TWENTY-NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ OCTOBER 21, 2024

NOVENA TO SAINT JUDE: Starting, October 19th (Day 3). 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 Monday of the Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time!

On this Feast day, 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 continue to pray for the safety and well-being of our children and for peace in our family and the whole world.

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🙏

A PRAYER FOR PEACE: Lord Jesus Christ, You are the true King of peace. In You alone is found freedom. Please free our world from conflict. Bring unity to troubled nations. Let Your glorious peace reign in every heart. Dispel all darkness and evil. Protect the dignity of every human life. Replace hatred with Your love. Give wisdom to world leaders. Free them from selfish ambition. Eliminate all violence and war. Glorious Virgin Mary, Saint Michael the Archangel, Every Angel and Saint: Please pray for peace. Pray for unity amongst nations. Pray for unity amongst all people. Pray for the most vulnerable. Pray for those suffering. Pray for the fearful. Pray for those most in need. Pray for us all. Jesus, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us. Jesus, hear our prayers. Jesus, I trust in You! Amen 🙏

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN on YouTube” | October 21, 2024 |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | October 21, 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 21, 2024 |

Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| October 21, 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: Monday, October 21, 2024
Reading 1, Ephesians 2:1-10
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 100:2, 3, 4, 5
Gospel, Luke 12:13-21

NOVENA TO SAINT JUDE: Novena to Saint Jude is prayed for Desperate Situations and Desperate Cases—especially for an end to war and terrorism. Prayed anytime of year, but especially October 19–27th in preparation for the Feast of Saints Simon and Jude on October 28th. Pray the following each day for nine days in a row. This is the traditional Novena to Saint Jude and can be prayed any time of year | 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 3

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 CELINE, MOTHER OF SAINT REMIGIUS; SAINT URSULA AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS AND SAINT HILARION (HILARY), HERMIT ~ FEAST DAY – OCTOBER 21ST: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Celine, Mother of Saint Remigius; Saints Ursula and Companions, Martyrs and Saint Hilarion (Hilary), Hermit. 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 the success, safety and well-being of all our children, students, teachers and educators. We pray for the sick and dying, especially those who are mentally and physically ill and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. 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. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the souls of the faithful departed. We pray for all widows and widowers. 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 CELINE, MOTHER OF SAINT REMIGIUS: St. Celine is best known as the mother of two Saints: St. Principius, Bishop of Soissons, and St. Remigius, Bishop of Rheims at the time of the conversion of the people of Gaul under Clovis. Very few details about her life are known. About 438, at an advanced age, St. Celine miraculously gave birth to St. Remigius. Immediately after giving birth, about 438, she also gave sight to the hermit, Montanus, who had three times foretold the birth of the saintly Bishop. She lived a holy life of prayer and doing good works and assiduous prayer. She died attaining the rewards of heaven about the year 458.  She was buried near Lyons. probably at Cerny, where she had lived. Unfortunately her relics were destroyed during the French Revolution.

PRAYER: God, You inspired St. Celine to strive for perfect charity and so attain Your Kingdom at the end of her pilgrimage on earth. Strengthen us through her intercession that we may advance rejoicing in the way of love. Amen 🙏
 
SAINT URSULA AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS: The historical evidence of St. Ursula’s life has been lost in the mist of time. However, the relationship between Angela and Ursula is strong, and led to Angela placing her Company under the patronage of St Ursula. She wanted her companions to be imbued with the Spirit of Ursula. As legend tells us Ursula, was the daughter of a Christian king living in Britain in the 4th Century. She grew into a young woman of deep faith. The king of a larger more powerful kingdom asked for her hand in marriage for his son. Fearful of the superior strength of the other king’s army she agreed, however, she asked for some time before the marriage took place.  With great confidence she requested that the marriage would not take place until “her husband to be” converted to Christianity and that they undertake a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and Rome. Then on their return they would marry. Eager to have her as his bride the prince agreed to her requests. Ursula together with her entourage of maidens, companions and “her husband to be” began their pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Strong winds blew them off course and they eventually arrived in Cologne. While Ursula and her companions were in Cologne she had a dream that they would be martyred on their return. Undaunted by this dream she prepared her companions and together they faced their death with great courage, conviction and faith.

