FOURTH WEEK OF LENT
SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ MARCH 16, 2024
NOVENA TO SAINT JOSEPH: Beginning March 10–18, 2024 (in preparation for the Solemnity of Saint Joseph on March 19, 2024. Novena Links below.
Greetings beloved family and Happy Saturday of the Fourth 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 | March 16, 2024 on EWTN” |
Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 16, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | March 16, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 16, 2024 |
Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 16, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteries VIRTUAL🌹JOYFUL🌹LUMINOUS🌹SORROWFUL🌹GLORIOUS” on YouTube |
Today’s Bible Readings: Saturday, March 16, 2024
Reading 1, Jeremiah 11:18-20
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 7:2-3, 9-10, 11-12
Gospel, John 7:40-53
Novena to St. Joseph – Full | EWTN – https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/st-joseph-full-novena-13879
Novena for the Solemnity of St. Joseph – United States Conference of Catholic Bishops | https://shorturl.at/tvKPT
40 Days in the Desert. A Lenten journey with our Lord | Day Twenty-Eight: Envy or Joy? | Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-in-the-desert-a-lenten-journey-with-our-lord/day-twenty-eight-envy-or-joy/
40 Days at the foot of the Cross. A Gaze of Love from the Heart of our Blessed Mother Mary | Day Twenty-Eight – His Hands and Feet | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-at-the-foot-of-the-cross/day-twenty-eight-his-hands-and-feet/
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 Heribert of Cologne, Bishop (Patron Saint Deutz, Germany, for rain and against drought) and Saint Abraham of Edessa, Priest. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the conversion of sinners and for all Christians during this season of Lent.
Almighty and Everlasting God, You have given the human race Jesus Christ our Savior as a model of humility. He fulfilled Your Will by becoming Man And giving His life on the Cross. Help us to bear witness to You by following His example of suffering and make us worthy to share in His Resurrection. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son… Amen.🙏
SAINT HERIBERT (HERBERT) OF COLOGNE, BISHOP: St. Heribert (c 970–1021) was a German Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Archbishop of Cologne from 998 until his death. He also served as the Chancellor for the Emperor Otto III from 994 and collaborated with Saint Henry II Obl. SB (973-1074) with whom relations were strained though were strengthened over time. St. Heribert was born at Worms in Germany about 970 and he was the son of Hugo, count of Worms. He was educated in the school of Worms Cathedral and at the Benedictine Gorze Abbey in Lorraine, France. He wanted to enter the Benedictine Order there, but his father recalled him to Worms and obtained a canonry for him. He returned to Worms Cathedral to be provost and was ordained a priest in 994. As a young priest, St. Heribert became a trusted counselor of the youthful Emperor Otto III, chancellor of the diocese, and finally Archbishop of Cologne in 998.
In that same year, S. Heribert accompanied the Emperor to Rome and Emperor Otto III appointed him chancellor for Italy and four years later also for Germany, a position which he held and assisted Emperor Otto III in his last moments before his death on January 23, 1002. In the ensuing skirmishing for the post of Emperor, St. Heribert at first was opposed to St. Henry II through a mutual misunderstanding. But in time the two Saints, Archbishop and Emperor, were publicly reconciled and labored together for the good of the people. St. Heribert was practically a model of what a Bishop should be. He was a peaceful man but a firm disciplinarian; a holy man but one who knew the value of money and saw to it that his was always divided among the poor. St. Heribert built the monastery of Deutz, on the Rhine and performed miracles, including ending a drought. He was a man of prayer, and in a time of drought it was in answer to his prayers that a torrential rain fell, saving the harvest and delivering the people from famine. He died on March 16, 1021 at Cologne, Germany of natural causes and was buried in the monastery at Deutz, which he founded with the help of Otto III. St. Heribert seems to have led an exemplary life of piety and devotion to the poor and was already honored as a saint during his lifetime and his Canonization was confirmed in about 1074 by St Pope Gregory VII. He’s the Patron Saint invoked against drought, for rain and of Deutz, Germany.
