Year: 2024

FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ JANUARY 31, 2024

Greetings, beloved family and Happy Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time!

We thank God for the gift of life and for bringing us all successfully to the end of the month of January. May His name be praised forever and ever~ Amen🙏

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | January 31, 2024 |

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on January 31, 2024 on EWTN” |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | January 31, 2024 |

Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | January 31, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | January 31, 2024 |

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Reading 1, Second Samuel 24:2, 9-17
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7
Gospel, Mark 6:1-6

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF JANUARY – MONTH OF THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS: The month of January is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. After the Blessed Virgin Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit, the Angel Gabriel appeared to St. Joseph and told him that the Child’s name should be called Jesus, meaning “God Saves.” According to Jewish law, on the 8th day after his birth a male child was to be circumcised, receive his name, and become a full member of God’s covenant people. According to the old Roman liturgical calendar, the Feast of the Circumcision of Jesus was celebrated on January 1st, eight days after Christmas, the same day that He was given His sacred name. Currently we celebrate the Solemnity of the Mother of God on January 1st and honor the Holy Name of Jesus on January 3rd. For Catholics, Jesus’ sacred name is the object of a special devotion symbolized by the monogram “IHS,” (sometimes called a Christogram), which is the first three letters of the Greek spelling of His name.

On this special feast day, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we pray for the sick and dying. We especially pray for our loved ones who have recently died and we continue to remember our beloved late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on the first memorial anniversary of his death. We pray for the repose of his gentle soul 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 the gentle soul of Pope Benedict XVI and souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

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

PRAYER FOR THE DEAD: In your hands, O Lord, we humbly entrust our brothers and sisters. In this life, you embraced them with your tender love; deliver them now from every evil, and bid them eternal rest. The old order has passed away: welcome them into paradise, where there will be no sorrow, no weeping or pain, but fullness of peace and joy with your Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen🙏

A PRAYER FOR PEACE: Lord Jesus Christ, You are the true King of peace. In You alone is found freedom. Please free our world from conflict. Bring unity to troubled nations. Let Your glorious peace reign in every heart. Dispel all darkness and evil. Protect the dignity of every human life. Replace hatred with Your love. Give wisdom to world leaders. Free them from selfish ambition. Eliminate all violence and war. Glorious Virgin Mary, Saint Michael the Archangel, Every Angel and Saint: Please pray for peace. Pray for unity amongst nations. Pray for unity amongst all people. Pray for the most vulnerable. Pray for those suffering. Pray for the fearful. Pray for those most in need. Pray for us all. Jesus, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us. Jesus, hear our prayers. Jesus, I trust in You! Amen 🙏

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

SAINT OF THE DAY: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint John Bosco, Priest.

SAINT JOHN BOSCO, PRIEST: St. John Bosco (1815–1888) also known as Don Bosco was the founder of the Salesian Society, named in honor of St. Francis de Sales, and of the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians. A 19th century Italian priest who reached out to young people to remedy their lack of education, opportunities, and faith. His lifework was the welfare of young boys and girls, hence his title, “Apostle of Youth.” St. John Bosco was born on August 16,1815 into a family of peasant farmers in Castelnuovo d’Asti – a place which would one day be renamed in the saint’s honor as “Castelnuovo Don Bosco.” St. John’s father died when he was two years old, but he drew strength from his pious mother, Mama Margherita’s deep faith in God. Mama Margherita also taught her son the importance of charity, using portions of her own modest means to support those in even greater need. St. John desired to pass on to his own young friends the example of Christian discipleship that he learned from his mother. At age nine, he had a prophetic dream in which a number of unruly young boys were uttering words of blasphemy. Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary appeared to St. John in the dream, saying he would bring such youths to God through the virtues of humility and charity. Later on, this dream would help St. John to discern his calling as a priest. But he also sought to follow the advice of Jesus and Mary while still a boy: he would entertain his peers with juggling, acrobatics, and magic tricks, before explaining a sermon he had heard, or leading them in praying the Rosary.

St. John’s older brother Anthony opposed his plan to be a priest, and antagonized him so much that he left home to become a farm worker at age 12. After moving back home three years later, John worked in various trades and finished school in order to attend seminary. Despite the financial difficulties at the age of twenty in 1835, St. John entered the major seminary at Chieri, next to the Church of the Immacolata Concezione, thanks to the financial help received from Louis Guala, founder and rector of the ecclesiastical residence St. Francis of Assisi in Turin. In 1841, after six years of study, at the age of 26 he was ordained a priest on the eve of Trinity Sunday by Archbishop Franzoni of Turin. In the city of Turin, he began ministering to boys and young men who lived on the streets, many of whom were without work or education and he became a kindly spiritual father to boys in need.

The industrial revolution had drawn large numbers of people into the city to look for work that was frequently grueling and sometimes scarce. Don Bosco was shocked to see how many boys ended up in prison before the age of 18, left to starve spiritually and sometimes physically. The priest was determined to save as many young people as he could from a life of degradation. In spite of the criticism and violent attacks of the anti-clericals, he conducted workshops for the tradesmen and manual laborers, schools of arts and sciences for young workers, and schools of the liberal arts for those preparing for the priesthood. In 1868 there were 800 students involved in this educational system. To ensure the continuation of his work, St. John Bosco founded the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales (Salesians), with the help of John Borel, which was approved in 1869. Also, with the help of Sister Mary Dominic Mazzarello, he founded the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Auxiliatrix, Help of Christians. St. John’s boyhood dream came to pass: he became a spiritual guide and provider along with his fellow Salesian priests and brothers, giving boys religious instruction, lodging, education, and work opportunities. He had no formal system or theory of education. His methods centered on persuasion, authentic religiosity, and love for young people. He was an enlightened educator and innovator. His aging mother, Mama Margherita helped support the project in its early years.

In 1875 a wave of emigration to Latin America began, and this prompted the inauguration of the Salesian missionary apostolate. Don Bosco became a traveller throughout Europe, seeking funds for the missions. Some of the reports referred to him as “the new St. Vincent de Paul.” He also found time to write popular catechetical pamphlets, which were distributed throughout Italy, as was his Salesian Bulletin. This success did not come easily, as the priest struggled to find reliable accommodations and support for his ambitious apostolate. Italy’s nationalist movement made life difficult for religious orders, and its anti-clerical attitudes even led to assassination attempts against Don Bosco. But such hostility did not stop the Salesians from expanding in Europe and beyond. They were helping 130,000 children in 250 houses by the end of Don Bosco’s life. “I have done nothing by myself,” he stated, saying it was “Our Lady who has done everything” through her intercession with God. Today, the motto on the Salesian coat of arms: “Give me only souls and keep all the rest”—bears witness to the fidelity of Don Bosco to the words of a truly Christian mother. St. John Bosco died in the early hours of January 31, 1888, at the age of 72, after conveying a message: “Tell the boys that I shall be waiting for them all in Paradise.” He was Beatified on June 2, 1929, Rome by Pope Pius XI and Canonized on Easter Sunday, April 1, 1934, Rome by Pope Pius XI. Pope John Paul II named him “teacher and father to the young.” He’s the Patron Saint of young people, boys, schoolchilren, Christian apprentices, Catholic publishers and editors, magicians, juvenile delinquents, Piura, Peru.

QUOTES OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO

☆”There are two things the devil is deadly afraid of: fervent Communions and frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament. “

☆”We do not go to Holy Communion because we are good; we go to become good.”           

☆“If we want to have a good society, we must concentrate all our forces on the Christian education of the young. Experience has taught me that if we wish to sustain civil society then we should take good care of the young.”

☆”Enjoy yourself as much as you like – if only you keep from sin.”

☆”Entrust everything to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and to Mary, Help of Christians and you will see what miracles are.”

