SAINTS OF THE DAY – FEAST DAY ~ DECEMBER 7, 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 Saturday 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 ù 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 7, 2024 |
*Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN on YouTube” | December 7, 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 7, 2024 |
Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| December 7, 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: Saturday, December 7, 2024
Reading 1, Genesis 3:9-15, 20
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 98:1, 2-3, 3-4
Gospel, Luke 1:26-38
Reading 2, Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12
THE LITURGICAL YEAR IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2024/12/03/the-liturgical-year-in-the-catholic-church/
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/
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 34 of the Immaculate Conception on December 8th | https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/novena-to-the-blessed-virgin-mary-the-immaculate-conception/
We thank God for granting us the opportunity to complete the Novena to the Blessed Virgin Mary, The Immaculate Conception. May our Mother Mary continue to intercede for us. Amen 🙏🏽
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 NINE: O Mother of the King of the Universe, most perfect member of the human race, “our tainted nature’s solitary boast,” we turn to you as mother, advocate, and mediator. O Holy Mary, assist us in our present necessity. By your Immaculate Conception, O Mary conceived without sin, we humbly beseech you from the bottom of our heart to intercede for us with your Divine Son and ask that we be granted the favor for which we now plead.
(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 on the 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”🙏
SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT AMBROSE, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH – FEAST DAY ~ DECEMBER 7TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Ambrose 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. Amen🙏
SAINT AMBROSE, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH: St. Ambrose of Milan (c. 340–397 A.D.), an early “Father” and Doctor of the Church, was an educated and successful lawyer and a Roman governor of Milan, Italy with wealth and prestige. St. Ambrose was a child of a noble Roman family, born at Treves in Gaul (modern day France), where his father exercised the office of Prefect of the Praetorium, about the year 340. Gaul is a territory which embraced modern France, Britain, Spain, and part of Africa. His father died while he was still an infant, and with his mother he returned to Rome, where he enjoyed a good education, learned the Greek language, and a good poet and orator. Later he moved to Milan with his brother. Probus, Praetorian Prefect of Italy, appointed Ambrose Governor of Liguria and Aemilia. His virtues in this office, and the voice of a child who proclaimed him Bishop, marked him out to the people of Milan as their Bishop on the vacancy of the See. When the bishop of Milan died in 374 A.D., a movement arose among the people to demand that St. Ambrose take his place. Both Catholics and Arians elected him to the first dignity in the diocese, a dignity that he reluctantly accepted. At the time St. Ambrose was only a catechumen preparing for baptism; he was not yet a Christian. He went into hiding in an attempt to escape the ecclesiastical appointment. His attempts to hide were unsuccessful; the emperor forbade anyone to gave him shelter, which forced him to give himself up and submit to the will of the people to be their bishop. St. Ambrose quickly received the sacraments, the Sacrament of Baptism, including Holy Orders, and was ordained the Bishop of Milan a week later. Eight days after his baptism, St. Ambrose received episcopal consecration on December 7, 374. The date would eventually become his liturgical feast. He was consecrated Bishop at the age of thirty-four. He became a very holy leader, giving his property to the poor and his land to the Church, and making himself directly available to the needs of all people.
After giving his fortune to the Church and the poor, St. Ambrose applied himself to study the Scriptures and ecclesiastical writes, placing himself under the instruction of Simplicianus, a priest of the Church of Rome, who succeeded him in the Archbishopric of Milan. St. Ambrose worked tirelessly to defend orthodox doctrine, especially against the pervasive Arian heresy which denied the divinity of Christ. His warfare against the Arians was such that by the year 385 very few still professed that heresy in the diocese. In 381, he had a Council at Milan against the heresy of Apolinaris, and assisted at that of Aquileia; the next year, he assisted at one held in Rome. When Maximus assumed the purple in Gaul, St. Ambrose was sent there, and he succeeded in concluding a treaty with the Emperor. But a second embassy, in 387, was not so successful: Maximus invaded Italy and was defeated by the Emperor Theodosius. St. Ambrose at a later date had occasion to reprehend Theodosius and did so with the greatest Apostolical freedom.
