THIRTY-FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
SAINTS OF THE DAY – FEAST DAY ~ NOVEMBER 27TH
FEAST OF OUR LADY OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL
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-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time!
On this special Feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, 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, 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 27, 2024 |
Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | November 27, 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 27, 2024 |
Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| November 27, 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: Wednesday, November 27, 2024*
Reading 1, Revelation 15:1-4
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 98:1, 2-3, 7-8, 9
Gospel, Luke 21:12-19
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.
FEAST OF OUR LADY OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL AND SAINT MAXIMINUS, BISHOP OF RIEZ – FEAST DAY ~ NOVEMBER 27TH: Today, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal and Saint Maximinus, Bishop of Riez. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints on this special feast of Our Lady of Miraculous Medal, we humbly pray for God’s grace and mercy as we come to the end of the liturgical year. Praying for hope, faith, love, joy and peace in our world today, as we face these incredibly challenging times. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. 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. And we continue to pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Bishops, the Clergy, for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, for the Church, for persecuted christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world… Amen🙏
OUR LADY OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL: The apparitions and revelations of Our Lady to St. Catherine Labouré in the 19th century was on November 27, 1830 in the Mother-house Chapel of the Daughters of Charity in Paris, France. In these visions, Our Mother Mary granted Catherine and all of the Church a powerful sacramental that came to be known as the miraculous medal. Our Lady appeared to St. Catherine Labouré, a Daughter of Charity in Paris, and told her that God had a mission for her. Standing upon a globe, the Virgin Mary held a golden ball which she seemed to offer to God, and on her fingers were rings with gems that emitted rays of light. She told St. Catherine, “These rays symbolize the graces I shed upon those who ask for them. The gems from which rays do not fall are the graces for which souls forget to ask.” Afterward, the ball, symbolizing the world and each person, disappeared, and she held her hands outstretched in the manner of a loving mother, while rays of light continued to cascade upon the globe at her feet as she stood atop the serpent’s head. Framing the image in an oval were the words, “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.” St. Catherine then saw an image of an M upon which was a cross. Underneath the M was Our Lord’s heart crowned with thorns and Our Lady’s heart pierced by a sword. Surrounding this image were 12 stars. The Blessed Virgin instructed St. Catherine to have a medal made of these images, and she promised many graces to all who wear it.
PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL: O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you. O Mary, this was the prayer that you gave to Saint Catherine Laboure in the Chapel of the Apparitions, more than one hundred and fifty years ago; This invocation, engraved on the Miraculous Medal, is not worn and repeated by the faithful throughout the world. Blessed are you among women! You are intimately associated with the work of our redemption, assocated with the cross of our Savior, your heart has been pierced, next to His heart. And now, in the glory of your Son, you never cease to intercede for us, poor sinners. You watch over the Church for you are its Mother. You watch over each of your Children. From God, you obtain for us, all the graces that are symbolized by the rays of light which radiate from your open hands, and the only condition that you demand of us is that we approach with the conficence, the hardiness, and the simplicity of a child. And it is thus that you bring before us your Divine Son.
Blessed Pope John Paul II (1980) on the occasion of the Pope’s visit to the Rue du Bac, Paris, France.
PRAYER OF SAINT CATHERINE LABOURÉ: Whenever I go to the chapel, I put myself in the presence of our good Lord, and I say to Him, “Lord, I am here. Tell me what you would have me to do.” If He gives me some task, I am content and I thank Him. If He gives me nothing, I still thank Him since I do not deserve to receive anything more than that. And then, I tell God everything that is in my heart. I tell Him about my pains and my joys, and then I listen. If you listen, God will also speak to you, for with the good Lord, you have to both speak and listen. God always speaks to you when you approach Him plainly and simply. 🙏
THE MEMORARE: Remember, O most compassionate Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored you assistance, or sought your intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, we fly unto you, O Virgin of Virgins, our Mother; to you we come, before you we kneel sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the word Incarnate, despise not our petitions, but in your clemency, hear and answer them. Amen🙏
HAIL MARY: Hail Mary, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among 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 death… Amen🙏
SAINT MAXIMINUS, BISHOP OF RIEZ: Saint Maximinus or Maximus, abbot of Lerins, in succession to St. Honoratus, was born in Provence, France. He became a monk at Lerins and was made abbot of Lerins in 426, having been trained by St. Honoratus. He was remarkable not only for the spirit of recollection, fervor, and piety familiar to him from very childhood, but still more for the gentleness and kindliness with which he governed the monastery which at that time contained many religious, and was famous for the learning and piety of its brethren.
