THIRTY-THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ NOVEMBER 21, 2024
FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY: PREPARING TO BECOME THE MOTHER OF GOD
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]
THE HOLY ROSARY: WHAT IS THE HOLY ROSARY AND WHY DO WE PRAY THE HOLY ROSARY? [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 Wednesday of the Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time!
On this special Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we pray for the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary. With special intentions for all the souls of the faithful departed. As we continue to remember the faithful departed, 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 ¹rest, 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 21, 2024 |
Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | November 21, 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 21, 2024 |
Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| November 21, 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 of the Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time |November 21, 2024
Reading 1, Revelation 5:1-10
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 149:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 9
Gospel, Luke 9:41-44
Bible Reading for the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary | November 21, 2024
Reading 1, Zechariah 2:14-17
Responsorial Psalm, Luke 1:46-47, 48-49, 50-51, 52-53, 54-55
Gospel, Matthew 12:46-50
THE HOLY ROSARY: WHAT IS THE HOLY ROSARY AND WHY DO WE PRAY THE HOLY ROSARY? | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2024/11/21/the-holy-rosary-what-is-the-holy-rosary-and-why-do-we-pray-the-holy-rosary/
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.
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
Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe: November 24, 2024
DAILY NOVENA PRAYER: Pray this novena to Christ the King anytime of year, but especially from Friday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time until Saturday of the Thirty–Third Week in Ordinary Time (Nine days prior to the Solemnity of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe).
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Almighty and merciful God, you break the power of evil and make all things new in your Son Jesus Christ, the King of the universe. May all in heaven and earth acclaim your glory and never cease to praise you. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen 🙏
Our Father | Hail Mary | Glory Be
Let us Pray: O Lord our God, You alone are the Most Holy King and Ruler of all nations. We pray to You, Lord, in the great expectation of receiving from You, O Divine King, mercy, peace, justice and all good things. Protect, O Lord our King, our families and the land of our birth. Guard us we pray Most Faithful One. Protect us from our enemies and from Your Just Judgment Forgive us, O Sovereign King, our sins against you. Jesus, You are a King of Mercy. We have deserved Your Just Judgment Have mercy on us, Lord, and forgive us. We trust in Your Great Mercy.
O most awe-inspiring King, we bow before You and pray; May Your Reign, Your Kingdom, be recognized on earth. Amen 🙏
SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY: PREPARING TO BECOME THE MOTHER OF GOD | MEMORIAL OF BLESSED MARIA FRANCISZKA SIEDLISKA, RELIGIOUS – FEAST DAY ~ NOVEMBER 21ST: Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this special feast day, we humbly pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. 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. We pray for an end to the coronavirus pandemic. 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 torture victims, the poor, the needy and the most vulnerable in our communities and around the world. We pray for all parents and children, for peace, love, justice and unity in our marriages, our families and our world.
THE PRESENTATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY: PREPARING TO BECOME THE MOTHER OF GOD: Today, we commemorate the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Temple of Jerusalem. According to tradition, there was a religious custom among the Jews, in former times, of promising to dedicate children to God’s service in the Temple, even before the children were born. The child, before its fifth year had passed, was taken to the Temple at Jerusalem and committed to the care of the priest who offered it to Lord, and, sometimes, the child remained in the Temple to be educated and trained to serve the sanctuary and sacred ministers by making vestments and ornaments, assisting at the services, and contributing to the worship of God in the various liturgical offices. Following this tradition, Our Lady was solemnly consecrated to God as an infant in the temple of the Lord. The blessed Virgin Mary’s total offering of herself throughout her young life prepared her to become the Theotokos, the Mother of God.
