Month: March 2024

HOLY WEEK: WEDNESDAY OF HOLY WEEK [SPY WEDNESDAY]

SAINTS OF THE DAY ~ FEAST DAY: MARCH 27, 2024

Greetings beloved family and Happy Wednesday of Holy Week! May God’s grace and mercy be with us all during this final week of our Lenten journey🙏

Wednesday of Holy Week is traditionally known as SPY WEDNESDAY to commemorate the treachery of Judas, who made a bargain with the high priest to betray Jesus for 30 silver pieces (Matt 26:14-16; Mark 14:10-11; Luke 22:1-6). This ends the official Lenten period; tomorrow we enter into the Holy Triduum, the three great liturgical days: Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Holy Triduum begins with the liturgy on the evening of Maundy Thursday, reaches its high point in the Easter Vigil, and closes with evening prayer on Easter Sunday. As we enter into the Easter or Paschal Triduum, let us all do whatever we can to centre our lives and focus our attention on the Lord, and grow ever stronger in our connection with Him. Amen 🙏

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN” | March 27, 2024 |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 27, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | March 27, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 27, 2024 |

Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 27, 2024 |

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Reading 1, Isaiah 50:4-9
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 69:8-10, 21-22, 31, 33-34
Gospel, Matthew 26:14-25

40 Days in the Desert. A Lenten journey with our Lord | Day Thirty-Seven: Denial |Wednesday of Holy Week | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-in-the-desert-a-lenten-journey-with-our-lord/day-thirty-seven-denial/

40 Days at the foot of the Cross. A Gaze of Love from the Heart of our Blessed Mother Mary | Day Thirty-Seven – The Earth is Shaken | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-at-the-foot-of-the-cross/day-thirty-seven-the-earth-is-shaken/

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 MARCH: MONTH OF SAINT JOSEPH: “His was the title of father of the Son of God, because he was the Spouse of Mary, ever Virgin. He was our Lord’s father, because Jesus ever yielded to him the obedience of a son. He was our Lord’s father, because to him were entrusted, and by him were faithfully fulfilled, the duties of a father, in protecting Him, giving Him a home, sustaining and rearing Him, and providing Him with a trade” 

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH – For the new Martyrs: We pray that those who risk their lives for the Gospel in various parts of the world inflame the Church with their courage and missionary enthusiasm.

During this Liturgical season of Lent, we continue to meditate on the mystery of Jesus’ sufferings which culminated in His death on the Cross for the redemption of mankind.

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, we pray for the repose of their gentle souls 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 their gentle souls 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 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 🙏

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: During this Holy Week, as we continue to reflect on the final journey of our Lord Jesus Christ, today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Rupert of Salzburg, Bishop known as the “Apostle to the Bavarians” and first Bishop  of Salzburg (Patron Saint of the Austrian state of Salzburg and Austria, salt miners) and Saint John of Egypt, Hermit. Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the conversion of sinners and for all missionaries around the world today who reach people and spread the Gospel. We pray for God’s grace upon them and for their safety and protection. Amen🙏

SAINT RUPERT OF SALZBURG, BISHOP: St. Rupert (660-710), a Frank by nationality, was a monk and Bishop of Worms until the last years of the 7th century (697) when he became a missionary to Regensburgh in Bavaria. He was also the first Bishop of Salzburg and abbot of St. Peter’s in Salzburg. He was a contemporary of the Frankish king Childebert III. His missionary labors built up the Church in two of its historic strongholds, Austria and Bavaria. During his lifetime, the “Apostle of Bavaria and Austria” was an energetic founder of churches and monasteries, and a remarkably successful evangelist of the regions – which include the homeland of the Bavarian native Pope Benedict XVI. Little is known about Rupert’s early life, which is thought to have begun around 660 in the territory of Gaul in modern-day France. There is some indication that he came from the Merovignian royal line, though he embraced a life of prayer, fasting, asceticism and charity toward the poor. This course of life led to his consecration as the Bishop of Worms in present-day Germany. Although St. Rupert was known as a wise and devout bishop, he eventually met with rejection from the largely pagan population, who beat him savagely and forced him to leave the city. After this painful rejection, St. Rupert made a pilgrimage to Rome. Two years after his expulsion from Worms, his prayers were answered by means of a message from Duke Theodo of Bavaria, who knew of his reputation as a holy man and a sound teacher of the faith. Bavaria, in St. Rupert’s day, was neither fully pagan nor solidly Catholic. Although missionaries had evangelized the region in the past, the local religion tended to mix  portions of the Christian faith – often misunderstood along heretical lines – with native pagan beliefs and practices. The Bavarian duke sought St. Rupert’s help to restore, correct, and spread the faith in his land. After sending messengers to report back to him on conditions in Bavaria, St. Rupert agreed. The bishop who had been brutally exiled from Worms was received with honor in the Bavarian city of Regensburg. With the help of a group of priests he brought with him, St. Rupert undertook an extensive mission in Bavaria and parts of modern-day Austria. His missionary journeys resulted in many conversions, accompanied by numerous miracles including the healing of diseases.

In Salzburg, St. Rupert and his companions built a great church, which they placed under the patronage of St. Peter, and a monastery observing the Rule of St. Benedict. St. Rupert’s niece became the abbess of a Benedictine convent established nearby. St. Rupert served as both the bishop of Salzburg and the abbot of the Benedictine monastery he established there. This traditional pairing of the two roles, also found in the Irish Church after its development of monasticism, was passed on by St. Rupert’s successors until the late 10th century. In addition to Christianizing the people and building churches and monasteries for them, this holy man also civilized his converts and promoted the development of the salt mines of Salzburg. He thus contributed to the bodies and souls of his flock. The Lord called this devoted servant, St. Rupert to his reward on March 27, Easter Sunday of the year 718, after preaching and celebrating Mass. After St. Rupert’s death, churches and monasteries began to be named after him – including Salzburg’s modern-day Cathedral of St. Rupert (also known as the “Salzburg Cathedral”), and the Church of St. Rupert which is believed to be the oldest surviving church structure in Vienna. St. Rupert is the Patron Saint of the Austrian  state of Salzburg and Austria, salt miners.

PRAYER: God, you built up Your Church by means of the religious zeal and apostolic care of St. Rupert. Grant by his intercession that she may ever experience a new increase of Faith and holiness. Amen🙏

SAINT JOHN OF EGYPT,  HERMIT: St. John of Egypt (4th c.), also known as John the Hermit or John the Anchorite, was known for walling himself up in a cave and staking his survival upon God and the goodness of others. St. John was born in Egypt around the year 305, and worked alongside his father, a carpenter, until he was twenty-five years old. When he was 25, receiving a divine call he left everything he knew to seek God in the desert with prayer and become a hermit. He spent over a decade in spiritual training under the care of a religious superior who commanded him to perform difficult and unreasonable tasks, which St.  John obeyed with childlike simplicity. The hermit, for example, had him water a dry stick every day for a year. St. John learned obedience and humility, and when the hermit died, St. John traveled and visited other monasteries for five years. After this time of spiritual training,  he finally withdrew into greater solitude in a small cell at the top of a cliff, a steep hill near Lycopolis, Egypt, and carved three small cells out of rock. He slept in one, used another for work and living space, and prayed in the third. Then he walled these cells up with himself inside, praying incessantly and avoiding contact with people. He avoided seeing women, in particular, to avoid temptation, but he avoided all people for the last fifty years of his life and lived this way until he died in his 90s.

St. John of Egypt left a small window in his cell through which he could speak to people and receive food and water they might bring him. He only ate after sunset, and his diet was mostly dried fruit and vegetables—nothing cooked over a fire. He spent five days a week in conversation with God alone, and two days a week, he conversed with people seeking spiritual direction and advice from a tiny window in his cell. People traveled from afar and crowds would gather on those two days for his counsel or blessings, and to hear him preach. Other ascetics and hermits saw him as an example and a father, and many people sought him out for wisdom, including the emperor. St. John was given the gift of prophecy and miracles and gift of seeing the future and knowing details from the lives of people he had never met. He could discern what was secretly hidden in people’s hearts. He foretold to Emperor Theodosius his future victories as well as the time of his death. He was known and admired by the great saints of his time, including St. Augustine and St. Jerome. St. John of Egypt became so famous for his holiness that St. Augustine wrote of him, making reference to the devils who came to tempt St. John continually and he performed miraculous cures. He cured a woman, according to St. Augustine, of blindness and then appeared to her in a vision to avoid seeing her in person. Foreseeing his own death, he asked that no one visit him for three days, and he sealed off his window. He spent the last three days of his life without food or drink or any interactions but prayer and died peacefully of natural causes, and his body was found in a position of prayer. The cell he lived in was discovered in the early 1900s.

