THIRTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY ~ FEAST DAY: JULY 3, 2024

Greetings, beloved family and Happy Wednesday, Feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle!

On this special feast day, 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 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 & the Holy Spirit forever & ever. Amen🙏

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN on YouTube | July 3, 2024 |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | July 3, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” |July 3, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | July 3, 2024 |

Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy | from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | July 3, 2024 |

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

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

NOVENA TO THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF JESUS | https://novenaprayer.com/novena-to-the-precious-blood-of-jesus/ (When to begin: Any time – The whole month of July)

Today’s Bible Readings: Wednesday, July 3, 2024
Reading 1, Ephesians 2:19-22
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 117:1, 2
Gospel, John 20:24-29

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST OF SAINT THOMAS, APOSTLE AND MARTYR; SAINT LEO II, POPE AND SAINT HELIODORUS OF ALTINUM, BISHOP ~ FEAST DAY: JULY 3RD Today, we celebrate the Feast of Saint  Thomas, Apostle and Martyr; Saint Leo II, Pope and Saint Heliodorus of Altinum, Bishop. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the sick and dying, especially those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases and eye diseases. We pray for all architects and construction workers. We pray for the poor and needy, for justice, peace and unity in our families and our world. And we continue to pray for the Church, the Clergy, for persecuted christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world.🙏

SAINT THOMAS, APOSTLE AND MARTYR: St. Thomas also called Didymus (twin) was a Jew and one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament.  St. Thomas is commonly known as “Doubting Thomas” because he doubted Jesus’ resurrection when first told of it; later, he confessed his faith on seeing Jesus’ crucifixion wounds. He has become for the Church one of the first witnesses to her faith. St. Thomas was a dedicated but impetuous follower of Christ. When Jesus said that He was returning to Judea to visit His sick friend Lazarus, St. Thomas immediately exhorted the other Apostles to accompany Him on the trip, which involved certain danger and possible death because of the mounting hostility of the authorities,, he immediately said to the other apostles, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him” (Jn 11: 16).  At the Last Supper, when Christ told His Apostles that He was going to prepare a place for them to which they also might come because they knew both the place and the way, St. Thomas pleaded that they did not understand and received the beautiful assurance that Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. But St. Thomas is best known for his role in verifying the Resurrection of His Master. St. Thomas’s unwillingness to believe that the other Apostles had seen their Risen Lord on the first Easter Sunday merit for him the title of “doubting Thomas”.  Denying their story, he told them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in His side, I will not believe” (Jn 20:25). Eight days later, on Christ’s second apparition, St. Thomas was gently rebuked for his skepticism and furnished with the evidence he had demanded— Christ appeared and said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” At this, St. Thomas became convinced and exclaimed: “My Lord and my God!” thus making a public Profession of Faith in the Divinity of Jesus. St. Thomas is also mentioned as being present at another Resurrection appearance of Jesus—at Lake Tiberias when a miraculous catch of fish occurred.

After Pentecost, St. Thomas is traditionally believed to have evangelize and preached the Gospel to the Parthians, Persians and Medes, until he reached India, carrying the faith to the Malabar coast, which still boast a large native population calling themselves “Christians of St. Thomas”. He capped his life by shedding his blood for his Master, speared to death at a place called Calamine, where he evangelised and was eventually martyred in 72 A.D. He converted many to Christ, worked miracles, and established the Church in the East. One tradition holds that on his way to India he met and baptized the Three Wise Men of the Nativity who first venerated Jesus at Bethlehem. St. Thomas is also remembered for being a skilled carpenter, and according to Indian tradition he built the first churches in India with his own hands. Due to his main work and martyrdom to India, he is also called the “Apostle of India.”  In his general audience on September 27, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI spoke of St. Thomas, explaining that we can learn from his doubts, which show us “that Jesus can now be recognised by his wounds rather than by his face.” “The Apostle Thomas’ case is important to us for at least three reasons,” said the Pope.  “First, because it comforts us in our insecurity; second, because it shows us that every doubt can lead to an outcome brighter than any uncertainty; and, lastly, because the words that Jesus addressed to him remind us of the true meaning of mature faith and encourage us to persevere, despite the difficulty, along our journey of adhesion to him.” He’s the Patron Saint of architects; against doubt; blind people; builders; construction workers; Malaysia; Indonesia; East Indies; geometricians; India; masons; Pakistan; people in doubt; Sri Lanka; stone masons; stonecutters; Singapore; surveyors; theologians. His feast day is July 3rd.

