SIXTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
SAINTS OF THE DAY ~ FEAST DAY: JULY 23, 2024
Greetings, beloved family and Happy Tuesday of the Sixteenth 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 23, 2024 |
Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | July 23, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” |July 23, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | July 23, 2024 |
Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy | from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | July 23, 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: Tuesday July 23, 2024
Reading 1, Micah 7:14-15, 18-20
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 85:2-4, 5-6, 7-8
Gospel, Matthew 12:46-50
SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT BRIDGET OF SWEDEN, RELIGIOUS AND SAINT LIBORIUS, BISHOP ~ FEAST DAY: JULY 23RD: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Bridget of Sweden, Religious and Saint Liborius, Bishop. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for widows, the sick and dying, especially those with gallstones and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. We pray for those going through difficulties especially during these challenging times, for the poor and the needy, for peace, love 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 BRIDGET OF SWEDEN, RELIGIOUS: St. Bridget (1303-1373) was born in Sweden in 1303 of noble and pious parents, was the daughter of Birger Persson, the governor and provincial judge of Uppland, and of Ingeborg Bengtsdotter, a descendant of the Gothic Kings and led a most holy life. From the time she was a child, she was greatly devoted to the passion of Jesus. While she was yet unborn, her mother was saved from shipwreck for her sake. At ten years of age, Bridget heard a sermon on the Passion of our Lord; and the next night she saw Jesus on the cross, covered with fresh blood, and speaking to her about his Passion. In her vision of Jesus on the cross, she heard Him say, “Look at me, my daughter.” “Who has treated you like this?” cried little Bridget. Jesus answered, “Those who despise me and refuse my love for them.” From that moment on, Bridget tried to stop people from offending Jesus. Thenceforward meditation on that subject affected her to such a degree, that she could never think of our Lord’s sufferings without tears. At the age of sixteen, St. Bridget was given in marriage to Ulfo prince of Nericia and lived happily with him for 28 years, bearing him eight children. St. Catherine of Sweden was their daughter. She won her husband, by example and persuasion, to a life of piety. She devoted herself with maternal love to the education of her children. She was most zealous in serving the poor, especially the sick; and set apart a house for their reception, where she would often wash and kiss their feet.
Later the holy couple bound themselves by a vow of chastity and made a pilgrimage to Compostela in Galicia, to visit the tomb of the apostle St. James. On their return journey, Ulfo fell dangerously ill at Arras; but St. Dionysius, appearing to St. Bridget at night, foretold the restoration of her husband’s health, and other future events. Ulfo became a Cistercian monk, but died soon afterwards. After his death St. Bridget renounced her rank of princess and changed her habit. Whereupon St. Bridget, having heard the voice of Christ calling her in a dream, embraced a more austere manner of life. Many secrets were then revealed to her by God. St. Bridget founded the Order of the Most Holy Savior (Bridgettines) at Vadstena in 1346 under the rule of our Savior, which was given her by our Lord Himself. It received confirmation by Pope Urban V in 1370, and survives today. The new branch of the order was refounded by Blessed Elisabeth Hesselblad and has grown substantially, around the world. At the Lord’s command, she went to Rome, where she kindled the love of God in very many hearts. She made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem; but on her return to Rome she was attacked by fever, and suffered severely from sickness during a whole year. On the day she had foretold, she passed to heaven, laden with merits. St. Bridget died of natural causes in Rome on July 23, 1373 at the age of seventy-one. She was canonized by Pope Boniface IX in 1391, less than twenty years after her death. In 1999, Pope John Paul II made her a co-patroness of Europe, alongside Saint Catherine of Siena and Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. She’s Patron Saint of Europe; Sweden; widows.
“True wisdom, then, consists in works, not in great talents, which the world admires; for the wise in the world’s estimation . . . are the foolish who set at naught the will of God, and know not how to control their passions.” –Saint Bridget of Sweden.
PRAYER: Lord God, You revealed heavenly secrets to St. Bridget as she meditated on the Passion of Your Son. Grant that we Your servants may attain the joyful contemplation of Your glory. Amen 🙏
SAINT LIBORIUS, BISHOP: St.Liborius was born of an illustrious family of Gaul (a region in the Roman Empire which extended to the area on the west bank of the Rhine river of the present day Germany), and became Bishop of Le Mans, France. He played a leading part in spreading Christianity in Gaul at the end of the fourth century. He was a trusty companion to St. Marinus (Martin of Tours). They were both bishops, neighbors in office. St. Liborius was bishop for about 49 years and ordained 217 priests, 186 deacons and 93 sub deacons and other churchmen.
Bishop Liborius built many churches and celebrated the Eucharist with piety and dignity. He is said to have healed sufferers from “gravel and allied complaints” and for this reason his feast was introduced by Pope Clement XI, himself a victim who was cured by the saint’s intercession. He is said to have died on July 23, 397 A.D. with Bishop Martin at his side. Miracles are said to have to occurred at his tomb. The popularity of the saint in Paderborn is shown in the week-long yearly festival that begins on the Saturday after his 23 July feast day. This festival is known as Libori. He’s the Patron Saint of peace and understanding among peoples. He is invoked against colic, calculi, fever, and gallstones. Paderborn Cathedral, Germany; Le Mans, France.
