THIRTY-FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
SAINTS OF THE DAY – FEAST DAY ~ NOVEMBER 25TH
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 Monday of the Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time!
On this special Feast of St. Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr, Patron Saint of young girls, unmarried girls, and spinsters, through her intercession and the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, may Saint Catherine intercede for young women seeking for life partners, may God grant their heart desires with God fearing life partner. We pray for God’s grace and mercy and for the safety and well-being of our children and for peace in our family and the whole world. 🙏
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🙏
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 25, 2024 |
Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | November 25, 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 25, 2024 |
Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| November 25, 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: *: Monday, November 25, 2024
Reading 1, Revelation 14:1-3, 4-5
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
Gospel, Luke 21:1-4
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/
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 SAINT CATHERINE OF ALEXANDRIA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR – FEAST DAY ~ NOVEMBER 25TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr. 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. May Saint Catherine intercede for young women seeking for life partners, may God grant their heart desires with God fearing life partners. We pray for all teachers, students, Priests, Preacher and all those who proclaim the Gospel. We pray for the sick and dying, especially sick children, those who are mentally and physically ill, strokes, heart diseases, and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the souls of the faithful departed 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. 🙏
SAINT CATHERINE OF ALEXANDRIA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR: St. Catherine of Alexandria (282 – 305), also known as St. Catherine of the Wheel, a revered martyr of the fourth century and she is one of the “Fourteen Holy Helpers.” St. Catherine was the subject of great interest and devotion among later medieval Christians. Devotees relished tales of her rejection of marriage, her rebuke to an emperor, and her decision to cleave to Christ even under threat of torture. Pope John Paul II restored the celebration of her memorial to the Roman Catholic calendar in 2002.
St. Catherine was born to a noble pagan family in Alexandria, Egypt, and her father was governor of the city. She was both a princess and a noted scholar, who became a Christian at 14, a virgin by choice (before the emergence of organized monasticism), and eventually a martyr for the faith. This holy virgin was most distinguished by the nobility of her birth as well as by her beauty, wealth, and learning. She was an intelligent child who devoted herself to study, and converted to the Christian faith after the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to her in a vision. Following her conversion at the age of eighteen through a vision of Mary and her holy Child, St. Catherine preached the Gospel throughout Alexandria. The Egyptian city of Alexandria was a center of learning in the ancient world, and tradition represents St. Catherine as the highly educated daughter of a noble pagan family. It is said that a vision of the Virgin Mary and the child Jesus spurred her conversion, and the story has inspired works of art which depict her decision to live as a virginal “spouse of Christ.” St. Catherine also denounced the Emperor Maxentius for persecuting Christians. Many of her fellow Christians were put to death under the reign of Roman Emperor Maxentius. Fifty of her converts were then burned to death.
The Emperor Maxentius ruled Egypt during St. Catherine’s brief lifetime, a period when multiple co-emperors jointly governed the Roman Empire. During this time, just before the Emperor Constantine’s embrace and legalization of Christianity, the Church was growing but also attracting persecution. St. Catherine, eager to defend the faith she had embraced, came before Maxentius to protest a brutal campaign against the Church. At first, the emperor decided to try and persuade her to renounce Christ. But in a debate that the emperor proceeded to arrange between St. Catherine and a number of pagan philosophers, St. Catherine prevailed – with her skillful apologetics converting them instead. Maxentius’ next stratagem involved an offer to make her his mistress. The emperor offered Catherine a royal marriage if she would renounce her faith, but she refused regarding herself as a bride of Christ, her refusal landed in prison.
St. Catherine was imprisoned, and while in captivity, and Maxentius was away, through her newfound fame, St. Catherine converted the Emperor Maxentius’s wife and two hundred of his soldiers. He had them all put to death. Enraged by St. Catherine’s boldness and resolve, the Emperor resolved to break her will through torture on a spiked wheel. St. Catherine was to be tortured and killed by being torn apart on a spiked wheel, but the wheel fell to pieces when it touched her. She was finally martyred by beheading. Emperor Maxentius later died in a historic battle against his Co-Emperor Constantine in October of 312, after which he was remembered disdainfully, if at all. St. Catherine, meanwhile, inspired generations of philosophers, consecrated women, and martyrs. She was one of the voices heard by St. Joan of Arc.
