TWENTY-NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR B)
WORLD MISSION SUNDAY, 2024
Theme: “Go and invite everyone to the banquet” (cf. Mt 22:9)
CANONIZATION OF 14 BLESSED
SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ OCTOBER 20, 2024
NOVENA TO SAINT JUDE: Starting, October 19th (Day 2). Novena to Saint Jude is prayed for Desperate Situations and Desperate Cases—especially for an end to war and terrorism. Prayed anytime of year, especially October 19–27th in preparation for the Feast of Saint Jude on October 28th | Novena prayer and link below
Greetings and blessings, beloved family. Happy World Mission Sunday!
On this special Feast day and World Mission Sunday, through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints, we humbly pray for God’s Divine Grace and Mercy upon us all. We pray for missions, missionaries, the poor, the needy and most vulnerable around the world. We ask for the intercession of the new Saints in the church. May they intercede for us. 🙏🏽
Watch “Holy Mass and Canonization of 14 Blessed | World Mission Sunday | Pope Francis | LIVE from the Vatican | October 20, 2024 |
Holy Mass presided over by Pope Francis from St. Peter’s Square. The Holy Father canonized the following blessed:
- Manuel Ruiz López and 7 companions of the Order of Friars Minor, and Francis, Abdel Mohti, and Raphaël Massabki, lay faithful, martyrs († 1860);
- Giuseppe Allamano (1851-1926), priest, founder of the Consolata Missionaries Institute;
- Marie-Léonie Paradis (1840-1912), religious, founder of the Little Sisters of the Holy Family of Sherbrooke;
- Elena Guerra (1835-1914), virgin, founder of the Oblate Sisters of the Holy Spirit.
Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN on YouTube” | October 20, 2024 |
https://www.youtube.com/live/e-dznz-t4?si=PNmcYq2iqWbhU93k
Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | October 20, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary for Peace with Pope Francis” | LIVE Basilica of St. Mary Major | October 6, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | October 20, 2024 |
Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| October 20, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteries VIRTUAL🌹JOYFUL🌹LUMINOUS🌹SORROWFUL🌹GLORIOUS” oùn YouTube |
Memorare Chaplet | Prayer in Difficult Times (Powerful Prayer) |
Today’s Bible Reading: Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B), October 20, 2024
Reading 1, Isaiah 53:10-11
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22
Reading 2, Hebrews 4:14-16
Gospel, Mark 10:35-45
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:
Bible Readings for today, Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
World Mission Sunday | USCCB | https://www.usccb.org/committees/evangelization-catechesis/world-missions
Pope Francis Message for World Mission Sunday | October 20, 2024 | https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/missions/documents/20240125-giornata-missionaria.html
Bishop Michael Olson’s Message for World Mission Sunday | October 20, 2024 | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2024/10/20/bishop-olson-world-mission-sunday-message/
World Mission Sunday | Pontifical Missions | https://fwdioc.org/world-mission-day | October 20, 2024
Gospel Reading ~ Mark 10:35–45 |
https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
“The Son of Man came to give his life as a ransom for many”
In today’s Gospel reading, the brothers James and John are taking the opportunity to stake a claim to be the greatest among the disciples. They asked Jesus for the best seats in His glorious kingdom, immediately to the left and right of his throne. The other ten members of the twelve are described as ‘indignant’ at James and John. They recognize that the request of James and John could put them at a disadvantage. The potential gain for James and John would mean a loss for the other members of the Twelve. Competition among Jesus’ first disciples for the best places in Jesus’ glorious kingdom appears to have been very keen.
Jesus does not grant the request of James and John, and then immediately addresses Himself to the indignation of the other ten. The gospel reading suggests that the question ‘Who is the greatest?’ was alive and well among Jesus’ first disciples. While the disciples were concerned with the question, ‘Who is the greatest?’, the more important question for Jesus was ‘In what does greatness consist?’ In the previous chapter of Mark’s, Jesus had already given clear teaching on what greatness in God’s kingdom looks like. The disciples had been arguing with one another as to who was the greatest. In response to their concern with the question, ‘Who is the greatest?’, Jesus went on to give a teaching on what ‘greatness’ really consists in, from God’s perspective. He declared on that occasion, ‘whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all’. As an example of the kind of service he is talking about, Jesus took a little child, placed his arms around the child and declared, ‘whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me’. Service consists above all in welcoming and caring for the most vulnerable among them. This teaching of Jesus appears to have fallen on deaf ears, as is evidenced by today’s Gospel reading. Jesus again has to make clear how greatness is understood in God’s kingdom, ‘anyone who wants to become great among you must by your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be slave to all’. Jesus knew that being a servant to others in self-emptying love will often entail the way of the cross, which is why he had asked James and John, ‘Can you drink the cup that I must drink, or be baptised with the baptism with which I must be baptised?’. Jesus’ own faithfulness to the service of all required that he drink the cup of suffering; it entailed his being immersed, baptized, into a sea of suffering.