Saint Liborius, Bishop ~ Pray for us 🙏
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:
Bible Readings for today, Tuesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Gospel Reasing ~ Matthew 12:46-50
“Stretching out his hands toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers.”
“While Jesus was speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers appeared outside, wishing to speak with him. Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you.” But he said in reply to the one who told him, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
In today’s Gospel reading from the Gospel of St. Matthew, the Lord Jesus told His disciples and all those who were assembled there to listen to Him, that all those who have listened to God’s words and obeyed His will are all like His own mother, brothers and sisters, like that of His own family. This happened at the time when the Lord’s mother, Mary, and His relatives all were waiting for Him just as He was busy ministering to the people and teaching them. This might indeed seem to be such a rude remark for the Lord to make, His response seems a little uncaring, especially one against His own family members, and especially for His mother. They were anxious to see Him, presumably out of concern for His well-being. However, when this message was passed through to Jesus, His focus was not on His blood family but on the disciples around Him whom He immediately identified as His new family, mother, brothers, and sisters. Today’s Gospel gives us a little insight into the struggle of Jesus’ family, and of Jesus’ mother in particular, to let Him go to a much larger family, a family not defined by blood but by a willingness to follow in the way of Jesus. St. Luke’s Gospel suggests that this struggle to let Jesus go was experienced by Mary (and Joseph) when Jesus was only twelve years of age. On that occasion, Jesus identified His Father as God rather than Joseph and declared to His anxious and perplexed parents that His primary concern was God His Father’s business rather than His parents’ business. Jesus had to move on from His blood family to do the work God sent Him to do, which involved the forming of a new family of disciples who would become known as the church, a family of which we are all members in virtue of our baptism. In this family we can look to Jesus as a brother, to God as our Father, and to Mary as a mother. It is often the way that we too have to move on from something or someone very significant for us so as to do the work God is asking us to do. Such moving on will often be painful both for ourselves and for the people from whom we are moving on. However, if we can make this move, this exodus, in the imagery of the first reading, it will often be the necessary step to some important work that the Lord wants to do through us.
In Jesus’ response to His Mother and family, He wanted to teach and show everyone that in fact, His mother is truly the greatest of examples of this piety and faith, as Mary’s obedience to God’s will and her commitment to love her Son, her virtues and righteousness are all that we exactly need to follow and emulate in our own lives as God’s holy and beloved people. God is reminding us all that every one of us are equal before Him, and through His Son, He has opened for us the surest path and indeed the only way to salvation. If only that we will follow the examples shown by His loving Mother, Mary, who is also our own mother, then we shall be able to follow the path that Christ our Lord and Saviour has shown us. And in addition, there are also many other holy men and women whose lives can be great inspiration for us to follow as well. Genuine love for another, the love inspired by the Holy Spirit, is always a love that surrenders to God’s purpose for the life of the loved one. Mary’s love for Jesus was no less when He moved on from His blood family to form a new family of disciples. As members of Jesus’ new family, we are called to love others in the same selfless way that Mary loved Jesus.
In our first reading today from the Book of the prophet Micah, the prophet mentioned of the Lord’s great faithfulness and love for His people, all the things that He had done for the sake of His beloved people, those whom He had called and chosen from among the nations. He is their Lord and Shepherd, the One Who would guide them all to the right path, gathering and bringing them from the nations, reaching out to those who have been lost to Him, patiently guiding them all back towards His loving Presence despite all the rebelliousness and the wickedness that they had committed and shown Him. He wanted to love them all once again and gave them the opportunity to repent from all those wicked ways. According to the Old Testament, the Lord had been very patient with His people, as He sent to His people many prophets, messengers and guides, and He as their loving Shepherd and Father, has always desired to gather all of His lost children and sheep to Himself. In the meantime, He chastised and punished them all because He wanted all of them to realise the errors of their ways, as well as to discipline them and to keep them all aware of the consequences of their sins. That is why He wanted to show and teach them all the right and worthy path to follow in our lives.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures, today, all of us as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people are called and reminded to seek the Lord once again for His ever generous and enduring love and mercy, for everything that He had done for us, in reaching out to us and in being generous in caring for every one of us without exception. He has been willing to extend His mercy to forgive us from all the wickedness and sins we have committed, and He is now calling on each and every one of us to turn away from those wickedness and sins, embracing once again the fullness of His love, and to be filled once again with His grace. We are all called to emulate the lives of the Saints and Holy men and women, particularly the inspiring examples and the life story of St. Bridget of Sweden, who we celebrate today. Let us all therefore strive to be good and worthy disciples of the Lord in all that we say and do, and that in every parts of our lives, we will always continue to glorify God and be the good role models and inspirations for one another, helping everyone around us to come ever closer to God. Our lives should be truly holy and faithful, filled with virtues and good deeds at all times. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and may we all continue to dedicate and commit ourselves to God and His path, as how St. Bridget of Sweden and many other holy men and women had done. 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 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 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 loving Lord, You have established the human family for unity and love. You invite all people to share in Your family in love. I accept Your holy invitation, dear Lord, and pledge my wholehearted obedience to the will of the Father in Heaven. As I do, I rejoice in the reward of a deepening relationship with You and with all who are united to You. 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 Bridget of Sweden and Saint Liborius ~ 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. Have a blessed, safe, grace-filled and fruitful week 🙏
Blessings and Love always, Philomena💖