PRAYER: O God, who raised up the Priest Saint John Bosco as a father and teacher of the young, grant we pray, that, aflame with the same fire of love, we may seek out souls and serve you alone. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever~ Amen🙏

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. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for peace, love and unity in our families, our marriages and our divided and conflicted world. Every life is a gift. We continue to pray for all those who are sick and dying, especially sick children, those who are mentally and physically ill, strokes, heart diseases, and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. 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 them during this challenging time. We pray for an end to wars, political and religious unrest. We pray for the safety and well-being of us all and our families. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for torture victims, the poor, the needy and the most vulnerable in our communities and around the world. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the souls of the faithful departed and for all widows and widowers. And we continue to pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Bishops, the Clergy and all those who preach the Gospel. We pray for 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, Memorial of Saint John Bosco, Priest | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ Mark 6:1-6

“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place”

“Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples. When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.”

In today’s Gospel reading the people of Nazareth took offense at the fact that one of their own, someone whose family they knew well, someone whom they had known as a carpenter, was now displaying great wisdom in the words he spoke and great power in his deeds on behalf of others. ‘What is this wisdom that has been granted to him, and these miracles that are worked through him?’ They took offense, it seems, not at his actual wisdom and power, but at the fact that one of their own was displaying such wisdom and power. It was as if Jesus was too ordinary, too much like themselves, to be taken seriously. They were coming up against the scandal of the incarnation, the Word who was God became flesh as all of us are flesh. God chose to come to us in and through someone who was like us in all things, except sin. When Jesus went on to speak about God, He often pointed to the ordinary, to the familiar, to the normal – a farmer sowing seed, a man on a journey from Jerusalem to Jericho, a rebellious son in a family, a widow looking for justice from a judge. The life and teaching of Jesus shows us that God speaks to us in and through the ordinary events of life. What we need are the eyes to see and the ears to hear the extraordinary in the ordinary, the divine in the human. The Gospel reading encourages us to keep recognizing the presence of the Lord in the familiar.

In our first reading today from the Book of the prophet Samuel, David, the famous and great King of Israel sinned once again against the Lord, when he decided to launch a great census of the whole entirety of his kingdom, counting all the number of the people, especially the ones who are able to bear weapons and fight. According to the Scripture, a truly large number of people were counted by Joab, David’s commander and right-hand man, and this was David’s folly in putting his trust more in his worldly power, glory and greatness. While it may not intrinsically be wrong for a census to be carried out, which is often done by many states and countries periodically to allow for better assessment of its resources and taxes, but in this context of David carrying it out, it was a show of pride and arrogance that because God has blessed him with so much that David became temporarily swayed by all that power and worldly glory. But in the same reading, David quickly realised his folly and mistake, and begged the Lord for forgiveness, humbling himself before Him. God was indeed ever generous and forgiving, and He forgave David from his sins. But there were still consequences that David had to bear for his mistakes, as a consequence to his poor choice of actions. David sought for him to be struck by the hands of God rather than by human hands, and that was how pestilence spread throughout the land, and the Angel of God almost destroyed Jerusalem until God withheld His punishment and judgment, sparing Jerusalem and all of its inhabitants. Through what we have heard, we are reminded that after all, no matter what kind of worldly glory and power we have, God still reigns and have dominion over all things. This means that we should not allow ourselves to be easily swayed by the many desires and ambitions, all the temptations of pleasures and the various other corruptions present all around us. We should always be vigilant that we do not let all those things from misleading us down the path towards ruin, just as David had done. David had mostly been faithful to the Lord, and save for this occasion and the other one when he planned the death of Uriah in order to gain Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife to be his own wife, he has mostly been faithful and committed to the Lord. Yet, as the evidences showed that even this man of faith and obedience to God could still fall into the same temptations and commit grievous sins against God, and hence, we too may encounter the same problem as well. We pray for God’s grace and mercy.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded of the need for us to restrain our human desires, pride, ego and greed, all the ambitions and worldly glory that we seek, which may lead us down the path towards ruin and destruction. We must always be mindful that if we allow our worldly and human ambitions to lead us in our lives and actions, then we may end up falling into sin, and end up losing our focus and emphasis on God, as we may end up falling into the trap of our pride and ego, and be swallowed up by the desire to satisfy our own wants and greed for pleasures and attachments for worldly things. We may end up rejecting God’s generous offer of love and kindness, and instead preferring the illusory pleasures of this world around us. Today, we are all called to follow the examples of the Saints and Holy men and women, particularly, the life and examples of St. John Bosco that we celebrate today. We should indeed be inspired by the good examples of our holy predecessors, who have dedicated and committed their lives in service to the Lord. Let us all hence do our best to live our lives worthily in the Lord’s Presence, and do what we can so that by all of our actions and every moments in life, we will always glorify the Lord by all of those worthy and good actions. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace to remain faithful to Him in times of our greatest need as the Lord reach out to us and lead us to the ultimate victory through Him. May the Lord be with us always, and may He empower us all to walk in His grace and love, now and always. Amen 🙏

Let us pray

My ever-present Lord, thank You for the countless ways in which You are present in the lives of those all around me. Give me the grace to see You and to love You in the lives of those closest to me. As I discover Your glorious presence in their lives, fill me with deep gratitude and help me to acknowledge Your love that comes forth from their lives. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

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

Thanking God for the gift of this new year and praying for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and our world and for God’s Divine Mercy and Grace upon us all as we begin this Ordinary Time. Wishing all of us a most blessed, safe, healthy, prosperous and grace-filled New Year and fruitful week ~ Amen🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖

FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ JANUARY 30, 2024

Greetings, beloved family and Happy Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time!

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on January 30, 2024 on EWTN” |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | January 30, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | January 30, 2024 |

Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | January 30, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | January 30, 2024 |

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Tuesday, January 30, 2024
Reading 1, Second Samuel 18:9-10, 14, 24-25, 30-19:3
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
Gospel, Mark 5:21-43

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF JANUARY – MONTH OF THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS: The month of January is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. After the Blessed Virgin Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit, the Angel Gabriel appeared to St. Joseph and told him that the Child’s name should be called Jesus, meaning “God Saves.” According to Jewish law, on the 8th day after his birth a male child was to be circumcised, receive his name, and become a full member of God’s covenant people. According to the old Roman liturgical calendar, the Feast of the Circumcision of Jesus was celebrated on January 1st, eight days after Christmas, the same day that He was given His sacred name. Currently we celebrate the Solemnity of the Mother of God on January 1st and honor the Holy Name of Jesus on January 3rd. For Catholics, Jesus’ sacred name is the object of a special devotion symbolized by the monogram “IHS,” (sometimes called a Christogram), which is the first three letters of the Greek spelling of His name.

On this special feast day, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we pray for the sick and dying. We especially pray for our loved ones who have recently died and we continue to remember our beloved late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on the first memorial anniversary of his death. We pray for the repose of his gentle soul 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 the gentle soul of Pope Benedict XVI and souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

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

PRAYER FOR THE DEAD: In your hands, O Lord, we humbly entrust our brothers and sisters. In this life, you embraced them with your tender love; deliver them now from every evil, and bid them eternal rest. The old order has passed away: welcome them into paradise, where there will be no sorrow, no weeping or pain, but fullness of peace and joy with your Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen🙏

A PRAYER FOR PEACE: Lord Jesus Christ, You are the true King of peace. In You alone is found freedom. Please free our world from conflict. Bring unity to troubled nations. Let Your glorious peace reign in every heart. Dispel all darkness and evil. Protect the dignity of every human life. Replace hatred with Your love. Give wisdom to world leaders. Free them from selfish ambition. Eliminate all violence and war. Glorious Virgin Mary, Saint Michael the Archangel, Every Angel and Saint: Please pray for peace. Pray for unity amongst nations. Pray for unity amongst all people. Pray for the most vulnerable. Pray for those suffering. Pray for the fearful. Pray for those most in need. Pray for us all. Jesus, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us. Jesus, hear our prayers. Jesus, I trust in You! Amen 🙏

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

SAINTS OF THE DAY: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Bathildis, Queen of France and Saint Martina of Rome, Virgin and Martyr and Saint Hyacintha of Mariscotti, Virgin.

