Month: March 2024

FIFTH WEEK OF LENT

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ MARCH 19, 2024

Greetings beloved family and Happy Feast of Saint Joseph!

May Saint Joseph, Husband of our Blessed Virgin Mary, foster father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Protector of the Holy Family and the Protector of the Church, intercede for us all and may God’s grace and mercy be with us all during this season of our Lenten journey. Amen🙏

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, March 19, 2024, on EWTN” |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 19, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | March 19, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 19, 2024 |

Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 19, 2024 |

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Reading 1, Second Samuel 7:4-5, 12-14, 16
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29
Reading 2, Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22
Gospel, Mt 1:16, 18-21, 24a or Luke 2:41-51

40 Days in the Desert. A Lenten journey with our Lord | Day Thirty: Anger or Patience? | Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-in-the-desert-a-lenten-journey-with-our-lord/day-thirty-anger-or-patience/

40 Days at the foot of the Cross. A Gaze of Love from the Heart of our Blessed Mother Mary | Day Thirty – “Father, Forgive Them, For They Know Not What They Do” | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-at-the-foot-of-the-cross/day-thirty-father-forgive-them-for-they-know-not-what-they-do/

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/

FEAST OF THE DAY: Today, we celebrate the Feast of Saint Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Prince and Patron Saint of the Universal Church, unborn children, fathers, families, immigrants, workers, employment, explorer, pilgrims, traveller, carpenters, engineers, realtors, doubt and hesitation, and of a happy death. As we celebrate this great Solemnity of St. Joseph, let us all seek the intercession of this great protector of the Church, and ask him to pray for our sake, for the Church of God facing all sorts of challenges and persecutions. We also pray for all Fathers and workers all over the world. Let us all devote ourselves to the Lord through His role model, St. Joseph as our model and example that through this season and time of Lent we may become ever closer to God and be ever more attuned to His will and His truth.🙏

SAINT JOSEPH, HUSBAND OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY: The Feast of Saint Joseph or the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, is also called Saint Joseph’s Day. St. Joseph has two feast days: St. Joseph the Husband of Mary on March 19th, and St. Joseph the Worker on May 1st.  However, when St. Joseph’s feast day on March 19th falls on a Sunday it is moved to the Monday and celebrated on March 20th. St. Joseph (1st c.) the pure spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and foster-father of our Blessed Lord, was an ordinary manual laborer although descended from the royal house of Israel’s King David. He was probably born in Bethlehem and probably died in Nazareth. His important mission in God’s plan of salvation was “to legally insert Jesus Christ into the line of David from whom, according to the prophets, the Messiah would be born, and to act as his father and guardian”. The darkest hours of his life may well have been those when he first learned of Mary’s pregnancy with the Son of God; but precisely in this time of trial Joseph showed himself great. After a time of uncertainty, was encouraged by an Angel to continue with the marriage plans. Because of his complete faithfulness and obedience to the will of God, St. Joseph was chosen to become the spouse of the Mother of God and the adoptive father of Jesus Christ. St. Joseph is the virtuous and “just man” of the New Testament, the lowly village carpenter of Nazareth, who among all men of the world was the one chosen by God to be the husband and protector of the Virgin Mother of Jesus Christ, God Incarnate. To his faithful, loving care was entrusted the childhood and youth of the Redeemer of the world. This feast encourages us to look at St. Joseph’s role as husband and head of the Holy Family. As the divinely-appointed earthly guardian and protector of the Holy Family, St. Joseph provided and cared for the material needs of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Child Jesus. After the Mother of God, not one of the children of men was ever so gifted and adorned with natural and supernatural virtues as was St. Joseph, her spouse. In purity of heart, in chastity of life, in humility, patience, fortitude, gentleness, and manliness of character, he reveals to us the perfect type and model of the true Christian. Poor and obscure in this world’s possessions and honors, St. Joseph was rich in grace and merit, and eminent before God in the nobility and beauty of holiness. Because St. Joseph was the representative of the Eternal Father on earth, the divinely appointed head of the Holy Family of God, the Church of Christ, on December 8, 1870, Pope Pius IX, solemnly proclaimed the foster-father of Jesus as patron and protector of the Universal Church, and from that time his feast has been celebrated on March 19th as one of his high rank. In some places it is observed as a Holy day of Obligation but not a holy day of obligation for Catholics in the United States.

In the West, the oldest reference to the cult of Saint Joseph (Ioseph sponsus Mariae) connected with March 19th appears around the year 800 in the north of France. Thereafter, reference to Joseph, the spouse of Mary, becomes more and more frequent from the 9th to the 14th centuries. In the 12th century, the crusaders built a church in his honor at Nazareth. But it was in the 15th century that the cult of Saint Joseph spread due to the influence of Saint Bernadine of Siena, and especially of Jean Gerson (+ 1420), Chancellor of Notre Dame in Paris, who promoted the cause that a feast to Saint Joseph be officially established. There were already some celebrations in Milan in Augustinian circles, and in many places in Germany. It was in 1480, with Pope Sixtus IV’s approval that the feast began to be celebrated on March 19th. It then became obligatory with Pope Gregory XV in 1621. In 1870, Pope Pius IX declared Saint Joseph the Patron of the Universal Church, and Pope Saint John XXIII inserted his name into the Roman Canon of Holy Mass in 1962. More recently, Pope Francis approved seven new invocations in the Litany to Saint Joseph: Guardian of the Redeemer, Servant of Christ, Minister of Salvation, Support in difficulties, Patron of exiles, Patron of the afflicted, and Patron of the poor.

Devotion to St. Joseph, fervent in the East from the early ages, has in later times spread and increased in such a marvelous way that in our day the Catholics of all nations vie with one another in honoring him. At present are the two major feasts in honor of St. Joseph. On March 19th our veneration is directed to him personally and to his part in the work of redemption, while on May 1st we honor him as the patron of workmen throughout the world and as our guide in the difficult matter of establishing equitable norms regarding obligations and rights in the social order. Promulgated in 1955, it replaced the older “Solemnity of St. Joseph” which had been celebrated since 1847—first as the “Patronage of St. Joseph” on the third Sunday after Easter and after 1913 as the “Solemnity of St. Joseph” on the Wednesday before the third Sunday after Easter. While Pope John XXIII inserted the name of St. Joseph in the Roman Canon of Holy Mass in 1962, Pope Francis, in 2013, added his name to the three other Eucharistic Prayers. On December 8th, Pope Francis issued an Apostolic Letter called “With a Father’s Heart”, in which he recalls the 150th anniversary of the declaration of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. To mark the occasion of this Apostolic Letter, Pope Francis proclaimed a “Year of Saint Joseph” from December 8, 2020, to December 8, 2021. In his Apostolic Letter, the Pope describes Saint Joseph in a number of very striking ways – as a beloved father, a tender and loving father, an obedient father, an accepting father; a father who is creatively courageous, a working father, a father in the shadows.

From his throne of glory in heaven, St. Joseph watches over and protects the Church Militant, and no one who calls on him in need ever calls in vain. There are indications that he died before the beginning of Christ’s public life. His was the most beautiful death that one could have, in the arms of our Lord Jesus Christ and our Blessed Mother Mary. He is the model of a perfect Christian life and the patron of a happy death. His patronage extends over the Mystical Body of Christ, over the Christian family, the Christian school, and all individuals who in their need appeal to his charity and powerful intercession, especially in the hour of death; for he who, when dying, received the affectionate ministry of his foster-Son, Jesus, and his Virgin spouse, Mary, may well be trusted to obtain for us the mercy of God and the grace of a peaceful and holy death. St. Joseph is invoked as patron for many causes and many religious orders and communities are placed under his patronage. He is the patron, guardian and protector of the Universal Church. He is the patron of the dying because Jesus and Mary were at his death-bed. He is also the Patron Saint of fathers; families; married couples; children; unborn children; expectant mothers; workers; laborers; carpenters; cabinet makers; social justice; emigrants; engineers;  immigrants; bursars: interior souls; dying people; happy death; holy death; house hunters; people in doubt; people who fight Communism; travelers; confectioners; craftsmen; protection of the Church; against doubt; against hesitation; Americas; Austria; Diocese of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; California; Belgium; Bohemia; Canada; Carinthia; China; Croatian people (in 1687 by decree of the Croatian parliament); Florence, Italy; Korea; Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin; Archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky; Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire; Mexico; Diocese of Nashville, Tennessee; New France; New World; Oblates of Saint Joseph; Peru; pioneers; Diocese of San Jose, California; diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; social justice; Styria, Austria; Turin Italy; Tyrol Austria;  Universal Church; Vatican II; Vietnam; Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston West Virginia; wheelwrights.

PRAYER: Almighty God, You entrusted to the faithful care of Joseph the beginning of the mysteries of our salvation. Through his intercession may Your Church always be faithful in her service that Your designs will be fulfilled. Amen🙏

Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To you God entrusted his only Son; in you Mary placed her trust with you Christ became man. Blessed Joseph, to us too, show yourself a father and guide us in the path of life. Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage, and defend us from every evil. Amen 🙏
(Prayer from the Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, written by Pope Francis)

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, Solemnity of Saint Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-readin

Gospel Reading ~ Matthew 1:16, 18–21, 24a

“Joseph did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him”

“Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this szzz,,child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.”

OR

Gospel Reading ~ Luke 2:41–51a

“Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety”

“Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them.”

In today’s Gospel readings, the two Gospel choices we have both highlighted the actions of St. Joseph. From the Gospel of St. Matthew, St. Joseph obeyed God and took care of the Holy Family, of the Lord and Mary, His mother. St. Joseph is portrayed as being in a moment of crisis, a crisis of intimacy. St. Joseph was betrothed to Mary. As betrothed, he and the Blessed Virgin Mary were legally husband and wife, but they would only live together as husband and wife after their marriage ceremony. The future happiness of this young man is suddenly clouded by an event of which he can make little sense, Mary’s pregnancy. What is he to do in this unexpected and confusing situation? The Jewish Law would have required him to take a course of action that went against all his natural feelings for Mary. In that moment of personal crisis, according to the Gospel reading, St. Joseph experienced God as Emmanuel, God with him. God communicated with St. Joseph at this difficult time in his life and St. Joseph was open to hearing God’s word to him, a word that directed him beyond what the Law required, prompting him to marry his betrothed, to take her home as his wife. The story of Joseph in today’s Gospel reminds us that God continues to communicate with us in the challenging situations of our own lives, including crises of intimacy. There is no personal dilemma that need cut us off from God. God speaks a word of love and wisdom to us even in the most unpromising moments of our life’s journey. Jesus reveals God to be Emmanuel, God with us, and God is with us, guiding us and supporting us, especially in our own difficult family experiences.

Then our Gospel reading today from St. Luke, gives an account of the moment when the Lord Jesus stayed behind in the Temple of Jerusalem at the age of twelve. St. Joseph was there together with Mary, His mother, as they searched for Him and found Him in the Temple. It was mentioned how the Lord obeyed His parents and went back with them to Nazareth, and how He grew in stature and wisdom in the world, in the eyes of God and man alike. According to the Gospel readings today, St. Joseph was not only open to God’s presence but revealed God’s presence to Mary, showing her great care and sensitivity in a disturbing and unsettling moment. St. Joseph inspires us not only to be open to God’s presence in difficult family moments, but to reveal God’s loving and tender presence to each other, to look out for one another, when events come along that are disruptive and disturbing. St. Joseph’s care for the vulnerable, for the pregnant Mary, and later for Mary and his young son when faced with exile, might prompt us to ask his intercession for all who have been rendered so vulnerable by life’s crisis, especially those facing political and religious unrest in our conflicted and. divided world.