From his earliest years he gave evidence of more than ordinary virtue. After living a saintly life in the world for some years, he finally retired to the famous monastery of Lerins, where he was kindly received by St. Honoratus, by whom it was governed. When the latter had become archbishop of Arles in 426, St. Maximus was chosen second Abbot of Lerins.
St. Maximus’s reputed sanctity drew crowds to the island, and the monastery prospered under his benevolent administration. He had governed it about seven years when the See of Riez in Provence became vacant. Finding that he was wanted to fill it, he fled to the coast of Italy; but he was overtaken, brought back, and forced to accept the new dignity. In this position as bishop of Riez, he continued to wear a hair shirt and to observe the monastic rule insofar as his duties allowed. He assisted at the Council of Riez in 439, the first held in Orange in 441, and that of Arles in 454. He practised virtue in all gentleness, and died in 460.
PRAYER: Almighty and ever-living God, You willed to make Bishop St. Maximus rule over Your people. Grant by his interceding merits that we may receive the grace of Your mercy… Amen🙏
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:
Bible Readings for today, Wednesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Gospel Reading ~ Luke 21:12-19
“You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed”
“Jesus said to the crowd: “They will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus announces the coming of dark days for His disciples. He speaks of persecution, imprisonment, betrayal, hatred from others. Because of their witness to Jesus, they will be seized by the religious and political authorities and imprisoned. Even members of their own families will turn against them and betray them to the authorities. What the Lord looks for in all of these negative experiences is mentioned in the last line of the Gospel reading – endurance or perseverance. Yet, Jesus goes on to declare that there will be light in this darkness. He will be with them as risen Lord, giving them the eloquence and wisdom through the Holy Spirit that will enable them to bear witness to their faith. As a result, the experience of suffering and loss will become an opportunity, provided they endure in faith and don’t fall away. The Lord wants us to be faithful in the midst of apparent failure. It is tempting to lose faith when our relationship with the Lord, – our efforts to serve him – seems to bring us more grief than joy. We can identify easily with the seed that fell on rocky soil, those who endure only for a while; then when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. It is the Lord who makes possible our endurance to the end, rather than just for a while. As Jesus promises His disciples and us in today’s Gospel reading, ‘I myself will give you eloquence and wisdom’. In times of struggle and failure we are invited to rely on the resources the Lord gives us, so that we may endure to the end, and not just for a while.
In Luke’s second volume, the Acts of the Apostles, the persecution of the church in Jerusalem became an opportunity for the growth of the church because those persecuted were scattered to cities like Antioch where they preached the Gospel not just to Jews but to pagans. The times when our faith and the faith of the church seems to be at its most vulnerable can be the opportunity for the Lord to work in powerfully new ways. As a church today we can be very conscious of loss and decline, especially in our world today. Yet, the risen Lord continues to work among us, creating new opportunities for the spread of the Gospel and the growth of the church. All He asks is that we have that quality of endurance, the Gospel reading speaks about. We are not to lose heart but to turn towards the Lord in our weakness, trusting that that He will give us all the resources we need for His good work to continue and to bear new fruit. As Saint Paul expresses it so eloquently, the Lord’s power is often made perfect in weakness. Our willingness to keep fighting the good fight of the faith, our endurance, will create spaces for the Lord to work in ways that will surprise us. As Mother Teresa said, in calling us to share in His work, the Lord does not ask us to be successful but to be faithful. The Lord wants us to be faithful in the midst of apparent failure. It is tempting to lose faith when our relationship with the Lord, – our efforts to serve him – seems to bring us more grief than joy. We can identify easily with the seed that fell on rocky soil, those who endure only for a while; then when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. It is the Lord who makes possible our endurance to the end, rather than just for a while. Jesus promises His disciples and us in today’s Gospel reading, ‘I myself will give you eloquence and wisdom’. In times of struggle and failure we are invited to rely on the resources the Lord gives us, so that we may endure to the end, and not just for a while. As stated in the Gospel, Jesus inserts a great light into the midst of that dark picture. He promises to give His disciples the resources they need to withstand the hostility they will experience. As a result, not a hair of their head will be lost. That same promise is made to all of us. When our following of the Lord, our response to the Lord’s call, brings us into difficult and threatening territory, the Lord will always be there with us. In the darkness of the struggle, He will always be our light. He will always provide the resources we need to remain faithful, or in the language of the Gospel reading, to endure. Faithfulness, endurance, is what the Lord asks of us, and it is His resourceful faithfulness to us in difficult times that will make our faithfulness possible.