It is only when we have answered the question, ‘In what does greatness consist?’ that the question, ‘Who is the greatest?’ can be answered. Jesus defines greatness by his own self-emptying loving service of all. As He declared at the end of the Gospel reading, He came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for others. Saint Paul captures this truth about Jesus when he says of Him that He ‘emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant’. The truly great people among us are those who serve others in a selfless way, without looking for anything in return. We can all identify such people in our own community, in our own families. When we meet such people we will always feel greatly blessed by them. There will have been occasions in our own lives when we will have given expression to this form of greatness. These are the times when we gave ourselves to others at some cost to ourselves, without any obvious benefit to ourselves. The gospel reading suggests that such selfless service of others did not come easy to Jesus’ first disciples and, it does not always come easy to us either. We can all be tempted to turn in on ourselves, even to use others to serve our needs.
In the Gospel reading, when St. James and St. John requested the special favours and position from the Lord, to sit on His right and left, Lord made His two disciples, St. James and St. John to understand the significance of that request. That there are sufferings, challenges and sufferings that they would have to endure, and they would have to drink from the same cup of suffering which He Himself had to drink. What He wanted to tell them is that, following Him as a disciple is not about seeking the glory and satisfaction of the world but about service, to serve God wholeheartedly and to follow Him ever more faithfully and courageously despite the many challenges and trials we may encounter in life. All of us must not think that we will be rewarded with status, power and glory as many of us might have thought that we deserve for having followed the Lord and obeyed Him. Many of the disciples had the ambition and desires in their heart for all those things, and that was why they were unhappy at the actions of the two sons of Zebedee, and why they often bickered and quarrelled with one another over this matter.
In our first reading this Sunday from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, the prophet spoke about the prophecy of the Suffering Servant or Suffering Messiah, which was a premonition of what the Messiah or Saviour sent by God to His people would have to endure. This revelation of what the Lord would be doing through His Messiah or Saviour is a reminder for us that each one of us as Christians are not immune to sufferings, hardships and difficulties. If the Lord, our God Himself has suffered great challenges, been rejected, humiliated and persecuted greatly for speaking and delivering the truth that He Himself has brought into our midst, then who among us can say that we may not face the same challenges and difficulties as well? We are reminded that sufferings, trials, persecutions, obstacles and difficulties are all parts of our ministry and journey as Christians. We may encounter moments when we may end up being in difficult position and we may have to struggle in deciding how to progress forward in life, and whether we want to continue to follow the Lord or not, or whether we follow the path of the world and what is comfortable for us instead. And this is where we need to make a strong and firm stand of our faith, to continue to hold strongly to our faith and commitment to God, despite all the various difficulties and obstacles we may encounter in our path. The Lord has always been with us, by our side, no matter what, and He has always guided us throughout all of our journey.