PRAYER: St. John of Egypt, you were the hermit whose life of prayer and self-surrender inspired other great saints—pray for us!🙏

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, Wednesday of Holy Week | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ Matthew 26:14-25

“The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed”

“One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver, and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over. On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples approached Jesus and said, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?” He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The teacher says, “My appointed time draws near; in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.”’” The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered, and prepared the Passover. When it was evening, he reclined at table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” Deeply distressed at this, they began to say to him one after another, “Surely it is not I, Lord?” He said in reply, “He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me is the one who will betray me. The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born.” Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” He answered, “You have said so.”

In today’s Gospel reading, while they were eating, Jesus solemnly announces, ‘one of you is about to betray me?’ As if to highlight the great tragedy of such an act, Jesus further specifies that His betrayer is ‘someone who has dipped His hand into the dish with me’. In sharing the Passover Meal with His disciples, Jesus was entering into communion with them in a very solemn way. Yet, someone who shared in this communion was about to act in a way that would shatter the very communion being celebrated. Indeed, all of the disciples would soon break communion with Jesus, and Peter would do so in a more public way, denying Jesus three times before others. Judas’ act of betraying Jesus to Jesus’ enemies for money was the ultimate breach of communion with Jesus. Every time we celebrate the Eucharist, the Lord enters into communion with us and we enter into communion with the Lord. We are sent from the Eucharist to live out of that communion, to live in a way that reflects our communion with the Lord. Like the first disciples, we can fail to live out of that communion, in various ways. Holy Week assures us that the Lord remains in communion with us even when we fall out of communion with Him. If we acknowledge our failure and turn to Him we will discover that the Lord comes to our help, in the words of today’s first reading.

Our first reading today from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, is the continuation of the discourse on the suffering of the Holy Servant of God Whom He had sent into our midst, to bear the brunt of the punishments and the rejection that this One would have to face as He carried out dutifully in obedience to the will of His Heavenly Father. God has sent unto us His Son, incarnate in the flesh and born as the Son of Man, so that by His sufferings, His pains and hardships, and by the wounds and hurts, all of us have received healing and forgiveness, mercy and reconciliation with God, our loving Father and Creator. He has willingly done this because He truly loves each one of us so greatly, as our loving Shepherd, reaching out to us, His lost sheep, so that by laying down His life for us, He may raise us up to eternal life. In our first reading, the prophet Isaiah speaks of the Lord as giving him a disciples’ tongue to reply to the wearied and as waking him every morning to hear, to listen, like a disciple. It is the listening like a disciple that allows him to speak like a disciple. A disciple’s ear makes possible a disciple’s tongue. A disciple was someone who sat at the feet of the Master and listen attentively and then lived accordingly. We are all called to be disciples in that sense. We try to develop a disciple’s ear, a readiness to listen ever more deeply to what the Lord is saying to us through his word. As we grow in our listening ability, we will be enabled to speak like a disciple, to have a disciples’ tongue, and to live like a disciple.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scripture today, we heard of the sufferings that the Lord would receive at the hands of His oppressors, as well as everything that would happen to Him in the moment of His Passion, His suffering and death. He would be abandoned by His disciples, betrayed by one of His closest collaborators, and He would have to endure the punishments and sufferings for mistakes, crimes and sins that He Himself did not commit. Through Christ, our Lord and Saviour, God has willed to redeem us all from our sins, and through Him, He has called us out of the darkness, bringing His light of hope and truth into our midst, as He revealed His perfect and ever-enduring love and kindness, His compassion and mercy through Christ, the manifestation of His love in the flesh. God has become Man so that through this act of supreme love, He can be reconciled with us, and that we may find our way back to Him, and will not perish but have eternal life, as He has always intended for us. May the Lord continue to guide us and help us, so that in everything we do, we will always be exemplary in all things, and be good role models and examples for our fellow men and women. Let us all make good use of our time and the opportunities given to us so that we may be ever better disciples and followers of Our Lord. Let us all not be like Judas Iscariot who easily gave in to temptations and betrayed the Lord for money. As we enter into the Easter or Paschal Triduum, let us all do whatever we can to centre our lives and focus our attention on the Lord, and grow ever stronger in our connection with Him. Let our every actions and observance of the many wondrous things happening during this Easter Triduum help us to grow ever closer to the Lord. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant all of us the grace to be ever closer to God and be ever more reflective of His love and truth in our lives and actions and may the Lord bless us all and may He empower us to remain firmly ever more faithful to Him. May He help us to be ever more committed and courageous in all things, in being good role models and examples, as inspiration for each other in faith. May God bless our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen🙏

Let us pray:

My divine Lord, You and You alone must become the focus of my life. You and You alone are of the greatest value in life. Help me to shed all earthly desires in life so that I will not fall into the temptations that lead to empty promises and so that I will embrace the true and fulfilling promises that come from You. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Rupert of Salzburg and Saint John of Egypt ~ Pray for us🙏

Thanking God for the gift of this day and as we begin this Holy week, may God, our Crucified Christ, Our most loving Saviour, be with us all as we journey through this Holy Week, that we may come to share ever more deeply in the mysteries of His Passion, His suffering, death and Resurrection….Amen. Have a blessed, safe, most enriching, and grace-filled Holy Week🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena💖

HOLY WEEK

SAINTS OF THE DAY ~ FEAST DAY: MARCH 25, 2024

Greetings beloved family and Happy Monday of Holy Week! May God’s grace and mercy be with us all during this final week of our Lenten journey🙏

Please note: The Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord normally falls on March 25, but since this date falls on the Monday of Holy Week this year, this feast is transferred to Monday, April 8th. It is not a holy day of obligation to attend Mass. The Annunciation celebrates the coming of the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary and announcing to her that she is to be the mother of the Savior.

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion | March 25, 2024 on EWTN” |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 25, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | March 25, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 25, 2024 |

Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 25, 2024 |

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Monday, March 25, 2024
Reading 1, Isaiah 42:1-7
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 27:1, 2, 3, 13-14
Gospel, John 12:1-11

40 Days in the Desert. A Lenten journey with our Lord | Day Thirty-Five: Devotion | Monday of Holy Week | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-in-the-desert-a-lenten-journey-with-our-lord/day-thirty-five-devotion/

40 Days at the foot of the Cross. A Gaze of Love from the Heart of our Blessed Mother Mary | Day Thirty-Five – “It is Finished” | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-at-the-foot-of-the-cross/day-thirty-five-it-is-finished/

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 MARCH: MONTH OF SAINT JOSEPH: “His was the title of father of the Son of God, because he was the Spouse of Mary, ever Virgin. He was our Lord’s father, because Jesus ever yielded to him the obedience of a son. He was our Lord’s father, because to him were entrusted, and by him were faithfully fulfilled, the duties of a father, in protecting Him, giving Him a home, sustaining and rearing Him, and providing Him with a trade” 

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH – For the new Martyrs: We pray that those who risk their lives for the Gospel in various parts of the world inflame the Church with their courage and missionary enthusiasm.

During this Liturgical season of Lent, we continue to meditate on the mystery of Jesus’ sufferings which culminated in His death on the Cross for the redemption of mankind.

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, we pray for the repose of their gentle souls 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 their gentle souls 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 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 🙏

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/

We are at the beginning of Holy Week during which we reflect on the final journey of Jesus. Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Dismas, The Good Thief and Saint Margaret Clitherow, Martyr.

SAINT DISMAS, THE GOOD THIEF: St. Dismas (1st c.), sometimes spelled Dysmas Dimas or Dumas, also known as the “Good Thief” or the Penitent Thief, is the apocryphal name given to one of the thieves who was crucified alongside Jesus Christ on Good Friday according to the Gospel of Luke 23:39-43:

All we know about St. Dismas is what is mentioned of him in the Gospels: “Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us.’ The other [St. Dismas] however, rebuking him, said in reply, ‘Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal.’” Then St. Dismas, as an expression of his faith in Christ as the Messiah, said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus replied to St. Dismas, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:39-42). The feast day of St. Dismas is March 25 and he’s the Patron Saint of those condemned to death; Funeral directors, prisoners and repentent thieves.

