TWENTY-SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
SAINTS OF THE DAY ~ FEAST DAY: SEPTEMBER 7, 2024
NOVENA TO OUR LADY OF SORROWS: Starts today – Traditionally prayed September 7–15th. The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows is September 15th | Novena link below
Greetings and blessings, beloved family and Happy Saturday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time!
On this feast day, we continue to pray for our children and children all over the world. With special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints, we pray for their safety and well-being, especially those beginning the new school year. May God grant them the courage to face new challenges and wisdom to make good choices. We pray for wisdom, knowledge, and understanding and for God’s guidance and protection upon them during this school year and always. We pray for safe travels, to and from school. We also pray for all teachers, staff and parents, and guardians. May the good Lord provide for those in need. And we continue to pray for the Clergy, persecuted Christians, for peace, love, justice and unity in our families and our world. May God keep us all safe and well. Amen 🙏
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” ~ Proverbs 3:5-6
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” ~ James 1:5
On this day, we pray for the sick and dying, especially those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. We particularly pray for our loved ones who have recently died and 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 & the Holy Spirit forever & ever. Amen🙏
Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN on YouTube” | September 7, 2024 |
Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | September 7, 2024 |
Pray “1st Saturday – Holy Rosary and Special Prayer Event with the Marian Fathers of The Immaculate Conception” | National Shrine of the Divine Mercy | September 7, 2024 |
Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| September 7, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteries VIRTUAL🌹JOYFUL🌹LUMINOUS🌹SORROWFUL🌹GLORIOUS” on YouTube |
Memorare Chaplet | Prayer in Difficult Times (Powerful Prayer) | https://youtu.be/vVc782kcDds
Today’s Bible Readings: Saturday, September 7, 2024
Reading 1, First Corinthians 4:9-15
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 145:17-18, 19-20, 21
Gospel, Luke 6:1-5
NOVENA TO OUR LADY OF SORROWS: Traditionally prayed September 7–15th. The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows is September 15th | https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/nine-day-prayer-for-life-novena-to-our-lady-of-sorrows-283
SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT REGINA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR AND SAINT CLOUD (CLODOALD), PRIEST ~ FEAST DAY: SEPTEMBER 7TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Regina, Virgin and Martyr and Saint Cloud (Clodoald), Priest. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for all victims of abuse and torture. We pray for the sick and dying, especially those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. We pray for the poor and needy and for peace, love, and unity in our marriages, our families and our world. And we continue to pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Bishops, the Clergy, for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, for the Church, for persecuted christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world…. Amen🙏
SAINT REGINA (REINE), VIRGIN AND MARTYR: St. Regina (d. 286 A.D.) was born in the 3rd century to pagan parents in Alise, France, formerly a large ancient town called Alesia, famous for the siege which Caesar laid to it, where two hundred years earlier Vercingetorix had fought so valiantly against Caesar, now a small village in the diocese of Autun in Burgundy. St. Regina’s mother died at childbirth and her father was a prominent man who was a pagan. St. Regina’s father hired a Christian nurse to raise St. Regina. While St. Regina was quite young the nurse secretly baptized St. Regina and raised her in the Christian faith. St. Regina became more and more religious as she grew older and her embrace of Christianity became evident. When her father learned that she had been baptized, he disowned her. St. Regina then went to live with her Christian nurse and worked in the fields to earn money. They lived in poverty, and St. Regina tended sheep to help support the household. While working, she meditated on the love and mercy of God. This solitude allowed her time to pray and meditate on the lives of the Saints.
