THIRTY-SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ NOVEMBER 14, 2024
THE SAINTS: WHO ARE THEY AND HOW ARE THEY CANONISED? [Please see link to the article below]
KIND REMINDER: Please remember to continue to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory throughout the month of November
Greetings and blessings, beloved family. Happy Thursday of the Thirty-Second 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 14, 2024 |
Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | November 14, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary for Peace with Pope Francis” | LIVE Basilica of St. Mary Major | October 6, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | November 14, 2024 |
Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| November 14, 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: Thursday November 14, 2024
Reading 1, Philemon 1:7-20
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 146:7, 8-9, 9-10
Gospel, Luke 17:20-25
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.
SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINTS NICHOLAS TAVELIC, PRIEST, AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS AND SAINT LAWRENCE O’TOOLE, ARCHBISHOP OF DUBLIN – FEAST DAY ~ NOVEMBER 14TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saints Nicholas Tavelic, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs and Saint Lawrence O’Toole, Archbishop of Dublin. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the sick and dying, especially those who are mentally and physically ill, strokes, heart diseases and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases.
SAINTS NICHOLAS TAVELIC, PRIEST, AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS: Saints Nicholas Tavelic, Stephen of Cuneo, Deodato Aribert from Ruticinio and Peter of Narbonne. St. Nicholas and his three companions are among the 158 Franciscans who have been martyred in the Holy Land since the friars became custodians of the shrines in 1335. St. Nicholas was born in 1340 to a wealthy and noble family in Croatia. He joined the Franciscans near Assisi in Italy and was active as a preacher in Bosnia for twenty years and was sent with Deodat of Rodez to preach in Bosnia. In 1384, they volunteered for the Holy Land missions and were sent there. They looked after the holy places, cared for the Christian pilgrims, and studied Arabic.
St. Nicholas was then sent to Palestine with three confreres, Adeodatus Aribert, Peter of Narbone, and Stephen of Cuneo. In 1391, Nicholas, Deodato, Peter of Narbonne, and Stephen of Cuneo decided to take a direct approach to converting the Muslims. On November 11, they went to the huge Mosque of Omar in Jerusalem and asked to see the Qadix—Muslim official. The Saints drew up a Christian apologetic treatise and, after fortifying themselves with prayer, read their treatise before the Qadi of Jerusalem. Reading from a prepared statement, they said that all people must accept the gospel of Jesus. When they were ordered to retract their statement, they refused. They replied: “Under no circumstances will we recant. We are ready to die and to endure every torture because everything we said is holy, Catholic, and true.” They were arrested and imprisoned for having preached the Christian Faith publicly to Muslims. After beatings and imprisonment, they were beheaded before a large crowd. These holy confessors of the Faith dismembered bodies were burned on November 14, 1391. St. Nicholas and his companions were canonized in 1970 by Pope Paul VI. The Liturgical Feast of Saint Nicholas Tavelic and Companions is November 14.
REFLECTION: St. Francis presented two missionary approaches for his friars. St. Nicholas and his companions followed the first approach—live quietly and give witness to Christ—for several years. Then they felt called to take the second approach of preaching openly. Their Franciscan confréres in the Holy Land are still working by example to make Jesus better known.
PRAYER: Almighty God, You glorified Sts. Nicholas and his Companions by their zeal in spreading the Faith and their crown of martyrdom. Through their prayers and example help us to run the way of Your commandments and teo receive the crown of eternal life. Amen 🙏
SAINT LAWRENCE O’TOOLE, ARCHBISHOP OF DUBLIN: St. Lawrence O’Toole (1125-1180) was born around 1125 in County Kildare, Ireland. His father was the chief of Hy Murray, and his mother one of the Clan O’Byrne. At the age of 10, Lawrence was given up as a hostage to King Mac Murehad of Leinster, who treated him with such inhumanity that his father obliged the King to turn him over to the Bishop of Glendalough. St. Lawrence grew to be such a model of virtue, that at the young age of 25 he was chosen to replace the Bishop as abbot upon the Bishop’s death. He governed his community with virtue and prudence, notable for his talents as a peace-maker which made him acceptable to all elements in society. His election as archbishop had been supported not only by the Irish clergy but by the Danish and Norse groups and by Rory O’Connor, High King of Ireland and was unanimously chosen to fill the new See of Dublin in 1161. In 1171, St. Lawrence visited King Henry II of England to handle affairs of his diocese. While approaching the altar to officiate at Mass, the Archbishop was violently attacked by a maniac. Everyone present thought he was mortally wounded, but Saint Lawrence came to, asked for some water, blessed it and applied it to his wound. The bleeding immediately stopped and the Archbishop continued to celebrate Mass. In 1175 Henry II of England became offended with Roderic, the monarch of Ireland, and St.Lawrence undertook another journey to England to negotiate a reconciliation between them. Henry was so moved by his piety, charity, and prudence that he granted him everything he asked, and left the whole negotiation to his discretion.
