SECOND WEEK OF LENT
STATIONS OF THE CROSS (Link below)
SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ MARCH 1, 2024
Greetings beloved family and Happy Friday of the Second Week of Lent!
We thank God for the gift of life and for the new month of March. May His name be praised forever and ever. May God’s grace and mercy be with us all as we continue our Lenten journey. Amen🙏
On this day, with special intention, we pray for the eternal repose of the soul of our beloved Late Uncle and Archbishop, the Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Diocese of Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria, MOST REVEREND JOSEPH EDRAH UKPO on the first year memorial anniversary of his passing to eternal glory. We thank the good Lord for blessing us all with the special gift of Late Archbishop Emeritus Ukpo, for his faithful, selfless, generous, dedicated and loving service in the Lord’s vineyard. We are all consoled knowing that he’s now resting in the bosom of the Lord, where there is neither pain nor sorrow. He’s an Angel watching over us all. We continue to keep Late Archbishop Ukpo’s family, Catholic Diocese of Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria and the entire Churh in our thoughts and prayers as we celebrate his one year rememberance today.
Eternal rest grant unto Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Ukpo, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon him. May his gentle soul and souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏
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🙏
Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary | March 1, 2024 on EWTN” |
Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 1, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | March 1, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 1, 2024 |
Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 1, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteries VIRTUAL🌹JOYFUL🌹LUMINOUS🌹SORROWFUL🌹GLORIOUS” on YouTube |
Today’s Bible Readings: Friday, March 1, 2024
Reading 1, Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13, 17-18
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21
Gospel, Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46
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 Fifteen: Power | Friday of the Second Week of Lent | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-in-the-desert-a-lenten-journey-with-our-lord/day-fifteen-power/
40 Days at the foot of the Cross. A Gaze of Love from the Heart of our Blessed Mother Mary | Day Fifteen – Hearing and Observing the Word of God | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-at-the-foot-of-the-cross/day-fifteen-hearing-and-observing-the-word-of-god/
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 late Fr. Thomas Kennedy, Archbishop Joseph Ukpo, and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. 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 the gentle soul of Pope Benedict XVI, Fr. Tom Kenedy and souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯
During this season of Lent, please let us all continue to pray for peace all over the world, particularly in 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 🙏
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 David of Wales, Bishop (Patron Saint of Wales; Pembrokeshire; Naas; vegetarians; poets; newborns) and Saint Albinus of Angers, Bishop and miracle-worker (Patron Saint invoked for children in danger of death; invoked against pirate attacks). Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for poets who speak the Word and for the safety and well-being of our children and children all over the world🙏
SAINT DAVID OF WALES, BISHOP: St. David of Wales (6th c.), also called Dewi Sant by the Welsh, was a missionary priest, Celtic monk, archbishop, miracle-worker, and the founder of many monasteries in Wales and western England during the sixth century. St. David was a popular namesake for churches in Wales prior to the Anglican schism, and his feast day is still an important religious and civic observance. He was descended from Welsh royalty, and in medieval times many believed he was the nephew of the famed King Arthur. St. David lived during the golden age of Welsh Saints in the 5th and 6th centuries. His mother, Saint Nonna, or Nonnita, is also reckoned a Celtic saint, has her traditional feast day on March 3. St. David appears to have been the cousin of his contemporary Saint Teilo, another Welsh bishop and monk and was a cousin of St. Cadoc, who founded the great monastery at Llancarfan.
St. David studied under St. Paulinus, another of the learned monks of the age, and in turn began his ministry as a founder of missions in southwestern Wales. St. David served as the Bishop of Menevia, an important port city linking Wales and Ireland in his time. The last monastery he founded was in Mynyw (Menevia) in far Southwestern Wales. Twelve monasteries have their founding ascribed to St. David. He lived by a strict monastic rule that was patterned after the Desert Fathers of Egypt and developed a reputation for strict asceticism. His monks modeled their lives on the earliest desert hermits – combining hard manual labor, silence, long hours of prayer, and a diet that completely excluded meat and alcohol. The monks did not use animals to take care of their fields, and lived off of only bread, vegetables, and water. His great leadership abilities gave him influence over many Church affairs.