PRAYER: PRAYER: Grant, almighty God, that we may glory in the Feast of the blessed Apostle Thomas, so that we may always be sustained by his intercession and, believing, may have life in the name of Jesus Christ your Son, whom Thomas acknowledged as the Lord. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever… Amen🙏

SAINT LEO II, POPE: Pope Saint Leo II (611-683) was the bishop of Rome from August 17, 682 to his death on June 28, 683. He was one of the last Popes of the early Middle Ages. The pontificate of this great Pope was very brief (682-683)  but very fruitful, since in the ten months of his reign he accomplished good works which have caused his name to be blessed by all succeeding generations. His short pontificate marked by his translation of sections of the acts of the Sixth Ecumenical Council of Constantinople from Greek to Latin so bishops and kings in Western churches could understand them. He also called out Pope Honorius for not opposing the long-running Monothelite heresy, the belief that Jesus Christ had two natures but only one will. St. Leo II also perfected the melodies of the Gregorian chant for the Psalms and composed some new hymns.

Born in the seventh century in Sicily, St. Leo II had been a Canon Regular, that is, an ecclesiastical dignitary who resided in his bishop’s palace, was charged with recitation of the Office in the cathedral, and was relied upon to serve as the auxiliary of the Ordinary. Saint Leo was a devout student of Holy Scripture, and was well versed in the Greek as well as the Latin language. In his day grave difficulties frequently arose between the Holy See and the emperors of Constantinople, whose representatives at Ravenna tried to control the bishops of that see; the latter had been striving to become autonomous. Saint Leo published a decree ordering that in the future no bishop of Ravenna could enter into function before being consecrated for that office at Rome, by the Roman Pontiff.

He built three churches in Rome, to honor Saint Paul the Apostle, Saint Sebastian, and Saint George. Saint Leo was highly gifted in the domain of music, and he renovated the Gregorian literature or library, then in a state of confusion; he also composed new hymns, still conserved by the Church. He took special care of widows and orphans and the poor in general, relieving their sufferings with a truly apostolic charity. Saint Leo confirmed the Acts of the Sixth Ecumenical Council which his predecessor had convoked at Constantinople against the Monothelite heresy, and translated its acts into Latin for the benefit of the Occidentals. When he died in June of 683, his death was deeply regretted by all the faithful. He was interred according to established custom in the church of Saint Peter. He is ordinarily pictured embracing a beggar or holding a book of music.

Saint Leo II, Pope ~ Pray for us 🙏

SAINT HELIODORUS OF ALTINUM, BISHOP: St. Heliodorus (332-390), also known as Heliodorus of Altino and Eliodoro. A soldier in his youth. Close friend and financial supporter of Saint Jerome, and helped with the logistics of the translation of the Vulgate Bible. Followed Jerome to the east, but declined the life of a desert hermit.  Bishop of Altinum, a small town near Venice, Italy which has since disappeared. Fierce opponent of Arianism.

