TWENTY-NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ OCTOBER 24, 2024

NOVENA TO SAINT JUDE: Starting, October 19th (Day 6). 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 Thursday of the Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time!

On this Feast day, through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints we celebrate today, 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 24, 2024 |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | October 24, 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 24, 2024 |

Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| October 24, 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: Thursday, October 24, 2024
Reading 1, Ephesians 3:14-21
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 33:1-2, 4-5, 11-12, 18-19
Gospel, Luke 12:49-53

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 6

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 ANTHONY MARY CLARET, BISHOP AND SAINT MAGLOIRE, ABBOT – FEAST DAY ~ OCTOBER 24TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of St. Anthony Mary Claret, Bishop and Saint Magloire, Abbot. 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 poor, the needy and the most vulnerable in our communities and around the world. We pray for peace, love, justice and unity in our marriages, our families and our world.  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 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 ANTHONY MARY CLARET, BISHOP: St. Anthony Mary Claret (1807–1870) the founder of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary was born in Spain in 1807, the same year Napoleon invaded the country. He was the fifth of eleven children and like his father, he was a weaver by trade. He took up his father’s trade of weaving before entering the priesthood. In his spare time, he studied Latin, and at the age of 22, he entered the seminary, and was ordained a priest in 1835. After five years, he began to give missions and retreats all over Catalonia. He served as a parish priest with a missionary’s zeal for the salvation of souls. He often preached multiple sermons in a single day, traveled to preach parish missions and retreats for the clergy, and heard confessions for hours on end. His labors were rewarded by many people returning to a fervent practice of the Catholic faith, especially as a result of his meek and gentle manner. He preached and worked in the missions for 10 years and seeing the success and the people’s need for salvation, to increase his apostolic efforts in 1849 he founded the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, known today as the Claretians to continue this work on a wider scale. Shortly thereafter, in that same year, he was consecrated Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba from 1849-1857. Finding the diocese in a deplorable spiritual condition, he quickly initiated vigorous reform measures, one of which was the establishment of the Teaching Sisters of Mary Immaculate.

While he was Archbishop, he successfully reformed the clergy and the laity. His great reforms of the neglected diocese, both ecclesiastically and socially, were so sweeping and effective that his life was threatened. In 1857, St. Anthony was recalled back to Spain and made chaplain and confessor to the queen, Queen Isabella II. This position made it possible for him to continue his mission work by preaching and publishing. Here he oversaw his congregation, published a few books and his tireless and fruitful priestly work continued. He established a museum, library, schools, and a laboratory, also helping to revive the Catalan language. He also founded a major Catholic publisher in Spain, and wrote or published hundreds of books. St. Anthony spread devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and was so opposed in his efforts that he was severely persecuted and eventually exiled to Paris in 1868, along with the Spanish queen, by the Spanish revolutionary enemies of religion. He took part in the First Vatican Council, his wisdom and sanctity being evident to all, before suffering a stroke and dying in exile in France. After Vatican I, the archbishop sought refuge at a Cistercian monastery in France, where he died in 1870. He was canonized in 1950 by Pope Pius XII. During his life St. Anthony Marie Claret had the gift of prophesy and reading of consciences, in addition to performing many miracles. A resplendent light was also observed to shine from his face as he offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. He’s the Patron Saint of Catholic press; Claretians; Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary; weavers; savings banks; foundations. His feast day is October 24th.

PRAYER: God, You strengthened St. Anthony Mary with wondrous love and patience in evangelizing the people. Through his intercession, enable us to seek those things that are Yours, and to labor in Christ for the good of our fellowmen. Amen 🙏

SAINT MAGLOIRE, ABBOT: St. Magloire was born in the early 500s. His mother was a Welsh Princess, his father a Breton nobleman. From the age of 5 he studied at the monastery at Llantwit Major under the tutelage of St Illtud. After his ordination he was made Abbot of a monastery at Lammeur in Brittany, where he governed with prudence and holiness for 52 years. He is traditionally given to be a cousin of Saint Samson of Dol, and his successor as bishop of Dol at the end of the seventh century. He remained there for only two or three years, and then after receiving instructions from a visiting angel, he resigned his post to Budoc, and in 565 withdrew to the island of Sark where he established a community of 62 monks. He died about the year 575. Several miracles are attributed to St Magloire. He’s credited with introducing Christianity to Sark and as such has been adopted as the Patron Saint of the island. His feast day is October 24th.

