Month: December 2024

FOURTH WEEK OF ADVENT

SAINTS OF THE DAY – FEAST DAY ~ DECEMBER 23, 2024

CHRISTMAS NOVENA AND THE “O ANTIPHONS” OF ADVENT

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]

CHRISTMAS NOVENA AND THE “O ANTIPHONS” OF ADVENT – DECEMBER 16 – 24: This Christmas Novena starts on December 16th [Christmas Novena Link Below]

THE “O ANTIPHONS” OF ADVENT
The “O Antiphons” are prayed for 7 days in preparation for Christmas: December 17–23.

Greetings and blessings, beloved family and Happy Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent!

On this Special 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 and Holy Rosary| on EWTN on YouTube” | December 23, 2024 |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | December 23, 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 23, 2024 |

Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| December 23, 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, December 23, 2024
Reading 1, Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14
Gospel, Luke 1:57-66

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/

CHRISTMAS NOVENA: DECEMBER 16 – 24: Pray the Christmas Novena for 9 consecutive days starting today, December 16th. This novena is prayed in conjunction with the “O Antiphons,” of Advent shown below.

(CHRISTMAS NOVENA PRAYERS – Pray More Novenas – Novena Prayers & Catholic Devotion | https://www.praymorenovenas.com/christmas-novena)

(How to pray the ‘Christmas Novena’ that’s been said for 300 years | Catholic News Agency | https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253090/how-to-pray-the-300-year-old-christmas-novena)

(Holy Christmas novena, here’s a YouTube link ~ https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE9MVQgdDD0PoX0Hnyl4SIeHQVE1I1jqJ)

The link below is Magnificat Novena to the Holy Child Jesus, December 16 -24
(Novena to the Holy Child Jesus ~ https://editionsmagnificat.com/flipbooks/en/christmas-novena/index.html)

CHRISTMAS NOVENA AND THE “O ANTIPHONS” OF ADVENT: Today is the eighth day of the Christmas Novena and we reach the culmination of the O Antiphons today, the seventh O Antiphon, O Emmanuel (O God Is With Us). In previous antiphons our cry was directed to the Messiah as He manifested Himself to the Chosen People, to the Gentiles, and in nature; now He is addressed in person and asked to remain with us as Emmanuel. Reading this final antiphon gives the feeling that a climax has indeed come. The very term Emmanuel, God with us, reveals the kindly, human heart of Jesus — He wants to be one of us, a Child of man, with all our human weakness and suffering; He wants to experience how hard it is to be man. He wants to remain with us to the end of time, He wants to dwell within us, He wants to make us share His nature.

DECEMBER 23: 7TH O ANTIPHON – O EMMANUEL (O GOD IS WITH US)

7th O Antiphon Symbols: Manger ~ Come to save us, O Lord our God.

O Emmanuel, God with us, our King and Lawgiver, the expected of the nations and their Savior: Come to save us, O Lord our God. The manger reminds us of the simplicity and poverty surrounding the birth of Jesus and is representative of His life of humility. Recommended Readings: Isaiah 9:2-7

CHRISTMAS NOVENA: DECEMBER 16 – 24: Pray the Christmas Novena for 9 consecutive days from December 16 -24th. This novena is prayed in conjunction with the “O Antiphons,” of Advent shown below. The link below is Magnificat Novena to the Holy Child Jesus, December 16 -24
(Novena to the Holy Child Jesus
https://editionsmagnificat.com/flipbooks/en/christmas-novena/index.html)

CHRISTMAS NOVENA ~ DAY EIGHT

OPENING PRAYER (for each day): Hail, and blessed be the hour and moment At which the Son of God was born of a most pure Virgin At a stable at midnight in Bethlehem In the piercing cold At that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, To hear my prayers and grant my desires (Mention your intentions here) Through Jesus Christ and His most Blessed Mother. Amen🙏

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. O Lord, Word of God, You, whose glory is complete, came to us in perfect humility as a child in the womb. Your love for us and Your humility is unsurpassed and brings us to our knees in prayer and worship. Your incarnation forever changed the world. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

O Lord, infant Jesus, inspire us to be repulsed by sin! You, Lord, are holy but we are not. We pray that you will make us holy and keep us from temptation this Christmas. We also pray for these intentions… (State your intentions here). May Your Holy Will be done in my life and with these intentions. We pray that the work of salvation that Your first coming began will reach fulfillment in each of us. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen 🙏

DAY EIGHT: December 23 ~ Scripture reading: Malachi 3:1–4; 4:5–6

Consideration: Malachi prophesies the birth and mission of John the Baptist. Like a new Elijah, John will go before the Messiah and prepare the people for the Lord’s coming. A spirit of joy and wonderment pervades today’s prophecy, for the hand of God is active in Israel. The people wonder what it will all mean for their future. What does it mean for us today? The seventh “O antiphon” climaxes the series. The Messiah is addressed in human form. He is asked to remain with us as Emmanuel. May our hearts be ready to receive the Lord into our small, personal world, as he once came to the little town of Bethlehem. Emmanuel — God is with us! God, stay with us.

Antiphon: O Emmanuel, our ruler and lawgiver, the expected of the nations and the Redeemer of all, come now to deliver us, O our Lord and our master. (cf. Is 7:14; Is 33:22; Gen 49:10; Zech 9:9; Jn 20:28)

Magnificat

Intercessions: King of kings, direct the minds and hearts of those who hold authority; — let justice and peace prevail and let goodwill reign forever.
Lord Jesus, through your saving grace and power, — may your Church continue to spread until it embraces every nation.
Jesus, prince of peace, you are meek and humble of heart; — teach us to be thankful for all the blessings you bestow upon us.
Jesus, source of light and growth, increase vocations in your Church, like a gentle rain falling upon the earth; — the harvest is great and your word must be announced through all the world until your kingdom comes.

December 23: O Emmanuel, our King and our Law-giver, Longing of the Gentiles, yea, and salvation thereof, come to save us, O Lord our God! O Emmanuel (God with us)
O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Savior of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God. Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory be.

CLOSING PRAYER (To be said after the intercessions each day of the novena): Let us pray. Come to live among us, Lord, so that we may always receive your forgiveness and mercy. Jesus our king, clothed in a robe of flesh, give us love, wisdom, and understanding at your birth. Reveal to us the mystery of your life, then send us forth to reveal your Word over all the earth. You who live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen 🙏

THE “O ANTIPHONS” OF ADVENT
The “O Antiphons” are prayed for 7 days in preparation for Christmas: December 17–23. For those familiar with the Liturgy of the Hours, these are the antiphons used with the Magnificat each day. They are based on Isaiah’s prophecies and reveal the different titles given to the Messiah.

O Sapientia (O Wisdom) Isaiah 11:2–3; 28:29
O Adonai (O Lord) Isaiah 11:4–5; 33:22
O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse) Isaiah 1:1; 11:10
O Clavis David (O Key of David) Isaiah 9:6; 22:22
O Oriens (O Rising Sun) Isaiah 9:1
O Rex Gentium (O King of the Nations) Isaiah 9:5; 2:4
O Emmanuel (God with us) Isaiah 7:14

The “O Antiphons” link below:
http://stannesepiscopal.net/o-antiphons/

Since each antiphon is short, it is helpful to spend time reading it each day, pondering it and praying it meditatively throughout the day as a way to make immediate spiritual preparation for Christmas.

SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT JOHN OF KANTY, PRIEST AND SAINT SERVULUS OF ROME, INVALID AND BEGGAR – FEAST DAY ~ DECEMBER 23TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint John of Kanty, Priest and Saint Servulus of Rome, Invalid and Beggar.

SAINT JOHN OF KANTY, PRIEST: Also known as St. John Cantius was a Polish priest, scholastic philosopher, physicist and theologian, born in June 1390 in a village, in Polish town of Kanty, the name of which he bears, situated in the diocese of Krakow, Poland. His childhood was passed in innocence under the care of his virtuous parents. After finishing his studies he became professor in the University of Krakow, a position he occupied several years, endeavoring not only to train his pupils in science but also to instill into their hearts the sentiments of piety with which he was himself animated. He was distinguished for his piety and love of neighbor. Having been ordained to the priesthood, St. John distinguished himself by still greater zeal for the glory of God and his own perfection. The carelessness and indifference of so many Christians were for him a great source of affliction. As parish priest, he became a true pastor of souls, severe toward himself and indulgent to others, showing himself the father of his people and their friend when they were in need. After some years he resumed his duties of professor at the University of Cracow, practicing at the same time prayer, love for the poor, and all Christians virtues.

Consumed by the desire of suffering martyrdom, John made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and preached “Jesus Crucified” to the Turks. Four times he made a journey to Rome on foot. On foot he visited the holy places of Rome and Palestine. His sleep was short and taken on the floor; his food barely sufficed to keep him alive. By means of fasting and severe discipline he preserved his purity intact. One day, after robbers had deprived him of all his effects, they asked him whether he had anything more. The saint said no, but hardly had they gone when he remembered having sewn some gold pieces inside his clothing; immediately he followed and overtook them. The robbers, astonished at the man’s sense of truthfulness, refused to accept the money and returned to him the stolen luggage.

To guard himself and his household from evil gossip he wrote upon the wall of his room (after the example of St. Augustine): Conturbare cave, non est placare suave, diffamare cave, nam revocare grave, i.e. “Guard against causing trouble and slandering others, for it is difficult to right the evil done.” His love of neighbor was most edifying. Often he gave away his own clothing and shoes; then, not to appear barefoot, he lowered his cassock so as to have it drag along the ground. During the last thirty years of his life he abstained entirely from meat. Sensing that his death was near at hand, he distributed whatever he still had to the poor and died peacefully in the Lord at an advanced age on December 24, 1473 at Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland. He was canonized in 1767 in Rome by Pope Clement XIII. St. John of Kanty is the Patron Saint of Lithuania, Poland and Jagiellonian University Theology career

REFLECTION: St. John of Kanty is a typical saint: He was kind, humble, and generous, he suffered opposition and led an austere, penitential life. Most Christians in an affluent society can understand all the ingredients except the last: Anything more than mild self-discipline seems reserved for athletes and ballet dancers. Christmas at least is a good time to reject self-indulgence.

PRAYER: Almighty God, help us to follow the example of Your Priest, St. John, in advancing in the science of the Saints. May we show compassion to all who are in need so that we ourselves may obtain Your mercy. Amen🙏

SAINT SERVULUS OF ROME, INVALID AND BEGGAR: Saint Servulus (or Servolo, died c. 590) was a paralyzed beggar, born in the 6th century at Rome, Italy. He was afflicted from birth with a severe palsy that prevented him from ever standing or even sitting unaided. His family carried him to the door of Saint Clement’s church in Rome, Italy so he could beg for alms. He spent all his time praying outside Saint Clement’s Church in Rome. Saint Servulus was a perfect model of submission to the divine Will; it would be difficult to offer a more consoling example to persons afflicted by poverty, illnesses and the other miseries of life. It is Saint Gregory the Great who narrates for us his edifying story: We have seen under the portico of the Church of Saint Clement, a poor man named Servulus, who is known to all the people of Rome as to Us. He was deprived of all the goods of this world; a long illness had reduced him to a pitiful state. From his youth he was paralyzed in all his members. Not only could he not stand up, but he was unable to rise from his bed; he could neither sit down nor turn himself from one side to the other, nor bring his hand to his mouth. Nothing in him was sound except his eyes, ears, tongue, stomach and entrails.

