TWENTY-NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ OCTOBER 26, 2024

NOVENA TO SAINT JUDE: Starting, October 19th (Day 8). 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 Saturday 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 26, 2024 |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | October 26, 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 26, 2024 |

Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| October 26, 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 Readings: Saturday, October 26, 2024
Reading 1, Ephesians 4:7-16
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5
Gospel, Luke 13:1-9

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 8

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 EVARISTUS, POPE AND MARTYR AND SAINT RUSTICUS, BISHOP OF NARBONNE – FEAST DAY ~ OCTOBER 26TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Evaristus, Pope and Martyr and Saint Rusticus, Bishop of Narbonne. 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 EVARISTUS, POPE AND MARTYR: Pope St. Evaristus (1st century), also known as Aristus was the fifth Pope of the Holy Roman Catholic Church and was elected to succeed Pope St. Clement I in the See of Rome. During this time the Roman empire was ruled by Trajan. Pope Evaristus was the fifth bishop of Rome from c. 99 to his death c. 107. St. Evaristus was the son of a Greek Jew, originally from Bethlehem. According to the Liber Pontificalis, he was born to a family of Greek Jews in Bethlehem; His father was named Judah. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church,  the Eastern Orthodox Church and Oriental Orthodoxy. It is likely that he was the bishop of Rome when John the Apostle died, marking the end of the Apostolic Age.

According to tradition, Pope St. Evaristus, was known to have ordained seven deacons to help serve the faithful in Rome. Early scholars credit St. Evaristus with dividing the city of Rome into parishes, he divided the titles among the priests in the city of Rome and ordaining bishops, priests, and deacons to oversee them. In his first epistle, St. Evaristus wrote that seven ordained deacons should monitor the preaching of each bishop, to ensure the truth was being taught, on account of the style of truth. In his second epistle, he compared the bond between husband and wife to the relationship between a bishop and his diocese. Church tradition holds that Pope St. Evaristus died as a martyr at the same time as St. Ignatius of Antioch. Pope Saint Evaristus was buried on Vatican Hill near St. Peter. He is typically depicted with a sword, because he was decapitated, or with a crib, because he is said to be from Bethlehem from which his father emigrated. His feast day is October 26th.

SAINT RUSTICUS, BISHOP OF NARBONNE: St. Rusticus of Narbonne was a monk of the Lérins Abbey and bishop of Narbonne and Catholic saint of Gaul. Born at the start of the 5th century in Marseille, Rusticus, was the son of a Bishop named Bonosus. He became a popular preacher at Rome and then a monk at Lérins. When he had completed his education in Gaul, Rusticus went to Rome, where he soon gained a reputation as a public speaker, but he wished to embrace the contemplative life. He wrote to Jerome, who advised him to continue his studies, commending him to imitate the virtues of St. Exuperius of Toulouse and to follow the advice of Proculus, then Bishop of Marseille. Thus Rusticus entered the Lérins Abbey. In 427, St. Rusticus was ordained at Marseilles, and on October 3, 430 was consecrated Bishop of Narbonne. He was present at the First Council of Ephesus in 431. With all his zeal, he could not prevent the progress of the Arian heresy which the Goths were spreading abroad; there is evidence that an Arian rival bishop was established in Narbonne. The siege of Narbonne by the Goths in 436 and dissensions among the Catholics so disheartened him that he wrote to Pope Leo I, renouncing the bishopric, but St. Leo dissuaded him (Epistle CLXVII).

St. Rusticus then endeavored to consolidate the Catholics. In 444–448, he rebuilt the church in Narbonne dedicated to Saint Genès of Arles, which was burned in 441;  in 451, he assisted at the convocation of forty-four bishops of Gaul and approved St. Leo’s letter to Flavian, concerning Nestorianism; he was present also at a Council of Arles, with thirteen bishops, to decide the debate between Theodore, Bishop of Fréjus, and the Abbey of Lérins. He was one of the twelve bishops who assembled to elect Ravennius bishop of Arles in 449, a letter from Ravennius to Rusticus, proves the high esteem in which he was held. St. Rusticus’ own letters are lost, with the exception of the one to St. Jerome and two others to St. Leo, written either in 452 or 458. In time, his people became split by Arianism spread by the invading Goths as well as by inner dissension arising from a synod convoked by the Saint himself in 458. At one point, St. Rusticus was so overwhelmed that he sought to leave his post and lead a quiet life with God. Hence, he asked Pope Leo the Great to allow him to resign. Instead of doing so, the Pope encouraged him to persevere and sent him a letter about governing a diocese. Rusticus remained at his post and did the Lord’s work. The holy Bishop built a cathedral, was esteemed by his brother Bishops, and attended the Synod of Arles, which approved Leo the Great’s condemnation of Nestorianism. This heresy preached that Christ had two personalities and two natures and that Mary was the Mother of the human nature alone. St. Rusticus died on October 26, 461.

PRAYER: Almighty God, You made St. Rusticus a leader of the Church to inspire Your people with his teaching and example. Through his intercession, grant that we may venerable him as our teacher and protector and experience the sweetness of Your mercy. Amen 🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:

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

Gospel Reading ~ Luke 13:1-9

“If you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!”

“Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. He said to them in reply, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them— do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!” And he told them this parable: “There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’ He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.’”