In our first reading today from the Book of the prophet Samuel, God spoke to the prophet Nathan the words that he was to deliver to King David of Israel, detailing what God had intended for him and his family. King David was one of the most righteous and greatest among the kings of Israel, and he was full of love for the Lord and was also a great shepherd, guide and leader for the people entrusted to his care by God, just the way how he cared for his sheep when he was still a shepherd in his youth. God therefore reassured David that his rule and reign over Israel, and that of his descendants, the reign of the House of David will last forever, and the descendants of David will always sit on the Throne of Israel. God had blessed David and his house, his descendants, and as long as they were faithful to the Lord, the kingdom of the people of God flourished and prospered. However, it was not always that the kings, the descendants of David had been faithful to God. Many of the kings beginning with Solomon himself, the son and successor of David, and the kings of Judah were unfaithful to God and were wicked in their way of life and actions. Thus, the fortunes of the kingdom of God’s people waned and eventually, as many of them remained unfaithful to God and committed great sins against God, the kingdom was destroyed and crushed, and the people of God scattered to many places. Yet, God still provided for those whom He loved, including even those who have sinned against Him. He gathered back the Israelites and preserved the descendants of David, through whom eventually St. Joseph was born, as the heir of David. It was through St. Joseph that the Lord Jesus became known as the ‘Son of David’ or the ‘Heir of David’. Despite them not biologically related, but the legal marriage of St. Joseph to Mary, the Lord’s Mother, made Jesus to be the legal heir of David.

In our second reading today from St. Paul and his Epistle to the Church and the faithful in Rome, of the Lord’s promises made to Abraham and his descendants, of the Covenant that He has established with all of them. The Lord called Abraham from the land of his ancestors and for his faithfulness, righteousness and commitment to Him, He established a Covenant with him and his descendants, promising that he would become the father of many nations, and everything that God had promised did come true in the end. This was just like what He has promised to David, and God showed His promises coming true in all occasions, of which Christ is the culmination and fulfilment of all those promises. That is because through Christ, Who has come into this world as the Son of God born in the flesh and adopting our human nature, all of us have been made children of God by adoption as well, and every one of us through this spiritual link to Abraham, have made the latter our father in faith as well. Not only that, but God also fulfilled the promises He made to David, for Jesus Christ came to be the One to sit on the Throne of David for eternity, to be the one true and eternal King over all of God’s people, and hence, the House of David does indeed last forever as God had intended it. Yet, it was their righteousness, those of Abraham and David, as well as St. Joseph, that brought about this justification and grace in the first place. God saw what was inside man’s heart, even to the deepest parts within us that we may not even be aware of. He saw in all of these faithful predecessors of ours, a strong and dedicated love for Him, and the love for righteousness and justice in all things, and the desire to follow Him wholeheartedly, as they had done in their whole lives. St. Joseph in particular was known to be an upright figure, righteous and hardworking, dedicated and committed to God much in the same way as his ancestors, Abraham and David had lived their lives.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures on this great Feast and celebration of St. Joseph, head and protector of the Holy Family, Foster-father of Our Lord and Saviour, and the Spouse of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, we are all called during this season of Lent to look upon the good examples set by St. Joseph. Let us all be inspired by all the good examples, righteousness and faith which St. Joseph has shown each and every one of us. We are called to emulate him in our own lives, reminding ourselves to be more righteous and just, more committed to follow the Lord by following the examples of St. Joseph, who laboured hard in life with honesty and justice, not minding his own personal desires, ambition, ego or greed. He placed God above all else and the mission that He has entrusted to him, he has carried out with patience and virtue all the same. Great and holy Patron, St. Joseph, pray for all of us and pray for the Church of God, so that we will continue to be good role models and inspirations to everyone through our way of life, actions and works. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and may He empower each and every one of us that we may always walk faithfully in His presence and may He bless all of our actions and works, and may St. Joseph, the Protector of the Holy Family and the Protector of the Church, intercede for us always, and help us through his inspirations and his prayers, that we may always walk courageously as he himself had done, in the path of his foster Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. St. Joseph, holy Saint of God, pray for us! Amen🙏

Let us pray:

Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To you, God entrusted his only Son; in you, Mary placed her trust with you. Christ became man. Blessed Joseph to us too, show yourself a father, and guide us in the path of life. Obtain for us grace, mercy, and courage, and defend us from every evil. Amen 🙏
(Prayer from the Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, written by Pope Francis)

Lord, enable me to walk by faith each and every day.  Allow my mind to rise above human wisdom alone and to see Your divine plan in all things.  St. Joseph, pray for me that I may imitate the faith you lived in your own life.  St. Joseph, pray for us.  Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ 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 18, 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. We thank God for granting us the grace to successfully complete our Novena to Saint Joseph. May St. Joseph intercede for us all. Amen 🙏

Greetings beloved family and Happy Monday 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 | March 18, 2024 on EWTN” |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 18, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | March 18, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 18, 2024 |

Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 18, 2024 |

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Monday, March 18, 2024
Reading 1, Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6
Gospel, John 8:1-11

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-Nine: Gluttony or Self-Control? | Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-in-the-desert-a-lenten-journey-with-our-lord/day-twenty-nine-gluttony-or-self-control/

40 Days at the foot of the Cross. A Gaze of Love from the Heart of our Blessed Mother Mary | Day Twenty-Nine – Jesus is Lifted Up on the Cross | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-at-the-foot-of-the-cross/day-twenty-nine-jesus-is-lifted-up-on-the-cross/

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 Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, an early witness to the sacred sites of Christian devotion and Saint Alexander of Jerusalem, Bishop and Martyr who remained steadfast in faith and was willing to suffer death for the Faith. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints, we humbly pray for the conversion of sinners and for all Christians during this season of Lent.🙏

SAINT CYRIL OF JERUSALEM, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH: St. Cyril of Jerusalem (315-386 A.D.) was a fourth-century bishop and Doctor of the Church, a well-educated man from Jerusalem and a scholar of Sacred Scripture whose writings are still regarded as masterful expressions of Christian faith. St. Cyril is also remembered for his exhaustive Biblical knowledge, and his endurance in the face of misunderstanding and opposition. St. Cyril was born in Jerusalem around the year 315 to his parents who were probably Christians and he seemed to care for them a great deal. He exhorted catechumens to honor parents “for however much we may repay them, yet we can never be to them what they as parents have been to us.” We know he also had a sister and a nephew, Gelasius, who became a bishop and a saint. He was born shortly after the legalization of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire. Although that legalization put a stop to many of the persecutions that threatened the Church for two centuries, it indirectly gave rise to a number of internal controversies – both in regard to theology, and the jurisdiction of bishops – in which Cyril would find himself involved. St. Cyril received an excellent education in classical Greek literature as well as the Bible. He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Maximus of Jerusalem in the year 345 and succeeded him as bishop of Jerusalem in 348. On May 7th, soon after his ordination as Bishop a miraculous apparition of a cross appeared in the sky, visible to the whole city. During his early years as a bishop, most likely around 350, he delivered a series of lectures to new initiates of the Catholic Church. Twenty-four of the lectures have survived and are studied today. In a 2007 general audience, Pope Benedict XVI praised the saint for providing an “integral” form of Christian instruction, “involving body, soul, and spirit.” St. Cyril’s teaching, the Pope said, “remains emblematic for the catechetical formation of Christians today.

In 351, three years after St. Cyril became the Bishop of Jerusalem, a large cross-shaped light appeared for several hours in the sky over the city – an event that many interpreted as a sign of the Church’s triumph over heresy. It could also, however, be understood as a sign of the suffering the new bishop would undergo in leading his flock. Unlike many other Eastern bishops and priests of the fourth century, St. Cyril did not allow his classical learning to lead him away from believing in the full humanity and divinity of Christ. However, the man who consecrated St. Cyril as a bishop, Archbishop Acacius of Caesarea, was an ally of the Arians – who claimed that Jesus was a creature and not God. Because of his connection to the archbishop, St. Cyril himself was unjustly suspected of heresy by many of his brother bishops. But he also found himself at odds with Archbishop Acacius, who claimed to have jurisdiction over the birthplace of the Church. Altogether, these disputes led to St. Cyril being exiled from Jerusalem three times in the course of 20 years due to misunderstandings, intrigue, and politics. St. Cyril first took refuge with Silvanus, Bishop of Taraus. He appeared at the Council of Seleucia in 359, in which the semi-Arian party was triumphant. Acacius was deposed and St. Cyril seems to have returned to his see. But the emperor was displeased at the turn of events, and, in 360, St. Cyril and other moderates were again driven out, and only returned at the accession of Julian in 361. In 367, a decree of Valens banished all the bishops who had been restored by Julian, and St. Cyril remained in exile until the death of the persecutor in 378. In 380, St. Gregory of Nyssa came to Jerusalem on the recommendation of a council held at Antioch in the preceding year. He found the Faith in accord with the truth and expressed admiration of his pastoral efforts, but the city was a prey to parties and corrupt in morals. In 381, St. Cyril participated in the Second Ecumenical Council, which condemned two different forms of Arianism and added statements about the Holy Spirit to the Nicene Creed of 325. Saint Cyril of Jerusalem is one of the early Church Fathers and one of the most important sources for how the early Church celebrated the liturgy and sacraments during the first few decades after Christianity was legalized. St. Cyril of Jerusalem died in 386. For St. Cyril’s work in catechesis he was named a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIII in 1883.

PRAYER: O God, who through the Bishop Saint Cyril of Jerusalem led your Church in a wonderful way to a deeper sense of the mysteries of salvation, grant us, through his intercession, that we may so acknowledge your Son as to have life ever more abundantly. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever…Amen🙏

SAINT ALEXANDER OF JERUSALEM, BISHOP AND MARTYR: St. Alexander was a student with Origen at the famous Christian school of Alexandria in the late second century. He became bishop of Cappadocia. For steadfastly proclaiming the faith, he was imprisoned two times and the Romans tried to kill him by throwing him to the lions, but it didn’t work. The beasts would not attack him! When the wild beasts refused to devour him, he was carried off as a prisoner to Caesarea and as the historians say, “The glory of his white hairs and great sanctity formed a double crown for him in captivity”. During the persecution of Severus was imprisoned for several years and in chains. (204-211).

Following his release from prison, he made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and was proclaimed Coadjutor Bishop there in the year 212. Demetrius, the Bishop of Alexandria, censured Alexander for participating in the ordination of Origen and for encouraging Origen to teach in churches while still a layman. Despite this, Alexander received Origen in exile. Meanwhile, in Jerusalem, Alexander developed a great theological library which was helpful to the community and to other ancient theologians who contributed to the Church’s thinking. During the persecution of Decius, he was seized and again imprisoned.

After making a public confession of faith, St. Alexander was  condemned and thrown to the wild beasts, but they refused to attack him. St. Alexander was then taken to Caesarea where he died in chains in the year 251. The Church recognizes  St. Alexander as a martyr. St. Alexander, despite his great learning and important ecclesiastical positions, was known as an individual of great mildness, especially in his sermons, he was known for the sweetness of his preaching. When put to the test during two persecutions, he remained steadfast in faith and was willing to suffer death for the Faith. His relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.

PRAYER: Saint Alexander of Jerusalem, holy Mother of God and all the Saints, who have pleased God in your lives; pray to Christ my Lord that I might live this day in peace, love and humility.  Pray unto God for me, O holy Saint Alexander, well-pleasing to God: for I turn to You, who are a speedy helper and intercessor for my soul. 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 the Fifth Week of Lent | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ John 8:1-11

“Let the one among you who has not sinned be the first to throw a stone”

“Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”

In today’s Gospel reading, the scribes and Pharisees come to Jesus with a woman who had been caught in the act of committing adultery. On the surface it appeared that their focus was the woman. They wanted to know from Jesus how the Jewish law should be interpreted in her regard. Their real focus, however, was not the woman but Jesus. Their real agenda was to get at Jesus rather than at the woman. As the Gospel reading says, they asked Jesus their question as a test, looking for something to use against him. If Jesus were to say that the Jewish law should not be followed in her regard, they could accuse Him of being a law breaker. If He were to say the Jewish law should be followed, He would loose His reputation as a friend of sinners. The real interest of the scribes and Pharisees was to set a trap for Jesus; the woman was simply being used as bait. Jesus recognized their hypocrisy. They appeared as conscientious upholders of the law; in reality, they were out to undermine Jesus so as to protect their own position. Jesus refused to answer their question because He saw that it was not a real question. His writing on the ground suggests an unwillingness to play their game. When they persisted with their questioning, Jesus eventually cuts through their hypocrisy with His probing invitation, ‘If there is one of you who has not sinned, let him be the first to throw a stone at her’. Their subsequent slipping away showed some awareness that they were not without sin themselves. Whereas the scribes and Pharisees used the woman, Jesus treated her with great respect. He declared first that God was not condemning her; He then called her to live in a way that was in keeping with her dignity as someone made in God’s image. Jesus restored her dignity and self-esteem declaring to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you’. In saying to her, ‘Go away and do not sin anymore’, Jesus shows that He is more interested in her future than in her past. Whereas her accusers wanted to take her life, Jesus wanted to restore it. The Gospels indicate that Jesus was very intolerant of hypocrisy, the human tendency to say one thing while thinking another. He valued openness and honesty, both in people’s dealings with each other and in their dealings with God. 