Saint Magloire, Abbot ~ Pray for us 🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:

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

Gospel (USA) Luke 12:49-53

“I have not come to establish peace but division”

“Jesus said to his disciples: “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus declares ‘I have come to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were blazing already!’ Jesus came to bring the fire of God’s love, a fire that conveys God’s warmth, but also burns away whatever is not of God. Jesus suffered because that fire of God’s love was burning so powerfully within Him. It was because He was on fire with God’s love that He was crucified by those who found that fire too dangerous and challenging. Jesus refers to the suffering that awaits Him using the image of a baptism He has still to receive, a baptism of fire, a baptism of suffering. That fire burning within Him gave rise to divisions, even within families, as some people were drawn to it and others were repelled by it. We stand on the far side of Jesus’ baptism, His passion and death. Something of the fire of the Spirit has taken hold in our own lives. This fire of the Spirit was given to us at great cost, the cost of Jesus’ passion and death. There is an onus on us, therefore, to keep that fire of the Spirit burning in our hearts. We need to keep praying, ‘Come Holy Spirit, fill our hearts, and kindle in us the fire of your love’. Jesus wants the fire of God’s love that He brought to the earth to burn within each of us. If that fire does burn within us, it will sometimes bring us suffering, just as it brought suffering to Jesus.

Our first reading today is the continuation of the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in the city and region of Ephesus, the Apostle kept on reminding the faithful there of the love of God and how all these have been manifested through Christ, His Son, Our Lord and Saviour. God has never given up on us despite everything that we have done in disobeying Him and being stubborn in our attitude and constant refusal to follow His path. God has always been patient in reaching out to us and in attempting to help us, guiding us so that we may find the right path towards Him. And through His Son, He has shown us all the sure path to eternal life, by His perfect obedience to His Father’s will and by His love for us. St. Paul reminded all of the faithful that through the ever enduring and patient love that God has always had for each and every one of us, we have been truly fortunate to receive the great grace of His love and blessings, His strength and power through the gift of the Holy Spirit that He has bestowed upon us, the gift of life and all the opportunities and other wonderful things and opportunities that we have been given. Therefore, it is important that each and every one of us, as God’s holy and beloved people, we must be truly appreciative of this fact, and be grateful for all of those things we have received, and then strive to be good and worthy of God, to be truly faithful as Christians, to be full of love both for God and for our fellow brothers and sisters around us, as we all should be.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all called to keep in mind our faith in the Lord and how our lives all should be focused and centred on Him, and in everything that He has presented to us, in the love and generosity, all the kindness and mercy that He has always shown us, and at the same time we are also reminded of the kind of challenges and obstacles that we may encounter in our path as faithful Christians, because of the opposition that may arise from all those who refuse to listen to the Lord and acknowledge Him, which may lead to friction and conflict in our lives, and yet, we should not give up our faith easily because of all those. We are called to reflect on the exemplary lives lives of the Saints and Holy men and women, particularly the live and ministry of St. Anthony Mary Claret who continued to inspire many people, and touched the lives of many as he continued to minister faithfully to them and to bring more and more people closer to God. His inspiration and examples, his dedication to God which he carried on until the end of his life should inspire us all as well, in how we should live our lives faithfully and with faith, so that our own lives and examples may truly be good and worthy of those whom God had called and chosen, to be called as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people. Let us all hence continue to centre and focus our lives on the Lord, and let us continue to do our best so that our whole lives may truly proclaim the Lord, His truth and love, His Good News and truth, by our every actions, just as St. Anthony Mary Claret and our many other holy predecessors had done. May the Lord continue to strengthen our faith and love for Him, and help us to persevere through the many challenges and trials, obstacles and persecutions that we may have to face in the midst of our faithful journey towards Him. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace to call on the Lord and expect to experience His liberating presence any day of the week, at any time of the day or night. May God bless us always in all things, and bless our every efforts and endeavours. 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:

My purifying Lord, You deeply desire to set my heart and soul on fire with the transforming mercy of Your love. Please give me the grace I need to permit You to kindle this fire of love in my heart so that it will truly become blazing and all-consuming. May this blaze ignite me in the inner depths of my heart so that You will shine brightly in my life, bringing forth the warmth of Your love into our world. 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; St. Anthony Mary Claret, Bishop and Saint Magloire, Abbot ~ 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 |