St. Ambrose was the saint who introduced lectio divina, the practice of prayerfully meditating on the Sacred Scriptures, into the Latin Church. This informed his eloquent writing, preaching, and teaching, earning him the nickname “honey-tongued doctor.” He was an illustrious preacher. He composed many hymns, promoted sacred chant, and took a great interest in the Liturgy. He wrote much on the Scriptures and Fathers, preached a homily every Sunday, resisted the interference of the secular powers with the rights of the Church, opposed the heretics. St. Ambrose was the bishop who converted and baptized St. Augustine of Hippo. He was instrumental in bringing about the conversion of St. Augustine. Through his sermons he brought St. Augustine to the faith and baptized him in 387. One of his last actions was the ordination of St. Honoratus. After a life of labor and prayer the holy Bishop of Milan died in 397. His 23 years of diligent service had turned a deeply troubled diocese into an exemplary outpost for the faith. His writings remained an important point of reference for the Church, well into the medieval era and beyond. St. Ambrose has been named one of the “holy fathers” of the Church, whose teaching all bishops should “in every way follow.” He is one of the four great Latin Doctors of the Church, and his statue is one of four that upholds the Chair of St. Peter inside St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. St. Ambrose is the Patron Saint of bee keepers; bees; candlemakers; chandlers; domestic animals; French Commissariat; learning; Milan, Italy; schoolchildren; students; wax melters; wax refiners. St. Ambrose’s feast day is December 7th.
QUOTES OF SAINT AMBROSE, BISHOP
☆”It is not enough just to wish well; we must also do well.”
☆”When in Rome, live as the Romans do; when elsewhere, live as they live elsewhere.”
☆”A good youth ought to have a fear of God, to be subject to his parents, to give honor to his elders, to preserve his purity; he ought not to despise humility, but should love forbearance and modesty. All these are an ornament to youthful years.”
PRAYER: God, by Your grace St. Ambrose, Your Bishop, became a great teacher of the Catholic Faith and an example of apostolic fortitude. Raise up Bishops in Your Church today who will give strong and wise leadership. Amen🙏
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:
Bible Readings for today, Memorial of Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Gospel Reading ~ Matthew 9:35-10:1, 5a, 6-8
“At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them”
“Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” Then he summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus, “Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”
In today’s Gospel reading from the Gospel of St. Matthew, when Jesus saw the crowds He had compassion for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. ‘Compassion’ is a powerful emotion by which we identify with the situation of others and are moved to action. Jesus’ compassion for the crowd expressed itself in two ways in the Gospel reading. He first told His disciples to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send labours into His harvest. These harassed and dejected people need labourers to journey with them and to lead them. The second way Jesus expressed His compassion was to appoint some labourers Himself. He summoned twelve from His disciples and empowered them to bring His compassionate presence to those who may not meet Jesus personally. Where do we find ourselves in the Gospel reading? Sometimes we may be among those who are harassed and dejected. If so, the Gospel reading assures us that the Lord is with us in our valley of darkness; He is always drawing near to us in His compassion, especially through His labourers. At other times we may find ourselves called to be among the labourers whom the Lord wants to send into His harvest to journey with those who are harassed and dejected. If so, the Gospel reading assures us that in sending us out as His labourers, the Lord will also empower us for the work He is asking us to do. According to the Gospel reading, ‘You received without charge, give without charge’. The risen Lord continues to give expression to His compassion by sending out labourers who will labour on His behalf. We are all called, in different ways, to be channels of the Lord’s compassion for His people. The Lord needs all of us as His labourers, if His compassionate concern for those dejected and harassed is to find concrete expression. The harvest is so rich that there will never be enough labourers. The Lord needs all the labourers he can get; He needs every one of us to proclaim with our lives, ‘the kingdom of heaven is at hand’. The Lord who comes to each of us in our need, in our vulnerability, also looks to each of us to be labourers in His harvest, to be channels of His compassionate presence to those who feel harassed and dejected today.