St. David is often depicted standing on a mound with a dove on his shoulder. According to legend, one day while preaching a dove rested on his shoulder, and the earth rose to lift him above the crowd so that all could hear him speak. During a battle with the Saxons, St. David advised the Welsh soldiers to wear leeks in their hats to distinguish themselves from their enemy; this is the origin of the leek as an emblem of Wales. St. David is one of the great saints of the 6th century whose work helped to establish Christianity in Europe. He is the patron saint of Wales, and his feast, “St. David’s Day,” is a popular cultural celebration. The Cathedral of St. David’s in Pembrokeshire was built over his remains and became a pilgrimage destination for centuries. St. David of Wales died in the 540s at an advanced age. Pope Callistus II canonized St. David of Wales in 1120. St. David is remembered as a missionary bishop and the founder of many monasteries and the Patron Saint of Wales; Pembrokeshire; Naas; vegetarians; poets; newborns.
St. David’s dying words to his monastic brethren: “Brothers and sisters, be joyful, keep the faith, and do the little things that you have heard and seen me do.”
PRAYER: O God, who graciously bestowed on your Bishop Saint David of Wales the virtue of wisdom and the gift of eloquence, and made him an example of prayer and pastoral zeal; grant that, through his intercession, your Church may ever prosper and render you joyful praise. 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 ALBINUS OF ANGERS, BISHOP: St. Albinus of Angers (470-550) also known as Aubin of Angers, Albino of Angers was a French Bishop, Confessor, Monk, Abbot, miracle-worker. St. Albinus was a monk and from 504 C.E. Abbot of Tintillac. His reputation spread during the twenty-five years in which he served as abbot. St. Albinus was so well known for working miracles that faithful people all over Europe, from Spain to Poland, prayed for his intercession. Many French parishes are named after him to this day. St. Albinus was born in 470 to a noble Gallo-Roman family at Vannes, Brittany, northern France. His family landed there from England or Ireland. In his early youth he was fervent in the practice of piety and as a young man embraced the monastic state at Cincillae, a nearby monastery near Angers. In 504, at thirty-five years of age, he was chosen Abbot, which office he filled for twenty-five years, until he became Bishop of Angers when Angers, France, needed a bishop in 529, the people turned to him. He governed his diocese until his death, which occurred about the year 550.
As a monk, St. Albinus was a perfect model of virtue, especially of prayer, mortification of the senses, and obedience. He was entirely dead to himself, living only for Christ. As Bishop, St. Albinus governed his See with zeal, restoring discipline everywhere, while in his private conduct he lived the same life of sanctity as he had liven when a monk. His humility equaled his other virtues, so that he looked on himself as the most unprofitable among the servant of God. Many Christians of his diocese had fallen into slavery through the invasions of the barbarians, and Saint Albinus used every resource available to him for their redemption. He preached every day, and took great care of the sick and the poor. He had a special care for widows who were raising large families. He also was famous for his work ransoming captives. Nearby barbarian forces would raid the cities, and he spent large amounts of money to buy back prisoners who had been enslaved. Once, the king himself carried off a beautiful young girl and locked her away for his own pleasure. When Albinus heard about it, he went directly to the castle and demanded her freedom. The guards dared not oppose him and handed her over. The king did not pursue, but had the gall to demand a ransom for her freedom, which Albinus paid himself.
St. Albinus was known for freeing captives, healing the sick, restoring sight to the blind, and even raised the dead, one boy named Alabald. St. Albinus died on March 1, 550 AD, Angers, France of natural causes after making a long journey which he undertook to consult Saint Cesarius, Bishop of Arles, concerning matters of episcopal government. He had been the benediction of his diocese for twenty-one years. He’s the Patron Saint invoked for children in danger of death; invoked against pirate attacks.
PRAYER: God, Light and Shepherd of souls, You established St. Albinus as Bishop in Your Church to feed Your flock by his word and form it by his example. Help us through his intercession to keep the Faith he taught by his word and follow the way he showed by his example. 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 Second Week of Lent | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
“Gospel Reading ~ Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46”
“This is the heir; let us kill him”
“Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: “Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned. Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’ They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?” They answered him, “He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times.” Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures: ”The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes? “Therefore, I say to you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit.” When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was speaking about them. And although they were attempting to arrest him, they feared the crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.”