This unfortunate man, who had learned the mysteries of religion, meditated unceasingly on the sufferings of the Saviour, and never did he complain. He was surrounded by the loving care of his mother and brother. Neither the mother nor the children had ever studied, yet the paralytic had pious books bought for himself, in particular the Psalms and the Holy Gospels, and he would ask the religious who came to visit him on his cot to read from them to him. In this way he learned these books by heart; he spent days and part of the nights in singing or reciting them, and meditating them, and he constantly thanked the Lord for having taken him to be a victim associated with the pains and sufferings of Jesus Christ.

Many alms came to the little house of the paralytic, to such an extent that he became rich in his poverty. After having taken from these what was necessary for his subsistence and that of his mother, he gave the rest to the indigent, who often assembled around him to be edified by his words and his virtues. His bed of pain was a pulpit of preaching, from which he converted souls. When the time came which was decreed by God to reward his patience and put an end to his painful life, Servulus felt the paralysis spreading to the vital parts of his body, and he prepared for death. At the final moment, he asked those in attendance to recite Psalms with him. Suddenly he cried out: Ah! Don’t you hear that melody resounding in heaven?’ At that moment his soul escaped from his body, which until his burial gave forth a marvelous fragrance. He died in 590 of natural causes and buried at Saint Clement’s church, Rome, Italy. He’s the Patron Saint against cerebral palsy; disabled people; handicapped people and physically challenged people.

Saint Servulus of Rome, Invalid and Beggar ~ Pray for us 🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:

Bible Readings for today, Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel reading ~ Luke 1:57-66

“The birth of John the Baptist; His name is John”

“When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be? For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Elizabeth was very clear about the name she wanted to give her child, the name ‘John’. This took the rest of the family by surprise because there had been no tradition of that name in the family. The choice of the name ‘John’ was confirmed by the child’s father, Zechariah. This was the name that the angel Gabriel had told Zechariah to give his son. Hebrew names often have a meaning and the name ‘John’ means in Hebrew ‘God is gracious’. The son of Zechariah and Elizabeth would prepare the way for the Lord who would inaugurate a time of grace, a time of God’s favour. It is that time of grace and favour that we celebrate at Christmas time. The Angels would announce to the shepherds, ‘Peace to those on whom God’s favour rests’. With the birth of Jesus, God’s gracious favour rested on us all. We are all highly favoured by God because of the birth of the one whose way John the Baptist prepared. At this Christmas time, we acknowledge the wonderful way we have been graciously favoured by God’s giving His Son to us. It is said in the Gospel reading that the neighbours treasured the circumstances of John’s birth in their hearts. We have something even more wonderful to treasure in our hearts as we come to celebrate the birth of Jesus. This is also a time when we are called to share with each other something of that favour of God which has come to rest upon us through the birth of Jesus.

Our first reading today, from the prophet Malachi, speaks about the coming of the days of God’s messenger, who would come to prepare the hearts and minds of the people, to prepare for the coming of the Lord, which was also alluded to in the words of the prophet Malachi. Malachi was one of the last prophets chronologically in the Old Testament era, who ministered to the people of God a few centuries before the Lord’s coming, and his words of prophecy further set the expectation of the coming of God’s salvation, which the people of God looked forward to, as they heard the words of reassurances that God had made through His many prophets, including that of Malachi.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today and draw ever closer to Christmas, we are all reminded of the coming of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, into our midst. The Lord has sent us His messenger and herald to prepare the path for His coming into this world, and He has fulfilled that promise, with the coming of St. John the Baptist, the one who was prophesied to be the one to prepare the way for the Lord. As we heard in our Scripture readings today, all these happened so that the Lord might come and rescue us all from our troubles and bring us into His loving presence once again, and that is the reason why we rejoice this Christmas. Let us therefore seek the Lord with a new heart, with a new commitment to follow Him and to devote our time and attention to Him, and from this upcoming Christmas celebration, to put Him back as the centre and focus of our lives. Let us all follow the examples set and shown by St. John of Kanty, doing our best to walk faithfully in the path that God has shown us. First let us all start by changing our Christmas celebrations from one that is worldly and self-centred into one that is centred on God, as well as love and life-giving, inspired by the love and generosity which St. John of Kanty has shown to those who were less fortunate all around him. Let us also remember that Christmas is all also possible, and that we can rejoice exactly because God has shown us His most generous love and kindness, compassion and grace. May the Lord continue to guide us and strengthen us, empowering us with the love and courage to do our best in our lives, to be ever more loving and generous to each other. Through our faithful and worthy Christmas celebrations, where Christ is at the very focus and heart of our joy, let us all inspire more and more people that each one of us may be the shining beacons of God’s hope, light and truth. Let us show our love and generosity to those around us and not be distracted by the worldly glamour and desires. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace that we may draw ever closer to God and be blessed as we approach the glorious and joyful season of Christmas. 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

Lord, I know I lack faith in my life. I fail to believe all that You speak to me. As a result, I often fail to put Your words into action. Dear Lord, when I suffer as a result of my weakness, help me to know that this and all suffering can result in giving glory to You if I renew my faith. Help me, like Zechariah, to return to You always, and use me as an instrument of Your manifest glory. 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 John of Kanty and Saint Servulus of Rome ~ 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.
We pray for the safety and well-being of all those traveling during this season of Christmas. Have a blessed, safe, and grace-filled 4th 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 |

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT (YEAR C)

SAINTS OF THE DAY – FEAST DAY ~ DECEMBER 22, 2024

CHRISTMAS NOVENA AND THE “O ANTIPHONS” OF ADVENT

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]

CHRISTMAS NOVENA AND THE “O ANTIPHONS” OF ADVENT – DECEMBER 16 – 24: This Christmas Novena starts on December 16th [Christmas Novena Link Below]

THE “O ANTIPHONS” OF ADVENT
The “O Antiphons” are prayed for 7 days in preparation for Christmas: December 17–23.

Greetings and blessings, beloved family and Happy Saturday of the Fourth Week of Advent!

On this Special 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 and Holy Rosary| on EWTN on YouTube” | December 22, 2024 |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | December 22, 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 22, 2024 |

Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| December 22, 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: Fourth Sunday of Advent (Year C) | December 22, 2024
Reading 1, Micah 5:1-4
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19
Reading 2, Hebrews 10:5-10
Gospel, Luke 1:39-45

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/

CHRISTMAS NOVENA: DECEMBER 16 – 24: Pray the Christmas Novena for 9 consecutive days starting today, December 16th. This novena is prayed in conjunction with the “O Antiphons,” of Advent shown below.

(CHRISTMAS NOVENA PRAYERS – Pray More Novenas – Novena Prayers & Catholic Devotion
https://www.praymorenovenas.com/christmas-novena)

(How to pray the ‘Christmas Novena’ that’s been said for 300 years | Catholic News Agency ~ https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253090/how-to-pray-the-300-year-old-christmas-novena)

(Holy Christmas novena, here’s a YouTube link ~ https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE9MVQgdDD0PoX0Hnyl4SIeHQVE1I1jqJ)

The link below is Magnificat Novena to the Holy Child Jesus, December 16 -24
(Novena to the Holy Child Jesus ~ https://editionsmagnificat.com/flipbooks/en/christmas-novena/index.html)

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT: Today is the fourth and final Sunday of Advent, the last Sunday of our preparation for Christmas, the anniversary of Christ’s birth. This fourth Sunday of Advent gives us the opportunity to prepare our hearts in faithful waiting, to celebrate the birth of Jesus, and ready ourselves for His second coming. On which occasion we focus ourselves on the aspect and theme of Faith and Love, the last one among the themes of Hope, Peace, Joy and Faith & Love that we reflect upon each Sundays in this time and season of Advent. It’s a beautiful chance to reflect on the ways prophecy has been fulfilled and to ponder what the future (promised to us through prophecies) will bring.

On this Sunday we focus on the Faith and Love of God which has been manifested to us in His Son, incarnate in the flesh, to become the perfect manifestation of His love in our midst. Yes, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, Whose coming into this world we celebrate this Christmas, is the One Who showed us all what God’s love is all about, love that is always ever enduring, love that never ceases, ever generous and which He has always lavished on each and every one of us, His precious and beloved ones. And this emphasis on the theme of Love at the very last Sunday of Advent also has its significance as Love is also the most important one amongst the all the Christian virtues and values, the most important of all the fruits of the Holy Spirit and the manifestation of all that is good from God. Without Love then there can be neither Hope, nor Peace, nor Joy. True Hope, Peace and Joy have been shown and given to us most generously by the Lord Himself through His Beloved Son, Whom He sent into our midst, because God so loved the world that He gave us His only Begotten Son, so that all those who believe in Him may not perish but has eternal life, and that was what St. John wrote in his Gospel in the famous quote from the third chapter of the Gospel of St. John, verse sixteen. It is thanks to God’s Love, that all of us have Hope, the Hope for eternal Peace and true Joy. As we prepare our hearts for the celebration of Jesus’ arrival as a gift to all humanity, let’s stir up in our hearts and homes a sense of anticipation. May God’s spirit transform the days leading up to Christmas into a time of holy anticipation; preparing our hearts, as we faithfully await the chance to celebrate the arrival of our king.

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT MEANING AND SYMBOLISM: The word “Advent” comes from the Latin word adventus, which means “coming.” The tradition for the fourth Sunday of Advent includes lighting the fourth candle that is a symbol of faith / love. This fourth Sunday of Advent we read, pray, and reflect on the hope God’s plan gives us (foretold by the prophets and fulfilled by the life and death of Christ), and we meditate on the promise of Christ’s coming glory-filled return. As we light the fourth advent candle, may God’s spirit prepare our heart to receive Jesus as our king. May God’s grace abound in our life in this season of holy anticipation. This week, we pause to remember who God is and what He has done for us. When our lives are hurried, we only have the chance to focus on our to-do lists. Making space in our schedules for prayer and meditation helps us to better see God at work in our lives and in our world.

A PRAYER FOR FAITH ON THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT: Father, prepare our hearts to celebrate your birth joyfully! We thank you for faithfully doing what you promised long ago when you sent your Son to earth so that we might have the chance to become part of your family. Let the promise of your second coming inspire us to live with hope and purpose. As we wait for your plan to unfold, give us the patience we need. Remind us of the peace we can access when we take time to still ourselves before you and remember that you are God. We thank you that you are both sovereign and gracious. Help us to find rest in the midst of what feels like chaos in our world. Amen🙏

THE ADVENT WREATH: FOURTH WEEK PRAYER: The prayer that follows is to be repeated each day of the fourth week. After the prayer, the father lights all four candles.

LEADER: O Lord, stir up Thy power, we pray Thee, and come; and with great might help us, that with the help of Thy Grace, Thy merciful forgiveness may hasten what our sins impede. Through Christ our Lord. ALL: Amen.

(The four candles are allowed to burn during the evening meals of the fourth week.)

After the fourth week, the penitential season of Advent is over and the time to rejoice is at hand. The Advent wreath is transformed into a Christmas wreath. Ribbon and candles are replaced with red ribbon and long red or white tapers (to be lighted at breakfast on Christmas morning) and, if desired, other festive decorations can be added.

