THIRTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR B)
EIGHTH WORLD DAY OF THE POOR
Theme: “The prayer of the poor rises up to God.” (cf. Sirach 21:5)
SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ NOVEMBER 17, 2024
NOVENA TO CHRIST THE KING [Traditionally Nine Days Prior to the Solemnity of Christ the King. Novena prayed daily from November 15–23, 2024. Please see Novena link below]
THE SAINTS: WHO ARE THEY AND HOW ARE THEY CANONISED? [Please see link to the article below]
PURGATORY: WHAT IS PURGATORY? [Please see link to this 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 and Happy Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time!
On this special Feast day, we celebrate the World Day of the Poor, we pray for the poor, the needy, the vulnerable and those marginalized in our communities. 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 “POPE FRANCIS’ HOLY MASS FOR THE 8TH WORLD DAY OF THE POOR | NOVEMBER 17, 2024 | LIVE FROM THE VATICAN” |
Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN on YouTube” | November 17, 2024 |
Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | November 17, 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 17, 2024 |
Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| November 17, 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: Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) | November 17, 2024
Reading 1, Daniel 12:1-3
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11
Reading 2, Hebrews 10:11-14, 18
Gospel, Mark 13:24-32
NOVENA TO CHRIST THE KING [Traditionally Nine Days Prior to the Solemnity of Christ the King. Novena prayed daily from November 15–23, 2024 | https://www.usccb.org/Christ-the-King-2024-novena
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: WHAT IS PURGATORY? | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2024/11/15/purgatory-and-limbo/
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.
WORLD DAY OF THE POOR: The Pope presided over the Eucharistic Celebration marking the eighth edition of the World Day of the Poor in St. Peter’s Basilica today, November 17, 2024.
MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS FOR THE EIGHTH WORLD DAY OF THE POOR, NOVEMBER 17, 2024: “The prayer of the poor rises up to God” (cf. Sirach 21:5) | Pope Francis | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2024/11/17/eighth-world-day-of-the-poor/
Today, on this thirty-third Sunday of Ordinary Time and the second last Sunday of this current liturgical year, we commemorate the eighth World Day of the Poor instituted by Pope Francis in 2016 and since then celebrated on the penultimate Sunday of the liturgical year. The World Day of the Poor was established for Catholics to “reflect on how poverty is at the very heart of the Gospel.” This year the World Mission Sunday is celebrated with the theme “The prayer of the poor rises up to God” (cf. Sirach 21:5). This theme emphasizes that God hears the prayers of the poor and is impatient with their suffering until justice is served.
According to Pope Francis in the beginning of his message for the day, “In this year dedicated to prayer in anticipation of the Ordinary Jubilee of 2025, this expression of biblical wisdom is most fitting as we prepare for the Eighth World Day of the Poor, which will be observed on 17 November. Indeed, Christian hope embraces the certainty that our prayer reaches God’s presence; not just any prayer but rather the prayer of the poor! Let us reflect on this word and “read” it on the faces and in the stories of the poor whom we encounter daily, so that prayer can become a path of communion with them and a sharing in their suffering.” The Pope’s message for the 2024 World Day of the Poor encourages people to reflect on this theme by “reading” it on the faces and in the stories of the poor they encounter. He also encourages people to pray with the poor, sharing in their suffering and becoming a path of communion with them.
Today, on this eighth annual World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis strongly urges all of us to be steadfast in prayers. “The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds, and he will not be consoled until it reaches the Lord; he will not desist until the Most High visits him, and does justice for the righteous, and executes judgment. And the Lord will not delay” (Sir 35:17-18). “The poor hold a privileged place in God’s heart,” Pope Francis said in his message for the day. “God knows the sufferings of His children because he is an attentive and caring father. As a father, he takes care of those who are most in need: the poor, the marginalized, the suffering, and the forgotten. No one is excluded from His heart, for in His eyes, we are all poor and needy. We are all beggars because without God, we would be nothing. We would not even have life if God had not given it to us. Yet how often we live as if we were the masters of life or as if we had to conquer it! The mentality of the world demands that we become somebody, that we make a name for ourselves at any cost, breaking social norms in order to accumulate wealth. How sad of an illusion this is! Happiness cannot be acquired by trampling on the rights and dignity of others.” The pope stressed that God will never abandon us and will never leave us without a response to our prayers. “He does not forget you nor could He ever do so. We all have had the experience of prayers that seem to remain unanswered. Sometimes, we ask to be freed from a misery that makes us suffer and humiliates us, and God seems not to hear our cry. However, God’s silence does not mean He is inattentive to our sufferings; rather, it contains a word that must be received with trust, surrendering ourselves to Him and to His will,” Pope Francis said.
