SECOND WEEK OF LENT
SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ FEBRUARY 28, 2024
Greetings beloved family and Happy Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent! May God’s grace and mercy be with us all as we continue our Lenten journeyđ
SECOND YEAR MEMORIAL ANNIVERSARY OF FR. THOMAS KENNEDY: It’s been 2 years since our beloved Fr. Thomas Kennedy went to be with our Lord. On this two year rememberance of his passing to eternal glory, with special intention, we pray for the eternal repose of his gentle soul. We thank the good Lord for blessing us all with the special gift of Fr. Tom Kennedy, for his faithful, selfless, generous and loving service in the Lordâs vineyard. We are all consoled knowing that he is resting in the bosom of the Lord, where there is neither pain nor sorrow. He’s an Angel watching over us all. We continue to keep Fr. Tom’s family, the Priests and our St. Joseph Parish, Arlington Texas and the entire Churh in prayers as we celebrate the Memorial of Fr. Tom today.
Eternal rest grant unto Fr. Thomas Kennedy, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon him. May his gentle soul and souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ⌠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
Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary | February 28, 2024 on EWTN” |
Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | February 28, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | February 28, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | February 28, 2024 |
Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | February 28, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteries VIRTUALđšJOYFULđšLUMINOUSđšSORROWFULđšGLORIOUS” on YouTube |
Today’s Bible Readings: Wednesday, February 28, 2024
Reading 1, Jeremiah 18:18-20
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 31:5-6, 14, 15-16
Gospel, Matthew 20:17-28
40 Days in the Desert. A Lenten journey with our Lord | Day Thirteen: Identity | Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-in-the-desert-a-lenten-journey-with-our-lord/day-thirteen-identity/
40 Days at the foot of the Cross. A Gaze of Love from the Heart of our Blessed Mother Mary | Day Thirteen â A Motherâs Ponderings | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-at-the-foot-of-the-cross/day-thirteen-a-mothers-ponderings/
A PRAYER TO WALK HUMBLY THROUGH LENT: Father, In Micah 6:8, You say, âO 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.â 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 đ
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. Amenđ
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 âpaschal fastâ 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 đ âď¸đŻâď¸đŻâď¸đŻ
During this season of Lent, please let us all continue to pray for peace all over the world, particularly in Africa, 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
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 Pope Saint Hilary (Hilarius); Saint Romanus of Condat, Abbot (Patron Saint of drowning victims, insanity, mental illness, mentally ill people) and Blessed Daniel Brottier, Priest. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the the repose of the souls of all the faithful departed; the sick and dying, we particularly pray for those
suffering from mental illness and terminal diseases. May God grant them His divine healing and intervention.đ
POPE SAINT HILARY (HILARIUS): Pope St. Hilary (or Hilarius) was the Bishop of Rome from November 19, 461 to his death on February 29, 468 and guardian of Church unity. He rose to prominence in the Church when he became archdeacon under Pope St. Leo the Great, working closely with him as a trusted aid. Replacing a man like Pope Saint Leo the Great was not easy, but the next pope, St. Hilary was a man after St. Leo’s heart, then was archdeacon Hilary. St. Hilary was a Sardinian who had joined the Roman clergy and had been sent by St. Leo as one of the papal legates to the council at Ephesus in 449. This council, intended to settle the Monophysite affair, got out of hand. Packed with Monophysites and presided over by Dioscorus, the patriarch of Alexandria, the assembly refused to listen to the protests of the papal legates. Dioscorus steam-rollered through the council a condemnation of the orthodox and saintly Flavian, patriarch of Constantinople, and an approval of the Monophysite leader Eutyches. There St. Hilary fought bravely against the monophysite heresy, for which his life was threatened. He was forced into hiding and fled back to Rome for safety. He had to fly in fear for his life and hide in a chapel of St. John the Evangelist. It was only with difficulty that he got back to Rome. In vain Hilary protested. No wonder St. Leo called this Ephesus council a gathering of robbers! St. Hilary was so highly esteemed that after Pope Leo’s death he was elected to the papacy.
