FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT
SAINTS OF THE DAY – FEAST DAY ~ DECEMBER 3, 2024
NOVENA TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Novena Starts November 29 – December 7th. Traditionally prayed in preparation for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on December 8th [Novena link below]
SAINT ANDREW’S CHRISTMAS NOVENA
[The Saint Andrew’s Christmas Novena prayer below is traditionally prayed 15 times a day from November 30, the Feast of Saint Andrew, through Christmas Eve.]
THE LITURGICAL YEAR IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH [Please see link to this article 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]
Greetings and blessings, beloved family and Happy Tuesday of the First Week of Advent!
On this Feast day, through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints, 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 and we continue to remember the souls of the faithful departed 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 abors 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🙏
Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | December 3, 2024 |
Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN on YouTube” | December 3, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary for Peace with Pope Francis” | LIVE Basilica of St. Mary Major | October 6, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | December 3, 2024 |
Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| December 3, 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: Tuesday, December 3, 2024
Reading 1, Isaiah 11:1-10
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 72:1, 7-8, 12-13, 17
Gospel, Luke 10:21-24
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/
THE LITURGICAL YEAR IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2024/12/03/the-liturgical-year-in-the-catholic-church/
ADVENT PRAYER – FIRST WEEK: The following prayer should be repeated each day during the first week. After the prayer, the family’s youngest child lights the first purple candle. (Family members can also take turns lighting and blowing out the candles on each night.)
LEADER: O Lord, stir up Thy might, we beg Thee, and come, That by Thy protection we may deserve to be rescued from the threatening dangers of our sins and saved by Thy deliverance. Through Christ our Lord. ALL: Amen🙏
(The candle is allowed to burn during evening meals for the first week.)
NOVENA TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Novena starts November 29 – December 7th. Traditionally prayed in preparation for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on December 8th | https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/novena-to-the-blessed-virgin-mary-the-immaculate-conception/
NOVENA TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION: INTRODUCTORY PRAYER: O God, who by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, did prepare a worthy dwelling place for Your Son, we beseech You that, as by the foreseen death of this, Your Son, You did preserve her from all stain, so too You would permit us, purified through her intercession, to come unto You. Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen 🙏
INTERCESSORY PRAYER ~ DAY FIVE: O Lord, who, by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, did prepare a fitting dwelling for Your Son, we beseech You that as by the foreseen death of Your Son, You did preserve her from all stain of sin, grant that through her intercession, we may be favored with the granting of the grace that we seek at this time.
(State your personal intention here.)
O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in Heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from Him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen🙏
SAINT ANDREW PRAYER: Beginning today, on this Feast of St. Andrew (November 30th), the following beautiful prayer is traditionally recited fifteen times a day until Christmas. This is a very meditative prayer that helps us increase our awareness of the real focus of Christmas and helps us prepare ourselves spiritually for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
“Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, [here mention your request] through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen.”🙏
SAINT OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER, PRIEST – FEAST DAY ~ DECEMBER 3RD: Today, on this first Sunday of advent, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, Priest. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints during this special season of Advent, we humbly pray for God’s grace and mercy as we prepare for the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ. 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🙏
SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER, PRIEST: St. Francis (1506-1552) is one of the Church’s most illustrious missionaries. He was born in a castle of Xavier in the Kingdom of Navarre, Spain on April 7, 1506 into a noble, aristocratic Spanish family of the Kingdom, and the youngest son of his parents. His mother, Dona was an esteemed heiress, sole heiress of two noble Navarrese families and his father, Juan, an adviser or counselor to King John III of Navarre. In 1512, King Ferdinand of Spain invaded the Kingdom of Navarre. Three years later St. Francis’s father died when he was only nine. In 1516, after a failed attempt to expel the Spanish invaders from the Kingdom, the Spanish invaders ordered the family lands to be confiscated, demolition of the outer wall, the gates and two towers of the family castle torn down, and the moat was filled in. Only the family residence inside the castle was left. For the following years with his family until he left for his studies in Paris, life in Navarre – partially occupied with Spain, was surrounded with war that lasted over 18 years. It ended with Navarre being partitioned into two territories; the king and his loyalists abandoned the south and moved to the northern part, now France. While St. Francis brothers entered the military, St. Francis followed an intellectual path to a college in Paris. In 1525 he went to Paris and studied at the University of Paris, where he taught philosophy after obtaining his degree of master of arts. Here he met Ignatius of Loyola with whom he received Holy Orders in Venice in 1537 and was enrolled as one of the first seven Jesuits. They decided to go to the Holy Land, but the war between the Turks and Venice prevented this, so for a time Francis labored at Padua, Bologna, and Rome.