PRAYER: God, Light and Shepherd of souls, You established St. Heribert 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. Amen🙏
SAINT ABRAHAM OF EDESSA, PRIEST: St. Abraham of Edessa (300-360 A.D.), also known as Abraham of Kidunaia, was a rich nobleman from Mesopotamia. He was born to a wealthy family during the third century about 300 A.D. After receiving an excellent education, St. Abraham was encouraged to get married. He married according to his parents’ wishes, despite his desire to give himself totally to God. But after the wedding ceremony, he told his bride his desire to remain a virgin and dedicate his life to God. His bride accepted this resolution and Abraham retired to a hermitage near Edessa, a city near Mesopotamia. His family searched for him for seventeen days, and were still more astonished when they found him. Why are you surprised? he asked them. Admire instead the favor God has granted me, the grace to bear the yoke of His service, which He has wanted to impose on me without regard to my unworthiness. He walled up his cell door, leaving only a small window open for the food which would be brought to him from that time on. Ten years after he retreated from the world, his parents died and left a great amount of wealth to St. Abraham. As soon as he was aware of this, he asked a friend to distribute the sum to charitable causes. Through actions like this and his deep prayer life, St. Abraham became known throughout the region as a holy man and many came to him for guidance.
Since many were seeking him out for advice and consolation, his reputation even came to the ears of the Bishop of Edessa. When Edessa became poisoned with sin and idolatry, St. Abraham was ordained a priest by the Bishop of Edessa, overruling his humility. Soon after his ordination, he was sent to preach reform to an idolatrous city which had hitherto been deaf to every messenger. St. Abraham was greatly distressed by this, but obeyed the wishes of the bishop. When St. Abraham arrived in Edessa, none of the residents would listen to his words. He was insulted, beaten, and three times banished, but he returned each time with fresh zeal. For three years he pleaded with God for those souls, and eventually in the end through constant prayer he prevailed. Every citizen was converted and came to him for Baptism. After providing for their spiritual needs he went back to his cell, more than ever convinced of the power of prayer, he stayed in his hermitage to continue his life of solitary prayer for the rest of his life. In that cell, then, for fifty years, he would continue to sing God’s praises and implore mercy for himself and for all men. Saint Ephrem wrote of him that a day did not pass without his shedding tears; but that despite his constant and severe penance, he always maintained an agreeable disposition and a healthy and vigorous body. He never reproved anyone with sharpness, but all he said was seasoned with the salt of charity and gentleness.
His brother on dying left an only daughter, Mary, to Saint Abraham’s care. He placed his young niece in a cell near his own and set her up to live as a religious and he devoted himself to training her in perfection. After twenty years of innocence she grew lax and succumbed to the seduction of a rogue hermit. She was so ashamed of her sin that she despaired of God’s mercy and fled to a distant city to became a prostitute. For two years, St. Abraham and his friend St Ephrem prayed earnestly for his niece, Mary. Eventually, discovering her location, St. Abraham left his cell and went in disguise to seek the lost sheep. He came to her disguised as a suitor. When they were alone he revealed his identity to her, and, pleading with her throughout the night, prevailed upon her to return with him to her life of prayer and penance. She came back to her cell, which Abraham relocated directly behind his own for her protection and he had the joy of bringing her back to the desert a true penitent. She received the gift of miracles, and her countenance after death shone as the sun. She became St. Mary of Edessa. Saint Abraham died five years before her, in about 360 A.D. after a life of faithful service to God. All of Edessa came for his last blessing and to secure his relics.
PRAYER: We ask the intercession of St. Abraham for the grace to smash the moral idols of the Revolution, internally in our souls and externally in society, with the same courage and straightforwardness🙏
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, Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Gospel Reading ~ John 7:40-53
“The Christ will not come from Galilee, will he?”
