SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY ~ FEAST DAY: MAY 23, 2024

Greetings, beloved family and Happy Thursday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time!

Watch ” Holy Mass and Holy Rosary | EWTN on YouTube | May 23, 2024 |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | May 23, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | May 23, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | May 23, 2024 |

Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy | from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | May 23, 2024 |

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

Memorare Chaplet | Prayer in Difficult Times (Powerful Prayer) | https://youtu.be/vVc782kcDds

Today’s Bible Readings: Thursday, May 23, 2024
Reading 1, James 5:1-6
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 49:14-15, 15-16, 17-18, 19-20
Gospel, Mark 9:41-50

Today, we enter once again into the season of Ordinary Time, which will continue until the end of this current liturgical year in November this year. Please let us all continue to pray for the repose of the souls of all the faithful departed and for peace in our families and throughout our divided and conflicted World🙏

SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT JOHN BAPTIST DEI ROSSI, PRIEST; SAINT JULIA OF CORSICA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR; SAINT JANE (JOAN) ANTIDE THOURET, RELIGIOUS AND SAINT WILLIAM OF ROCHESTER, MARTYR ~ FEAST DAY: MAY 23RD Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint John Baptist Dei Rossi, Priest; Saint Julia of Corsica, Virgin and Martyr; Saint Jane (Joan) Antide Thouret, Religious and Saint William of Rochester, Martyr. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the sick and dying, particularly pray for those who are terminally ill and those suffering from pathologies of the hands and the feet. We pray for the poor and the needy all over the world. We continue to pray for the Church, the Clergy, for persecuted christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world🙏

SAINT JOHN BAPTIST DEI ROSSI, PRIEST: St. John Baptist Dei Rossi (1698 -1764) known as the “The Apostle of the abandoned” was was an Italian Roman Catholic priest. He was born Giovanni Battista de’ Rossi on February 22, 1698 at Voltaggio, Italy. St. John received an excellent education and was ordained in 1721. Shortly thereafter he was afflicted with epilepsy and devoted his ministry to the poor of the Campagna. For the nest forty years he performed labors that would have taxed the strength of a robust man. He served as the canon of Santa Maria in Cosmedin after his cousin, who was a priest serving there, died. He was a popular confessor despite his initial fears that his epileptic seizures could manifest in the Confessional. St. John Rossi opened a hospice for homeless women not long after his ordination, and he became known for his work with prisoners and ill people, to whom he dedicated his entire ecclesial mission.

St. John ministered to the sick and poor in St. Gall, the night hospice for paupers founded by Celestine III, and in the hospital of the Trinity. Early in the morning and late every night he sought out the cattle-drivers and teamsters in the Roman market, gaining their confidence, instructing them, and preparing them for the Sacraments. Another class of people to whom his pity was extended comprised the homeless women and girls who wandered around begging or walked the streets by night. With the pittance he received in Mass stipends he rented a house behind St. Gall and housed them there. As an assistant priest John spent many hours hearing confessions, especially of the poor and unlearned. On succeeding to the canonry of St. Mary in Cosmedin in 1735, he turned over all income to charitable causes and lived most frugally. He was given the unusual faculties of hearing confessions in any demand for parish missions. Often, he preached five and six times a day in churches, chapels, convents, hospitals, barracks and prisons. Such extraordinary zeal and labor eventually took its toll and Saint’s health broke down. He retired from the hospital of the Trinity, which he had so often frequented, and died of a stroke on May 23, 1764. Since he died without a penny, this “Hunter of souls” was buried at the expense of the hospital. He was “The Apostle of the abandoned.”  He’s the Patron Saint of Voltaggio. He was canonized in 1881 by Pope Leo XIII.