Our Blessed Virgin Mary was presented as a child by her parents, Joachim and Anne in the Temple in Jerusalem. Before Mary’s birth, her parents received a heavenly message that they would bear a child. In thanksgiving for the God’s gift of Mary’s birth, they brought her to the Temple to consecrate their only daughter to The Lord. The celebration of the Feast is first documented in the 11th century within the Byzantine Catholic Church. It was introduced into the Roman Catholic Church in the 15th century by Pope Gregory XI, then removed from the calendar by Pope Pius V in the mid 16th century. Pope Sixtus V later reestablished the feast in 1585, and it is still celebrated today, commemorating the faith of her parents, Joachim and Anne, and the purity of Mary. Our Mother Mary was taken to the temple in Jerusalem when she was 3-years-old and dedicated to God. What we celebrate on this day is the fact that God chose to dwell in Mary in a very special way. In response, Mary placed her whole self at the service of God. Every moment since our Baptism, God invites us to be open to His grace and dedicate ourself to Him, as Mary did. This offering and dedication of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Church commemorates the feast of the Presentation on November 21. In some religious communities the day is observed with special devotion as a patronal feast.
PRAYER FOR THE PRESENTATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY: As we venerate the glorious memory of the most holy Virgin Mary, grant, we pray, O Lord, through her intercession, that we, too, may merit to receive the fullness of your grace. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever… Amen🙏
Hail Mary, full of grace, The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death… Amen.🙏 ~ Matthew 11:28-30
MEMORIAL OF BLESSED MARIA FRANCISZKA SIEDLISKA, RELIGIOUS
On this special feast day, we also celebrate the Memorial of Blessed Maria Franciszka Siedliska, Religious.
BLESSED MARIA FRANCISZKA SIEDLISKA, RELIGIOUS: Bl. Maria Franciszka Siedliska (1842-1902) was born to a noble and wealthy family in Warsaw, Poland. When a Capuchin friar prepared her for her First Holy Communion, she began to desire the religious life and made a private act of consecration to God. Her father was greatly opposed and said he would rather see her dead than lost to the cloister. Her vocation was not deterred, and she went to Rome to obtain the Pope’s blessing for founding an active apostolic Order modeled on the hidden virtues of the Holy Family. The Congregation of Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth was formed in 1875, and she took the name Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd. In 1885 the Nazareth Sisters arrived in New York, eventually settling near Chicago where they made their first foundation in the U.S.A. She was beatified by Pope St. John Paul II in 1989. Her feast day is November 21st.
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:
Bible Readings for today, Memorial of The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/1121-memorial-presentation-virgin-mary.cfm
Gospel Reading ~ Matthew 12:46-50
Stretching out His hands toward His disciples, He said, Here are my mother and my brothers
“While Jesus was speaking to the crowds, His mother and His brothers appeared outside, wishing to speak with Him. Someone told Him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you.” But He said in reply to the one who told Him, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
In today’s Gospel reading, as the Church commemorates the presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a child to God at the Temple in Jerusalem by her parents, St. Joachim and St. Anne, according to the Church and Apostolic tradition, as their firstborn and only daughter, dedicating her for the purpose which they then had not known or realised yet. The feast reflects the church’s understanding of Mary’s subsequent grace-filled life as wholly given over to God’s purpose. According to the Gospel reading, there were times when she struggled to understand God’s purpose for her life, especially in relation to her son Jesus. She sets out from Nazareth with other members of Jesus’ family to Capernaum where Jesus was ministering. Perhaps, they wanted Him to come home and rest. However, Mary subsequently discovered that this was not God’s purpose for Jesus or for her. Jesus sent word out to Mary and His relatives that they no longer had any claim on Him because He was starting a new family of His disciples and from now on they would be His mother and brothers and sisters. There was much here for Mary to ponder. What she wanted for Jesus as a mother was not necessarily what God wanted for Him as His heavenly Father. In that sense, Mary’s experience can be very close to our own. Like her, we may want to give ourselves over to God’s purpose, we may want to do God’s will, but, like her, we can struggle to discern what God’s purpose for our lives really is. We sometimes have to come to the painful recognition that what we want for ourselves and for others isn’t always what God wants. We can’t allow ourselves to become too sure of God’s desire for our lives or the lives of others. Like Mary, we have to keep ourselves open to where the Lord is leading us. Like her, we need to keep prayerfully pondering on our life experience, trusting in the Lord’s promise that those who seek will find. We ask our Blessed Mother Mary to pray for us now so that we may always do the will of the Father and so become temples of God as she was.
