PALM SUNDAY OF THE LORD’S PASSION (YEAR B) ~ MARCH 24, 2024

HOLY WEEK

Greetings beloved family and Happy Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion!

“Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come! Hosanna in the highest!” ~ Mark 11:8–10

Watch “Pope Francis’ Holy Mass on Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion & Angelus Prayer from the Vatican, Rome | March 24, 2024 |

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion | March 24, 2024 on EWTN” |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 24, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | March 24, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 24, 2024 |

Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 24, 2024 |

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion (Year B), March 24, 2024
At the Procession with Palms – Gospel ~ Mark 11:1-10
Reading 1, Isaiah 50:4-7
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24
Reading 2, Philippians 2:6-11
Gospel, Mark 14:1—15:47

40 Days in the Desert. A Lenten journey with our Lord | Day Thirty-Four: Reconciliation | Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion: Holy Week | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-in-the-desert-a-lenten-journey-with-our-lord/palm-sunday-of-the-lords-passion-holy-week/

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/

PALM SUNDAY OF THE LORD’S PASSION: Today, we celebrate Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion during which we commemorate Christ’s entry into Jerusalem for the completion of the Paschal Mystery. Today marks the beginning of Holy Week, the reliving of the final seven days of Jesus’ earthly ministry. The Holy Week is the holiest of all weeks in the entire liturgical year, seven days of celebration of Our Lord’s Passion, beginning with Palm Sunday and which ends on the glorious resurrection at Easter Sunday. On this day the Church recalls the triumphal entrance of the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem in order to accomplish the Pascal Mystery: His Passion, death, burial, and resurrection for the salvation of all mankind. Jesus rode into the city on a colt as the crowd laid their cloaks and palm branches on the road before Him, shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest!” The biblical account of Palm Sunday can be found in all four Gospels: Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; and John 12:12-19.

In Liturgical Calendar preceding Vatican II, the Church celebrated Passion Sunday two Sundays before Easter, and then Palm Sunday was the beginning of Holy Week. The Church has combined the two to reinforce the solemnity of Holy Week. Palm Sunday is a moveable feast, meaning the date changes every year based on the Liturgical Calendar. Palm Sunday always falls one week before Easter Sunday. The date of the first observance of Palm Sunday is uncertain. A detailed description of a palm processional celebration was recorded as early as the 4th century in Jerusalem. The ceremony was not introduced into the West until much later in the 9th century.

Palm Sunday and Jesus’ Triumphal Entry in the Bible: Jesus traveled to Jerusalem knowing that this journey would end in His sacrificial death on the cross for the sins of all mankind. Before He entered the city, He sent two disciples ahead to the village of Bethphage to look for an unbroken colt: As He approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, He sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’” (Luke 19:29-31, NIV). The men brought the colt to Jesus and placed their cloaks on its back. As Jesus sat on the young donkey He slowly made His humble entrance into Jerusalem. The people greeted Jesus enthusiastically, waving palm branches and covering His path with palm branches: The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Matthew 21:9, NIV). The shouts of “Hosanna” meant “save now,” and the palm branches symbolized goodness and victory. Interestingly, at the end of the Bible, people will wave palm branches once again to praise and honor Jesus Christ: After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. (Revelation 7:9, NIV).

On this inaugural Palm Sunday, the celebration quickly spread throughout the whole city. People even threw down their cloaks on the path where Jesus rode as an act of homage and submission. The crowds praised Jesus enthusiastically because they believed He would overthrow Rome. They recognized Him as the promised Messiah from Zechariah 9:9: Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (NIV). Although the people did not fully understand Christ’s mission yet, their worship honored God: “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked Him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, ” ‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?” (Matthew 21:16, NIV). Immediately following this great time of celebration in the ministry of Jesus Christ, He began His journey to the cross.