A basilica was built in Cologne dedicated to virgin martyrs as far back as the 3rd century. It was rebuilt in the middle ages by Clematius. This is fact. Many and varied legends of Ursula exist, and much of this information is conjectural. “What is fact is that in the far off past, in a known place, virgins chose to suffer death rather than be false to their love of Christ.” (Teresa Ledochowska, osu Angela Merici and the Company of St Ursula). Patron Saint of Catholic education (especially of girls); Cologne, Germany; educators; holy death; schoolchildren; students; teachers; Ursuline order.

Saint Ursula and Companions, Martyrs ~ Pray for us 🙏

SAINT HILARION (HILARY), HERMIT: St. Hilarion was born at Tabatha near Gaza, Palestine, in the year 291. His pagan parents sent him, while still a youth, to study at Alexandria. He was remarkable for his diligence and good manners, and he shortly became a convert to Christianity, making great progress in faith and charity. He was zealous in visiting churches, in fasting and prayer, in scorning all earthly joys and pleasures. Lured by the fame of St. Anthony, Egypt’s illustrious hermit, he entered the desert and for two months remained his disciple. While absent, his parents died. Now Hilarion gave all he had to the poor, and although hardly fifteen years old (306), he returned to the desert, built a little hut scarcely large enough to accommodate himself, and slept on the bare ground.

Most of his time was spent in reading and in meditating upon holy Scripture. A few figs and a little soup from herbs sufficed for his nourishment, but this he never took before the setting of the sun. Because of his mortifications and humility, he triumphed over fierce assaults by the evil one and healed many who were possessed. After founding numerous hermitages (he had two thousand followers) and working countless miracles, he became ill at the age of eighty. In his last agony he encouraged himself by saying: “Go thither, my soul, why do you fear? Why do you tremble? Seventy years you have served Christ, and now you fear death?” The day of Hilarion’s death is given as October 21, 371. His grave is on the island of Cyprus. St. Jerome wrote the life of the holy hermit twenty years after his death.

Saint Hilarion, Hermit ~ Pray for us 🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:

Bible Readings for today, Monday of the Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ Luke 12:13-21

And the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?

“Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.” He replied to him, “Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?” Then he said to the crowd, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” Then he told them a parable. “There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. He asked himself, ‘What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?’ And he said, ‘This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’ Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God.”

In today’s Gospel reading, the parable Jesus tells is the story of a man who sought to make his life secure by holding on to and enhancing what he owns. At the beginning of the story he is already a rich man; he has more than he needs. When he has an even bigger harvest than expected, his only problem is how to store this unexpected bonus. The answer he comes up with is to tear down his perfectly good barns and to build bigger ones. His preoccupation with storing his surplus blinds him to other more important considerations, such as, ‘What might God be asking me to do with my surplus?’ ‘How can I serve others with this surplus?’ He was looking for security in the wrong place. He thought that a greater abundance of possessions would make his life more secure. However, death came to him in the midst of his abundance; his life could not be secured in the way he thought. Jesus is saying to us that what makes our life really secure is making ourselves rich in the sight of God. We become rich in the sight of God by recognizing that all we have is ultimately a gift from God to be shared with others. God graces us so that we in turn can grace others. If we make ourselves rich in the sight of God by living generously out of the abundance that God has given us, then our lives will be truly secure with a security that endures beyond this earthly life into eternity. We are called to put first things first, to put God before all else. Being rich in the sight of God is more important than being rich in our own eyes or in the eyes of others. We are rich in the sight of God when we live our lives in the Spirit of God’s Son, who, more than any human being, was rich in the sight of God.