SAINT BATHILDIS, QUEEN OF FRANCE: St Bathildis (c630-680) also known as Baldechilde, Baldhild, Bathild, Bathildes, Bathilde, Bauteur) was an an English girl of the 7th century captured by pirates and sold in 641 as a slave to the household of Erchinoald, mayor of the palace of Paris in Neustria under King Clovis II. Her unusual qualities of mind and her virtues inspired the confidence of her master who gave many of the affairs of the household into her charge and, after the death of his wife, wished to marry her. At this the young girl fled and did not return until Erchinoald had married again. About this time Clovis II met her at the house of the mayor of the palace, and was impressed by her beauty, grace and the good report he had of her.   He freed and married her, 649. This sudden elevation did not diminish the virtues of Bathildis but gave them a new lustre. Her humility, spirit of prayer and large-hearted generosity to the poor were particularly noticeable.

Seven years after their marriage Clovis II died, 656, leaving Bathildis with three sons, Clothaire, Childeric, and Thierry. An assembly of the leading nobles proclaimed Clothaire III, aged five, king under the regency of his mother, Bathildis. Aided by the authority and advice of Erchinoald and the saintly bishops, Eloi (Eligius) of Noyon, Ouen of Rouen, Leéger of Autun, and Chrodebert of Paris, the queen was able to carry out useful reforms. She abolished the disgraceful trade in Christian slaves, and firmly repressed simony among the clergy. She also led the way in founding charitable and religious institutions, such as hospitals and monasteries. Through her generosity the Abbey of Corbey was founded for men, and the Abbey of Chelles near Paris for women. At about this date the famous Abbeys of Jumièges, Jouarre, and Luxeuil were established, most probably in large part through Bathildis’ generosity. Berthilde, the first Abbess of Chelles, who is honoured as a saint, came from Jouarre. The queen wished to renounce her position and enter the religious life, but her duties kept her at court. Erchinoald died in 659 and was succeeded by Ebroin. Notwithstanding the ambition of the new mayor of the palace, the queen was able to maintain her authority and to use it for the benefit of the kingdom. After her children were well established in their respective territories, Clotaire III assumed the throne, Childeric IV in Austrasia and Thierry in Burgundy, she returned to her wish for a secluded life and withdrew to her favourite Abbey of Chelles near Paris and led a life of prayer and self-denial.

On entering the abbey she laid down the insignia of royalty and desired to be the lowest in rank among the inmates. It was her pleasure to take her position after the novices and to serve the poor and infirm with her own hands. Prayer and manual toil occupied her time, nor did she wish any allusion made to the grandeur of her past position. In this manner she passed fifteen years of retirement. At the beginning of the year 680 she had a presentiment of the approach of death and made religious preparation for it. Before her own end, that of Radegonde occurred, a child whom she had held at the baptismal font and had trained in Christian virtue. St. Bathildis died on January 30, 680
She was buried in the Abbey of Chelles and was canonized by Pope Nicholas I.

PRAYER: God, you inspired St. Bathildis to strive for perfect charity and so attain Your Kingdom at the end of her pilgrimage on earth. Strengthen us through her intercession that we may advance rejoicing in the way of love. Amen🙏

SAINT MARTINA OF ROME, VIRGIN AND MARTYR: St. Martina of Rome (d. 228 A.D.) was a Roman virgin, born to a noble Roman family and orphaned at a young age. She was zealous in the practice of her faith, remained a virgin, and, in preparation for the Christian persecutions sweeping the city, gave much of her inheritance to the poor, that she might be more free to hasten towards martyrdom, during the persecution which had recently begun.

She was martyred under Roman Emperor Alexander Severus. According to the accounts of her martyrdom, she was discovered praying in a church and was arrested by three Roman soldiers, officers of a search party, and commanded to follow them to a temple of Apollo. She cheerfully agreed, saying she would do so after praying for a short time and taking leave of her bishop. She was ordered to pay homage to the pagan gods, which she refused. She was then cruelly tortured over several days. She was raked with iron hooks and scourged, and when a bright light enveloped her, some of her torturers were converted like Saint Paul, to the Christian faith amid her fervent prayers. She was then taken to the temple of Diana to be forced to offer sacrifice, but at her presence the temple’s demon left with a scream. They next tried to throw her to a lion (it showed no interest in her) and to burn her alive, but she would not catch fire. Finally, she was beheaded. Her death occurred on January 1st during the fourth year of Alexander Severus.

Her relics were found in 1634, during the papacy of Urban VIII, near the Mamertine Prison, with those of several other martyrs. All were placed in a beautiful church dedicated to Saint Martina in the Roman Forum. Urban VIII spared no efforts in promoting her veneration; and through his solicitude the Office was enhanced with hymns for Matins and Lauds. In these we read that her soul rose to heaven, where she was seen afterwards upon a royal throne, while the Blessed sang praises to God.

REFLECTION: God calls His Saints to Him at every age; little children turn to Him with faith and love, strong men in their mature years, white-haired grandparents and servants of God in their golden age. And we find martyrs ready for every torment, at all epochs of life. What is important is to be ready and to desire the most important day of our life — that of our death.

PRAYER: Saint Martina of Rome, Pray for us. That we may be made worthy to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen🙏

SAINT HYACINTHA OF MARISCOTTI, VIRGIN: St. Hyacintha born of a noble family near Viterbo (Italy,) Hyacintha entered a local convent of sisters who followed the Third Order Rule. However, she supplied herself with enough food, clothing and other goods to live a very comfortable life amid these sisters who had pledged to mortification. At one point in her time there, a serious illness required that Hyacintha’s confessor bring Holy Communion to her room. Upon entering, he was scandalized to see how soft of a life she had provided for herself, so he advised her to live more humbly. After hearing this, Hyacintha then disposed of her fine clothes and special foods. She eventually became very penitential in food and clothing, and was ready to do the most humble work in the convent. She developed a special devotion to the sufferings of Christ and by her penances became an inspiration to the sisters in her convent. The people loved her so much that her veil had to be replaced multiple times due to people clipping off pieces of it to keep for themselves. She was canonized in 1807.

Saint Hyacintha of Mariscotti, Virgin ~ 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. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for peace, love and unity in our families, our marriages and our divided and conflicted world. Every life is a gift. We continue to pray for all those who are sick and dying, especially sick children, those who mentally and physically ill, 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. We pray for an end to wars, political and religious unrest. 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 those affected directly or indirectly, for all Healthcare workers and for an end to the coronavirus disease.. Amen. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for torture victims, the poor, the needy and the most vulnerable in our communities and around the world. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the souls of the faithful departed and for all widows and widowers. And we continue to pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Bishops, the Clergy and all those who preach the Gospel. We pray for 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 of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ Mark 5:21-43

“If I but touch His clothes, I shall be cured.”

“Little girl, I say to you, arise!”

“When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea. One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward. Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying, “My daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live.” He went off with him and a large crowd followed him. There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse. She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. She said, “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.” Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who has touched my clothes?” But his disciples said to him, “You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, Who touched me?” And he looked around to see who had done it. The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.” While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official’s house arrived and said, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?” Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, he caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. So he went in and said to them, “Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” And they ridiculed him. Then he put them all out. He took along the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and entered the room where the child was. He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. At that they were utterly astounded. He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat.”

In today’s Gospel reading, two people approach Jesus for help. There is the story of Jesus healing the 12 year old daughter of Jairus and the story of the healing of the woman with haemorrhage or bleeding problem for 12 years. These two stories are interconnected. At the centre of the two stories are two adults who differ greatly from each one. Jairus was a synagogue official and, therefore, a person of reasonably high social status and probably well to do. The other person is a woman, whose name we are not given; she had a condition which excluded her from the synagogue and had become impoverished because of her illness. Here we have two people from opposite ends of the social and religious spectrum. Yet, they have something in common and that is their trusting faith in Jesus as the Lord and giver of life. Jairus fell at Jesus’ feet in a very public way; the woman came up behind Jesus and secretly touched his cloak. One didn’t mind being noticed; the other didn’t want to be noticed. They approach Jesus in very different ways but their faith is equally strong. Yet, it was the woman that Jesus challenged to be more public about her faith, with the question, ‘Who touched me?’ The Lord looks to us to publicly witness to our trusting faith in Him. Our public witness is a support to the faith of others. Faith in the Lord can bring together people who otherwise might have very little else in common. The church, the community of believers, is very diverse. All of humanity is there. The gospel reading also suggests that the Lord wants to engage with each one of us in our uniqueness. He wants a personal relationship with each of us. That is why He wanted to meet the woman who touched the hem of His cloak. He needed to look into her eyes, to talk to her, to confirm her faith that led her to Him. The woman who wanted to be anonymous found herself addressed by Jesus as ‘my daughter’. The Lord calls each of us by name; He relates to us as the unique individual that we are. Jairus and his family had faith in the Lord even though his young daughter had passed away by the time the Lord reached his place. But the Lord raised the dead daughter of Jairus back into life because of his great faith in the Lord.

