THIRTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
SAINTS OF THE DAY ~ FEAST DAY: JULY 5, 2024
[Please note: Saint Elizabeth of Portugal—Optional Memorial (Celebrated on July 4th outside the USA, but celebrated in the USA on July 5th.)]
Greetings beloved family and Happy Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time!
On this special feast day, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we humbly pray for justice, peace and unity in our families and our divided and conflicted world. We continue to 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 5, 2024 |
Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | July 5, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” |July 5, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | July 5, 2024 |
Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy | from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | July 5, 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: Friday, July 5, 2024
Reading 1, Amos 8:4-6, 9-12
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 119:2, 10, 20, 30, 40, 131
Gospel, Matthew 9:9-13
SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT ANTHONY MARY ZACCARIA, PRIEST; SAINT ATHANASIUS THE ATHONITE, ABBOT AND SAINT ZOE OF ROME, MARTYR ~ FEAST DAY: JULY 5TH Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Anthony Mary Zaccaria, Priest; Saint Athanasius the Athonite, Abbot and
Saint Zoe of Rome, Martyr. 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 cancer and other terminal diseases. We pray for the poor, the needy and most marginalized, 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 ANTHONY MARY ZACCARIA, PRIEST: St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria (1502 – 1539) is a renowned Priest, preacher and promoter of Eucharistic adoration, he founded the order of priests now known as the Barnabites. St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria was born into an Italian family of nobility in Cremona during 1502. His father Lazzaro died shortly after Anthony’s birth, and his mother Antonietta – though only 18 years old – chose not to marry again, preferring to devote herself to charitable works and her son’s education. Antonietta succeeded in compensating for her son’s loss, and saw to it that he received a solid training, inculcating, in him compassion for the poor and afflicted. St. Anthony took after her in devotion to God and generosity toward the poor. He studied Latin and Greek with tutors in his youth, and was afterward sent to Pavia to study philosophy. He went on to study Medicine at University of Padua and returned home to Cremona at age of twenty-two as a full-fledged physician. Despite his noble background and secular profession, the young doctor had no intention of either marrying or accumulating wealth. But he quickly realized that his vocation consisted in healing souls as well as bodies. While caring for the physical conditions of his patients, he also encouraged them to find spiritual healing through repentance and the sacraments. At the same time, he assisted the dying spiritually, taught catechism to children, and went on to participate in the religious formation of young adults and placed himself completely at the service of everyone. Accordingly, the devoted young man studied Theology but continued to practice Medicine. He eventually decided to withdraw from the practice of medicine, and with the encouragement of his spiritual director he began to study for the priesthood and was ordained a priest at age 26 in 1528. St. Anthony is said to have experienced a miraculous occurrence during his first Mass, being surrounded by a supernatural light and a multitude of angels during the consecration of the Eucharist. Contemporary witnesses marveled at the event, and testified to it after his death.