Our second reading today from the Epistle to the Hebrews talks about the role of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Saviour of the whole world as the High Priest of all mankind and all of creation, by all that He had done in offering Himself as the perfect and most worthy sacrifice for the atonement and forgiveness of our many sins and wickedness, all the things that had prevented us from coming closer to God and His salvation. This same High Priest, Who has offered Himself as the perfect and worthy sacrifice, also knew our sufferings and trials, Himself having been subjected to the same temptations and coercions we ourselves faced, but He did not give in to those temptations. And in solidarity with us, by sharing in our humanity and our nature, He has united each one of us to Himself, and helping us all to realise what God has wanted from us, that is for us to embrace the salvation and love that He has shown to us so generously through His Son, that by following the example and having faith in the same Son of God, our one and true High Priest, Jesus Christ, all of us may receive and attain the fullness of God’s promise and assurance of eternal life, of true joy and happiness which He has always intended for us from the very beginning. We might have been separated from Him because of our disobedience and sins, but God’s love is far greater than any of those obstacles, temptations, pressures and all the other distractions and things that we may encounter in our path towards our salvation in God. The Lord understands our weakness because he was tempted in every way that we are. Indeed, in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was strongly tempted to turn from the path of self-emptying service, because He saw clearly where it was leading Him. Yet, He resisted the temptation and renewed His commitment to the path He had taken since His baptism. It is because the Lord knows our struggle to be great in the way He has defined greatness that, in the words of the second reading, we can be confident in approaching God’s ‘throne of grace’. There we will find mercy when we fail and the grace to keep on travelling the Lord’s path of self-emptying service of others, even after failure.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures on this World Mission Sunday, all of us are reminded of our obligation as Christians, to obey the Lord our God, His will, His Law and commandments. Each and every one of us as the disciples and followers of the Lord ought to live our lives humbly, righteously and virtuously as He has always shown and taught us how to do, and be good and dedicated men and women, who also obey the rules and laws of whichever countries and states that we belong to, or wherever we dwell in. We are reminded clearly by the Lord that as Christians each and every one of us must not allow ourselves to be tempted and swayed by the various worldly desires, ambitions and temptations which can lead one astray in the journey towards the Lord. All of us must instead continue to focus ourselves upon the Lord, our God and Saviour, and upon all the love, attention, care and compassion which He has always lavished on us. We must always hold strongly to this assurance of the Lord’s promises and all that He had reminded us through His Son, in how He has made His love and compassion tangible for us, making Himself approachable and accessible to us, so that we may come to seek His ever patient love and mercy, and be truly reconciled with Him. Let us all therefore remind one another that as Christians, as the disciples and followers of our Lord and God, we must always strive to be humble in all things, and to be ready and willing to listen to the Lord speaking to us, reminding and helping us to remain truly faithful to Him, and to restrain ourselves from all the pride, ego, ambition, hubris, greed, desires and all the things which may bring us away from the Lord and His grace. May the Lord, our most loving and compassionate God continue to help us to stay true to our faith and commitment in Him, and may He encourage and strengthen us to remain firm in our faith and devotion despite all the challenges that we may have to face in our journey and life, now and always. May the Lord in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace to bear rich fruits and go where the Lord is leading us. May God bless us all in our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always, forevermore. Amen🙏
WORLD MISSION SUNDAY (WMS): Today, we celebrate World Mission Day, also known as World Mission Sunday, was established by Pope Pius XI in 1926. It is usually observed on the third Sunday or second yo the last Sunday of October. World Mission Sunday 2024, is observed on Saturday and Sunday, October 19-20, 2024. World Mission Sunday is a special day that unites Catholics worldwide in prayer, solidarity, and support for the Church’s mission efforts. Pope Francis’ message for World Mission Sunday this year reflects on the official theme which is rooted in tge Gospel of St. Matthew: “Go and invite everyone to the banquet” (cf. Matthew 22:9). This theme reflects the inclusive and urgent call to bring God’s love to everyone. We are invited to join in this universal mission to spread the Gospel and invite all to experience the joy of Christ’s message! The Host of the Banquet: Pope Francis!
Instituted in 1926 by Pope Pius XI as a mandatory, global second collection, the banquet that is World Mission Sunday has since then been hosted by the Pope, and the table set by those who answer Christ’s call to “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19), extending an inclusive invitation to all corners of the Earth. The WMS is meant to be held in every parish in the world, the proceeds benefit 1,150 territories where the Gospel has not yet been received, has been only recently embraced, or is courageously upheld in the face of persecution. The gifts received support the following groups: Seminarians – 38,140; Shelters and Orphanages – 8,750; Health Centers – 12,000; Catechists – 844,000 and Religious Sisters- 258,540.