As Pope, St. Hilary worked hard to foster order in the Gallic hierarchy. When a certain Hermes illegally made himself archbishop of Narbonne, two Gallic delegates came to Rome to appeal to Pope St. Hilary. He held a council at Rome in 462 to settle the matter. He also upheld the rights of the see of Arles to be the primatial see of Gaul. From Spain also came appeals of a similar nature. To settle these Hilary held a council at Rome in 465. This is the first Council at Rome whose acts have come down to us. According to the “Liber Pontificalis” he sent a letter to the East confirming the ecumenical councils of Nicaea, Ephesus, and Chalcedon, and the famous dogmatic letter of his predecessor St. Leo to Flavian. He also publicly in St. Peter’s rebuked the shadow-emperor Anthemius for allowing a favorite of his to foster heresy in Rome.
As pope, St. Hilary fought for the rights of the papacy in spiritual matters against the Roman Emperor, and increased organization and discipline between the bishops and the Holy See. He also did much work in building, remodeling, and decorating Roman churches and other public places. St. Hilary deserves great credit for his work in building and decorating churches in Rome. Of especial interest is the oratory he built near the Lateran, dedicated to St. John the Evangelist. The Pope attributed his escape from the wild Monophysites at Ephesus to the intercession of the Beloved Disciple, and to show his gratitude he built this beautiful oratory. Over its doors may still be seen the inscription, “To his deliverer, Blessed John the Evangelist, Bishop Hilary, the Servant of Christ.” Hilary built two more churches and spent freely in decorating still others. The gold and silver and marble used so lavishly by this Pope in adorning the Roman churches indicate that the wealthy families of Rome must have saved something from the grasping hands of Goths and Vandals. St. Hilary died on February 29, 468. His feast is celebrated on February 28.
Pope St. Hilary (or Hilarius) ~ Pray for us đ
SAINT ROMANUS OF CONDAT, ABBOT: St. Romanus was abbot of Gallo Roman descent. He adopted the life of a hermit in the Jura Mountains, France, at the age of thirty-five, left his family and entered a monastery at Lyons. Here he remained a short time before taking with him the constitutions and conferences of the celebrated monastic author, Cassian, to retire to a spot in the solitude of Mont Jura. His occupation consisted in prayer, reading and manual labor. Later his brother Lupicinus and some other joined him. These were followed by such a large number that the two brothers thus found it necessary to establish two monasteries, at Condat and Leuconne, and a convent for women at La Beaume, which no men were allowed ever to enter, which was governed by their sister and where St. Romanus chose his burial-place. The two brothers governed their monasteries in great harmony, though Lupicinus was the more inclined to severity of the two. Lupicinus used no other bed than a chair or a hard board; never touched wine, and would scarcely ever suffer a drop either of oil or milk to be poured on his pottage. In summer his subsistence for many years was only hard bread moistened in cold water so that he could eat it with a spoon. His tunic was made of various skins of beasts sewn together,. with a cowl; he used wooden shoes, and wore no stockings unless when he was obliged to go out of the monastery.
The abstinence they prescribed for their monks was milder than that observed by the Orientals and by the monks of Lerins. The principal reason for this was that the physical constitution of the Gauls required more nourishment. However, they always abstained from every kind of meat, and only used milk and eggs in time of sickness. St. Romanus was famed for his healing of two lepers at Saint Maurice. He died on February 28, 463 on his return from a pilgrimage and was buried at La Beaume. His brother, St. Lupicinus survived him and toiled for seventeen more years on earth and also achieved the crown of sanctityâhis feast is on March 21. He’s the Patron Saint of drowning victims, insanity, mental illness, mentally ill people.