How Palm Sunday is Celebrated Today: Palm Sunday, or Passion Sunday as it is referred to is the sixth Sunday of Lent and the final Sunday before Easter. Worshipers commemorate Jesus Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. On this day, Christians also remember Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross, praise God for the gift of salvation, and look expectantly to the Lord’s second coming. Many Christian churches, including Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, Moravian and Reformed traditions, distribute palm branches to the congregation on Palm Sunday for the customary observances. These observances include a reading of the account of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem, the carrying and waving of palm branches in processional, the blessing of palms, the singing of traditional hymns, and the making of small crosses with palm fronds. In some traditions, worshippers take home and display their palm branches near a cross or crucifix, or press them into their Bible until the next year’s season of Lent. Some churches will place collection baskets to gather the old palm leaves to be burned on Shrove Tuesday of the following year and used in the next day’s Ash Wednesday services.

Liturgy for Palm Sunday: The Priests and Deacons wear red vestments for Mass. There is a special entrance at the beginning of each Mass, either simple or solemn. This includes a blessing of the palms and the Gospel reading of the entrance into Jerusalem (Matt 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-10; John 12:12-16; Luke 19:28-40). The introduction by the priest explains the solemnity of Holy Week, and invites the faithful to take full part in the celebration: “Dear friends in Christ, for five weeks of Lent we have been preparing, by works of charity and self-sacrifice, for the celebration of our Lord’s paschal mystery. Today we come together to begin this solemn celebration in union with the whole Church throughout the world. Christ entered in triumph into his own city, to complete His work as our Messiah: to suffer, to die, and to rise again. Let us remember with devotion this entry which began His saving work and follow Him with a lively faith. United with Him in His suffering on the cross, may we share His resurrection and new life.” The palms are blessed with the following prayer: Almighty God, we pray you bless these branches and make them holy. Today we joyfully acclaim Jesus our Messiah and King. May we reach one day the happiness of the new and everlasting Jerusalem by faithfully following him who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

As the faithful, we remember and dramatize Christ’s triumphal entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey. In Jesus’ time, a huge crowd assembled, put their cloaks or branches on the ground, and waved palm branches, acclaiming Christ as the King of Israel, the Son of David. We now wave our palm branches and sing as the priest enters the church: Hosanna to the Son of David, the King of Israel. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. These words of praise are echoed every day at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at the Sanctus (Holy, Holy). Our joy is quickly subdued. We are jolted to reality and see the purpose of Christ coming to Jerusalem by the reading of the Passion at the Gospel. Jesus Christ was sent into this world to wrest us from sin and the power of Satan, He underwent His Passion, the punishment for our sins, but issues forth triumphant from the tomb, the victor over death, making our peace with God and taking us with Him into the kingdom of His Father in heaven.

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, a solemn week focusing on the final days of Jesus’ life. Holy Week culminates on Easter Sunday, the most important holiday in Christianity. As we enter into this time of most solemn commemoration of His Passion, His suffering and death during this Holy Week and the upcoming Easter Triduum, let us not just acclaim Him with our words and mouth only, but let us all acclaim Him from deep within our hearts. May He help us all to remain focused on Him and may He empower each and every one of us so that we may persevere ever more against the many challenges, trials and temptations in life. May the grace and blessings of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all on this Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, as we begin the Holy Week and always! Wishing all of us a most blessed, Holy, safe, fruitful and grace-filled Holy Week. Amen🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:

Bible Readings for today, Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark

Gospel Readings, Palm Sunday, Year B:
~ Mark 14:1—15:47

‘My God, my God, why have you deserted me?’

In today’s Gospel reading, as we begin this solemn commemoration with this Sunday’s Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion celebration, we remember the grand and triumphant entry of the Lord Jesus into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey and welcomed by the people of the city like a great conquering King. This event had been foretold and prophesied by the prophets, particularly the prophet Zechariah, who prophesied that the Lord Himself, as King, would come to His people riding on a donkey, which the Lord’s triumphal entry perfectly fulfilled and accomplished. However, this glorious moment would soon give way to the much more sombre and sorrowful moments of the Passion of the Lord, the Crucifixion and all the sufferings that the same Lord Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, would have to suffer and go through as He took up His Cross, bearing all of our sins, wickedness, faults and mistakes upon Himself and His own shoulders. Therefore, while this Sunday’s liturgy begins with a triumphant commemoration of the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem with the procession with the blessed palms, it soon changed into the more sombre reminder of the true nature of this Week’s events that revolved around the Lord’s Passion, His suffering and death on the Cross.