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.”🙏

CHRISTMAS NOVENA AND THE “O ANTIPHONS” OF ADVENT: Today is the seventh day of the Christmas Novena and the sixth of the O Antiphons, O Rex Gentium (O King of the Nations). “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return” (Luke 19:12). This nobleman is Christ, the Son of God, King of all nations. His kingdom is over all men and over all things, both material and spiritual. He has everything in His hand as God and man. But another, Satan, has broken into His kingdom and has made himself master of many of Christ’s subjects. In the old dispensation only a small part of humanity, the chosen people, remained faithful to the almighty King.

Christ, the Son of God, came into this “far country” in order to become man and, by means of humility, obedience, and poverty, to cast out the usurper who had taken His subjects. He came to reassert His dominion over all those who had left Him, both Jews and Gentiles.

DECEMBER 22: 6TH O ANTIPHON – O REX GENTIUM (O KING OF THE NATIONS)

6th O Antiphon Symbols: Crown and Scepter

Come, and deliver man, whom You formed out of the dust of the earth. O King of the Gentiles and their desired One, the Cornerstone that makes both one; Come, and deliver man, whom You formed out of the dust of the earth.

The crown and scepter signify Christ’s universal kingship. As we sing in the sixth O Antiphon, Christ is not only the King of the Jewish nation, but the “Desired One of all,” the cornerstone which unites both Jew and Gentile. Recommended Readings: Apocalypse (Revelation)15:1-4

CHRISTMAS NOVENA: DECEMBER 16 – 24: Pray the Christmas Novena for 9 consecutive days from December 16 -24th. This novena is prayed in conjunction with the “O Antiphons,” of Advent shown below.

The link below is Magnificat Novena to the Holy Child Jesus, December 16 -24
(Novena to the Holy Child Jesus
https://editionsmagnificat.com/flipbooks/en/christmas-novena/index.html)

CHRISTMAS NOVENA ~ DAY SEVEN

OPENING PRAYER (for each day): Hail, and blessed be the hour and moment At which the Son of God was born of a most pure Virgin At a stable at midnight in Bethlehem In the piercing cold At that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, To hear my prayers and grant my desires (Mention your intentions here) Through Jesus Christ and His most Blessed Mother. Amen🙏

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. O Lord, Word of God, You, whose glory is complete, came to us in perfect humility as a child in the womb. Your love for us and Your humility is unsurpassed and brings us to our knees in prayer and worship. Your incarnation forever changed the world. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen🙏

O Lord, infant Jesus, move us to forgive others as you forgive us! Your Divine Mercy is unending! We pray for Your Divine Mercy on us and that we may participate in Your mercy by forgiving others this Christmas. We also pray for these intentions… (State your intentions here). May Your Holy Will be done in my life and with these intentions. We pray that the work of salvation that Your first coming began will reach fulfillment in each of us.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen 🙏

DAY SEVEN: December 22: Scripture reading: Luke 1:46–55

Consideration: In the Magnificat, Mary draws on the Old Testament prophecies and exults in praise of God. Mary’s Son is destined to fulfill God’s promises to his people. Mary rejoices in the deliverance of God’s people and in his care for the poor and destitute of society. Her song bears another hymn that runs like a golden thread through the readings and antiphons. The expected Messiah will be the Lord of the Gentiles as well as of the Jews. We pray in today’s antiphon, “Come, king of all nations.” Christ is the peacemaker, the bond of unity among all peoples.

Antiphon: O king of all nations, the one for whom they have been yearning, the cornerstone who unites all of them in perfect union, come now, and rescue poor humanity, which from dust you have fashioned. (cf. Jer 10:7; Hg 2:8; Is 28:16, Gen 2:7, Eph 2:14)

Magnificat

Intercessions: Wonderful, Counselor, Prince of Peace! In your great love for us you were born of the Virgin Mary; — may her prayers for us be our joy and consolation at all times. Mary has given birth to the Savior, splendor of the rising sun; — bring those who have died into your light through the intercession of Mary your Mother. The angels proclaim a mystery today while shepherds hurry to a cave. Mary has given birth to a child in a cold, bare stable; — we are ready to warm you, holy child, with our hearts. Let us honor you by our lives and deeds, singing glory to God in the highest and peace to all people of goodwill. Christ, Emmanuel, Mary cared for you in joy and Joseph provided for all the needs of his family; — help families to love one another and bond them together in love. Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you! Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb; — truly blessed is she who bore the Son of God, and blessed too are those who hear the word of God — and keep it.

December 22: O King of the Gentiles, yea, and desire thereof! O Corner-stone, that makest of two one, come to save man, whom Thou hast made out of the dust of the earth! O King of the Nations (O Rex Gentium) O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart; O Keystone of the mighty arch of man, come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust. Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory be.

CLOSING PRAYER (To be said after the intercessions each day of the novena): Let us pray. Come to live among us, Lord, so that we may always receive your forgiveness and mercy. Jesus our king, clothed in a robe of flesh, give us love, wisdom, and understanding at your birth. Reveal to us the mystery of your life, then send us forth to reveal your Word over all the earth. You who live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen 🙏

THE “O ANTIPHONS” OF ADVENT
The “O Antiphons” are prayed for 7 days in preparation for Christmas: December 17–23. For those familiar with the Liturgy of the Hours, these are the antiphons used with the Magnificat each day. They are based on Isaiah’s prophecies and reveal the different titles given to the Messiah.

O Sapientia (O Wisdom) Isaiah 11:2–3; 28:29
O Adonai (O Lord) Isaiah 11:4–5; 33:22
O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse) Isaiah 1:1; 11:10
O Clavis David (O Key of David) Isaiah 9:6; 22:22
O Oriens (O Rising Sun) Isaiah 9:1
O Rex Gentium (O King of the Nations) Isaiah 9:5; 2:4
O Emmanuel (God with us) Isaiah 7:14

The “O Antiphons” link below:
http://stannesepiscopal.net/o-antiphons/

Since each antiphon is short, it is helpful to spend time reading it each day, pondering it and praying it meditatively throughout the day as a way to make immediate spiritual preparation for Christmas.

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:

Bible Readings for today, Fourth Sunday of Advent (Year C) | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/

Gospel Reading ~ Luke 1:39–45

“And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”

“Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth when both of them were pregnant, Mary with the Holy Child and Saviour in her womb, while Elizabeth was bearing St. John the Baptist, the Herald of the Saviour in her. Mary brings the Lord to Elizabeth. She does so in a very physical way. She is carrying the child Jesus in her womb. Elizabeth is very aware just how privileged she is to be receiving such a visit. She asks, ‘Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord?’ She recognizes Mary, her cousin, as the mother of the Lord, whom she is carrying in her womb. Elizabeth’s unborn child, John the Baptist also recognizes that the Lord is visiting through Mary. Elizabeth declares, ‘For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy’. In bringing the Lord to Elizabeth, Mary brought joy both to Elizabeth and to the child in her womb. Mary shows us what is at the heart of our baptismal calling. Like her, we are all called to bring the Lord to one another and, in so doing so, to bring joy to others. It is not only Ministers of the Eucharist who bring the Lord to others, although they do so in a special way, bringing Jesus as the Bread of Life. We can all bring the Lord to others by the quality of our presence to them..Mary’s visit to Elizabeth was an act of loving service. She visited her older cousin whom she knew to be pregnant. Even though Mary herself was pregnant, she set out on an arduous journey from Nazareth south to a town in the hill country of Judea. She wanted to be present to Elizabeth in a loving and supportive way. Whenever we are present to others in the same loving and supportive way, we are bringing the Lord to them. The equivalent of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth is always happening among us. At Christmas, we celebrate the greatest visitation of all, God visiting all of us through His Son, Jesus.

When we go on a journey to visit someone, we leave sooner or later. According to Luke’s Gospel, Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her home. However, when God visited us through his Son, God stayed. God remained with us through his Son, now our risen Lord. The risen Lord visits us every day of our lives. In the words of the Book of Revelation, He stands at the door of our lives and knocks. According to today’s second reading, Jesus says to God, ‘God, here I am’. As risen Lord, He says to each one of us every day of our lives, ‘Here I am’. Even if we have not been very present to Him in the past, He continues to say, ‘Here I am’. He continues to visit us, to seek us out. One of the ways He visits us is through those people who are present to us in the way that Mary was present to Elizabeth. Whenever any of us is present to someone in the way Mary was present to Elizabeth, God’s visitation of His people through Jesus takes flesh through us. The Word becomes flesh through us. So often, the risen Lord’s good work happens through the ordinary transaction of human contact and care. The interaction and exchanges of Mary and Elizabeth shows the great joy and happiness that they had shown, representing all the joy and happiness that all of us should have in God as well because of everything that He had done for us, His beloved ones. God has never stopped loving us, and He has always fulfilled His promises, and He watched over every one of us and listened to the plight of the needy. The miraculous occasions of the pregnancy of both Mary and Elizabeth were the confirmation of this great love that God has for all of us. As Christmas is fast approaching, today’s Gospel reading reminds us that even more important than the presents we give and receive is the quality of our presence to one another. The way Mary and Elizabeth were present to each other can be an inspiration to us all this Christmas.

In our first reading this Sunday from the Book of the prophet Micah, God spoke to His people, the Israelites of the coming of His salvation from the land of Judah, at Bethlehem Ephrata, a small town where David once hailed from before he became the King of all Israel. It was from that city that the Saviour would also be born at, and everything indeed came true several centuries after the Lord had promised it to the people through the prophet Micah. The Lord would send His Son to this world to manifest His love, not through great and loud rejoicing, acclamation or proclamations, but rather through a small, little and vulnerable Child, born in a stable at Bethlehem over two millennia ago, the Holy Child that would be the Saviour of all mankind. By making Himself small and vulnerable, He has shown us just how much He desire to love all of us. He wants to embrace us so much that He willingly took up our human nature and existence, being incarnate in the flesh, Love Himself manifested in the Christ-Child, being shown to all of us, that God truly cared for all of us, and He has never abandoned us to the darkness and sin.