Our first reading today from the Book of Daniel, details the story of Susanna, a faithful Jewish woman, the wife of a wealthy Jewish man in Babylon, during the time of the exile of the people of God in that land after the destruction of Jerusalem and Judah. At that time, the community of the Israelite exiles were likely centred on communities they established in those foreign lands, with elders to lead and guide the community of the faithful people of God. Thus, it was then that Susanna, who was married to a Jewish man, both of whom were God-fearing and faithful, was accused falsely by two of the community elders who lusted of her and desired to commit sin with her. According to the first reading, Susanna refused the advances of the two elders, and when the two elders attempted to silence her to hide their own sins by accusing her of adultery and sin, God sent His intervention and help through Daniel, whom He inspired and guided to rescue the faithful Susanna from threat of certain death. Those two elders were entrusted with the guidance and leadership over the people of God, and were highly respected for their position and leadership. Yet, they chose to allow themselves to be swayed by the wicked temptations of the world, the temptation of the flesh, the desire for the beautiful Susanna to cloud their judgment and sound mind, that they ended up falling into those temptations and the traps of sin, committing grievous sins against God. Not only that they attempted to violate the honour and purity of Susanna, a faithful servant and fellow child of God, but they then committed even more sins in trying to hide their sins and faults. That is why we should not even let sin to tempt us in the first place, as unless we are vigilant and careful, we can be easily dragged further and deeper into the trap of sin, and end up committing more and more vile things against God and against our fellow brethren. Those two elders lied and heaped false accusations upon Susanna in order to keep themselves safe and abused their own position and power to gain things for their own benefit. But God would not allow them to have their way, and through Daniel, He broke apart their falsehoods and lies, and by His Wisdom, He saved Susanna from certain death, and justice was imparted well that day. Those who are righteous shall be saved and protected by God, while those who are wicked and evil, unless they repent from their sins and wickedness, they will have to face the consequences and the punishments for those sins that they have committed. That was exactly what happened to them, as they were unrepentant, and continued to commit sin and even endangering the life of another person in their attempt to mask their own faults.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, particularly from the Book of Daniel in our first reading, each and every one of us are reminded of the dangers and allures of sin and how sin can lead us down the path of ruin and destruction, and how we have been constantly reminded to resist those temptations of sin, and stay within the path that God had shown and taught us all to walk in. That is why we are reminded today to resist the temptations to sin, to control our desires and the many other emotions we have that we do not end up like the two elders, and remind ourselves that we should first and foremost keep our focus on the Lord, His way and His truth, and keep ourselves away from selfish desires and pursuits, be it for worldly pleasures, or for glory and fame, or for material wealth and goods among other things. We should not allow ourselves to be swayed and tempted by all these, and instead, as the Lord had told the woman, we should distance ourselves from sin and do our best to be faithful to God in all things. Let us all also not be judgmental on others, or think that we are better and superior in any way to others around us. After all, each one of us are all sinners and we are all equally in need of God’s mercy and forgiveness. Instead of looking down on others and condemning them, let us all be kind to one another and help instead of being condemning and harsh on others. We are called to be inspired by the great examples that our holy predecessors, particularly that of St. Cyril of Jerusalem and St. Alexander of Jerusalem, who we celebrate today, so that our whole lives may be great examples and inspirations for everyone around us. Let us all help each other to persevere through the difficulties we may face in life and the challenges and trials that we may have to face as Christians, in each and every moments. We are also reminded that God has the power to forgive us our sins, and to restore us to His grace and love, as long as we are willing to commit ourselves to Him, rejecting our past sinful way of life and embracing His forgiveness and mercy wholeheartedly, as we all should have. This season of Lent is the perfect time for us to seek the Lord with contrite and repentant hearts, to be reunited once again to Him. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and lead us all as we journey together with Him, during this season of Lent, as we walk down the path of reconciliation and forgiveness. May He grant us the courage and strength to follow Him with commitment and strong desire to love Him in each and every moments of our lives, and may we also be good examples, role models and inspirations for one another in how we live our lives so that many more people may also share in God’s salvation and eternal life with us. Amen🙏

Let us pray:

My merciful Lord, You see past our sin and look to the heart. Your love is infinite and awe-inspiring. I thank You for the compassion You have shown to me, and I pray that I may always imitate that same compassion to every sinner all around me. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, and Saint Alexander of Jerusalem ~ 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 and fruitful Fifth Week of Lent ~ Amen🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT (YEAR B)

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ MARCH 17, 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. Happy Sunday of the Fifth Week of Lent and Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! 🍀 May Saint Patrick intercede for all those who bear the name Patrick and us all and may God’s grace and mercy be with us all during this season of our Lenten journey🙏

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary | March 17, 2024 on EWTN” |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 17, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | March 17, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 17, 2024 |

Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 17, 2024 |

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Sunday, March 17, 2024
Reading 1, Jeremiah 31:31-34
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 51:3-4, 12-13, 14-15
Reading 2, Hebrews 5:7-9
Gospel, John 12:20-33

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 | Fifth Sunday of Lent: Weeping | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-in-the-desert-a-lenten-journey-with-our-lord/fifth-sunday-of-lent-weeping/

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/

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS

Bible Readings for today, Fifth Sunday of Lent | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031724-YearB.cfm

Gospel Reading ~ John 12:20–33

“If a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it produces much fruit”

“Some Greeks who had come to worship at the Passover Feast came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me. “I am troubled now. Yet what should I say, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it and will glorify it again.” The crowd there heard it and said it was thunder; but others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come for my sake but for yours. Now is the time of judgment on this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” He said this indicating the kind of death he would die.”

Today’s Gospel reading on this fifth Sunday of Lent details the interactions between our Lord Jesus and His disciples, at the moment when some of the Greeks came to Jerusalem and wanted to know more about Jesus, His teachings and works. It was there that the Lord proclaimed Himself symbolically to those Gentiles who were looking for Him, as He engaged in a conversation with His Heavenly Father about everything that would happen to Him. He was speaking about His moment of Passion, His suffering and death that would come soon, referring to the same actions highlighted by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews. It is a reminder that Christ’s mission is ultimately to become the bridge between us and our Lord and God, leading us back to God our Father and Creator, Who wants us all to be reconciled to Him. According to the Gospel reading, Jesus says, ‘Unless a wheat grain falls on the ground and dies, it remains only a single grain, but if it dies, it yields a rich harvest’. When Jesus looked out at nature, He was often reminded of His own ministry. He recognized Himself in the grain of wheat that falls to the ground and dies, and in dying yields a rich harvest. The Gospel reading suggests that Jesus was disturbed at the prospect of his approaching death. ‘Now my soul is troubled’, he says. He is tempted to pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’. He was tempted to love His life, to preserve it at all costs. However, because He loved God and humanity more than Himself, He accepted His death as the necessary consequence of His mission to bring God’s love to the world. His faithfulness to His mission would cost Him His life and, yet, He knew that, like the grain of wheat that falls to the ground and dies, His death would result in a rich harvest for Himself and for all humanity. By dying He would reveal the depth of God’s love for the world. That is why Jesus goes on to say, ‘When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself’. The strength of God’s love, revealed by His death on the cross, would draw people to Himself and to God. As Jesus hung from the cross, He had lost everything, His freedom, His followers, His life, and, yet, this was a loss that would be truly life-giving for Himself but for all who turned towards Him in faith. God worked powerfully through Jesus’ death, raising Him to new life and giving birth to a whole community of believers, a community of love and service. We are members of that community, part of the harvest made possible by the profound loss of Calvary.

Today, as we celebrate the feast of Saint Patrick, just as our Lord Jesus experienced loss that would be truly life-giving for Himself, but for all who turned towards Him in faith, we remember St. Patrick’s painful experience of loss as an adolescent which was truly life giving for himself and for the land of his captivity. We all struggle with loss in its various forms. Our loved ones die; we lose our health with advancing years; some lose their reputation, their employment. We all struggle to let go and move on. The life of Patrick shows us that the Lord can work powerfully in our many experiences of loss. If we entrust ourselves to the Lord in our loss, as St. Patrick did, our loss can become a source of life for ourselves and for others. The Lord can work through our loss to draw us closer to Himself. He can then work through us, as He worked through St. Patrick, to draw others to Himself.

In our first reading this Sunday from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah, the prophet spoke of the Lord’s words directed to His people, that despite their many sins and rebellions against Him, His love for all of them endured, and He has always been willing to reach out to them so that they all may receive pardon and forgiveness for their many faults and mistakes against Him, and that they may return to His loving embrace, receiving once again the fullness of His grace and love as He has always intended for them. Contextually, this happened at the time when the Israelites living in the kingdoms of Israel and Judah had long disobeyed the Lord, disobeyed His commandments and Law, refusing to listen to His messengers and prophets, choosing to walk their own path of rebellion and disobedience, turning away from the Covenant that He has made with His people. That was why God sent His prophets and messengers to them, with the message warning them that if they continued to walk in such a rebellious path, then they would suffer consequences for their disobedience and wicked deeds, which would come true with the destruction of the kingdom of Israel and the deportation of many of its inhabitants to the distant lands of Assyria and beyond, scattering God’s people from their homeland, where they were forced to wander off in those distant places. They disregarded His commandments, rules and reminders for so long, and they persecuted those whom He had sent to help them, and hence, it was no wonder that they themselves then had to suffer for their lack of faith and trust in God, for their stubbornness and wickedness. Those in the kingdom of Judah fared somewhat better as some of their kings still obeyed the Lord and still kept the commandments and Law of God to a certain extent. Nonetheless, by the time of the prophet Jeremiah, the kingdom and its people had also slipped further and deeper into the path of disobedience and evil, their constant rebellion against God and His path, and their trust in worldly powers and means rather than in their Lord and Master, eventually which would lead them to suffer the same fate as their northern neighbour, when they would also be defeated and conquered by the Babylonians, who would also deport many of them to the distant lands of Babylonia and elsewhere, where they would wander off for many decades. Jeremiah was the one who was entrusted with this bad premonition and warning, but amidst all the doom and terrible things which he proclaimed as what would happen to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judah, he also spoke of God’s love and mercy as stated in our first reading today. This is therefore a very important reminder for each and every one of us that while sin is a very dangerous and serious threat to us, as it can lead us to be separated eternally from the Lord, but the Lord’s love for us, His forgiveness and mercy can lead us all into the sure and direct path to return to Him, to reconcile ourselves once again with Him, so that, by our redemption and reconciliation with God, we may once again enjoy the fullness of His grace and love, as God has always intended for us.