Our first reading today from the Book of the prophet Samuel, details the continuation of the story of the reign of King David, regarding the rebellion of Absalom, one of David’s own sons, whose ambitions and pride led him to rebel against his own father, and attempted to seize the kingdom for himself in an attempted coup. In today’s reading, all this attempted coup was ultimately a failure because God was with David, while Absalom depended solely on his might and the means of the world to sustain himself. Absalom was proud and ambitious, and he sought to gain power for himself, by winning over the people and the members of the elite, and his confidence led him to his downfall and undoing. According to the first reading, at the Battle of Ephraim’s Wood, Absalom’s forces was routed and defeated by those who were loyal to David. Absalom himself was caught up amidst the trees while he was fleeing, and Joab, David’s army commander killed Absalom there where the latter had been trapped. Then, when the news of Absalom’s death was relayed to David, the King was beset with a great grief, and proclaimed great sorrow and mourning for Absalom. Absalom might have indeed betrayed his father, and committed a great treason and sin, but ultimately, to David, Absalom was still his son, someone whom he loved and cared for. It would not be too far to think that had Absalom survived, Absalom might have been forgiven by David. The grief of David in the first reading is very moving. Even though his son Absalom had led a rebellion against his father, he was still David’s son and on hearing the news of Absalom’s death David grieved bitter tears, as any father would for a son, even a rebellious son. What is significant about this turn of events is that, it actually shows us all the same kind of love and interaction which God has shown to us, His beloved ones, the ones whom He has cared for as His own beloved people and children. God has always been loving and kind towards us, and He has always desired to show His mercy and forgiveness towards us. We may have committed a lot of wicked deeds and evils in our lives, but we are still beloved by God, and while He indeed despises our sins and wickedness, but this does not change the fact that He loves each and every one of us. This was just like how David loved Absalom despite what Absalom had done to him. This reminds us all of God’s love and mercy, and how we should respond to Him.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded of the great love which the Lord, our loving God has for each one of us, and how He wants us all to be healed from our afflictions and hardships, the challenges and trials, all the obstacles which may come in between us and Him. All of us are reminded that God has always been kind and loving towards us, regardless of the wickedness, evils and rebelliousness of our lives and actions, which have kept many of us away from the path of the Lord, for all these time. However, too many of us are too proud and besotted by sin and evil, that we fail to realise this love and compassionate mercy which God has for all of us. Let us all therefore spend some time to reflect upon our lives and see in what way that we can be better disciples and followers of the Lord, so that in all things we will grow ever stronger in faith, and that we will continue to be empowered, strengthened and encouraged to walk in the path of righteousness and virtue, in turning away from our sins, the wickedness and temptations of the world, which are easily found all around us. We must always be vigilant and careful lest those temptations and pressures bring us to our downfall and destruction. Let us all put our faith and trust always in the Lord from now on, and let us all continue to do His will and works at all times. May our good Lord be with us all, and may He guide and empower us all in all the things we say and do, in our every good efforts and works, in all of our endeavours for the greater glory of God. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace to love our fellow brothers and sisters unconditionally, by caring for everyone we encounter in life regardless who they are. May God be with us always, now and forevermore. Amen🙏

Let us pray

My compassionate Lord, You consoled this grieving father and instilled within him the gifts of faith and hope. Please also speak your command of love to me, calling me to trust in You no matter what I struggle with in life. May I always have faith in You and never fall into despair or fear. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Bathildis, Queen of France and Saint Martina of Rome and Saint Hyacintha of Mariscotti, Virgin ~ Pray for us 🙏

Thanking God for the gift of this new year and praying for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and our world and for God’s Divine Mercy and Grace upon us all during this Ordinary Time. Wishing all of us a most blessed, safe, healthy, prosperous and grace-filled New Year. Have a blessed, safe and fruitful week ~ Amen🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖

FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR B)

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ JANUARY 28, 2024

Greetings, beloved family and Happy Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time!

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on January 28, 2024 on EWTN” |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | January 28, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | January 28, 2024 |

Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | January 28, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | January 28, 2024 |

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B), January 28, 2024
Reading 1, Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 95:1-2, 6-7, 7-9
Reading 2, First Corinthians 7:32-35
Gospel, Mark 1:21-28

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF JANUARY – MONTH OF THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS: The month of January is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. After the Blessed Virgin Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit, the Angel Gabriel appeared to St. Joseph and told him that the Child’s name should be called Jesus, meaning “God Saves.” According to Jewish law, on the 8th day after his birth a male child was to be circumcised, receive his name, and become a full member of God’s covenant people. According to the old Roman liturgical calendar, the Feast of the Circumcision of Jesus was celebrated on January 1st, eight days after Christmas, the same day that He was given His sacred name. Currently we celebrate the Solemnity of the Mother of God on January 1st and honor the Holy Name of Jesus on January 3rd. For Catholics, Jesus’ sacred name is the object of a special devotion symbolized by the monogram “IHS,” (sometimes called a Christogram), which is the first three letters of the Greek spelling of His name.

On this special feast day, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we pray for the sick and dying. We especially pray for our loved ones who have recently died and we continue to remember our beloved late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on the first memorial anniversary of his death. We pray for the repose of his gentle soul 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 the gentle soul of Pope Benedict XVI and souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

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

PRAYER FOR THE DEAD: In your hands, O Lord, we humbly entrust our brothers and sisters. In this life, you embraced them with your tender love; deliver them now from every evil, and bid them eternal rest. The old order has passed away: welcome them into paradise, where there will be no sorrow, no weeping or pain, but fullness of peace and joy with your Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen🙏

A PRAYER FOR PEACE: Lord Jesus Christ, You are the true King of peace. In You alone is found freedom. Please free our world from conflict. Bring unity to troubled nations. Let Your glorious peace reign in every heart. Dispel all darkness and evil. Protect the dignity of every human life. Replace hatred with Your love. Give wisdom to world leaders. Free them from selfish ambition. Eliminate all violence and war. Glorious Virgin Mary, Saint Michael the Archangel, Every Angel and Saint: Please pray for peace. Pray for unity amongst nations. Pray for unity amongst all people. Pray for the most vulnerable. Pray for those suffering. Pray for the fearful. Pray for those most in need. Pray for us all. Jesus, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us. Jesus, hear our prayers. Jesus, I trust in You! Amen 🙏

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

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:

Bible Readings for today, Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) | Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ Mark 1:21–28

He taught them as one having authority

“Then they came to Capernaum, and on the sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!” The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. All were amazed and asked one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.”

