Year: 2024

FRIDAY IN THE OCTAVE OF EASTER

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ APRIL 5, 2024

DIVINE MERCY NOVENA: Novena in preparation for DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY. Good Friday is the first day of the Divine Mercy Novena. Novena begins on Good Friday, March 29, 2024 and ends, Saturday, April 6, 2024 (Novena Links below)

Greetings, beloved family and Happy Easter Friday!

We continue to celebrate and rejoice in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ during this first eight days of the Easter season (Easter octave) which are celebrated as solemnities of the Lord. Each day is another little Easter. The Alleluia verse is repeated throughout the octave: “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad. Alleluia!” May God’s grace and mercy be with us all during this Easter season and always🙏

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on, April 5, 2024 on EWTN” |

Pray “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | April 5, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | April 5, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | April 5, 2024 |

Pray “Solemn Novena of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy – Day 8 | from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | Easter Friday, April 5, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteriels VIRTUAL🌹JOYFUL🌹LUMINOUS🌹SORROWFUL🌹GLORIOUS” on YouTube |

Today’s Bible Readings: Friday, April 5, 2024
Reading 1, Acts 4:1-12
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 118:1-2, 4, 22-24, 25-27
Gospel, John 21:1-14

NOVENA IN PREPARATION FOR DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY: Novena begins on Good Friday, March 29, 2024 and ends, Saturday, April 6, 2024

DAY 8: Today, Easter Friday is the eighth day of the Divine Mercy Novena | EWTN | Links ~ https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/novena-13366

https://divinemercy.life/the-divine-mercy-novena

How to Recite the Chaplet of The Divine Mercy | The Divine Mercy | https://www.thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/pray-the-chaplet

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF APRIL – MONTH OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST: The month of April is traditionally dedicated to devotion to Jesus in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. The Catholic Church teaches that the Blessed Sacrament is the real and living presence of Christ—His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity—received into our souls with every reception of Holy Communion. Our Eucharistic Lord is the source and summit of our Christian life, the ultimate proof of His infinite love for us.

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL – FOR THE ROLE OF WOMEN: We pray that the dignity and immense value of women be recognized in every culture, and for the end of discrimination that they experience in different parts of the world. 🙏

PRAYER FOR PEACE ~ POPE FRANCIS:

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!

We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced; how much blood has been shed; how many lives have been shattered; how many hopes have been buried… But our efforts have been in vain. Now, Lord, come to our aid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: “Never again war!”; “With war everything is lost”. Instill in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace. Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarreling into forgiveness. Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words “division”, “hatred” and “war” be banished from the heart of every man and woman. Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands. Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be “brother”, and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam! Amen🙏

During this Easter season, please let us all continue to pray for peace all over the world, particularly in Africa, the Middle East, for an end to the current war in Israel-Palestine, and the Ukraine-Russia conflicts and for peace in our families and throughout our divided and conflicted World. Amen 🙏

On this special feast day, as we continue to celebrate our risen Lord, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we pray for the Clergy and religious as they serve in the Lord’s Vineyard. We also pray for the sick and dying. We especially pray for our loved ones who have recently died and we continue to remember our beloved, we pray for the repose of their gentle souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

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🙏

Prayers for Peace | https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/prayers-for-peace/

SAINTS OF THE DAY: As we continue to rejoice in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Vincent Ferrer, Priest. He is the Patron Saint of builders because of his fame for “building up” and strengthening the Church: through his preaching, missionary work, in his teachings, as confessor and adviser. He is also the patron saint of Prisoners, Construction workers, Plumbers, Fishermen and  Spanish orphanages. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Vincent Ferrer and all the Saints, we humbly pray for safety and well-being of all those traveling during this Easter Season and we lift us all before the throne of God. May He watch over our eternal welfare… Amen🙏

St. Vincent encouraged praying the rosary by saying: “Whoever observes this practice is beyond the reach of adversity!”

“Once humility is acquired, charity will come to life; a burning flame devouring the corruption of vice and filling the heart so full that there is no place for vanity.”  ~ Quote of St. Vincent Ferrer

PRAYER: God, You raised up St. Vincent Your Priest for a ministry of evangelical preaching. Grant that we may see him reigning in heaven who while on earth proclaimed the future judgment. Amen🙏
 
SAINT  VINCENT FERRER, PRIEST: St. Vincent Ferrer (1357-1419) was an illustrious follower of St. Dominic. As a Dominican preacher and missionary he brought thousands of Europeans into the Catholic Church during a period of political and spiritual crisis in Western Europe. St. Vincent Ferrer was born in Valencia, Spain, on January 23, 1357. The son of a knight. From his parents he learned virtue and generosity to the poor and his parents raised him to care deeply about his religious duties, without neglecting his education or concern for the poor. As a child he fasted every Wednesday and Friday and was tenderly devoted to the Passion of Christ and the Blessed Mother. One of his siblings, Boniface, later joined the Carthusian order and became its superior general. St. Vincent, however, would become a Dominican, and preach the Gospel throughout Europe. He excelled in his studies and joined the Dominican Order at age 18 in 1374 with the support of his parents. As a member of the Dominican Order of Preachers, St. Vincent committed much of the Bible to memory while also studying the Church Fathers and philosophy. He flourished in both austerity and scholarship, and became famous for performing more miracles than any other saint. His miracle-working powers began in the womb with the healing of a blind woman who touched his mother’s pregnant belly. By age 28, he was renowned for his preaching, and also known to have a gift of prophecy. Five years later, a representative of Pope Clement VII chose St. Vincent to accompany him to France, where he preached extensively. While St. Vincent sought to live out his order’s commitment to the preaching of the Gospel, he could not escape becoming involved in the political intrigues of the day. Two rival claimants to the papacy emerged during the late 1300s, one in Rome and another in the French city of Avignon. Each claimed the allegiance of roughly half of Western Europe. Caught between the rival claimants, St. Vincent attempted to persuade the Avignon Pope Benedict XIII to negotiate an end to the schism. Benedict, who was regarded as Pope in both Spain and France, sought to honor St. Vincent by consecrating him as a bishop. But the Dominican friar had no interest in advancing within the Church, and regarded many bishops of his time as negligent leaders distracted by luxury. “I blush and tremble,” he wrote in a letter, “when I consider the terrible judgment impending on ecclesiastical superiors who live at their ease in rich palaces, while so many souls redeemed by the blood of Christ are perishing. I pray without ceasing, to the Lord of the harvest, that he send good workmen into his harvest.”

St. Vincent not only prayed, but acted, committing himself to missionary work and resolving to preach in every town between Avignon and his hometown in Spain. In a commanding style, he denounced greed, blasphemy, sexual immorality, and popular disregard for the truths of faith. His sermons often drew crowds of thousands and prompted dramatic conversions. He was followed by a train of priests, nuns, penitents, and pilgrims that numbered in the thousands. Popular acclaim, however, did not distract him from a life of asceticism and poverty. He abstained completely from meat, slept on a straw mat and on the floor and maintained a perpetual fast, consumed only bread and water on Wednesdays and Fridays, and accepted no donations for himself beyond what he needed to survive. Twice a day the “Bell of Miracles” was rung when all the sick and infirm were brought to him for cures; it was not unusual for him to perform one hundred miracles in a day. He also made scores of converts among the Muslims and Jews.  For two decades, St. Vincent and his group of friars undertook preaching missions in Spain, Italy, and France. He traveled with five other Dominican friars at all times, and the men would spend hours hearing confessions. When he arrived in a village his retinue would set up camp, and St. Vincent would preach to great crowds on the subjects of sin, death, heaven, and hell. He would also celebrate Mass and hear confessions daily. When he traveled outside these regions, into Germany and other parts of the Mediterranean, those who did not know the languages in which he preached would testify that they had understood every word he said, in the same manner as the apostles experienced at Pentecost. St. Vincent believed that he was a special messenger of penance sent by God to prepare men for the final judgment; at that time the Black Death was ravaging across Europe killing millions, and the Great Schism was rending the Church in two. Through him multitudes were brought to penance and conversion. Although he did not heal the temporary divisions within the Church, St. Vincent succeeded in strengthening large numbers of Europeans in their Catholic faith. He was honorably received in the districts subject to the two claimants to the Papacy. He was even invited to Mohammedan Granada, where he preached the Gospel with much success. He lived to behold the end of the great schism and the election of Pope Martin V. He wrote little, although some of his works have survived, and exist in modern English translations. St. Vincent Ferrer finally died on April 5, 1419 at age 62, in the city of Vannes in the French region of Brittany. He was canonized in 1455, by Pope Callistus III. He has more recently become the namesake of a traditional Catholic community approved by the Holy See, the Fraternity of Saint Vincent Ferrer. He is the Patron Saint of builders because of his fame for “building up” and strengthening the Church: through his preaching, missionary work, in his teachings, as confessor and adviser. He is also the patron saint of Prisoners, Construction workers, Builders, Plumbers, Fishermen and  Spanish orphanages.