Pope Francis in his message for this World Mission Sunday described Christ’s words in the Gospel of St. Matthew (cf. Mt 22:1-14): “The theme I have chosen for this year’s World Mission Day is taken from the Gospel parable of the wedding banquet (cf. Mt 22:1-14). After the guests refused his invitation, the king, the main character in the story, tells his servants: “Go therefore to the thoroughfares, and invite to the marriage feast as many as you find” (v. 9). Reflecting on this key passage in the context of the parable and of Jesus’ own life, we can discern several important aspects of evangelization. These appear particularly timely for all of us, as missionary disciples of Christ, during this final stage of the synodal journey that, in the words of its motto, “Communion, Participation, Mission”, seeks to refocus the Church on her primary task, which is the preaching of the Gospel in today’s world. 1.“Go and invite!” Mission as a tireless going out to invite others to the Lord’s banquet. In the king’s command to his servants we find two words that express the heart of the mission: the verbs “to go out” and “to invite”. 2. “To the marriage feast”. The eschatological and Eucharistic dimension of the mission of Christ and the Church. In the parable, the king asks the servants to bring the invitation to his son’s wedding banquet. That banquet is a reflection of the eschatological banquet. It is an image of ultimate salvation in the Kingdom of God, fulfilled even now by the coming of Jesus, the Messiah and Son of God, who has given us life in abundance (cf. Jn 10:10), symbolized by the table set with succulent food and with fine wines, when God will destroy death forever (cf. Is 25:6-8). 3. “Everyone”. The universal mission of Christ’s disciples in the fully synodal and missionary Church. The third and last reflection concerns the recipients of the King’s invitation: “everyone”. As I emphasized, “This is the heart of mission: that ‘all’, excluding no one. Every mission of ours, then, is born from the heart of Christ in order that he may draw all to Himself”.
Pope Francis invites us through his message for World Mission Day 2024: “Everyone, every man and every woman, is invited by God to partake of His grace, which transforms and saves. One need simply say “yes” to this gratuitous divine gift, accepting it and allowing oneself be transformed by it, putting it on like a “wedding robe” (cf. Mt 22:12).
As Christians, we’re all called to kindle the fire of Christ’s love in our hearts. Our burning faith fuels our actions, inspiring us to serve others in our daily lives. Every Christian is called to be a missionary and witness to Christ. And the Church, the community of Christ’s disciples, has no other mission than that of bringing the Gospel to the entire world by bearing witness to Christ. To evangelize is the very identity of the Church.
World Mission Sunday is an effort of the entire Church to help more than 1,150 dioceses that cannot sustain themselves because they are too poor, young or actively persecuted. Until 1908, the Church in the United States was mission territory. We relied on this fund to build our churches and seminaries and support our clergy and religious. Today many foreign missions rely on our generosity to sustain the Church, which is an instrument of God’s love, mercy, hope and peace. The generous collection on this day, supports mission dioceses in Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands and parts of Latin America and Europe.
A worldwide collection is held each year on World Mission Day for the societies, which consists of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the Society of St. Peter the Apostle, the Society of the Holy Childhood, and the Pontifical Missionary Union. The first three bodies were granted the title “Pontifical” 100 years ago, the pope observed in his message. The Pontifical Mission Societies have the task of financially supporting missionary activity, starting with Blessed Pauline Jaricot’s idea of involving ordinary faithful in missionary work. There are four Pontifical Mission Societies founded in the 19th century: the Pontifical Society of Missionary Childhood, founded in 1843 in France by Monsignor Forbin-Janson; the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith, founded by Jaricot; the Society of St. Peter the Apostle, founded in 1889 on the inspiration of Bishop Jules-Alphonse Cousin of Nagasaki for the formation of priests and put into practice by Stefanie and Jeanne Bigard; and finally the Pontifical Missionary Union, which is an association of clergy, religious, and laity created to stir in the Church a passion for the mission. Today the mission has changed profoundly. Western countries have shown less and less missionary zeal. Yet local dioceses are increasingly involved in some territories; there is an increasingly strong presence of local Pontifical Mission Societies in digital media; and there are more and more missionary families.
Today on this Mission Sunday, we remember our missionaries abroad, priests, religious men and women, and lay men and women, and to support them all by our prayers and by our contributions to the Mission Sunday collection. Supporting our missionaries in churches in foreign lands by our prayers and our material resources is one of the ways we show ourselves to be missionary. We are also called to be missionary here at home. To be missionary is in some way to bear witness to our faith. We are being missionary whenever we witness to our faith in our homes, in our parishes, in our places of work and relaxation, in the many social contexts in which we find ourselves. We are called not only to speak of Jesus but to make Jesus visible, to make the Redeemer’s face shine in every corner of the earth, as we bear witness that we have found in Jesus the meaning and truth about life. Proclaiming the gospel, in that sense, belongs to the whole church. We are all called to make Jesus visible, to make the Redeemer’s face shine in the whole world. When Jesus sent out His disciples on mission, He always sent them out together. He never sent them out alone. We need each other’s witness. We need each other to be missionary if we, like St. Paul, are to fight the good fight to the end, if we are to keep the faith.