Our second reading from the Epistle to the Hebrews spoke of the Lord’s purpose of coming into this world. The author of this Epistle spoke of the sacrifice and offering which Christ Our Lord and Saviour has offered on our behalf, as the one perfect sacrificial offering that is the only one worthy enough for the atonement of all of our many sins, faults and wickedness, to redeem us from all of those. And even more importantly, Christ obeyed His Father’s will perfectly, that He as the new Man, the new Adam, as contrasted to the old and first Adam, rejected the temptations of disobedience and sin, of any worldly comforts and pleasures which we have often fallen to and embraced, instead of God’s love, truth and mercy. According to the second reading, the author also spoke of the obedience of Christ and His sacrifice which has overridden the original interpretation of the commandments and Law of God as practiced by the Jewish people and their ancestors, which required them to offer sin offerings and sacrifices regularly at the Temple, for the one ultimate Sacrifice of Our Lord on His Cross is all that is sufficient to redeem all of us, all mankind past, present and future from our innumerable sins, something that no animal offerings or blood can offer us. That is because Christ, out of His Love for His heavenly Father and for each and every one of us, being the manifestation of God’s Love in our midst have offered His own Most Precious Blood, the Blood of the Lamb of God, and at the same time acting as our One and Eternal High Priest, offering all these, His broken Precious Body and outpoured Precious Blood for the salvation of all. Through this perfect act of selfless and ultimate love, obedience and faith, Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, the incarnate Son of God has opened for us the path to eternal life and to full reconciliation with God, our loving Father and Creator. None of this would have been possible without the Love of God, the love that He has always had for us, ever enduring even despite our frequent disobedience and rebellions against Him.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scripture on this last Sunday of Advent, we are all reminded that Christmas is truly all about Love, the Love that God has never ceased to show us all, and which He has manifested to us through His Son, and reaffirmed fully at the moment of the Passion of the Lord, the time when He offered His life in exchange for ours, laying down His life for us all sinners, showing the greatest and most generous love. That is why as we all prepare ourselves for the celebrations and joyful occasion of Christmas season and time, let us all remind ourselves constantly that everything that we are rejoicing for, all of these are only possible thanks to the most generous and selfless love from God. It means that we should also show this love in our Christmas celebrations and festivities, remembering to share the joy we have to one another, to everyone around us especially to those who are suffering and enduring challenges and difficulties, and also all those who may not be so fortunate and blessed, and may not be able to rejoice much this coming Christmas season. We must remember everyone around us, all those who are in need of our love and attention, our help and care so that we may indeed be able to share the joy and blessings that God has given us most generously. May God in His infinite grace and mercies, grant us His grace and may all of us grow ever stronger in our love for both God and for one another just as God Himself has loved us all and shown us how we can love everyone around us, now and always. Amen 🙏🏽

SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT CHAEREMON, BISHOP AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS AND SAINT ISCHYRION, MARTYR IN ALEXANDRIA, HOLY MARTYRS – FEAST DAY ~ DECEMBER 22TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Chaeremon, Bishop and Companions, Marytrs and Saint Ischyrion, Martyr in Alexandria, Holy Martyrs. The third century was marked by Roman persecutions of the Church. Today’s saints were martyred during the reign of Emperor Decius. They lived in Egypt. In the year 247 St. Dionysius was chosen Bishop of Alexandria. Soon afterward, the people of Alexandria, incited by a pagan prophet and given further impetus by an edict of the Emperor Decius, began a fierce persecution of all Christians. St. Dionysius was himself hunted and escaped only through the aid and insistence of a wedding party of pagans. In his letter to Fabian, the Bishop of Antioch, St. Dionysius of Alexandria speaks of Christians who suffered martyrdom under the Emperor Decius. St. Dionysius wrote an account of this persecution to Fabian, Bishop of Antioch. In it he states that many Christians fled into desert and there perished from the elements and died in a variety of ways: from hunger, thirst, and over-exposure to extreme weather, or from wild beasts and wild men and criminals. Naturally, if the Christians tried to return to civilization, they were killed. The young, healthy Christians were captured and sold into slavery.

In his letter, St. Dionysius especially mentions SAINT CHAEREMON, Bishop of Nilopolis, who was very old when the persecution became extreme. St. Chaeremon, the elderly bishop and a companion took refuge in the mountains of Arabia. They were never seen again, nor were their bodies ever found. Although a search was made in the mountains of Arabia by the Christians, nothing was ever again heard or seen of either of them after 250. The bishop and his companions are listed as martyrs.

In the same letter St. Dionysius also mentions the name of SAINT ISCHYRION, the procurator of a magistrate of Egypt. St. Ischyrion worked for an official in one of Egypt’s cities, it may have been Alexandria. His employer, the Egyptian official ordered him to sacrifice to the gods. Ischyrion refused so steadfastly because this was against the first commandment, neither abuse nor threats could make him change his mind. The official was angry and insulted. The enraged magistrate then had St. Ischyrion mutilated and impaled. He was eventually killed. A great many other martyrs are included here who gave their lives for Jesus at this time in Egypt.

REFLECTION: Today, there are still many people who suffer for their faith in Jesus. Let us pray for them, that they will have the courage they need to be faithful to the Gospel.

PRAYER: Loving God, You not only sent Your Son into the world to save us, but You also had Him call us to a life in this world lived in Your presence. Through the intercession of Your servants St. Ischyrion, St Chaeremon and companion martyrs, grant us the grace to respond with joy. This we ask this through Christ our Lord. 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 most glorious Lord, You grace me beyond imagination. Too often, I fail to experience the gratitude and the wonder and awe that should result. Please help me to first see the countless blessings of Your grace and presence in my life. And as I see them, please fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I, too, may continually sing Your worthy praises. 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 Chaeremon and Companions and Saint Ischyrion, Holy Martyrs ~ 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.
We pray for the safety and well-being of all those traveling during this season of Christmas. Have a blessed, safe, and grace-filled 4th Sunday of Advent and week 🙏🏽

Blessings and  love always, Philomena💖

Daily Reflections | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/

Foundation | https://gliopiepehe.org

Sir G.L.I Opiepe’s Health and Education Foundation |

THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT

SAINTS OF THE DAY – FEAST DAY ~ DECEMBER 21, 2024

CHRISTMAS NOVENA AND THE “O ANTIPHONS” OF ADVENT

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]

CHRISTMAS NOVENA AND THE “O ANTIPHONS” OF ADVENT – DECEMBER 16 – 24: This Christmas Novena starts on December 16th [Christmas Novena Link Below]

THE “O ANTIPHONS” OF ADVENT
The “O Antiphons” are prayed for 7 days in preparation for Christmas: December 17–23.

Greetings and blessings, beloved family and Happy Saturday of the Third Week of Advent!

On this Special 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 and Holy Rosary| on EWTN on YouTube” | December 21, 2024 |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | December 21, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary for Peace with Pope Francis” | LIVE Basilica of St. Mary Major | October 6, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | December 21, 2024 |

Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| December 21 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteries VIRTUAL🌹JOYFUL🌹LUMINOUS🌹SORROWFUL🌹GLORIOUS” oùn YouTube |

Memorare Chaplet | Prayer in Difficult Times (Powerful Prayer) |

Today’s Bible Readings: Saturday, December 21, 2024
Reading 1, Zephaniah 3:14-18 or Song of Songs 2:8-14
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21
Gospel, Luke 1:39-45

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/

CHRISTMAS NOVENA: DECEMBER 16 – 24: Pray the Christmas Novena for 9 consecutive days starting today, December 16th. This novena is prayed in conjunction with the “O Antiphons,” of Advent shown below.

(CHRISTMAS NOVENA PRAYERS – Pray More Novenas – Novena Prayers & Catholic Devotion
https://www.praymorenovenas.com/christmas-novena)

(How to pray the ‘Christmas Novena’ that’s been said for 300 years | Catholic News Agency ~ https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253090/how-to-pray-the-300-year-old-christmas-novena)

(Holy Christmas novena, here’s a YouTube link ~ https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE9MVQgdDD0PoX0Hnyl4SIeHQVE1I1jqJ)

The link below is Magnificat Novena to the Holy Child Jesus, December 16 -24
(Novena to the Holy Child Jesus ~ https://editionsmagnificat.com/flipbooks/en/christmas-novena/index.html)

THE ADVENT WREATH: THIRD WEEK PRAYER: The joyful Sunday in Advent (known as “Gaudete”) is represented by rose (or pink) instead of the penitential purple color. Each night during the third week the mother of the family lights the pink, as well as the two previously burned purple candles, after the following prayer has been said.

LEADER: O Lord, we beg Thee, incline Thy ear to our prayers and enlighten the darkness of our minds by the grace of Thy visitation. Through Christ our Lord. ALL: Amen🙏

(The three candles are allowed to burn during the evening meals of the third week.)

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.”🙏

Today is the sixth day of the Christmas Novena and the fifth of the O Antiphons, O Oriens (O Radiant Dawn/O Dayspring/O Morning Star). It is the Sun, the Redeemer, whom we await. “I am the light [the sun] of the world” (John 8:12). Christ is the light of the world because of the faith which He has infused into souls. He has enlightened the world by His teaching and by the example of His life. In the crib, in Nazareth, on the cross on Calvary, in the tabernacle of our churches, He answers the eternal questioning of the benighted soul.

DECEMBER 21: 5TH O ANTIPHON – O ORIENS (O RADIANT DAWN / O DAYSPRING / O MORNING STAR)

5th O Antiphon Symbols: Sun with Rays

Come, and shine on those seated in darkness, and in the shadow of death. O Dawn, splendor of eternal light, and sun of justice, come, and shine on those seated in darkness, and in the shadow of death. Just as the natural sun gives light and life to all upon whom its rays fall, so Christ, the Rising Dawn, dispels darkness and brings eternal life and light. Recommended Readings: Malachi 4:2-6

CHRISTMAS NOVENA: DECEMBER 16 – 24: Pray the Christmas Novena for 9 consecutive days from December 16 -24th. This novena is prayed in conjunction with the “O Antiphons,” of Advent shown below. The link below is Magnificat Novena to the Holy Child Jesus, December 16 -24 (Novena to the Holy Child Jesus ~ https://editionsmagnificat.com/flipbooks/en/christmas-novena/index.html)

CHRISTMAS NOVENA ~ DAY SIX

OPENING PRAYER (for each day): Hail, and blessed be the hour and moment At which the Son of God was born Of a most pure Virgin At a stable at midnight in Bethlehem In the piercing cold At that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, To hear my prayers and grant my desires (Mention your intentions here) Through Jesus Christ and His most Blessed Mother. Amen🙏

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. O Lord, Word of God, You, whose glory is complete, came to us in perfect humility as a child in the womb. Your love for us and Your humility is unsurpassed and brings us to our knees in prayer and worship. Your incarnation forever changed the world. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

O Lord, infant Jesus, give us Your peace! You are the Prince of Peace and the ultimate fulfillment of your incarnation brings us to you in heaven where peace will come to perfection. We pray for peace this Christmas. We also pray for these intentions… (State your intentions here) May Your Holy Will be done in my life and with these intentions. We pray that the work of salvation that Your first coming began will reach fulfillment in each of us. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.🙏

DAY SIX: December 21 ~ Scripture reading: Luke 1:39–45

Consideration: Mary and Elizabeth were deeply rooted in faith and love of God, and both responded wholeheartedly to God’s plans. They are a sublime sign of hope for the whole human race. Families all over the world look to their example as they await the blessing of a new baby in their own homes. May they build a foundation of love for the child to come and correspond with joy to God’s plans. Mary, the Morning Star, heralds the coming of her Son; Elizabeth is the first to understand. Her own son leaps for joy in her womb, and the two women embrace because God is in their midst.

Antiphon: O radiant dawn, splendor of eternal light and bright sun of justice, come now and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. (cf. Zech 3:8; 6:12; Is 9:2; 60:1-3; Wis 7:26; Lk 1:78; Heb 1:3)

Magnificat

Intercessions: Ruler of Jacob’s house, teach us to guard what is good in ourselves, — that we may cherish all that you have given to us, for you are our salvation. God of power and might, help us to be patient and steady our hearts, because the coming of the Lord is at hand; — drop down dew from above and let the clouds rain down the just one. Lord, the one foretold by the prophets, — be mindful of your promises to Abraham and his children. Messiah, king of glory, you are the fulfillment of the Scriptures, — grant that all people may recognize you as their Savior and Lord.

December 21: O Dayspring, Brightness of the everlasting light, Son of justice, come to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death! Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory be. O Radiant Dawn (O Oriens) O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

CLOSING PRAYER (To be said after the intercessions each day of the novena): Let us pray. Come to live among us, Lord, so that we may always receive your forgiveness and mercy. Jesus our king, clothed in a robe of flesh, give us love, wisdom, and understanding at your birth. Reveal to us the mystery of your life, then send us forth to reveal your Word over all the earth. You who live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen 🙏

THE “O ANTIPHONS” OF ADVENT
The “O Antiphons” are prayed for 7 days in preparation for Christmas: December 17–23. For those familiar with the Liturgy of the Hours, these are the antiphons used with the Magnificat each day. They are based on Isaiah’s prophecies and reveal the different titles given to the Messiah.