In our Gospel reading, Jesus speaks about security of life. He says that a person’s life is not made secure by what he owns. Possessions can only give us so much security and no more. The man in the parable we have just heard made the mistake of thinking that possessions would provide him with total security of life. The man is someone who lives for himself alone. Jesus declares in the Gospel reading that it is the person who is rich in the sight of God who will be secure in the ultimate and true sense of that word. We are rich in the sight of God when we live our lives generously, when we give of ourselves, as Jesus did, rather than hoarding for ourselves, like the man in the parable. We secure our lives by allowing the words of Jesus to shape our lives. In the gospel of Luke, Jesus had said, ‘Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap, for the measure you give will be the measure you get back’. This is the call to love one another as God loves us, to be generous with one another as God is generous with us. When we give generously to others from what God has given us, we will receive more from God than we give. It is in giving life to others through serving them that we find life, both in the here and now and in eternity. We pray that the same generous spirit that filled the life of Jesus would also fill our lives, so that we would know true and lasting security.

In our first reading today from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful people of God in Ephesus, the Apostle spoke of the salvation which has come from God and how this salvation has been revealed and made tangible for us all through God’s Son, Jesus Christ, the One Whom He had sent into our midst to be our Saviour and the Source of all our Hope and deliverance. God has manifested His love and compassion to us through His Son so that all of us may receive via this great grace the justification and sanctification necessary for us to enter into His eternal kingdom and to experience the fullness of His love and glory. However, it is us mankind who have often rejected this love and squandered all the many gifts and graces which God has always readily made available to us. St. Paul also spoke of how we often followed the whim of our desires and greed, our desires and ambitions, attachments to worldly matters and things that we often crave for in our lives, in our daily actions and efforts. He reminded all the faithful people of God that they should not let those temptations from bringing them to the wrong path by drawing them away from the Lord, or by thinking that it was due to our own greatness or glory, our own ambitions and power that we were able to achieve salvation and justification in God. Without God, there could be no hope for us and there can be no salvation and eternal life. With God, and with us cooperating faithfully and courageously with Him, in our daily living, works and efforts, we can truly manifest our faith through our every actions, words, deeds and more, and hence, are worthy to receive God’s grace and salvation.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded that we should always strive to seek God’s mercy and forgiveness for our many sins and wickedness, for all the things that have separated us from God. God has always been ever generous in showing us His love and kindness, His compassion and mercy, but we should never take His generosity and kindness for granted, and we should not think that we can do whatever we wanted in life without any consequences, as ultimately each and every one of us will have to account for our every words, actions, deeds and interactions, and even also for what we have failed to do in life. All of us are reminded therefore to stay away from all the worldly vices and attachments that can tempt and drag us away from God and His assurance of salvation and grace. We are reminded to resist the many false treasures and pleasures of life, all of which may delude us into thinking that they can give us lasting satisfaction, joy and fulfilment, all of which can also make us to be addicted and attached to them, giving in to the never-ending desire and pursuit of worldliness, which is something that all of us as Christians should not have with us. We must always keep ourselves focused on the Lord and His truth, His Good News and love, and continue to live our own lives, at each and every moments with true faith, dedication and commitment, distancing ourselves from whatever things that may corrupt us into the darkness. May the Lord, our ever loving, compassionate and patient God, continue to show His love towards us, and help us always in guiding each and every one of us to walk ever more faithfully and with ever greater commitment in His path. May He continue to encourage us and bless our every good efforts and endeavours, in every things that we have done for His greater glory, so that by our inspirational and exemplary lives as the followers and disciples of the Lord, many more people may come to know God and be saved through them being touched by us and our own worthy examples, living as the people whose lives are truly centred on God and not on all sorts of worldly things, temptations and attachments. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace to be alert to the significance of the signs of His presence among us and to read the signs of His presence to us and act accordingly. May the good Lord be with us always and may He bless us in our every good efforts and endeavours, now and forevermore. Amen🙏

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 🙏

Let us pray:

Most generous Lord, You bestow mercy in superabundance. Your grace and love are all I need in life. By obtaining You and Your mercy, I obtain the one and only source of fulfillment in life. Please free me from earthly greed, and help me to see the things of this world as You see them. 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 Celine, Mother of Saint Remigius; Saints Ursula and Companions and Saint Hilarion (Hilary) ~ 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💖

Daily Reflections | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/

Foundation | https://gliopiepehe.org

Sir G.L.I Opiepe’s Health and Education Foundation |