Our second reading this Sunday from the Epistle to the Hebrews was written and addressed to the Jewish population, particularly for the Jewish converts to the Christian faith, which made up a large proportion of the early Christian communities then. In that particular reading, the author wanted to highlight to the Jewish people that essentially, Jesus Christ, the One Whom some of the Jews considered as merely just a great Prophet and Messiah, was in fact not just Messiah in the manner that they thought He would be, like a great King Who would liberate them from the foreign rulers and oppressors. That was the common perception of who the Messiah would be at that time. The author therefore presented Christ as the One Who is the manifestation of God’s love and the Incarnate Son of God, the Divine Word that had taken up our human existence to be with us. And the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews also highlighted how Jesus as the Son of God, obeyed His Father’s will perfectly, and showing unto us the perfect example of obedience and faith, such that we may also be inspired to follow His examples. Through His obedience, the Lord embraced His Cross and took it up willingly, enduring the worst and most bitter of sufferings and trials, difficulties and challenges so that by His obedience, by His most selfless and perfect sacrifice, His offering of Himself, His Most Precious Body and Blood for our sake, so that through this perfect offering we may be redeemed, forgiven and made whole again, reconciled fully and perfectly with God, our loving Father and Creator. The Epistle to the Hebrews also often presented the Lord Jesus as the High Priest of all, offering on our behalf the perfect and most worthy offering of His own Body and Blood for our salvation.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, the Fifth Sunday of Lent, the last Sunday before we enter into the Holy Week when we shall celebrate and commemorate the most important week in the events of our salvation history. On this Sunday, the readings of the Sacred Scriptures reminds us of the reassurances and promises that God has kept on giving us, that He will always be with us, guiding and protecting us in our journey of life, and as long as we keep our faith in Him, He shall always be faithful to the Covenant that He has made and repeatedly renewed with each and every one of us. We are all reminded that God has always been ever gracious and generous with His love towards us, calling each and every one of us to return to Him and to embrace once again the fullness of His love and compassionate mercy. Let us all therefore remind ourselves of God’s great love, which He has always shown to us, and His great mercy and love, by which He has given us all His beloved and only begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, that while we are truly unworthy because of our many sins, due to our disobedience, rebellions and stubborn attitudes, but He has opened for us the sure and certain path towards Him and His grace. In this remaining time we have before the beginning of the Holy Week, let us all look back at our Lenten journey so far, and ask ourselves whether we have made good use of the time and opportunities given to us. Have we truly grown better and stronger in our relationship with God? Have we grown to know Him better and live our lives more in accordance with His will? We are called to emulate the Saints, the holy men and women, particularly St. Patrick, who we celebrate today. Let us all use the remaining time we have, in each and every moments to reflect well and discern on how we are going to continue carrying on living our lives. Let us all continue to do what we can so that by our lives, our every words, actions and deeds, and by our every good commitments, our Lenten observances and actions, we will be good role models and inspirations for everyone all around us. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and be with us always and may He bless us all in everything that we do, in our every good efforts and endeavours, during this Lenten season and always. Amen 🙏

SAINTS OF THE DAY: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Patrick, Apostle of Ireland, Bishop and Missionary. The Patron Saint of Ireland; Nigeria; diocese of Fort Worth, Texas; archdiocese of Boston, Massachusetts; diocese of Burlington, Vermont; diocese of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; archdiocese of New York; diocese of Norwich, Connecticut; diocese of Portland, Maine; diocese of Sacramento, California; invoked against snakes; fear of snakes; sins; snake bites; against ophidiophobia; engineers; ophidiophobics; excluded people. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saint Patrick on this feast day, we humbly pray for courage and faith and for God’s protection and Christ’s presence in our lives.🙏

SAINT PATRICK, APOSTLE OF IRELAND, BISHOP AND MISSIONARY: St. Patrick of Ireland is one of the world’s most popular saints. Patrick was a fifth-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland. Known as the “Apostle of Ireland”, he is the primary patron saint of Ireland, the other patron saints being Brigit of Kildare and Columba. St. Patrick was an influential saint who, 1,500 years ago, brought Christianity to the little country of Ireland. St. Patrick (387-461) was born in Kilpatrick, Scotland, to a wealthy Roman-British parents in 387 A.D., the son of Calpurnius, a Roman-British deacon, and Conchessa. He was kidnapped by some Irish raiders at the age of sixteen while he was tending his sheep and sold as a slave to a Druid high priest. He served his heathen master as a shepherd and spent much time in prayer as he labored in the fields. Despite the harshness of the life there, he not only held on to his Faith but also learned the science of prayer and contemplation. He also acquired a perfect knowledge of the Celtic language and the Druid cult, which later enabled him to evangelize the Celtic people.

After six years of slavery, an angel appeared to him in a dream with a message from God in which he was told to flee his oppressive master in Ireland by going to the coast. St. Patrick effected a miraculous escape and there he found some sailors who took him back to his native land, Britain and he was  reunited with his family. Upon returning to Britain, St. Patrick desired to devote himself to God’s service. A few years after returning home, St. Patrick saw a vision and he was told to go back and Christianize Ireland. The vision prompted his studies for the priesthood. He went to France and placed himself under the direction of St. Germanus, the Bishop of Auxerre, who ordained him a priest and was later ordained a bishop and sent to take the Gospel to evangelize the pagans in Ireland. In 431, after a period during which his vocation to Ireland was tested by the hesitancy of his superiors in entrusting such a mission to him, St. Patrick was sent to assist Bishop Paladius in Ireland. On the death of the latter, St. Patrick was consecrated Bishop by St. Germanus (432) after receiving the approbation of Pope Celestine I. He traveled the length and breadth of Ireland, planting the Faith everywhere despite the hostility of the Druids, and succeeded in converting several members of the royal family. On a visit to Rome in 442, the Saint was commissioned by Pope Leo the Great to organize the Church of Ireland and on his return made Armagh the primatial See and established Bishop in various places. He divided the country into dioceses, held local Church councils, founded monasteries, and urged the people to greater holiness. In winning a pagan nation for Christ, St. Patrick established many monasteries for men and women and made it famous for its seats of piety and learning. In the ensuing centuries Irish monks carried the Faith to England, France, and Switzerland. Later, the missionaries sent from Ireland to Europe were largely responsible for the Christianizing of the continent.

St. Patrick suffered much opposition from the Druids and occult magicians, who, threatened by Christianity, conjured demonic power to defy St. Patrick. However, the prayer, faith, fearlessness, and episcopal authority of St. Patrick triumphed, and he was so successful in his endeavor that in the Middle Ages Ireland became known as the Land of Saints, and himself the “Apostle of Ireland.” St. Patrick succeeded in bringing Catholicism to Ireland, and in time, the whole country converted from their pagan gods to the one true God. Although a small country, Ireland has played a large role in saving and bringing Christianity throughout the world. During the early Dark Ages, the Irish monasteries preserved Western writings while Europe remained in darkness. But as the Catholic country remained solidly Catholic, the Irish spread the faith to all corners of the world.

Many legends are associated around St. Patrick, such as how he drove the snakes out of Ireland, and the use of the shamrock to teach the mystery of the Trinity. Some works are attributed to St. Patrick, one being his autobiography called Confessions. It is a short summary of the events in his life, written in true humility. Below is a short excerpt:

“I am greatly God’s debtor, because he granted me so much grace, that through me many people would be reborn in God, and soon after confirmed, and that clergy would be ordained everywhere for them, the masses lately come to belief, whom the Lord drew from the ends of the earth, just as he once promised through his prophets: “To you shall the nations come from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Our fathers have inherited naught hut lies, worthless things in which there is no profit.” And again: “I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles that you may bring salvation to the uttermost ends of the earth.”

After living a completely apostolic life of labor and prayer, St. Patrick died on March 17, 461, in the monastery of Saul, in Down in Ulster, leaving behind his Confessions which gives a vivid picture of great man of God. He’s the Patron Saint of Ireland; against snakes; snake bites; against ophidiophobia; excluded people; fear of snakes; diocese of Fort Worth, Texas; Nigeria; archdiocese of Boston, Massachusetts; diocese of Burlington, Vermont; engineers;   diocese of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; archdiocese of New York; diocese of Norwich, Connecticut; ophidiophobics; diocese of Portland, Maine; diocese of Sacramento, California.

PRAYER: God, You sent Patrick to preach Your glory to the Irish people. Through his merits and intercession grant that we who have the honor of bearing the name of Christian may constantly proclaim Your wonderful designs to others. Amen🙏

“May the Strength of God pilot us. May the Power of God preserve us. May the Wisdom of God instruct us. May the Hand of God protect us. May the Way of God direct us. May the Shield of God defend us. May the Host of God guard us against the snares of the evil ones, against temptations of the world. May Christ be with us! May Christ be before us! May Christ be in us, Christ be over all! May Thy Salvation, Lord, always be ours, this day, O Lord, and evermore…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:

Most glorious Father, Your will is perfect. You called Your Son to the suffering of the Cross. Through that act of perfect love, the suffering Your Son endured gave You perfect glory. Lord Jesus, please give me Your courage as I face my own sufferings in life and help me to imitate Your perfect obedience to the Father’s will in all things so that I, too, may give Him glory. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Patrick, Apostle of Ireland, Bishop and Missionary ~ 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 Sunday and Week of Lent ~ Amen🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖

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 💖

FOURTH WEEK OF LENT

STATIONS OF THE CROSS (Links below)

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ MARCH 15, 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 Friday 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 15, 2024 on EWTN” |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 15, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | March 15, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 15, 2024 |

Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 15, 2024 |

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Friday, March 15, 2024
Reading 1, Wisdom 2:1, 12-22
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 34:17-18, 19-20, 21, 23
Gospel, John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

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

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-Seven: Sloth or Diligence? | Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-in-the-desert-a-lenten-journey-with-our-lord/day-twenty-seven-sloth-or-diligence/

40 Days at the foot of the Cross. A Gaze of Love from the Heart of our Blessed Mother Mary | Day Twenty-Seven – Humiliation – Stripped of Garments | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-at-the-foot-of-the-cross/day-twenty-seven-humiliation-stripped-of-garments/

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 Louise de Marillac, Widow (Patron Saint of sick people, widows, orphans, and Social Workers); Saint Longinus, Martyr, the centurion who was converted when he pierced Jesus’ Sacred Heart (Patron Saint of the blind and people with poor eyesight, of labor, of power, and of good discernment) and Saint Clement Mary Hofbauer, the Apostle on the move (Co-Patron of Vienna and Warsaw). Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for all those who are sick, especially those who are blind and those with poor eyesight. We also pray for orphans, widows, social workers, travellers, missionaries and for the conversion of sinners… Amen🙏

SAINT LOUISE DE MARILLAC, WIDOW: St. Louise De Marillac (1591-1660) was born on August 15, 1591 near the town of Meux, Paris, France to a noble family. Her mother died shortly after her birth, and her father when she was sixteen years of age. St. Louise received an education from the Dominican convent at Poissy and eventually discerned that she was called to religious life. After consulting her confessor concerning her plans to enter the religious life, Louise decided not to pursue this vocation. Instead, in 1613, St. Louise de Marrillac married an official of the royal court, Antony Le Gras and she  became known as Mademoiselle Le Gras. Her husband died thirteen years later in 1625, leaving St. Louise with a young son. After his death in 1625, St. Louise again began to think about joining a religious community. She became a nun and chose St. Vincent de Paul, then known as Monsieur Vincent, as her spiritual director. She became an active supporter of the charitable work of St Vincent de Paul, who came to put more and more reliance on her. With the help of Monsieur Vincent, St. Louise established the Daughters of Charity, a group of women dedicated to serving the sick, the poor and the neglected as it was frowned upon for wealthy women to serve those outside of their own social class besides raising money. They were dedicated to the corporal and spiritual service of the poor in their homes.