O Sapientia (O Wisdom) Isaiah 11:2–3; 28:29
O Adonai (O Lord) Isaiah 11:4–5; 33:22
O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse) Isaiah 1:1; 11:10
O Clavis David (O Key of David) Isaiah 9:6; 22:22
O Oriens (O Rising Sun) Isaiah 9:1
O Rex Gentium (O King of the Nations) Isaiah 9:5; 2:4
O Emmanuel (God with us) Isaiah 7:14

The “O Antiphons” link below:
http://stannesepiscopal.net/o-antiphons/

Since each antiphon is short, it is helpful to spend time reading it each day, pondering it and praying it meditatively throughout the day as a way to make immediate spiritual preparation for Christmas.

SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT PETER CANISIUS, PRIEST AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH – FEAST DAY ~ DECEMBER 21ST: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Peter Canisius, Priest and Doctor of the Church.

SAINT PETER CANISIUS, PRIEST AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH: St. Peter Canisius (1521-1597) is a remarkable Jesuit who almost single-handedly reevangelized Central Europe, founded dozens of colleges, contributed to the rebirth of Catholicism by his prodigious writings, and laid the groundwork for the Catholic Reformation north of the Alps. He was born at Nijmegen, Holland, in 1521, and his father was an instructor to princes in the court of the duke of Lorraine. St. Peter Canisius was part of a movement for religious reform as a very young man and in 1543, after attending a retreat given by Blessed Peter Favre, joined the Jesuits and was the eighth professed member of the Society of Jesus.

He worked first in the city of Cologne, becoming a spokesman for the Catholic party. He became a consultor to the cardinal of Augsburg at the Council of Trent and in 1547 was called by St. Ignatius to Rome. He was sent to Sicily to teach, then, after his solemn profession in Rome, was sent back to Germany as the first superior of the German province of the Jesuits. St. Peter next began to restore and found colleges, first in Vienna and Prague, and then in Munich, Innsbruck, and throughout northern Germany. He attracted vocations to the Jesuits, and the society began to flourish in Central Europe. He organized the Jesuits into a compact unit and made the society a leading force in the Counter-Reformation. He was in contact with all the Catholic leaders in Germany, and wrote fourteen hundred letters giving support to those laboring for reform. He was the adviser of the emperor and the confidante of three popes. He was consulted by papal legates and nunciatures and was a severe critic of religious and clerical life in post-Reformation Germany. He recommended far-reaching reforms and had a profound effect upon the education and spiritual life of the clergy. Through his efforts, seminaries were founded, and the popes sent him on important diplomatic missions. In the midst of his many labors, he edited and published editions of the Fathers of the Church, catechisms, spiritual manuals, and textbooks that went into countless editions even in his own lifetime. He died on December 21, 1597, at Fribourg, Switzerland. Pope Pius XI canonized him on May 21, 1925, and proclaimed him a Doctor of the Church. Patron Saint of Germany; Catholic press; catechism writers.

PRAYER: God, You endowed Your Priest, St. Peter Canisius, with holiness and learning for the defense of the Church. Through his intercession, grant that those who seek the truth may joyfully find You and that the people of believers may ever persevere in bearing witness to You. Amen🙏

Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints, we humbly pray for God’s grace and mercy as we prepare for the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ during this season of Advent. 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 safety and well-being of all those traveling during this season of Christmas. 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🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS

Bible Readings for today, Thursday of the Third Week of Advent | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ Luke 1:39-45

“And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”

“Mary set out in those days and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

In today’s Gospel reading,  we hear of the meeting between two women, Mary and Elizabeth. It is also the meeting between two infants, Jesus and John the Baptist, whom Mary and Elizabeth were carrying in their wombs. According to the Gospel reading, Mary set out on a journey to visit her older cousin Elizabeth to be with her in her pregnancy, and she stayed with Elizabeth three months. This was a visit that seemed to bring out the best in both women. Because of Mary’s visit, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and the child in her womb leapt for joy, and Mary herself was moved to pray the great prayer that we know as the Magnificat. Both women, the visitor and the one visited, were the better for Mary’s visit. The journey and the visit are very much part of our own celebration of Christmas. According to the Gospel reading, there was an urgency about Mary’s visit to Elizabeth. She ‘set out and went as quickly as she could’. Her ‘yes’ to God’s call through the angel Gabriel found expression in her urgent response to God’s call through her older cousin Elizabeth who needed support in her pregnancy. Mary’s faith expressed itself in loving concern for the other, which is true of all authentic faith. Already pregnant herself, Mary physically brought the Lord to Elizabeth, and Elizabeth came to recognize this through the movement of her own child, John, in her womb, ‘Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord?’ Mary exemplifies our own calling to bring the Lord to others, which is the essence of what Saint Paul calls faith expressing itself in love. Because Mary brought the Lord to Elizabeth, the Gospel reading declares that Elizabeth ‘was filled with the Holy Spirit’. Mary’s visit brought the Spirit to life within Elizabeth. Whenever we bring the Lord to others, we create a space for the Holy Spirit to work within their lives. We are called to encounter others in ways that allow God’s good work that has begun in them to be brought to completion. Mary’s visit to Elizabeth shows us human encounter at its best. Mary who brought the Lord to Elizabeth and enabled her to be filled with the Holy Spirit herself received a blessing from Elizabeth. Elizabeth declared her blessed not only in virtue of the special child she was carrying, and also in virtue of her faith, ‘blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord will be fulfilled’. Whenever we bring the Lord to others, we too will always receive a blessing in return. In the words of the adult Jesus, ‘Give and it will be given to you’. In the gospel reading, the reaction of Elizabeth’s child in her womb enabled Elizabeth to recognize Mary as ‘the mother of my Lord’. Through her unborn child, Elizabeth came to see that Mary’s visit was also the visit of the Lord. Advent and Christmas is a time when we help each other to become more aware of and alert to the presence of the Lord among us, especially in and through each other.

In our first reading today, from the Book of Song of Songs, we heard the words of the joy that a lover had found in discovering the true love, which was in fact a reference to mankind and their love for God. It was in fact the Lord speaking directly to all of us, His beloved people, the ones whom He loves dearly, of the joyous and happy days that will come our way, when our Lord will come to us and we will walk in His Presence once again, with the fullness of joy, and with the shame and the veil of sin have been lifted up from us, and death and destruction no longer hold their power and dominion over us. God has always reached out to us and sought for us, seeking to reconcile us with Himself, and in doing so, He sent us His own begotten and beloved Son, to be our Saviour, Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Son of Man. God has always been generous in showing us all His love and mercy, His patience and kindness, that we should really consider ourselves truly blessed and fortunate for having been beloved in such a way by our Lord, Who loves us all.

In our other first reading option today, from the Book of the prophet Zephaniah, we also hear a similar series of words of reassurance and affirmation, telling all the people of God that their Lord and Master Who loves them all, will come to them, and all will indeed come true, showing us how loving, patient and forgiving God has been to all of those who are dear to Him. The prophet Zephaniah came to the people of God and ministered to them during the time and reign of King Josiah of Judah, who reigned after the downfall of the northern kingdom of Israel to the Assyrians, and after many misfortunes have befallen the people of God, the kingdom of Judah and Jerusalem. Hence, the words of the Lord’s affirmation and love must have truly come at a very timely moment then because it means that the people who had been suffering and enduring a lot of hardships were reminded yet again that despite their stubborn and wicked attitudes, the Lord still loved His people nonetheless, and He wanted all of them to be reconciled with Him, and hence, He told them of His ever generous mercy and love, by which His people through genuine repentance, may always come to seek Him, and this includes each and every one of us as well, because we are all also God’s beloved people, whom He has called and gathered from among the nations, to follow Him and to walk in His Holy Presence.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded to focus on the coming of the Lord Who has come to dwell among His people and how we, as those who are so fortunate to have been given such a great grace from God, should be ever grateful and appreciative of everything that He had done for our sake, from the very beginning until now. And as we continue to come ever closer to the season and celebrations of Christmas, we are constantly being reminded of why we rejoice this upcoming Christmas and what it is that we are all celebrating about. It is not about ourselves and our desires for merrymaking and festivities, all the joy and parties that we are celebrating Christmas for, but rather we rejoice because God’s love and mercy have been shown to us in the most concrete ways possible in Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. As we reflect on these words of the Scriptures, we can clearly see that there is that sense of great joy that should also be present in each one of us, as we await the imminent coming of our Lord and Saviour, just as He has come into this world and entered our human history two millennia ago. As we draw now already so close to Christmas and the end of the current preparatory season of Advent, we really ought to be asking ourselves, if God is truly at the centre of our lives and existence? Is God truly our Lover, the One Whom we truly love with all of our hearts and might, the One to Whom we give our fealty and heartiest obedience, with the greatest devotion and commitment? Is God the One Whom we truly celebrate this Christmas and all of its joyful festivities, as we should? Let us all therefore do our best to do what we can to be ever more faithful and committed to God, in everything we say and do, in our every actions and interactions with one another. Let us also make our upcoming Christmas celebrations one that is truly centred on Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, that each and every one of us may become inspirations and source of strength for one another to be the beacons of God’s hope and light in the midst of our communities, walking in the same path that our holy predecessors had walked, especially that of St. Peter Canisius who has always been rooted and focused on Christ. Let us all therefore follow his good examples and do whatever we can so that we may also be truly faithful in all things, and that we may indeed be filled with genuine faith and commitment to God at all times. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace and the gift of His loving presence. May the Lord be with us always and may He guide us through this time of Advent, and help us to prepare ourselves well through this time towards a proper and worthy celebration of Christmas. 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

Lord, please do dwell within me. Come and transform me by Your holy presence. As You do come to me, help me to then become a missionary of Your divine presence by bringing You to others so that they may encounter the joy of Your presence. Make me a pure instrument, dear Lord, and use me to inspire all whom I encounter every day. 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 Peter Canisius ~ 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.
We pray for the safety and well-being of all those traveling during this season of Christmas. Have a blessed, safe, and grace-filled 3rd 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 |

THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT

SAINTS OF THE DAY – FEAST DAY ~ DECEMBER 20, 2024

CHRISTMAS NOVENA AND THE “O ANTIPHONS” OF ADVENT

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]

CHRISTMAS NOVENA AND THE “O ANTIPHONS” OF ADVENT – DECEMBER 16 – 24: This Christmas Novena starts on December 16th [Christmas Novena Link Below]

THE “O ANTIPHONS” OF ADVENT
The “O Antiphons” are prayed for 7 days in preparation for Christmas: December 17–23.

Greetings and blessings, beloved family and Happy Friday of the Third Week of Advent!

On this Special 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 20, 2024 |

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary| on EWTN on YouTube” | December 20, 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 20, 2024 |

Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| December 20 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: Friday, December 20, 2024
Reading 1, Isaiah 7:10-14
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
Gospel, Luke 1:26-38

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/

CHRISTMAS NOVENA: DECEMBER 16 – 24: Pray the Christmas Novena for 9 consecutive days starting today, December 16th. This novena is prayed in conjunction with the “O Antiphons,” of Advent shown below.

