FIFTH WEEK OF EASTER

SAINTS OF THE DAY ~ FEAST DAY: MAY 4, 2024

Greetings, beloved family and Happy Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter!

We thank God for the  gift of life and for the gift of the new month of May. The entire month of May is dedicated to our beloved Mother Mary, the Mother of God. May she continue to intercede for us and may God’s grace and mercy be with us all during this season of Easter🙏

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | May 4, 2024 |

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN | May 4, 2024” |

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | May 4, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | May 4, 2024 |

Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy | from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | May 4, 2024 |

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

Memorare Chaplet | Prayer in Difficult Times (Powerful Prayer) |

Today’s Bible Readings: Friday, May 3, 2024
Reading 1, First Corinthians 15:1-8
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 19:2-3, 4-5
Gospel, John 14:6-14

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF MAY: MONTH OF OUR LADY: In addition to the myriad feast days honoring Our Lady under her many titles and virtues, the entire month of May is especially given to her praise. In the words of Pope Paul VI, May is “a month which the piety of the faithful has long dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God … For this is the month during which Christians, in their churches and their homes, offer the Virgin Mother more fervent and loving acts of homage and veneration; and it is the month in which a greater abundance of God’s merciful gifts comes down to us from our Mother’s throne.”

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF MAY – FOR THE FORMATION OF RELIGIOUS AND SEMINARIANS: We pray that religious women and men, and seminarians, grow in their own vocations through their human, pastoral, spiritual and community formation, leading them to be credible witnesses to the Gospel.🙏

https://www.usccb.org/prayers/popes-monthly-intentions-2024

PRAYER FOR PEACE ~ POPE FRANCIS:

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!

We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced; how much blood has been shed; how many lives have been shattered; how many hopes have been buried… But our efforts have been in vain. Now, Lord, come to our aid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: “Never again war!”; “With war everything is lost”. Instill in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace. Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarreling into forgiveness. Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words “division”, “hatred” and “war” be banished from the heart of every man and woman. Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands. Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be “brother”, and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam! Amen🙏

During this Easter season, 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 🙏

On this special feast day, as we continue to celebrate our risen Lord, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we pray for the Clergy and religious as they serve in the Lord’s Vineyard. We also 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 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

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🙏

Prayers for Peace | https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/prayers-for-peace/

MEMORIAL OF SAINT FLORIAN, MARTYR AND THE FORTY MARTYRS OF ENGLAND AND WALES ~ FEAST DAY – MAY 4TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Florian, Martyr (He is invoked against danger from fire or water) and The Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Florian and all the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for all Firefighters and all those who are faced with life threatening situations, we pray for their protection, safety and well-being. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and Saints Philip and James, we humbly pray for the sick and dying, especially those who are terminally ill. We pray for all Pharmacists, for the Church, the Clergy, for persecuted Christians, for the conversion of sinners, for all Christians, for the poor and needy and for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and all over the 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 our beloved family members who recently passed away and the souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. 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 the youths, 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🙏

SAINT FLORIAN, MARTYR: St. Florian (C. 250-304 A.D.) was born in the third century in what is present day Austria. He became a commander in the Roman army. One of his duties was leading the firefighting brigade. St. Florian was a Christian during a time of persecution of Christians. He served during the reign of Emperor Diocletian about 304, who violently persecuted Christians. St. Florian was secretly a Christian and was known for miraculously saving a town from being destroyed by fire; after praying to God for help, he extinguished a raging fire with a single bucket of water. Word reached the Emperor that Florian was not enforcing the ban against Christianity in his territory. He was put under investigation and was discovered to be a Christian.

St. Florian refused to participate in the persecutions the army was ordered to do. He also refused to offer sacrifices to the Roman gods. He was then condemned to be tortured and executed for his Christian faith. When Florian’s beliefs became known it was suggested that he be burned to death as many Christians were during that time. St. Florian stated that he would climb to Heaven on the flames of the funeral pyre which was made for him. The soldiers then decided to use a different method to execute him. Refusing to recant, St. Florian was then flogged and flayed alive, scourged, and martyred. A large stone was tied around his neck and he was set on fire before being thrown into the Ennis River to drown. His body was later recovered, and brought to the Augustinian Abbey of St. Florian near Linz. Later, the body was transferred to Rome. In 1138, Pope Lucius III gave some of the Saint’s relics to King Casimir of Poland and to the Bishop of Krakow. Today his relics are venerated at a church named for him in Kraków, Poland. Devotion to this Saint grew throughout Central Europe. Many miracles of healing are attributed to his intercession, and he is invoked against danger from fire or water. He’s the Patron Saint of Firefighters, brewers, Chimney Sweeps, Soap boilers, protector from fire, floods, battles, drowning victims, Upper Austria, Linz, Austria; Kraków, Poland, Chimneysweeps.