GOOD THIEF PRAYER: My Crucified Jesus, wash me with your most Precious Blood. Look upon me as the good thief, who hung on the cross next to You at Calvary. A sinner, paying for his crimes but recognizes your divinity and begs for mercy and forgiveness and asks: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” Dear Lord, look upon me like the Good Thief and I should be so lucky, full of Peace. Amen🙏

SAINT MARGARET CLITHEROW, MARTYR: St. Margaret Clitherow was an English lay woman saint and martyr of the Roman Catholic Church, known as “the Pearl of York”. She lived in the 1500s and was a convert to the Catholic Faith. During St. Margaret’s lifetime, English Catholics were being persecuted under the rule of Queen Elizabeth I. Margaret was eventually martyred for her Catholic Faith. She was pressed to death for refusing to enter a plea to the charge of harbouring Catholic priests. St. Margaret is considered the first woman martyred under Queen Elizabeth’s religious suppression. St. Margaret Clitherow was born in 1556 in York, England. She had four siblings, and her parents were Protestants. Her father, Thomas Middleton, was a candle maker, he died when she was fourteen years old. In 1571, Margaret married a well-to-do butcher named John Clitherow. John was an Anglican, but his brother was a Catholic priest. St. Margaret decided to convert to Catholicism in 1574. According to her confessor, Fr. Mush, St. Margaret became a Catholic because she “found no substance, truth nor Christian comfort in the ministers of the new church, nor in their doctrine itself, and hearing also many priests and lay people to suffer for the defense of the ancient Catholic Faith.” St. Margaret’s husband, John Clitherow, remained a Protestant but  supported his wife’s decision to convert. They were happily married and raised three children: Henry, William, and Anne. She was a business woman who helped run her husband’s butcher shop business. She was loved by many people even her Protestant neighbors. St. Margaret practiced her faith and helped many people reconcile themselves back into the Catholic Church. She prayed one and a half hours every day and fasted four times a week. She regularly participated in mass and frequently went to confession. When laws were passed against Catholics, St. Margaret was imprisoned several times because she did not attend Protestant (Anglican) church services. In 1577, she was imprisoned for her lack of attendance at Anglican services. She was also arrested two more times for this charge. She gave birth to her third child while she was in prison. Other laws were passed which included a 1585 law that made it high treason for a priest to live in England and a felony for anyone to harbor or aid a priest. The penalty for breaking such laws was death. Despite the risk, St. Margaret was not deterred by threat of death, she helped and concealed priests. St. Margaret said “by God’s grace all priests shall be more welcome to me than ever they were, and I will do what I can to set forward God’s Catholic service.” Though her house was being watched by authorities, she allowed priests to hide and celebrate Mass in her home. She also rented another house to hide priests in and to have them say Mass in.

St. Margaret wanted her oldest son Henry to receive a Catholic education so she endeavored that her son be sent outside the Kingdom to Douai, France to a seminary to study for the priesthood. Such an act was considered a crime. The seminary had relocated from England to Reims because of the persecution in England. When the authorities discovered their intention, the Common Council had the Clitherow house searched. They initially found nothing but later retrieved religious vessels, books and vestments used for Holy Mass. They also found a secret hiding place, a scared child showed the authorities where the priest hole was but no renegade priests. Still, St. Margaret was arrested for the crime of harboring Catholic priests. She was brought before the court but refused to plead. She refused so that she could not be brought to trial, because she knew her children would be questioned and probably tortured if she were tried. Authorities attempted to make her renounce her Faith, but St. Margaret held fast. St. Margaret refused to plead and to be tried saying, “Having made no offense, I need no trial.” English law decreed that anyone who refused to plead and to be tried should be “pressed to death.” So on the morning of of Good Friday, March 25, 1586, after sewing her own shroud the night before and after praying for the Pope, cardinals, clergy, and the Queen, St. Margaret was executed. She lay sandwiched between a rock and a wooden slab while weights were dropped upon her, crushing her to death. She did not cry out but prayed “Jesu, Jesu, Jesu, have mercy upon me.” She died within fifteen minutes of the start of her crushing. She was pregnant with her fourth child at the time. Her body was left under the weight for six hours. She died at age 30 at York, United Kingdom. Moved by her saintly life, all her children entered the religious life. Anne became a nun. Henry and William both became priests. St. Margaret was Beatified on December 15, 1929 by Pope Pius XI and Canonized and declared a Saint on October 25, 1970, Rome by Pope Paul VI. St. Margaret Clitherow was canonized in 1970 with many others who died during the English persecution of Catholics. These martyrs were known as the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. She’s the Patron Saint of businesswomen, converts, martyrs, Catholic Women’s League, Latin Mass Society. 

PRAYER: St. Margaret, pray for me, that I may always be eager to do all I can to serve God and His Church. Pray that I may never allow difficulties to deter me from serving God. Please persevere in bringing my petitions before God! Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Margaret Clitherow as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You she showed in her courageous service to You and Your Church. 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, Monday of Holy Week | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ John 12:1-11

Let her keep this for the day of my burial

“Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him. Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. Then Judas the Iscariot, one of his disciples, and the one who would betray him, said, “Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages and given to the poor?” He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the contributions. So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” The large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came, not only because of him, but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too, because many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus because of him.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Mary, the sister of Lazarus, does something extravagant for Jesus, anointing the feet of Jesus with very costly ointment and then wiping them dry with her hair. This was her way of expressing gratitude to Jesus for the service He rendered to her family in raising her brother, Lazarus, to life. Whereas Judas tried to make little of her extravagant gesture, a very negative spin is put on Mary’s action by Judas who interprets it as a waste of good money that could have been given to the poor. Jesus, however, comes to the defence of Mary, interpreting her action as a timely anointing in preparation for His death and burial, which was imminent, and, indeed, which Judas would help to bring about. Jesus graciously received Mary’s generous outpouring of gratitude. We all have something to be grateful for. We have all been graced in some way. The ultimate source of every good gift we receive in life is the Lord. It is to Him, above all, that we express our gratitude. This Holy Week we remember with gratitude how Jesus gave us the greatest gift anyone could give, the gift of His life. ‘No one has greater love than this’, said Jesus, ‘to lay down one’s life for one’s friends’. Jesus gave His life so that we may have life and have it to the full. This Holy Week we allow ourselves to be touched by that great and generous love, and like Mary in today’s Gospel reading, we give expression to our gratitude in our own personal way.

In our first reading today, from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, the Lord spoke through Isaiah the prophecy of the Messiah or Saviour that God has promised. It’s a proclamation about a certain Chosen One Whom God had appointed to be the One to bear His salvation and deliverance to the nations. He spoke of how the Messiah would come to bring all of His people back to Him, to proclaim the Good News of the salvation of God, ushering the blessed time of new life with God. The beloved people of God would no longer be separated from Him, and He will gather all of them into His Presence, reconciling each and every one of us to Himself, through none other than the very same Saviour, Jesus Christ, the One Whom Isaiah had spoken about. The Lord revealed His truth to the nations, of His love and compassion towards them, that He has sent into our midst His Servant, the One Who would be crushed and persecuted for us, to suffer and even die for our sake. This is the same Messiah that the prophets and messengers of the Lord have been prophesying about and which they had promised and proclaimed for many ages. The Lord has willingly sent His salvation into our midst, in the form of His own Beloved Son, born into this world and taking up our own human existence such that by His coming into this world, He may reunite us with God, our loving Father and Creator. That is what the Lord has done, by reaching out to us, coming down to dwell among us, so that all of us sinners may find our consolation and help through Him, as we are reminded yet again of His love and faithfulness to the Covenant that He has made and renewed again and again with us. God has never forgotten about His people and He has reached out to them, every time they had faltered and fallen into sin. He reminded them of His ever patient and most generous love, and called on them to reject the path of sin and disobedience. Through His Son, God made us all partakers of a New and Eternal Covenant sealed by the breaking of His own Most Precious Body and by the shedding and outpouring of His own Most Precious Blood, broken and poured out for us and our salvation, as the most worthy offering made on the Altar of the Cross, at Calvary.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, all of us are reminded first of all, of God’s ever enduring and patient love for us, which we should always keep in mind throughout this most solemn week commemorating our Lord’s Passion, His suffering and death. It was for our sake that He has willingly suffered all of that, so that by everything that He had to go through, He might deliver us from our fate of destruction and death, and offer us the sure path to eternal life through Him. Then, we are also reminded of the need for us to listen to the Lord and His patient calling for us to embrace His love and mercy, as we are all called to be humble like Mary, the sister of Lazarus, in realising our sinfulness and unworthiness before God, and in obeying the will of God like the Lord Jesus Himself, Who obeyed the Father’s will so perfectly, for our salvation. Let us also distance ourselves from the dangers of pride and worldly temptations, that we do not fall into the same trap as Judas Iscariot had experienced. May the Lord continue to help us in our journey of faith and life, especially throughout this season of Lent and this most solemn time of the Holy Week. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and continue to strengthen each and every one of us and help us to persevere through the many hardships, trials and challenges that we may have to face daily in life. May God bless each and every one of us and help us all to be ever more faithful and committed in our lives, in following Him at all times. Amen 🙏

Let us pray:

My glorious Jesus, You are worthy of all praise and honor. You are worthy of our deepest devotion and love. As I enter into this Holy Week, I pray that it will be a time in which I may express my deepest love for You. Help me to pour forth that love in abundance this week so as to show You the glory and praise You deserve. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Dismas, The Good Thief and Saint Margaret Clitherow, Martyr ~ Pray for us🙏

