THIRTY-FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ NOVEMBER 8, 2024
THE SAINTS: WHO ARE THEY AND HOW ARE THEY CANONISED? [Please see link to the article below]
KIND REMINDER: Please remember to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory from November 1st – 8th
Today is the last day to gain the special indulgences from November 1- 8 for the Poor Souls in Purgatory. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the gentle souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace… Amen🙏
Greetings and blessings, beloved family. Happy Friday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time!
On this special Feast day, as we continue to remember the faithful departed, please let us remember to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory this month of November. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints, we humbly pray for the souls of our faithful departed loved ones, for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the souls of all the faithful departed. May God grant our departed loved ones eternal rest, may they reach their full stature. We pray for all those who mourn, for widows and widowers. 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 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯
“Blessed are those who have died in the Lord; let them rest from their labors for their good deeds go with them.” ~ Rev 14:13
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🙏
We continue to pray for the safety and well-being of our children and for peace in our family and the whole world. 🙏
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” | November 8, 2024 |
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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: Friday, November 8, 2024
Reading 1, Philippians 3:17-4:1
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5
Gospel, Luke 16:1-8
THE SAINTS: WHO ARE THEY AND HOW ARE THEY CANONISED? | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2024/11/01/the-saints-who-are-they-and-how-are-they-canonised/
PURGATORY: The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines purgatory as a “purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven,” which is experienced by those “who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified” (CCC 1030). It notes that “this final purification of the elect . . . is entirely different from the punishment of the damned” (CCC 1031). The purification is necessary because, as Scripture teaches, nothing unclean will enter the presence of God in heaven (Rev. 21:27) and, while we may die with our mortal sins forgiven, there can still be many impurities in us, specifically venial sins and the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven.
What Happens in Purgatory?: When we die, we undergo what is called the particular, or individual, judgment. Scripture says that “it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Heb. 9:27). We are judged instantly and receive our reward, for good or ill. We know at once what our final destiny will be. At the end of time, when Jesus returns, there will come the general judgment to which the Bible refers, for example, in Matthew 25:31-32: “When the Son of man comes in His glory, and all the angels with him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. In this general judgment all our sins will be publicly revealed (Luke 12:2–5).
November is a month when we remember our dead in a special way. It is a month when we are prone to reflecting on death, not in a morbid way but in the hopeful way that is rooted in our faith. Please let us remember to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory this month of November and always.
*MEMORIAL OF SAINT GODFREY, BISHOP; SAINT ELIZABETH OF THE TRINITY, RELIGIOUS; BLESSED JOHN DUNS SCOTUS, PRIEST AND THE HOLY FOUR CROWNED MARTYRS (SEVERUS, SEVERIAN, CARPOPHORUS AND VICTORINUS) – FEAST DAY ~ NOVEMBER 8TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Godfrey, Bishop; Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity, Religious; Blessed John Duns Scotus and the Holy Four Crowned Martyrs (Severus, Severian, Carpophorus & Victorinus).
SAINT GODFREY, BISHOP: St. Godfrey was born near Soissons, France, in 1065, the son of Frodon, a prominent citizen in a small town. He was raised from the age of 5 in the Benedictine abbey of Mont-Saint-Quentin where his godfather Godefroid was abbot. He immediately donned a Benedictine habit and lived as a tiny monk, and took his vows when he came of age. He was ordained a priest by bishop Radbod II of Noyon. In 1096, he was made Abbot of Nogent-sous-Coucy, in the diocese of Rheims, in the province of Champagne, a rapidly declining religious house. Its membership had been drastically reduced, its outer appearance was completely dilapidated, and its religious life was floundering in sad disarray. When he arrived, the place was overrun by weeds, and housed only six nuns and two children. However, such was the force of Godfrey’s personality and spirituality that he soon had this same house flourishing in every way. He rebuilt, restored, and revitalized the abbey, bringing people to the Order of St. Benedict, and order to the people. As a result, St. Godfrey was offered the great Abbacy of Saint-Remi at Rheims but he turned it down, in favor of running his own house. He was also offered the bishopric of Reims in 1097, but again he refused, claiming he was unworthy.