PRAYER: O God, who didst vouchsafe to glorify Thy Church by the merits and preaching of Saint Vincent Ferrer, Thy Confessor: grant us Thy servants that we may be taught by his example, and be delivered by his patronage from all adversities. O Lord, make haste to help me. Thou hast redeemed me, O God of truth…. Amen. Saint Vincent Ferrer ~ Pray for us 🙏

PRAYER INTENTIONS: We thank God for blessing us all with the gift of His precious son, may we be saved by the name of our Savior Jesus Christ! May the Lord grant us His grace as we continue to serve Him in spirit and in truth during this Easter Season. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the sick and dying. We particularly pray for sick children, those who are sick with convulsive disorder, mental illness, strokes, heart diseases, and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. May God restore them to good health and grant them His Divine healing and intervention. May our Mother Mary comfort them, may the Angels and Saints watch over them and may the Holy Spirit guide them in peace and comfort during this challenging time. We pray for the safety and well-being of us all and our families, for peace, love and unity in our families, our marriages and our divided and conflicted world. Every life is a gift. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the gentle souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls through the mercy of God rest in peace with our Lord Jesus Christ Amen. 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. For vocations to the priesthood and religious life, 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🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS

Bible Readings for today, Friday in the Octave of Easter | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ John 21:1–14

“Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish”

“Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way. Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We also will come with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” They answered him, “No.” So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish. So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards, dragging the net with the fish. When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.” So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three large fish. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.” And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they realized it was the Lord. Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish. This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead.”

In today’s Gospel reading, the risen Lord comes to a group of His disciples. All of the disciples in that group had failed Him during the time of His passion, except one, the disciple Jesus loved. In spite of their failure the risen Lord comes to them. At the time of His coming they were failing again, failing to catch fish, even though they were experienced fishermen. Jesus came to them in the night of their failure. His presence had a transforming effect on them. In response to His word of invitation, they caught a huge haul of fish and they would soon become fishers of people, sharers in His missionary work. Jesus went on to speak a second word of invitation to them, ‘Come and have breakfast’. He, thereby, entered into communion with those who had broken communion with Him. Jesus did not reproach His disciples for their failure. He called out to them, spoke inviting words to them, built communion with them. The Lord relates to us as he related to those disciples. In the dark night of our own failures, the Lord stands on the shore of our lives; He comes to us, not to reproach us, but to speak a life-giving word to us, an inviting word, a transforming word. We pray that we would hear that word of the Lord as spoken to each of us this Easter season. Our relationship with the Lord always has a future that is full of hope. Easter is a season when we are invited to recognize the Lord on the shore of our lives calling out to us to follow where he is leading us.

In our first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles, St. Peter and St. John, two of the Lord’s Twelve Apostles had to face opposition due to their proclamation of the Lord Jesus and His salvation before the assembled people. At that time, based on our earlier readings from the Acts of the Apostles, the two Apostles had just miraculously healed a beggar who had been paralysed since birth, and whom everyone knew and recognised as being crippled. That this miracle had happened right by the gate of the Temple where the beggar usually lingered at, showed us how the chief priests and the members of the Sanhedrin could quickly find out about what had happened. The Sanhedrin, or the Jewish High Council, composed of the most influential members of the Jewish community at that time, had been firm in their opposition against the Lord, as most of its members had refused to listen to the Lord and His teachings, with some of them even branding the Lord as a blasphemous and heretical Man, Who was swaying the people to His side with His teachings and popularity. And that was why they judged and condemned the Lord in the first place, arresting Him and handing Him over to the Romans, that He might be condemned to death and crucified. That was why they were still adamant in their opposition against the Lord even when they heard that the Lord had risen from the dead just as He Himself had predicted and revealed. They spread false news that the disciples had stolen His Body and preached falsehoods in His Name, and expressly ordered that anyone who spoke in the Name of the Lord Jesus or supported His teachings would be arrested and persecuted. That was the obstacle facing the Apostles, who had to endure the opposition from the powerful members of the community, those who refused to believe in the Lord and His truth. But that did not stop the Apostles and the many other disciples from doing their best to proclaim the Good News whenever they could. St. Peter courageously spoke before the whole assembly of the Sanhedrin just as he had done so earlier before the people in Jerusalem. He spoke fearlessly regarding the Saviour, Jesus Christ, the Son of God Who had been rejected by those to whom St. Peter was speaking to, right there and then, the same Sanhedrin and its members also condemned Christ to death and giving Him up to the Romans to be crucified. It was to these people that St. Peter testified again about the Lord, His truth and His resurrection. He proclaimed the truth courageously as he himself had seen and witnessed the Risen Lord as we heard in our Gospel reading today.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded of the trials and challenges that we will often have to face as Christians, as those who believe in the Lord and His Resurrection. We believe in the Risen Lord and like the Apostles, we may have to endure opposition and trials for our faith in His truth. Yet, we must never waver from our faith and from the commitment that we have to show in our daily lives, as those who have been entrusted with the same mission as that of the Apostles and disciples of the Lord, in proclaiming His Good News and salvation to all the peoples. Are we willing and able to follow in the footsteps of St. Peter and the many other holy men and women of God, many of whom had suffered trials and persecutions, opposition and oppressions for the sake of their faith in God? Are we willing to contribute our time and effort to glorify the Lord by our lives and by our actions? Each and every one of us should listen to the Lord calling on us to action, and to follow Him wholeheartedly from now on. Let us seek the Lord with a new spirit and commitment from now on. May God in His infinite grace and mercy be with us all and may He grant us His grace and bless us in our every actions and good works, all for the greater glory of His Name. May the blessings of the Risen Christ, our Lord be with us always this Easter season, with our loved ones, always! Amen🙏

Let us pray:

My divine Lord, You are constantly present to me, day and night, and yet I so often fail to perceive You and adore You. Help me to become more aware of Your presence in my life. As I do, help me to enter more deeply into these holy mysteries with love, devotion and awe. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Vincent Ferrer ~ Pray for us🙏 

Thanking God for the gift of His Son our Lord Jesus Christ and praying for us all as we continue to rejoice in the resurrection of our loving Savior, Jesus Christ. Have a blessed, safe and grace-filled Easter Friday and weekend🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena💖

THURSDAY IN THE OCTAVE OF EASTER

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ APRIL 4, 2024

DIVINE MERCY NOVENA: Novena in preparation for DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY. Good Friday is the first day of the Divine Mercy Novena. Novena begins on Good Friday, March 29, 2024 and ends, Saturday, April 6, 2024 (Novena Links below)

Greetings, beloved family and Happy Easter Thursday!

We continue to celebrate and rejoice in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ during this first eight days of the Easter season (Easter octave) which are celebrated as solemnities of the Lord. Each day is another little Easter. The Alleluia verse is repeated throughout the octave: “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad. Alleluia!” May God’s grace and mercy be with us all during this Easter season and always🙏

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on, April 4, 2024 on EWTN” |

Pray “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | April 4, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | April 4, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | April 4, 2024 |

Pray “Solemn Novena of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy – Day 7 | from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | Easter Thursday, April 4, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteriels VIRTUAL🌹JOYFUL🌹LUMINOUS🌹SORROWFUL🌹GLORIOUS” on YouTube |

Today’s Bible Readings: Thursday, April 4, 2024
Reading 1, Acts 3:11-26
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 8:2, 5, 6-7, 8-9
Gospel, Luke 24:35-48

NOVENA IN PREPARATION FOR DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY: Novena begins on Good Friday, March 29, 2024 and ends, Saturday, April 6, 2024

DAY 7: Today, Easter Thursday is the seventh day of the Divine Mercy Novena | EWTN | Links ~ https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/novena-13366

https://divinemercy.life/the-divine-mercy-novena

How to Recite the Chaplet of The Divine Mercy | The Divine Mercy | https://www.thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/pray-the-chaplet

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF APRIL – MONTH OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST: The month of April is traditionally dedicated to devotion to Jesus in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. The Catholic Church teaches that the Blessed Sacrament is the real and living presence of Christ—His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity—received into our souls with every reception of Holy Communion. Our Eucharistic Lord is the source and summit of our Christian life, the ultimate proof of His infinite love for us.

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL – FOR THE ROLE OF WOMEN: We pray that the dignity and immense value of women be recognized in every culture, and for the end of discrimination that they experience in different parts of the world. 🙏

PRAYER FOR PEACE ~ POPE FRANCIS:

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!

We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced; how much blood has been shed; how many lives have been shattered; how many hopes have been buried… But our efforts have been in vain. Now, Lord, come to our aid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: “Never again war!”; “With war everything is lost”. Instill in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace. Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarreling into forgiveness. Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words “division”, “hatred” and “war” be banished from the heart of every man and woman. Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands. Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be “brother”, and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam! Amen🙏

During this Easter season, please let us all continue to pray for peace all over the world, particularly in Africa, the Middle East, for an end to the current war in Israel-Palestine, and the Ukraine-Russia conflicts and for peace in our families and throughout our divided and conflicted World. Amen 🙏

On this special feast day, as we continue to celebrate our risen Lord, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we pray for the Clergy and religious as they serve in the Lord’s Vineyard. We also pray for the sick and dying. We especially pray for our loved ones who have recently died and we continue to remember our beloved, we pray for the repose of their gentle souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

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🙏

Prayers for Peace | https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/prayers-for-peace/

SAINTS OF THE DAY: As we continue to rejoice in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Isidore of Seville, Bishop and Doctor of the Church. He’s the Patron Saint of Student and was more recently proposed as a Patron Saint of Internet users, because of his determination to use the world’s accumulated knowledge for the service of God’s glory. He is also the patron saint of computer users, computer technicians and programmers (all electronic patronages are unofficial). Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Isidore of Seville and all the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the salvation of all  Christians and particularly pray for all students and that all those who use the internent, may benefit from the blessing of technology and continue to use it faithfully and appropriately for various purposes as well as spreading the good news of the Lord through hope, love, charity and faith during these incredibly challenging times. May the name of the Lord be praised forever and ever… Amen🙏