In 1642, St. Louise wrote the formal Rule for the Daughters of Charity and in 1655 they received formal approval from the Vatican. Her clear intelligence and wide sympathy played a big part in the beginnings of the congregation, whose aspirants she trained and whose rapid growth involved responsibilities which largely fell on her. After forming the Rule for the Daughters of Charity, St. Louise traveled around France forming convents and instituting the Daughters as workers in hospitals, orphanages and other institutions dedicated to helping the neglected. St. Louise worked zealously until her death in Paris in the year 1660. At the time of her death there were already over forty houses of the sisters in France, the sick poor were looked after at home in twenty-six Parisian parishes, hundreds of women were given shelter, and there were other undertakings as well. St Louise was not physically robust, but she had great powers of endurance, and her selfless devotion was a source of incalculable help and encouragement to Monsieur Vincent. She was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1934 and was declared patroness of social workers in 1960. She’s the Patron Saint of disappointing children, widows, loss of parents, sick people, social workers, Vincentian Service Corps, people rejected by religious order

PRAYER: God, You inspired St. Louise to strive for perfect charity and so attain Your Kingdom at the end of her pilgrimage on earth. Strengthen us through her intercession in the way of love. Amen🙏

SAINT LONGINUS THE CENTURION, MARTYR: The Holy Martyr Longinus the Centurion, a Roman soldier, served in Judea under the command of the Governor, Pontius Pilate. When our Savior Jesus Christ was crucified, it was the detachment of soldiers under the command of Longinus which stood watch on Golgotha, at the very foot of the holy Cross. Longinus and his soldiers were eyewitnesses of the final moments of the earthly life of the Lord, and of the great and awesome portents that appeared at His death. These events shook the centurion’s soul. Longinus believed in Christ and confessed before everyone, “Truly this was the Son of God” (Mt. 27:54). According to Church Tradition, Longinus was the soldier who pierced the side of the Crucified Savior with a spear, and received healing from an eye affliction when blood and water poured forth from the wound. After the Crucifixion and Burial of the Savior, Longinus stood watch with his company at the Sepulchre of the Lord. These soldiers were present at the All-Radiant Resurrection of Christ. The Jews bribed them to lie and say that His disciples had stolen away the Body of Christ, but Longinus and two of his comrades refused to be seduced by the Jewish gold. They also refused to remain silent about the miracle of the Resurrection. Having come to believe in the Savior, the soldiers received Baptism from the apostles and decided to leave military service. Saint Longinus left Judea to preach about Jesus Christ the Son of God in his native land (Cappadocia), and his two comrades followed him. The fiery words of those who had actually participated in the great events in Judea swayed the hearts and minds of the Cappadocians; Christianity began quickly to spread throughout the city and the surrounding villages. When they learned of this, the Jewish elders persuaded Pilate to send a company of soldiers to Cappadocia to kill Longinus and his comrades. When the soldiers arrived at Longinus’s village, the former centurion himself came out to meet the soldiers and took them to his home. After a meal, the soldiers revealed the purpose of their visit, not knowing that the master of the house was the very man whom they were seeking. Then Longinus and his friends identified themselves and told the startled soldiers to carry out their duty. The soldiers wanted to let the saints go and advised them to flee, but they refused to do this, showing their firm intention to suffer for Christ. The holy martyrs were beheaded, and their bodies were buried at the place where the saints were martyred. The head of Saint Longinus, however, was sent to Pilate.

Pilate gave orders to cast the martyr’s head on a trash-heap outside the city walls. After a while a certain blind widow from Cappadocia arrived in Jerusalem with her son to pray at the holy places, and to ask that her sight be restored. After becoming blind, she had sought the help of physicians to cure her, but all their efforts were in vain. The woman’s son became ill shortly after reaching Jerusalem, and he died a few days later. The widow grieved for the loss of her son, who had served as her guide. Saint Longinus appeared to her in a dream and comforted her. He told her that she would see her son in heavenly glory, and also receive her sight. He told her to go outside the city walls and there she would find his head in a great pile of refuse. Guides led the blind woman to the rubbish heap, and she began to dig with her hands. As soon as she touched the martyr’s head, the woman received her sight, and she glorified God and Saint Longinus. Taking up the head, she brought it to the place she was staying and washed it. The next night, Saint Longinus appeared to her again, this time with her son. They were surrounded by a bright light, and Saint Longinus said, “Woman, behold the son for whom you grieve. See what glory and honor are his now, and be consoled. God has numbered him with those in His heavenly Kingdom. Now take my head and your son’s body, and bury them in the same casket. Do not weep for your son, for he will rejoice forever in great glory and happiness.” The woman carried out the saint’s instructions and returned to her home in Cappadocia. There she buried her son and the head of Saint Longinus. Once, she had been overcome by grief for her son, but her weeping was transformed into joy when she saw him with Saint Longinus. She had sought healing for her eyes, and also received healing of her soul. St. Longinus  is the Patron Saint of the blind and people with poor eyesight, of labor, of power, and of good discernment.

PRAYER: O Saint Longinus, you were chosen as the venerable gate keeper and was granted the gift of discernment by the Lord; an eyewitness of God’s miracle who glorified the resurrected Christ. To your death, you remained Christ’s soldier and for Christ you gave your head. Pray for us, therefore, O St. Longinus so that being inspired by your example and assisted by your prayers, we may live a holy life, die a happy death, and reach eternal life to praise and thank God in heaven with you. I ask you to pray to God this special request if it be His holy will… Amen🙏

Almighty, Eternal God, You were pleased to make Your Church illustrious through the varied splendor of St. Longinus. As we venerate his memory, may we also follow such shining examples of virtue on earth and thus obtain merited crowns in Heaven. We ask this through Christ our Lord… Amen🙏

SAINT CLEMENT MARY HOFBAUER, PRIEST: Saint Clement Mary Hofbauer (1751-1821) was born on December 26,1751, at Taswitz, Moravia to a butcher and his wife and was baptized John. His family name was originally Dvorak, but was changed to the German Hofbauer. He was the youngest of twelve children, St. Clement was six years old when his father died. His great desire was to become a priest, but since his family was unable to give him the necessary education, he became a baker’s assistant, devoting all his spare time to study. He was a servant in the Premonstratensian monastery of Bruck from 1771 to 1775, then lived for some time as a hermit. As part of his so-called Josephinist policies, Austrian Emperor Jo­seph II abolished hermitages, and Clement went to Vienna, where he and a friend, Peter Kunzmann, received permission from Bishop Chiaramonti of Tivoli, Italy, to live in a hermitage. Bishop Chiaramonti later became Pope Pius VII.

He made three pilgrimages to Rome, and during the third, accompanied by a good friend, he entered with the same friend the Redemptorist novitiate at San Giuliano. The two were professed in 1785 and ordained a few days later. They were stationed in Vienna, but Emperor Joseph II closed religious foundations, so they were sent to Courtland. Peter Kunzmann joined Clement as a lay brother, and the three were sent to St. Benno’s Church in Warsaw, Poland, to begin two decades of missionary labors from 1786 to 1808. The church in Warsaw was granted by King Stanislaus Poniatowski, and they labored under incredible difficulties. A larger church was also reserved for them, where daily instructions were given for non-Catholics. Saint Clement  preached and also founded in Warsaw an orphanage and a school for boys and established a vast Redemptorist presence in the city. His great friend, Thaddeus Habul, died in 1807; the following year four houses founded by Saint Clement were suppressed and the Redemptorists expelled from the Grand Duchy. Napoleon suppressed all religious institutions, and Clement and the Redemptorists were imprisoned in 1808, each one then exiled to his own native land. St. Clement went with one companion to Vienna, where for the last twelve years of his life he acted as chaplain and director at an Ursuline convent and pastor of the adjoining parish. There he exercised a veritable apostolate among all classes in the capital. He devoted himself in a special way to the conversion and formation of young men. He became known for his holiness and zeal. He founded a Catholic college and began to reform and revitalize the Catholic faith of Austria and Germany. Prince Rupert of Bavaria aided Clement in defeating a move to establish a German national Church. St. Clement also fought against Josephinism and was about to be expelled from Austria for his opposition to such secular control, when, surprisingly, Emperor Joseph’s successor, Emperor Francis I, defended him. St. Clement died in Vienna on March 15, 1821. When he died, Pius VII said, Religion in Austria has lost its chief support. On April 19, the Emperor admitted the Congregation into the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Thanks to Fr. Joseph Passerat, one of St. Clement´s first companions, the Congregation spread from Vienna throughout Northern Europe. St  Clement was canonized by Saint Pius X on May 20, 1909. He is co-patron Vienna and Warsaw.

PRAYER: God of the Journey I pray, O God, for all who under full sail journey upon unchartered waters. God of the universe, You are on a journey and You are taking us with You. Help us to keep up and give as companions along the way. I commend to your care people on really big journeys. I pray with those entering a relationship or leaving one, those leaving home or returning, for the sick and the dying, and for immigrants, asylum-seekers and tourists. St Clement Hofbauer, the Apostle on the move… pray for us. 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 Fourth Week of Lent | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

“They tried to arrest Him, but his hour had not yet come”

“Jesus moved about within Galilee; he did not wish to travel in Judea, because the Jews were trying to kill him. But the Jewish feast of Tabernacles was near.    But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, he himself also went up, not openly but as it were in secret. Some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem said, “Is he not the one they are trying to kill? And look, he is speaking openly and they say nothing to him. Could the authorities have realized that he is the Christ? But we know where he is from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from.” So Jesus cried out in the temple area as he was teaching and said, “You know me and also know where I am from. Yet I did not come on my own, but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.” So they tried to arrest him, but no one laid a hand upon him, because his hour had not yet come.”

In today’s Gospel reading, our Lord Jesus spoke and elaborated about the challenges and persecutions that He Himself would soon face in Jerusalem, as He embarked on the last part of His earthly ministry. He had to face a lot of hardships and rejection, challenges from the Temple authorities, from the Sanhedrin or the Jewish High Council, many of whose members refused to accept the teachings and the works that the Lord had presented to them. They all believed that their way of observing the Law, their beliefs and their practices are superior than everyone else’s and that they could not have been wrong or mistaken, and hence, they treated the Lord as a great rival to them and a dangerous threat to their privileged existence and status in the community. That was why, they would eventually arrest Him and then condemned Him to death on the Cross through the means of the Romans. Our Lord Jesus speaks of Himself as the one whom God has sent. ‘There is one who sent me and I really came from Him’. He goes on to claim that because He came from God, He knows God. ‘I know Him because I have come from Him and it was He who sent me’. It is only Jesus who can make the claim to know God, because it is only Jesus who, according to John’s Gospel, was with God in the beginning, who came from God to earth and who remains close to the Father’s heart while on earth. It is Jesus who is uniquely placed to make God known. ‘No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made Him known’ (Jn. 1:18). It is because Jesus is the only one who can make God fully known that He is at the centre of our faith. We all have a deep desire to see and know God. In John’s Gospel, Philip speaks for us all when he says to Jesus, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied’ (Jn. 14:8). On that occasion, Jesus had to remind Philip, ‘Whoever has seen me has seen the Father’. Jesus shows us the face of God because He is God in human form. If Jesus shows us the face of God, it is above all the Gospels that show us the face of Jesus. The Gospels are our bread of life because there we meet Jesus who reveals the God who alone can satisfy our deepest hungers.

Our first reading today from the Book of Wisdom, describes the plots that the wicked assembled and planned against the faithful servant of God. Today’s reading is a highlight summarising what God’s servants and prophets had to endure during the time of their ministry among the people of God. The sufferings, persecutions, challenges and difficulties that the servants and prophets of God had to endure throughout their ministry, all because of the stubbornness that the people to whom they had been sent to, their refusal to follow the Law of God and their rebelliousness, through which they had gone ever deeper into the path of sin and evil. The Lord nonetheless still loved them all, and patiently helped and guided them back towards Himself, sending to them those servants and messengers to assist and lead them all in the right path. Yet, they often rejected His offer of love and mercy, and many of them preferred to walk down in their own rebellious path. Thus, they persecuted those servants and messengers, making a mockery of their status as God’s beloved people. They were often hated, rejected and ridiculed against, oppressed and persecuted. They were cast out and treated as how foreigners were treated, and even worse than that. No one would hear them even though they spoke God’s words and truth. Those people had closed themselves against God’s words and truth, and then, the Book of Wisdom also spoke of what would happen in time to come, it was also a prophecy of the Messiah and how the people would treat Him just as they had treated the prophets and messengers of God. This was a prophecy as declared in our Gospel reading today, of what was to happen to our Lord Jesus and what He experienced as He ministered among the people of God. He would be condemned to a shameful death by those who could not stand the sight of Him. The chief priests, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, as well as members of the Sadducees, all plotted against Him and sought His downfall.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, there were indeed lots of tribulations, trials and challenges that the Lord Himself and His servants and messengers had suffered. The same sufferings and trials have also been faced by our predecessors in faith, just as the history of the Church and the story of the many saints and martyrs of the Church can tell us. This is a reminder therefore, that if we want to follow the Lord wholeheartedly and completely as we should, we may have to endure those same sufferings and challenges, trials and difficulties as well. But at the same time, we should not be afraid or fearful because the Lord Himself will be with us, by our side, protecting and guiding us in our respective journeys and paths. In this season of Lent, all of us are given the time, opportunity and choice, and are called to seek the Lord with contrite and open hearts, with minds that are welcoming towards the Lord, and the willingness to listen to Him speaking to us and calling on us to return to Him. In this time of reconciliation and call to repentance, we are all reminded that we are sinners in need of healing and reconciliation with God. May the Lord be with us always, and may He empower each and every one of us to live ever more worthily in His presence, listening to Him and obeying His will in each and every available opportunities. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace to be good examples and role models for one another, in how we live our lives as dedicated Christians. May the Lord continue to guide us in our journey of faith towards Him. May He empower each and every one of us so that we may always be strong and firm in our commitment to live our lives worthily of the Lord, at all times. Let us all continue to seek to glorify the Lord by our lives, by each and every one of our works, actions and deeds. Amen 🙏