Ironically, or perhaps appropriately – given both her embrace of virginity, and her “mystic marriage” to Christ – young women in many Western European countries were once known to seek her intercession in finding their husbands. Regrettably, the torture wheel to which she herself may have been subjected was subsequently nicknamed the “Catherine wheel,” and used even among Christian kingdoms. Today, St. Catherine of Alexandria is more appropriately known as the namesake of a monastery at Mount Sinai that claims to be the oldest in the world. St. Catherine is the Patron Saint of young girls; students; philosophers; preachers; apologists; theologians; teachers; spinsters; unmarried girls; craftsmen who work with a wheel (potters; spinners; etc.); archivists; attorneys; barristers; dying people; educators; jurists; knife grinders; knife sharpeners; lawyers; librarians; libraries; maidens; mechanics; millers; nurses; old maids; scholars; schoolchildren; scribes; secretaries; stenographers; tanners; turners; wheelwrights. St. Catherine’s feast day is celebrated on November 25th.
PRAYER: Almighty ever-living God, who gave Saint Catherine of Alexandria to your people as a Virgin and an invincible Martyr, grant that through her intercession we may be strengthened in faith and constancy and spend ourselves without reserve for the unity of the Church. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son. who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever… Amen🙏
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:
Bible Readings for today, Monday of the Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Gospel Reading ~ Luke 21:1-4
“He noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins”
“When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins. He said, “I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.”
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus notices a widow putting a tiny amount of money into the Temple treasury. In the Gospels, Jesus had a keen awareness of other people. He noticed people that others would normally ignore or just not see. He not only noticed people but he recognized that their ordinary human behaviour could speak to us of God in various ways. In today’s Gospel, most people would only have noticed the rich people putting their more substantial offering into the treasury. However, Jesus recognized that in giving her two small coins this widow was giving all she had to live on. She was giving everything to God. Perhaps she reminded Jesus of Himself. At this point in His ministry, Jesus is in Jerusalem and is about to enter into His passion and death when He too would give everything to God and to humanity in love. Just as the widow had nothing left over after she put in her two copper coins, so Jesus had nothing left over as He hung from the cross. Although the widow gave little, in reality she was giving in the spirit of Jesus. She was a Jesus figure, a true disciple. The Gospel reading suggests that we are often at our best when we give a little, if a little is all we have, whether it is a little in financial resources or a little in other ways. At certain times in our lives, especially as we get older, we may have little in the way of energy or health or mobility. Yet if at such times we give generously from the little we have, our lives will be powerfully witnessing to Jesus’ own generous giving, and He won’t fail to notice.
The widow’s mite’ in the Gospel reading brings home the paradox that, sometime, in giving a lot, some people are actually giving a little, whereas other people, in giving a little, are actually giving a lot. The widow gave less than anybody else to the temple treasury, but, in reality, she gave an enormous amount, because she gave everything she had. That paradox is true even of our own individual lives. What Jesus truly wants us to know is that even if we are facing hardships and challenges in our own lives, it does not mean that we cannot give from even our sufferings and poverty. There are times when we may appear to be giving very little but, in reality, we are giving a lot, because we are giving as much as we can give. For various reasons, we can be below par. Our health may be troubling us; our energy level may be low because of some personal issue we are struggling with. What we have within ourselves to give is much less than it usually is. In those circumstances, even to give a little of ourselves can be giving a great deal, can, in fact, be giving everything, because all we have to give is a little. The widow in today’s Gospel reminds us that, even when we have little to give, we can still be extremely generous. As Christians, we are always called to be generous with ourselves, to love even when there is nothing else we can give in terms of physical and material goods. We can still give others our time and love, our compassion and care. We must always strive to be kind and compassionate to everyone, even when we ourselves have been beset by evil and hatred by those who are around us. We must always remember the examples set by our Lord Himself, Who has forgiven those who have persecuted and oppressed Him, condemned Him to die an unjust death. He prayed for those who had hated and condemned Him, not hating or being angry against them, or seeking vengeance. This is the kind of love that we all must aspire and strive to have in us as well, brothers and sisters, love that is truly pure and selfless.