Almighty and eternal God, who hast created us in Thy image and hast bidden us to seek after all that is good, true, and beautiful, especially in the divine person of Thy only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, grant we beseech Thee that, through the intercession of Saint Isidor, bishop and doctor, during our journeys through the internet we will direct our hands and eyes only to that which is pleasing to Thee and treat with charity and patience all souls whom we encounter. Through Jesus Christ our Lord… Amen🙏

“Confession heals, Confession justifies, Confession grants pardon of sin, all hope consists in Confession; in Confession there is a chance for mercy.”  ~ Saint Isidore of Seville

“The suffering of adversity does not degrade you but exalts you. Human tribulation teaches you, it does not destroy you. The more we are afflicted in this world, the greater is our assurance for the next. The more we sorrow in the present,. ..the greater will be our joy in the future.” ~ Saint Isidore of Seville

SAINT ISIDORE OF SEVILLE, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH: St. Isidore of Seville (560 – 636 A.D.) was a bishop and scholar who helped the Church preserve its own traditions, and the heritage of western civilization, in the early middle ages. He succeeded his brother St. Leander as Archbishop of Seville, was one of the great bishops of the seventh century. He was proficient in all brances of knowledge and was regarded as one of the most learned men of his time. St. Isidore was born in Carthagena, Spain, in approximately 560 to noble and pious parents, Severinus and Theodora, illustrious for their virtue. After the example of their parents, he, as well as his two brothers, Leander and Fulgentius, who became bishops, and his sister Florentina, a nun – were all later canonized as saints along with him. From his youth he consecrated himself to the service of the Church and prepared himself for his sacred ministry by virtue and learning. St. Isidore received his early education at the cathedral school in Seville where a group of learned men taught classical education, among them was his brother Leander, the Archbishop of Seville. The cathedral school was the first of its kind in the country and St. Isidore excelled in his studies there. As the Archbishop of Seville, Leander was an important influence on his younger brother, helping Isidore develop a commitment to study, prayer, and intense work for the good of the Church. St. Isidore became a man of great learning, zeal, piety, and apostolic endeavor, he joined his brother’s mission and assisted his brother in converting the Visigoths from the Arian heresy who had invaded Spain. When St. Leander died around the year 600, his brother, St. Isidore succeeded him as Seville’s archbishop, leading his diocese for nearly 40 years. St. Isidore inherited his brother’s responsibility for Church affairs in an intense period of change, as the institutions of the Western Roman Empire gave way to the culture of the barbarian tribes.

St. Isidore was an important saint for his time. He was one of the most learned men of the 6th century and is considered the last of the early Church Fathers. For the good of the Church and civilization, St. Isidore was determined to preserve the wisdom and knowledge of the past, maintaining the fruitful synthesis of classical Roman culture and Christian faith. He was a prolific writer on the sciences and the classics which in effect helped preserve western civilization during the early middle ages following the barbarian invasions. He composed history books, a dictionary with a structure akin to a database, and an encyclopedia which was used for nine centuries. St. Isidore was also intent on preventing false teachings from shattering the unity of the Church in Spain. He reunited Spain after the barbarian onslaught, making it a center of culture and learning. He is regarded as the great restorer of the Spanish Church after the Visigoths returned to the Catholic faith. He also contributed greatly to the development of Spain’s liturgy. He presided over the fourth provincial council of Toledo (633), the most important in Spanish history. He required seminaries to be built in every diocese, wrote a rule for religious orders, and founded schools that taught every branch of learning. Spain then became a model for similar renewal in other European countries. Responsible above all for the good of the Church, St. Isidore also sought the common good by encouraging study and development in areas such as law, medicine, foreign languages, and philosophy. He compiled the “Etymologiae,” the first encyclopedia written from a Catholic perspective. Under Isidore’s leadership, a series of local councils solidified the orthodoxy of the Spanish Church against errors about Christ and the Trinity. Systematic and extensive education of the clergy was stressed as a necessary means of guarding the faithful against false doctrine.

Prolific in his writings and and diligent in governing the Church, St. Isidore did not neglect the service of those in need. “Indeed, just as we must love God in contemplation, so we must love our neighbor with action,” he declared. “It is therefore impossible to live without the presence of both the one and the other form of life, nor can we live without experiencing both the one and the other.” In the last months of his life, St. Isidore offered a moving testament to these words, intensifying his charitable outreach to the poor, his charities became more profuse than ever. Crowds of people in need flocked to his residence from far and wide, as the bishop offered his final works of mercy on earth. Perceiving his end approaching he went to church, received Holy Communion, remitted all the debts that were due to him, and caused his money to be distributed to the poor. He then returned home and calmly expired four days later, on April 4 of the year 636 after ruling his see for almost 40 years. In 653, less than two decades after his death, a council of bishops in Spain acclaimed St. Isidore as “an illustrious teacher of our time and the glory of the Catholic Church.” He is regarded as being among the last of the early Church Fathers, who combined Christian faith and classical education. St. Gregory the Great was one of his personal friends. Pope Innocent XIII canonized him in 1722 and for his great learning and written works he was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XIV. St. Isidore of Seville is the Patron Saint of schoolchildren, students, computer technicians, computer users; computers and the internet. He’s a patron saint of Internet users, because of his determination to use the world’s accumulated knowledge for the service of God’s glory.

“Confession heals, Confession justifies, Confession grants pardon of sin, all hope consists in Confession; in Confession there is a chance for mercy.”  ~ Saint Isidore of Seville

PRAYER: Lord, hear our prayers, which we offer on the commemoration of St. Isidore. May Your Church be instructed by his teaching and benefit from his intercession. Amen. Saint Isidore of Seville ~ Pray for us🙏

PRAYER INTENTIONS: We thank God for blessing us all with the gift of His precious son, may we be saved by the name of our Savior Jesus Christ! May the Lord grant us His grace as we continue to serve Him in spirit and in truth during this Easter Season. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the sick and dying. We particularly pray for sick children, those who are sick with convulsive disorder, mental illness, strokes, heart diseases, and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. May God restore them to good health and grant them His Divine healing and intervention. May our Mother Mary comfort them, may the Angels and Saints watch over them and may the Holy Spirit guide them in peace and comfort during this challenging time. We pray for the safety and well-being of us all and our families, for peace, love and unity in our families, our marriages and our divided and conflicted world. Every life is a gift. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the gentle souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls through the mercy of God rest in peace with our Lord Jesus Christ Amen. 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. For vocations to the priesthood and religious life, 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🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS

Bible Readings for today, Thursday in the Octave of Easter | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ Luke 24:35–48

“Thus it was written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day”

“The disciples of Jesus recounted what had taken place along the way, and how they had come to recognize him in the breaking of bread. While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of baked fish; he took it and ate it in front of them. He said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And he said to them, “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus’ first words to the disciples after rising from the dead were, ‘Peace be with you’. It is a greeting that has made its way into our celebration of the Eucharist. The risen Lord was offering His disciples the gift of His peace. He was making peace with those who had slept on the Mount of Olives when He had asked them to pray. He was making peace with Peter who had denied Him publicly three times. He was taking the initiative to be reconciled with those who had failed Him. Like the father in the parable of the prodigal son, He was welcoming back into communion with Himself those who had strayed. He went on to express His communion with His disciples by eating in their company. The resurrection proclaimed the faithfulness of Jesus to His flawed disciples. It was a moment of grace which the disciples struggled to receive. According to the Gospel reading, they were agitated and full of doubt. They were dumbfounded. In a striking phrase, it is said of them that ‘their joy was so great they still could not believe it’. The risen Lord continues to stand among us offering us his peace. Our many past failings do not make His presence any less powerful or his offer of peace any less generous. He comes among us to call us into a renewed communion with Himself. As risen Lord He shows us the face of God as mercy. When we allow ourselves to receive the peace of God He is offering, then He will send us out, as He send out His first disciples, as His peacemakers, as messengers of God’s love and mercy.

Our first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles, is the courageous and fiery speech from St. Peter the Apostle, who together with St. John had healed a paralysed beggar waiting by the Beautiful Gate of the Temple of Jerusalem. The people who witnessed the miraculous healing of the paralysed beggar were all astonished, surprised and filled with joy upon seeing the healed man. They could not believe what they had seen, and yet, were filled with joy because of what they had witnessed, seeing a hopeless man filled once again with strength and hope from God. St. Peter reminded the assembled people of everything that had just recently happened, how the Lord Jesus had come into their midst and revealed the extent of God’s most generous love for them, caring for them and providing for their needs, reaching out to those who were in need of healing and help. He empowered the people and gave them hope once again, bringing the light of God and true Hope amongst them, strengthening their resolve, healing those who were sick and were troubled, casting out demons and restoring those who were diseased back to good health once again. Yet, despite everything that He had done for their sake, many among the people still stubbornly refused to believe in God and still rejected Him, doubting Him and His works. That was also why the people chose to condemn the Lord to death, a most humiliating and painful death on the Cross, which the Apostles then were proclaiming, as St. Peter did. St. Peter told the people how even though they had condemned the Lord to death, but it was part of God’s overarching plan to save all of mankind. Through His suffering and death, God had purchased for all of us the gift of eternal life and salvation, and by His resurrection, He has united all of us in a new life with Him.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we have been told to remember the salvation that has come down to us through Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. The Sacred Scriptures today have spoken to us regarding the things that God had done for our sake, in Him sending to us His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the Son of Man and the Son of God, to be the source of our Hope and salvation. By His Passion, His suffering, death and resurrection, He has liberated us from the bondage to sin and death, and through Him, a new hope and light had been revealed to us. Let us all renew our faith in God and let us commit ourselves wholeheartedly to the Lord with new zeal and dedication. May the Lord continue to guide us and help to strengthen us in this journey of faith. May He empower us and strengthen us in our struggles and journey in this world, and give us the courage and power to walk ever more faithfully in God’s path, and to proclaim His truth and glory by our very own lives and actions. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace and let us all be the shining beacons of the Resurrected Christ and His Light, that many more people may come to believe in Him and His salvation through us and our exemplary living. May the Risen Lord bless us always, and may He bless our Easter season and celebrations, bless our loved ones always. Amen🙏