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus tells a parable in which the son of a vineyard owner is killed by the tenants. In this way Jesus points ahead to His own rejection and death. Having spoken the parable, Jesus quotes from one of the psalms, ‘It was the stone rejected by the builders that became the keystone’. Here Jesus points ahead to His resurrection. Although He was rejected by the religious and political leaders of the day, Jesus rose from the dead and in so doing became the keystone of a new temple, the temple of the church, the community of those who believed in Him. According to the Gospel, Jesus would be rejected in the most violent way imaginable. Yet, God raised Him from the dead, thereby establishing Him as the keystone of a new spiritual building, the church. The image of the rejected stone becoming a keystone is a powerful image of how God can work powerfully in situations of weakness, to use the language of St. Paul. For St. Paul, God worked powerfully through the weakness of Christ crucified on behalf of all humanity. God can turn our own rejected stones into keystones. God can work powerfully through those experiences in our lives which we reject as useless, worthless, of no value. As St. Paul declares in his letter to the Romans, ‘all things work together for good for those who love God’. The experience of Jesus teaches us that what is rejected can often turn out to be of crucial importance. What we might be initially inclined to reject can be the means through which God may want to speak to us. Those aspects of our own lives that we may be prone to reject and slow to accept may be the very channels through which the Lord can work most powerfully in our lives and, through us, in the lives of others. The experience of Jesus also suggests that God always has a purpose for what is rejected. God is not in the business of rejecting. Although we can reject God, God never rejects us.
Our first reading today from the Book of Genesis details what happened to the sons of Jacob, also known as Israel, the ones who would become the progenitors of the twelve tribes of the Israelites. Jacob had a total of twelve sons, born from different wives and from the servants of his wives. The most beloved among all those sons were naturally Joseph and Benjamin, who were born to Jacob through his most beloved wife Rachel. We have a somewhat extreme case of sibling animosity. Joseph’s brothers wanted to kill him and would have done so were it not for the intervention of one of the brothers, Ruben. As a result, Joseph suffered the lesser fate of being thrown into an empty well. It was jealousy that drove the antagonism of Joseph’s brothers. They recognized that he was their father’s favourite, his coat of many colours being a symbol of that favouritism. In the language of today’s Gospel, Joseph was the stone rejected by the builders. Yet, that rejected stone went on to become the cornerstone. Joseph was eventually taken captive into Egypt. There his natural abilities resulted eventually in his having a very important position in the Egyptian civil service. When famine struck the land of Israel, Jacob sent his sons to Egypt for food, and who was the Minister for Food when the brothers arrived, only their brother Joseph. The one they had rejected became their saviour. The early church saw in the story of Joseph a symbol of the story of Jesus. In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus clearly identifies with the son of the landowner who was killed by the tenants. He is the stone rejected by the builders. Yet, beyond His rejection, His crucifixion, He became, as risen Lord, the cornerstone of a spiritual building, the church.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, the story of Joseph and Jesus reminds us that God can turn even our worst instincts to a good purpose. God is always working to bring good out of the mess we sometimes create. That realization can keep us hopeful when we are tempted to get discouraged by the consequences of our own failings. We are reminded not to dwell in our worldly desires, temptations and the many other things that may distract us and keep us away from the path of God and His salvation, from His righteousness and justice, just as our predecessors had done, in their failure to resist those temptations and instead, allowing those things to cloud their judgment and made them to commit grievous errors and sins. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and may He continue to watch over us and strengthen us, and guide us in our journey especially during this time of Lent, that we may continue to lead a more holy and worthy life, truly worthy of the Lord and His grace. May God bless us all and be with us always, and may He empower us to be more courageous and committed in our lives, to be ever more faithful and able to resist the many worldly desires, attachments and all the things that often led us down the path towards damnation. May the Lord be with us all, and may He continue to bless and guide us all in all things, and may He lead us all through the path of righteousness and grace, as we continue to walk down this path, and as we continue to mortify ourselves, our sins and evils, resisting all the temptations of the world during this time and season of Lent. May we draw ever closer to the Lord, and may we all be good examples for one another in how we live our lives, at all times and may all of us have a blessed season of Lent. Amen 🙏
Let us pray:
My glorious King, I pray that Your Kingdom will grow and that many souls will come to know You as their Lord and God. Use me, dear Lord, for the upbuilding of that Kingdom and help all my actions in life to bear abundant and good fruit. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏
Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint David of Wales and Saint Albinus of Angers ~ 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 month of March and grace-filled Lenten Season ~ Amen🙏
Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖
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