Let us pray:

My hidden Lord, You came to reveal to all people Your burning love and invitation to eternal life. Please come and dwell with me during my journey through life, and open my mind and heart to all that You wish to reveal. May I know You fully and follow You to the Promised Land of Heaven. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Louise de Marillac; Saint Longinus and Saint Clement Mary Hofbauer ~ 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 💖

FOURTH WEEK OF LENT

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ MARCH 14, 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 Thursday 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 14, 2024 on EWTN” |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 14, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | March 14, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 14, 2024 |

Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 14, 2024 |

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Thursday, March 14, 2024
Reading 1, Exodus 32:7-14
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 106:19-20, 21-22, 23
Gospel, John 5:31-47

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-Six: Angels | Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-in-the-desert-a-lenten-journey-with-our-lord/day-twenty-six-angels/

40 Days at the foot of the Cross. A Gaze of Love from the Heart of our Blessed Mother Mary | Day Twenty-Six – The Holy Women and Veronica | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-at-the-foot-of-the-cross/day-twenty-six-the-holy-women-and-veronica/

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 Matilda, the Patron Saint of  widows, parents of large families, parents with difficult children, and of those who have conflicts with their grown children. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, we humbly pray for all parents, especially pray for those who experience challenges with their children. May God grant all parents wisdom, patience and understanding, as they nurture their children in the ways of the Lord.🙏

SAINT MATHILDA, PARENT’S PRAYER FOR THEIR CHILDREN:“O Heavenly Father, I commend my children to Thy care. Be Thou their God and Father; and mercifully supply whatever is lacking in me through frailty or negligence. Strengthen them to overcome the corruptions of the world, whether from within or without; and deliver them from the secret snares of the enemy. Pour Thy grace into their hearts, and strengthen and multiply in them the gifts of Thy Holy Spirit, that they may daily grow in grace and in knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ; and so, faithfully serving Thee here, may come to rejoice in Thy presence hereafter.. Amen”🙏

O GOD, by whose grace the blessed Mathilda enkindled with the fire of thy love, became a burning and a shining light in thy Church: Grant that we may be inflamed with the same spirit of discipline and love, and ever walk before thee as children of light; through Jesus Christ our Lord…Amen🙏

SAINT MATHILDA OF SAXONY, EMPRESS: St. Mathilda (895-968 A.D.), Queen of Germany and wife of King Henry I was a princess born in Prussia in about 895, the greatest glory of her noble family, she was the daughter of Theodoric of Westphalia, a powerful Saxon count, and Reinhilde, a princess of Denmark. Her parents placed her very young in the monastery of Erfort, of which her grandmother Maude had become the Abbess. Young St. Mathilda became in that house an accomplished model of all virtues and domestic arts. Here she learned needlework and acquired the love of labor, prayer, and spiritual reading. She remained there until her parents married her to the virtuous and valiant Henry “the Fowler” son of Otto, Duke of Saxony in the year 913, he was called Henry “the Fowler,” because of his fondness for hawking. He succeded his father and became Duke in 916 on the death of his father, and in 919 on the death of the Emperor of Germany, King Conrad I, Henry succeeded him to the German throne. He was chosen by his troops to succeed him. Henry was a pious and diligent prince, and very kind to his subjects. By his arms he checked the insolence of invading neighboring armies, and enlarged his dominions by adding to them Bavaria. Saint Mathilda, during those years, gained over the enemies of God spiritual victories yet more worthy of a Christian and far greater in the eyes of heaven. As the Queen of Germany, St. Mathilda was blessed with five children, three sons and two daughters, whom she raised in the fear of God, she nourished in their souls the precious seeds of devotion and humility through prayer and good works. They became important historical figures, the three sons became: Holy Roman Emperor Otto I the Great, who succeeded his father as emperor of Germany; Henry, Duke of Bavaria and Saint Bruno, Archbishop of Cologne. The two daughters were, Gerberga, wife of King Louis IV d’Outremer, King of France; and Hedwig, mother of Hugh Capet, first of the Capetian race of French kings. St. Mathilda was a holy and virtuous woman known for her generosity to the poor. The king adored his queen and attributed his success in battle to her prayers. They reigned seventeen years, and their eldest son succeeded the throne and became Emperor Otto I. Otto became King of Germany in 937, and in 962 he was crowned Emperor at Rome.

It was her delight to visit, comfort, and exhort the sick and the afflicted; to serve and instruct the poor, and to afford her charitable assistance to prisoners. Her husband, edified by her example, concurred with her in every pious undertaking which she proposed, and his military victories served for the propagation of the Gospel in pagan lands. The two sovereigns labored concertedly for the reign of justice in all their domains, and for the happiness and welfare of their subjects, constructing hospitals, churches and monasteries. After twenty-three years of marriage God was pleased in the year 936 to call the king to Himself. Before his death, he thanked his worthy companion for having moderated his sometimes too-severe justice, and praised her in the presence of the entire court. Saint Mathilda persevered long in prayer, continuing her good works as before, but could not avoid the difficulties which jealousy of sovereigns almost invariably provokes. After her husband’s death, St. Mathilda’s two eldest sons, Otto I and Henry chastised her for her generous almsgiving. St. Mathilda then took the possessions left to her by her husband and turned them over to her sons, and retired from court. Her sons immediately suffered misfortune, which was attributed to their poor treatment of their holy mother. Eventually Edith, wife of Otto, saw in the mortal illness threatening Henry, a sign of God’s anger provoked by their conduct toward their mother, and recommended the return of St Mathilda. In order to repair this injustice and regain God’s favor, St. Mathilda was begged to return to court, which she did, forgiving her sons for their ill will and afterwards perfect understanding reigned between the mother and sons. Henry died not long afterwards, and his mother thereafter retired almost completely from court life to concern herself with the care of prisoners, the poor and the sick, and the construction of a very large monastery for women at Nordhausen. She became more liberal in her alms than ever, and founded many churches, with five monasteries.

In her last sickness she made her confession to her grandson William, the Archbishop of Mentz, who yet died twelve days before her, on his road home. She again made a public confession before the priests and monks of the place, received a second time the last sacraments. Eventually she died on March 14, 968, after spending her final years in prayer and penance, she died lying on the floor in sack-cloth, having spread ashes upon her head herself. She died at the monastery at Quedlinburg and was buried there with her late husband, King Henry I. She was venerated as a Saint immediately after her death. She’s the Patron Saint of: death of children, disappointing children, falsely accused people, large families, people ridiculed for their piety, queens, second marriages, widows.

PRAYER: God, You gladden us each year by the feast of St. Mathilda. Grant that as we honor her in such festivities we may also imitate her example in our conduct. 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 Fourth Week of Lent | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ John 5:31-47

“The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me.”

“Jesus said to the Jews: “If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is not true. But there is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true. You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth. I do not accept human testimony, but I say this so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light. But I have testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf. But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form, and you do not have his word remaining in you, because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on my behalf. But you do not want to come to me to have life. “I do not accept human praise; moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you. I came in the name of my Father, but you do not accept me; yet if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father: the one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope. For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus refers to John the Baptist as a lamp alight and shining and declares that for a time people were content to enjoy the light that he gave. Jesus will go on to say in this Gospel of John, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life’. John the Baptist may be a lamp who gives off some light, but only Jesus is the true light. Jesus is declared to be the light of the world. Jesus does not only reflect the light of God; He is the light of God. People like John the Baptist have brought something of God’s light to others but Jesus alone is the light of God. We all need lamps as we go through life, people like John the Baptist reveal the light of God’s presence to us in some way. We are all called to be a lamp in that sense. If we are to be a lamp for others, we need to keep turning towards Jesus the true light. This activity of turning to Jesus the true light lasts a life-time. In various ways we can turn away from this light of God that shines so brilliantly through the person of Jesus. We can turn towards the darkness, in some form or other, as we face trials and tribulations in the world. When that happens, we need to keep turning back towards Jesus, the true light who is always turned towards us. Only then can we live out our calling to be a lamp alight and shining. When we keep turning towards the light, we can become a light for others. In another of the Gospels, Jesus speaks of God who ‘makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good’. God has given Jesus, His Son, to all people, without distinction or discrimination. Our calling is to open our lives to God’s light shining through God’s Son and, like John the Baptist, to reflect something of this light to others, especially to those who live in darkness and the shadow of death.

In our first reading today from the Book of Exodus, the Lord speaks to Moses at the time after He has revealed His Law and the Ten Commandments to Moses at Mount Sinai. At that time, Moses spent forty days with the Lord atop the mountain, listening to Him and receiving from Him the extensive set of laws and guidance meant to be passed to the people of Israel, as a guide and help for all of them to remain true to the path of righteousness. But the people thinking that Moses had perished on the mountain quickly lost their trust and faith in the Lord, and forced Aaron to craft for them a great golden calf idol to worship as god over them. This is the fundamental sin of idolatry and  they committed other grievous sins against the Lord, when God had been so patient in loving them and caring for them. Yet, Moses does not give up on the people, but stepped in and pleads with God on behalf of God’s people when He wanted to destroy all the people as was just and right for Him to do, and Moses asked the Lord to withhold His anger and judgment, reasoning with Him and reminding Him of the constant love that He has shown to the people. God hears Moses’ prayer of pardon; God responds to Moses’ plea. Because of Moses’ prayer there is reconciliation between God and His people. If Moses worked to reconcile God’s people to God, Jesus did so to an even fuller degree. Saint Paul declares, ‘God reconciled us to Himself through Christ… in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself’. The work of Moses pointed ahead to the even greater work of Jesus. That is why Jesus can say in the Gospel reading, ‘if you really believed Moses, you would believe me too’. There is continuity between Moses and Jesus, but, according to John’s Gospel, Jesus brings Moses’ work to completion. As the Prologue to that Gospel states, ‘the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ’. Jesus is the fullest revelation of God’s gracious and reconciling love possible in human form.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all called to listen to the Lord and to follow Him, cease our rebellion and disobedience against Him. He has given us many opportunities to return to Him and to be reconciled to Him. Let us all make good use of the remaining time of Lent to prepare ourselves, not just physically but also spiritually and mentally, so that we may be more attuned to the Lord, be more ready and prepared to live in accordance with God’s path. May the Lord hence guide and help us in our journey of faith through life, particularly during this blessed season and time of Lent. May He empower each and every one of us in our path, so that we may always adhere faithfully to His Law and commandments. May He inspire us to follow in the footsteps of His Saints, holy men and women, particularly St. Mathilda, who we celebrate today and many others, such that we may ourselves be sources of inspiration and strength for our fellow brethren, and be the beacons of God’s light, truth and love. May the Lord our loving God and Master continue to love and guide us all in our journey in life, and may He empower so that we may continue to remain faithful to the calling, mission and vocations which He has entrusted to us. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace to remain faithful and seek the Lord with ever greater faith and commitment, and may He bless us all with His guidance and strength, and bless our every good efforts, deeds and works, in all circumstances and things, now and always. Amen 🙏

Let us pray:

My praiseworthy Lord, I do thank You and praise You for Your perfect goodness. I thank You for the way that You act in perfect union with the will of the Father. Help me to listen only to Your voice in this life and to reject all the misleading and confusing voices of the world. May my values and choices be guided by You and You alone. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Mathilda ~ 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 Fourth Week of Lent ~ Amen🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖

FOURTH WEEK OF LENT

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ MARCH 13, 2024

ELEVENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PONTIFICATE OF POPE FRANCIS, VICAR OF CHRIST AND SUPREME PONTIFF

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

ELEVENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PONTIFICATE OF POPE FRANCIS, VICAR OF CHRIST AND SUPREME PONTIFF: Today, let us all pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, who is celebrating the eleventh anniversary since his election as Pope at the Papal Conclave in 2013, that God will always bless him and guide him in his ministry as our shepherd. Amen. Happy 11th anniversary, Pope Francis! We continue to pray with you and for you. 🙏

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary | March 13, 2024 on EWTN” |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 13, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | March 13, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 13, 2024 |

Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 13, 2024 |

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Reading 1, Isaiah 49:8-15
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 145:8-9, 13-14, 17-18
Gospel, John 5:17-30

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-Five: Worship | Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-in-the-desert-a-lenten-journey-with-our-lord/day-twenty-five-worship/

40 Days at the foot of the Cross. A Gaze of Love from the Heart of our Blessed Mother Mary | Day Twenty-Five – Jesus Falls | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-at-the-foot-of-the-cross/day-twenty-five-jesus-falls/

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 Saints Roderick, Priest, and Solomon, Martyrs and St. Euphrasia of Constantinople, Virgin, a young girl who devoted her life entirely to God. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for persecuted christians, for justice, peace, love and unity in our world.