Let us pray:

My risen Jesus, You gave Your disciples a glorious gift when You opened their minds to Your holy Truth and taught them many things. Please open my mind also, dear Lord, so that I will comprehend the deep and profound mysteries of faith. Help me to understand Who You are, why You had to die, and how to share in the new life of Your Resurrection. Please also use me as Your witness so that many will come to know You and share in the new life won by Your Resurrection. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Isidore of Seville ~ Pray for us🙏 

Thanking God for the gift of His Son our Lord Jesus Christ, and praying for us all as we continue to rejoice in the resurrection of our loving Savior, Jesus Christ. Have a blessed, safe, and grace-filled Easter Thursday🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena💖

WEDNESDAY IN THE OCTAVE OF EASTER

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ APRIL 3, 2024

DIVINE MERCY NOVENA: Novena in preparation for DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY. Good Friday is the first day of the Divine Mercy Novena. Novena begins on Good Friday, March 29, 2024 and ends, Saturday, April 6, 2024 (Novena Links below)

Greetings, beloved family and Happy Easter Wednesday!

We continue to celebrate and rejoice in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ during this first eight days of the Easter season (Easter octave) which are celebrated as solemnities of the Lord. Each day is another little Easter. The Alleluia verse is repeated throughout the octave: “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad. Alleluia!” May God’s grace and mercy be with us all during this Easter season and always🙏

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on, April 3, 2024 on EWTN” |

Pray “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | April 3, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | April 3, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | April 3, 2024 |

Pray “Solemn Novena of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy – Day 6 | from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | Easter Wednesday, April 3, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteriels VIRTUAL🌹JOYFUL🌹LUMINOUS🌹SORROWFUL🌹GLORIOUS” on YouTube |

Today’s Bible Readings: Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Reading 1, Acts 3:1-10
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9
Gospel, Luke 24:13-35

NOVENA IN PREPARATION FOR DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY: Novena begins on Good Friday, March 29, 2024 and ends, Saturday, April 6, 2024

DAY 6: Today, Easter Wednesday is the sixth day of the Divine Mercy Novena | EWTN | Links ~ https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/novena-13366

https://divinemercy.life/the-divine-mercy-novena

How to Recite the Chaplet of The Divine Mercy | The Divine Mercy | https://www.thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/pray-the-chaplet

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF APRIL – MONTH OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST: The month of April is traditionally dedicated to devotion to Jesus in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. The Catholic Church teaches that the Blessed Sacrament is the real and living presence of Christ—His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity—received into our souls with every reception of Holy Communion. Our Eucharistic Lord is the source and summit of our Christian life, the ultimate proof of His infinite love for us.

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL – FOR THE ROLE OF WOMEN: We pray that the dignity and immense value of women be recognized in every culture, and for the end of discrimination that they experience in different parts of the world. 🙏

PRAYER FOR PEACE ~ POPE FRANCIS:

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!

We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced; how much blood has been shed; how many lives have been shattered; how many hopes have been buried… But our efforts have been in vain. Now, Lord, come to our aid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: “Never again war!”; “With war everything is lost”. Instill in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace. Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarreling into forgiveness. Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words “division”, “hatred” and “war” be banished from the heart of every man and woman. Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands. Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be “brother”, and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam! Amen🙏

During this Easter season, please let us all continue to pray for peace all over the world, particularly in Africa, the Middle East, for an end to the current war in Israel-Palestine, and the Ukraine-Russia conflicts and for peace in our families and throughout our divided and conflicted World. Amen 🙏

On this special feast day, as we continue to celebrate our risen Lord, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we pray for the Clergy and religious as they serve in the Lord’s Vineyard. We also pray for the sick and dying. We especially pray for our loved ones who have recently died and we continue to remember our beloved, we pray for the repose of their gentle souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

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🙏

Prayers for Peace | https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/prayers-for-peace/

SAINTS OF THE DAY: As we continue to rejoice in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Richard of Chichester, Bishop. He’s the Patron Saint of Coachmen; Diocese of Chichester; Sussex, England. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Richard of Chichester and all the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for all Christians, we pray for the sick and dying, we particularly pray for those who are sick with terminal diseases, may God in His infinite grace and mercy grant them His divine healing and intervention, we pray for persecuted Christians and for all Christians as we reflect on the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ during this Easter season 🙏

SAINT RICHARD OF CHICHESTER, BISHOP: St. Richard of Chichester (1197-1253), also known as St. Richard de Wyche, was born in 1197 in Worcestershire, England to a land-owning squire. His father died when he was young. St. Richard and his elder brother were left orphans while still very young, causing the family to suffer hardship for many years. His brother was imprisoned as a result of their property’s unpaid debts. The situation became dire enough for Richard to suspend his studies which he loved to take over the family estates and make them profitable again. In farming his brother’s impoverished estate,  his brother, in gratitude for Richard’s successful labors, proposed to turn over to him all his lands; but he refused both the estates and the offer of a brilliant marriage, to study for the priesthood at Oxford. While studing at Oxford for the priesthood, he was so poor that he and two companions shared a set of clothes which they took turns wearing to class. He obtained degrees at the universities in Paris and Bologna before being appointed as the Chancellor of Oxford University in 1235. Saint Richard was appointed Chancellor for his learning and piety and afterwards chancellor of his diocese by Saint Edmund Rich, Archbishop of Canterbury, to whom he was a faithful companion and advisor. Years later St. Richard was ordained the Bishop of Chichester. In this position he entered into power struggles with King Henry III, who withheld his diocesan revenues and blocked his access to the cathedral. The new Chancellor stood by the Saint in his long contest with the king, and then accompanied him into exile in France, in the Abbey of Pontigny. After Saint Edmund’s death there, he studied theology in Orleans before returning to England to toil as a simple parish priest. He was, however, soon elected by the Canons of Chichester, when their see became vacant, for their Bishop. This election greatly displeased the king, who had nominated another candidate whom the Canons judged unworthy. The king in revenge refused to recognize the election, and seized the revenues of the see. Thus Saint Richard found himself fighting the same battle in which Saint Edmund had died.

St. Richard went to Lyons, where he was consecrated bishop by Innocent IV in 1245, and returning to England he exercised fully his episcopal rights despite his poverty and the king’s hostility, and thoroughly reformed his see. Young and old loved Saint Richard, and after two years his revenues were restored. To feed the poor and heal the sick, he gave all he had and worked miracles; and when the rights or the sanctity of the Church were concerned, he was inexorable. A priest of noble blood polluted his office by sin; St. Richard deprived him of his benefice, and refused the king’s petition in his favor. On the other hand, when a knight violently imprisoned a priest, St. Richard compelled the knight to walk around the priest’s church with the same log of wood on his neck to which he had chained him. And when the burgesses of Lewes tore a criminal from the church and hanged him, St. Richard made them dig up the body from its unconsecrated grave, and bear it back to the sanctuary they had violated.  The Pope commissioned St. Richard to preach a crusade against the Saracens. In fulfilling this mission he fell sick of fever, which was the forerunner of his death in 1253. He died surrounded by his closest friends at about 56 years of age. He was buried in the Chichester Cathedral and his shrine became a popular place of pilgrimage before being destroyed by King Henry VIII. St. Richard had many accomplishments as bishop, including establishing greater order and reverence to the liturgy, vigorously defending the rights of the Church, assisting the poor and the oppressed, and preaching a crusade against the Saracens at the request of the Pope. St. Richard was canonized in 1262 by Pope Urban IV and his feast day is April 3rd. He’s the Patron Saint of Coachmen; Diocese of Chichester; Sussex, England.

“O Dear Lord, three things I pray: to see you more clearly, to love you more dearly and follow you more nearly, day by day.”

“Satisfaction consists in the cutting off of the causes of the sin. Thus, fasting is the proper antidote to lust; prayer to pride, to envy, anger and sloth; alms to covetousness”. ~ St. Richard of Chichester

PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, I thank You for all the blessings You have given me, and for all the sufferings and shame You have endured for me, on which account that pitiable cry of sorrow was Thine: ” Behold and see, if there was any sorrow like unto My sorrow!” ” You know, Lord, how willing I should be to bear insult, and pain, and death for You; therefore have mercy on me, for to You, I commend my spirit.”… Amen.