In today’s Gospel reading, the Lord Jesus speaks to His disciples and the people who were gathered to listen to Him where He addressed their questions about the recent events and misfortunes that happened to some of the people who perished during the uprising in Galilee, as well as in the collapse of the Tower in Shiloh, where several people also died. He told them all that they did not die and perish because of them being sinners, as everyone are equally sinners before God, and no one deserved to die more than any other person, not because one sinned more than the other, and then they were deemed or judged to deserve their death in that manner. Jesus told them a parable of a fig tree in a vineyard that seems as good as dead. It has failed to bear fruit for three successive years. The reaction of the owner of the vineyard seems quite reasonable; have the fig tree cut down because it is only taking up space that could be used for vines. However, the owner’s worker who looks after the tree had a different perspective. He looked at the apparently useless fig tree and he saw the possibility that it could still bear fruit. He persuaded the owner of the vineyard that the fig tree should be given a fourth year. He was all on for giving it every possible chance, not just time, but tender loving care in the form of fertilizer. He had a more generous vision of the fig tree, a more hopeful vision. He felt all was not lost; there was still time for the fig tree to come good. The parable may be saying that this is the way the Lord looks upon us. When the Lord looks on us He sees not just what we have failed to do in the past but what we are capable of doing in the future. He looks on us with generous and hopeful eyes. That is the way we are to look at each other and, indeed, at every situation in life. Like the worker in the vineyard, we need to be patient, to be prepared to wait, and to be able to see beneath the unpromising surface to the faint signs of new life that may be there. The parable in today’s Gospel is an image of how the Lord relates to us. He is slow to give up on us even when the signs are not promising. He will continue to pour His grace into our lives; He will do all He can to ensure that our lives bear fruit, the rich fruit of the Holy Spirit. We have a part to play; the Lord cannot work in our lives despite us. Yet, the parable assures us that the Lord’s efforts on our behalf will always far exceed whatever efforts we might make. As St. Paul says, grace abounds, and even when sin abounds, grace abounds all the more. The Lord never gives up on us and all He needs is a little opening in our hearts for His investment to bear rich fruit.

In our first reading today from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in the city and region of Ephesus, the Apostle spoke of the many gifts, talents, blessings and opportunities which He has provided to each and every one of us, His people, and how every one has their own unique calling and mission in life, in different areas and situations, and each and every one of us have been given these so that we may make good use of them to grow ever stronger, more faithful, more committed and dedicated as those whom God had called and chosen, as His beloved and holy people, All of those things have been given to us with the intention for us to learn to walk faithfully and with real commitment in the path that the Lord has led us to walk through, to be truly exemplary and committed in our lives as Christians, at all times. By His coming into the world, the Lord has shown us all His perfect love and has also bestowed on us this great grace, sending unto us the Holy Spirit, through Whom the whole world has received the rich gifts of Wisdom, truth and love of God, manifesting in all of us, in the various gifts and talents that we have received. God has not intended for everyone to receive the same gifts as He wants us all to make good use of our diverse and unique gifts to build up the Church and Kingdom of God and to strengthen one another in our respective roles and parts, by which we can contribute to the overall good efforts and works of the Church, to benefit more and more people that we may encounter in our journey throughout our daily lives.
What we are also reminded is that no one of us should think that we are better than others by virtue of our calling and ministry. Some people would think that they are better simply because they are part of the ordained ministry, being bishops or priests, but this is not the case, as to each and every members of the faithful, God has given unique gifts and vocations, and each one of them are equal in virtue, value and honour to each other, and should indeed not be compared or used for justification for prejudice or discrimination. Each and every vocations in the Church come along with their respective unique challenges and difficulties, as well as rich fruits and wonders, and they help and complete each other in fulfilling God’s works and missions.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded clearly that as Christians, as God’s followers and as those whom He had called and chosen as His own, each and every one of us must always do our best at every time to make good use of every gifts, blessings and all the things which He has provided and blessed us with. We should not be ignorant of the many things that we can do with all that God had bestowed upon us and blessed us with, the many opportunities that He had provided to us. Through all these we are in fact called to be active collaborators with God in how He carried out His loving actions towards our less fortunate brethren, and through our actions and efforts, based and grounded in our Christian faith, we may touch the lives of so many people. We are called to reflect on the lives of the Saints, Holy men and women, particularly the Saints we celebrate today. Let us all keep in mind our important roles as members and parts of the Church, that we must always be active and contributing in all of our efforts and works, to obey and follow the will of God at all times. We should strive to always be humble in listening to the Lord Who has called us to follow Him, and trust in Him wholly, faithfully and with commitment, doing whatever we can so that by our every actions, words and deeds, and by our every contributions, we may truly proclaim Him ever more wonderfully to all the people whom we encounter in our respective communities, to lead by example with our own holy and worthy lives. May the Lord our most loving God continue to guide us and strengthen us in faith so that we may always be willing to do our best and to do our part to contribute to the good works of God’s salvation through His Church.
May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and through our every moments in life, let us all continue to inspire everyone and all of us fellow Christians in our journey towards God, helping each other to persevere through the difficult challenges and obstacles that we may have to face in our way. 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 laboring Lord, You never cease to work diligently to cultivate the soil of my soul so that the seeds of Your mercy will grow and produce the good fruit You desire to come forth from my life. Please give me the grace I need to be faithful to a daily life of prayer, a practice of penance and a search for Your holy Word. Transform me, dear Lord, and bring forth the good fruit of Your holy Kingdom in 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 Mary; Saint Evaristus, Pope and Martyr and Saint Rusticus, Bishop of Narbonne ~ 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 relaxing weekend🙏🏽

Blessings and Love always, Philomena💖

Daily Reflections | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/

Foundation | https://gliopiepehe.org

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