Saint Heliodorus was born in 332 AD in Croatia, Dalmatia, a Roman Province northeast of the Adriatic Sea, which was also the native land of Saint Jerome. He ended up working in Altinum, Italy. He soon Stoughton out that great Doctor, not only to follow his advice in matters relating to Christian perfection, but also to profit by his deep learning. The life of a recluse held great attractions for him, but to enter a monastery it would have been necessary to leave his spiritual master and director, a sacrifice he was not prepared to make. He therefore remained in the world, though not part of it, and following the example of the holy anchorites, passed his time in prayer and devout reading. He accompanied Saint Jerome on his voyage to the Holy Land, visiting the various churches of the Orient, and remained with him for a time, but a desire to revisit his native land and to see his parents once more drew him back to Dalmatia. Saint Jerome tried to persuade him to remain with him, and Heliodorus was intending to return, as soon as he had fulfilled the duties he owed his parents.

Finding his absence had grown prolonged, and fearing that love for his family and attachment to worldly things might lure him from his vocation, Saint Jerome wrote him an earnest letter. He exhorted his good disciple to break entirely with the world and to consecrate himself to the service of God. But the Lord, who disposes all things, had a mission of activity reserved for His servant. After the death of his mother, Heliodorus went to Italy and soon was remarked for his eminent piety. He was made Bishop of Altino, and became one of the most distinguished prelates of an age fruitful in great men. He sustained the Catholic faith against the Arian heresy, assisting at the Council of Aquilea in northeastern Italy, called for that purpose in 381. Saint Jerome never forgot his former student, and in one of his letters testifies that he was a bishop who lived in his episcopal dignity with as much fervor and regularity as in a monastery. Saint Heliodorus died about the year 390 A.D. of natural causes.

St. Heliodorus, Bishop of Altinum ~ Pray for us 🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS

Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time | Feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ John 20:24-29

My Lord and my God!

“Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But Thomas said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

Today’s Gospel reading gives an account of how the Lord appeared to St. Thomas the Apostle and the other disciples and proved to St. Thomas that He was truly risen from the dead. Initially, the Lord appeared to all the Apostles and disciples of the Lord except for St. Thomas himself, who was away and not present. When the other disciples approached St. Thomas, with the good news of Easter, ‘We have seen the Lord’, their message did not resonate with him in any way. The darkness of Good Friday was still too real for him and prevented him from being moved by their Easter proclamation. His own reasoning did not allow him to believe that life had triumphed over death, that the crucified Jesus was now the risen Lord. Thomas stood in the light of Easter, yet that light did not dispel his darkness. If his fellow disciples were full of Easter faith, he was full of doubt. They claimed to have seen the risen Lord; Thomas declared that he would not believe until he not only saw the Lord but touched his wounds. In his doubting, Thomas may be like many other disciples today. Many believers can be troubled by their sense that the light of Easter does not seem to have penetrated their lives sufficiently. We can be distressed at the degree of doubt that we experience within ourselves, troubled that such doubts may even become more pronounced as we get older. Like Thomas, we can struggle to identify fully with those whose faith seems so much more assured than ours. The prayer of one of the more minor Gospel characters, ‘Lord, I believe, help my unbelief’, may find a ready place in our heart. Today’s Gospel reading assures us that the Lord understands a doubting, questioning, faith. When the Lord appeared to Thomas, He did not rebuke him. His first words to him were, ‘Peace be with you’. He invited Thomas to touch His wounds as he had requested, and then called on him to ‘doubt no longer but believe’. The Gospel reading does not state that Thomas actually touched the wounds of Jesus. Seeing the risen Lord was enough to dispel his doubt. Then, out of the mouth of the great sceptic came one of the most complete professions of faith in Jesus to be found in all the Gospels, ‘My Lord and my God’. We are being reminded that serious doubt and great faith can reside in one and the same person. The Lord considers anyone who is a seeker and who wishes to believe as a believer already. If we remain true to our spiritual search, even as we struggle with doubt, the Lord will keep drawing near to us, inviting us, as He invited Thomas, ‘Doubt no longer but believe’.