On World Mission Sunday, we join our Holy Father in supporting his missions. As we pray and respond here at home, we share in those celebrations taking place in every parish and school throughout the world. Together, through our prayers and financial support, we bring the Lord’s mercy and concrete help to the most vulnerable communities in the Pope’s missions.
In a world where so much divides us, World Mission Sunday rejoices in our unity as missionaries by our Baptism, as it offers each one of us an opportunity to support the life-giving presence of the Church among the poor and marginalized in more than 1,150 mission dioceses. The perfect example of a missionary disciple of Jesus is Mary, our heavenly mother. She is inviting us to be a witness for Christ by loving and helping our fellow men. Let us therefore, “Go and invite everyone to the banquet” (cf. Mt 22:9).
NOVENA TO SAINT JUDE: Prayed anytime of year, but especially October 19–27th in preparation for the Feast of Saints Simon and Jude on October 28th. | https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/novena-to-st-jude–desperate-situations-and-hopeless-cases-305
NOVENA TO SAINT JUDE: Desperate Situations and Hopeless Cases ~ DAY 2
Most holy Apostle, St. Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the Church honors and invokes you universally, as the patron of difficult cases, of things almost despaired of, Pray for me, I am so helpless and alone. Intercede with God for me that He bring visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired of. Come to my assistance in this great need that I may receive the consolation and help of heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings, particularly – (make your request here) – and that I may praise God with you and all the saints forever. I promise, O Blessed St. Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favor granted me by God and to always honor you as my special and powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to you.
Amen 🙏
PRAYER: May the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, and loved in all the tabernacles until the end of time. Amen 🙏
May the most Sacred Heart of Jesus be praised and glorified now and forever. Amen 🙏
St. Jude pray for us and hear our prayers. Amen 🙏
Blessed be the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Blessed be the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Blessed be St. Jude Thaddeus, in all the world and for all Eternity. (say this prayer, followed by the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be)
Dear Apostle and Martyr for Christ, you left us an Epistle in the New Testament. With good reason many invoke you when illness is at a desperate stage. We now recommend to your kindness (name of patient) who is in a critical condition. May the cure of this patient increase his/her faith and love for the Lord of Life, for the glory of our merciful God. Amen 🙏
SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT PAUL OF THE CROSS, PRIEST AND SAINT IRENE, MARTYR ~ FEAST DAY ~ OCTOBER 20TH Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Paul of the Cross, Priest and Saint Irene, Martyr. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for God’s Divine Grace and Mercy upon us all. We pray for peace, love, and unity in our marriages, our families and our world. We pray for the poor, the needy and the most vulnerable. Amen🙏
SAINT PAUL OF THE CROSS, PRIEST: St. Paul of the Cross (1694–1775) was born Paul Daneo, on January 3, 1694 at Ovada in the Republic of Genoa near Turin, Italy, the second of sixteen children—only six of whom survived infancy. His infancy and youth were spent in great innocence and piety. His devout parents ensured his strong religious upbringing. In his childhood Paul went to daily Mass, spent much time before the Blessed Sacrament, and attended to his studies. St. Paul of the Cross devoted himself to the service of the poor and the sick. He is best known for his apostolic zeal and his great penances. He taught catechism in the local churches before experiencing a deep religious conversion at the age of 19 through the writings of St. Francis de Sales. After a brief stint as a soldier and declining an offer for a good marriage, at the age of 26 he learned through prayer that God was calling him to found a new religious order. He was inspired to found the congregation, having while in ecstasy beheld the habit which he and his companions were to wear. He was instructed in a vision as to what the new habit of his order should look like: a black tunic bearing a heart surmounted by a white cross, with the words “Passion of Jesus Christ” written inside the heart. To the religious vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience he added a fourth: to spread devotion to Christ’s Passion among the faithful.