When Regina was 15 years old, the prefect of Gaul, a Roman proconsul named Olybrius noticed Regina and became determined to marry her. He discovered that she was of noble race and of the Christian Faith. He became greatly disturbed and was unhappy that she was a Christian. Olybrius asked her to renounce her faith in order to save her life and secure a prosperous marriage with him. He tried to convince her to deny her faith but she not only refused but proclaimed her faith even louder. St. Regina staunchly refused to deny her faith, having already taken a vow of virginity to Christ. For her defiance she was cast into prison while Olybrius went to ward off the incursions of the barbarians. She was chained to the walls of the cell with an iron belt. Hoping that her resolve would gradually weaken, Olybrius visited her in prison and asked her once more to renounce her faith. St. Regina’s determination only increased with time, and she again refused to deny her faith. Olybrius, angered, had her severely tortured with her body being whipped and scourged, burned, and raked. Finally she was beheaded and she went forth to meet her heavenly Bridegroom. She died in the year 286. A.D. Many were converted after seeing a solitary dove hover over her during the torture. After her death many miracles were attributed to her relics. The relics of St. Regina are enshrined and kept with great devotion in the neighboring Abbey of Flavigni, a league distant, whither they were translated in 864, and where they have been rendered famous by miracles and pilgrimages, of which a history is published by two monks of that abbey. According to tradition, St. Regina’s martyrdom happened in the persecution of Decius, in 251, or under Maximian Herecleus in 286, as different Martyrologies disagree. She is honored in many ancient Martyrologies. St. Regina is honored as a martyr for the faith. She’s depicted as experiencing the torments of martyrdom; or as receiving spiritual consolation in prison by a vision of a dove on a luminous cross. St. Regina is the Patron Saint of poor people, against poverty, shepherdesses, and for abuse and torture victims. Her feast day is September 7th.
PRAYER: Lord God, You showered heavenly gifts on St. Regina. Help us to imitate her virtues during our earthly life and enjoy eternal happiness with her in heaven. Amen 🙏
SAINT CLOUD (CLODOALD), PRIEST: Saint Clodoald (522 – c. 560), better known as St. Cloud was born in 522 and is the first and most illustrious Saint among the princes of the royal family of the first race in France. He was a grandson of King Clovis of the Franks and the youngest son of King Clodomir of Orleans, the eldest son of St. Clotilda. St. Cloud was scarce three years old when his father was killed in Burgundy; but he and his brothers were raised in Paris by their grandmother St. Clotilda, Queen of the Franks who loved them extremely. Their ambitious uncles divided the kingdom of Orleans between them. St. Cloud was one of three brothers, all of whom were targeted for assassination by their uncle, Clotaire I. Two of his brothers, Theodoald and Gunther, were slain at the ages of ten and nine respectively by their uncle Clotaire, king of the Franks from 558-561. St. Clodoald, eight survived by escaping to Provence France. St. Clodoald renounced the world and all claims to the throne and devoted himself to the service of God in a monastic state. He lived as a studious hermit and disciple of Saint Severinus of Noricum, a holy recluse who lived near Paris, from whose hands he received the monastic habit.
Wishing to live unknown to the world, he withdrew secretly into Provence, but his hermitage being made public. Visited by many for counsel and healing, St. Clodoald in effect gained nothing by keeping himself remote from society. He therefore returned to Paris, where he was received with joy. At the people’s request, he was ordained a priest by Bishop Eusebius of Paris in 551, and served the church for some time in the functions of the sacred ministry. Afterward St. Cloud retired to and established a holy place at Nogent-sur-Seine, known as St. Cloud, two leagues below Paris, where he built a monastery that is now a collegiate church of canons regular called Saint Cloud wherein his relics are kept. Here he assembled many pious men, who fled out of the world for fear of losing their souls in it. St. Cloud was regarded by them as their superior, and he animated them to all virtue both by word and example. He was indefatigable in instructing and exhorting the people of the neighboring country, and piously ended his days. St. Cloud remained and died at Nogent in about the year 560, and the major part of his relics remain still in the parochial church of the village. The village hosting his tomb was renamed Saint Cloud accordingly. He’s the Patron Saint against carbuncles; nail makers; Diocese of Saint Cloud, Minnesota; France.