In 1540, St. Ignatius chose St. Francis as the first missionary to the Portuguese East Indies to evangelize. St. Francis sailed from Lisbon armed with four papal briefs making him nuncio with full powers and recommending him to the Eastern princes. He landed at Goa in India and began a vast apostolate lasting over ten years. Here he instructed the adults, gathered the children by ringing a bell in the streets, catechized them, and also visited the hospitals and prisons. He then turned to the native Indians, teaching the simple folk by versifying Catholic doctrine and fitting the verses to popular tunes. He then went on to Cape Comorin and began the conversion of the Paravas, some days baptizing so many that at night he could not raise his arm from fatigue. Then to Travencore where he founded forty-five churches in various villages. Then to Malacca in Malaya, and for eighteen months from island to island, preaching, instructing, baptizing. On his return to Goa he heard of the vast harvest of souls awaiting the laborers in Japan and he set out for this field with several companions, arriving at Kagoshima in 1549. St. Francis carried the light of Faith to Japan, of which he became the first missionary, and where a flourishing Christian community soon arose. He set himself to learn the language and started to preach and teach with such success that twelve years later his converts were found still retaining their first fervor. He remained in Japan two years and four months, and returned to India in 1551. He returned to Malacca to revisit his converts in India. Now a new goal loomed up before his eyes—pagan China, but he was not to reach it. After visiting Goa, he set sail, in 1552, to carry out his resolve, but God was satisfied with his will. On the twenty-third day after his departure from Malacca he arrived at Sancian. Arriving on the island of Sancian at the mouth of the Canton river, St. Francis became ill of a fever and would have died abandoned on the burning sands of the shore if a poor man named Alvarez had not taken him to his hut. Here he lingered for two weeks, praying between spells of delirium, and finally died with his eyes fixed with great tenderness on his crucifix on Friday, December 3, 1552, at the age of forty-six. He died while seeking a way to enter the closely-guarded kingdom of China. He was buried in a shallow grave and his body covered with quicklime, but when exhumed three months later it was found fresh and incorrupt. It was taken to Goa where it is still enshrined. In 1622, both St. Francis Xavier and St. Ignatius Loyola were canonized on the same day by Pope Gregory XV. St. Francis Xavier was proclaimed patron of foreign missions and of all missionary works by Pope St. Pius X.
St. Francis Xavier is best known for his missionary work, both as an organizer and as a pioneer. He was known throughout the Far East for his humility, care of the poor, and miracles including healings, speaking in tongues, and prophetic powers. His passion for Christ and zeal for souls won him many converts to the faith. It is said that during his missionary journeys he baptized over 40,000 people. He is considered by many to be one of the Church’s greatest missionaries since St. Paul the Apostle. In his travels he left behind flourishing churches that were the foundations of the Catholic Church in Asia. His work was also noteworthy to Christians in the propagation of Christianity in China and Japan. India, to this day, has numerous Jesuit missions and many more schools because of this great saints work. St. Francis is the Patron Saint of African missions; navigators; missionaries; India, Japan, China, and New Zealand. Apostleship of Prayer; Kottar, India; Agartala, India; Ahmedabad, india; Alexandria, Louisiana; Apostleship of Prayer; Foreign Missions; Parish Missions; Plague; Australia; Bengaluru, India; Bombay, India, Bomeo, Cape Town, South Africa; China; Dinajpur, Bangladesh; East Indies; Fathers of the Precious Blood; foreign missions; Freising, Germany; Goa, India; Fiji; Green Bay, Wisconsin Wisconsin; India; Indianapolis, Indiana; Japan; Key West, Florida; Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan; University of Saint Francis Xavier, Sucre, Bolivia; Joliet, Illinois; Kabankalan, India; Kollam, Philippines; Nasugbu, Batangas, Philippines; Abuyog, Leyte, Philippines; Alegria, Cebu, Philippines; Hong Kong Macau; Antananarivo, Madagascar; Diocese of Malindi, Kenya; missionaries; Missioners of the Precious Blood; Navarre, Spain; navigators New Zealand; parish missions; plague epidemics; Propagation of the Faith; Zagreb, Croatia; Indonesia; Malacca, Malaysia; Brunei; Pakistan; Philippines; Singapore; Sri Lanka. St. Francis Xavier’s feast day is December 3rd.