Church life in Cremona had suffered decline in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. The new priest encountered widespread ignorance and religious indifference among laypersons, while many of the clergy were either weak or corrupt. In these dire circumstances, St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria devoted his life to proclaiming the truths of the Gospel both clearly and charitably. Within two years, his eloquent preaching and tireless pastoral care is said to have changed the moral character of the city dramatically. St. Anthony was encouraged to go to Milan where there were greater opportunities for serving his fellowman. In 1530, St. Anthony moved to Milan, where a similar spirit of corruption and religious neglect prevailed. There, he joined the Confraternity of Eternal Wisdom whose purpose was to carry out various works of mercy, St. Anthony and two other zealous priests decided to form a priestly society, the Clerics Regular of St. Paul, a congregation of priests to help regenerate and revive the love of Divine worship and a proper Christian way of life by frequent preaching and faithful administration of the Sacraments. The early members of the Order of Clerks Regular of St. Paul banded with St. Anthony to minister night and day to the people of Milan, who were stricken by wars, plague, and neglect of the clergy. Inspired by the apostle’s life and writings, the order was founded on a vision of humility, asceticism, poverty, and preaching. After the founder’s death, they were entrusted with a prominent church named for St. Barnabas, and became commonly known as the “Barnabites.” The priest with help of Luigia Torelli, Countess of Guastella, founded a community of women religious order called the Angelicals, the Angelic Sisters of St. Paul; with the aim of rescuing fallen women and girls and those in danger of falling into sin; and an organization, the Laity of St. Paul, geared toward the sanctification of those outside the priesthood and religious life. He pioneered the “40 Hours” devotion, involving continuous prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. St. Anthony was a zealous and untiring preacher and completely wore himself out at this work. In 1539, at length, after many labors, he fell grievously sick at Guastalla, and returned to his mother’s house in Cremona and died there amid the tears of his religious and in the embrace of his pious mother, whose approaching death he foretold. He died on July 5, 1539, during the liturgical octave of the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul at thirty-seven, worn out by his many labors. At the hour of his death he was consoled by a vision of the apostles, and prophesied the future growth of his Society. The people began immediately to show their devotion to this saint on account of his great holiness and of his numerous miracles. Nearly three decades after his death, St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria’s body was found to be incorrupt. He was Beatified by Blessed Pope Pius IX in 1849, and his cult was approved by Leo XIII, who solemnly Canonized him on Ascension Day, 1897.
St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria Quote: “We manifest our love for God in our observance of His commandments and in our readiness to obey, even His smallest decree.”
PRAYER: Lord, grant us, in the spirit of St. Paul the Apostle, to learn the knowledge of Jesus Christ, which surpasses all understanding. Taught by this knowledge, St. Anthony continually preached the word of salvation in Your Church. Amen 🙏
SAINT ATHANASIUS THE ATHONITE, ABBOT: St. Athanasius the Athonite (c. 920 – c. 1003), was a Byzantine monk who in 963 founded the monastic community on the peninsula Mount Athos, which has since evolved into the greatest centre of Eastern Orthodox monasticism – but only after he had overcome the opposition of the hermits who were there first. St. Athanasius, also called Athanasios of Trebizond, was born on c. 920; Trebizond, Byzantine Empire and his parents were from Antioch. He was patronized by Michael Maleinos, he studied at Constantinople and became famous there as Abraham, a fervent preacher who held great authority with Michael’s nephew, Nicephoros Phocas. By the time Phocas ascended the imperial throne, Abraham, ill at ease with the lax morals of the monks living in the capital, changed his name to Athanasios and joined the monks at Mount Kyminas in Bithynia. In 958, he relocated to Mount Athos. He helped defend the hermits, or sketes, there against the Saracens, and also started to incorporate the sketes already there into what would eventually become known as the Great Lavra, which Athanasios built with the financial assistance of Nicephoros. This monastery was dedicated in 963. It is still in use today, and is often referred to by people of the area simply as “Lavra”, or “The Monastery”. Three other foundations followed shortly thereafter, with all three of them remaining in place to the present. Athanasios met with considerable opposition from the hermits already at Mount Athos in the construction of his monasteries. They resented his intrusion and his attempts to bring order and discipline to their lives.
Upon Nicephoros’ death the enemies of Athanasios prevailed and he had to leave Athos for Cyprus, where he lived until the new emperor, John Tzimisces, resumed the patronage of the Great Lavra and bestowed upon the monastery its first charter in 971. Athanasios, spurred by a divine vision, returned at once to Athos as a hegumen (abbot) and introduced a typicon for cenobites, based on those compiled by Theodore Studites and Basil of Caesarea. In the words of Athanasius’s biographer, “Trebizonde witnessed his birth (about 920), Byzantium enabled him to grow spiritually, and Kyminas and Athos rendered him pleasing to God.” He died in c. 1003 at Mount Athos during an accident, killed by a falling masonry, when the cupola of his church collapsed. Upon his death, Athanasios was glorified as a saint. His feast day is July 5.