PRAYER:Â Lord, amid the things of this world, let us be wholeheartedly committed to heavenly things in imitation of the example of evangelical perfection You have given us in St. Romanus. Amenđ
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BLESSED DANIEL BROTTIER, PRIEST: Bl. Daniel Jules Alexis Brottier, C.S.Sp. (September 7, 1876 â February 28, 1936), was a French Roman Catholic Priest in the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (who currently refer to themselves as Spiritans). Blessed Daniel Brottier was born in La FertĂŠ-Saint-Cyr, a commune in the Loir-et-Cher Department of France on September 7, 1876, the second son of Jean-Baptiste Brottier, coachman for the Marquis Durfort, and his wife Herminie (nĂŠe Bouthe). A story from his childhood recounts that his mother asked him what he would like to be when he grew up. Bl. Daniel’s answer was, “I won’t be either a general or a pastry chefâI will be the Pope!” His mother reminded him that to be the pope, he would first have to become a priest. Little Daniel piped up, “Well, then I’ll become a priest!” At the age of 10, Brottier made his First Communion, and enrolled a year later in the minor seminary at Blois. In 1896, at the age of 20, he did one year of military service at Blois. He was ordained on October 22, 1899, after which he was assigned to teach for three years at a secondary school in Pontlevoy, France. His zeal for spreading the Gospel beyond the classroom or the confines of France made him to join the Spiritan Congregation.
He was sent on missionary work to Senegal, West Africa. After eight years there, his health suffered and he went back to France where he helped raise funds for the construction of a new cathedral in Senegal. Even after he had left Senegal, Bl. Daniel Brottier was asked by Bishop Hyacinthe Jalabert, the Apostolic Vicar of Senegal, to conduct a fund-raising campaign to build a cathedral in Dakar. To this end, Brottier was appointed the Vicar General of Dakar, even though he was residing in Paris. Bl. Daniel Brottier focused on this project for seven years over two periods (i.e., 1911â1914 and 1919â1923), the interlude being a result of the First World War. The so-called “African Memorial Cathedral” was consecrated on February 2, 1936, just a few weeks before Bl. Daniel Brottier’s death.
At the outbreak of World War I Bl. Daniel became a volunteer chaplain. He was awarded the Croix de guerre and the LĂŠgion d’honneur for his services as a chaplain during World War I. He attributed his survival on the front lines to the intercession of Saint Therese of Lisieux, and built a chapel for her at Auteuil when she was canonized. After the war he established a project for orphans and abandoned children “the Orphan Apprentices of Auteuil” in the suburb of Paris. Bl. Daniel Brottier gave up his soul to God on February 28, 1936 in the Hospital of St. Joseph in Paris. Fifteen thousand Parisians attended his funeral Mass. He was buried in the Chapel of St. ThĂŠrèse in Auteuil on April 5, 1936. He was declared venerable in 1983, and then beatified only 48 years ago on November 25, 1984, by Pope John Paul II.
Blessed Daniel Jules Alexis Brottier, Priest ~ Pray for us â¤ď¸
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. Amenđ
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:
Bible Readings for today, Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Gospel Reading ~ Matthew 20:17-28
“They will condemn the Son of Man to death”
“As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, He took the Twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, âBehold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and hand Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and He will be raised on the third day.â Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something. He said to her, âWhat do you wish?â She answered him, âCommand that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom.â Jesus said in reply, âYou do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?â They said to Him, âWe can.â He replied, âMy chalice you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.â When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus summoned them and said, âYou know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.â
In todayâs Gospel reading, our Lord Jesus told His disciples clearly of the hardships and the struggles that He Himself was soon to endure, in facing oppression, persecution and rejection from the chief priests and all those who were opposed to Him and His teachings. The Lord Jesus made it clear to all of them that He had to face those hardships as part of what He had been sent to do, in suffering and embracing all of the punishments due to our sins and wickedness, that by His sufferings and ultimately through His death on the Cross, He might lead us all into freedom from the bondage and the tyranny of sin, darkness, evil and death. And at the same time, it also means that those who follow Him may likely face the same oppressions, sufferings, trials and difficulties as He Himself has suffered. In the Gospel reading, Jesus asks James and John, âCan you drink the cup that I am going to drink?â He was asking them if they were prepared to share His cup, to throw in their lot with Him, to follow where He leads, even though it may mean the cross. In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed, âFather, if it is possible, let this cup pass from meâ. Yet, He went on to drink that cup to the full on the cross. At the last supper, He drank of the cup, and then gave the cup to His disciples, who also drank from it. Yet, a little later, they deserted Him and fled. In spite of James and Johnâs expressed desire to drink from the Lordâs cup in todayâs Gospel reading, they would not follow where He would lead when the time came. As we drink from the Lordâs cup, the cup of the Eucharist, we are expressing our willingness to going where the Lord leads, walking in His way, even when it means the way of the cross. In todayâs Gospel reading Jesus speaks of that way as the way of self-giving service of others, as against lording it over others. We pray that in taking the body and the cup of the Lord at Eucharist, we would be faithful to what that action signifies, walking in the footsteps of the Son of Man who came not to be served but to serve.