Our first reading today is the continuation from the Book of Revelations of St. John, in which the Apostle related to us what he had witnessed in his vision of the end of time, with the seven great Angels of God bringing forth the seven bowls of plagues from God to the world, at the last moments before the Final and Last Judgment. In that vision, St. John saw the Angels of God bringing forth God’s punishment upon all the sinners and all those who have remained in the world and chose to side with the evil one, refusing to listen to His truth and repent from their sins. This is what the Lord has justly given to all those who have constantly rejected and refused His love and kindness, His compassion and mercy. This does not mean that God desires any one of us to be destroyed and condemned to Hell. On the contrary, He wants all of us, every single one of us, children of mankind, His most beloved and the pinnacle of all of His creation, to share in His eternal joy and love, and to be with Him forevermore. He does not wish for any one of us to be lost to Him. Hence, He has given us so many means for us to reach out to Him and to find our way to His salvation and grace. But if by our own volition and conscious decision and choice we have made, in denying God and refusing His generous offer of love and mercy, then we have been condemned by our own sins and by our own stubbornness and desires, and this is what those people will suffer in the end times. We are being reminded all these so that we can remain strong and vigilant in our faith and in our lives so that we do not end up falling into the slippery slope of sin. It does not mean that all of us who have been baptised as Christians can never fall again into sin. The fact is that this makes the evil one and all of his forces to be even more hardworking in trying to bring us down and to drag us into the path towards our downfall. We are all saved by our faith in God, but if that faith is not made alive and vibrant through our actions, words and deeds, then that faith is as good as empty, meaningless and dead. And such a faith will not avail us on the Day of Judgment and reckoning, when we will have to account for our lives.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded again that our path as Christians, as those who follow the Lord and believe in His teachings and words will not be an easy one. There will definitely be plenty of challenges and obstacles in our path and journey, and the way forward may be very arduous for us, but we must not easily give up the struggle and perseverance regardless of the various oppositions and trials in our path. We must always remain firm in our faith and commitment to God, and we must never lose sight of the true happiness and joy that we shall enjoy forever with Him, as long as we remain true to Him regardless of the difficulties that we have encountered. Now what matters is what we are going to do about our own lives in this world. Are we going to commit ourselves anew to the Lord, to His path and to everything that He has entrusted to us? Or are we continue to be ignorant of our calling and mission in life? Or worse still, are we still going to allow the temptations of the world and sin to lead us astray and to bring us to our downfall? If we are not careful we may end up being dragged by the sins we commit and by our disobedience, and hence, risk falling ever deeper into the path towards damnation. That is why we should always keep in mind to follow the Lord ever more faithfully in each and every moments of our lives, doing whatever we can to serve Him at all times. May the Lord, our ever patient, loving and compassionate God continue to strengthen us in faith despite and regardless of the circumstances, challenges, trials and difficulties that we may be facing in our respective lives. We must always be steadfast in faith, and do not easily succumb to temptations, pressures and coercions to abandon our faith in God, or to seek alternative sources of satisfaction. May we ever draw strength and courage from Him as we endure various challenges and difficulties in life, so that we do not easily falter in our commitment to Him, and that we will not lose sight on the focus of our lives, that is God and Him alone. As we reflect on the life of the Saints, and Holy men and women, particularly those we celebrate today on this Feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. May the Saints and our Blessed Mother Mary intercede for us and may the Lord our loving God and Master continue to help and guide us in our journey throughout our lives, so that by His strength and encouragement, all of us may continue to do our best to be great examples and role models, in how we should live our daily living, at every moment, to be great inspirations and shining beacons of God’s light, truth and salvation to all the whole world. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace to remain hopeful, vigilant and prayerful for greater glory of His Holy Name as we prepare for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 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 persecuted Lord, though You were perfect in every way, You endured much cruelty in Your earthly life. The injustice You endured is beyond our comprehension. But Your response to such persecution was perfect. You were able to transform all ill-treatment into grace and mercy, offered especially for those who mistreated You. Give me the grace I need to imitate Your perfect response and to always rely upon Your wisdom and guidance alone. 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; Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal and Saint Maximinus ~
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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