PRAYER: God of power and mercy, through Your help St. Florian has overcome the tortures of his passion. Help us who celebrate his triumph to remain victorious over the wiles of our enemies…Amen🙏

Prayer to Saint Florian for Firefighters (Recited for Firefighters)

Oh, Almighty God, whose great power and eternal wisdom embraces the universe, watch over all Firefighters. Protect them from harm in the performance of their duty to fight fire, save lives, and preserve property. We pray, help them to keep our homes and all buildings safe day and night. We recommend them to Your loving care because their duty is dangerous. Grant them Your unending strength and courage in their daily assignments. Dear God, protect these brave persons. Grant them Your Almighty protection and unite them safely with their families after duty has ended… Amen🙏

THE FORTY MARTYRS OF ENGLAND AND WALES: The Forty Martyrs of England and Wales are a group of Catholic, lay and religious, men and women, executed between 1535 and 1679 for treason and related offences under various laws enacted by Parliament during the English Reformation. The individuals listed range from Carthusian monks who in 1535 declined to accept Henry VIII’s Act of Supremacy, to seminary priests who were caught up in the alleged Popish Plot against Charles II in 1679. Many were sentenced to death at show trials, or with no trial at all. They are to be differentiated from the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. Fifty-four were beatified in 1886; nine were beatified in 1895; and 137 more received beatification in 1929. The first wave of executions came with the reign of King Henry VIII and involved persons who did not support the 1534 Act of Supremacy and dissolution of the monasteries. Carthusian John Houghton and Bridgettine Richard Reynolds died at this time. In 1570 Pope Pius V, in support of various rebellions in England and Ireland, excommunicated Queen Elizabeth, absolving her Catholic subjects of their allegiance to her. The crown responded with more rigorous enforcement of various penal laws already enacted and passed new ones. The made it high treason to affirm that the queen ought not to enjoy the Crown, or to declare her to be a heretic. “An act against Jesuits, seminary priests, and such other like disobedient persons”, the statute under which most of the English martyrs suffered, made it high treason for any Jesuit or any seminary priest to be in England at all, and a felony for any person to harbor or aid them. All but six of the forty had been hanged, drawn and quartered, many of them at Tyburn.

The martyrs are: St. John Almond; St. Edmund Arrowsmith; St. Ambrose Barlow; St. John Boste; St. Alexander Briant; St.  Edmund Campion; St. Margaret Clitherow; St. Philip Evans; St. Thomas Garnet; St. Edmund Gennings; St. Richard Gwyn; St. John Houghton; St. Philip Howard; St. John Jones; St. John Kemble; St. Luke Kirby; St. Robert Lawrence; St. David Lewis; St. Anne Line; St. John Lloyd; St. Cuthbert Mayne; St. Henry Morse; St. Nicholas Owen; St. John Payne; St. Polydore Plasden; St. John Plessington; St. Richard Reynolds; St. John Rigby; St. John Roberts; St. Alban Roe; St. Ralph Sherwin; St. Robert Southwell;  St. John Southworth;  St. John Stone; St.John Wall; St. Henry Walpole; St. Margaret Ward; St. Augustine Webster; St. Swithun Wells; St. Eustace White

Following beatifications between 1886 and 1929, there were already numerous martyrs from England and Wales recognised with the rank of Blessed. The bishops of the province identified a list of 40 further names; reasons given for the choice of those particular names include a spread of social status, religious rank, geographical spread and the pre-existence of popular devotion. The list of names was submitted to Rome in December 1960. In the case of a martyr, a miracle is not required. For a martyr, the Pope has only to make a declaration of martyrdom, which is a certification that the Venerable died voluntarily as a witness of the Faith or in an act of heroic charity for others. The Archbishop of Westminster, then Cardinal William Godfrey, sent a description of 24 seemingly miraculous cases to the Sacred Congregation. Out of 20 candidate cases for recognition as answered prayers, the alleged cure of a young mother from a malignant tumor was selected as the clearest case. In light of the fact that Thomas More and John Fisher, belonging to the same group of Martyrs, had been canonized with a dispensation from miracles, Pope Paul VI, after discussions with the Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints, considered that it was possible to proceed with the Canonization on the basis of one miracle. Pope Paul VI granted permission for the whole group of 40 names to be recognised as saints on the strength of this one miracle. The canonization ceremony took place in Rome on October 25, 1970. In England, these martyrs were formerly commemorated within the Catholic Church by a feast day on October 25th, which is also the feast of Saints Crispin and Crispinian, but they are now celebrated together with all the 284 canonized or beatified martyrs of the English Reformation on 4 May. In Wales, the Catholic Church keeps October 25th as the feast of the Six Welsh Martyrs and their companions. The Welsh Martyrs are the priests Philip Evans and John Lloyd, John Jones, David Lewis, John Roberts, and the teacher Richard Gwyn.[9] The companions are the 34 English Martyrs listed above. Wales continues to keep May 4th as a separate feast for the beatified martyrs of England and Wales.