PRAYER: Dear St John, you drew people to Jesus through the sacrament of confession. Help me to seek the healing of this sacrament…Amen.🙏

Almighty, eternal God, You dedicated the joy of this day to the glorification of St. John. Mercifully grant that we may always strive to retain and complete by our works that Faith which he continually proclaimed with unwearying zeal… Amen🙏

SAINT JULIA OF CORSICA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR: St. Julia, also known as Saint Julia of Carthage, was born in Carthage to a noble family. In 616, the city was conquered by the Vandals and she was captured by the Genseric and sold as a slave to the pagan merchant in Syria, Eusebius. In the most mortifying employments of her station, by cheerfulness and patience she found a happiness and comfort which the world could not give. Whenever she was not employed in household affairs, her time was devoted to prayer and reading books of piety. St. Julia’s beauty, her faithfulness, and abilities as a hard worker proved her worth to her master. Her master, who was charmed with her fidelity and other virtues, thought proper to take her with him on one of his voyages to Gaul. In 620, while traveling to France, Eusebius stopped at a pagan festival. When he reached the northern part of Corsica, he cast anchor and went ashore to join the pagans of the place in an idolatrous festival. Julia was left at some distance, because she would not be defiled by the superstitious ceremonies, which she openly spurned. The governor of the island, Felix, a bigoted pagan, asked who this woman was who dared to insult the gods. The merchant informed him that she was a Christian, and that all his authority over her was too weak to prevail upon her to renounce her religion; nonetheless, he found her so diligent and faithful he could not part with her.

The Governor tried to make Julia sacrifice to their gods but she refused. He even offered to buy her from Eusebius. The governor offered him four of his best slaves in exchange for her. But the merchant, Eusebius replied, “No; all you are worth will not purchase her; for I would lose the most valuable thing I have in the world rather than be deprived of her or lose her.” So while the inebriated merchant, Eusebius was asleep, the governor Felix attempted to compel her to sacrifice to his gods. He offered to procure her liberty if she would comply. The Saint made answer that she was as free as she desired to be, as long as she was allowed to serve Jesus Christ. The pagan, offended by her undaunted and resolute air, in a transport of rage caused her to be struck on the face, and the hair of her head to be torn off. Finally he ordered her to be hanged on a cross until she expired. St. Julia was kidnapped, tortured and crucified by governor Felix. Certain monks from the isle of Gorgon transported her relics there, but in 763 the king of Lombardy transferred them to Brescia, Italy at a Benedictine Abby where her memory is celebrated with great devotion. She’s the Patron Saint of torture victims, pathologies of the hands and the feet, Corsica, France, Brescia and Livorno, Italy.

PRAYER: Jesus, owing to Your death on the cross and Your resurrection, the faithful have a hope for eternal life that lets them boldly counter life hardships. Let the example of Saint Julia be a motivation for us to stay by You forever. You live and reign for ages and ages. Amen. Saint Julia of Corsica, Virgin and Martyr  ~ Pray for us🙏

SAINT JANE (JOAN) ANTIDE THOURET, RELIGIOUS: St. Jane also known as Joan Antide or Jeanne-Antide Thouret (1765-1826) was a French Roman Catholic professed religious and the founder of the Thouret sisters. She was a Sister of Charity who worked tirelessly for the faith amidst persecution during the French Revolution. St. Jane Thouret’s life was one of service to children and the ill across France in schools and hospitals – some of which her order established. This active apostolate did not cease when the French Revolution forced her into exile in both Switzerland and the Kingdom of Prussia. St. Jane was born in Sancey, France in the diocese of Besançon on November 27, 1765 to a poor family. Her pious mother died when she was 16 years old. The Saint took on many family responsibilities and cared for younger brothers and sisters. After many hesitations, St. Jane’s father permitted her to enter the Congregation of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul (Vincentian Sisters) in Paris in 1787 at the age of 22. She worked in various hospitals caring for the sick, until the Revolution in France brought about the dispersion of the Congregations when many religious and priests were killed. She was ordered to abandon her religious habit and return home to a secular life in 1792, but refused and fled the authority; she was struck so violently that she remained for eight months between life and death.