God, You made St. Richard an outstanding exemplar of Divine love and the Faith that conquers the world, and added him to the roll of saintly pastors. Grant by his intercession that we may persevere in Faith and love and become sharers of his glory. Amen. Saint Richard of Chichester ~ Pray for us🙏

PRAYER INTENTIONS: We thank God for blessing us all with the gift of His precious son, may we be saved by the name of our Savior Jesus Christ! May the Lord grant us His grace as we continue to serve Him in spirit and in truth during this Easter Season. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the sick and dying. We particularly pray for sick children, those who are sick with convulsive disorder, mental illness, strokes, heart diseases, and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. May God restore them to good health and grant them His Divine healing and intervention. May our Mother Mary comfort them, may the Angels and Saints watch over them and may the Holy Spirit guide them in peace and comfort during this challenging time. We pray for the safety and well-being of us all and our families, for peace, love and unity in our families, our marriages and our divided and conflicted world. Every life is a gift. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the gentle souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls through the mercy of God rest in peace with our Lord Jesus Christ Amen. 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. For vocations to the priesthood and religious life, 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🙏

“SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS”

Today’s Bible Readings, Wednesday in the Octave of Easter | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ Luke 24:13–35

“They recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread”

“That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus’ disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus Himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. He asked them, “What are you discussing as you walk along?” They stopped, looking downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, said to Him in reply, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?” And He replied to them, “What sort of things?” They said to Him, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers both handed Him over to a sentence of death and crucified Him. But we were hoping that He would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place. Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find His Body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that He was alive. Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but Him they did not see.” And He said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into His glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He interpreted to them what referred to Him in all the Scriptures. As they approached the village to which they were going, He gave the impression that He was going on farther. But they urged Him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So He went in to stay with them. And it happened that, while He was with them at table, He took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, but He vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?” So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the Eleven and those with them who were saying, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how He was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.”

In today’s Gospel reading, the two disciples on the road to Emmaus were clearly discouraged and downcast. We can all find ourselves in that place from time to time, in the shadow of the cross. If that is where we are, that is the self we bring to prayer. When the risen Lord first spoke to His unsuspecting disciples, it was to invite them to share what was in their hearts, to tell Him their story, a story that was full of sadness and devoid of hope. The Lord invites us in prayer to tell our story, to share with Him whatever might be in our hearts. It is only when the Lord had listened to their story that He told them His story, the story of His journey from suffering to glory as told in the Scriptures. Having open their hearts to this stranger, it was now their turn to listen. There comes a time in our prayer when, having opened our hearts to the Lord, we too need to listen to His word to us. A passage from Scripture can help us to be attentive to what the Lord might want to say to us. This prayerful moment of sharing with the Lord and listening to Him ‘on the way’ led to another prayerful moment at table. There Jesus prayed a prayer of blessing over the bread, broke it and gave it to His disciples. Jesus’ prayerful words and actions led to a prayer of recognition on the part of the disciples. They recognized the Lord at the breaking of bread. Our prayer of sharing and listening will often lead us to the prayer of the Eucharist. There we enter into the Lord’s own prayer of blessing and thanksgiving to the Father as we prayerfully recognize the Lord who comes us in the breaking of bread. After these prayerful encounters, the two disciples left the table and shared with others their Easter faith. At the end of every Eucharist, we are sent out to do the same.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles the account of the healing of the beggar who sat by the Beautiful Gate of the Temple of Jerusalem, by St. Peter and St. John who happened to be passing by. The beggar was healed by the Apostles who healed him in the Name of the Lord, and the crippled beggar was made whole again. That miraculous healing made not only the beggar to rejoice, leaping with joy, but also everyone else who have witnessed the miraculous healing, as everyone knew how long that man had been sitting and was crippled since birth, and God had made him whole and fine again.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded of the grace that God has given us through the suffering, death and resurrection of His only Son, Jesus Christ, Whom He had sent into this world to be our Lord and Saviour. Through Christ, all of us have received a new hope and seen the Light of God’s salvation, revealing fully the great and enduring love which God has for each and every one of us, each one without exception. We are all reminded that through His suffering, death and resurrection, Christ has gathered and called us all, the lost sheep of His flock, to find our way towards Him and the eternal life that He has promised and purchased by His death, for all the faithful ones. May God in His infinite grace and mercy be with us all and grant us His grace, and may our Risen Lord continue to strengthen us and give us the courage and the power to be great missionaries of His love and truth in our present day world. May we help one another to be closer to God, and bring many others to the healing and happiness that can be found in God alone, our Hope and our Light, our Saviour and our God. Amen🙏

Let us pray:

My resurrected Lord, You appeared to these disciples who lacked faith and understanding and gave them the gift of Your holy teaching. Teach me, dear Lord, all that I must come to understand and know about You, Your death, Resurrection and glorious gift of new life. May Your Word burn within me and lead me to a transformation of my life. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Richard of Chichester ~ Pray for us🙏 

Thanking God for the gift of His Son our Lord Jesus Christ and praying for us all as we continue to rejoice in the resurrection of our loving Savior, Jesus Christ. Have a blessed, safe and grace-filled Easter Wednesday🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena💖

TUESDAY IN THE OCTAVE OF EASTER

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ APRIL 2, 2024

DIVINE MERCY NOVENA: Novena in preparation for DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY. Good Friday is the first day of the Divine Mercy Novena. Novena begins on Good Friday, March 29, 2024 and ends, Saturday, April 6, 2024 (Novena Links below)

Greetings beloved family and Happy Easter Tuesday!

We continue to celebrate and rejoice in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ during this first eight days of the Easter season (Easter octave) which are celebrated as solemnities of the Lord. Each day is another little Easter. The Alleluia verse is repeated throughout the octave: “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad. Alleluia!” May God’s grace and mercy be with us all during this Easter season and always🙏

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on, April 2, 2024 on EWTN” |

Pray “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | April 2, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | April 2, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | April 2, 2024 |

Pray “Solemn Novena of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy – Day 5 | from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | Easter Tuesday, April 2, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteriels VIRTUAL🌹JOYFUL🌹LUMINOUS🌹SORROWFUL🌹GLORIOUS” on YouTube |

Today’s Bible Readings: Tuesday, April 2, 2024
Reading 1, Acts 2:36-41
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22
Gospel, John 20:11-18

NOVENA IN PREPARATION FOR DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY: Novena begins on Good Friday, March 29, 2024 and ends, Saturday, April 6, 2024

DAY 5: Today, Easter Tuesday is the fifth day of the Divine Mercy Novena | EWTN | Links ~ https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/novena-13366

https://divinemercy.life/the-divine-mercy-novena

How to Recite the Chaplet of The Divine Mercy | The Divine Mercy | https://www.thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/pray-the-chaplet

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF APRIL – MONTH OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST: The month of April is traditionally dedicated to devotion to Jesus in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. The Catholic Church teaches that the Blessed Sacrament is the real and living presence of Christ—His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity—received into our souls with every reception of Holy Communion. Our Eucharistic Lord is the source and summit of our Christian life, the ultimate proof of His infinite love for us.

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL – FOR THE ROLE OF WOMEN: We pray that the dignity and immense value of women be recognized in every culture, and for the end of discrimination that they experience in different parts of the world. 🙏

PRAYER FOR PEACE ~ POPE FRANCIS:

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!

We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced; how much blood has been shed; how many lives have been shattered; how many hopes have been buried… But our efforts have been in vain. Now, Lord, come to our aid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: “Never again war!”; “With war everything is lost”. Instill in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace. Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarreling into forgiveness. Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words “division”, “hatred” and “war” be banished from the heart of every man and woman. Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands. Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be “brother”, and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam! Amen🙏

During this Easter season, please let us all continue to pray for peace all over the world, particularly in Africa, the Middle East, for an end to the current war in Israel-Palestine, and the Ukraine-Russia conflicts and for peace in our families and throughout our divided and conflicted World. Amen 🙏

On this special feast day, as we continue to celebrate our risen Lord, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we pray for the Clergy and religious as they serve in the Lord’s Vineyard. We also pray for the sick and dying. We especially pray for our loved ones who have recently died and we continue to remember our beloved, we pray for the repose of their gentle souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

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🙏

Prayers for Peace | https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/prayers-for-peace/

SAINTS OF THE DAY: SAINT FRANCIS OF PAOLA, HERMIT AND SAINT MARY OF EGYPT, HERMITESS: Today, as we continue to celebrate our risen Lord, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Francis of Paola, Hermit, who was named Patron of Italian seamen in 1943 by Pope Pius XII because many of the miracles attributed to him were related to the sea. (He’s the Patron Saint of Calabria; Amato; La Chorrera, Panama; boatmen, mariners, and naval officers) and Saint Mary of Egypt, Hermitess, known for her conversion and dedication of her life to God, she is seen as a model of repentance. She’s the Patron Saint of Chastity (warfare against the flesh; deliverance from carnal passions); Demons (deliverance from); Fever; Skin diseases; Temptations of the flesh. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints on this feast day, as we begin Holy Week, we humbly pray for the Church and the Clergy, we pray for their protection, safety and well-being, especially during these incredibly challenging times. May the Lord preserve the members of the Navy, Marines and all sailors from all harm and dangers of the sea, and from the violence of the enemy and we pray for the conversion of sinners and deliverance from evil … Amen🙏

Saint Francis of Paola, you lived an integrated life deeply united to God, nature, and your fellow man. Intercede before the Trinity in heaven on our behalf, assisting us to grow closer to God through death to self, through prayer and through a deep attachment to Christ. Amen🙏

“Fix your minds on the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. Inflamed with love for us, He came down from heaven to redeem us.
For our sake He endured every torment of body and soul and shrank from no bodily pain. He Himself gave us an example of perfect patience and love. We, then, are to be patient in adversity.” ~ St. Francis of Paola, Hermit.