(CHRISTMAS NOVENA PRAYERS – Pray More Novenas – Novena Prayers & Catholic Devotion
https://www.praymorenovenas.com/christmas-novena)

(How to pray the ‘Christmas Novena’ that’s been said for 300 years | Catholic News Agency ~ https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253090/how-to-pray-the-300-year-old-christmas-novena)

(Holy Christmas novena, here’s a YouTube link ~

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE9MVQgdDD0PoX0Hnyl4SIeHQVE1I1jqJ)

The link below is Magnificat Novena to the Holy Child Jesus, December 16 -24
(Novena to the Holy Child Jesus ~ https://editionsmagnificat.com/flipbooks/en/christmas-novena/index.html)

THE ADVENT WREATH: THIRD WEEK PRAYER: The joyful Sunday in Advent (known as “Gaudete”) is represented by rose (or pink) instead of the penitential purple color. Each night during the third week the mother of the family lights the pink, as well as the two previously burned purple candles, after the following prayer has been said.

LEADER: O Lord, we beg Thee, incline Thy ear to our prayers and enlighten the darkness of our minds by the grace of Thy visitation. Through Christ our Lord. ALL: Amen🙏

(The three candles are allowed to burn during the evening meals of the third week.)

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.”🙏

Today is the fifth day of the Christmas Novena and fourth of the O Antiphons, O Clavis David (O Key of David). O sublime majesty of the coming Redeemer! To Him has been delivered the key, the government of the house of David (Is 22:22). Boundless is His power over the graces and privileges of the Church, over the souls and hearts and the wills of men. He holds the destiny of the Church in the palm of His hand. He is Master of the storms that arise to destroy the Church and the souls committed to her. He is capable of dealing with the false principles and the errors that threaten her doctrines. He has overcome the devil and his associates, the world, the flesh and its tribulations. To Him all power is given (Matt. 28:18). “He shall open and none shall shut” (Is 22:22). Against the power that is His all other forces are powerless. The destiny of souls and the government of the Church are placed in His hand. He is the Lord of all. O Key of David, I believe in Thy power; and in the many difficult situations that confront the Church and my own soul, I place my trust in Thee.

DECEMBER 20: 4TH O ANTIPHON – O CLAVIS DAVID (O OKEY OF DAVID)

4th O Antiphon Symbols: Key

Come, and bring forth the captive from his prison.

O Key of David, and Scepter of the House of Israel, who opens and no man shuts, who shuts and no man opens; Come and bring forth the captive from his prison, he who sits in darkness and in the shadow of death.

The key is the emblem of authority and power. Christ is the Key of the House of David who opens to us the full meaning of the scriptural prophecies, and reopens for all mankind the gate of Heaven.

Recommended Readings: Isaiah  22:22-25

CHRISTMAS NOVENA: DECEMBER 16 – 24: Pray the Christmas Novena for 9 consecutive days from December 16 -24th. This novena is prayed in conjunction with the “O Antiphons,” of Advent shown below.

The link below is Magnificat Novena to the Holy Child Jesus, December 16 -24
(Novena to the Holy Child Jesus
https://editionsmagnificat.com/flipbooks/en/christmas-novena/index.html)

CHRISTMAS NOVENA ~ DAY FIVE

OPENING PRAYER (for each day): Hail, and blessed be the hour and moment At which the Son of God was born Of a most pure Virgin At a stable at midnight in Bethlehem In the piercing cold At that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, To hear my prayers and grant my desires (Mention your intentions here) Through Jesus Christ and His most Blessed Mother. Amen🙏

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. O Lord, Word of God, You, whose glory is complete, came to us in perfect humility as a child in the womb. Your love for us and Your humility is unsurpassed and brings us to our knees in prayer and worship. Your incarnation forever changed the world. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

O Lord, infant Jesus, inspire in us Your selfless love! You humbled yourself to become like us in all things but sin, and even humbled yourself to die on a cross. We pray that you will help us to love as You love this Christmas. We also pray for these intentions… (State your intentions here). May Your Holy Will be done in my life and with these intentions. We pray that the work of salvation that Your first coming began will reach fulfillment in each of us. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen 🙏

DAY FIVE: December 20 ~ Scripture reading: Luke 1:26–38

Consideration: The original reference for the fourth “O antiphon” is Isaiah, chapter 22. “Key of David” refers to the one with authority over the royal house of David. The antiphon begs Christ to come and unlock the doors for his people who sit in religious darkness and in the shadows of death. We must wait with longing for our Lord.

Mary’s fiat — her total acceptance of God’s will — brings us the glimmer of light and hope for the coming of Emmanuel, God among us. Mary carries the key of David who will free us forever. Hail, full of grace!

Antiphon: O key of David, royal scepter of Israel, you who open and no one closes; who close and no one can open, come now, and free humanity from its bonds in prison, where it sits in darkness and the shadow of death. (cf. Is 22; Rev 3:7)

Magnificat

Intercessions: Adonai! Son of the living God! The day of the Lord draws near; — he comes as the one who is to save us through his suffering, death, and resurrection.
Virgin Mary, Mother of the Savior, we wait with you quietly for the birth of your Son, — who will set us free from ignorance and darkness.
Virgin Mother, you placed yourself at God’s service and conceived his Son first in your heart, then in your womb; — show us how to open our hearts and receive your Son, for we have a deep bond with you, Christ’s Mother and our Mother, too.
Mary, our Mother, give doctors and nurses strength to bring their patients to health, — that the ill might know the joy of good care in their infirmities.

December 20: O Key of David (O Clavis David): O Key of David, O royal Power of Israel controlling at your will the gate of heaven: come, break down the prison walls of death for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death; and lead your captive people into freedom.

O Key of David, and Sceptre of the house of Israel, that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth, come to liberate the prisoner from the prison, and them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death. Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory be.

CLOSING PRAYER (To be said after the intercessions each day of the novena): Let us pray. Come to live among us, Lord, so that we may always receive your forgiveness and mercy. Jesus our king, clothed in a robe of flesh, give us love, wisdom, and understanding at your birth. Reveal to us the mystery of your life, then send us forth to reveal your Word over all the earth. You who live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen 🙏

THE “O ANTIPHONS” OF ADVENT
The “O Antiphons” are prayed for 7 days in preparation for Christmas: December 17–23. For those familiar with the Liturgy of the Hours, these are the antiphons used with the Magnificat each day. They are based on Isaiah’s prophecies and reveal the different titles given to the Messiah.

O Sapientia (O Wisdom) Isaiah 11:2–3; 28:29
O Adonai (O Lord) Isaiah 11:4–5; 33:22
O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse) Isaiah 1:1; 11:10
O Clavis David (O Key of David) Isaiah 9:6; 22:22
O Oriens (O Rising Sun) Isaiah 9:1
O Rex Gentium (O King of the Nations) Isaiah 9:5; 2:4
O Emmanuel (God with us) Isaiah 7:14

The “O Antiphons” link below:
http://stannesepiscopal.net/o-antiphons/

Since each antiphon is short, it is helpful to spend time reading it each day, pondering it and praying it meditatively throughout the day as a way to make immediate spiritual preparation for Christmas.

SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT PHILOGONIUS OF ANTIOCH, BISHOP AND SAINT DOMINIC OF SILOS, ABBOT – FEAST DAY ~ DECEMBER 20TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of  Saint Philogonius of Antioch, Bishop and Saint Dominic of Silos, Abbot.

SAINT PHILOGONIUS OF ANTIOCH, BISHOP: Saint Philogonius of Antioch was Bishop of Antioch from 314 to 324. He was one of the first Church leaders to assail the evils of Arianism and  is commemorated of December 20. St. Philogonius was born in Antioch during the third century. He was educated for the law and practiced it with great success. While he was admired for his eloquence, he was esteemed for his integrity and sanctity of his life as he defended the poor, widowed, and orphaned. During the stormy times that the Church experienced under the emperors Maximin II and Licinius during the late third and early fourth centuries, the persecutions and imprisonment suffered by Philogonius earned him his title of Confessor.

After the death of his wife, Philogonius entered the Church. In view of his upright life and profound theological knowledge, Philogonius was chosen Bishop of Antioch, as an exception to the canons that required his having experience as a priest beforehand. He succeeded Bp. Vitalis the See of Antioch after his death in the year 318, the same year that the heresiarch Arius, at Alexandria, began to deny the Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. After Arius had expounded his heresy in Alexandria and was condemned by Bp. Alexander of Alexandria, Bp. Alexander communicated the sentence to Philogonius by a synodal letter. Philogonius immediately took notice and vigorously defended the Orthodox faith, and thus prevented unrest in the Church in Antioch..St. Philogonius died peacefully in about the year 324, leaving a legacy that inspired St. John Chrysostom to write an eulogy for St Philogonius in 386.

PRAYER: God, Light and Shepherd of souls, You established St. Philogonius as Bishop in Your Church to feed Your flock by his word and form it by his example. Help us through his intercession to keep the faith he taught by his word and follow the way he showed by his example. Amen.🙏
 
SAINT DOMINIC OF SILOS, ABBOT:  St. Dominic of Silos (1000–1073 A.D.) was defender of the faith. He was born in 1000 in Cañas, Navarre, Spain to a  peasant family. He grew up herding his father’s sheep in the Pyrenees mountains. His work as a shepherd in his youth endeared in him a love of solitude, leading him to enter the local Benedictine monastery in Navarre, San Millan de la Cogolla. King Garcia III of Navarre challenged him when he became abbot of the monastery, and Dominic refused to surrender part of the Benedictine lands to the crown. The king seized the lands and for this he was exiled, forced to leave the house with two other monks.

Dominic then fled to Old Castile, another monastery under the protection of King Ferdinand I of Leon and was welcomed by the king. The monastery of San Sebastian in Silos, though was a dilapidated abbey with a mediocre physical and spiritual regimen. St. Dominic became abbot of the St. Sebastian Abbey at Silos, now called St. Dominic’s and within a short period of time, restored it both materially and spiritually, turning it into a significant center of scholarship and charity to the poor. The funds of the monastery were used to ransom Christian captives who were enslaved by Muslims. He was known for miracles of healing, which he obtained through prayer and for his work of ransoming Christian prisoners from the Spanish moors. He often went to console them and pay their ransom, thus preluding the works of the Order of Our Lady of Ransom, founded in 1218, 145 years after his death. After many years of good works, Dominic felt the moment of the recompense approaching, and was advised of it by the Blessed Virgin. I spent the night near the Queen of Angels, he said one day to his religious. She has invited me to come in three days where She is; therefore I am soon going to the celestial banquet to which She invites me. In effect, he fell ill for three days, and then his brethren saw his soul rise in glory to heaven. He died on December 10, 1073 in Silos, Spain.

St. Dominic of Silos was known during his life and after death as a miracle worker, making him a popular Spanish saint. The Spanish mother of St. Dominic de Guzmán, founder of the Dominican Order, prayed for a son at St. Dominic of Silos’ shrine; when she conceived, she named her son after him. St. Dominic of Silos’ special patronage became connected with pregnancy, and until 1931 his crozier was used to bless the queens of Spain, and was placed beside their beds when they were in labor. St. Dominic of Silos is also the patron of prisoners and shepherds.

Saint Dominic of Silos, Abbot ~ Pray for us 🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:

Bible Readings for today, Friday of the Third Week of Advent | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/

Gospel Reading ~ Luke 1:26-38

“You will conceive in your womb and bear a son”

“In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.”