In today’s Gospel reading, the people of Capernaum were astonished by Jesus’ teaching and then by His subsequent action in releasing a possessed man from his demons who attempted to disturb the teaching session which the Lord was having at that time in the synagogue. In their astonishment, they started asking what it all meant, ‘What is this?’ they asked. The unclean spirit had taken hold of the possessed man, not momentarily, but in an enduring way. He was permanently possessed by this spirit. It made him address Jesus in very aggressive tones, ‘What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?’ Jesus knew that the voice of the spirit speaking through this man was not the man’s real voice. He was aware that it was not the man’s true self that he was encountering. Rather than being offended how this man addressed Him, Jesus set about the work of healing him and delivering him from this alien spirit. Jesus restored his true self. After Jesus engaged him, the man was himself again. He was free from his demons. What Jesus did for this man He can do for all of us. The same Jesus who spoke with authority in the synagogue of Capernaum is alive among us as risen Lord. The powerful, life-giving word that Jesus addressed to that man he continues to address to each of us. The crowd on that occasion said, ‘Here is a teaching that is new and with authority behind it’. The word of Jesus has lost none of its newness or its authority. It is a word that remains alive today. The response to the psalm today calls out to us: ‘O that today you would listen to His voice! Harden not your hearts’. Jesus continues to address His word to us today, and that word has the power to deliver us from our demons, from those spirits that diminish us. He continues to speak His word to us in the face of our apparent unresponsiveness or even hostility towards Him. He is not put off by that, just as He was not put off by the aggressive tone of the possessed man in the Gospel reading today.

According to the Gospel, Jesus’ opening words to the man were, ‘Be quiet’. They might well be His first words to us as well. We need to be quiet if we are to listen to the Lord’s word. We need to find some stillness if the Lord’s word is to make the same kind of impact on us that it made on the man in today’s Gospel reading. That stillness may take the form of a few quiet moments after Mass sitting with the Lord’s word to us in the Gospel reading or one of the other readings. As we sit in stillness and in quiet we name those unclean spirits in our lives that prevent us from being our best self, and we ask the Lord to speak with authority for our healing and our liberation. What the Lord did for that man and what he can do for us, he calls on us to do for one another. He speaks His life-giving word into our lives so that we can speak that same word into each other’s lives. We know only too well that the words we speak can be forces for good or forces for harm. We will have learnt that some words do harm us, wheras other words build us up. Some words can leave deep wounds and other words can heal and renew. Some words can give our demons a new lease of life and other words disempower our demons. Words do matter, both what we say and how we say it. It is true that actions speak louder than words, but words themselves are actions in their own right; they do something. The authoritative word of Jesus in today’s Gospel reading did something wonderful; it brought healing and new life to a very disturbed person. Today’s Gospel reading might prompt us to look at what our own words do. We might also ask: ‘Where do our words come from?’ Jesus’ words came from the depth of His relationship with God. That is why they were such a power for good. As followers of Jesus, our words are to come from the depth of our relationship with Him. Only then will they share in the power for good that his words had. Sometimes our words come from a more superficial place; they might be a reaction to the careless or aggressive words that are spoken to us. Jesus did not just react to the hostile words that were spoken to Him in today’s Gospel reading; His words came from a deeper place. Our calling is to allow our words to come from that same deeper place so that they will have the same power for good that Jesus’ words had. There were many who saw what Jesus did and heard what He said and who were not amazed by it all. Many found what He said and did disturbing and wanted to get rid of Him. We need a certain disposition of heart to be open to the wonder and beauty of the Lord’s words and actions among us. We might pray for that disposition of heart today.

In our first reading today from the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses proclaimed to the people of Israel, that the Lord their God would raise up a great Prophet like himself from among them, and how in this Prophet, the Word of God would be revealed and brought into the midst of this world, among God’s people, which is in fact a prophecy and prediction of the coming of the Messiah, the Holy One of God, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Through Christ, the salvation of God and His love has been made clear and evident to us, and He has brought unto us all the reassurances that as long as we all remain faithful to Him, obeying the Law and commandments of God, all of us shall remain in God’s grace and be saved. Also, the Lord warned against all those false prophets and leaders, messengers and all those who sought to misappropriate and misuse the word of God and the truth for their own benefits and advantages. He told the people how all those so-called prophets who would speak differently from what He has shown, taught and revealed, would be crushed, destroyed and they would meet their end, because of the wicked deeds that they would do among the people of God. This is also a reminder for all the people of God, and hence to all of us as well, that we must be careful not to be easily swayed by the lies and falsehoods which the evil one would definitely attempt to plant in our midst, spreading the seeds of discord and doubt among us.

In our second reading today from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians, the Apostle St. Paul reminded all the people and the faithful in Corinth not to be anxious and not to be overly concerned with their various worldly matters and attachments, and that was why, he told all of them that they should all be focused on the Lord and how to do His will, and to do their respective parts, whether as husbands or wives, which he used as examples, in living their lives worthily in accordance to God’s will, and not to follow the whim of their desires and any other worldly temptations and attachments, which would easily lead them astray down the wrong path of sin and evil. St. Paul reminded the faithful in Corinth of all these things because at that time, there were strife and division among the Christians in Corinth, as there were oppositions to the teachings and works of St. Paul among a segment of the faithful there, especially from among the Christians recently converted from the Jewish diaspora community. This issue and other disagreements among the faithful in the region of Corinth had caused divisions and conflicts to break out among the members of the Body of Christ, and this led to the disruption in the works and efforts of the Lord’s Apostles and disciples in proclaiming the Good News and the truth, and hence, the faithful were exhorted to remain faithful to the teachings and truth of Christ, and not be easily swayed by all sorts of worldly temptations and desires.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures this Sunday, all of us are reminded that in the Lord lies our hope and salvation, and He is our God and Master, and we are all His people, His beloved ones who are always cared for by Him, ever always precious in His sight. The Lord has shown His love to us, and fulfilled everything that He has promised to us since the very beginning, and He would not let harm come to us, His beloved ones. This is what He had done and reaffirmed to us again and again throughout time and history, as shown in our Scripture readings today. All of us should always therefore commit ourselves to the Lord and remain firmly focused on Him at all times, and not be swayed or tempted by worldly desires and evils. We are all called to be always focused on the Lord and centre our lives and existence on Him. We are reminded that the various temptations present all around us in this world, the falsehoods of the devil and all those seeking our ruin and destruction can bring us to our downfall, and we have to be ever vigilant lest all those distractions and temptations mislead us down this wrong path. We have to put our faith and trust as always in the Lord, and allow Him to lead and guide us down the path of righteousness and grace. This is why we should remind ourselves to grow ever more in our relationship with God, embracing His love and truth, His mercy and kindness at all times, and rejecting the wickedness of the world. Let us all commit ourselves ever more wholeheartedly to the Lord, and let us do our best so that in each and every moments of our lives, we will always strive to be exemplary and inspirational in our way of life, that through our dedication and good examples, many others may also be helped and inspired to turn away from the path of wickedness and sin, and instead embracing the Lord as their Master and Saviour as all of us had done. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and may the Lord bless us all in our every good efforts and endeavours, and inspire us all that we may truly be His worthy disciples and followers, and be the shining beacons of His Light in this darkened world today. Amen 🙏

SAINTS OF THE DAY: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church and Saint Peter Nolasco, Confessor.

SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS, PRIEST AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH: St. Thomas  Aquinas (1225-1274 ) is the Dominican order’s greatest glory and ranks among the greatest writers and theologians of all time. He was the 13th century theologian who showed that the Catholic faith is in harmony with philosophy and all other branches of knowledge. He taught philosophy and theology with such genius that he is considered one of the leading Christian thinkers. A deeply speculative mind, he joined a remarkable life of prayer, a precious memento of which has been left to us in the Office of Corpus Christi. He’s a perfect model of childlike simplicity and goodness, his innocence, on a par with his genius, earned for him the title of “Angelic Doctor.” St. Thomas was born in 1226 into a wealthy and noble family in Aquino, Italy, having relatives among the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire. His father Landulph was the Count of Aquino, and his mother Theodora, the Countess of Teano. At age five, Thomas was sent to study at Monte Cassino, the abbey founded by St. Benedict and placed him under the care of the Benedictines of Monte Cassino. His teachers were surprised at the progress the boy made, for he surpassed all his fellow pupils in learning as well as in the practice of virtue. The boy’s intellectual gifts and serious disposition impressed the monks, who urged his father to place him in a university by the time he was 10. At the University of Naples, he learned philosophy and rhetoric while taking care to preserve his morals against corruption by other students. When he became of age to choose his state of life, St. Thomas renounced the things of this world and resolved to enter the Order of St. Dominic in spite of the opposition of his family. Some members of his family resorted to all manner of means over a two-year period to break his constancy. When Thomas set off to enter the newly founded Dominican order to be a poor mendicant friar, his mother held him prisoner in the family castle in order to dissuade him. His brothers went as far as trying to destroy his purity, and thus his vocation, by tempting him with a prostitute. However Thomas resisted and turned to God for help; as a result, angels were sent to guard and preserve his chastity. St. Thomas persevered in his vocation. This long ordeal only strengthened his vocation, and eventually he escaped and joined the Dominicans of Naples in 1243, at the age of seventeen. As a reward for the Saint’s fidelity, his purity of mind and body, and remarkable intelligence, God conferred upon him the gift of perfect chastity, which has merited for him the title of the Angelic Doctor.