SAINT FRANCIS OF PAOLA, HERMIT: St. Francis of Paola (1416-1507) was born about the year 1416, at Paola, a small city Calabria Italy. His parents were very poor, but virtuous and known for their holiness. After suffering childlessness for many years, his parents had recourse to prayer, especially the intercession of St. Francis of Assisi. They eventually had three children, and the eldest, Francis, was named after St. Francis in thanksgiving for his birth. Francis of Paola grew in sanctity, and after having a vision of St. Francis he spent a year in a Franciscan convent to fulfill a vow his parents had made to the saint. After his time there, he returned to his parents and accompanied them on a pilgrimage to Assisi. Upon returning home, Francis retired to a private spot on his parents’ estate to live as a hermit. He later moved his dwelling to a lonely cave by the seashore, living there in prayer, solitude, and mortification for six years. Disciples gradually came to him to imitate his manner of life, so many that St. Francis of Paola, with the permission of his bishop, built a monastery and church to accommodate them. He later obtained permission from the Holy See to found a new religious order called the Minims, or “The Least,” as they were to live hidden lives of poverty, abstinence, and humility. The Minim Order, is a branch of the Franciscans (1454). These “Hermits of St. Francis of Assisi” dwelt in small houses, and as “least” brethren, endeavored to live a more austere and humble life than the “Fratres Minores.”  Pope Sixtus IV sent him to France to help Louis XI on his deathbed. St. Francis traveled to France taking with him his nephew Nicholas, whom he had raised from the dead. There, the notoriously power-hungry King Louis XI was approaching the point of death himself, and hoped that St. Francis would perform a miracle and restore his health. St. Francis told the king bluntly that he should not fear the end of his earthly life, but the loss of eternal life. From that time, the hermit became a close spiritual adviser to the king. He discussed the reality of death and eternity with him, and urged him to surrender his heart and soul to God before it was too late. St. Francis of Paola stood high in the esteem of the French king, Louis XI, whom he helped prepare for death. The king died in Francis’ arms in 1483. King Louis XI’s son and successor, Charles VIII, maintained the monk, St. Francis as a close adviser, in spiritual and even political affairs. Nonetheless, Francis persisted in following the monastic rule he had developed while living in his hermitage outside of Paola. He continued as superior general of the Minim order, he remained there and founded new monasteries, house of his Minims at Tours in France.

St. Francis of Paola became famous and was sought out by others for his prophecies and miracles. The saint worked numerous miracles. He had a favorite ejaculation, one that welled up from the depths of his physical and spiritual being: “Out of love.” This was an all-powerful ejaculation for him and for his companions. “Out of love” the heaviest stone was light; “Out of love” he admonished and punished; “Out of love” he once crossed the sea without a boat. For on a certain occasion the saint wanted to go from the Italian mainland to Sicily. A boat was lying in the harbor. St. Francis asked the owner if he would take him and his companion along on the boat. “If you pay, monk,” the sailor answered sulkily, “I will take you along.” “Out of love,” the saint humbly pleaded; “for I have no money with me.” “Then I have no ship for you,” came the mocking reply. “Out of love,” was St. Francis’ answer, “forgive me if I go away.” He walked about a stone’s throw to the shore, knelt down, and blessed the sea. Then, to the sailor’s great surprise, the saint suddenly stood up, stepped out on the tossing waves, and with firm foot trod over the surging sea. St. Francis sensed that his death was approaching at the age of 91, and returned to living in complete solitude for three months to prepare himself. When he emerged, he gathered a group of the Minim brothers and gave them final instructions for the future of the order. He fell sick on Palm Sunday, 1507 and after receiving Last Rites, received Holy Communion and died while the Passion of Christ was read to him aloud. St. Francis of Paola died on April 2, Good Friday of 1507. Pope Leo X canonized St. Francis of Paola 12 years after his death, in 1519. Although the Minim order lost many of its monasteries in the 18th century during the French Revolution, it continues to exist, primarily in Italy. His feast day is April 2 and he’s the Saint Patron against fire; boatmen; Calabria, Italy (named by Pope John XXIII in 1963); mariners; naval officers; plague epidemics; sailors; sterility; travellers; watermen, Amato; La Chorrera, Panama.

PRAYER: God, the exultation of the humble, You raised St. Francis to the glory of Your Saints. Through his merits and example, grant that we may happily obtain the rewards promised to the humble. Amen. Saint Francis of Paola … pray for us🙏
 
SAINT MARY OF EGYPT, HERMITESS: Saint Mary of Egypt (344-421) story demonstrates the power of the Church as the home of forgiveness, redemption and mercy. St. Mary of Egypt is known for her conversion and dedication of her life to God, she is seen as a model of repentance. St. Mary of Egypt was a prostitute for 17 years before she received the Eucharist and chose the life of a hermit. Born in 344 A.D., St. Mary of Egypt moved to the city of Alexandria at the tender age of twelve, she left her father’s house that she might be without restraint in her life of debauchery, which she pursued for seventeen years at Alexandria. With the intention of continuing her trade of prostitution, she joined a large group that was making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. On the feast day itself, she joined the crowd as it was headed to the church in order to venerate the relic of the True Cross, again with the intention of luring others into sin. When she got to the door of the church, she was unable to enter. A miraculous force propelled her away from the door each time she approached. After trying to get in three or four times, St. Mary of Egypt moved to a corner of the churchyard and began to cry tears of remorse. Then she saw a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She prayed to the Holy Mother for permission to enter the church for the purposes of venerating the relic. She promised the Virgin Mother that if she were allowed to enter the church, she would renounce the world and its ways. St. Mary of Egypt entered the church, venerated the relic and returned to the statue outside to pray for guidance. She heard a voice telling her to cross the Jordan River and find rest. She set out and in the evening, she arrived at the Jordan and received communion in a church dedicated to St. John the Baptist.

The next day, she crossed the river and went into the desert east of Palestine, where she lived alone for 47 years, not seeing a single human being and beset by all kinds of temptations, which were mitigated by her prayers to the Blessed Virgin. Then, while making his Lenten retreat, a priest named Zosimus found the hermitess and was impressed by her spiritual knowledge and wisdom. She told him that for seventeen years she was a singer and actress who had sinned and was doing penance in the desert. She said the old songs and scenes had haunted her; but since then she had had perfect peace. At her request, she asked the Holy Man of God to return to the banks of the Jordan on Holy Thursday of the following year and to bring her Communion. The priest was true to his word and returned bearing the Eucharist. St. Mary told him to come back again the next year, but to the place where he had originally met her. When the Priest, Zosimus returned in a year’s time, he found Mary’s corpse upon the sand. On the ground beside it was a written request with an inscription saying, Bury here the body of Mary the sinner. She requested that she be buried accompanied by a statement that she had died one year ago, in 421 A.D., on the very night she had received Holy Communion. Amazed, Zosimus began to dig and was later joined by a lion who helped him finish digging. After burying St. Mary of Egypt, Zosimus returned to his monastery near the Jordan, he told the brethren what he had witnessed and improved the faults of the monks there and the story spread. Her feast day is April 2nd and she’s the Patron Saint of Chastity (warfare against the flesh; deliverance from carnal passions); Demons (deliverance from); Fever; Skin diseases; Temptations of the flesh.

PRAYER: Saint Mary of Egypt, we beseech you to accept our prayer, in the Name of God, for we turn to you in veneration of your holiness and in supplication of your intercession. We also wish to dedicate our lives to the Virgin Mother and to go wherever she directs us. In this way, we shall be blessed with true happiness and inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. For this we pray, and for this we thank you and all the saints in Heaven. Amen. Saint Mary of Egypt ~ Pray for us🙏

PRAYER INTENTIONS: We thank God for blessing us all with the gift of His precious son, may we be saved by the name of our Savior Jesus Christ! May the Lord grant us His grace as we continue to serve Him in spirit and in truth and as we come to the end of our Lenten Season. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the sick and dying. We particularly pray for sick children, those who are sick with convulsive disorder, mental illness, strokes, heart diseases, and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. May God restore them to good health and grant them His Divine healing and intervention. May our Mother Mary comfort them, may the Angels and Saints watch over them and may the Holy Spirit guide them in peace and comfort during this challenging time. We pray for the safety and well-being of us all and our families, for peace, love and unity in our families, our marriages and our divided and conflicted world. Every life is a gift. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the gentle souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls through the mercy of God rest in peace with our Lord Jesus Christ Amen. 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. For vocations to the priesthood and religious life, 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🙏

“SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS”

Bible Readings for today, Tuesday in the Octave of Easter | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ John 20:11–18

“I have seen the Lord, and He said these things to me”

“Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the Body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and then reported what he had told her.”

Today’s Gospel reading gives an account of the Lord’s resurrection and His appearance to Mary Magdalene. Mary Magdalene witnessed the Lord’s suffering and death on the cross, and she was distraught when she found out that the Lord’s Body had disappeared from His tomb due to His Resurrection. That was when the Lord showed Himself to her in all of His risen glory, although she did not initially recognise Him likely because she was still distraught, until the Lord called her and revealed Himself to her. Mary believed in the Lord and she proclaimed the news of the Lord’s resurrection to the other disciples, the Apostles. In this way is why she is also known as the Apostle to the Apostles. She told them all of what she had seen and experienced, revealing the Risen Lord to the disciples, with great joy and courage. Mary Magdalene did exactly the same as what St. Peter had done, in proclaiming the truth of the Lord and turning people on the their ways towards the Lord and His salvation. This is exactly what each one of us are called to do as well. It is all these revelations and truth which the Lord has revealed to His disciples and followers, through His other appearances throughout the period between His Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven, witnessed by many of His followers, which reassured and strengthened them in their faith in God.

