to pray for forgiveness for our sins against God and Godās people, while being ready to forgive the sins of others against us. Finally, we need to pray for the grace to remain faithful to the Lordās way, especially when we are tempted to take a path that is not Godās will for us.
In our first reading today from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, God spoke to His people regarding His Word, Whom He sent into the world to do His will, to bless and to provide for all of us, His beloved ones. This was in fact a premonition and also a prophecy on what was to happen and come, with the coming of the Word of God, incarnate in the flesh as the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, Who had been sent into our midst to save us all from certain destruction and damnation, and to fulfil what God has always desired to do with us, and that is to love us all and to bring us all back to Himself, so that we will be reconciled with Him, and made perfect and good once again. And to this extent, that was why He gave us all the most perfect gift of all in His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, the Divine Word Incarnate. God is truly full of love for each and every one of us, and He is indeed a loving Father to each and every one of us. No one is truly beyond the great love and compassion of God, which has endured throughout all time, from the very beginning. God could have erased us from existence and destroyed us because of our disobedience and wickedness, which had led to us committing sins against Him. Sin has separated us from the love and grace of God, and brought us all into this state of corruption, tainting us by the vileness of disgrace and the filth of evil. Yet, despite all these, Godās love for each one of us endures and remains, because nothing can overcome this love, and not even the power of sin. What God despises is our sins and wickedness, and not us. That is why, as a loving Father, He sent unto us His Son to save us. By embracing our human nature and existence, taking up our human flesh and becoming as one of us, Christ, the Son of God Who has also become the Son of Man, has united us all to His Sonship, and since He is the Son of the Father, He has made us all His brothers and sisters, and thus also the adopted sons and daughters of God, Who is truly our Father and Creator. That is why, we should really be thankful and grateful, appreciative and understanding, just how fortunate we all are to have been beloved so much by our God and Father. Godās will is truly to bring us all to redemption through His Son, by His perfect obedience and most selfless offering of Himself so that each and every one of us may be saved and gain new life through Him. We must not take this for granted and we must always do what we can so that we reciprocate the love which our loving and merciful Father has always shown us, listening to Him and communicating with Him.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, all of us are reminded of the virtue of obedience and the importance of prayer in our lives as Christians. This is because it is through prayer and obedience that all of us will likely come closer to God and His salvation, as it is through those that we will grow ever stronger and better in our Christian living, and each one of us will come to share in the grace of God, our loving Father and Creator, Whose love and compassion for us are truly boundless and wonderful. We are called to cultivate in us the habit of good and true prayer, prayer that is genuine from our hearts and not prayer that is merely recited without meaning or understanding. We are all called to pray more and to spend more time in quality moments with God, which we can achieve through that prayerful time and silence, as we come to Him with a contrite and loving heart, remembering His most generous love and compassionate mercy, all that He had done for us, all these while. The Lord has shown us His great willingness to welcome us back to His embrace and to love us once again, and we are all called to remember this love and mercy at all times. Each and every one of us are beloved by God, and that is why He has given us all the most wonderful and perfect gift of His own Son, the One He sent to us to become our Saviour. Let us all therefore spend more good and quality time with the Lord our God, through prayers and other means, and seek to understand and know better the will of God which He has presented to us through His Son, and through our interactions with Him. As Christians, let us all always be role model for one another, so that by our examples and dedication, we may inspire one another in faith, and in doing more and more to come ever closer to God and His grace. This season of Lent is a time for us to reflect deeply on ourselves and our path in life, a perfect time for us to redirect our focus and attention once again at God. Let us all make great use of this ample opportunity during this blessed season of Lent to come ever closer to God. Let us all be inspired by the great examples of our predecessors, to walk in the path of Our Lord and His Saints. Let us all make this Lent a truly meaningful and good one for all of us, that we may each and all come to Godās presence, and be worthy of God and His love and grace. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace this Lenten season to be steadfast in our prayer. Amenš
Let us pray:
Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen š
Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saints Jacinta and Francisco Marto and Saint Eucherius of Orleans, Bishop ~ Pray for usš
Thanking God for the gift of this day and praying for us all during this season of Lent, let us be renewed by prayer, fasting, and giving to the poor. We pray for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and our world. May God keep us all safe and well during these challenging times and may this season of Lent bring us all true salvation in Christ as we remain united in peace, love and faith. Have a blessed, safe, fruitful and grace-filled Lenten Season ~ Amenš
Blessings and Love always, Philomena š
Leave a Reply