“Some in the crowd who heard these words of Jesus said, “This is truly the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But others said, “The Christ will not come from Galilee, will he? Does not Scripture say that the Christ will be of David’s family and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?” So a division occurred in the crowd because of him. Some of them even wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did you not bring him?” The guards answered, “Never before has anyone spoken like this man.” So the Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed.” Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them, “Does our law condemn a man before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?” They answered and said to him, “You are not from Galilee also, are you? Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.” Then each went to his own house.”
Today’s Gospel reading details the discord and disagreements between the members of the Sanhedrin, or the Jewish High Council with regards to the Lord Jesus, in what they were trying to decide to do about Him. Many of them were against the Lord and were skeptical about His teachings and works, while some were outright hostile in their opposition against Him, seeing Him as a great threat to the order and the influence that the members of the Sanhedrin, be it Sadducees or Pharisees, had over the community. And yet, there were also those like Nicodemus, who were sympathetic and supportive of the Lord, believing in Him. The disagreements arose because those who supported the Lord tried to defend Him and His actions, while the majority who refused to believe in Him used arguments such as the fact that the Lord Jesus came from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to disprove the authenticity and the authority of the Lord as the Messiah promised by God, not knowing that the Lord Himself was born in Bethlehem, in the city of David, just as prophesied by the prophets, and all that He had done, essentially had affirmed and manifested that Jesus is truly the One Whom God had sent. He was opposed and persecuted because those religious leaders and societal elites could not bring it to humble themselves before God and listen to reason and truth.
According to Gospel, the temple police who were sent to arrest Jesus found themselves listening to Him and, against their expectations, being greatly impressed by what He said, ‘There has never been anybody who has spoken like Him’, they said. However, the chief priests and Pharisees who had sent the police to arrest Jesus were completely closed to what Jesus had to say. They had made up their minds that He was not from God. Yet, one of their number, Nicodemus separated himself out from his peers and challenged their refusal to listen with the question, ‘Surely the Law does not allow us to pass judgement on a man without giving him a hearing and discovering what he is about?’ Nicodemus was insisting that Jesus was deserving of being given a hearing before judgement was made on him. It takes courage to stand up to one’s peers and express a view that is at odds with the consensus. Nicodemus is the same one who is figured three times in the Gospel of St. John. He appears for the first time at the very beginning of the Gospel when he came to Jesus by night, under cover of darkness. There was something about Jesus that drew Nicodemus to Jesus, and yet he was not quite ready to commit to Him. Nicodemus appears for the third time at the very end of the Gospel in the company of Joseph of Arimathea, as, together, they arrange for Jesus to have a dignified burial. He is on a journey towards Jesus that spans the whole Gospel of St. John. Today’s Gospel is the middle appearance of Nicodemus, a member of the Pharisees, a group generally hostile to Jesus in St. John’s Gospel and, yet, he has the courage to challenge his fellow Pharisees who have already made up their minds about Jesus, dismissing Him because of His origins in Galilee, that remote region to the north, far from the centre, far from Jerusalem. Nicodemus was courageous by insisting that Jesus be given a hearing before coming to a judgement about Him. In doing this, he breaks with his peers, expressing a view which goes against the dominant view of his fellow Pharisees. As often happens to such people, his speaking up against the consensus meets with derision, ‘Are you from Galilee too?’ His emerging relationship with Jesus left him increasingly isolated in the world where he had been so much at home. The figure of Nicodemus reminds us that as we grow in our relationship with Jesus, there is often a price to be paid. We may find ourselves a lone voice among our peers. At such times, we know that the Lord is with us and we can say in the words of today’s responsorial psalm, ‘God is the shield that protects me’. In today’s Gospel reading, Nicodemus comes across as someone who gradually made his way towards Jesus. His story reminds us that different people journey at different paces towards the Lord. The Lord respects the uniqueness of each person’s faith journey. The Lord relates to each one of us differently, because we each relate to Him differently. Our response to the Lord’s call can be tentative at times, just as Nicodemus’ initial response was tentative. Yet, the Lord continues to call to us, and He is happy to wait until we are ready to take the next step in our relationship with Him.