Today’s Gospel reading from the Gospel of St. Luke details the story of the annunciation by the Angel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary that she is to conceive and give birth to a son who will be called Son of the Most High, Son of God. The Blessed Virgin Mary was a young woman betrothed to a young man, a carpenter, in the small village of Nazareth in Galilee, a region far to the north of the great city of Jerusalem. There was no reason to expect that this woman in this place at this time would be touched by heaven in this wonderful way that had such consequences for us all. The Gospel reading portrays Mary as saying ‘yes’ to God’s call on her to become the mother of God’s Son. Yet, the Gospel suggests that her response to God’s call did not come easily to her. Initially she was ‘deeply disturbed’ by the greeting of the Angel. She raised a probing question in response to the further words of the Angel. ‘How can this come about?’ she asked. She eventually arrived at the point where she could say, ‘Let what you have said be done to me’. However, the reading suggests that she only came to that point after a lot of struggle. The Blessed Virgin Mary was graced unexpectedly by God, and she was graced in this way on behalf of us all. As we approach the feast of Christmas we prepare to celebrate God’s gracious initiative towards us all in giving us the gift of His Son through Mary. When we are graced in this way all we can do is surrender to the grace, allow ourselves to be graced. This is what Mary does. ‘Let what you have said be done to me’, she said. She shows us how to receive God’s unexpected grace. In receiving this grace, we will discover that this grace will make demands on us; we will be asked to give as we have received. Yet, receiving comes before giving and this morning we are invited to be one with Mary in opening our hearts to receive from the fullness of God’s grace, ‘Let what you have said be done to me’. In our struggle to be faithful, we are also encouraged by the words of Gabriel to Mary, ‘nothing is impossible to God’. As Mary’s adult son, Jesus, will go on to say, ‘for God all things are possible’. The Blessed Virgin Mary herself is also a resource in our struggle to be faithful to the Lord’s call, which is why we ask her to intercede for us, ‘Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death’.

In our first reading today from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, God spoke to King Ahaz of Judah through Isaiah regarding the Sign that He would show to him and to all of His people in Judah, but which Ahaz then refused to obey or listen to. Isaiah told Ahaz to ask God for a Sign, the Sign that God would willingly and generously showed to His beloved ones, to show them the path of Hope and Light out of the darkness. But King Ahaz refused to ask for a Sign, and said that he would not put God to the test. This was followed immediately by a stern rebuke from Isaiah to Ahaz as he and many of his predecessors had disobeyed the Lord and put the Lord to the test so many times, and misled and misguided the people of God down the wrong path that what he had said, was truly a hypocrite’s word. Not only that, but it might even be seen as King Ahaz not having faith and trust in God, as he would likely prefer to trust more in various things and worldly means to secure his reign and rule rather than to follow the Lord and His ways. Ahaz himself was one of the kings who was considered and counted among the ‘wicked’ ones as he led the people into the path of sin and disobedience, abandoning the Lord their God and worshipping instead the pagan idols and demons, which were placed upon the Lord’s sacred Altar, desecrating the holy places and also neglecting the observance of the Law and commandments of the Lord. Thus, Isaiah proclaimed God’s words that the Sign would indeed one day come, that all those who eventually witnessed it, would believe that indeed, God is the one and only True God, and not all the false idols that Ahaz and the people of Judah had worshipped.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded again reminded of the love of God which has become Incarnate and present in our midst as the Son of Man, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, as we approach ever closer to the end of the current season of Advent and thus the beginning of the glorious and joyful season of Christmas. And on this day, we are all reminded through the examples of the two people to whom God had revealed His Good News, through the prophet Isaiah and the Archangel Gabriel respectively, how they responded to the Lord’s effort to reach out to them, and how the responses were so different from each other and how these can also reflect what we ourselves have done in our own response towards the Lord and His love for us. Let us all make good use of the remaining time this Advent season to reconsider our paths in life, and see in what way we can reconnect ourselves with God and draw closer to Him, and if we have let worldly temptations, desires, ambitions, pride and greed, as well as all the excesses of worldly attachments and things to distract us thus far, then we should start making the effort to distance ourselves from those and return once again, wholeheartedly towards God. Let us all make our Christmas celebration most worthy and meaningful, as we grow to understand that all the celebration and joy of Christmas is not about ourselves and all the pleasures we shall enjoy, but rather is a joyful celebration of God’s love made manifest and tangible before us all through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. May God be with us all and may He continue to guide and lead us down the right path, that we may continue to seek Him and be ever better Christians, inspired by the faith and examples that His own Mother Mary has shown us. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace as we all remain faithful and be more courageous and able to also say ‘yes’ to the Lord calling on us to follow Him. May all of us continue to have a blessed and fruitful season of Advent, towards the joyful Christmas that is soon to come. 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:

Most holy Lord, I know that You have a perfect plan for my life. I know that You have given me a mission that has not been given to anyone else. Please flood my soul with a holy desire to fully accomplish Your will and to do so with the most fervent commitment and strength. I, too, am a servant of You, O Lord; may it be done to me according to Your will. Mother Mary, pray for us.  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 Philogonius of Antioch and Saint Dominic of Silo ~ 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.
We pray for the safety and well-being of all those traveling during this season of Christmas. Have a blessed, safe, and grace-filled 3rd 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 |

THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT

SAINTS OF THE DAY – FEAST DAY ~ DECEMBER 19, 2024

CHRISTMAS NOVENA AND THE “O ANTIPHONS” OF ADVENT

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]

*CHRISTMAS NOVENA AND THE “O ANTIPHONS” OF ADVENT – DECEMBER 16 – 24: This Christmas Novena starts on December 16th [Christmas Novena Link Below]

THE “O ANTIPHONS” OF ADVENT
The “O Antiphons” are prayed for 7 days in preparation for Christmas: December 17–23.

Greetings and blessings, beloved family and Happy Thursday of the Third Week of Advent!

On this Special 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 19, 2024 |

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary| on EWTN on YouTube” | December 19, 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 19, 2024 |

Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| December 19, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteries VIRTUAL🌹JOYFUL🌹LUMINOUS🌹SORROWFUL🌹GLORIOUS” oùn YouTube |

Memorare Chaplet | Prayer in Difficult Times (Powerful Prayer) |

Today’s Bible Readings: Thursday, December 19, 2024
Reading 1, Judges 13:2-7, 24-25
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 71:3-4, 5-6, 16-17
Gospel, Luke 1:5-25

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/

CHRISTMAS NOVENA: DECEMBER 16 – 24: Pray the Christmas Novena for 9 consecutive days starting today, December 16th. This novena is prayed in conjunction with the “O Antiphons,” of Advent shown below.

(CHRISTMAS NOVENA PRAYERS – Pray More Novenas – Novena Prayers & Catholic Devotion
https://www.praymorenovenas.com/christmas-novena)

(How to pray the ‘Christmas Novena’ that’s been said for 300 years | Catholic News Agency ~ https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253090/how-to-pray-the-300-year-old-christmas-novena)

(Holy Christmas novena, here’s a YouTube link ~ https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE9MVQgdDD0PoX0Hnyl4SIeHQVE1I1jqJ)

The link below is Magnificat Novena to the Holy Child Jesus, December 16 -24
(Novena to the Holy Child Jesus ~ https://editionsmagnificat.com/flipbooks/en/christmas-novena/index.html)

THE ADVENT WREATH: THIRD WEEK PRAYER: The joyful Sunday in Advent (known as “Gaudete”) is represented by rose (or pink) instead of the penitential purple color. Each night during the third week the mother of the family lights the pink, as well as the two previously burned purple candles, after the following prayer has been said.

LEADER: O Lord, we beg Thee, incline Thy ear to our prayers and enlighten the darkness of our minds by the grace of Thy visitation. Through Christ our Lord. ALL: Amen🙏

(The three candles are allowed to burn during the evening meals of the third week.)

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.”🙏

DECEMBER 19: 3RD O ANTIPHON – O RADIX JESSE (O ROOT OF JESSE)

Today is the fourth day of the Christmas Novena and the third of the O Antiphons, O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse). Christ the King, the Lord! Divine Wisdom, Adonai, the powerful God, is at the same time man with flesh and blood of the house of Jesse, the father of King David. Truly, the right of kingship has now passed from the house of David. The glory that once clothed the royal family has faded and withered, leaving only a blighted and withered root. But from this root is to spring a glorious blossom, the King of the world. “He shall rule from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth. Before Him the Ethiopians shall fall down and His enemies shall lick the ground. The kings of Tharsis and the islands shall offer presents: the kings of the Arabians and of Saba shall serve Him” (Ps. 71:8-11). To Him God has said, “Thou art My Son. . . . I will give Thee the Gentiles for Thy inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for Thy possession” (Ps. 2:7 f.).

3RD O ANTIPHON SYMBOLS: Plant with Flower. Come to deliver us, and tarry not.

O Root of Jesse, who stands for an ensign of the people, before whom kings shall keep silence and unto whom the Gentiles shall make supplication: Come to deliver us, and tarry not.

The flower which springs up from the root of Jesse is another figure of Christ. Isaiah prophesied that the Savior would be born from the root of Jesse, that He would sit upon the throne of David, and in Christ this prophecy is fulfilled.

Recommended Readings: Isaiah  11:1-12

CHRISTMAS NOVENA: DECEMBER 16 – 24: Pray the Christmas Novena for 9 consecutive days from December 16 -24th. This novena is prayed in conjunction with the “O Antiphons,” of Advent shown below.

The link below is Magnificat Novena to the Holy Child Jesus, December 16 -24
(Novena to the Holy Child Jesus ~ https://editionsmagnificat.com/flipbooks/en/christmas-novena/index.html)

CHRISTMAS NOVENA ~ DAY FOUR

OPENING PRAYER (for each day): Hail, and blessed be the hour and moment At which the Son of God was born Of a most pure Virgin At a stable at midnight in Bethlehem In the piercing cold At that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, To hear my prayers and grant my desires (Mention your intentions here) Through Jesus Christ and His most Blessed Mother. Amen🙏

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. O Lord, Word of God, You, whose glory is complete, came to us in perfect humility as a child in the womb. Your love for us and Your humility is unsurpassed and brings us to our knees in prayer and worship. Your incarnation forever changed the world. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

O Lord, infant Jesus, bring us the Hope that saves! Your birth to the Virgin Mary brought a Hope to the world that continues to sustain us. We pray for a saving Hope this Christmas. We also pray for these intentions… (State your intentions here). May Your Holy Will be done in my life and with these intentions. We pray that the work of salvation that Your first coming began will reach fulfillment in each of us.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.🙏

DAY FOUR: December 19 ~ Scripture reading: Luke 1:5–14

Consideration: The infant king will stand as a sign in full view of all the nations. This king will be a sign not only for the Israelites, but also for the Gentiles. All people shall come to him. Our hearts call out, “Come Lord, save your people, do not delay, for we are ready to receive you; we desire to see you face to face.”

Antiphon: O root of Jesse, standing an ensign of the people, before whom even kings silent will remain, whom the Gentiles, too, shall beseech, come now to deliver us all; delay no longer. (cf. Is 11)

Magnificat

Intercessions: Son of Man, may we celebrate your birth, you who are the Lamb of God; — you take away our sins and the sins of the world.
Son of Mary, while in your Mother’s womb you were welcomed by Elizabeth and her infant son, John; — though hidden, may we always recognize you and welcome you into our hearts.
God our Counselor, come; tell us that your kingdom is at hand; — protect the Church and the pope. Keep the Church as your spotless bride.
Root of Jesse, you humbled yourself to share our human nature; — come and save us without delay.