PRAYER: Lord, You won many peoples for Your Church through the preaching of St. Francis. Inspire the faithful today with the same zeal for spreading the Faith, so that everywhere the Church may rejoice in her many children. Amen 🙏
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:
Bible Readings for today, Tuesday of the First Week of Advent | Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, Priest | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Gospel Reading ~ Luke 10:21-24
Jesus rejoices in the Holy Spirit
“Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.” Turning to the disciples in private he said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus speaks of the unique relationship he enjoys with God, His Father, ‘No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son’. Only God knows Jesus, His Son, thoroughly, and only Jesus knows God, His Father, thoroughly. The knowledge that God the Father and Jesus have of each other is a knowledge born of love. It is true even at the level of human relationships that we can really only know those we love. Yet, even though God and Jesus have a unique relationship, it is not a closed relationship. At the beginning of the Gospel reading, Jesus blesses God for revealing ‘these things’ to mere children, and at the end of the Gospel reading He declares to His disciples, ‘Happy the eyes that see. Jesus blesses God for revealing ‘these things’ to mere children, and at the end of the Gospel reading He declares to his disciples, ‘Happy the eyes that see what you see’. God has made himself know to us through his Son Jesus, and, as a result, we have come to see what prophets and kings in the Jewish Scriptures wanted to see and never saw. Although we may not know God as Jesus does, Jesus has made God known to us. To that extent, Jesus invites us to share in his own relationship with God and with God’s relationship with him. If that is to happen, we need to become what the gospel reading calls ‘children’. We need something of the openness and receptivity and trust of children in our relationship with Jesus, so that He can look upon us, as he looked upon His disciples in the Gospel reading, and declare us blessed or happy for seeing what we see. In the Gospels where the evangelists allow us to overhear the prayer of Jesus. He is portrayed as praying in the joy of the Holy Spirit. All genuine prayer in our own lives is an expression of the working of the Holy Spirit within us. Our prayer, in a sense, is only an entering into the ongoing prayer of the Holy Spirit deep within our hearts. In his prayer Jesus give thanks to God for all those who have welcomed Jesus’ revelation of his own intimate relationship with God. It is the children who have received this revelation, those considered weak and vulnerable, while those regarded as learned and clever have rejected this revelation. Jesus addresses His own disciples as among those who have received Jesus’ revelation of his own intimate relationship with God, ‘Happy the eyes that see what you see. Advent is a time when we try to open our eyes more fully to what the Lord is trying to reveal to us. It is a season when we become like children so as to receive with greater openness what the Lord is offering us, a share in His own intimate relationship with God.