After making his profession at Naples, St. Thomas studied at Cologne under the celebrated St. Albert the Great. Here he was nicknamed the “Dumb Ox” because of his silent ways and huge size, but he was really a brilliant student. At the age of twenty-two, he was appointed to teach in the same city. At the same time he also began to publish his first works. After four years he was sent to Paris. The Saint was then a priest. At the age of thirty-one he received his Doctorate. At Paris, he was honored with the friendship of the King, St. Louis, with whom he frequently dined. In 1261, Urban IV called him to Rome, where he was appointed to teach, but he positively declined to accept and ecclesiastical dignity. St. Thomas not only wrote (his writings fill twenty hefty tomes characterized by brilliance of thought and lucidity of language), but he preached often and with the great fruit. Clement IV offered him the Archbishopric of Naples, which he also refused. He was mild in word and kind in deed. He believed everyone was as innocent as he himself was. When someone sinned through weakness, Thomas bemoaned the sin as if it were his own. The goodness of his heart shone in his face, no one could look upon him and remain disconsolate. How he suffered with the poor and the needy was most inspiring. Whatever clothing or other items he could give away, he gladly did. He kept nothing superfluous in his efforts to alleviate the needs of others.

St. Thomas’ best-known achievements are his works of theology. These include the Summa Contra Gentiles, the Compendium Theologiae, and the great Summa Theologica – an explanation and summary of the entire body of Catholic teaching, has been standard for centuries, even to our own day. At the 16th century Council of Trent it was consulted after the Bible, placed on the Altar along with the Bible for easy reference during discussion. In December 1273, however, the scholar proclaimed that he could write no more, following a mystical experience in which he said he had “seen things that make my writings look like straw.” But he complied with a request ordered there by Gregory X, to attend the Council of Lyon to help reunite the Latin and Greek churches. On his way there, however, Thomas became ill and stopped at a Cistercian abbey. The monks treated him with reverence, and it was to them that he dictated a final work of theology: a commentary on the Old Testament’s Song of Songs. The saint did not live to finish this commentary, however. He fell sick and nearing death, he made a final confession and asked for the Eucharist to be brought to him. In its presence, he declared: “I adore you, my God and my Redeemer … for whose honor I have studied, labored, preached, and taught.” He died at the Cistercian monastery of Fossa Nuova on March 7, 1274, at about the age of fifty. After he died his lifelong companion and confessor testified, “I have always known him to be as innocent as a five-year-old child. Never did a carnal temptation soil his soul, never did he consent to a mortal sin.” He cherished a most tender devotion to St. Agnes, constantly carrying relics of this virgin martyr on his person. He was canonized in 1323 by Pope John XXII and made a Doctor of the Church in 1567. In 1965, the Second Vatican Council taught that seminarians should learn “under the guidance of St. Thomas,” in order to “illumine the mysteries of salvation as completely as possible.” St. Thomas Aquinas is the Patron Saint of schools and of sacred theology; philosophers; theologians; apologists; students; universities; academics; against storms; against lightning; apologists; book sellers; Catholic academies; Catholic schools; Catholic universities; chastity; colleges; learning; lightning; pencil makers; ; publishers; scholars; schools; storms; University of Vigo.

PRAYER: Father of wisdom, You inspired St. Thomas Aquinas with an ardent desire of holiness and study of sacred doctrine. Help us, we pray, to understand what he taught and to imitate what he lived. Amen🙏

SAINT PETER NOLASCO, CONFESSOR: St. Peter Nolasco (1182-1256) is a French Saint and founder of the Mercedarian or Nolascan Order (The Order of Our Lady of Mercy or Ransom) founded in Spain in 1218, for the purpose of attending to the sick and ransoming Christian captives from the Moors. It was originally a military order. St. Peter Nolasco was born in c.1182 at Recaud, near Carcassonne, in Southern France, of noble and wealthy parents. His distinguishing virtue was the love of his neighbour, which seemed to be presaged by this incident that when he was a baby in his cradle, a swarm of bees one day lighted upon him, and formed a honey-comb on his right hand and he was not harmed. From his youth, he was noted for his piety, almsgiving and charity. He lost his parents early in life. The Albigensian heresy was, at that time, making way in France. Christians were persecuted throughout a large part of the Iberian peninsula. Peter, out of the hatred he had for that sect, withdrew into Spain, after having sold his estates. This gave him an opportunity of fulfilling a vow at our Lady’s of Mount Serrat, which he had made some time previous. After this, he went to Barcelona; and having there spent all his money in ransommg the Christian captives from the slavery of their enemies, he was often heard saying, that he would willingly sell himself to redeem others, or become a slave in the stead of any captive.

God showed him, by the following event, how meritorious in his sight was this desire. He was one night praying for the Christian captives, and deliberating with himself how he might obtain their deliverance, when the Blessed Virgin appeared to him (1228) and told him, that he would render himself most dear to her Son and herself, if he would institute, in her honour, an Order of Religious men, who should devote themselves to the ransoming Captives from the infidels. In compliance with her wish, St. Peter delayed not to follow the heavenly suggestion, and instituted the Order of Our Lady of Mercy for the redemption of Captives, in which he was aided by St. Raymond of Penafort and James the First, King of Aragon, both of whom had, on that⁵ same night, received the intimation from the Mother of God. Besides the usual vows, all Religious of this Order are required to take a fourth vow, namely, to offer themselves as slaves to the Moors, if they can in no other way obtain the ransom of the Christians. The new Merecedarian Order, Our Lady of Ransom, was approved by Pope Gregory IX in 1230. In the beginning St. Peter Nolasco and his associates were lawmen, but Pope Clement V decreed that the Master General of the Order should always be a Priest. On one occasion St. Peter Nolasco ransomed 400 at Valencia and Granada; twice he traveled to Africa as “the Ransomer,” not without peril to his own life; and records show that through his personal efforts a total of 890 Christians regained their liberty.

Having taken a vow of virginity, he spent his whole life in the most perfect purity. He excelled in every virtue, especially in patience, humility, and abstinence. He foretold future events by the gift of prophecy, wherewith God had favoured him. Thus, when king James was laying siege to Valentia, then in the possession of the Moors, he received assurance from the Saint that he would be blessed with victory. He was frequently consoled with the sight of his Angel Guardian and the Virgin Mother of God. At length, worn out with old age, he received an intimation of his approaching death. When he was seized with his last sickness, he received the holy Sacraments, and exhorted his Religious Brethren to love the Captives. After which, he began most devoutly to recite the Psalm, I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; and at these words from Psalm 110: The Lord has sent Redemption to His people, he breathed forth his soul into the hands of his Creator, at Christmas midnight, on December 25, 1256 at Barcelona, Spain. He was canonized in 1628. St. Peter Nolasco is the Patron Saint of fishermen.