St. Lawrence was most widely known for his piety, charity, and prudence, and was respected as a negotiator. In 1180, he left Ireland for the last time, taking with him a son of Ua Conchobair’s as a hostage to Henry. He meant to admonish Henry for incursions against Ua Conchobair, contrary to the Treaty of Windsor. After a stay at the Monastery of Abingdon south of Oxford – necessitated by a closure of the ports – he landed at Le Tréport, Normandy, at a cove named after him, Saint-Laurent. He fell ill and was conveyed to the Abbey of St. Victor at Eu. Mortally ill, it was suggested that he should make his will, to which he replied: “God knows, I have not a penny under the sun to leave anyone.” His last thoughts were of his people in Dublin: “Alas, you poor, foolish people, what will you do now? Who will take care of you in your trouble? Who will help you?” He died at Eu, Normandy on 14 November 1180, and was buried there. His relics are kept in the Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Laurent d’Eu, while his heart is venerated in a reliquary at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin. He was canonized in 1225 by Honorius III. He’s Paton Saint of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin.
St. Lawrence O’Toole, Archbishop of Dublin ~ Pray for us 🙏
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:
Bible Readings for today, Tuesday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Gospel Reading ~ Luke 17:20-25
“The Kingdom of God is among you”
“Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, Jesus said in reply, “The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.” Then he said to his disciples, “The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. There will be those who will say to you, ‘Look, there he is,’ or ‘Look, here he is.’ Do not go off, do not run in pursuit. For just as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation.”
In today’s Gospel reading, the Pharisees ask Jesus when the kingdom of God was to come, and Jesus replies that it is already here, ‘you must know, the kingdom of God is among you’. The kingdom of God was already present in and through the ministry of Jesus, in His preaching and teaching, is His healing of the sick, in His seeking the lost, in His including the excluded. Jesus goes on to acknowledge that the kingdom of God has not yet fully arrived. That will only happen when, as he says, the day of the Son of Man comes, when the Lord comes again in glory at the end of time. However, in many respects this future is already present, even if not fully present; the coming rule of God is already at work in the here and now through Jesus, our risen Lord. Jesus could teach us to pray, ‘Father, thy kingdom come’, while also declaring, ‘the kingdom of God is at hand’. We all might be tempted to ask the question the Pharisees ask in the Gospel reading, ‘When will the kingdom of God come?’ We are very aware that the world in which we live, with its various earthly kingdoms, is a long way from being the kingdom of God; we easily recognize that God’s will is not being done on earth as it is in heaven. Yet, Jesus’ response to the Pharisees’ question invites us to be attentive to the signs of God’s kingdom that are already among us. Wherever God’s love that filled the life of Jesus finds some expression in any human life, there the kingdom of God is present. It is above all when we are tempted to become discouraged at the state of our world that we need to become more attuned to those signs of God’s kingdom that are all around us.
In the Gospel reading, the Pharisees ask Jesus when the kingdom of God was to come. They failed to recognize that it has been there under their noses all the time. It was present in the life and ministry of Jesus, as He goes about healing the sick, proclaiming the year of God’s favour, gathering a new community around Him of men and women from all walks of life. God has been ruling in and through all that Jesus has been saying and doing. As Jesus says to the Pharisees, ‘The kingdom of God is among you’. The kingdom of God has not yet fully come. As Jesus goes on to tell His disciples, that will only happen when Jesus, the Son of Man, returns in all His glory. In what sense is the kingdom of God already among us today? It is among us when the sick and vulnerable are cared for, when people experience God’s favour in and through our lives, when communities are formed that value and treasure every member. The first reading speaks of Wisdom as a reflection of God’s light and an image of God’s goodness. The kingdom of God is among us whenever anyone of us reflects to others something of the light of God’s love, whenever we show ourselves to be an image of God’s goodness. If the risen Lord stood among us today, He might say to us what was said to the Pharisees, ‘the kingdom of God is among you’. He would invite us to lift up our eyes and see the signs of the presence of God’s kingdom among us, here in our parishs, in our communities, and in our own homes.