Our first reading today from the Book of the prophet Zechariah is the reassurance of God’s salvation and His providence to His people which He delivered to them all through His prophet, amidst all the hardships, challenges and difficulties that they had all endured because of their own disobedience and refusal to obey God’s words and will. The Lord has never forgotten or abandoned them all despite their disobedience, wickedness and stubbornness in refusing to follow His Law and commandments. And He has kept on promising His salvation and deliverance to all of them, all throughout the time, encouraging and strengthening them, guiding and helping them through His many prophets and messengers, including that of Zechariah himself. All these would hence be fulfilled in due time, a few centuries after the time of the prophet Zechariah, when as mentioned, when Mary came to be in this world, set aside by God to be the faithful servant and the woman through whom His salvation, the long awaited Saviour would come into this world. God has not forgotten about His people and He proved it all through the sending of this woman, preserved and kept from all the taints of sin and evil so that the Saviour may come through her into this world, bringing forth the light and hope that had long been dimmed by a world filled with sin and darkness. Through Mary, and her willingness to follow the Lord and to do what she has been entrusted to do, all of us have received the assurance of salvation and eternal life, the straight path back towards the Lord and the glory of Heaven that has always been intended for us. For Mary is indeed the New Eve, the one who directs us all to the New Adam, that is Christ Himself, her beloved Son and our Saviour. While the first and old Adam had disobeyed God and sinned against Him, the New Adam, Our Lord and Saviour as the New Man obeyed perfectly the will of His Father and became for us therefore the source of salvation and eternal life. And this is mirrored by the examples of His own Mother Mary, who as the New Eve obeyed the Lord and refused to follow the path of sin done by the first and original Eve, who gave in to temptation and disobeyed the Lord’s words and command, choosing to follow the whim of human desire and ambition rather than to follow and trust in the Lord. Mary obeyed perfectly when she was entrusted with the most important mission of bearing the Saviour in her.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures on this special Feast were the Church celebrates the occasion of the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, commemorating the moment when Mary, the Mother of God, was presented at the Temple of Jerusalem, the House of God in accordance to the rules and ways of the Law of God. She was presented and consecrated to God, as a prefigurement of the role that she would later on play in the history of our salvation. Let us all therefore look upon Mary, the one through whom God had done so many great and wonderful works, in bringing forth His salvation into this world. What is important is, we must also realise that Mary is not just worthy of veneration, honour and following because of her having been set aside by the Lord to be the holy vessel for Our Lord and Saviour, but she herself had lived her life worthily of the Lord, at all times throughout her life. She has shown what it means for us to live a good, holy and worthy Christian living, in all of our lives, our words, actions and deeds. And she is therefore a great inspiration and role model for all of us, just as she has also always encouraged us to remain true and faithful to the Lord as our loving Mother. May the Lord, our loving God and Master continue to love us and strengthen us in faith, and may through the good examples and inspirations of His Blessed Mother, Mary, who is our mother too, we all may come ever closer to the Lord and His Holy Presence. May God be with us always and may He continue to guide in our journey in life, together with His most loving Mother Mary, our own beloved Mother. May God in His infinite grace and mercy grant us His grace and may all of us be shown mercy and forgiveness, and may we all draw ever closer to God, to His love and grace, now and always, and may He continue to bless our every good efforts and endeavours, all for the greater glory of God, 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 sorrowful Lord, You endured the sins of many. You were treated with cruelty and injustice. To all of these sins, including those that you foresaw, You reacted with the love of holy sorrow. And that sorrow led you to true compassion and concern for all. Please give me the grace to imitate this same love of Yours so that I, too, may share in the holiness of Your sorrowful heart. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏
Most Holy and Immaculate Virgin Mary, you were conceived without sin and remained sinless throughout your life. With the perfection of every virtue and grace, you loved and served God even as a young child. Please pray for me, as I help to inspire young people in the ways of holiness, that I will never shy away from pointing them to you as a model and mediator of God’s grace. Most Holy Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏🏽
Save Us, Savior of the World. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe….have mercy on us. Our Blessed Mother Mary; Blessed Maria Franciszka Siedliska, Religious ~ Pray for us 🙏
Thanking God for the gift of this day and praying for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and our world and for God’s Divine Mercy and Grace upon us all. Have a blessed, safe, grace-filled and fruitful week🙏
Blessings and love always, Philomena💖
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