FIRST WEEK OF LENT
STATIONS OF THE CROSS (Link below)
SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ FEBRUARY 23, 2024
Greetings beloved family and Happy Friday of the First Week of Lent! May God’s grace and mercy be with us all as we embark on our Lenten journey🙏
Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on February 23, 2024 on EWTN” |
Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | February 23, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | February 23, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | February 23, 2024 |
Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | February 23, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteries VIRTUAL🌹JOYFUL🌹LUMINOUS🌹SORROWFUL🌹GLORIOUS” on YouTube |
Today’s Bible Readings: Friday, February 23, 2024
Reading 1, Ezekiel 18:21-28
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
Gospel, Matthew 5:20-26
STATIONS OF THE CROSS | EWTN |
https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/stations-of-the-cross-12706
STATIONS OF THE CROSS (WAY OF THE CROSS) – SHORT VERSION | https://lordcalls.com/dailyprayer/stations-of-the-cross-way-of-the-cross-short-version
40 Days in the Desert. A Lenten journey with our Lord | Day Nine: Penance | Friday of the First Week of Lent | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-in-the-desert-a-lenten-journey-with-our-lord/day-nine-penance/
40 Days at the foot of the Cross. A Gaze of Love from the Heart of our Blessed Mother Mary | Day Nine – Unwelcomed by the World | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-at-the-foot-of-the-cross/day-nine-unwelcomed-by-the-world/
A PRAYER TO WALK HUMBLY THROUGH LENT: Father, In Micah 6:8, You say, “O 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.” Today we choose to walk humbly with You. We choose to live by Your Holy Spirit 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 🙏
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. Amen🙏
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 “paschal fast” 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 Christ… Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯
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 🙏
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/
SAINTS OF THE DAY: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Polycarp of Smyrna, Bishop and Martyr (Patron Saint of Earache sufferers and against dysentery). Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Polycarp of this feast day, we humbly pray for the sick, we particularly pray for those suffering from hearing disorders, the coronavirus disease and those who are terminally ill.
“Keep looking forward in prayer, and persevering in fasting; beseeching in supplications the all-seeing God to lead us away from temptation.”
St. Polycarp, the early Church martyr who was miraculously preserved from burning at the stake…pray for us🙏
SAINT POLYCARP OF SMYRNA, BISHOP AND MARTYR: St. Polycarp of Smyrna (c. 69-155 A.D.) became a Christian in his youth, about the year 80, a disciple of St. John the Evangelist. St. John ordained him Bishop of Smyrna (in modern day Turkey) probably before his own exile to Patmos in 96. From this position St. Polycarp became one of the most illustrious of the Apostolic Fathers. His closeness with the Apostles, and the long life that he lived, enabled him to protect the Church against heresy. Polycarp governed that See for seventy years, and among his disciples were St. Irenaeus and the writer Papias. The former has recorded that his master knew St. John and others who had seen Jesus.
From Eusebius, St. Irenaeus, and St. Jerome we learn that about the year 155 St. Polycarp went to Rome to consult Pope Anicetus regarding the date of the Easter celebration, as there was a difference between the East and the West. It was agreed that both might follow their own custom. In the fourth general persecution, under the Emperor Lucius Versus and Marcus Aurelius, the Saint was apprehended and brought before the proconsul. Refusing to deny Christ, he was condemned to be burned at the stake in the amphitheater of Smyrna and was then taken to a public arena to be killed. He gave an outstanding testimony, declaring that he had served Christ for 86 years.
The account of his martyrdom is well-preserved and is one of the earliest in the Church. Knowing the government was seeking his life, he received a vision while praying that he would be burned alive.The authors of the Act tell that they were witnesses of his execution who saw the flames surround his body without burning it, but formed an arch over his head and that Polycarp began to glow and emit a sweet aroma. This amazed the crowds, and his executioners were then ordered to stab him to death, thereupon, he was pierced with a sword; such a great amount of blood issued from the wound that it extinguished the fire. The death of the Saint occurred about the year 155 on February 23rd. His body was burned, but his bones are preserved in the Church of San Ambrogio in Rome. St. Polycarp has been venerated as a Saint since his death in 155. He’s the Patron Saint of Against ear ache, dysentery.