Our first reading today is the continuation of the account from the Book of Revelations of St. John the Apostle in which the great vision of St. John was told to us, about the presence of the Lamb of God, the Saviour of the whole world, Our Lord Jesus Christ, on Mount Zion, surrounded by the one hundred and forty-four thousand, a large number meant to represent the vast number of those who have been saved and made worthy by their faith in God. All those people have been found worthy in their faith and dedication to God, having lived worthily and righteously amidst all the challenges, temptations and difficulties, all the sufferings that they had to endure in the midst of their obedience and faith in God. It is a reminder for all of us that regardless of the challenges and trials, all the persecutions and the difficult paths that we have had to traverse in order to come towards the Lord, all these perseverance and endurance in faith, obeying the will of God and doing whatever He has asked us all to do, in the end, we will share in the triumph and eternal glory, true joy and bliss that the Lord has reassured and promised us, and which He showed us all through His disciple, St. John, to share with us the hope of everlasting life, the eternal and true glory that we will enjoy with Him in His Holy Presence, freed from the bondage and dominion of evil and sin. All of us will share in the glory and joy of the Saints, and be truly happy forevermore.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded that all of us as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people should always keep our faith in the Lord firm and strong amidst all the difficulties, challenges and hardships that we may be facing in life. As we come ever closer to the end of the current liturgical year that is ending this week, we are constantly being reminded of the need for all of us to remain strong in our faith and commitment to God, in our desire to love Him and to follow Him courageously and honourably all the time. We must not be easily dissuaded and prevented from committing ourselves to the Lord by the many obstacles, trails and opposition we may have to face in our journey. We are all reminded today that as we continue to carry on our lives in the world today, in each and every moments of our lives, we should be always be mindful of everyone around us, of all the sufferings and difficulties that each and every one of us may be facing in our own respective lives. God has shown us all what it means to be truly loving and generous, and to be truly rooted in His love and compassion. We must never ignore our calling and mission to be truly loving and compassionate towards everyone, regardless who they are, in all and every moments of our lives, doing our very best to show them all the love of God manifested through our genuine actions, deeds, all the care and concern that we have shown one another, in how we all live our lives in a selfless and loving manner. As Christians we must never be selfish and wicked in all of our deeds and actions. Our lives should indeed reflect the light of God, His virtues and wonderful truth in everything that we say and do, in all of our interactions with one another, just as the Lord Himself has shown and taught us through His Church and His disciples. All of us must always embody our Christian faith within us, or else our faith is meaningless, empty and pointless, and will not avail us on the Day of Judgment. We are all reminded that we have been given so many opportunities by the Lord and endowed with all sorts of various blessings, talents and other things so that we may make good use of them for the benefit of everyone, for ourselves and for everyone around us, through our love and compassion. We are called to emulate the examples of the Saints and Holy men and women, particularly those we celebrate today, St. Catherine of Alexandria. The great examples, faith and commitment, as well as the courage and perseverance of St. Catherine of Alexandria should indeed inspire us all Christians in our own faith in God. May the Lord, our ever loving God and Father, our wonderful Creator and King continue to guide us all in our lives today, so that we may draw ever closer to His presence, and may all of us continue to be inspired by the great examples shown by His saints, like that of St. Catherine of Alexandria whose life we are reflecting upon today. May all of us continue to love Him first and foremost in our lives and do our best to glorify Him through each and every one of our actions, words and deeds in life. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace to remain faithful even when everything else seems unsteady, He will keep us steady. May the Lord bless us all in our every works, efforts, and endeavours 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 wealthy Lord, Your riches are all that matter in life. You bestow the riches of eternal salvation and countless other graces upon those who have given all to You. I do give my life to You, dear Lord. I give all that I have and all that I am. Please receive the offering of my life and use me 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, Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe….have mercy on us. Our Blessed Mother Mary; St. Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr ~ 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💖
Daily Reflections | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/
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