In our first reading today, from the Acts of the Apostles of the testimony of faith which was delivered by St. Peter the Apostle to the people assembled in Jerusalem for the festival of the Pentecost. St. Peter told the people to be faithful in the Lord and to believe in Him, for everything that He had done for the sake of His beloved people. God has given us such a great and unsurpassed gift in His Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, that He has done everything, even to the point of enduring the worst of sufferings, punishments, humiliation and pain for our sake. He did not hold Himself back from doing all these because He truly loved us. And through His death and resurrection, Christ has broken the doors of death, and the chains of sin that had long kept the people of God enslaved and suffering under their dominion and power. St. Peter called all those people to turn towards the Lord and to discover the love by which God has rescued them from the darkness of sin and evil in this world. He courageously proclaimed the truth despite having no proper education, and despite having hidden himself with the other disciples earlier on due to the opposition and oppression by the Jewish authorities. That is because as the power of the Holy Spirit was working through him, St. Peter allowed himself to be the witness of the Lord’s Resurrection, and to be filled with the courage and strength from the Spirit of God, in bringing the Good News and the truth to the people despite the risks that he had to face in doing so. He spoke with the wisdom and the eloquence that God granted him through the Holy Spirit. And in doing so, he turned the hearts of many towards God, and revealed the great love that God had for all of them, such as shown by Christ’s death on the Cross.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred  Scriptures today, we are all called to reflect again on this Easter Octave, the true meaning of what it means to be Christians. As Christians, each and every one of us are called to serve the Lord with faith and commitment. All of us are called to be missionaries of our Christian faith in our world today, to proclaim the Risen Lord in our respective communities and among all those whom we encounter each day and at each moments of our lives. May God, our Risen Lord and Saviour, bless us all and be with us always, and may He strengthen each and every one of us that we may always be strong and be able to persevere despite the trials, challenges and difficulties that we may encounter in our path towards Him. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace and bless all of our actions and works, that in all things we will always glorify Him and bring His truth to ever more and more people, throughout the world, and bring the salvation He has promised us to those who have not yet known Him. Amen🙏

Let us pray:

My risen and ascended Lord, You now reign in Heaven in perfect glory and splendor. Draw me into Your glorious life and invite me to cling to You with all my heart. I invite You, dear Lord, to come and make Your dwelling within me so that I can hold on to You forevermore. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Francis of Paola  and St. Mary of  Egypt ~ Pray for us🙏

Thanking God for the gift of His Son our Lord Jesus Christ and praying for us all as we continue to rejoice in the resurrection of our loving Savior, Jesus Christ. We pray for journey mercies for all those traveling during this Easter season. Have a blessed, safe and grace-filled Easter Tuesday🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena💖

MONDAY IN THE OCTAVE OF EASTER

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ APRIL 1, 2024

DIVINE MERCY NOVENA: Novena in preparation for DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY. Good Friday is the first day of the Divine Mercy Novena. Novena begins on Good Friday, March 29, 2024 and ends, Saturday, April 6, 2024 (Novena Links below)

Greetings beloved family. Happy Easter  Monday and Happy New Month of April!

The Lord has risen from the dead, as He foretold. Let there be happiness and rejoicing for He is our King forever, Alleluia!

We thank God for the  gift of life and for the gift of the new month of April. May God’s grace and mercy be with us all during this Easter season and always🙏

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on, April 1, 2024 on EWTN” |

Pray “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | April 1, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | April 1, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | April 1, 2024 |

Pray “Solemn Novena of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy – Day 4 | from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | Easter Monday, April 1, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteriels VIRTUAL🌹JOYFUL🌹LUMINOUS🌹SORROWFUL🌹GLORIOUS” on YouTube |

Today’s Bible Readings: Monday April 1, 2024
Reading 1, Acts 2:14, 22-32
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11
Gospel, Matthew 28:8-15

NOVENA IN PREPARATION FOR DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY: Novena begins on Good Friday, March 29, 2024 and ends, Saturday, April 6, 2024

DAY 4: Today, Easter Monday is the fourth day of the Divine Mercy Novena | EWTN | Links ~ https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/novena-13366

https://divinemercy.life/the-divine-mercy-novena

How to Recite the Chaplet of The Divine Mercy | The Divine Mercy | https://www.thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/pray-the-chaplet

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF APRIL – MONTH OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST: The month of April is traditionally dedicated to devotion to Jesus in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. The Catholic Church teaches that the Blessed Sacrament is the real and living presence of Christ—His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity—received into our souls with every reception of Holy Communion. Our Eucharistic Lord is the source and summit of our Christian life, the ultimate proof of His infinite love for us.

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL – FOR THE ROLE OF WOMEN: We pray that the dignity and immense value of women be recognized in every culture, and for the end of discrimination that they experience in different parts of the world. 🙏

PRAYER FOR PEACE ~ POPE FRANCIS:

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!

We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced; how much blood has been shed; how many lives have been shattered; how many hopes have been buried… But our efforts have been in vain. Now, Lord, come to our aid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: “Never again war!”; “With war everything is lost”. Instill in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace. Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarreling into forgiveness. Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words “division”, “hatred” and “war” be banished from the heart of every man and woman. Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands. Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be “brother”, and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam! Amen🙏

During this Easter season, please let us all continue to pray for peace all over the world, particularly in Africa, the Middle East, for an end to the current war in Israel-Palestine, and the Ukraine-Russia conflicts and for peace in our families and throughout our divided and conflicted World. Amen 🙏

On this special feast day, as we continue to celebrate our risen Lord, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we pray for the Clergy and religious as they serve in the Lord’s Vineyard. We also pray for the sick and dying. We especially pray for our loved ones who have recently died and we continue to remember our beloved, we pray for the repose of their gentle souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

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🙏

Prayers for Peace | https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/prayers-for-peace/

SAINTS OF THE DAY: During this Easter season, as we continue to celebrate the resurrection of our loving Savior Jesus Christ, today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Hugh, Benedictine Bishop of Grenoble, France (Patron of St. Bruno and Patron Saint against headaches); Saint Valery of Leucone, Abbot and Blessed Anacleto González Flores. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the sick, especially those who suffer with headaches, we pray for God’s divine healing and intervention. May the Saints pray for us that we will persevere despite the challenges placed before us. Amen🙏

SAINT HUGH OF GRENOBLE, BISHOP: St. Hugh of Grenoble (1053-1132), also known as Hugh of Châteauneuf was born in 1053 in Châteauneuf, Dauphiné, France. Saint Hugh showed piety from a very young age. While still a layman, he was appointed a canon (priest assigned to a cathedral) in Valence. He served as an aid to Bishop Hugh of Die. He very actively helped Bishop Hugh of Die fight against the buying and selling of church offices. At the Council of Avignon, in 1080, he was elected as the Bishop of Grenoble, even though he was not yet ordained. (The bishop of Grenoble had fallen into a very poor state of health.) A personal represenative of the pope escorted Hugh to Rome where he was ordained by Pope Gregory VII, himself. Upon Saint Hugh’s return, Hugh immediately set out to reform the see by denouncing simony (buying and selling of offices) and usury (charging interest to borrowers of money, especially at high rates of interest). After he was successful in doing this and promoting devotion (approximately two years), Saint Hugh attempted to resign being bishop to enter the Benedictine monastery at Cluny (France). The pope declined to accept his resignation and ordered him to continue his work in the diocese he was at.

For the rest of the 11th century, Saint Hugh’s diocese continued having a violent conflict with Count Guigues III of Albon about the church land in Grésivaudan (a valley in the French Alps). St. Hugh alleged that the Count tried to seize the land with the help of Bishop Mallen of Grenoble. An agreement was finally reached in 1099 and the Count agreed to relinquish the disputed land as long as Saint Hugh recognized the Count’s temporal (earthly) authority within Grenoble. Saint Hugh attempted to resign many times to which the pope would never accept his resignation because of Hugh’s great abilities. It was to St. Hugh that St. Bruno and his six companions addressed themselves in their design of forsaking the world, and the holy Bishop directed them to the desert of Chartreuse, where they founded the Carthusian Order.

After several years of service and attempts at reform, the long and penitential life of St. Hugh came to a close, St. Hugh died on April 1, 1132 in Grenoble, France of natural causes, interred in Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Grenoble relics burned by the Huguenots during the French Wars of Religion (between the Catholics and Protestants, inspired by John Calvin, called the Huguenots), the Huguenots burned Saint Hugh’s body in the 15th century. He was canonized on April 22, 1134; just two years after his death, by Pope Innocent II during the Council of Pisa. He’s the Patron Saint against headaches; Grenoble, France.

PRAYER: God, Light and Shepherd of souls, You established St. Hugh 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 Hugh of Grenoble, Bishop ~ Pray for us🙏

SAINT VALERY OF LEUCONE, ABBOT: St. Valery (565-622) also known as Valerian, Walaricus or Walericus was born at Auvergne, France in the sixth century, he died in Leucone, Picardy, France, on December 12, c. 622; feast of his translation is December 12. St. Valery discovered Benedictine life at Issoire, developed it at Auxerre, fructified it at Luxeuil under Saint Columbanus (f.d. November 21) and multiplied it with missionary work at Leuconnais (Leuconay), in the Somme region of northern France. St. Valery was a son to a gentleman of Auvergne, and in his childhood kept his father’s sheep. He grew up a peasant and a shepherd, but out of an ardent desire of improving himself in spiritual knowledge, privately learned to read, and got the psalter by heart. He was yet young when he took the monastic habit in the neighbouring monastery of St. Antony. From the first day such was his fervour that in his whole conduct he appeared a living rule of perfection, and, by sincere humility, esteeming himself below all the world, he meekly and cheerfully subjected himself to every one. Seeking the most perfect means of advancing in the paths of all virtues, he passed from this house to the more austere monastery of St. Germanus of Auxerre, into which he was received by St. Aunarius, bishop of that church.