December 19: O Root of Jesse (O Radix Jesse): O Flower of Jesse’s stem, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples; kings stand silent in your presence; the nations bow down in worship before you. Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid. O Root of Jesse, which standest for an ensign of the people, at Whom the kings shall shut their mouths, Whom the Gentiles shall seek, come to deliver us, do not tarry. Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory be.

CLOSING PRAYER (To be said after the intercessions each day of the novena): Let us pray. Come to live among us, Lord, so that we may always receive your forgiveness and mercy. Jesus our king, clothed in a robe of flesh, give us love, wisdom, and understanding at your birth. Reveal to us the mystery of your life, then send us forth to reveal your Word over all the earth. You who live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen 🙏

THE “O ANTIPHONS” OF ADVENT
The “O Antiphons” are prayed for 7 days in preparation for Christmas: December 17–23. For those familiar with the Liturgy of the Hours, these are the antiphons used with the Magnificat each day. They are based on Isaiah’s prophecies and reveal the different titles given to the Messiah.

O Sapientia (O Wisdom) Isaiah 11:2–3; 28:29
O Adonai (O Lord) Isaiah 11:4–5; 33:22
O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse) Isaiah 1:1; 11:10
O Clavis David (O Key of David) Isaiah 9:6; 22:22
O Oriens (O Rising Sun) Isaiah 9:1
O Rex Gentium (O King of the Nations) Isaiah 9:5; 2:4
O Emmanuel (God with us) Isaiah 7:14

The “O Antiphons” link below:
http://stannesepiscopal.net/o-antiphons/

Since each antiphon is short, it is helpful to spend time reading it each day, pondering it and praying it meditatively throughout the day as a way to make immediate spiritual preparation for Christmas.

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 NEMESION OF ALEXANDRIA, AND THE OTHER CHRISTIANS OF THE SAME PERSECUTION, MARTYRS AND BLESSED URBAN V, POPE – FEAST DAY ~ DECEMBER 19TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Nemesion and the other Christians of the same Persecution and Blessed Urban V, Pope. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints, we humbly pray for God’s grace and mercy as we prepare for the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ during this season of Advent. 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 safety and well-being of all those traveling during this season of Christmas. We pray for the sick and dying, especially sick children, those who are mentally and physically ill, strokes, heart diseases, 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 NEMESION OF ALEXANDRIA, AND THE OTHER CHRISTIANS OF THE SAME PERSECUTION,  MARTYRS: During the persecution of Decius, Nemesion, an Egyptian, was apprehended at Alexandria upon an indictment for theft. The servant of Christ easily cleared himself of that charge before the judge Emilianus, but was immediately accused of being a Christian. He was twice delivered up to torture, and after being scourged and tormented more than were the true thieves, was sentenced to be burnt with them and other malefactors, in the year 253.

There stood at the same time, near the prefect’s tribunal, four soldiers and another person who, being Christians, boldly encouraged a confessor attached to the rack. They were taken before the judge, who condemned them to be beheaded. The prefect was astonished, seeing the joy with which they walked to the place of execution. Three others, named Heron, Ater and Isidore, all Egyptians, were arraigned at Alexandria with Dioscorus, a youth only fifteen years old, during the same persecution. After enduring the most cruel rending and disjointing of their limbs, they were burnt alive, with the exception of Dioscorus, whom the judge dismissed because of his tender age. Nemesius was scourged and then burned to death. Like Christ, he was executed between two criminals.

Reflection: Can we call to mind the fervor of the Saints, cheerfully laboring and suffering for God, and not feel a holy ardor glow in our own breasts, and our souls strongly affected by their heroic sentiments of virtue? Saint Nemesion and the other Christians of the same Persecution  ~ Pray for us 🙏

BLESSED URBAN V, POPE: Blessed Urban V is regarded as the best of the so-called Avignon Popes who ruled the Church for some one hundred and seventy years from Avignon in the 13th and 14th centuries. He was born Guillaume de Grimoard at Grisac in Languedoc, France, in 1310. William of Grimoard studied canon law and theology in Avignon and became a noted Benedictine monk and canonist and served as papal legate to Milan and Naples before being elected Pope in 1362.

The most important event of his reign was his abortive attempt to return the papacy to Rome, which occurred in 1367. He restored the papal buildings and reconciled the Eastern Emperor John V Palaeologus to the Church. He also concluded an alliance with Emperor Charles IV, founded the Universities of Krakow and Vienna, and aided the universities of Avignon, Toulouse, Orange, and Orleans.

However, political conflicts obliged the Pope to return to Avignon in 1370. In June of that year he informed the Romans that he was leaving them for the good of the Church, and on September 5 he sailed for France with a heavy heart. On December 19, he was dead, called by a contemporary “a light of the world and a way of truth; a lover of righteousness, fleeing from wickedness and fearing God.” His cult was approved in 1870 by Pope Pius IX. It is said that as he lay dying he called the people to surround his deathbed, saying “the people must see how popes die.”

PRAYER: Almighty and eternal God, You willed to set Blessed Urban over your entire people and to go before them in word and example. By his intercession keep the pastors of Your Church together with their flocks and guide that in the way of eternal salvation. Amen🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:

Bible Readings for today, Thursday of the Third Week of Advent | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings

Gospel Reading ~ Luke 1:5-25

“The birth of John the Baptist is announced by Gabriel”

“In the days of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah of the priestly division of Abijah; his wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both were righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years. Once when he was serving as priest in his division’s turn before God, according to the practice of the priestly service, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense. Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside at the hour of the incense offering, the angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense. Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He will drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb, and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers toward children and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to prepare a people fit for the Lord.” Then Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel said to him in reply, “I am Gabriel, who stand before God. I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. But now you will be speechless and unable to talk until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time.” Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary. But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He was gesturing to them but remained mute. Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home. After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she went into seclusion for five months, saying, “So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit to take away my disgrace before others.”

Today’s Gospel reading gives an account of the annunciation of the birth of John the Baptist to his father Zechariah. The angel announces to Zechariah that his wife Elizabeth is to bear him a son, whose name is to be John. In Hebrew this name means ‘God is gracious’. God is about to be surprisingly gracious to Zechariah and his wife. However, unlike in the case of Mary, Zechariah’s faith is not quite adequate for this extraordinary announcement, extraordinary because both Zechariah and his wife were advanced in years. The annunciation of the angel Gabriel to Zachariah occurred while he was at prayer, while he was exercising his priestly duties in the temple. The news that Gabriel brought him was so wonderful that he could not bring himself to believe it, ‘How can I be sure of this?’ he asked. His subsequent silence suggests that he had nothing to say because he had not been able to hear what God had to say to him. Good listening comes before good speaking, or, indeed, as the Gospel reading suggests, before any form of speaking at all. Zechariah could not bring himself to hear the good news that God was communicating to him. Sometimes we too can be slow to hear the Gospel, the good news, that God is with us through his Son and that God’s love for us in his Son is stronger than sin and death. We perhaps can think that the good news, the Gospel, is for others, but not really for me. Because we don’t really take in this good news and allow it to take root in our hearts, our speech is not all it could be, indeed, our lives are not all they could be. The dimension of God’s good news that we celebrate at this time of the year is that God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has become God-with-us, Emmanuel, in and through Mary’s son, Jesus. This is God’s good news addressed to us as a people, and addressed to us as individuals. God is with us in Christ, and Christ is beside us, behind us, before us, above us, below us. This is the good news we are asked to believe and, indeed, rejoice in during these days. Today, we pray for a greater openness within us as we approach the feast of Christmas to hear and receive the news of great joy that Gabriel brought to Zechariah and later to Mary and that the Angels brought to the shepherds.

Our first reading today details how Samson’s birth and arrival was announced by God through His Angel, who told his parents that he would be consecrated and dedicated to God, and essentially, he became what was then known as a ‘Nazirite’, that is someone who gave himself or herself to the cause of the Lord completely, and who abstained from worldly corruptions such as wine and strong drink, and led a certain kind of lifestyle such as what Samson, and later on St. John the Baptist would follow. The Gospel reading today details a similar story of what happened before St. John the Baptist was born, how his birth was announced by the Angel of God, traditionally associated with the Archangel Gabriel. Both Samson and St. John the Baptist were also conceived when their mothers had not been able to conceive for a long time, and had been without hope. Hence, through their miraculous conception, God removed from their mothers the stain of barrenness, which was actually a taboo and a disgrace in the eyes of many in the community of the people of God. The Lord showed His providence and guidance to them, and also through the coming of His servants, brought a new hope to His people, that just as He promised, He would lead them all into freedom, into the path of light and salvation, where their troubles and hardships would be no more. And even more importantly, both of them also preempt the coming of the even more glorious days of God’s reign over His people, with Samson being one of the last judges, preparing the path for the days of the kingdom of Israel, with David as the most prominent of the Kings, leading Israel into glory and triumph over its enemies, as David himself was remembered for his triumph over Goliath the Philistine, and his victory over them, the same Philistines whom Samson struggled against throughout his life. In the same way, St. John the Baptist is the Herald of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. St. John the Baptist and his coming into the world marked the moment when God revealed to His people just how imminent the coming of the day of His salvation was. Christ Himself is the Heir of David, the One Who would sit upon David’s Throne and restore the people of God, reconciling all of them to His heavenly Father, leading them from the darkness of sin and despair into the light of God’s ways and salvation, grace and hope. And through St. John the Baptist, many came to respond to God’s call and changed themselves, submitting themselves to His will and repenting from their sins, and hence preparing themselves for the coming of the Saviour, through Whom God will save all of His people, all mankind from the path towards damnation.

As we reflect on the words of the Scriptures today, we are reminded that the Lord remembers us all His people, all that He has promised us and how God will not abandon those who have been faithful to Him, but that He will lift them out of the darkness and into the light, sending them His salvation and grace, strength and hope, through the servants whom He had appointed, called and chosen from among His people, and in the case of our Scripture readings today, we heard of the examples of two of God’s great servants whom He sent to be with His people at a time of hardship, and to prepare the path for His glorious reign, namely through Samson and St. John the Baptist. May the Lord continue to guide us through this remaining time of Advent, and help us to appreciate all that the Lord had done for us because He truly loves us all very much, so that He wants us all to be lifted up and rescued from our fated destruction, forgiven from our sins and be reconciled with Him. Let our actions and deeds be exemplary at all times, and help to inspire our fellow brothers and sisters all around us to be able to live their lives faithfully in accordance with the path that the Lord has shown us as well, just like how Samson and St. John the Baptist ought to have inspired us all in our faith and lives. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace to be a source of blessing to those we encounter in our lives and may the Lord bless our every efforts and good works, our every endeavours for His greater glory, now and always, forevermore. 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:

Lord, I know I lack the depth of perfect faith that I so deeply desire to have. I know that You speak to me day and night, and I fail to listen and obey. As I humble myself before You and confess my weakness of faith, strengthen me to respond more fully each day to all that You say to me. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe….have mercy on us. Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Nemesion and the other Christians of the same Persecution  and Blessed Urban V, Pope ~ 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.
We pray for the safety and well-being of all those traveling during this season of Christmas. Have a blessed, safe, and grace-filled 3rd 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 |