Through the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ, there was light in the awful darkness. The greatest light in that darkness was Jesus Himself. The purpose of His life was to reveal God’s love to all, to show that no one was excluded from God’s forgiveness. It was His commitment to this mission that brought about His death. Some found the light of God’s love that shone through Jesus too threatening and they set about trying to extinguish the light. Jesus could have avoided death if He had abandoned His mission. Yet, such was His faithfulness to God and to all of us that, in the words of St. Paul in the second reading, He was ‘humbler yet, even to accepting death, death on a cross’. The worst instincts of human nature could not extinguish the light of God’s love that shone through Jesus. He absorbed all the violence and hatred and He gave it back as forgiveness and love. We are drawn to the image of Jesus on the cross not because of some morbid fascination with suffering but because we recognise there a divine love that is stronger than sin and death, a divine light which no human darkness can overpower. This Holy Week, we allow ourselves to be drawn by God’s love shining through the crucified Jesus. As we are touched by that love, we are sent out to serve Jesus as He comes to us today in all those who travel the way of the cross. The light which shines upon us from the cross is to shine through us so that the light of God’s love might be brought into someone’s darkness. Jesus said of the woman who anointed his head, ‘She has performed a good service for me… She has done what she could’. Jesus’ loving death can bring out the best in us too, inspiring us to do whatever good we can.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, on this Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion and as we begin this most solemn commemoration of everything that we remember in this Holy Week, let us all become ever more aware and attuned to our actions, words, deeds and every parts of our whole lives and existence. Let us all hence be aware of our many sins, wickedness, our unworthiness, and all the things in our lives which have kept us away from God. Let us all realise that every time we commit sin against Him, we have brought about hurt and pain for Him, all the wounds that have been inflicted upon Him and all the sufferings He bore, all these were due to our sins. He still bore all those sins, sufferings and pains because of His ever enduring and great love for us, but we must not take for granted all that He had done for us. That is because as long as we continue to walk in the path of sin, we will continue to fall deeper and deeper into the darkness, and in the end, if we continue to do this, we may end up being lost forever from God, because we ourselves have chosen to reject Him and decided to put our lot in the darkness and wickedness of the world, with Satan and all those forces of evil. Let us hence make good use of this time we have been given, especially during this time of Holy Week, to renew our commitments to God, and to be ever more thoroughly committed to His cause. Let us deepen our relationship with the Lord, our most loving and merciful God, and let us all be the good role models and examples, inspirations and encouragement for one another, for our fellow brothers and sisters all around us. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and may the Lord continue to strengthen our faith, and help us in our journey of faith and life, especially as we embark on this most solemn journey this Holy Week, this time of intense commemoration of Our Lord’s Passion, His suffering and death on His Cross. May God be with us all, now and always. Amen 🙏

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ MARCH 24, 2024

FEAST OF SAINT GABRIEL THE ARCHANGEL AND THE MEMORIAL OF SAINT CATHERINE OF SWEDEN, VIRGIN

Today, on this Palm Sunday of our Lord’s Passion, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Gabriel the Archangel and Saint Catherine of Sweden. Originally, according to the previous calendar (1962), the commemoration of St. Gabriel the Archangel is today. His feast is now celebrated with the other archangels, Michael and Raphael on September 29. (The Patron Saint of ambassadors; broadcasting; childbirth; clergy; communications; diplomats; messengers; philatelists; postal workers; public relations; radio workers; secular clergy; stamp collectors; telecommunications, churches and places) and we also celebrate the Memorial of Saint Catherine of Sweden, Virgin. (The Patron Saint of Europe; Invoked against abortion; against miscarriages; for healing and protection from miscarriage and help with difficult pregnancies.)

Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, St. Catherine and Archangel Gabriel, we humbly pray for all expectant mothers, that through all the uncertainty, life changes, and emotions that come with pregnancy, that they would be filled with the joy of the Lord and carry their pregnancies to term with safe delivery. We especially pray for those who have suffered a miscarriage, asking for relief from the pain of loss and for hope of a healthy baby in the future. We also pray for those seeking for the fruit of the womb. May the Lord bless them with the gift of children. On this day we also pray for those who are sick, we especially pray for those who are sick with cancer and other terminal diseases, may God grant them His Divine healing and intervention… Amen🙏

SAINT GABRIEL THE ARCHANGEL: “I am Gabriel, who stand before God.” (Luke 1, 19). Saint Gabriel, whose name means “God’s strength,” is mentioned four times in the Bible. The day before the great feast of the Annunciation, the Church celebrates the feast of the Archangel who brought to earth the glad tidings that Mary was chosen to be the Mother of the Incarnate God. Originally, according to the previous calendar (1962), today is the commemoration of St. Gabriel the Archangel. The feast of Saint Gabriel was included by Pope Benedict XV in the General Roman Calendar in 1921, for celebration on March 24th, the day before the feast of the Annunciation. However in 1969, after Vatican II, it was officially transferred to September 29th for celebration in conjunction with the feast of the other Archangels St. Michael and St. Raphael. On this eve of the feast of Annunciation, we pray for the intercession of St. Gabriel the Archangel.

This angelic Messenger appears several times in the history of God’s chosen people. He came to Daniel the prophet after he had a vision of the future Persian and Greek empires, to explain the vision to him, as Daniel narrates in the eighth chapter of his book. So great was the Archangel’s majesty that the prophet fell on his face trembling. The Angel of the Incarnation again appeared to the prophet to answer his prayer at the end of the exile, and advise him of the exact date of the future Redemption by the long-awaited Messiah. When the fullness of time had come, Archangel Gabriel was sent several times as the harbinger of the Incarnation of the Most High God. First, to the Temple of Jerusalem, while Zachary stood at the altar of incense, to tell him that his wife Elizabeth would bring forth a son to be called John, who would prepare the way of the Lord. (Luke 1:17) Six months later the great Archangel again appeared, bearing the greatest message God ever sent to earth. Standing before the Blessed Virgin Mary, this great Archangel of God trembled with reverence as he offered Her the ineffable honor of becoming Mother of the Eternal Word. Upon Her consent, the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. It was he, we can readily believe, who also fortified Saint Joseph for his mission as virginal father of the Saviour.

Archangel Gabriel rightly bears the beautiful name, the strength of God, manifesting in every apparition the power and glory of the Eternal. According to some of the Fathers of the Church, it was Saint Gabriel, Angel of the Incarnation, who invited the shepherds of Bethlehem to come to the Crib to adore the newborn God. He was with Jesus in His Agony, in the garden of Gethsemane, no less ready to be the strength of God in the Garden than at Nazareth and Bethlehem. Throughout Christian tradition he is the Angel of the Incarnation, the Angel of consolation, the Angel of mercy. He’s the Patron Saint of ambassadors; broadcasting; childbirth; clergy; communications; diplomats; messengers; philatelists; postal workers; public relations; radio workers; secular clergy; stamp collectors; telecommunications, churches and places.

PRAYER: Archangel Gabriel, the angel of revelation, I thank God for making you a powerful messenger to deliver divine messages. Please help me hear what God has to say to me, so I can follow his guidance and fulfill his purposes in my life. Amen🙏

SAINT CATHERINE OF SWEDEN, VIRGIN: St. Catherine of Sweden (1331-1381) was the fourth of eight children born to St. Bridget of Sweden and her husband, Ulfo, Gudmarsson, Prince of Nericia, Sweden. As a child, at the age of seven she was sent by her parents to the abbess of the convent of Riseberg to be educated and soon showed, like her mother, a desire for a life of self-mortification and devotion to spiritual things. Later when she had reached the age of thirteen, her father gave her in marriage to Eggart von Kürnen, a young German nobleman of great virtue. St. Catherine was able to persuade her husband, a virtuous young man, to live together in a mutual vow of perpetual chastity; thereby forgoing their lawful marital rights for the love of God. Both lived in a state of virginity and devoted themselves to the exercise of Christian perfection and active charity. They encouraged each other to mortification, prayer, and works of charity. They lived happily together in complete devotion to God.