After consulting his director, Bishop Gastinara of Alexandria in Piedmont, he reached the conclusion that God wished him to establish a congregation in honor of the Passion of Jesus Christ. He founded the congregation of the Passionists. On November 22, 1720, the Bishop vested him with the habit that had been shown to him in a vision, the same that the Passionists wear at the present time. From that moment the saint applied himself to prepare the Rules of his institute, and in 1721 he went to Rome to obtain the approbation of the Holy See. At first he failed, but finally succeeded when Benedict XIV approved the Rules in 1741 and 1746. Meanwhile St. Paul built his first monastery near Obitello. Some time later he established a larger community at the Church of Sts. John and Paul in Rome. For 50 years St. Paul remained the indefatigable missionary of Italy. God lavished upon him the greatest gifts in the supernatural order, but he treated himself with the greatest rigor, and believed that he was a useless servant and a great sinner. His mission was to ignite a love for Jesus in the hearts of the faithful at a time when many saw Him only as a great moral teacher. St. Paul of the Cross was one of the most powerful preachers of his day, as well as a mystic of the 18th century, and he was known to bring even the most hardened sinners to tears. He also took special care of the sick, poor, and suffering. His saintly death occurred at Rome on October 18, 1775, at the age of 81. He was canonized by Pope Pius IX in 1867. He’s the Patron Saint of the Passionist order. His feast day is October 20th.
QUOTES OF SAINT PAUL OF THE CROSS:
☆”Entrust yourself entirely to God. He is a Father and a most loving Father at that, who would rather let heaven and earth collapse than abandon anyone who trusted in him.”
☆”Place your hopes in the mercy of God and the merits of our Redeemer; say often, looking at the crucifix: There are centered all my hopes.”
☆”The Passion of Christ is the greatest and most stupendous work of Divine Love. The greatest and most overwhelming work of God’s love.”
☆”Be very careful to retain peace of heart, because Satan casts his lines in troubled waters.”
☆”Live in such a way that all may know that you bear outwardly as well as inwardly the image of Christ crucified, the model of all gentleness and mercy.”
☆”If we cannot spend much time at prayer, no matter: to act well is always to pray well. Be attentive to your duties, and at the same time be attentive to God by frequently purifying your heart in the immense ocean of divine love.”
☆”The Mass is the most favorable occasion to speak with the eternal Father, because then we offer Him His only Son as a victim for our salvation. Before celebrating, reflect on the sufferings of your Redeemer, commune peaceably with Him, even in the midst of dryness; carry to the altar the needs of the entire world.”
PRAYER: Lord, may the prayers of St. Paul who lowed the Cross with a singular love gain Your grace for us. May we be inspired by his example and embrace our own cross with courage. O Jesus, may Your holy cross always remind us to make sacrifices for the sake of love. Bind us together in service and unity. Teach us to lead others to salvation and to reflect on Your Passion. Saint Paul, pray for us. Amen 🙏
SAINT IRENE, MARTYR: St. Irene was a Portuguese nun who was martyred in defense of her chastity in the year 653 in the ancient town of Scalabris. St. Irene, a beautiful and chaste Portuguese girl, was murdered before she reached the age of 20. Her noble, pious parents, wishing to protect and prepare her to take her rightful position in society, sent her to a convent school and then arranged for a monk to tutor her privately at home. St. Irene was an assiduous pupil and a devout believer, the only times she ever left her house was to attend mass or to pray in the sanctuary dedicated to Saint Peter on his feast-day. A young nobleman named Britald happened to see her on one of these rare outings and fell desperately in love with her. Every time that she went out he waited to catch a glimpse of her, followed her to church, and eventually made his suit known to her; however, Irene gave him to understand that she would never marry him. Thus rejected, Britald fell into a deep depression and became so ill that the doctors who were called in to tend him gave him up for lost. Hearing of this, Irene visited him and told him that she had refused him because she was no longer free, having already taken a vow of virginity. Britald at once accepted her decision and gradually recovered his health. Before Irene left him he had sworn that he would respect, and make others respect, her vocation as a holy virgin, and the two had parted like brother and sister, promising each other that they would meet again in Paradise.