PRAYER FOR THE INTERCESSION OF ST. PETER NOLASCO: O God, you clothed our Father, Saint Peter Nolasco, with the love of Christ; and through the Blessed Virgin Mary you made him a messenger of love and liberty for Christians held in captivity. Help us to imitate him by working for the redemption of all the oppressed and for the building up of your Church. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen🙏

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. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, St. Thomas Aquinas and all the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the safety and well-being of all students, for all universities, for philosophers, theologians, apologists, scholars and teachers. We continue to pray for all those who are sick and dying, especially sick children, those who are mentally and physically ill, strokes, heart diseases, and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. 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 an end to wars, political and religious unrest. We pray for the safety and well-being of us all and our families, for those affected directly or indirectly, for all Healthcare workers and for an end to the coronavirus disease.. Amen. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for torture victims, the poor, the needy and the most vulnerable in our communities and around the world. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the souls of the faithful departed and for all widows and widowers. And we continue to pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Bishops, the Clergy and all those who preach the Gospel. We pray for 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🙏

Let us pray:

Lord of all holiness, please continue to draw me into the life of perfection. Help me to grow in every virtue and to continually be aware of every gift of grace I am given. Please help me, especially, to be attentive to every small and subtle grace and to respond to those graces with a truly open and grateful heart. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Mother Mary, Saint Thomas Aquinas and Saint Peter Nolasco ~ Pray for us🙏

Thanking God for the gift of this new year and praying for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and our world and for God’s Divine Mercy and Grace upon us all as we begin this Ordinary Time. Wishing all of us a most blessed, safe, healthy, prosperous and grace-filled New Year and Sunday ~ Amen🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖

THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ JANUARY 27, 2024

PRAY TO PROTECT HUMAN LIFE! 9 DAYS FOR LIFE NOVENA: JANUARY 19-27, 2024
Link for 9 Days for Life Novena below. Every life is a gift!

Greetings, beloved family and Happy Saturday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time!

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | January 27, 2024 |

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on January 27, 2024 on EWTN” |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | January 27, 2024 |

Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | January 27, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | January 27, 2024 |

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Saturday, January 27, 2024
Reading 1, Second Samuel 12:1-7, 10-17
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 51:12-13, 14-15, 16-17
Gospel, Mark 4:35-41

PRAY TO PROTECT HUMAN LIFE! 9 DAYS FOR LIFE NOVENA: JANUARY 19-27, 2024

Today concludes our 9 Days Novena for the protection of human life. Each day’s intention is accompanied by a short reflection and suggested actions to help build a culture of life. May civic leaders work for the protection of all human life, in every stage and circumstance. Amen🙏
Link for 9 Days for Life: January 19-27, 2024 – https://www.respectlife.org/9-days-for-life
9 Days for Life Novena: http://www.9daysforlife.com/ Every life is a gift!

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF JANUARY – MONTH OF THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS: The month of January is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. After the Blessed Virgin Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit, the Angel Gabriel appeared to St. Joseph and told him that the Child’s name should be called Jesus, meaning “God Saves.” According to Jewish law, on the 8th day after his birth a male child was to be circumcised, receive his name, and become a full member of God’s covenant people. According to the old Roman liturgical calendar, the Feast of the Circumcision of Jesus was celebrated on January 1st, eight days after Christmas, the same day that He was given His sacred name. Currently we celebrate the Solemnity of the Mother of God on January 1st and honor the Holy Name of Jesus on January 3rd. For Catholics, Jesus’ sacred name is the object of a special devotion symbolized by the monogram “IHS,” (sometimes called a Christogram), which is the first three letters of the Greek spelling of His name.

On this special feast day, as we complete the week of prayer for Christian Unity and 9
Days Novena for the protection of human life, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we particularly pray for the sick and dying. We especially pray for our loved ones who have recently died and we continue to remember our beloved late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on the first memorial anniversary of his death. We pray for the repose of his gentle soul 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 the gentle soul of Pope Benedict XVI and souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

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

PRAYER FOR THE DEAD: In your hands, O Lord, we humbly entrust our brothers and sisters. In this life, you embraced them with your tender love; deliver them now from every evil, and bid them eternal rest. The old order has passed away: welcome them into paradise, where there will be no sorrow, no weeping or pain, but fullness of peace and joy with your Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen🙏

A PRAYER FOR PEACE: Lord Jesus Christ, You are the true King of peace. In You alone is found freedom. Please free our world from conflict. Bring unity to troubled nations. Let Your glorious peace reign in every heart. Dispel all darkness and evil. Protect the dignity of every human life. Replace hatred with Your love. Give wisdom to world leaders. Free them from selfish ambition. Eliminate all violence and war. Glorious Virgin Mary, Saint Michael the Archangel, Every Angel and Saint: Please pray for peace. Pray for unity amongst nations. Pray for unity amongst all people. Pray for the most vulnerable. Pray for those suffering. Pray for the fearful. Pray for those most in need. Pray for us all. Jesus, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us. Jesus, hear our prayers. Jesus, I trust in You! Amen 🙏

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

SAINTS OF THE DAY: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Angela Merici, Virgin.

SAINT ANGELA MERICI, VIRGIN: St Angela (1474 – 1540) was an Italian religious educator, born on March 21, 1474 at Desenzano on the shore of Lake Garda, Italy, Province of Brescia. Early in life she dedicated herself to Christ as His bride. Her parents died when she was ten, and soon afterwards she lost her sister with whom she was very close. St. Angela went to live with her uncle, and, despite lacking a formal education, she grew in wisdom and virtue. St. Angela was worried because her sister had died without receiving the last sacraments. She was consoled by a vision in which she saw her sister radiantly happy in the company of the Blessed Virgin and the other saints. In gratitude, Angela consecrated herself more completely to God. She committed herself to prayer, penance, and serving the poor, eventually joining the Third Order of St. Francis at the age of fifteen. When her uncle died she returned to her home, and, seeing a great need for the education of young girls in the Christian faith, began a school for girls in her house. She daily gathered all the little girls of her village and taught them the faith. St. Angela became known for her holiness, and soon she was invited to establish another school in a neighboring town.

St. Angela visited many shrines in Italy, but the great ambition of her life was to visit the Holy Land. St. Angela Merici was happy in 1524 when she was able to join a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The travelers stopped at Canea on the island of Crete. Here Angela suddenly became blind. She insisted on continuing the pilgrimage and visited the holy places with great devotion, “seeing” through the eyes of the others. She was happy to bear her cross along the way made holy by the cross of her Redeemer. On the return voyage the pilgrims again visited Crete. Angela suddenly recovered her sight at the very place where she had lost it. The year 1525 was a Holy Year, and Angela went to Rome to gain the special indulgences. She had an interview with Pope Clement VII who wished her to stay in Rome and do her work there. But Angela preferred to return to Brescia where she had established herself in two small rooms attached to the church of St. Afra, and the pope respected her wishes.

One day while in prayer she received a vision, in the vision God revealed to her that she would establish a “company” to promote the welfare of souls. That vision was realized when at Desenzano she established a school for the instruction of young girls and a second school at Brescia. She gathered around her twelve religious companions and founded the Order of Ursulines in 1535 at Brescia, under the protection and patronage of St. Ursula, the first teaching order for women approved by the Church. From this organisation later sprang the monastic Order of Ursulines, whose nuns established places of prayer and learning throughout Europe and, later, worldwide, most notably in North America. St. Angela was of a reflective bent and possibly the first to grasp the changed role of women in the society transformed by the Renaissance. She envisaged that those who joined her would remain in the world but devote themselves to every type of corporal and spiritual work of mercy, with special emphasis on education. However, St. Angela’s idea of education was very different from that of a convent school. She preferred to send her followers to teach girls in their own families. Through this she hoped to effect an improvement in social conditions. For it was her belief that “disorder in society is the result of disorder of the family.” Her idea of a religious order of women without distinctive habit and without solemn vows and enclosure was also in advance of her times—although her Order was obliged to adopt the canonical safeguards then required of all nuns. On November 25, 1535, the solemn canonical institution of the company of St. Ursula took place in the Oratory of the Piazza del Duomo. As a patron, St. Angela chose St. Ursula because ever since her martyrdom St. Ursula was regarded as the ideal type of Christian virginity.