“O God of all the nations, the One God who is and was and always will be, in your providence you willed that your Church be united to the suffering of your Son. Look with mercy on your servants who are persecuted for their faith in you. Grant them perseverance and courage to be worthy imitators of Christ. Bring your wisdom upon leaders of nations to work for peace among all peoples. May your Spirit open conversion for those who contradict your will, that we may live in harmony. Give us the grace to be united in truth and freedom, and to always seek your will in our lives. Through Christ our Lord”… Amen🙏

SAINTS RODERICK, PRIEST, AND SOLOMON, MARTYRS: Sts. Roderick and Solomon were Martyrs of Spain who died on March 13, 857 AD. St. Roderick, also called Rodriquez, Rudericus and Rodrigo, was a  Mozarab Catholic priest from Córdoba in Cabra, Andalusia, a region that had been part of the kingdom of the Visigoths of Spain. Living in 9th century Spain at the time of the Moorish dominion and persecution. He was venerated as one of the Martyrs of Córdoba. He had two brothers—one had become a Muslim and the other was irreligious, had practically abandoned the Catholic Faith. St. Roderick became the victim of family and fraternal disagreements and violence. The Muslim brother reproached the third brother for his “obstinacy” in remaining a Christian. St. Roderick tried to make peace between the two but without success.

One day, while trying to break up a violent quarrel between the two, they turned on St. Roderick and he was beaten senseless by both of his brothers until he became unconscious. His Muslim brother then carried him in a cart through the streets, publicly proclaiming that St. Roderick had renounced Christ and converted to Islam and wished to die a Muslim. St. Roderick, too ill to speak out, suffered in silence, but as soon as he got well he escaped from his brother’s hands. His brother sought out St. Roderick and had him brought before the kadi or judge on the charge of having returned to the Christian Faith after embracing Islam. St. Roderick protested fiercely, declaring that he had never himself denied the Faith, he proclaimed that he had always been a Christian, when St. Roderick maintained his loyalty to the Catholic religion, he was accused of apostasy from Islam under Sharia law. The judge refused to believe him and relegated him to one of the worst dungeons in the city of Cordova. While he was denounced by the Muslim brother and imprisoned for falling away from the Islamic faith, in prison he met and befriended Salomon (Solomon) another Christian charged with the same offense. The two dedicated followers of Christ encouraged one another during the lengthy imprisonment, which had been designed to shake their constancy. Seeing that his original stratagem did not work, the judge had them set apart for a time; but when this also failed to achieve the desired retractions, the reluctant judge, then sentenced him to death, at the insistence of that Muslim brother. This was fratricide, more than persecution, not a question of the unusal form of persecution in this case. At the time, the region saw Muslims, Christians and Jews co-exist quite peacefully. Eventually, the judge condemned both of them to be beheaded, in 857 at Córdoba.

St. Eulogius (who was eventually martyred during that same persecution: see March 11) witnessed their bodies lying near a river, and saw the soldiers throwing the stones reddened by the Saints’ blood into the river to make sure that the Christians could not make relics of them. Thrown into the Guadalquivir river, the bodies were recovered by the Christians, who buried Roderick in the Basilica of San Genesio, near Cordova and Solomon, in the nearby Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian. St. Roderick’s Convent and Hospital in Cabra, established in the 16th century, bears his name.

PRAYER: Almighty, ever-living God, You enabled Sts. Roderick and Solomon to fight to the death for justice. Through their intercession enable us to bear all adversity and with all our strength hasten to You Who alone are life. Amen🙏
 
SAINT EUPHRASIA OF CONSTANTINOPLE, VIRGIN: Saint Euphrasia also known as Eupraxia (380 – March 13, 410) was a Constantinopolitan nun who was venerated after her death as a saint for her piety and example of charity. St. Euphrasia was born in 380 at Constantinople, Eastern Roman Empire (now Istanbul, Turkey). St. Euphrasia was a daughter of noble and pious parents, honored by the pious Emperor Theodosius and the Empress of that city. She was the only daughter of Antigonus—a nobleman of the court of Emperor Theodosius I, to whom he was related—and of Euphrasia, his wife. When Antigonus died, his widow and young daughter withdrew together to Egypt, near a monastery of one hundred and thirty nuns. This was less than a century since St. Anthony had established his first monastery, but monasticism in that time had spread with incredible speed. At the age of seven,  the little girl, St. Euphrasia begged that she might be permitted to take vows and become a nun and serve God in this monastery, the pious mother wept for joy. When her mother presented the child to the abbess, St. Euphrasia took up an image of Christ and kissed it, saying, “By vow I consecrate myself to Christ.” Her mother replied, “Lord Jesus Christ, receive this child under your special protection. You alone doth she love and seek: to you doth she recommend herself.” 

When St. Euphrasia’s mother left her in the hands of the abbess, she went out of the monastery weeping. She continued her life of prayer and mortification, and a few years later, when this good mother fell sick, she slept in peace. Soon after, on hearing of St. Euphrasia’s mother death, the Emperor Theodosius I sent for St.  Euphrasia, as he considered himself her protector, and already during her childhood had arranged for her to be married to a young senator of Constantinople, when she would reach a suitable age. St. Euphrasia responded with a letter to the Emperor declining the offer to marry; instead, she requested that her estate be sold and divided among the poor, and that all her slaves be manumitted. The emperor did as she requested shortly before his death in 395. Saint Euphrasia was known for and a perfect pattern of humility, meekness, and charity. If she found herself assaulted by any temptation, she immediately sought the advice of the abbess, who often on such occasions assigned to her some humbling and painful penitential labor, which she would execute to perfection. Once she moved a pile of great rocks from one place to another, continuing for thirty days with wonderful simplicity, until the devil, vanquished by her humble obedience, left her in peace. She became powerful over the demons, and delivered many possessed persons. She cured a child who was paralyzed, deaf and dumb, making the sign of the cross over him and saying, May He who created you, heal you!  She delivered a woman from possession by the devil. Moreover, before she died, the abbess of St. Euphrasia’s monastery reported having had a vision of St. Euphrasia transported to God’s throne, surrounded by angels. St. Euphrasia was favored with other miracles also and said to perform miracles before and after her death. St. Euphrasia died on March 13, 410 at the age of 30 in The Thebaid, Egypt. After her death, she was venerated as a saint.

PRAYER: Hear us, O God, our Saviour: that as we rejoice in the feast of blessed Euphrasia, Thy Virgin: so we may be taught by its devotion towards Thee. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son who lives and reigns with Thee in they unity of the Holy Ghost God world without end…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 Fourth Week of Lent | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ John 5:17-30

“As the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also does the Son give life to those whom He chooses”

“Jesus answered the Jews: “My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.” For this reason they tried all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath
but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God. Jesus answered and said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for what he does, the Son will do also. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything that he himself does, and he will show him greater works than these, so that you may be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes. Nor does the Father judge anyone, but he has given all judgment to the Son, so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life. Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he gave to the Son the possession of life in himself. And he gave him power to exercise judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of
condemnation. “I cannot do anything on
my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus answered the Jews: “My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.” This was in response to the religious leaders who were critical of Jesus for working on the Sabbath by healing a man who had been paralyzed for thirty eight years, at a pool near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem (yesterday’s Gospel reading). The work that Jesus and His Father are always engaged in is that of giving life to others, ‘As the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son gives life to anyone He chooses… For the Father, who is the source of life, has made the Son the source of life’. God goes on working through His Son in a life-giving way. It is reassuring to know that God and the risen Lord go on working to bring life to all. We may not be able to work, for one reason or another. When we do work, we may feel that our work is not bearing any good fruit. Yet, God and His Son never cease to work among us and through us. Just as the sun cannot but shine, so God our Lord cannot but work. The Lord does not rest from his labours on our behalf, no more than a mother rests from her labours on behalf of her child, in the imagery of today’s first reading. The Lord calls on each of us to become the instruments of His labour on behalf of others, to allow Him to work through us for the present and ultimate well-being of others. If we trust in the Lord, listening to His words, then He will be working through us, even at those times when we seem incapable of much work.

Our first reading today from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah is the words of comfort and assurances from God to His people in the kingdom of Judah, as He told them that He will always remember them and that He will always provide for them, and be reconciled with them, despite their past wickedness and sins. The Lord spoke to His people of His promised salvation to all of them. He would rescue them from their troubles and deliver them from the hands of the evil one, and all of the plots against them. This is significant given the context of what happened at that time, as the people of Israel, the descendant of the people of God had been going through a lot of challenges and trials, having been torn apart and lost their unity. Back then, during the time of the prophet Isaiah’s life and ministry, the people of God, the Israelites had been wrecked by a lot of hardships and tragedies, especially when the northern half of the land of Israel and most of the ten tribes of the twelve of the Israelites were crushed and conquered by the Assyrians. Those in the northern kingdom of Israel had long defied the Lord and refused to obey Him, and most of their kings were wicked and sinful, leading the people further and deeper into the path of sin. Thus, the terrible end eventually came upon them, as the Assyrians destroyed and laid waste their cities, and brought many of them into exile in far-off lands away from their homeland. Despite all of these, as God Himself has proclaimed, He still remembered His people and would not abandon them. Our first reading today portrays God like a woman feeding her child at her breast. The bond between the feeding mother and her baby becomes an image of the bond between God and the believing community. A mother’s love for the child of her womb is tender and life-giving. A mother loves her child as she loves herself because for nine months her child was an integral part of herself. Speaking through the prophet Isaiah, God declares that His love for His people is even stronger than a mother’s love for her child. We are reminded of this during this time of Lent so that hopefully we may change our ways and turn once again towards the Lord and His mercy.

Aa we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are reminded of the great love of God, the many wonderful things that God had done for our sake. He has showed His love to us repeatedly, again and again, even when we have often betrayed and ignored Him, abandoned and left Him for other idols and distractions in life. He patiently extended to all of us the offer of His love and compassionate mercy, wanting to be reconciled with us sinners, and calling on all of us to return to Him. Let us all no longer be stubborn or difficult in our attitudes, allowing ourselves to be immersed in God’s love and grace. May the Lord, our most loving God and Father continue to love us and provide us each day, and may He empower us all with the strength and the desire to reach out to Him and His most generous love and mercy. May He instil in each one of us the strong desire to commit ourselves to Him and His path, and inspire us that we may be good role models and source of inspiration to all those whom we encounter in our lives, so that more people may come to believe in God through us. May the Lord continue to help and guide us in our respective journey of faith, and may He empower us all to live ever more worthily of His presence from now on, if we have not yet done so. Let us consciously reject the temptations to sin, and strive to live a good and worthy life at all times. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and bless us all and our every actions, so that we may always strive to glorify Him by those same actions and deeds. Amen🙏

Let us pray:

Most holy and triune God, the love You share within Your very being of Father, Son and Holy Spirit is beyond my comprehension. The mystery of Your triune life is a mystery of the greatest degree. Draw me in, dear Lord, to the life You share with Your Father and the Holy Spirit. Fill me with wonder and awe as You invite me to share in Your divine life. Most Holy Trinity, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Roderick and Solomon and Saint Euphrasia of Constantinople ~ 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 Fourth Week of Lent ~ Amen🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖

FOURTH WEEK OF LENT

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ MARCH 11, 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 Monday 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 11, 2024 on EWTN” |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 11, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | March 11, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 11, 2024 |

Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 11, 2024 |

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Monday March 11, 2024
Reading 1, Isaiah 65:17-21
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-13
Gospel, John 4:43-54

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-Three: True Heights | Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-in-the-desert-a-lenten-journey-with-our-lord/day-twenty-three-true-heights/

40 Days at the foot of the Cross. A Gaze of Love from the Heart of our Blessed Mother Mary | Day Twenty-Three – The Sentence of Death | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-at-the-foot-of-the-cross/day-twenty-three-the-sentence-of-death/

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 Eulogius of Cordoba, Martyr and Saint Sophronius of Jerusalem. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints, we humbly pray for God’s grace, strength and protection during this season of Lent.