Thanking God for the gift of this day and as we begin this Holy week, may God, our Crucified Christ, Our most loving Saviour, be with us all as we journey through this Holy Week, that we may come to share ever more deeply in the mysteries of His Passion, His suffering, death and Resurrection….Amen. Have a blessed, safe, fruitful and grace-filled Holy Week🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena💖

FIFTH WEEK OF LENT

STATIONS OF THE CROSS (Link below)

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ MARCH 22, 2024

Greetings beloved family and Happy Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent! May God’s grace and mercy be with us all during this season of our Lenten journey🙏

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN” | March 22, 2024 |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 22, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | March 22, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 22, 2024 |

Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 22, 2024 |

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Friday, March 22, 2024
Reading 1, Jeremiah 20:10-13
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 18:2-3, 3-4, 5-6, 7
Gospel, John 10:31-42

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 Thirty-Three: Pride | Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-in-the-desert-a-lenten-journey-with-our-lord/day-thirty-three-pride/

40 Days at the foot of the Cross. A Gaze of Love from the Heart of our Blessed Mother Mary | Day Thirty-Three – “My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?” | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-at-the-foot-of-the-cross/day-thirty-three-my-god-my-god-why-have-you-forsaken-me/

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 MARCH: MONTH OF SAINT JOSEPH: “His was the title of father of the Son of God, because he was the Spouse of Mary, ever Virgin. He was our Lord’s father, because Jesus ever yielded to him the obedience of a son. He was our Lord’s father, because to him were entrusted, and by him were faithfully fulfilled, the duties of a father, in protecting Him, giving Him a home, sustaining and rearing Him, and providing Him with a trade” 

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH – For the new Martyrs: We pray that those who risk their lives for the Gospel in various parts of the world inflame the Church with their courage and missionary enthusiasm.

During this Liturgical season of Lent, we continue to meditate on the mystery of Jesus’ sufferings which culminated in His death on the Cross for the redemption of mankind.

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, we pray for the repose of their gentle souls 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 their gentle souls 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 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 🙏

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 Nicholas Owen of London; Saint Lea of Rome, Widow and Blessed Clemens August von Galen, Bishop of Münster, who was noted for his public opposition to Nazism. Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the poor and the needy, for persecuted christians, for an end to religious and political unrest, for justice and peace, love and unity in our world that is torn apart by war, terrorism, racism and countless other acts of violence against human life.🙏

SAINT NICHOLAS OWEN OF LONDON: St. Nicholas Owen (d.1606) was born in England, the son of an Oxford carpenter. He became a carpenter himself, and joined the Jesuits community living in London in the late 1500s as a lay brother during the era when Catholicism was outlawed in England. England, at that time, was suppressing and persecuting Catholics, and St. Nicholas was a skilled carpenter who built many secret passages and compartments in homes that were used to hide priests. After serving jail time for defending the martyred St. Edmund Campion, St. Nicholas began working for and traveling with the Jesuits, staying in Catholic houses where he made repairs during the day and secretly constructed well-disguised ‘priest-holes’, or hiding places for hunted priests, during the night. He was so skilled at his craft that his priest holes saved hundreds of lives over his 20 years of work. In 1594, while on a trip to London with a Jesuit priest they were betrayed by a household servant. He was arrested with other Jesuits and imprisoned in the London Tower where he was tortured in an attempt to make him give up names and locations of his Catholic friends and Jesuit brothers. He refused, and a wealthy Catholic family ransomed him from prison. The authorities let him go, thinking he was an insignificant associate of the other Jesuits they had captured. After St. Nicholas’ release he engineered and masterminded the priest’s escape from the Tower of London who was also imprisoned and being tortured. St. Nicholas also arranged for the escape of their guard, whom they had befriended, because he would face punishment for their flight. St. Nicholas strung a rope to the tower across a moat, and they successfully got away. St. Nicholas was of very small stature, and people called him “Little John.” He was, nevertheless, very strong, as much of his work had him breaking through thick stonework. He worked at night and alone, and always kept his devices and designs a secret. Authorities could search a home for a week, punching holes in walls and pulling up floors, and still not find his hiding places.

Years later, after the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, St. Nicholas was again a wanted man. He hid along with a priest in one of his priest holes, and although 100 men searched for them diligently, they were not discovered. After eight days of hiding without food, St. Nicholas left the hole disguised as a priest in order to protect the real priest who was still concealed. He was captured and tortured on the rack in the Tower of London. Day after day he refused to give up any information about the underground Catholic Church in England. He died a martyr in 1606 after from his injuries after his entrails burst open. St. Nicholas of Owen was canonized in 1970 as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. Father John Gerard wrote of him: “I verily think no man can be said to have done more good of all those who laboured in the English vineyard. He was the immediate occasion of saving the lives of many hundreds of persons, both ecclesiastical and secular.” His relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica. He is included in the Feast of the English Martyrs on May 4th.

St. Nicholas Owen, the cunning carpenter who saved persecuted priests by building secret passages—pray for us!🙏

SAINT LEA OF ROME, WIDOW: Saint Lea of Rome was a fourth-century widow who left her wealth behind, entered consecrated life, and attained great holiness through asceticism and prayer. Though not well-known as a figure of devotion in modern times, she was acknowledged as a saint on the testimony of her contemporary Saint Jerome, who wrote a letter to St. Marcella giving a brief description of Lea’s life after she had died. St. Jerome, a scholarly monk best known for his Latin translation of the Bible (the Vulgate), is the Church’s only source of information on St. Lea, whose biographical details are unknown. St. Jerome eulogized her in a letter written during the year 384 to his student and spiritual directee Marcella, another Roman consecrated woman who had left her aristocratic life behind after being widowed. It is clear from his letter that St. Lea was a mutual friend to both Sts. Jerome and Marcella. St. Jerome states that his account is written to “hail with joy the release of a soul which has trampled Satan under foot, and won for itself, at last, a crown of tranquility.” Jerome also contrasts the life of “our most saintly friend” with that of the late pagan public official Praetextatus, held up by Jerome as a cautionary example.

“Who,” St. Jerome begins, “can sufficiently eulogize our dear Lea’s mode of living? So complete was her conversion to the Lord that, becoming the head of a monastery, she showed herself a true mother to the virgins in it, wore coarse sackcloth instead of soft raiment, passed sleepless nights in prayer, and instructed her companions even more by example than by precept.” St. Jerome describes how St. Lea, in her great humility, “was accounted the servant of all … She was careless of her dress, neglected her hair, and ate only the coarsest food. Still, in all that she did, she avoided ostentation that she might not have her reward in this world.”

St. Jerome’s letter goes on to compare her fate to that of Praetextus – who died in the same year as St. Lea, after spending his life promoting a return to Rome’s ancient polytheistic pagan religion. The monk retells Jesus’ parable of Lazarus and Dives, with St. Lea in the place of the poor and suffering man. St. Lea, St.Jerome says, is “welcomed into the choirs of the angels; she is comforted in Abraham’s bosom. And, as once the beggar Lazarus saw the rich man, for all his purple, lying in torment, so does Lea see the consul, not now in his triumphal robe but clothed in mourning, and asking for a drop of water from her little finger.” Thus St. Lea, “who seemed poor and of little worth, and whose life was accounted madness,” triumphs in salvation. But the punishment of infidelity falls on the consul-elect – who had led a triumphant procession just before his death, and been widely mourned afterward. St. Jerome ends his letter by urging Marcella to remember the lesson of St. Lea’s life: “We must not allow … money to weigh us down, or lean upon the staff of worldly power. We must not seek to possess both Christ and the world. No; things eternal must take the place of things transitory; and since, physically speaking, we daily anticipate death, if we wish for immortality we must realize that we are but mortal.”