After the death of her father, and in spite of her deep love for her husband and with her husband’s consent, St. Catherine accompanied her mother, St. Bridget on a pilgrimage to Rome in 1349, out of devotion to the Passion of Christ and to the relics of the Roman Martyrs. While there, St. Catherine’s husband died in Sweden. She continued to be a companion to her mother and rejected further offers of marriage. Her mother worked to establish a new religious order, called the Order of the Holy Savior, or the Bridgettines. In 1372 St. Catherine and her brother, Birger, accompanied their mother, Bridget on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land; after their return to Rome St. Catherine was with her mother in the latter’s last illness and death. On July 23, 1373, St. Bridget died at Rome and St. Catherine took her mother’s body back to Sweden for burial while continuing the work of establishing the Bridgettines. In 1375, St. Catherine returned to Rome to advocate for her mother’s canonization and obtain a new papal confirmation of the Brigittines or Order of St. Savior. She secured another confirmation both from Pope Gregory XI (1377) and from Pope Urban VI (1379), but was unable to gain at the time the canonization of her mother, as the confusion caused by the Schism delayed the process. While in Rome she became great friends with St. Catherine of Siena. When this sorrowful division appeared she showed herself, like St. Catherine of Siena, a steadfast adherent of the party of the Roman Pope, Urban VI, in whose favor she testified before a judicial commission. St. Catherine stayed five years in Italy and then eventually returned home, bearing a special letter of commendation from the pope. St. Catherine of Sweden became abbess of the newly founded Bridgettines, living the rest of her days as a model of prayer and penance. Not long after her arrival in Sweden,St. Catherine took ill and died as the Abbess of Vadzstena, Sweden, on March 24, 1381. During the last twenty-five years of her life, St. Catherine lived in mortification and penance. Each day she purified her soul from sin by the Sacrament of Penance. In 1484 Innocent VIII gave permission for her veneration as a saint and she was canonized in 1484 by Pope Pius II. St. Catherine wrote a devotional work entitled “Consolation of the Soul” (Sielinna Troest), largely composed of citations from the Scriptures and from early religious books; no copy is known to exist. The Order of St. Savior or the Brigittines, founded by St. Catherine of Sweden, was approved by Pope Urban VI and affiliated to the Augustinians. This Order has for its purpose literary work, especially the translation of religious writings. Generally she is represented with a hind at her side, which is said to have come to her aid when unchaste youths sought to ensnare her. St. Catherine of Sweden is the Patron Saint of Europe; against abortions; for healing and protection from miscarriages.

PRAYER: Lord God, You showered heavenly gifts on St. Catherine the Virgin. Help us to imitate her virtues during our earthly life and enjoy eternal happiness with her in heaven. 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🙏

Let us pray:

My suffering Lord, I worship You and praise You with all my heart. As You entered Jerusalem for the Passover, You intended to give new power to that celebration by becoming the New and Eternal Paschal Lamb. May I always worship You Who suffered for me and give to You all that I endure in life to be transformed by Your saving act.

My saving Lord, You entered this week of Your Passion with courage and determination. You freely chose to embrace every suffering and every humiliation You would endure so that You could enter my life more fully. Please be present to me throughout this week and help me to not only ponder this mystery of Your love but to also encounter that love in a real and transforming way.

My crucified Lord, when I am tempted to despair, give me hope.  Help me to see your presence in all things, even in those things that are most troubling to me.  May this Holy Week transform my darkest moments and weakness as I surrender all to You, my God. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Gabriel the Archangel and Saint Catherine of Sweden ~ 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 and grace-filled Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion and Holy Week🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena💖