PRAYER: Lord, amid the things of this world, let us be wholeheartedly committed to heavenly things in imitation of the example of evangelical perfection You have given us in St. Athanasius. Amen🙏
SAINT ZOE OF ROME, MARTYR: St. Zoe of Rome (d. 286 A.D.) lived during the early stages of Emperor Diocletian’s persecution of Christians, around the 280s AD. She was a noble woman in the imperial court of Rome, married to a high Roman court official named Nicostratus during the reign of the infamous Emperor Diocletian. But even that status didn’t save her from Diocletian’s wrath. Something miraculous happened to St. Zoe, for an unknown reason, Zoe couldn’t speak for six years, she suffered from a condition that left her unable to speak; when she met St. Sebastian she fell at his feet so that he would heal her. St. Sebastian made the Sign of the Cross over her, and from that moment her speech miraculously returned, she began to speak and glorify God. As she was being healed she had a vision of an angel standing next to St. Sebastian holding a book in which was written everything that St. Sebastian preached. Her first words were ones of thanks and praise to God, and many witnesses of the miracle were brought to faith in Christ. St. Zoe and her husband then received baptism at the hands of St. Polycarp, along with many others who had come to believe in Christ through St. Sebastian’s miracles. Of this new group of Christians, St. Zoe was the first to be martyred for her faith.
She was also greatly devoted to St. Peter the Apostle. Diocletian’s henchmen found her praying at his tomb one day and arrested her. She was martyred by being hung from a tree branch by her hair, with a fire lit underneath her feet. St. Zoe died of asphyxiation (not by burning to death). After her death her body was thrown into the Tiber River. Apparently, the symbolism of the Tiber was lost on Diocletian and his henchmen as “swimming the Tiber” is an analogy for converting to Catholicism and being thrown in the Tiber is a symbol of baptism. St. Zoe then appeared in a vision to St. Sebastian, who was in prison awaiting his execution, to tell him of her martyrdom and subsequent glory. St. Zoe of Rome’s feast day is July 5th.
[Worthy of note: in Greek, zoë means life, as does bios. However! Bios refers to the biological life or physical and modal life. Zoë, on the other hand, refers to the spiritual life or a sense of transcendence. When Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” the word for life used was zoë.]
Saint Zoe of Rome, Martyr ~ Pray for us 🙏
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:
Bible Readings for today, Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Gospel Reading ~ Matthew 9:9-13
“Those who are well do not need a physician; I desire mercy, not sacrifice”
“As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” He heard this and said, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
Today’s Gospel reading details the story of the calling of Levi, the tax collector by the Lord Jesus. Levi decided to follow the Lord, leaving behind his post at the tax collector’s office and committing himself to be a disciple of the Lord. He would henceforth be known as Matthew, and as with other people who changed their names in the other parts of the Scriptures, like Abraham, Jacob, Peter and Paul, this name change indicated the new life and path which Levi had committed himself to take, by which he embraced the Lord fully, and becoming Matthew, a committed disciple and servant of God, a member of the Twelve Apostles and later on as one of the Four Evangelists. The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law were quick to criticise the Lord when He went to have dinner with Levi and the other tax collectors, as at the time, the tax collectors were widely seen as traitors to the nation and the people of God for their role in collecting taxes on behalf of the rulers and the Romans. They were also seen as sinners and people who were unworthy of God’s grace and salvation, and as common at the time, no one especially the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law would associate themselves with those considered as sinners, like the tax collectors, the prostitutes and those afflicted with certain illnesses and diseases, because they could make them to be considered unclean as well.