“Hence, I tearfully beg you to refrain from seeking the favors of the world and to renounce all that is carnal. It is impossible to follow both the world and Jesus. Let us live a life of renunciation, for our bodies will soon be dust and nothing else will last any longer.” ~ St. Jerome

PRAYER: Lord, amid the things of this world, let us wholeheartedly be committed to heavenly things in imitation of the example of evangelical perfection You have given us in St. Lea. Amen🙏

BLESSED CLEMENS AUGUST VON GALEN, BISHOP OF MÜNSTER: Bl. Clemens (1878-1946) also known as the “Lion of Munster” was Bishop of Münster (1933-1946) and beatified in 2005. He was born on March 16, 1878 in Dinklage Castle, Oldenburg, Germany, the 11th of 13 children born to Count Ferdinand Heribert and Elisabeth von Spee. His father belonged to the noble family of Westphalia, who since 1660 governed the village of Dinklage. For over two centuries his ancestors carried out the inherited office of camerlengo of the Diocese of Münster. Bl. Clemens  grew up in Dinklage Castle and in other family seats. Due to the struggle between Church and State, he and his brothers were sent to a school run by the Jesuits in Feldkirch, Austria. He remained there until 1894, when he transferred to the Antonianum in Vechta. After graduation, he studied philosophy and theology in Frebur, Innsbruck and Münster, and was ordained a priest on May 28, 1904 for the Diocese of Münster by Bishop Hermann Dingelstadt. He was a Parish priest, with great concern for poor. His first two years as a priest were spent as vicar of the diocesan cathedral where he became chaplain to his uncle, Bishop Maximilian Gerion von Galen. From 1906 to 1929, Fr von Galen carried out much of his pastoral activity outside Münster: in 1906 he was made chaplain of the parish of St Matthias in Berlin-Schönberg; from 1911 to 1919 he was curate of a new parish in Berlin before becoming parish priest of the Basilica of St Matthias in Berlin-Schönberg, where he served for 10 years; here, he was particularly remembered for his special concern for the poor and outcasts. In 1929, Fr von Galen was called back to Münster when Bishop Johannes Poggenpohl asked him to serve as parish priest of the Church of St Lambert. In January 1933, Bishop Poggenpohl died, leaving the See vacant. After two candidates refused, on September 5, 1933 Fr Clemens was appointed Bishop of Münster by Pope Pius XI. On October 28, 1933 he was consecrated by Cardinal Joseph Schulte, Archbishop of Cologne; Bishop von Galen was the first diocesan Bishop to be consecrated under Hitler’s regime. As his motto, he chose the formula of the rite of episcopal consecration: “Nec laudibus, nec timore” (Neither praise nor threats will distance me from God).

Throughout the 20 years that Bishop von Galen was curate and parish priest in Berlin, he wrote on various political and social issues; in a pastoral letter dated 26 March 1934, he wrote very clearly and critically on the “neopaganism of the national socialist ideology”. Due to his outspoken criticism, he was called to Rome by Pope Pius XI in 1937 together with the Bishop of Berlin, to confer with them on the situation in Germany and speak of the eventual publication of an Encyclical. On March 14, 1937 the Encyclical “Mit brennender Sorge” (To the Bishops of Germany: The place of the Catholic Church in the German Reich) was published. It was widely circulated by Bishop von Galen, notwithstanding Nazi opposition. In the summer of 1941, in answer to unwarranted attacks by the National Socialists, Bishop von Galen delivered three admonitory sermons between July and August. He spoke in his old parish Church of St Lambert and in Liebfrauen-Ueberlassen Church, since the diocesan cathedral had been bombed. In his famous speeches, Bishop von Galen spoke out against the State confiscation of Church property and the programmatic euthanasia carried out by the regime. The clarity and incisiveness of his words and the unshakable fidelity of Catholics in the Diocese of Münster embarrassed the Nazi regime, and on October 10, 1943 the Bishop’s residence was bombed. Bishop von Galen was forced to take refuge in nearby Borromeo College. From 12 September 1944 on, he could no longer remain in the city of Münster, destroyed by the war; he left for the zone of Sendenhorst. In 1945, Vatican Radio announced that Pope Pius XII was to hold a Consistory and that the Bishop of Münster was also to be present. After a long and difficult journey, due to the war and other impediments, Bishop von Galen finally arrived in the “Eternal City.” On February 21, 1946 the Public Consistory was held in St Peter’s Basilica and Bishop von Galen was created a Cardinal. On 16 March 1946 the 68-year-old Cardinal returned to Münster. He was cordially welcomed back by the city Authorities and awarded honorary citizenship by the burgomaster. On the site of what remained of the cathedral, Cardinal von Galen gave his first (and what would be his last) discourse to the more than 50,000 people who had gathered, thanking them for their fidelity to the then-Bishop of Münster during the National Socialist regime. He explained that as a Bishop, it was his duty to speak clearly and plainly about what was happening. No one knew that the Cardinal was gravely ill, and when he returned to Münster on March 19, 1946 he had to undergo an operation. Cardinal von Galen died just three days later, on March 22, 1946. He was buried on March 28th in the Ludgerus Chapel, which has become a place of pilgrimage to this defender of the faith in the face of political oppression. He was Venerated on  December 20, 2003 by Pope John Paul II (decree of heroic virtues): Beatified on October 9, 2005 by Pope Benedict XVI. Recognition celebrated by Cardinal Saraiva Martins at St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Italy. The  beatification  miracle involved Hendrikus Nahak, a 16-year old Indonesian whose life was threatened by a particularly dangerous form of appendicitis in 1995 who was healed after his nurse called on Cardinal Galen to intercede on the boy‘s behalf.

“The right to life, to inviolability, to freedom is an indispensable part of any moral order of society.” ~ Blessed Clemens August von Galen ~ Pray for us🙏

PRAYER: O God, who wonderfully numbered among your holy shepherds Blessed Clemens, a man aflame with divine charity and outstanding for that faith that overcomes the world, grant, we pray, that through his intercession we, too, persevering in faith and charity, may merit to be sharers of his glory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever… 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 Fifth Week of Lent | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ John 10:31-42

“They wanted to arrest Jesus, but he eluded them”

“The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?” The Jews answered him, “We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy. You, a man, are making yourself God.” Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods”’? If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came, and Scripture cannot be set aside, can you say that the one whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world blasphemes because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me; but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” Then they tried again to arrest him; but he escaped from their power. He went back across the Jordan to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained. Many came to him and said, “John performed no sign, but everything John said about this man was true.” And many there began to believe in him.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus is strongly opposed by the Jews because of the claims He makes about Himself. ‘You are only a man and you claim to be God’, they said. Jesus goes on to say of Himself, ‘I am the Son of God… the Father is in me and I am in the Father’. Jesus claims to have a unique relationship with God, such that whoever sees Him sees God, the Father. The Gospel of St. John puts it very simply when he writes, the Word who was God became flesh, became enfleshed Word. Jesus, in other words, is God in human form. That conviction is at the core of our Christian faith. Jesus is the revelation of God, and because of that, in the words of the Gospel reading, the good works that He does are the work of the Father. God is doing God’s work through Jesus. God will always be something of a mystery to us, but Jesus has unveiled that mystery to a great extent. Jesus has revealed that the mystery of God is, ultimately, the mystery of Love. In the words of the first letter of Saint John, ‘God is Love’. In the words of the Gospel, ‘God so loved the world that He gave His only Son’. That is the wonderful mystery that we will be remembering and celebrating this coming Holy Week. As we reflect on the passion and death of Jesus this coming Holy Week we will be looking upon not just a broken human being but upon the revelation of God.

In our first reading today from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah describes the time when Jeremiah faced persecutions at the hands of his enemies, which at that time opposed Jeremiah and his works among the people of Judah, calling on all the people to return back towards God with faith. God had sent him to His obstinate and stubborn people to remind them of His ever generous mercy, which He has always made available to them, but which they had frequently ignored and spurned. Jeremiah had to go through a lot of troubles for the sake of the Lord, and yet, he endured all of it patiently, and entrusted himself and his works to the Lord. Of course there were moments when he was exhausted and tired of facing all the oppositions, and which he spoke to the Lord about, but in the end, he believed that God sent him for a good reason, and no matter what, in the end, those who believe in Him and trust in Him will never be disappointed. Jeremiah, just as many other prophets who came before him and those who came after him, might have to endure all those bitterness and hardships, but through their faith and dedication, they had done a lot of good works for the sake of the Lord.