Lord God, heavenly Father, you know that we are set in the midst of so many and great dangers, that by reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright: Grant us such strength and protection, to support us in all danger, and carry us through all temptations; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord…Amen🙏

SAINT EULOGIUS OF CORDOBA, PRIEST AND MARTYR: St. Eulogius of Cordoba (9th c.) was a priest from a prominent Christian family in Cordoba (Cordova), Spain. Ordained to the priesthood, he was placed at the head of the most important ecclesiastical school in Spain, which then flourished at Cordova. His virtues, to which he joined assiduous fasting and prayer, gained for him universal esteem. He was well-educated, humble, gentle, friendly, and a gifted leader with the charism of encouragement, especially towards Christians facing martyrdom. In his time Cordoba was the capital of the Muslim conquerors of Catholic Spain. The Muslim leaders allowed Christians to live in relative peace until in the year 850, a violent persecution broke out against the Christians when some of the Muslim population began converting to Christianity. As one who encouraged the Martyrs, St. Eulogius was cast into prison together with his Bishop and many priest. While in prison St. Eulogius read the Bible to his companions and exhorted them to faithfulness in the face of martyrdom. He wrote an Exhortation to Martyrdom to two other young female converts, the virgins Flora and Mary, who were facing threats, instructing them that no matter how terribly they were physically abused, it could not harm their souls, and that they must fight for their faith till death and leave God to defend His Church. Sts. Flora and Mary, were then beheaded on November 24, 851. These two Saints promised to pray for their companions, and six days after their death St. Eulogius and the others were freed. The persecution continued and St. Eulogius became the support of the dispersed flock, encouraging a group of the Martyrs who were martyred in 853. He wrote their story, entitled Memoriam of the Saints, which is permeated by and ardent zeal and spirit of martyrdom.

In 858, it became St. Eulogius’s turn to suffer for his Faith. After his release, St. Eulogius was later jailed again for hiding a young female convert, a virgin named  Leocritia (or Lucretia) of a noble family of the Moors who fled from her family in fear of her life. She sought his protection against her irate parents. He hid her among friends for a time, but eventually they were all discovered and condemned to death. St. Eulogius’ judge offered him escape if he would weaken the practice of his religion, but instead St. Eulogius preached the Gospel to the presiding court. He was immediately beheaded on March 11, 859, and St. Leocritia four days later.

PRAYER: God of power and mercy, through Your help St. Eulogius has overcame the tortures of his passion. Help us who celebrate his triumph to remain victorious over the wiles of our enemies. Amen🙏
 
SAINT SOPHRONIUS  OF JERUSALEM: St. Sophronius of Jerusalem was called the Sophist because of his knowledge of Greek. A courageous leader of the Jerusalem Church during the Islamic conquests of the seventh century.  Patriarch Saint Sophronius I was an ardent opponent of monothelitism. He was born in Damascus, Syria, around the year 560, St. Sophronius came from an esteemed family and received a deep philosophical education. His early devotion to God grew into an inclination toward monastic life, and while still young he entered a monastery in Palestine. He became a friend and student of John Moschus, his fellow monk who would become an important spiritual writer in the Eastern Christian tradition. The Zoroastrian Persians – long-standing military rivals of the Byzantine Empire, hailing from present-day Iran – invaded Palestine in 605. As a result the two monks fled first to Antioch and then Egypt. But their flight became a spiritual quest, taking John and Sophronius to many monasteries throughout the Middle East. Moschus’ memoir of their travels, entitled “The Spiritual Meadow,” survives and is still read in the Church to this day. The two monks’ foremost patron was Saint John the Almsgiver, patriarch of Alexandria, with whom they stayed for a time until the Persians conquered the city in 614. The Zoroastrian invasion of Egypt forced the kindly patriarch back to his homeland of Cyprus, while Sophronius and John Moschus took refuge in Rome along with a group of other monks. Moschus, regarded as a saint by some contemporary Eastern Christians, died in Rome during 619.

Jerusalem, the future site of Sophronius’ patriarchate, was the subject of violent disputes even before the rise of Islam. Captured by the Persians in 614, it was not retaken by the Byzantines until 628. The Christian reconquest of the city was triumphant, after the long wars with the Zoroastrian empire. But the triumph would be short-lived: By that time the Islamic founder Muhammad had begun his conquests, which would continue under his successors the caliphs. Eastern Christendom also suffered internally during the 620s, with a recurrence of doctrinal controversy over the person of Christ. During the 630s, Sophronius prominently opposed the “monothelite” heresy – whose adherents supposed Jesus had only one will, the divine. This error denied Christ’s human will, making him less than “true God and true man.” Saint Maximus the Confessor, the greatest opponent of monothelitism, was taught and mentored by Sophronius. Chosen to lead the Church in Jerusalem during 634, Sophronius continued to oppose the monothelite heresy. But he soon faced a more tangible threat from Caliph Umar and his army of followers. The Muslims beseiged Jerusalem for two years during Sophronius’ patriarchate, forcibly depriving the city’s residents of food. The patriarch could only save the lives of his people by negotiating a surrender with the caliph. Thus, Jerusalem fell to Islam for the first time in 637. Heartbroken, St. Sophronius died the following year in 638. Patriarch St. Sophronius’ stand against monothelitism was vindicated near the end of the seventh century, when the heresy of “one will” in Christ received formal condemnation at the Sixth Ecumenical Council in Constantinople. But the Jerusalem Patriarchate remained vacant for many decades after St. Sophronius’ death: a successor was not appointed until 705. Jerusalem, meanwhile, would not pass back into Christian hands until the First Crusade of 1099.

Saint Sophronius of Jerusalem ~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, Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ John 4:43-54

“Go, your son will live”

“At that time Jesus left [Samaria] for Galilee. For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his native place. When He came into Galilee, the Galileans welcomed Him, since they had seen all he had done in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves had gone to the feast. Then He returned to Cana in Galilee, where He had made the water wine. Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to Him and asked Him to come down and heal his son, who was near death. Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” The royal official said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “You may go; your son will live.” The man believed what Jesus said to him and left. While the man was on his way back, his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live. He asked them when he began to recover. They told him, “The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon.” The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live,” and he and his whole household came to believe. Now this was the second sign Jesus did when He came to Galilee from Judea.”

In today’s Gospel reading from the Gospel of John, Jesus was critical of those who would not believe unless He did signs and wonders in response to their bidding. In the course of the Gospels several people come up to Jesus and demand a sign before they will believe in Him. In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus addresses an official at the court of Herod as one such person, ‘You will not believe unless you see signs and wonders’. However, the royal official believed without waiting for Jesus to perform the sign, the miracle of the healing of his son. There are two signs our Lord Jesus Christ performed at Cana. The first sign being Jesus’ changing of water into wine at the wedding feast and today’s Gospel reading is the second and less well known of the two signs. In the first Cana scene, the mother of Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary showed great trust in Jesus’ word, ‘Do whatever He tells you’, she told the servants. In this second Cana scene, the royal official also showed great trust in Jesus’ word. When Jesus said to him, ‘Go home, your son will leave’, according to the Gospel, ‘the man believed what Jesus had said and started on his way’. He did what Jesus told him, he went home, trusting Jesus’ promise that his son would live. The royal official believed and trusted Jesus’ word, without needing to first see the cure that he so desperately wanted for his son.

As Jesus earlier said, ‘you people, you Galileans, will not believe unless you see signs and wonders’. Here was a Galilean who did not need to see signs and wonders before he believed. He believed on the basis of Jesus’ word of promise, and, having believed, he then saw signs and wonders, the sign and wonder of his son’s healing. His son was healed exactly at the very moment that the Lord told the official that his son would be well. The Lord made an important point here for all the people and also for all of us, that we must truly believe in God and have faith in Him. In many ways this royal official is a model for all of us. Like him, we are all called to believe, without insisting on first seeing signs and wonders. We are to believe what Jesus says, and on the basis of that to keep setting out on our way. We are called to take Jesus at His word, as this man did, and to allow the Lord’s word to sustain us on our pilgrim journey. If we allow ourselves to be shaped and guided by the Lord’s word, we too will discover new life in unexpected places, just like the royal official who, on setting out in response to the Lord’s word, discovered on arriving home that his son was well again. This was the kind of faith the mother of Jesus called for at the wedding feast of Cana. If we take the Lord at His word, if we surrender to the Lord’s word of call and promise, we too, like the royal official, will come to see signs and wonders. Having taken the Lord at His word, we will see the Lord at work in a life-giving way, in our own lives and in the lives of others. The Lord has given us something wonder-full in His word. His word is often a word of promise, as it was for the royal official. It can also be a word of comfort, a word of call, or a word of challenge. Whatever form it takes, in the expression of one of the psalms, the Lord’s word will always be a lamp for our feet and a light for our steps.

In our first reading today from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, the Lord told all of His people of the reassurances of the coming of the good times when they would no longer suffer and when they would once again be filled with God’s grace and blessings. This message came at a time when the people of God had suffered a lot of sufferings, humiliations and difficulties, all because they had disobeyed against Him and refused to follow His Law and commandments. This resulted in the consequences and punishments that they had to endure, as God’s grace and guidance were withdrawn from them, and they had to contend with many obstacles and challenges from their neighbours and enemies. They experienced the results of their own folly in rejecting the generous love of their Lord and Master in exchange for worldly goods and riches. According to the reading, there is also another, even greater promise and reassurance from God of the new heavens and the new earth. Linking to the Book of Revelations of St. John the Apostle, which was actually a premonition of the end times, of the moment when God would remake all things, and renew the whole of Creation, when He would judge the Heavens and the earth, and take into account all of those living and the dead, everyone who have ever lived. This moment of reckoning was a hope to all those who have kept their faith alive in God, and who have suffered because of this faith, as the Lord promised to all of them that as long as they have been faithful to Him and full of trust in Him, then in the end, He shall lead them all to the new heavens and earth, to a life of perfection and bliss, when they shall not experience any more sufferings and sorrows. This is an affirmation of everything which the Lord has always told and promised to His people, that He would always be with them, guiding and protecting them, providing and strengthening them throughout all of their journey and ways. He wants each and every one of them eventually to return to Him, to be fully reconciled and reunited to Him, to be once again in His Holy Presence, casting aside their sins and wickedness, to be forgiven from all those evil deeds and actions. God has always been patient in guiding and correcting the mistakes and faults of His beloved ones, and He has called on all of them, and hence, all of us to come once again towards Him, that we may reject our sinful and wicked ways, becoming once again truly worthy of the Lord in all things, in our every actions, words and deeds.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded that each and every one of us should always focus our attention on the Lord our God, and believe in Him, putting our trust and faith in Him, in all the things which He has said and promised to us. God has revealed to us the assurances of His love and grace, and everything which He has promised us, and we should follow Him in all of our ways and in every moments of our existence. We are reminded that it is in God alone that we truly have hope and assurance of salvation and eternal life, and there is no way forward if we seek to follow other alternative paths that the world has offered to us. May the Lord, our most loving Creator, Father and Master continue to love us all always, and may He continue to encourage and strengthen us in our every resolve and efforts so that in all the things we say and do, in our every moments in life, we may always strive to be worthy of Him, and continue to walk ever more righteously and faithfully in His path. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and bless our every good efforts, endeavours and works, now and always. Amen 🙏

Let us pray:

My merciful Jesus, Your love for us is beyond what we will ever fathom. Your generosity is truly great. Help me to believe in You and to embrace Your holy will both in good times and in difficult ones. Help me, especially, to be open to the gift of faith, even when Your presence and action in my life seems silent. May those moments, dear Lord, be moments of true interior transformation and grace. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Eulogius and Saint Sophronius of Jerusalem ~ 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 Fourth Week of Lent ~ Amen🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