Our first reading today from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians, speaks of the nature that all the faithful people of God are parts of the Church, the Body of Christ. The Apostles meanwhile are the foundations and the pillars, as were the prophets and other great saints and messengers of God. Each one of them are important parts of the Church, which allowed the Church to grow ever larger and prosper among the people of God. St. Thomas the Apostle was one of these many pillars, and the contributions and works he had done, all were meant to strengthen the structure and the support of the Church. St. Paul also mentioned how all the whole structure is joined together, and rises to be a holy Temple in the Lord, representing how each and every one of us as those who believe in the Lord are Temples of the Lord’s Holy Presence. The significance of those words, is that the Apostles and the many other Saints are the good role models and inspirations for all the other faithful people of God, and through the holiness and sanctity that they had shown, in their lives and works, St. Thomas the Apostle, the other Apostles and the innumerable other holy men and women of God, those who have been declared Saints and Blesseds, all these helped us all in our own lives, by inspiring and showing us all what it truly means for us to be Christians, to be God’s people and members of His one Body, the Body of Christ the Church. Each and every one of us should be strengthened and empowered by the Apostles and all that they had done for the good of the Church and all the whole people of God.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today on this great feast of St. Thomas the Apostle, we are called to seek to do our best to do God’s will in each and every moments and opportunities provided to us, so that we may continue to glorify Him by our lives, by our every actions, works and deeds, as well as in our every words and interactions with one another. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace to remain faithful and believe in Him and may the good Lord continue to bless us and guide us in our every efforts and good endeavours, so that we may continue to inspire each other and more people, just as how St. Thomas had inspired countless people throughout the history of the Church and the world. St. Thomas, Holy Apostle of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, pray for us all who are sinners and are weak in our faith, that God may also strengthen our faith in Him and our love and dedication to Him, as He has done with you. Amen 🙏

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF JULY:

THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF JESUS: The month of July is dedicated to the Precious Blood. The feast of the Precious Blood of our Lord was instituted in 1849 by Pius IX, but the devotion is as old as Christianity. The early Fathers say that the Church was born from the pierced side of Christ, and that the sacraments were brought forth through His Blood.

“The Precious Blood which we worship is the Blood which the Savior shed for us on Calvary and reassumed at His glorious Resurrection; it is the Blood which courses through the veins of His risen, glorified, living body at the right hand of God the Father in heaven; it is the Blood made present on our altars by the words of Consecration; it is the Blood which merited sanctifying grace for us and through it washes and beautifies our soul and inaugurates the beginning of eternal life in it.”

PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYER: Almighty, and everlasting God, who hast appointed Thine only-begotten Son to be the Redeemer of the world, and hast been pleased to be reconciled unto us by His Blood, grant us, we beseech Thee, so to venerate with solemn worship the price of our salvation, that the power thereof may here on earth keep us from all things hurtful, and the fruit of the same may gladden us for ever hereafter in heaven. Through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen 🙏🏾

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF JULY – FOR THE PASTORAL CARE OF THE SICK: We pray that the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick confer to those who receive it and their loved ones the power of the Lord and become ever more a visible sign of compassion and hope for all.

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 beķķen in vain. Now, Lord, come to our ajnid! 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 Ordinary Time, 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 🙏

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

PRAYER INTENTIONS: During 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:

My most generous Lord, You pour forth Your blessings upon others, day and night. As I see those blessings, help me to overcome all temptations toward envy so that I may rejoice in Your grace given to all. You are my Lord and my God, and I thank You for every way that You bless my life and the lives of those around me. Fill me with a deeper gratitude, dear Lord, for every grace and blessing I see every day, especially those graces not given directly to me. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Most Precious Blood of Jesus, have mercy on us. Our Most Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Thomas, Apostle and Martyr; Saint Leo II, Pope and Saint Heliodorus of Altinum, Bishop ~ Pray for us🙏

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you. Immaculate Heart of Mary, Pray for us. Amen🙏

Thanking God for the gift of this special  feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and we continue to pray for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and our world and for God’s Divine Mercy and Grace upon us all. Have a blessed, safe, and grace-filled and fruitful month of July 🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