QUOTE: “For eighty-six years I have served Him and He has never wronged me. How can I renounce the King who has saved me?”~ St. Polycarp
PRAYER: God of all creation, You led St. Polycarp into the company of the Martyrs. Through his intercession we ask that, as we share in Christ’s cup of suffering, we may one day rise to eternal life. Amen🙏
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 and as we begin the Lenten Season. 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. Amen🙏
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:
Bible Readings for today, Friday of the First Week of Lent | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Gospel Reading ~ Matthew 5:20-26
“Go first and be reconciled with your brother”
“Jesus said to His disciples: “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven. “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus calls His disciples to a virtue that goes deeper than the virtue of the scribes and Pharisees. One of the ten commandments of the Jewish Law was ‘You shall not kill’. However, the call of Jesus goes deeper than that; it looks beyond the action of killing to the underlying attitudes and emotions which lead people to kill or injure each other. Jesus invites us to look below the surface of what we do to why we do it. He calls for a renewal of the heart and mind; that is what we mean by ‘repentance’ or ‘conversion’. That deep-seated renewal that Jesus calls for is not something we can bring about on our own. We need the Holy Spirit to work that kind of deep transformation within ourselves. A prayer that has been traditional within the church acknowledges that very clearly: ‘Come Holy Spirit, fill my heart, and kindle in me the fire of your love’. It calls on the Holy Spirit to recreate deep within us the love which shaped the person of Jesus; it calls on the Spirit to form in us the roots of that deeper virtue which Jesus speaks about in today’s Gospel reading. Our Lord Jesus reminded His disciples and all of us once again to be truly full of faith and love for God, and to be sincere in how we live our Christian lives, our dedication to God in all things. We should always do our best in all of our actions and words, in every moments to follow God’s path, to do His will and to love one another, as we should always do. We should not hold grudges and hate each other, and we must learn how to forgive and to let go of our anger and emotions, forgiving each other just as the Lord Himself has been so merciful and forgiving towards us. We must keep in mind this love and kindness shown to us, and we must do the same in our own lives as well, that we ourselves may be good examples and inspirations to others.
In our first reading today, from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel, the Lord told His people through Ezekiel that He did not desire the death and destruction of any one of His beloved children, that is all of us. The Lord has expressed the truth that His love for us is enduring even despite all the disobedience and rebelliousness that we have often displayed all these while, and He has always been willing to be reconciled with us, calling us to return to Him with contrite hearts and repentant attitudes, desiring to reject our sins and evils. He also reminded all of us that all of us will be judged by our deeds and all that we have done in this world, whether by words or real deeds and actions. And no one is truly beyond God’s salvation and grace, as He mentioned how even the sinners will be saved should they repent and turn away from their sins, just as much as the righteous will perish and be judged against by their evil deeds, if they persist in doing so. What the Lord wanted to point out is that there is truly no limit to His love, mercy and compassion, and each one of us are called to share in this love.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded to be righteous and good in all of our actions and deeds, and to be truly faithful to God. Otherwise, we will be judged by whatever wicked and evil things we have committed, by whatever sins we have done, just as our good deeds will also be weighed in our judgment. In the end, those who are truly faithful to God will flourish while those who are lacking in faith will fall into damnation and eternal suffering. The Lord has reminded us of this as we enter into this season of Lent for our own benefit. Let us all therefore strive to do our best to be better Christians in each and every moments of our lives. We are called to follow the examples of the Saints, Holy men and women, especially St. Polycarp, who we celebrate today, his great courage and faith in the Lord should inspire all of us to have that kind of strong and unwavering faith in God as well. This Lent is the best time for us to begin charting our path forward in being faithful to God and in living our lives to the best we can as Christians in our respective communities and places. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and may He empower each and every one of us to walk with Him faithfully each day, living virtuously, now and always. Amen🙏
Let us pray:
My most merciful Lord, I thank You for forgiving me and for loving me with such perfection and totality. Thank You for reconciling with me despite my imperfect contrition. Give me a heart, dear Lord, that always seeks to love the sinner in my life. Help me to offer mercy to the fullest extent in imitation of Your divine mercy. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen🙏
Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr ~ pray for us🙏
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 and relaxing weekend and grace-filled Lenten Season ~ Amen🙏
Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖
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