In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful throughout the city and region of Corinth, where St. Paul spoke about the matter of his missionary works and efforts, everything that he had done for the sake of God and His people, how he could not and ought not to boast about all of his works and achievements, as everything that he had done, all were done for the glory of God and for the salvation of the people that he had been sent to. The Corinthians like many other people throughout the world at the time, had received the news and words of God’s salvation through the Apostles and many other missionaries, but they all served the Lord humbly, and while performing the miraculous signs and proclaiming the words of wisdom and wonders, all these they dedicated to God and not to themselves. This is a very important reminder to each and every one of us as servants and followers of God in our respective missions and evangelising efforts that we should not take credit for our efforts and works, and we must always put God at the very centre of our lives and existence. Otherwise, it is easy for many of us to fall into the temptations of power, glory, fame and ambition, which had indeed happened to some among our predecessors, allowing the evil one to tempt them with the false glory and worldly achievements and ambitions. We must not walk down that path, and we have to resist all the pressures, coercions and temptations to enter into the falsehoods of evil, of the many desires and attachments of this world. We have to keep our faith and trust strongly in the Lord. This is a very important reminder to each and every one of us as servants and followers of God in our respective missions and evangelising efforts that we should not take credit for our efforts and works, and we must always put God at the very centre of our lives and existence. Otherwise, it is easy for many of us to fall into the temptations of power, glory, fame and ambition, which had indeed happened to some among our predecessors, allowing the evil one to tempt them with the false glory and worldly achievements and ambitions. We must not walk down that path, and we have to resist all the pressures, coercions and temptations to enter into the falsehoods of evil, of the many desires and attachments of this world. We have to keep our faith and trust strongly in the Lord.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, on this special feast of St. Francis Xavier, Patron of Missions. We’re all called to commit ourselves to be a missionary Church, a vibrant and evangelising community of the Lord’s disciples, filled with the love for the Lord and with the passion to serve Him and to follow Him all the days and moments of our lives. Let us all follow the examples and inspiration from the passion and the commitment which St. Francis Xavier had dedicated his life to the service of God and to the proclamation of the Good News, the Gospel of salvation. Let us be exemplary in our way of life so that all those who witness our actions and works may indeed be convinced of God’s truth and His Good News that we and many other missionaries of the Church had proclaimed. If we ourselves have not lived in the way that the Lord had told and taught us to do, how can we then convince others to do the same? May the Lord our most loving God continue to help and guide us in our journey of faith through life, so that we may always remain firm in our conviction and dedication, walking ever firmly in the path that He has set before all of us. May God be with us always and may He empower each and every one of us to be shining beacons of His light and truth, much as how St. Francis Xavier and the many other, innumerable saints had shown us their faith and light of God’s truth. May God bless our every works and efforts, and help us to persevere ever more faithfully in all the things we do for the greater glory of His Name. May He bless our Advent journey that we will always continue to grow ever stronger in our love for Him, and be prepared and ready to rejoice with Him this upcoming Christmas season. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace to do God’s will and be channels of the Lord’s compassionate presence to all those we encounter during this Advent season and always. May our Advent journey be truly blessed and fruitful. Amen 🙏
DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF DECEMBER:*
MONTH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION: The month of December is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Chosen before time to be the Mother of God Incarnate, Jesus Christ, God created Mary perfect and full of grace, preserving her from the stain of Original Sin. Mary Immaculate is the most beautiful fruit of the work of redemption accomplished by her Son, thereby making her the perfect model of holiness for all Christians.
https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/overviews/months/10_1.cfm
THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER – FOR PILGRIMS OF HOPE: We pray that this Jubilee Year strengthen our faith, helping us to recognize the Risen Christ in our daily lives, and that it may transform us into pilgrims of Christian hope.
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/
PRAYER INTENTIONS: Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints during this special season of Advent, we humbly pray for God’s grace and mercy as we prepare for the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Praying for hope, faith, love, joy and peace in our world today, as we face these incredibly challenging times. We 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 parents, 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 divine Lord, I know You are alive today, speaking to me, calling me and revealing to me Your glorious presence. Help me to desire You and, within that desire, to turn to You with all my heart. I love You, my Lord. Help me to love You more. 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 and Saint Francis Xavier ~ 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 1st Week of Advent 🙏
Blessings and love always, Philomena💖
Daily Reflections | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/
Foundation | https://gliopiepehe.org
Sir G.L.I Opiepe’s Health and Education Foundation |