The Pharisees ask a question about Jesus, ‘Why does Jesus eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ Why does Jesus share table, enter into communion, with people whom many religious people of the time would have shunned. The answer to that question is that Jesus’ primary mission was to reveal God’s mercy and forgiveness to those who had sinned in some way. The word of God in the prophet Hosea which Jesus quotes in today’s Gospel reading inspired Jesus and shaped His mission, ‘What I want is mercy, not sacrifice’. God is a merciful God who showers Him mercy upon all and who looks to those who have received God’s mercy to extend it to others. Jesus is comfortable in the company of those who were classified as ‘sinners’ at the time because they were seen to be breaking God’s Law. Jesus wanted them to know that God was more interested in their future than in their past. When Jesus saw Matthew, He saw Matthew’s future, not just his past. Matthew may have exploited his own people to enrich himself, as tax collectors often did at that time, but Jesus saw his potential to be a true disciple. Indeed, Matthew went on to become one of the twelve Jesus gathered about Himself, and would give His name to one of the four Gospels. Our failings do not drive Jesus away. On the contrary, they can bring Him closer to us, if we acknowledge them and open our hearts to the boundless mercy He offers us. The church is a community of forgiven sinners. All of us always stand in need of God’s forgiveness. Jesus shows us that God’s forgiveness is in plentiful supply, if we only acknowledge our need of it. The call of Matthew shows us that the Lord continues to call us into communion with Himself, regardless of how often we might have broken communion with Him in the past.
Our first reading today is the continuation of the reading from the Book of the prophet Amos which we have heard in the past one week or so, in which the prophet spoke of the Lord’s words to His people, the Israelites living in the northern kingdom, also known as Israel, who have disobeyed and disregarded His Law and commandments. The prophet Amos was sent to the people of Israel during the last years of the existence of the northern kingdom of Israel to bring about God’s warning and the revelation of the fate that would soon befall all those people who had hardened their hearts and acted wickedly for so many years in refusing to believe in God and persecuting the many prophets and messengers which God had sent them constantly to help and guide them in their path. God thus spoke through the prophet Amos, chastising those same people of their many sins and wickedness, according to our first reading today, stating how they had behaved inappropriately as God’s holy and beloved people by manipulating and exploiting the weak and the less privileged for their own personal benefits and ambitions, through their self-serving attitudes and actions, all of which had brought about a lot of misery and hardships for others, leading to more and more wicked actions and things that were truly unbecoming of a people whom God had called and chosen to be His own people. And the Lord also told His people that they were to be chastised and punished so that they might see the errors of their ways, and thus, hopefully that they could then turn away from those sins and wickedness before it was too late for them.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all called to abandon our past sinful way of life and embrace from now on, God’s righteousness and virtues in our lives, in each and every one of our actions, words and deeds. We are all reminded that if we continue to walk in the path of sin and disobedience against God, and if we continue to allow the darkness of this world to mislead and bring us down the path to ruin, then in the end, we will regret our choice and path. The Lord reminded us all that we have been called by Him and given the opportunity to embrace His love and generous mercy, but we must also be willing to make the commitment and to embrace wholeheartedly this love and mercy, or else, we will continue to be separated from Him. Let us all therefore continue to do our part in following the Lord ever more faithfully, in doing His will and obeying His Law and commandments at all times. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and may the Lord continue to help and guide us in our journey throughout life, to do what He has entrusted to us to do. May He continue to bless us all in our every good efforts, works and endeavours, and help us to be His faithful and committed disciples in all things and may we do our very best to be inspiration and role models to one another, so that we may help to bring God’s truth, love and salvation to more and more people out there, as genuine Christians, now and always. 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 forgiving Lord, You are the Divine Physician Who has come to forgive and heal all of our ills. Remove my pride and self-righteousness so that I can be filled with humility and see clearly the sin in my life. As I see my sin, help me to turn to You and to trust in Your abundant mercy. You came for sinners, dear Lord, and I am one of those sinners in need. 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 Anthony Mary Zaccaria; Saint Athanasius the Athonite and Saint Zoe of Rome, Martyr ~ 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 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. Have a blessed, safe, and relaxing weekend 🙏
Blessings and Love always, Philomena💖