Our first reading today from the Book of the prophet Isaiah gives assurance from the Lord for His people in the kingdom of Judah, in which God reassured them that they would no longer suffer all the difficulties and challenges, trials and persecutions that they had endured at that time. For at that time, the people of God in the kingdom of Judah were in dire straits, facing lots of threats from their enemies and hostile neighbours, and their separated brethren in the northern kingdom of Israel had earlier on been conquered and defeated by the Assyrians, who destroyed their cities and scattered them into the distant lands away from their homeland, and made them to endure bitter and humiliating exile, bondage and submission. The people of Judah themselves had faced similar difficulties, as they had to face the invasion by a mighty force of the Assyrians that laid siege to their cities and to Jerusalem itself, and yet, for all their hubris, pride and arrogance, God laid them low and humbled them all as He struck many of them and crushed the arrogance of their king, who had to go back to his homeland with great embarrassment and disgrace. These words of God as spoken by the prophet Isaiah in our first reading today are therefore message of hope and assurance, and the people of God themselves likely had experienced God’s help and guidance firsthand, and encountered His great love and mercy, which He had Himself shown before them. This is a reminder therefore for all of us that we may also believe in God and His loving providence. As we all continue to progress through this time and season of Advent towards Christmas we are constantly therefore being reminded of God’s love and presence in our midst at all times, how He will always be there for us, guiding and strengthening us in our journey throughout the way. We are reminded that in God is our hope and salvation, and if we continue to trust in Him and follow Him wholeheartedly, then eventually we will share in the true and eternal happiness, glory and all that He has promised and reassured us again and again throughout time. In this time and season of Advent, we are all reminded that we are preparing ourselves to celebrate the Lord’s coming into this world, and remember everything that He has done for us through His Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today and as we continue to progress through this blessed time and season of Advent, all of us are reminded that the Lord alone is our hope and our strength, and the sure source of salvation and liberation from our troubles, challenges and trials. We are all reminded that each and every one of us are called to follow the Lord and to walk faithfully in His path, which is our mission in life, to obey and to do what God has willed for us. As Christians we must always endeavour to glorify God by our everyday living and by each and every one of our words, actions and deeds, and by whatever good works and contributions we have done for the good of everyone in the Church and elsewhere. We have been entrusted with the important mission to proclaim the Lord and His salvation to the world, and to make Him known to more and more people, so that many more may come to be saved through Him. Let us all therefore follow in the footsteps of the Saints and the Apostles, Holy men and women, particularly those we celebrate today, like those of St. Ambrose of Milan and the countless other servants and disciples of the Lord who had done their best in their lives to show the love and kindness, mercy and compassion of God to all the people whom they encountered and ministered to. Each and every one of us are partakers of God’s mission, the ones entrusted with the responsibility to lead more and more people towards God, through our exemplary lives and actions, through our commitment and dedication to Him, at all times. May the good Lord continue to strengthen our faith and empower us all so that we may always grow ever stronger in faith and devotion to God, and in our hope in His salvation. May our every actions, words and deeds be filled with true and genuine faith in God, and may all of us draw ever closer to Him, now and always, in all circumstances. May God in His Infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace to remain faithful in Him and may He bless us all in our every good deeds and endeavours, all for His greater glory. 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 dear Lord, I commit myself to Your divine mission. I choose You and Your holy will for my life. Send me, dear Lord, to those who are most in need of your love and mercy. Help me to know how I can bring that love and mercy to those entrusted to me so that they will experience in their lives Your glorious and saving grace. 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; Saint Ambrose ~ Pray for us🙏
Thanking God for the gift of this day and praying for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and our world and for God’s Divine Mercy and Grace upon us all. Have a blessed, safe, and grace-filled 1st Week of Advent and relaxing weekend 🙏
Blessings and love always, Philomena💖
Daily Reflections | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/
Foundation | https://gliopiepehe.org
Sir G.L.I Opiepe’s Health and Education Foundation |