PRAYER: Merciful God, who, when thy Church on earth was torn apart by the ravages of sin, didst raise up men and women in England who witnessed to their faith with courage and constancy: give unto thy Church that peace which is thy will, and grant that those who have been divided on earth may be reconciled in heaven and be partakers together in the vision of thy glory; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS

Bible Readings for today, Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/050424.cfm

Gospel Reading ~ John 15:18-21

“You do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world”

“Jesus said to His disciples: “If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you, ‘No slave is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus tells His disciples on the night before He was crucified that they can expect the same hatred from the world that He Himself has experienced. In that regard, as in others, He remarks that a ‘servant is not greater than his master’. In many parts of our world today, Christians are being persecuted. St. John’s Gospel speaks about God’s love for the world. God so loved the world that He sent His only Son. In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus speaks about the world’s hatred for Him and for His followers. In St. Luke’s Gospel Jesus calls on His disciples to love their enemies and to do good to those who hate them. The Gospels suggest that Jesus was realistic about the hostility that would come His own way and the way of His followers. Yet, He wanted His followers to relate to the world not on the basis of how the world relates to them but on the basis of how God and Jesus relate to the world. In the Gospel reading Jesus says, ‘A servant is not greater than His master’. That can be read in two ways. One way is, ‘if the master experienced hostility so will the servants’. The other way is, ‘if the master washed the feet of the servants, including the feet of Judas, the one who betrayed him, the servants must do likewise; they must reveal the love of God to others regardless of how they relate to them’. That saying of Jesus, ‘a servant is not greater than his master’ gives us much to ponder. It is only with the help of the Holy Spirit that we can be like the master in every respect.

In our first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke, the author gives us a strong sense of the early church being guided by the Holy Spirit. St. Paul and his companions travelled through the countryside of the Roman province of Galatia, having been told by the Holy Spirit not to preach the word in the Roman province of Asia, both provinces being in modern-day Turkey. The Spirit would not allow them to cross into the province of Bithynia either, so, instead, they came to the city of Troas, on the North West coast of modern-day Turkey. There St. Paul experienced the prompting of the Spirit once more in the form of a vision in which a person from Macedonia in Northern Greece called on St. Paul and his companions to come over and help them. Luke was showing that the Holy Spirit was guiding the early church, especially the missionary journeys of Paul. We can be confident that the Holy Spirit continues to guide the church today. The church is not just a human organization, a kind of religious multi-national corporation. Yes, it has elements that are typical of any world-wide organization. It is a human institution. More fundamentally, however, the church is a spiritual reality. The risen Lord, through the Spirit, is present in the church, shaping it and guiding it. The church cannot be shaped by opinion polls. It can only be shaped by the Lord and His Spirit. Sometimes, as Jesus says in the Gospel reading today, this will put the church into conflict with the prevailing culture, ‘if they persecuted me, they will persecute you too’. The church is in the midst of the world, but it is not of the world. As Jesus declares in the Gospel reading, ‘you do not belong to the world’. The really important question for the church is not, ‘what do people think of us?’ but ‘what is the Lord saying to us’ or ‘Where is the Spirit leading us?’ Answering those questions requires prayerful discernment from us all.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are reminded that as Christians, each and every one of us have been called from the world and chosen to be God’s own beloved people, as we have embraced His love and truth, His salvation and assurance of eternal life for all of us. All of us as His beloved and holy people have been called and expected to live our lives worthily of God, that we may do our very best in proclaiming His truth and love in our respective communities, in every opportunities and responsibilities entrusted to us. Each and every one of us as Christians have been called to be those who are truly exemplary and inspirational in our lives and actions so that by our every actions, words and deeds, we may continue to inspire and touch the lives of many others around us. Each and every one of us have been entrusted with the gifts, abilities and opportunities which the Lord had provided to us and blessed us with. With these comes the responsibilities and calling through which we should commit ourselves in even the smallest ways that we will always continue to show the Lord’s Good News and truth, His love and ways to everyone whom we encounter and interact with. We should always strive to be the bearers of God’s truth and be good and worthy role models for one another. Like that of the Apostles and the disciples of the Lord before us, who have inspired us with their exemplary lives and actions, we should ourselves therefore be good and worthy disciples and followers of the Lord as well, in living our own lives led and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. May the Risen Lord continue to be with us and guide us in all of our journey and efforts throughout life. May He continue to strengthen our resolve to live our lives worthily of Him and to endure all sorts of trials, challenges and tribulations, so that despite whatever it is that we may need to face in our lives, we will always be strong and inspired to follow His path, and the examples of the holy men and women who had gone before us, so that by our lives and perseverance, our own faith and commitment, more and more may come to believe in the Lord as well and be saved through God’s light and salvation. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and bless each one of us in our every endeavours and good works and may He be with His Church, now and always. Amen🙏

Let us pray

My persecuted Lord, You endured the hatred and ridicule of many who were engulfed by the false values of the world. I pray that I may share not only in Your life of love and mercy but also in Your strength during the times that I also endure the world’s hatred. I commit myself to You and pray that You continually take me out of the world and bring me close to Yourself. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Florian, and The Forty Martyrs of England and Wales ~ Pray for us sinners🙏

Thanking God for the gift of this day and praying for His Divine Mercy and Grace upon us all and for vocations to priesthood and consecrated life. Have a blessed, safe, grace-filled and fruitful Fifth Week of Easter🙏