As we reflect on the Words of the Sacred Scriptures today, the Lord calls us to share in His work, what He calls in today’s Gospel reading, ‘my Father’s work’. Sharing in whatever small way we can in the Lord’s good work, or good works, will not always make for an easy or a simple life. Yet, it is our calling and in trying to be faithful to that calling the Lord will support us; in fact, He will be working in us and through us. God has always stood by His faithful ones like Jeremiah and He would not let those who are dear to Him to suffer and be crushed. Even if they were to suffer, in the end, those who remain faithful to God shall triumph together with Him. Our Scripture readings today continue to prepare us for the celebration of the Lord’s Passion, His suffering, death and resurrection which we will all focus on throughout the Holy Week next week. Now, we have heard all the trials and challenges that the faithful servants of the Lord had to endure in their works of faith, and ultimately, the Lord Himself would face the ultimate trial in His Passion, His crucifixion and death. All of us as Christians must remember the Lord’s words, that He had told us, how if we are to be His disciples, we have to carry our crosses and follow Him. We are called to emulate the Saints, the Holy men and women, particularly those Saints we celebrate today. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace during this season of Lent and may He empower us all to live ever more faithfully in His Presence, now and always. May we all be good inspiration for one another, and be role models of faith, at all times. Amen🙏

Let us pray:

My Lord Jesus, You are calling me to enter deeper into a relationship of love with You, my divine Lord. Give me the grace I need to say “Yes” to You and to enter into the desert of silence and prayer I need so as to hear Your voice. Draw me to You, my Lord, and help me to more fully believe all that You wish to say. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Nicholas Owen of London; Saint Lea of Rome and Blessed Clemens August von Galen ~ 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 Fifth Week of Lent ~ Amen🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖

FIFTH WEEK OF LENT

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ MARCH 21, 2024

Greetings beloved family and Happy Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent! May God’s grace and mercy be with us all during this season of our Lenten journey🙏

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN” | March 21, 2024 |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 21, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | March 21, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 21, 2024 |

Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 21, 2024 |

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Thursday, March 21, 2024
Reading 1, Genesis 17:3-9
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 105:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
Gospel, John 8:51-59

40 Days in the Desert. A Lenten journey with our Lord | Day Thirty-Two: Lust or Purity? | Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-in-the-desert-a-lenten-journey-with-our-lord/day-thirty-two-lust-or-purity/

40 Days at the foot of the Cross. A Gaze of Love from the Heart of our Blessed Mother Mary | Day Thirty-Two – “Woman, Behold Your Son…Behold Your Mother” | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-at-the-foot-of-the-cross/day-thirty-two-woman-behold-your-sonbehold-your-mother/

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 MARCH: MONTH OF SAINT JOSEPH: “His was the title of father of the Son of God, because he was the Spouse of Mary, ever Virgin. He was our Lord’s father, because Jesus ever yielded to him the obedience of a son. He was our Lord’s father, because to him were entrusted, and by him were faithfully fulfilled, the duties of a father, in protecting Him, giving Him a home, sustaining and rearing Him, and providing Him with a trade” 

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH – For the new Martyrs: We pray that those who risk their lives for the Gospel in various parts of the world inflame the Church with their courage and missionary enthusiasm.

During this Liturgical season of Lent, we continue to meditate on the mystery of Jesus’ sufferings which culminated in His death on the Cross for the redemption of mankind.

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, we pray for the repose of their gentle souls 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 their gentle souls 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 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 🙏

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 Nicholas of Flue, Hermit. The Patron Saint of Switzerland, Pontifical Swiss Guards. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, we humbly pray for the poor and the needy, for persecuted christians, for an end to religious and political unrest, for justice and peace, love and unity in our world that is torn apart by war, terrorism, racism and countless other acts of violence against human life.🙏

“My Lord and my God, take everything from me that keeps me from Thee. My Lord and my God, give everything to me that brings me near to Thee. My Lord and my God, take me away from myself and give me completely to Thee.” ~ Saint Nicholas of Flue ~ Pray for us 🙏

SAINT NICHOLAS OF FLUE, HERMIT: Nicholas von Flue was born on March 21st, 1417 in the Canton of Unterwalden on the lake of Lucerne, Switzerland, citizen of a peasant democracy, of pious parents, a farmer’s son. As he grew up he proved himself a capable farmer, and the ability he displayed in the local parliament, of which every male citizen was a member, led to his election at an early age as councillor and judge. He also proved himself a capable commander of troops. In the war against the duke of Tirol he persuaded his compatriots to respect a convent of nuns. Though willing to perform his military service, St. Nicholas condemned as immoral, wars of aggression and the slaughter of non-combatants inevitable in any major modern war. One day, when he saw an arrow launched on a neighboring mountain, he was filled with a desire for Heaven and with love for solitude. About the age of thirty he married a farmer’s daughter, Dorothy Wiss, and built a farmhouse to receive her. The couple had ten children and descendants survive to this day. He married, to obey the formal will of his parents. His merit and virtue caused him to be chosen by his fellow citizens to exercise very honorable public functions. St. Nicholas had thus approved himself to his countrymen as a thoroughly capable man, as farmer, military leader, member of the assembly, councillor, judge and father of a family—also a man of complete moral integrity. All the while, however, he led a life of contemplative prayer and rigorous fasting. He was the subject of symbolic visions and a diabolic assault.

After some twenty years of married life, in 1467 St. Nicholas received a compelling call to abandon his home and the world and become a hermit. He was fifty years old when when that interior voice said to him: Leave everything you love, and God will take care of you. He had to undergo a distressing combat, but decided finally to leave everything — wife, children, house, lands — to serve God. He left, barefooted, clothed in a long robe of coarse fabric, in his hand a rosary, without money or provisions, casting a final tender and prolonged gaze on his loved ones. His habitual prayer was this: My Lord and my God, remove from me all that can prevent me from going to You. My Lord and my God, give me all that can draw me to You. Though his wife, Dorothy had just borne his tenth child, she heroically consented. His neighbors, however, even his older children, regarded his action as indefensible, unbalanced, immoral and irresponsible. He set out for Alsace, where he intended to live. Had he carried out his intention his vocation would have been missed. A storm, however, symbolically interpreted, and friendly advice not to settle where the Swiss were detested made him turn back from the border. At the same time, one night God penetrated the hermit with a brilliant light, and from that time on he never again experienced hunger, thirst or cold, he became incapable of eating or drinking—a condition which continued for the rest of his life. As an act of obedience to a bishop he once ate with acute agony a piece of soaked bread. Having found a wild and solitary place, he dwelt there for a time in a hut of leaves, later in a cabin built with stones. The news of his presence, when it spread, brought him a great influx of visitors. Distinguished persons came to him for counsel in matters of great importance. It may seem incredible that the holy hermit lived for nineteen years only by the Holy Eucharist; the civil and ecclesiastical authorities, startled by this fact, had his cabin surveyed and verified this fact as being beyond question.

When Switzerland for a moment was divided and threatened with civil war in 1480, Saint Nicholas of Flue, venerated by all, was chosen as arbiter, to prevent the shedding of blood. He spoke so wisely that a union was reached, to the joy of all concerned, and the nation was saved. Bells were set ringing all over the country, and the concerted jubilation echoed across the lakes, mountains and valleys, from the most humble cottage to the largest cities. St. Nicholas survived his achievement almost six years, universally revered, visited and consulted. On March 21st 1487, his seventieth birthday, he died, apparently of his first illness, a very painful sickness which tormented him for eight days and nights without overcoming his patience. One is glad to know that his wife and children attended his deathbed. After all, she had never lost her husband completely. Honored by Swiss Protestants, venerated by Swiss Catholics, Nicholas’s cult, uninterrupted since his death, was officially sanctioned by Clement IX (1667-9). He was beatified in 1669 by Pope Clement IX, canonized in 1947, by Pope Pius XII. He’s the Patron Saint of Switzerland, Pontifical Swiss Guards.

PRAYER: Lord God, You alone are holy and no one is good without You. Through the intercession of St. Nicholas help us to live in such a way that we may not be deprived of a share in Your glory. 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, Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ John 8:51-59

“Your father, Abraham, rejoiced because he saw my day”

“Jesus said to the Jews: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.” So the Jews said to him, “Now we are sure that you are possessed. Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’ Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? Or the prophets, who died? Who do you make yourself out to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing; but it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ You do not know him, but I know him. And if I should say that I do not know him, I would be like you a liar. But I do know him and I keep his word. Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.” So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.”

In today’s Gospel reading, the Jewish leaders were ready to stone Jesus for what He had been saying, what He had done and taught, and revealed before them, especially as He referred to God as His own heavenly Father, which was indeed the truth. They refused to accept the fact that this Man before them, the Son of a mere carpenter from the backwater village of Nazareth, in Galilee at the periphery of the Jewish world could be anyone special, less a Prophet, and even less so as the Son of God, the Messiah and Saviour of the whole world. They took offence at the Lord when He said that He had known Abraham and existed before Abraham ever was. That was the truth, and the Lord has patiently revealed and explained it all to them, but in their pride and arrogance, those people closed their hearts and minds to Him. Those Jewish people were those who were especially particular about the Law of God and His commandments, as those who kept strictly the various rules, precepts, rites and various customs of their ancestors. They took great pride in their inheritance and the efforts they placed in their piety and observance of the Law of God. That was why they were unhappy and angered by the Lord Jesus and His teachings, His revelation and words which challenged their traditional understanding of the world and way of life, and threatened the influence that the elites among them, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law held. That was why they hardened their hearts and minds, refusing to listen to the truth and wisdom that God had revealed to all of them through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. It is a paradox that Jesus who was put to death came for one purpose only, to give life, to draw people into the life of God. He declares to His hostile audience in today’s Gospel reading, ‘whoever keeps my word will never see death… will never know the taste of death’. It is an extraordinary promise. If we hear the Lord’s word and live by it we will never lose the life that His word gives us. We will of course experience physical death, but if we give ourselves over to the Lord’s word we will begin to live with a life which even physical death will not destroy. The life Jesus speaks about is the fruit of our relationship with Him, and that relationship is not broken by death but, on the contrary, deepens beyond death.