The reputation of the penitential lives of the monks of Luxeu, and of the spiritual wisdom of St. Columban, drew St. Valery afterwards thither, and he spent many years in that community, always esteeming himself an unprofitable servant and a slothful monk, who stood in need of the severest and harshest rules and superiors; and, next to sin, he dreaded nothing so much as the applause of men or a reputation of sanctity. Upon the departure of St. Columban, the care of protecting the monastery from the oppressions of men in power, was committed to St. Valery, till he was sent by St. Eustasius with Vandolen, a fellow monk, to preach the gospel to idolaters. The two apostolic men travelled into Neustria, where King Clotaire II. gave them the territory of Leucone, in Picardy, near the mouth of the river Somme. There, with the leave of Bertard, bishop of Amiens, in 611, they built a chapel and two cells. St. Valery, by his preaching and the example of his virtue, converted many infidels, and assembled certain fervent disciples with whom he laid the foundation of a monastery. His fasts he sometimes prolonged for six days, eating only on the Sunday; and he used no other bed than twigs laid on the floor. His time was all employed in preaching, prayer, reading, and manual labour. By this he earned something for the relief of the poor, and he often repeated to others: “The more cheerfully we give to those who are in distress, the more readily will God give us what we ask of him.”

The saint went to receive the recompense of his happy perseverance on the 12th of December, in 622. When St. Valery died, cures took place at his tomb and his veneration grew, which eventually spread to England during the Norman Conquest. William the Conqueror exposed Valery’s relics for public veneration. He was invoked for a favourable wind for the expedition in 1066, which sailed from Saint-Valery. He is honoured in France on the 1st of April and on the 12th of December, feast of his translation. St. Valery is honoured at Chester Abbey in England and in France, where a famous monastery arose from his cells. Two towns in the Somme district are called Saint-Valery after him and there are several dedications to him in England as well.
Saint Valery of Leucone ~ Pray for us🙏

BLESSED ANACLETO GONZALEZ FLORES: Bl. Anacleto González Flores (1888–1927) was a Mexican Catholic layman and lawyer who was tortured and executed during the persecution of the Catholic Church under Mexican President Plutarco Elías Calles. Bl. González was beatified by Benedict XVI as a martyr on November 20, 2005. Bl. Anacleto Gonzalez Flores was the second of twelve children born to a poor family in Tepatitlán, Jalisco, Mexico on July 13, 1888. He was baptized the day after his birth. As he grew, a priest recognized his intelligence and recommended that he enter the seminary. Bl. Anacleto studied there for a time before discerning that he was not called to the priesthood. Instead he became an attorney, husband, and father, as well as an activist for his Catholic faith. He was greatly involved in social and religious activities and was an enthusiastic member of the Catholic Association of Young Mexicans (ACJM). He taught classes in catechism, was dedicated to works of charity and wrote articles and books with a Christian spirit. In 1922 he married María Concepción Guerrero and they had two children. He was a prolific writer and dedicated catechism teacher, and attended daily Mass.

As a member of the Catholic Association of Young Mexicans (ACJM), he also in addition started another Catholic lay organization committed to resisting the fierce persecution of the Catholic Church under the infamous Mexican dictator, President Plutarco Elías Calles. Initially he participated only in the non-violent, passive resistance against Calles, until four members of the ACJM were murdered in 1926. Their deaths spurred Bl. Anacleto to joined the cause of the National League for the Defence of Religious Freedom, lending support to the armed resistance movement. Bl. Anacleto did not take up arms but instead gave speeches to encourage Catholics to support the Cristeros, the Catholic army fighting against Calles. In January 1927 guerrilla warfare spread throughout Jalisco and from his many hiding places Bl. Anacleto wrote and sent bulletins and studied major strategies. The young man was captured on the morning of April 1, 1927 in the home of the Vargas González family, along with the two Vargas brothers. He was taken to the Colorado jail, where his torture included being hung by his thumbs until his fingers were dislocated and having the bottom of his feet slashed. He refused, however, to supply his captors with any information. Bl. Anacleto González Flores was condemned to death by firing squad and was shot together with the Vargas González brothers and Luis Padilla Gómez on that same day, April 1, 1927 at Guadalajara, Mexico. Bl. Anacleto González Flores was beatified as a martyr on November 20, 2005 at Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico by Pope Benedict XVI, recognition celebrated by Portuguese cardinal José Saraiva Martins.

Blessed  Anacleto González Flores ~ Pray for us🙏

PRAYER INTENTIONS: We thank God for blessing us all with the gift of His precious son, may we be saved by the name of our Savior Jesus Christ! May the Lord grant us His grace as we continue to serve Him in spirit and in truth and as we come to the end of our Lenten Season. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the sick and dying. We particularly pray for sick children, those who are sick with convulsive disorder, mental illness, strokes, heart diseases, and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. May God restore them to good health and grant them His Divine healing and intervention. May our Mother Mary comfort them, may the Angels and Saints watch over them and may the Holy Spirit guide them in peace and comfort during this challenging time. We pray for the safety and well-being of us all and our families, for peace, love and unity in our families, our marriages and our divided and conflicted world. Every life is a gift. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the gentle souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls through the mercy of God rest in peace with our Lord Jesus Christ Amen. 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. For vocations to the priesthood and religious life, 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🙏

“SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS”

Bible Readings today, Monday in the Octave of Easter | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ Matthew 28:8–15

“Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

“Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce the news to his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had happened. The chief priests assembled with the elders and took counsel; then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.’ And if this gets to the ears of the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” The soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has circulated among the Jews to the present day.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Mary Magdalene and the other women who used to follow the Lord Jesus, who were first to the tomb on Easter Sunday and found it empty, are also the first to whom the risen Lord appeared. This group of women are the primary witnesses to the resurrection, the first to proclaim the good news that Jesus is risen and that He will meet His disciples in Galilee. Today’s Gospel reading suggests that just as Jesus’ enemies did away with His earthly life, they also tried to do away with His risen life. In contrast to this group of women, the Gospel reading presents the chief priests and the elders of the people paying off the soldiers who guarded the tomb so that they would propagate the lie that Jesus’ body was stolen by His disciples. A meeting of the religious leaders was held at which it was decided that a story would be put out to explain why the tomb was empty early on the first day of the week. Jesus’ disciples came during the night and stole His body from the tomb. Not only was Jesus crucified as a criminal but His disciples were to be labelled as body snatchers. However, all of these efforts to suppress the good news of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead were in vain. The women proclaim the truth of the Gospel; the group of men in the Gospel reading proclaim a lie. We are all being asked to identify with the group of women. They were faithful to Jesus; they were present during His public ministry, at the cross and at the tomb. Because of their faithfulness, they are sent out as messengers of Easter joy. Our faithfulness will prompt the Lord to send us out too as messengers of Easter joy and hope, proclaiming Easter good news, the triumph of life over death, of God’s love over human sin.

In our first reading today, St. Peter courageously proclaimed before all assembled people in Jerusalem at the moment right after the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. The Apostles had been hiding in fear of the Jewish authorities and all who had threatened action against the Lord’s disciples and everyone who were found to be the followers of Christ, and thus they used to hide and avoid attention for those several weeks after the Lord’s Resurrection and later Ascension into Heaven. But through His Holy Spirit, the Lord inflamed in the hearts of the Apostles a great courage and desire to serve and love the Lord, the energy and power to proclaim the Good News and truth of God and His salvation among His people. Thus, we heard St. Peter speaking up with great courage and eloquence, with wisdom and zeal, in proclaiming the Lord’s glorious Resurrection and all that He had done in the midst of His people, reminding the people of the most loving sacrifice that He had made on the Cross. He proclaimed before all the people the Christ Crucified, Who had risen from the dead in glory.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, as we begin to embark through this journey of the Easter season in this Easter Octave, we are constantly being reminded of what we have to do as Christians in living our daily lives especially as we progress through this Easter season and beyond. We are reminded that our Christian faith is about proclaiming our Risen Lord and Saviour to the best of our ability, and to proclaim Him with joy and pride in our community and in whichever places we go to, following in the footsteps of the Apostles and Saints. Let us all therefore be filled with the Spirit of God this Easter season, and strive to do our best in proclaiming God’s truth, love, His Good News and salvation among those who have not yet known Him. May all of us be ever more committed and courageous in living our lives actively as Christians, so that in everything we do and say, in all of our interactions and dealings with one another, we will always be exemplary and be good sources of inspiration for our fellow Christians, and for many others out there who have not yet known the Lord and His truth yet. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and may the joy, love, courage, strength and the guidance of Our Risen Lord be with us all, and may He bless us in our every actions and deeds, now and always, Amen🙏

Let us pray:

My resurrected Lord, You conquered sin and death and brought forth new life for all who believe in You. Give me the grace, dear Jesus, to never allow my sin of pride to keep me from being open to the glorious and transforming action You desire to do in my life. Please give me the gift of humility so that I may always turn from my sin and turn to You. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Hugh of Grenoble; Saint Valery of Leucone and Blessed Anacleto González Flores ~ Pray for us🙏

Thanking God for the gift of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and praying for us all as we continue to rejoice in the resurrection of our loving Savior, Jesus Christ.  We prat for journey mercies for all those traveling during this Easter season. Have a blessed, safe, and grace-filled Easter Monday🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena💖