St. Irene returned home and resumed the life of seclusion and study, intending to make her entrance into a convent before long. But the monk who was giving her private lessons proved to be a lecherous scoundrel, and behaved towards her in a manner as dishonorable as Britald’s was honorable. St. Irene repulsed him and had him dismissed at once; but his lust turning to a desire for revenge, the monk then began to spread slanderous rumors about her. To those who asked him why he was no longer giving the girl her private lessons, he replied that he had left on learning that she was about to become a mother. This rumor quickly circulated throughout the town and at length reached Britald who, being frank and trusting and unused to lies, believed what he was told. In a passion of rage and jealousy, he hired a mercenary soldier to kill her. Soon afterwards, as she was returning home from visiting an old man who was crippled, the assassin approached her from behind and killed her with a single stroke of his sword. Her body, which was thrown into the river, was later retrieved by some Benedictines on the banks of the Tagus, near the town of Scalabris. They gave her a proper burial, made known her story, and not long afterwards, so great was the veneration in which she was held, the name of the town of Scalabis was changed to Santarem (Saint Irene).
St. Irene, Martyr ~ Pray for us 🙏
DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF OCTOBER:
MONTH OF THE HOLY ROSARY: The Catholic Church designates and dedicate October as the Month of the Holy Rosary. During this month the faithful venerate the Blessed Virgin Mary especially under her title of Our Lady of the Rosary, and make special effort to honor the Holy Rosary with group recitations and rosary processions. The Lady of the Rosary honors a large battle between the Catholic Church and the Muslim caliphate of the Ottoman Empire. This battle, in the Gulf of Patras, near Greece, took place in the 16th century, on October 7, 1571. St. Dominic de Guzman, the founder of the Order of Preachers, is the Saint to whom Our Lady famously appeared and gave the prayers of the Holy Rosary to assist him as a spiritual weapon in combating heresy and leading souls back to the one, true Catholic faith. Our Blessed Mother Mary ~ Pray for us 🙏
THE MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY: Until about the 15th century hundreds of mysteries were part of the Rosary devotion then the 15 mysteries that we know today were definitively fixed as “the Mysteries of the Rosary.” Pope John Paul II, in his encyclical, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, in 2002 added the five Luminous Mysteries.
Through the meditations of the complete Rosary one recalls and has impressed on his mind, the Popes tell us, “the chief mysteries of the Christian religion,” “the mysteries of our Redemption,” “the great mysteries of Jesus and His Mother united in joys, sorrows, and triumphs.” The twenty mysteries are divided into four equal groups, known as “The Joyful,” “The Sorrowful,” “The Glorious,” and “The Luminous Mysteries.”
PRAYER OF ST. LOUISE DE MONTFORT: O Jesus living in Mary, come and live in Your servants, in the spirit of Your holiness, in the fullness of Your might, in the perfection of Your ways, in the truth of Your virtues, in the communion of Your mysteries. Subdue every hostile power, the devil, the world and the flesh, in the strength of Your Spirit, for the glory of Your Father, Amen 🙏🏽
https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/overviews/months/10_1.cfm
THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER – FOR A SHARED MISSION: We pray that the Church continue to sustain in all ways a Synodal lifestyle, as a sign of co-responsibility, promoting the participation, the communion and the mission shared among priests, religious and lay people.
https://www.usccb.org/prayers/popes-monthly-intentions-2024
PRAYER FOR PEACE ~ POPE FRANCIS:
Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!
Prayers for Peace | https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/prayers-for-peace/
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 🙏🏾
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. 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. 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 🙏
May our Blessed Mother Mary Intercede for all those in pain and sorrow. We particularly pray for those mourning the loss of a loved one who recently passed away and the souls in Purgatory. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls and souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯
PRAYER FOR THE DEAD: In your hands, O Lord, we humbly entrust our brothers and sisters. In this life, you embraced them with your tender love; deliver them now from every evil, and bid them eternal rest. The old order has passed away: welcome them into paradise, where there will be no sorrow, no weeping or pain, but fullness of peace and joy with your Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen🙏
Let us pray:
My freeing Lord, You speak all Truth clearly and gently. You desire to enter my life, reveal my sin, and help me to overcome it. Please give me the grace I need to always listen to You and to allow Your words to change my life. Please free me from every disordered desire and tendency in my life, dear Lord, so that I can experience the joy of true freedom. 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 Mary; Saint Paul of the Cross and Saint Irene ~ 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, and grace-filled Sunday and week ahead🙏🏽
Blessings and Love always, Philomena💖
Daily Reflections | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/
Foundation | https://gliopiepehe.org
Sir G.L.I Opiepe’s Health and Education Foundation |