As we journey towards the Holy Year, Pope Francis is urging everyone to become pilgrims of hope, setting tangible goals for a better future. “We are called in every circumstance to be friends of the poor, following in the footsteps of Jesus who always began by showing solidarity when dealing with the least among us. May the Mother of God, Mary Most Holy, who appeared at Banneux and left a message not to be forgotten: “I am the Virgin of the poor,” sustain us on this journey. To Mary, whom God has looked upon with favour for her humble poverty, accomplishing great things through her obedience, we entrust our prayers, convinced that they will rise to heaven and be heard.”
This day calls on us to live out the Gospel by showing compassion, solidarity, and generosity toward those in need, following the example of Christ who showed love and mercy to the most vulnerable. Pope Francis reminds us that the poor are not merely recipients of charity but are central to the Gospel. The World Day of the Poor encourages us to recognize the dignity of every person and work to address the root causes of poverty, both locally and globally. As we observe the World Day of the Poor, let us renew our commitment to being true disciples of Christ, who calls us to serve the least among us. All are welcome to join in this day of prayer, reflection, and action for the poor.
PRAYER INSPIRED BY THE HOLY FATHER, POPE FRANCIS’ MESSAGE FOR THE 8TH WORLD DAY OF THE POOR
O God of peace, our Father, You know the sufferings of Your children, for You are attentive and caring toward all.
No one is excluded from Your heart, since, before You, we are all in need. You call us to be Your instruments for the liberation and betterment ofthe poor, so that they may be fully integrated into society.
O Lord Jesus, who first stood in solidarity with the lowliest, teach us to listen to the prayer of the poor. Help us to place ourselves at their service, giving a voice to the response of Your Father and ours, who never abandons those who turn to Him.
O Holy Spirit, giver of life, make us vigilant and persevering in prayer so that we may welcome the poor, recognizing and serving Christ in them and may we learn from them.
O Blessed Mary, Virgin of the Poor, since God has looked upon Your humble poverty, accomplishing great things by Your obedience, we entrust our prayer to You, convinced that it will be heard. Amen. Alleluia! 🙏🏽
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS
Bible Readings for today, Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS FOR THE EIGHTH WORLD DAY OF THE POOR, NOVEMBER 17, 2024: “: “The prayer of the poor rises up to God” (cf. Sirach 21:5) | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2024/11/17/eighth-world-day-of-the-poor/
Gospel Reading ~ Mark 13:24–32
“He will gather His elect from the four winds”
“Jesus said to His disciples: “In those days after that tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. “And then they will see the ‘Son of Man coming in the clouds’ with great power and glory, and then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky. “Learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, know that he is near, at the gates. Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. “But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
In today’s Gospel reading from the Gospel according to St. Mark, the Lord Himself tells His disciples of the sign of times and everything that will happen for sure at the time of the Lord’s own knowing. He told them there will be signs accompanying His coming, but no one can surely know of the exact time that He will come. The Lord then highlighted to them of the lesson from the fig tree, which bears fruit at the appropriate time and with signs accompanying them. Our Gospel reading speaks of the Lord’s coming using two quite different images. It says that He will come in the clouds with great power and glory but also that He is near, at the very gates. There is something of a contrast between the ‘clouds’ and the ‘gates’. The ‘clouds’ suggest the otherness and the power of the Lord; the ‘gates’ suggest his nearness and his accessibility. In other words, the Lord’s powerful coming at those moments of great trauma will not overwhelm us; it will be like meeting a good friend at the gate of our home. Whenever we experience profound change that shakes the foundations of our world and that of others, we feel the need for some form of stability, something firm and fixed by which we can begin to navigate the strange territory in which we suddenly find ourselves. Such a solid point of reference will often take the form of another human being. A loved one, a friend, a family member who walks with us through the trauma, can keep us steady and enable us to negotiate the difficult journey on which we find ourselves. The readings of today’s Mass remind us that our faith, our relationship with the Lord, can be an indispensable resource at such times. In the Gospel reading, Jesus declares that ‘heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away’. The Lord’s words to us remain a constant in the midst of even the most traumatic and world shattering experience of change. His words will never lose their life-giving power. In the midst of traumatic change, we need someone who is constant and enduring; such a person is the Lord. The Psalmist in today’s responsorial psalm drew strength from the Lord’s enduring presence, ‘I keep the Lord ever in my sight; since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm’. We try to keep the Lord ever in our sight, the one who, according to today’s second reading, offered one single sacrifice for our sins and who is working even now to achieve our eternal perfection.