In 1793 she finally returned from Paris to her native village of Sancey on foot, begging her bread; there she cared for the sick and opened a small school for girls on August 15, 1797 until she was forced to flee when times were growing ever more difficult. Sister Thouret again had to depart, this time journeying to Switzerland, where she assisted a French priest who had gone into exile with a few members of his little community. Again she cared for the sick; but the entire group was forced to move once again and go to Germany. She fled to Germany before returning again to Switzerland two years later to the village of Landeron in Switzerland. There she met the Vicar General of Besançon, and he asked her to found a school and a hospital in that city. On August 11, 1799 the foreseen school was opened at Besançon, she founded  a new congregation in Besançon called the Institute of the Daughters of St. Vincent de Paul (Thouret’s Sisters). With a few novices the Foundress began work in France again. The community eventually expanded into France and Italy. She wrote a rule for her Daughters of Saint Vincent de Paul, as she called them to distinguish them from the larger group, the Sisters of Charity, of whom they were independent. The Congregation’s members multiplied, as did their works; in 1802 they were given the direction of a house of detention at Bellevaux, sheltering more than 500 prisoners. They opened schools in eastern France and Switzerland. The foundress was invited to go to Naples to take on the direction of a hospital and initiate other works; she accepted this invitation in 1810. She remained in Naples until 1818, obtaining from Pope Pius VII the approval of her Institute in 1819. Problems arising in Besançon caused her many sufferings, when the new bishop there desired to maintain the Community under diocesan authority. Saint Joan Antide died in Naples on August 24, 1826 of natural causes, having left for her Sisters many examples of heroic virtue. She was canonized in 1934 by Pope Pius XI, who invited the French nation to exult with joy on seeing its crown enriched by a new flower of holiness. She’s the Patron Saint of Sisters of Divine Charity.

Saint Jane (Joan) Antide Thouret, Religious ~ Pray for us🙏

SAINT WILLIAM OF ROCHESTER, MARTYR: St. William of Rochester (d. 1201), also known as St. William of Perth, was a Scottish saint born in Perth, Scotland and martyred in England. He was a wild youth who matured into a devoted man of God. He became a baker, and out of his charity he would always set aside bread to feed the poor. One day, while walking into the church for Mass, he found an abandoned baby boy on the church steps. He adopted the child, raised him, and taught him his trade. Years later St. William made a vow to visit the sacred sites of Our Lord’s life on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, along with his adopted son. The two set out on their journey. While traveling through England his son deceived him, slit his throat, and stole the money he had saved for their pilgrimage. St. William’s abandoned body was discovered and mourned over by a mentally deranged woman. She made a crown of flowers and placed it on the head of St. William’s murdered corpse, then afterwards put the garland on her own head. Upon doing this, she was immediately cured of her mental illness. The local monks learned of this miracle and carried St. William’s body to the Rochester cathedral to give him the proper burial of a saint. His shrine later attracted many pilgrims. St. William died in 1201, Rochester, United Kingdom and Canonized in 1256 by Pope Alexander IV. St. William of Rochester is the Patron Saint of adopted children. His feast day is May 23rd.

Saint William of Rochester, Martyr ~ Pray for us🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS

Bible Readings for today, Thursday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/052324.cfm

Gospel Reading ~ Mark 9:41-5

“It is better for you to enter into life with one hand, than with two hands to go into Gehenna”

“Jesus said to his disciples: “Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward. “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. “Everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid, with what will you restore its flavor? Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another.”

In today’s Gospel reading, at the beginning of the Gospel, Jesus speaks to His disciples, ‘If anyone gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward’. Jesus is reminding us that the smallest gesture of kindness towards someone has enormous value in the sight of God. We can sometimes get discouraged because we may feel that we are not doing enough. Yet, Jesus is suggesting that God does not measure success in the way that the world tends to measure success. The love which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit can express itself in ways that are seemingly small and insignificant by normal human standards. Today’s Gospel reading encourages us never to underestimate the significance and life-giving impact of even the smallest of loving gestures. If the Lord can work powerfully through the young boy’s few loaves and fish, feeding a multitude with them, He can work powerfully through our own gestures of loving kindness, no matter how small they are.

According to the Gospel reading, Jesus speaks about stumbling blocks. He is very critical of those who are a stumbling block to the faith of others, those who undermine and weaken other people’s faith. He issues a warning against leading others astray, leading them away from God. Part of our baptismal calling is to nurture the faith of one another; to do the opposite is considered by Jesus to be a very serious matter indeed. He moves on from how people can be a stumbling to others in their relationship with God to how we can be a stumbling block to ourselves. The hand, the foot, the eye can be a stumbling block to our own relationship with the Lord. When Jesus says, ‘if your eye should cause you to sin, tear it out’, He does not intend to be taken literally. It is simply a striking image to bring home the seriousness of what he is saying. The positive calling of the Gospel reading is that every aspect of our embodied existence is to serve and nurture our relationship with the Lord. Our calling is to give our whole selves to the Lord and to His way, to gather up all the elements that go to make us up and point them all in the one direction, the direction of the Lord and his will for our lives.