In our first reading today from the Book of Genesis, the Lord made the Covenant with Abraham, who was then still known as Abram, a man who came from the far-off region of Mesopotamia, following the commands and call of God into the land of Canaan, the land which God then promised to him and his descendants to be their own land. Abram then did not yet have a son that will carry on his name and legacy, but God promised him that he would be the father of many nations, through his son Isaac, the one that God would give to him in due time, but which then was yet unknown to Abram. Abram trusted in the Lord and although technically he and his wife, both of whom had been advanced in age, could no longer bear a child anymore, but he trusted in the Lord and believed in His words and promises. That is why God chose to made a Covenant between Himself and Abram, choosing him and set him apart from any other men and women who were his contemporaries at that time. God chose Abram because He knew everything in his heart and mind, and how Abram truly had faith in Him and trusted in Him wholeheartedly. God sees what is in man’s heart, even to the deepest of their hearts and beings. In Abram, God found a truly righteous man worthy of becoming the one with whom He made a Covenant with. Through Abraham, the salvation of all of His beloved people would come, as it has been planned all along from the very beginning. Thus, Abram made a Covenant with God and he devoted himself to God, with a new life blessed by God, as Abraham the righteous and just, the beloved and chosen one of God, whose descendants were numerous and many, and all of us who call the Lord as our Master, we also call Abraham as our father in faith. All of us share with him this faith which he had first shown all those years ago, dedicating himself to the Lord and followed Him wherever He called him to follow and walk to. All of us are therefore also expected to follow the Lord wholeheartedly in the same manner, giving our time, effort and attention to be ever faithful as disciples and followers of His.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded of how God has made a Covenant with Abraham, our father in faith, and how the same Covenant has been renewed and established anew again and again, until the time when Christ, Our Lord and Saviour came into this world and accomplished the works that His heavenly Father has entrusted to Him. He has come into our midst and established with us a new, everlasting and eternal Covenant that He sealed with the offering and outpouring of His own Most Precious Blood and the shedding of His Most Precious Body on the Altar of the Cross. We are called to reflect on this as we draw ever closer to the beginning of Holy Week, the time when we are going to commemorate the events surrounding Our Lord’s Passion, His suffering, death and resurrection. We are called to emulate the Saints, the holy men and women, particularly St. Nicholas of Flue, who we celebrate today. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the His grace as we all prepare ourselves well especially for the upcoming Holy Week and Easter Triduum, and strive to be ever closer to the Lord, our most loving God and Father. May all of us remain faithful, and grow ever stronger in our commitment and dedication to live our lives in accordance with God’s will, now and always, evermore. Amen🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Nicholas of Flue ~ 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 grace-filled Fifth Week of Lent ~ Amen🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖

FIFTH WEEK OF LENT

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ MARCH 20, 2024

Greetings beloved family and Happy Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent! May God’s grace and mercy be with us all during this season of our Lenten journey🙏

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN” | March 20, 2024 |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 20, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | March 20, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 20, 2024 |

Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 20, 2024 |

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Reading 1, Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95
Responsorial Psalm, Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56
Gospel, John 8:31-42

40 Days in the Desert. A Lenten journey with our Lord | Day Thirty-One: Greed or Generosity? | Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-in-the-desert-a-lenten-journey-with-our-lord/day-thirty-one-greed-or-generosity/

40 Days at the foot of the Cross. A Gaze of Love from the Heart of our Blessed Mother Mary | Day Thirty-One – “Today You Will be With Me in Paradise” | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-at-the-foot-of-the-cross/day-thirty-one-today-you-will-be-with-me-in-paradise/

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 MARCH: MONTH OF SAINT JOSEPH: “His was the title of father of the Son of God, because he was the Spouse of Mary, ever Virgin. He was our Lord’s father, because Jesus ever yielded to him the obedience of a son. He was our Lord’s father, because to him were entrusted, and by him were faithfully fulfilled, the duties of a father, in protecting Him, giving Him a home, sustaining and rearing Him, and providing Him with a trade” 

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH – For the new Martyrs: We pray that those who risk their lives for the Gospel in various parts of the world inflame the Church with their courage and missionary enthusiasm.

During this Liturgical season of Lent, we continue to meditate on the mystery of Jesus’ sufferings which culminated in His death on the Cross for the redemption of mankind.

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, we pray for the repose of their gentle souls 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 their gentle souls 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 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 🙏

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 John Nepomucene, Priest and Martyr (Patron Saint of confessors and for a good confession; against calumnies or slander;  against floods; against indiscretions; bridges and bridge builders; for discretion and silence); Saint Photina, the Samaritan woman, Martyr and Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne, Bishop and Missionary. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the forgiveness of sins, the conversion of sinners and for all Christians during this season of Lent. 🙏

SAINT JOHN NEPOMUCENE, PRIEST AND MARTYR: St. John Nepomucene (1345-1393) also known as St. John of Nepomuk was a Saint of Bohemia born John Wölflein or Welflin, in Nepomuk, Bohemia, in 1345, Saint John used the name of his native town for his surname instead of his family name. In his early childhood, John Nepomucene was cured of a disease through the prayers of his good parents. In thanksgiving, they consecrated him to the service of God. He studied theology and law at the University of Prague and was eventually ordained a priest. After John was ordained, he was sent to a parish in the city of Prague. He became a great preacher, and thousands of those listened to him changed their way of life. In time, he became vicar general of Archbishop John of Genzenstein at Prague.

In 1393, King Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia, wishing to found a new bishopric for one of his favorites, ordered that at the death of the present abbot of Kladrau Abbey, no new abbot should be elected and that the abbey church should be turned into a cathedral. The archbishop and John thwarted the king’s plan by approving the election of a new abbot immediately on the death of the old one. Upon hearing this, Wenceslaus fell into a violent rage and had the vicar-general and several cathedral officials thrown into prison. John was tortured by having his sides burnt with torches, but even this could not move him. An additional reason for John’s violent death may be because of the tale that is traditionally told about him: Father John was invited to the court of Wenceslaus IV. He settled arguments and did many kind deeds for the needy people of the city. He also became the Queen’s confessor. When the King was cruel to the Queen, Father John taught her to bear her cross patiently. One day,  the King asked the Saint to tell what the Queen had said in confession. When he refused, he was thrown into prison. A second time, Father John was asked to reveal the Queen’s confession. “If you do not tell me,” said the King, “you shall die. But if you obey my command, riches and honors will be yours.” Again Father John vehemently refused to break the seal of the confessional. He was tortured. Finally, on March 20, 1393, the king ordered him to be put in chains and led through the city with a block of wood in his mouth. His martyrdom was complete when he was then thrown from a bridge into the Moldau River at Prague. A strange brightness is said to have appeared above the spot where he drowned; because of this  St. John of Nepomucene is often portrayed in art with seven stars above his head. For this reason, St. John is also called the “Martyr of the Confessional” and is sometimes pictured with his finger to his lips. He was canonized in 1729 by Pope Benedict XIII and is honored as a Patron Saint of Bohemia and of confessors.

PRAYER: God, we praise You for the grace You granted to St. John to offer his life in defense of the seal of confession. Grant that, through his prayers, we may use the Sacrament of Penance often and with profit. Amen🙏
 
Almighty and merciful God, who brought your Martyr blessed John Nepomucene to overcome the torments of his passion, grant that we, who celebrate the day of his triumph, may remain invincible under your protection against the snares of the enemy. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen🙏

SAINT PHOTINA, THE SAMARITAN WOMAN, MARTYR: The holy Martyr Photina (1st Century) was the Samaritan GodWoman, with whom our Saviour conversed at Jacob’s Well (John 4:5-42). Her name means “enlightened one”. St Photina was later martyred for Christ, together with her sons and her sisters, during the persecution of Christians by the Roman emperor Nero. In both Greek and Roman tradition, she preached and converted many to Christianity, including her family and Nero’s daughter. At that time St Photina was living in Carthage (the modern Tunis), where she fearlessly preached the Gospel together with her younger son Joses. Her older son Victor was in the Roman army. After the war, Victor was appointed military commander of Attalia, where he converted many people to Christianity. When Nero was informed that St Photina and her sons were preaching Christianity, he ordered them to come to Rome to be tried. St Photina arrived in Rome with her five sisters – Anatola, Phota, Photis, Paraskeva and Kyriake. They all awaited martyrdom, as they had been told of it in advance by our Lord Jesus Christ. Nero ordered all of them to be brutally tortured, especially St Photina, but the saints did not feel any pain and remained unharmed. The holy martyrs Victor and Joses were put in prison, and St Photina and her five sisters were sent to the imperial court under the supervision of Nero’s daughter Domnina. Many people visited the saints in prison and were baptized by them.