In our first reading today from the Epistle of St. Paul to St. Philemon, the Apostle tells St. Philemon, who was a fellow Christian and missionary of the Church, regarding a particular person Onesimus, also known as St. Onesimus, who according to Church tradition and history was the slave of St. Philemon, to whom St. Paul was addressing his Epistle to. At that time, during the early Roman Empire, slavery was quite common throughout the Empire, and Onesimus was a slave that had run away from his master, which was perhaps St. Philemon himself. And according to Apostolic and Church tradition, that happened before both of them were converted to the Christian faith. St. Paul encountered both of them on his journeys, and eventually converted both of them to Christianity. Therefore, in today’s first reading, St. Paul likely wanted to reconcile between the two of them, as St. Onesimus was likely a companion of St. Paul while he was in Rome, and at that time, St. Paul was in prison or was going through difficult moments due to persecution, which was why St. Paul sent St. Onesimus back to St. Philemon, so that not only they could be reconciled to each other but they could also continue the many good works that St. Paul himself had started, as faithful disciples and missionaries of the Lord, complementing each others’ efforts and works through the various gifts and talents, abilities and opportunities that the Lord had granted them all. St. Paul has therefore also reminded all of us Christians to be charitable, loving and kind to one another, and live with harmony and peace with one another.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded of the need for us all to hold fast to our faith in God, to follow Him wholeheartedly in all things and to be prepared to face difficulties, trials and challenges in our path and journey in life as followers of Christ, as Christians, God’s holy and beloved people. Each one of us must always be steadfast and be exemplary in our lives, in our faith and actions so that we will be able to inspire one another and strengthen our fellow brethren in faith, in commitment and entrusting ourselves to the Lord in all occasions and circumstances. We must always continue to trust that the Lord is and will always be by our side throughout our challenges in life, even if worldly means fail us. As Christians, all of us should always be ready to help one another, to reach out to those who are in need around us, to support one another in our journey and life, especially as we encounter struggles and challenges, difficulties and persecutions, oppressions and trials in our path. Like St. Paul who kept on encouraging the faithful and gave his help and assistance whenever and wherever he could, including that stated in our first reading today, in his attempt to reconcile St. Philemon with St. Onesimus for their own good and for the good of the Church and the faithful, therefore each and every one of us must also model ourselves and our lives and interactions upon the examples of those faithful and committed servants of God, the Saints, and Holy men and women, particularly, Saints Nicholas Tavelic and Companions and Saint Lawrence O’Toole, who we celebrate today. Each and every one of us should always be aware of the difficulties that we may face as Christians, the struggles and challenges that our brethren may be facing around us. We should not be ignorant to their pleas for help, especially if we are in the position to help and assist, and even if we ourselves are also suffering and being persecuted. The Lord Jesus Himself has been rejected, persecuted and oppressed, but this did not stop Him from continuing to reach out to all those who have been rejected and ostracised by the society, and also from loving and forgiving all those who have persecuted and hurt Him. As Christians, we should learn from our Lord’s own examples and be inspired to show the same love and kindness to our brethren, and even to those who despised us. We ought to pray for them and show them love, charity and compassion, so that they may be touched by our love and be changed by God’s love and grace. May the Lord, our most loving and merciful God continue to help and strengthen us all in our journey through life, so that by our continued cooperation and harmony with one another, by our constant support to our brethren in need, and by us journeying with each other, supporting and encouraging our fellow brethren along the way, we may be strengthened and empowered in our resolve and desire to walk this path of righteousness and justice with God. Let us pray for one another, and also for the holy souls in Purgatory, our beloved brothers and sisters. May the Lord be with us always, His love and kindness, and may He strengthen each and every one of us that all of us may always be strong and resilient, dedicated and faithful in each and every moments of our lives. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace to be attentive to the Lord at all times which opens us up to His life-giving presence. May God continue to bless us in our every good efforts, works and endeavours, and guide us through our every journey and path, now and always. 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 mysterious Lord, Your Kingdom is everywhere, all around us and within us. I do believe. Give me the eyes of faith so that I may continually perceive Your hand at work. May I always be attentive to all that You wish to reveal to me and open to the deep meaning of the mysteries You do reveal. Increase my faith, dear Lord, so that I may know You and join in the upbuilding of Your glorious Kingdom. 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; Saints Nicholas Tavelic and Companions and Saint Lawrence O’Toole … 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💖
Daily Reflections | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/
Foundation | https://gliopiepehe.org
Sir G.L.I Opiepe’s Health and Education Foundation |