In our first reading today from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah, the prophet spoke with the Lord regarding the persecutions and hardships that he had endured during his ministry among the people of the kingdom of Judah. At that time, it was during the final years of the existence of Judah as a kingdom and entity, and the people there continued to live in sin and rebellion against God despite all the efforts which the Lord had done in sending His many messengers and prophets to them to remind and guide them in their path. They chose rather to believe in the false prophets and the falsehoods propagated by their leaders rather than to believe in the prophets like Jeremiah, who were oppressed and even killed on occasion. But Jeremiah remained firm in his conviction to continue serving the Lord despite having faced such struggles and difficulties. He did grumble and complained to the Lord on occasions because of the hardships and trials that he had to face, and because of the stubborn attitude and the lack of faith among the people who continued to resist his efforts and rejected God’s generous offer of love and mercy to them. Jeremiah nonetheless kept his faith and obeyed the Lord, doing whatever he had been told to do, to proclaim God’s messages and will to the people even if it would mean suffering and hardships for him. He also brought to the people of Judah, the reassurance that while they would have to suffer the consequences for their sins against God, but God’s love for them endured nonetheless, and one day, God would lead them all towards His Presence and reconcile them with Him. The same Book of Jeremiah also contained the prophecy of what would happen to the Saviour Whom God would send to His people, in the words that the prophet Jeremiah himself said, that ‘he is like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter’ and how the people treated him badly, and ‘would plot to remove him from the land of the living’. While this firstly referred directly to what Jeremiah had himself experienced, but it was in fact also a prediction of what the Messiah, Our Lord Himself would experience during His Passion, His suffering and death on the Cross. The Lord Jesus would endure all these challenges, trials and hardships, and eventually be slaughtered and killed, as the Paschal Lamb, sacrificed for us all, for our redemption and salvation.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are reminded that we are drawing ever nearer to the end of the season of Lent, as we are about to enter into Holy Week in just over a week’s time. That is why we have heard of the words of the Scriptures speaking to us all about the coming of tribulation for the One Whom the Lord had sent into our midst for our salvation, namely Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, the Son of God, Who would suffer and die for our sake, enduring bitter punishments and struggles, persecutions and hardships for the sake of us sinners. Through all these, God has opened the path and sure way for us leading to His salvation and the eternal life which He has promised to us. Let us all be reminded of everything that God had done for us through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, as we come ever closer to the beginning of the Holy Week, so that first of all we can be reminded of His love and kindness, His compassion and mercy for each and every one of us, and then, that we may be able to prepare ourselves well so that we can celebrate the Holy Week and the most wonderful mysteries and events surrounding the Easter Triduum with hearts and minds that are truly attuned to the Lord, and to be filled with the strong desire and love for God, as we all should have. Let us all therefore do our part from now on, to live our lives worthily of the Lord, heeding His call and doing whatever He has asked us all to do, following the faithful example and perseverance of the prophet Jeremiah and the many other prophets and servants of God, and of course, ultimately, that of the Lord Himself, Who obeyed His Father’s will so perfectly, that He chose willingly to embrace His Cross, to suffer and die for us on that Cross, so that by His death and Resurrection, He may restore us all to new life with God. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and may all of us be blessed and guided by God, during this season of Lent and in all of our whole lives, now and always. Amen 🙏
Let us pray:
My divine Judge of all, at the end of time, You will establish Your permanent Kingdom of truth and justice. You will reign over all and will bestow Your mercy and justice on all. May I live fully in Your truth and never be deterred by the attacks and lies of the evil one. Give me courage and strength, dear Lord, as I always trust in You. Jesus, I do trust in You ~ Amen🙏
Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Heribert of Cologne and Saint Abraham of Edessa ~ 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, grace-filled Fourth Week of Lent and relaxing weekend ~ Amen🙏
Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖
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