Our first reading this Sunday from the Book of the prophet Daniel details the prophecy of the coming of the end times which was one of the apocalyptic prophecies mentioned by Daniel, predicting the time of struggle and strife for God’s holy people, and how despite all the challenges and trials they will have to face, God will lead them all to victory, and the figure of the great Archangel, St. Michael, the leader and prince of the Heavenly Host features prominently in this vision, being echoed in the later Revelations according to St. John the Apostle. It is a reminder that the end of times and the time of reckoning and the Last Judgment is something that is real and certainly will come for us, although none of us will know when exactly this will happen for sure, as only the Lord Himself knows the time and occasion of His coming. But we must always have faith in Him and have trust and complete faith in His compassion and love for each and every one of us, much as He has shown it to us through His beloved Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, through Whom God has brought His salvation and redemption, making His love manifested and real to us, tangible and approachable to us, that has been the focus of our second reading this Sunday from the Epistle to the Hebrews. The author of this Epistle spoke at length about the role that Christ our Lord, as the Son of God and Son of Man both, had in becoming the one true Eternal High Priest for all of us mankind, offering on our behalf the perfect and most worthy offering for the atonement of all of our sins, and to redeem us into eternal life.
Both the first reading and the Gospel reading speak of a time of great distress, reflecting this gloomy mood we can all be prone to. We have all known great distress. It can be triggered by many things. According to the Gospel reading, the shaking of the heavens and the earth signals the Lord’s coming to us with great power and glory, not to judge but to gather all those who call on Him in their need. The Lord asks us to believe that He is coming towards us, present to us in the midst of the chaos that threatens to engulf us. He asks us to trust that if we are open to His coming, to His presence, it is He who will gather us and not the chaos. The good news to be heard in today’s readings is that no trial need ever destroy us because the Lord is near, at the very gates. In his message on this eighth annual World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis strongly urges all of us to be steadfast in prayers. “The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds, and he will not be consoled until it reaches the Lord; he will not desist until the Most High visits him, and does justice for the righteous, and executes judgment. And the Lord will not delay” (Sir 35:17-18). According to the Pope, “God knows the sufferings of His children because He is an attentive and caring father. As a father, He takes care of those who are most in need: the poor, the marginalized, the suffering and the forgotten. No one is excluded from His heart, for in His eyes, we are all poor and needy. We are all beggars because, without God, we would be nothing. Therefore if the Lord Himself has already affirmed the fact and has repeatedly reminded His disciples of the coming of this time of judgment and reckoning then we have to keep in mind our way of life and faith in this world, so that we will not be found unworthy at the appropriate time. Each and every one of us as Christians have received from God and through His Church the revelation of God’s truth, His Good News and of everything that will happen, as contained within the Scriptures and as the Lord has revealed to His Church through the Holy Spirit, bestowed upon the Apostles and through them to all of us. And because of that, it is important that we should be ever ready to welcome the Lord by doing our very best in every opportunities and moments, to be exemplary in all the things that we say and do so that we may be growing ever stronger in our faith and commitment to God, and be the shining examples and the worthy beacons of God’s light and truth in our world today, bearing His love and Good News to all the people whom we encounter daily in our lives.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, being the second last Sunday before the end of the current liturgical year, which is the Solemnity of Jesus Christ the King next Sunday, the Scriptures talks about the coming of the end of times which we all should be well prepared for in our journey of faith and life as Christians, as we are all reminded that the Lord is sure to come again just as He Himself said that He will, and at that time, all of us shall have to give an account of everything that we have done, as well as whatever it is that we have not yet done, or failed to do in whatever opportunities and chances that the Lord has provided to us. We must always remember that as Christians we have to embody our faith in God and follow Him wholeheartedly through our every actions and deeds, in our every interactions and relationship with