When he was offered the bishopric of Amiens in 1104, he still considered himself unworthy of the trust. However, King Philip and the Council of Troyes each ordered him to take it, which he did. Here St. Godfrey showed himself to be a true religious in his conduct as well as in his administration. St. Godfrey was noted for his rigid austerity with himself, those around him, and in his approach to his mission as bishop. He was an enforcer of clerical celibacy and endorsing the establishment of communes. He was also a fierce lifelong opponent of drunkenness and simony, which led to an attempt on his life. For most of his time as bishop, he wished to resign and retire as a Carthusian monk. In time the unbending, severe, and rigorously exact attitude of this Saint provoked the opposition of some and led to his withdrawal to a Carthusian monastery in 1114. But a few months later his people demanded his return, and he agreed. He also took part in the Council of Chálons. He died on November 8, 1115 at Crispin’s Abbey, Soissons, France
PRAYER: God, You made St. Godfrey an outstanding exemplar of Divine love and the Faith that conquers the world, and added him to the roll of saintly pastors. Grant by his intercession that we may perservere in Faith and love and become sharers of his glory. Amen 🙏
SAINT ELIZABETH OF THE TRINITY, RELIGIOUS: St. Elizabeth of the Trinity (1880-1906) was born Elizabeth Catez in Bourges, France on July 18, 1880. Her father, a military captain, died when she was only seven, leaving her mother to raise Elizabeth and her sister, Marguerite. Her family moved to Dijon France. St. Elizabeth was a very lively girl and a gifted pianist, but was very stubborn and experienced fits of rage. However, even in her strong temperament she had a great love for God, and an early attraction to a life of prayer and reflection. She visited the sick often and taught catechism to children. Very close to her house was a Carmelite monastery and she greatly desired to enter the religious life.
At 17 years old she visited the monastery, and while there, the mother superior gave her a newly published letter about Therese of Lisieux, who had just recently passed away. As a result, St. Elizabeth was greatly inspired in her contemplative life. She continued working with the sick and teaching catechism to the youth until she was allowed to enter the monastery at the age of 21. Against her mother’s wishes, St
Elizabeth entered a monastery of Discalced Carmelites in 1901 at the age of 21. Though noted for great spiritual growth, she was also plagued with periods of powerful darkness which led her spiritual director to doubt her vocation. Nonetheless, she completed her novitiate and took her final vows in 1903. She lived a life of prayer and sacrifice, suffering greatly from sickness. St. Elizabeth of the Trinity died only three years later at the age of 26 of Addison’s disease. In her short life as a religious, she was a spiritual director for many, and she left a legacy of letters and retreat guides. She died on November 9, 1906 and was canonized by Pope Francis on October 16, 2016. St. Elizabeth of the Trinity is the Patron Saint of people who have lost their parents.
Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity, Religious ~ Pray for us 🙏
BLESSED JOHN DUNS SCOTUS, PRIEST: Bl. John (1266-1308) was born in Duns, county of Berwick, Scotland. The “Scotus” in his name is a derivation of “Scotia,” the Latin name for his native land. John received the habit of the Friars Minor at Dumfries, where his uncle Elias Duns was superior. After novitiate, John studied at Oxford and Paris and was ordained in 1291. More studies in Paris followed until 1297, when he returned to lecture at Oxford and Cambridge. Four years later, he returned to Paris to teach and complete the requirements for the doctorate. A student and proponent of Aquinas, Aristotle and Muslim philosophers, he also recognized the richness of Augustinian and Franciscan traditions. This led John to be an independent thinker, and in 1303 was run out of France by Kink Philip the Fair for refusing to take his side in a royal dispute with the Papacy. He defended his free will through convincing philosophical arguments. In one such defense he posed to his students that if he started beating someone who denied free will, the person would immediately tell him to stop. But if Scotus didn’t really have a free will, how could he stop? After his exile to Oxford, Scotus was able to return to Paris and finally received his doctorate in 1305. He became renown in 1307 for his defense of the Immaculate Conception. Not only did the university adopt his position, much later in 1854, Pope Pius IX would use the precepts of that position on his own definition of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. Later in 1307, John Duns Scotus was assigned to the Franciscan school of Cologne where e he died in 1308. He was beatified in 1993.
Blessed John Duns Scotus, Priest ~ Pray for us 🙏
THE HOLY FOUR CROWNED MARTYRS (SEVERUS, SEVERIAN, CARPOPHORUS AND VICTORINUS): According to the Martyrology: “At Rome on the Via Lavicana the day of the death of four holy martyrs, the brothers Severus, Severianus, Carpophorus, and Victorinus. Under Emperor Diocletian they were scourged to death with lead rods. Their names were first made known many years later through a divine revelation. As no one knew their names previously, the annual feastday to their honor was celebrated under the title: The Four Crowned Brothers. The designation was retained even after the revelation.” The basilica of the Four Crowned Martyrs also contains the relics of five sculptors (Claudius, Castorius, Symphorian [Simpronian], Nicostratus, and Simplicius) who under Diocletian refused to make idols or to venerate sun-god pictures. Reports say they were scourged, placed in lead coffins and submerged in a stream (c. 300). The nine saints are divided into two groups:
- Severus (or Secundius), Severian(us), Carpophorus (Carpoforus), Victorinus (Victorius, Vittorinus)
- Claudius, Castorius, Symphorian (Simpronian), Nicostratus, and Simplicius
Hagiographers are trying to disentangle the conflicting statements on the relation of these two groups to one another, whether two groups actually existed, whether they were Pannomians or Romans, soldiers or stone-masons, etc. Patron Saint of sculptors, stonemasons, stonecutters; against fever; cattle.