In our first reading today, from the Epistle of St. James, the Apostle continued to speak against the wickedness of those who have allowed themselves to be swayed by the temptations of worldly ambitions and glory, those who have allowed the allure of wealth and worldly possessions to lead them to bring about actions that hurt others around them. Many people throughout time and history had acted in manner that bring about suffering and hardships to others, through exploitation and manipulation of those who were weaker, so that those who acted in this selfish and wicked manner could enrich and empower themselves at the cost of those people whom they had stepped on amidst their pursuit for power, riches and worldly glory. It was against all those people and all those temptations that St. James the Apostle had been speaking out about, an important reminder for all the faithful not to be corrupted by wealth, power and glory that they end up committing things that are against God’s ways and teachings. Too often throughout time and history mankind had been swayed by all those worldly temptations and end up benefitting from the sufferings of others, or even purposefully causing harm to others just so that one could gain profit and benefit to oneself from such heinous and selfish action. St. James also reminded the faithful that all those worldly things and ambitions ultimately would come to nothing as none of those things would last forever or remain amidst the passing of time and none would also bring their worldly wealth and glory beyond the world. That is why he urged the faithful people of God not to follow that same path to ruin and damnation. He reminded the people that if they allowed themselves to be swayed in such a manner, they would be in serious danger as the temptations of wealth, worldly glory and ambitions are indeed slippery slope that many had found hard to escape from, and if we are not careful, we may find ourselves in a most precarious situation, falling ever deeper into the traps of sin and evil that lead us into our destruction. This is not what the Lord wanted to happen to us, and this is what we all should always be wary of, as we continue to live our lives in our world today. We should also remind one another not to live in such a wicked manner.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are reminded to always be vigilant against the temptations of the world. We must always be careful as the evil one and all of his forces are always ever ready to strike at us with all their might, as they are looking for the opportunity to snatch us away from God and His salvation, trying to pull us into our destruction and downfall through the various worldly temptations and desires, just as they had done many times to us and our predecessors in the past. We must keep in mind that each and every one of our actions, words, deeds, interactions and all that we say and do, all will be held accountable by the Lord our God, at the time of our reckoning. The Lord has given us all many opportunities and means for us to do what He has taught us to do in our lives, to resist the temptations of worldly pleasures and evils, and to embrace once again the path of His grace and love. With our bodies, all the means and blessings that He has given us, He wants us to use them for good and worthy purposes. All these things are not themselves evil, be it money, material possessions and other things in life which we have, as they can be used either good or evil uses and purposes. There are a lot of good things that we can do with whatever blessings which we have received, as well as evil things, and the choice is ours on what we want to do with them. Unfortunately, it was our excessive and unhealthy attachments to those worldly goods and things which had led to us falling into the traps of the evil one, losing our sight on the light and truth of God. Therefore, having heard of the reminders from both the Lord Himself and from St. James the Apostle, let us all continue to live our lives from now on with ever greater love and commitment to the Lord. Let our lives by the inspiration and strength to everyone all around us, to be the beacons of the light of God and His Good News to all the people of all the nations. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and may the good Lord continue to bless us all in our endeavours and efforts, and may He empower each and every one of us to always be faithful to His path, to shun evil and wickedness in our lives and to be worthy Christians at all times. Amen 🙏

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/

PRAYER INTENTIONS: As we begin this season of the Ordinary Time, through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for our children and children all over the world, we pray for their health, safety and well-being, we particularly pray for those who have no one to care for them and those who are terminally ill, we pray for God’s Divine healing upon them. 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 soul 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. We pray for Vocation to the Priesthood and Religious life. We particularly pray for all Youths and all Seminarians, with special intention for those Seminarians who will be ordained into Priesthood. 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 merciful Lord, You desire that all of Your children come to the full revelation of Your truth and mercy. Please use me as You choose to reach out to those who struggle with their faith and need to be treated with the utmost care. May I never be a stumbling block to them but always be a bridge to You and Your abundance of grace. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint John Baptist De Rossi, Saint Julia, Saint Jane (Joan) Antide Thouret and Saint William of Rochester ~ Pray for us🙏

Thanking God for the gift of this day and praying for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and our world and for God’s Divine Mercy and Grace upon us all and for vocations to  priesthood and consecrated life. Have a blessed, safe, grace-filled and fruitful week🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