one another. On this Sunday, the Church also celebrates the World Day of the Poor, which was instituted by our current Pope, Pope Francis who wanted us all to remember the poor around us, those who need our care and compassionate love as we must realise that there are many around us who are struggling to make ends meet, and there are many of those all around the world who are suffering various ailments and troubles, from the effects of poverty and from injustice and oppression, those who have been marginalised and ostracised because of their background and origins, and all those who have no one to love and care for them. Each and every one of us are challenged today therefore to be the ones to bear the love of God to them all, and to truly embody our faith in God by our actions, especially our help and care to the poor and those less fortunate around us. That is why we have to be ever active and be aware of our calling in life, our mission and commitment which the Lord has entrusted to all of us, the commission which God has given us to do in our respective lives and capacities, in the many opportunities and chances He has provided to us. We have been given the freedom to choose our course of action and path in life, and hence, as we have discussed about the end of times and the coming reckoning of our lives and worthiness, which will surely come at the end of time, let us all therefore remind one another and be ever more committed to live our lives in a most Christian manner, following the inspiration and example from the Lord Himself, Who has loved us all so much that as the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews mentioned that He has given Himself to be the perfect sacrifice for the atonement of our sins. Brethren in Christ, having been reminded of the coming of the Lord and the moment of the reckoning of our lives, let us all therefore renew our commitment to follow the Lord ever more faithfully from now on. Let our every efforts and endeavours, our words, actions and deeds from now on continue to bring glory to God and proclaim His goodness before the people whom we meet and encounter in life. Let us all do our part to contribute to the good works and efforts of the Church, and to follow the Lord in all the things He has entrusted to us to do. May the Lord continue to bless each and every one of us, and may He empower and encourage us all to remain ever more committed and faithful to Him, particularly in our show of love and care for those around us who are in need and suffering from poverty and hardships in life. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace and assurance that our most important relationships will not be destroyed by death but will be deepened and transformed. May the Lord bless our every good works and efforts, and empower us to be ever better and more committed disciples and witnesses of His truth and to live our lives in His path in our world today. Amen 🙏
SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT ELIZABETH OF HUNGARY, RELIGIOUS AND SAINT GREGORY THAUMATURGE, BISHOP, CONFESSOR – FEAST DAY ~ NOVEMBER 17TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious and Saint Gregory Thaumaturge, Bishop, confessor. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the souls of the faithful departed and we pray for all widows and widowers. We pray for all parents and children, 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, strokes, heart diseases and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases.
SAINT ELIZABETH OF HUNGARY, RELIGIOUS: St. Elizabeth (1207-1231) was the daughter of the Hungarian King Andrew II. She was born in 1207, either in Bratislava (Slovakia) or in Sárospatak (East of Hungary), and at the age of four, she was brought to the court of her future husband, Ludwig, landgrave of Thuringia. After her marriage in 1221, she very conscientiously fulfilled her duties both toward her husband and as a servant of God. During the night she would rise from bed and spend long periods in prayer. Zealously she performed all types of charitable acts; she put herself at the service of widows, orphans, the sick, the needy. During a famine she generously distributed all the grain from her stocks, cared for lepers in one of the hospitals she established, kissed their hands and feet. For the benefit of the indigent she provided suitable lodging. After the early death of her husband (in 1227 while on a crusade led by Emperor Frederick II), Elizabeth laid aside all royal dignities in order to serve God more freely. She put on simple clothing, became a tertiary of St. Francis, and showed great patience and humility. Nor was she spared intense suffering – the goods belonging to her as a widow were withheld, she was forced to leave Wartburg. In Eisenach no one dared receive her out of fear of her enemies. Upon much pleading a shepherd of the landgrave permitted her to use an abandoned pig sty. No one was allowed to visit or aid her; with her three children, of whom the youngest was not more than a few months old, she was forced to wander about in the winter’s cold.