The Holy Four Crowned Martyrs (Severus, Severian, Carpophorus & Victorinus) ~ Pray for us 🙏
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:
Bible Readings for today, Friday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Gospel Reading ~ Luke 16:1-8
“For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light”
“Jesus said to his disciples, “A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property. He summoned him and said, ‘What is this I hear about you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward.’ The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me? I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do so that, when I am removed from the stewardship, they may welcome me into their homes.’ He called in his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He replied, ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note. Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.’ Then to another he said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘One hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note; write one for eighty.’ And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently. For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than the children of light.”
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus told a parable about a wealthy landlord who entrusted the care of his estate to a steward or a manager who is dishonest and wasteful, as a result of which he is dismissed from his post. This particular steward took advantage of the absence of the landlord to enrich himself dishonestly. Eventually, as often happens, his dishonesty caught up with him. The landlord came to hear of what was happening and called him in and gave him his notice. What the dishonest steward does next showed that he had some redeeming feature. After his dismissal he takes decisive action to safeguard his future as best he can. He called in the landlord’s debtors who worked the land and he reduced their debt to the landlord, perhaps by cancelling what he had planned to take for himself. In other words, he forfeited money he would have received to ensure that he received something more valuable, the goodwill and the hospitality of his master’s debtors. In a moment of crisis he realized that being in communion with others is more important than money and, on that basis, he took decisive action. In that way he hoped to make friends with these tenants so that when he lost his job they might look favourably upon him. He was still acting out of self-interest, but in a slightly more enlightened way. Jesus saw something of merit in the actions of this rather shady character. A moment of crisis brought home to him that some things were more important than acquiring wealth for himself, such as the friendship and hospitality of others. The landlord ends up praising his dishonest steward for his astuteness, his wisdom. What is Jesus saying to us through this parable? Jesus spoke this parable because the children of light, his followers, have something to learn from this somewhat shady character. The crisis that the steward found himself in brought a shift in his values. It took a moment of personal crisis for this steward to realize that human relationships have a higher value than acquiring money through whatever means. This can happen for us too. We can all get our priorities a bit skewed from time to time. Sometimes a moment of crisis in our own lives can help us to look again at our priorities so as to bring them more into line with what the Lord desires for us. Jesus implies that the children of light, His own followers, have something to learn from this man of the world. We need to put the same ingenuity into serving the Lord as this steward put into looking out for himself. As the steward acted decisively in a moment of crisis, we too need to do the same in the living out of our faith. We live in a moment of crisis in terms of the faith. We need all the skills and gifts the Lord has given us to respond to this crisis. It is a time to be proactive and not to sit back in a spirit of despondency. If we do what only we can do, the Lord will work through us in ways that will always surprise us. The steward learnt that at the end of the day people are more important than possessions and that is a lesson we all need to keep re-learning. Jesus is calling on us to value people more than possessions, and to use our material resources in the services of others, especially those in greatest need. Our values are to be in line with the Lord’s values, and it is people He values more than anything else.