In our first reading today, from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah, the prophet lamented for the persecutions, hardships, oppressions that he faced from the people of God, the people of the kingdom of Judah that he had been sent to minister by the Lord. Prophet Jeremiah was sent to the people and kingdom of Judah during its final years and days, reminding Godâs people and calling on them to turn away from their wicked and sinful ways, and trust once again in the Lord instead of the falsehoods of the pagan idols and the false prophets that had been running rampant in ruining the kingdom and the people with their lies. Those same false prophets and idolaters hated Jeremiah and his works, plotting against him. Prophet Jeremiah asked, ‘Should evil be returned for good?â Jeremiah expected the answer ânoâ to his question, as would we. However, Jeremiahâs own experience did not bear out that answer. He was trying to do good by proclaiming Godâs word to the people and, yet, all he got in response was âevilâ, peopleâs deadly hostility. Just like our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave expression to that goodness in all He said and did. Yet, He experienced the terrible evil of death by Roman crucifixion. Despite the opposition and plotting against Jeremiah by the false prophets and idolaters, Jeremiah continued to work against them in proclaiming Godâs truth to His people. Jeremiah trusted in the Lord and placed his fate in His hands, and he followed the Lord and His providence, walked in the path that he had been shown, persevering even against the many challenges that he had to endure for the sake of his faith in God, as well as for the sake of the remnants of the people and the kingdom of Judah. He endured the sufferings and trials, and remained true to his faith to the end, as a truly exemplary role model to all of us Christians, Godâs followers and people.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, and as we continue to progress through this time and season of Lent, let us all realise that we have to be truly committed and faithful to the path which the Lord has shown and led us into as Christians, as those whom He has called and chosen. All of us have been reminded that as Christians, it is likely that we will encounter some forms of hardships and challenges, trials and persecutions in our path in life, just as our Lord and Saviour has been rejected and persecuted for everything that He had done for our sake. If we have not suffered for being Christians, then it is likely that we have not truly lived our lives with true and genuine faith as we should have done. Our Lord Jesus Christ is speaking to us, reminding us to remain faithful to Him despite the challenges and trials that we may face in the midst of our journey of faith through life. We are reminded that following the Lord may not be as easy as it seems to be, and that just as the Lord Himself had faced a lot of rejection and opposition, hence we also have to be prepared to be treated in the same way. During this season of Lent, let us all therefore make good use of this season of Lent to redirect our efforts and attention in life, away from worldly excesses and sin, and instead focus our attention more on God and His Law and precepts, and do whatever we can to walk faithfully in His path, shunning worldly glory and ambition, now and always. Let us help each other in our journey of faith towards the Lord, and help one another to persevere through the many challenges and trials we may have to face for the Lordâs sake. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace to remain steadfast despite the challenges and trials we may have to face in our path and may He empower us to live ever more worthily in His presence and keep our faith and trust in the Lord at all times. May our Lenten season and observance be truly fruitful, in all the things we say and do, all for the greater glory of God. Amenđ
Let us pray:
My suffering Lord, You freely embraced the injustice of the Cross with love and courage. You saw beyond the apparent scandal and suffering and transformed the evil done to You into the greatest act of love ever known. Give me the grace to imitate Your perfect love and to do so with the strength and confidence that You had. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen đ
Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Hilary (Hilarius); Saint Romanus of Condat and Blessed Daniel Brottier~ Pray for usđ
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 second week of Lent ~ Amenđ
Blessings and Love always, Philomena đ
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