In 1228 she took the veil of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis at Marburg and there built a hospital with some property still belonging to her. She retained for herself only a small mud house. All her strength and care were now devoted to the poor and the sick, while she obtained the few things she needed by spinning. Working continually with the severely ill, Elizabeth became sick herself. Young in years but rich in good works, she slept in the Lord on November 17,1231, only twenty-four years old. After she died, miraculous healings soon began to occur at her grave near the hospital, and she was declared a saint only four years later. She was canonized in 1235 by Pope Gregory IX. Pope Benedict XVI has praised her as a “model for those in authority,” noting the continuity between her personal love for God, and her public work on behalf of the poor and sick. She’s Patron Saint of Bakers; beggars; brides; Catholic charities; charitable societies; charitable workers; charities; countesses; death of children; exiles; falsely accused people; Franciscan Third Order; hoboes; homeless people; hospitals; in-law problems; lacemakers; lace workers; nursing homes; nursing services; people in exile; people ridiculed for their piety; Sisters of Mercy; tertiaries; Teutonic Knights; toothache; tramps; widows.
PRAYER: God, You taught St. Elizabeth to recognize and serve Christ in the poor. Grant, through her intercession, that we may always lovingly serve the needy and the oppressed. Amen 🙏
SAINT GREGORY THAUMATURGE, BISHOP, CONFESSOR: St Gregory (c 213-c 270) “the Wonder-Worker,” Bishop, Confessor, Miracle-worker, Writer, Preacher – also known as Gregory of Neocaesarea, Gregory the Wonder-Worker, Theodorus. He was a Christian bishop of the 3rd century. He was born in c 213 at Neocaesarea, Pontus, Asia Minor (in modern Turkey) to a wealthy pagan family. Originally he was known as Theodore (“gift of God”). He was introduced to the Christian religion at the age of fourteen, after the death of his father. St Gregory of Nyssa (c 335-c 395) wrote the Life and Panegyric of Gregory Thaumaturge drawing on family traditions and a knowledge of the neighbourhood, the facts for which, were supplied to the writer by his grandmother, St Macrina the Elder (c 270-c 340). According to the writings of St. Gregory of Nyssa about St. Gregory Thaumaturge, the Wonder-Worker was the first person known to receive a vision of the Mother of God. The Virgin and Saint John the Baptist appeared to him in a vision and gave him what became a statement of doctrine on the Trinity. St. Gregory had the power of healing by laying on of his hands. Often the healing was so powerful that the patient was cured of his illness, and became a fervent convert on the spot.
It is believed that St. Gregory died in the year c 270, on 17 of November at Pontus, Asia Minor (in modern Turkey) of natural causes. The death of St Gregory took place in the seventieth year of his age and the 270th of the Christian Era. Shortly before closing his eyes, he asked if there were yet some in the city who had not received holy baptism. ” Seventeen,” was the answer. The Saint, already in his agony, raised his eyes to heaven and said: ” Thanks and praise to God! When I took possession of my See, I found only seventeen Christians. May God preserve all in the true faith, and give to all infidels, in the whole world, the light of the Saviour’s divine Word!” St Gregory’s remains were translated to Calabria, Italy, where many miracles once more occurred and continue so, as St Gregory intercedes for impossible causes. He’s Patron Saint against earthquakes, desperate causes, floods, forgotten causes, impossible causes, lost causes.
Saint Gregory Thaumaturge, Bishop, Confessor ~ Pray for us 🙏
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 Elizabeth of Hungary and Saint Gregory Thaumaturge ~ Pray for us 🙏
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:
Most glorious Judge, You will return one day in glory to judge the living and the dead. Before that day, You have revealed that Your Church will endure much suffering. Please give me hope during those moments in my life so that I can offer to You every suffering I endure as a sacrifice of love, offered in union with Your own perfect sacrifice. 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 Elizabeth of Hungary and Saint Gregory Thaumaturge ~ 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 and grace-filled Sunday and 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 |