In our first reading today from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in the city and region of Philippi, the Apostle tells the faithful there about how each and every one of them as Christians, as the people God had called and chosen, and as they have received the revelation of God’s truth and love, all of them are expected to live in a holy and worthy manner, distancing themselves from all sorts of wickedness and evils which would have corrupted them and led them away from the path towards God and His grace. They and hence all of us, as God’s faithful people are reminded not to live in a worldly manner, but rather in a manner that is truly pleasing to God and worthy of Him. St. Paul also mentioned in that same passage of the fact that all of us are ultimately meant for Heaven, by stating that our citizenship is truly one that is in Heaven, and we are meant to be in Heaven with our Lord and Creator, as He has always intended for us. We were never meant to be defiled in this world of darkness and sin, and we should not have endured all the sufferings, difficulties and challenges that we are facing in this world, as that was not what the Lord intended for us. He had intended for all great and wonderful things for us, creating us to share His most wonderful love with us, but our inability to resist the many temptations of this world and our attachments to the worldly desires and ambitions had led us astray and kept us away from God and His righteousness.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded that we are all called to a life of holiness, righteousness and virtue as is expected of us as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people. Each and every one of us are called to a life of virtue and faith, where we truly embody our faith and belief in God, and showing that faith genuinely through every moments of our lives, and putting the Lord at the very centre and as the focus of our whole lives and existence. All of us must always keep this in mind as we continue living our lives in this world today, so that we may truly be the worthy bearers of our Christian faith and identity, as those whom God had called and chosen as His own people. Now, the question is, are we all willing to make the commitment to follow God wholeheartedly and to turn our hearts and minds completely to Him, that we, who all belong to the Lord and are meant to dwell in the eternal joy with God in Heaven, can truly be worthy of everything that God has promised us? Are we capable of giving our best to the Lord, our time, effort and attention, everything that we are in the service of our Lord and God? Or are we merely just giving Him our lip service and our faith merely a formality? This is why each and every one of us must always strive to overcome our attachments and entanglements with worldly desires and all the things that can lead us down the path of destruction and ruin, just as the dishonest steward had shown us. May the Lord continue to guide and strengthen us in our journey from now on, so that we may always strive to live our lives in the best manner, to be always faithful to Him, as His worthy and dedicated stewards, the stewards of His creation and of this world and everyone we have encountered in life. As we are called to emulate the Saints and Holy men and women, particularly the Saints we celebrate today, let us all continue to glorify the Lord by our lives, and lead by example in our every actions, words and deeds, and in our every interactions with one another, to proclaim the Lord and His righteousness through our own virtuous, worthy and noble deeds, now and always. Let us all strive to get ourselves rid and cleansed of sin, and be truly worthy of God. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and may the Lord bless us all in our every efforts and hard work, all for His greater glory. Amen 🙏
DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER:
MONTH OF THE HOLY SOULS: The Catholic Church dedicates the entire month of November to praying in a special way for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. The Holy Souls (also called the Faithful Departed) are members of the Church who await the purification of their souls before joining the Saints in heaven for all eternity. Specifically, they are referred to as the Church Suffering (the Saints in heaven are the Church Triumphant, and the faithful on earth are the Church Militant).The poor souls in purgatory cannot pray for themselves or do anything to hasten their entrance into heaven, but we can and ought to pray for them as an act of charity. The feast of the Holy Souls is November 2nd.
The entire month of November falls during the liturgical season known as Tempus per Annum or Ordinary Time (formerly Time After Pentecost), which is represented by the liturgical color green. Green is a symbol of hope, as it is the color of the sprouting seed and arouses in the faithful the hope of reaping the eternal harvest of heaven, especially the hope of a glorious resurrection. The liturgical color green is worn during the praying of Offices and celebration of Masses of Ordinary Time. The last portion of the liturgical year represents the time of our pilgrimage to heaven during which we hope for reward. As we come to the end of the Church year we are asked to consider the end times, our own as well as the world’s.
The month of November is very full of Memorials, feasts and solemnities. The main feast days are the Solemnity of All Saints (November 1), The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls) (November 2), the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome (November 9), The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (November 24), and St. Andrew (November 30).
The other saint days are: St. Charles Borromeo, (November 4), Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome (November 9), St. Martin of Tours, (November 11), St. Josaphat (November 12), St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (November 13) St. Albert the Great (November 15), Sts. Margaret of Scotland and Gertrude (November 16), Presentation of Mary (November 21), St. Cecilia (November 22), Sts. Clement I and St. Columban (November 23), and
St. Catherine of Alexandria (November 25). The commemorations of St. Martin de Porres (November 3), St. Leo the Great (November 10), St. Elizabeth of Hungary (November 17), and St. Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions (November 24) fall on Sundays and are superseded by the Sunday Liturgy.
https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/overviews/months/10_1.cfm
THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – FOR ANYONE WHO HAS LOST A CHILD: We pray that all parents who mourn the loss of a son or daughter find support in their community and receive peace and consolation from the Holy Spirit.
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 Lord of all riches, You and You alone are the Master of all things created. All that I have and possess are Yours, dear Lord. Help me to believe this and to live my life purely as a steward of the possessions I have. Free me from squandering that which You have entrusted to my care. May I use all for Your glory and only in accord with Your holy will. 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 Godfrey, Bishop; Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity, Religious; Blessed John Duns Scotus and the Holy Four Crowned Martyrs (Severus, Severian, Carpophorus & Victorinus) ~ 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 always, Philomena💖
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