Saint Cloud (Clodoald), Priest ~ Pray for us 🙏
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:
Bible Readings for today, Saturday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Gospel Reading ~ Luke 6:1-5
“Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”
“While Jesus was going through a field of grain on a sabbath, His disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. Some Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?” Jesus said to them in reply, “Have you not read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry? How he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering, which only the priests could lawfully eat, ate of it, and shared it with his companions?” Then He said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath.”
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus is in dispute with the Pharisees as to what people can and cannot do on the Sabbath. The Pharisees criticize the disciples of Jesus for breaking the Sabbath Law. The Jewish Sabbath then, which is now a Saturday, work was forbidden. Sunday is now the Christian Sabbath. To satisfy their hunger, the disciplines of Jesus were picking ears of corn, rubbing them in their hands and eating them. This was a form of reaping, as far as the Pharisees were concerned, and reaping which constituted work was forbidden on the Sabbath. In His response, Jesus defends the actions of His disciples and turns to a similar situation in the Jewish Scriptures in support of His position. For Jesus, however, it was always legitimate to satisfy one’s physical hunger on the Sabbath, especially for people like Himself and His disciples who were never sure where the next meal was going to come from. Jesus insists that legal prescription has to yield before human need. King David recognized this when he allowed his followers to eat bread that had been set aside for sacrifice to God, because his followers were hungry. If David can make such a decision, how much more so can Jesus do so, the Son of David, the Jewish Messiah, the Lord of the Sabbath. The laws of the Pharisees about the Sabbath were not Jesus’ master or his Lord. Rather, Jesus declares that He Himself is Lord of the Sabbath. Law, including religious Law, is at the service of human need. If human regulations prevent basic human needs from being met, such as the need for food, then such regulations must yield before those needs. Jesus always gave priority to meeting the needs of others, especially their basic human needs for food, clothing, shelter and health. He came that we may have life and have it to the full. Today’s Gospel reading suggests that no set of human regulations should stand in the way of the basic needs of people being met, and being met without delay. As Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel reading that any work which serves the basic needs of others is always legitimate on the Sabbath. The Sabbath is not so much the day when we do no work at all as the day when we try to do God’s work, the work of responding to the needs of others and the call they make on us.
In our first reading today from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful in the city and region of Corinth, he spoke to the people of God about how they should not look upon themselves with an air and sense of superiority, thinking that they were better than others around them as they lived their lives with comfort and full of blessings in this world. On the contrary, St. Paul said that to be Christians, they ought to be more humble and more focused on the Lord, seeking to glorify God by their lives and not to allow themselves to be swayed by worldly ambitions and temptations, all of which could lead us all down the path towards our downfall and destruction. If we allow ourselves to be swayed and tempted by those allures of glory, fame and power, then we may end up losing sight on our true destination and purpose in life, that is to seek the path towards the Lord our God. In our world today, we often face this issue of being tempted by our own pride and ego, our preoccupation with status and the privileges we have and enjoy in life, as we may find it hard to be told that what we are doing is not right and proper, or that there are others who know it better than us. That is why as Christians we must always cultivate the virtue of humility and obedience, to be humble in all things and to be willing to listen to others, especially to be willing to listen to the Lord and His words, embracing His truth and love, doing whatever it is that He has told us to do, and not to harden our hearts and minds against Him. It was pride that had led the devil himself to fall into sin, the pride and ambition of thinking that he could surpass God and became the ruler of all of Creation.