Hearing all this, Nero ordered the saints to be crucified upside down, beaten and then left to hang for three days. On the fourth day, when the emperor’s servants came to check the martyrs, an angel of God came down from heaven, untied the martyrs, and made them completely well. The servants immediately believed in Christ and were baptized. When Nero found out about this, he ordered the martyrs be severely tortured. When St Photina was urged to make a sacrifice to the idols, the saint spit in the emperor’s face and laughed at him. She was thrown into a well, where she finally gave up her soul to God. The emperor ordered all the other martyrs including her sons Joseph and Victor, her sisters along with several other Christians to be beheaded. She died a martyr’s death and is thought of as equal to the Apostles. They were included in the Roman Martyrology by Cardinal Cesare Baronius owing to the widely held view that the head of Photina was preserved in the church of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls.

PRAYER: By the well of Jacob, O holy one, thou didst find the Water of eternal and blessed life; and having partaken thereof, O wise Photina, thou went forth proclaiming Christ, the Anointed One. Help us to follow your example, and through our lives bring glory to the Lord and believers to the Church….Amen🙏

SAINT CUTHBERT OF LINDISFARNE, BISHOP AND MISSIONARY: St. Cuthbert of Lindisfarne (634-687 A.D.) was born in North Northumbria, present-day Scotland to in about 634, in the same year in which Aidan founded the monastery on Lindisfarne. He came from a well-to-do English family and like most boys of that class, he was placed with foster-parents for part of his childhood and taught the arts of war. We know nothing of his foster-father but he was very fond of his foster-mother, Kenswith. According to history, he was brought up as a Christian. He was credited, for instance, with having saved by his prayers, some monks who were being swept out to sea on a raft. There is some evidence that, in his mid-teens, he was involved in at least one battle, which would have been quite normal for a boy of his social background. His life changed when he was about 17 years old. He was looking after some neighbour’s sheep on the hills. Gazing into the night sky he saw a light descend to Earth and then return, escorting, he believed, a human soul to Heaven. The date was August 31st 651AD – the night that Aidan died. Perhaps Cuthbert had already been considering a possible monastic calling but that was his moment of decision. He went to the monastery at Melrose, also founded by Aidan, and asked to be admitted as a Novice. For the next 13 years he was with the Melrose monks. When Melrose was given land to found a new monastery at Ripon, St. Cuthbert went with the founding party and was made guestmaster. In his late 20s he returned to Melrose and found that his former teacher and friend, the prior Boisil, was dying of the plague. St. Cuthbert became prior (second to the Abbot) at Melrose.

In 664AD the Synod of Whitby decided that Northumbria should cease to look to Ireland for its spiritual leadership and turn instead to the continent the Irish monks of Lindisfarne, with others, went back to Iona. The abbot of Melrose subsequently became also abbot of Lindisfarne and Cuthbert its prior. St. Cuthbert seems to have moved to Lindisfarne at about the age of 30 and lived there for the next 10 years. He ran the monastery; he was an active missionary; he was much in demand as a spiritual guide and he developed the gift of spiritual healing. He was an outgoing, cheerful, compassionate person and no doubt became popular. But when he was 40 years old he believed that he was being called to be a hermit and to do the hermit’s job of fighting the spiritual forces of evil in a life of solitude. After a short trial period on the tiny islet adjoining Lindisfarne he moved to the more remote and larger island known as ‘Inner Farne’ and built a hermitage where he lived for 10 years. Of course, people did not leave him alone – they went out in their little boats to consult him or ask for healing. However, on many days of the year the seas around the islands are simply too rough to make the crossing and St. Cuthbert was left in peace. At the age of about 50 he was asked by both Church and King to leave his hermitage and become a bishop. He reluctantly agreed. For two years he was an active, travelling bishop as Aidan had been. He seems to have journeyed extensively. On one occasion he was visiting the Queen in Carlisle (on the other side of the country from Lindisfarne) when he knew by second sight that her husband, the King, had been slain by the Picts doing battle in Scotland. Feeling the approach of death he retired back to the hermitage on the Inner Farne where, in the company of Lindisfarne monks, he died on March 20th 687AD. His body was brought back and buried on Lindisfarne. Miracles were reported at his grave; in fact, so numerous were the reported miracles that St.  Cuthbert was called the “Wonder-worker of England.” Throughout the Middle Ages the shrine of Cuthbert remained one of the most popular places of pilgrimage in northern England
 
PRAYER: Merciful God, who called Cuthbert from following the flock to be a shepherd of your people: Mercifully grant that we also may go without fear to dangerous and remote places, to seek the indifferent and the lost; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. 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, Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032024.cfm

Gospel Reading ~ John 8:31-42

“If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed”

“Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. A slave does not remain in a household forever, but a son always remains. So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free. I know that you are descendants of Abraham. But you are trying to kill me, because my word has no room among you. I tell you what I have seen in the Father’s presence; then do what you have heard from the Father.” They answered and said to him, “Our father is Abraham.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works of Abraham. But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God; Abraham did not do this. You are doing the works of your father!” So they said to him, “We were not born of fornication. We have one Father, God.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and am here; I did not come on my own, but he sent me.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus speaks of Himself as the source of true freedom. He says, ‘if you make my word your home… you will learn the truth and the truth will make you free’, and again, ‘if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed’. Some people see religion, and Christianity in particular, as a threat to freedom, as undermining of human freedom. Yet Jesus declares in the Gospel reading today that if we make His word our home we will be free, even in these times when so much of our freedom is curtailed. If we allow our lives to be shaped by the word of Jesus we will experience what Paul in his letter to the Romans calls ‘the glorious freedom of the children of God’. If we allow the Lord’s word to shape our lives we will begin to love one another as the Lord has loved us and, then, we will be truly free with the freedom of the Holy Spirit. In the teaching of Jesus and in the New Testament as a whole, the free person is the loving person, the person who is free to love as Jesus loved. Paul declares in his second letter to the Corinthians, ‘where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom’, and the fruit of the Spirit is love. Jesus was the freest person who ever lived, even when His freedom was taken from Him in the hour of His passion and death, because He was the most loving person, the fullest revelation of God’s love. He calls us to share in His freedom through the power of the Holy Spirit.

In our first reading today from the Book of Daniel is the story of three young men of Israel, Azariah, Mishael and Hananiah, known as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who remained faithful to the God of Israel, even though threatened with the loss of their lives unless they abandoned their faith. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were preserved alive by God, after they had been thrown into the fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar. The three men walked about freely in the fiery furnace, completely unharmed by the fire, in the company of a fourth man who looked ‘like a son of the gods’ and the king and everyone present witnessed the great miracle, and saw the Angel of God that God sent to safeguard them as the mysterious fourth man present in the fire with them. The Lord protected the three of them for their faith in Him and to show Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon the futility of his hubris, pride and ego. In the end, God rescued His faithful ones and those who pride themselves in their own power and glory were ashamed and put down. This story emerged from a time at the beginning of the second century before Christ when Jews were being persecuted for refusing to worship the gods of Greece. It was intended to inspire and give courage to the author’s contemporaries. Here were young men who had the freedom to remain faithful to God and the ways of God, in spite of the enormous pressure on them to do otherwise. Even while they were imprisoned in the fiery furnace, they remained free, free to live according to God’s will as revealed in God’s laws or God’s word. This is the kind of freedom that Jesus refers to in today’s Gospel reading. As God’s Word in human form, the freedom to live according to God’s will is now the freedom to live by Jesus’ word. As Jesus says in the Gospel reading, ‘if you make my word your home you will indeed be my disciples, you will learn the truth and the truth will make you free’.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all called to follow the Lord and to remember His providence and love, the compassion which He has shown to each and every one of us that we will be willing to open ourselves to Him, opening our hearts and minds so that we may listen to the words that our Lord and Father speak to us in the depth of our hearts and minds. Let us all therefore seek the Lord with renewed faith and desire to love Him from now on. Let us humble ourselves before Him and not be like those who kept their prideful ways, like the king of Babylon or the people at the time of the Lord Jesus, who refused to believe in God and His truth, and even persecuted the faithful. Instead, we should be inspired by the faith of Azariah, Mishael and Hananiah, known as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and remain firmly strong in our faith and dedication to God from now and always. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace during this season of Lent and always to remain faithful and may He bless us all and be with us all, through our journey of faith in life. Amen🙏

Let us pray:

God of all Truth, Your Word is liberating, transforming and fills us with hope. May I turn my mind to You and to Your holy Word so that I may know the Truth as You speak it and allow that transforming Truth to set me free. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint John Nepomucene; Saint Photina, the Samaritan woman, and Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne ~ 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, fruitful and grace-filled Fifth Week of Lent ~ Amen🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