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are reminded that we should be humble as Christians and followers of the Lord. We should not be proud in our hearts and minds lest we may be tempted to think that we are better than all others and look down on others around us whom we disagree with. We should not allow hubris, pride and ego to be great stumbling blocks in our path, keeping us away from falling down into the wrong path in life and helping us to remain firm in our faith and commitment towards the Lord. If we remain humble and committed to the Lord, resisting the temptations and allures of pride and ego, we will eventually triumph with the Lord, and share in His eternal joy and glory in the end. All of these are reminders for all of us that we should not merely be outwardly faithful to the Lord, and we are reminded that we should not be like the Pharisees whose pride and ego, in their thinking and ambitions, claiming that they were superior and better than others because of their ways of observing the Law and obeying the Law like those of the rules of the Sabbath, which they thought were appropriate and better than those done by others. As Christians, we must always remind ourselves not to be easily swayed and tempted by those temptations, and continue to keep ourselves humble and open-minded in receiving advice and guidance from others around us, and in learning how we can better live in a more appropriate and genuine way in being faithful to God, not just merely by outward appearances but also through wholehearted devotion and orientation towards Him in all things. May the Lord, our ever patient and loving God and Father continue to help and guide us in our journey, strengthening us in our desire and commitment to walk in His path and to love Him, ever reminding ourselves and one another to put our focus and emphasis in our lives in the Lord, our Master and Creator. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and bless our every good efforts, works and deeds, in our every contributions and commitments so that we may always glorify Him by our every moments in life, by our exemplary inspirations in each and every moments, now and forevermore. Amen 🙏
DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER:
MONTH OF OUR LADY OF SORROWS:
September is the Month of Our Lady of Sorrows, also known as our Mother of Sorrows (Mater Dolorosa)! Since the 16th century, Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The Church dedicates the month of September to Our Lady of Sorrows, whose memorial the Church celebrates on September 15th. Devotion to the sorrows of the Virgin Mary dates from the twelfth century, when it made its appearance in monastic circles under the influence of St. Anselm and St. Bernard.
This devotion recalls the Blessed Virgin Mary’s spiritual martyrdom in virtue of her perfect union with the Passion of Christ. This was her role in salvation history and what merited her place as the spiritual Mother of all Christians. This is symbolized by a single sword, or seven swords, piercing Mary’s suffering heart, as foretold in Simeon’s prophecy. Traditionally the Church meditates on the “Seven Sorrows” of our Blessed Mother: the prophecy of Simeon; the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt; the loss of the Child Jesus for three days; the meeting of Mary and Jesus as He carried His cross; Jesus’ crucifixion and death; Jesus’ sacred body taken down from the cross; and Jesus’ burial. All the sorrows of Mary (the prophecy of Simeon, the three days’ loss, etc.) are merged in the supreme suffering at the Passion. In the Passion, Mary suffered a martyrdom of the heart because of Our Lord’s torments and the greatness of her love for Him. “She it was,” says Pope Pius XII, “who immune from all sin, personal or inherited, and ever more closely united with her Son, offered Him on Golgotha to the Eternal Father together with the holocaust of her maternal rights and motherly love. As a new Eve, she made this offering for all the children of Adam contaminated through his unhappy fall. Thus, she, who was the mother of our Head according to the flesh, became by a new title of sorrow and glory the spiritual mother of all His members.” The feast of Our Lady of Sorrows (Mater Dolorosa) is September 15th.
INVOCATIONS: Mary most sorrowful, Mother of Christians, pray for us. Virgin most sorrowful, pray for us 🙏🏾
https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=762
THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER – FOR THE CRY OF THE EARTH: We pray that each one of us will hear and take to heart the cry of the Earth and of victims of natural disasters and climactic change, and that all will undertake to personally care for the world in which we live.
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, Nigeria, 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. We pray for all mothers, wives, those going through challenges in their marriages, Victims of verbal and spousal abuse, and we pray for peace, love and unity in our families and our world. Every life is a gift. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the gentle 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:
Lord of all Truth, You and You alone are the guide of my life. You and You alone are the Truth. Help me to be humble, dear Lord, so that I can recognize any error in my convictions and turn to You and Your divine Law as the one and only guide for my life. 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 Blessed Mother Virgin Mary; Saint Regina and Saint Cloud (Clodoald) ~ 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 month of September and relaxing weekend 🙏
Blessings and Love always, Philomena💖