St. Angela died on January 27, 1540 at the age of 65 at Brescia, Republic of Venice; her body remained incorrupt for thirty days. Remarkable phenomena occurred at her burial in the Church of St. Afra. In the year of Angela’s death in1540, it was estimated that at least half the town of Brescia was Lutheran of Calvinist. However, the schools of the Ursulines did their share in strengthening and extending Catholicism and in safeguarding Italy from what is now termed “modern unbelief.” She was Beatified on April 30, 1768, Rome, Papal States by Pope Clement XIII and Canonized on May 24, 1807, Rome, Papal States by Pope Pius VII. St. Angela is the Patron Saint of: Bodily ills; disabled people; handicapped people; illness; loss of parents; physically challenged people; sick people; sickness, courage, strength and determination. Her feast day is January 27.

“Disorder in society is the result of disorder in the family.” ~ St. Angela Merici

PRAYER: Lord, let St. Angela never cease commending us to Your kindness. By always imitating her charity and prudence may we succeed in keeping Your teaching and preserving good morals. Amen🙏
 
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. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, Our Lady Queen of Peace and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for peace, love and unity in our families, our marriages and our divided and conflicted world. We continue to pray for the safety and protection of all Unborn Children from conception to natural death and all expectant mothers. Every life is a gift. We continue to pray for the sick and dying, especially sick children, those who are mentally and physically ill, strokes, heart diseases, and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. 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 an end to wars, political and religious unrest. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for torture victims, the poor, the needy and the most vulnerable in our communities and around the world. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the souls of the faithful departed and for all widows and widowers. And we continue to pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Bishops, the Clergy and all those who preach the Gospel. We pray for 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, Saturday of the Third Week of Ordinary Time | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel R eading ~ Mark 4:35-41

“‘ Quiet! Be still!’ The wind ceased and there was great calm”

“Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”

“On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to His disciples: “Let us cross to the other side.” Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as He was. And other boats were with Him. A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet!  Be still!” The wind ceased and there was great calm. Then He asked them, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” They were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”

In our Gospel reading today, our Lord Jesus miraculously calmed the storm and the waves before His disciples at the Lake of Galilee. At that time, He and His disciples were travelling on a boat at the lake, and they were all struck by a great storm that threatened to sink the whole boat. In that occasion, the Lord was sleeping while the disciples were panicking and worried that those waves would crush and destroy their boat, which would have likely caused them to drown to their deaths in the middle of the stormy seas. They desperately begged the Lord for help and asked Him to help them, and the Lord rebuked them for their lack of faith and trust in Him. The Lord Jesus then showed His power and authority by commanding the wind and the waves to be still, and immediately the entire storm vanished miraculously to the total astonishment of all the disciples who witnessed it. According to the Gospel reading, the boat represented the Church of God, while the disciples all represented all the faithful people of God, all of us who are part of God’s Church. The Lord Himself is at the Head of the Church, guiding the boat to its safe destination, just as He has always led us through the many difficulties and challenges facing us in our journey throughout life. Those storms and waves represented the many challenges, trials and obstacles that we will have to face as members and parts of God’s Church, which may indeed tempt us to abandon everything and the Church, seeking for other sources of help rather than to trust in the Lord. As we are all travelling through that stormy seas, which represents the turbulent world that we are living in today. God is with us, journeying with us and leading us to the right path. We have nothing to fear if only we can trust in Him wholeheartedly. Unfortunately, more often than not, we do not trust in God enough, and we put our trust more in our own power, abilities, strength and manner of dealing with situations we encounter. We are all reminded that no matter how tough or difficult our battles and challenges may be, we must not be easily swayed, dissuaded or forced to abandon our path walking with faith in God. We must entrust ourselves in God’s love and guidance, which He has always faithfully given to us all these while, from the examples that we have heard from our Scripture reading today. 

In our first reading today from the Book of the prophet Samuel, King David of Israel, the legendary and great king of Israel who managed to win many victories for God’s people and make the kingdom truly prosperous, who was faithful to God, but in this case, he lapsed into the path of sin. That was because of his lust for the wife of his own army commander, Uriah, whose wife, Bathsheba, was truly beautiful and attractive. David saw Bathsheba and was tempted by the temptation of lust and worldly desires, and hence, he ended up plotting the death of Uriah by his machinations, and took Bathsheba as his own wife. This was a truly wicked action on David’s part, and was a grievous sin against God. For in order to obtain for himself a beautiful woman as a wife, and despite the fact that this woman was already married, David caused the death of another person, and seized that woman for himself. Therefore, God punished David and told him of the consequences of his actions through the prophet Nathan, who guided David at that time. God chastised David for the wicked deeds he had done, reminding him that while he may be king, but it is not right for him to take what did not belong to him for himself as what he had done in taking Bathsheba as his own wife. David’s lust and desire for the beauty of Bathsheba became the source of his undoing. But David was repentant, and unlike Saul, his predecessor, who continued to disobey God and followed the whim of his own desires, David continued to follow the path of the Lord, and he genuinely repented and regretted his sinful ways, such as the one he experienced with Bathsheba. God forgave David and continued to bless and guide him as the King of Israel, and not only that, but one of David’s sons by Bathsheba, Solomon, was made the rightful heir and King after David, as a clear sign that God has forgiven David and blessed his reign and that of his house. This is in fact a good reminder that the Lord did not hate any one of us or despise us, but rather, what He despises is our disobedience, wickedness and sins. By his repentance and genuine regret of his sins, David had been redeemed and returned to the state of grace.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, all of us must always put our faith and trust in the Lord at all times, and we should not allow the pressures, trials and temptations of this world from leading us astray into the path towards our damnation. As we heard in our Scripture readings today, it is easy for us to end up in the wrong path, and to be swayed by the various storms, trials and hardships of life, if we do not have that firm anchor of faith in the Lord, and if we do not centre and focus our lives upon Him. Let us all therefore do our best in each and every moments of our lives so that by our commitment and efforts, in each and every moments of our lives, we may come ever closer to the Lord and to His salvation and grace. Let us all remind ourselves to place our focus ever more on Him, and resist the many temptations present all around us. Let us all not be easily swayed by the worldly pressures, coercions and temptations, and stay faithful to God at all times. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace and bless our every good works and efforts, and may He grant us His grace in all things, in all that we do and act at every moment, now and forevermore. Amen🙏

Let us pray:

My sleeping Lord, help me to always place all my trust in You, no matter what the circumstances are in my life at every moment. Strengthen my faith, especially during those times when I face challenges and temptations. May I never doubt that You are there with me, leading me and keeping me close to Your merciful Heart. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Mother Mary, Saint Angela Merici ~ Pray for us🙏

Thanking God for the gift of this new year and praying for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and our world and for God’s Divine Mercy and Grace upon us all as we begin this Ordinary Time. Wishing all of us a most blessed, safe, healthy, prosperous and grace-filled New Year and relaxing weekend ~ Amen🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖

THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ JANUARY 26, 2024

PRAY TO PROTECT HUMAN LIFE! 9 DAYS FOR LIFE NOVENA: JANUARY 19-27, 2024
Link for 9 Days for Life Novena below. Every life is a gift!

Greetings, beloved family and Happy Friday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time!

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on January 26, 2024 on EWTN” |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” |

January 26, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | January 26, 2024 |

Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | January 26, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | January 26, 2024 |

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Friday, January 26, 2024
1st Reading,  2 Timothy 1:1-8 Or Titus 1:1-5
Responsorial Psalm,  Psalms 96:1-2A, 2B-3, 7-8A, 10
Gospel, Luke 10:1-9 or Mark 4:26-34 [Gospel Reading: Luke 10:1-9 for the Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus and on    
Mark 4:26-34 for Friday, Third Week in Ordinary Time]

PRAY TO PROTECT HUMAN LIFE! 9 DAYS FOR LIFE NOVENA: JANUARY 19-27, 2024

9 Days for Life is a novena for the protection of human life. Each day’s intention is accompanied by a short reflection and suggested actions to help build a culture of life. Link for 9 Days for Life: January 19-27, 2024: https://www.respectlife.org/9-days-for-life
Every life is a gift!

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF JANUARY – MONTH OF THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS: The month of January is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. After the Blessed Virgin Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit, the Angel Gabriel appeared to St. Joseph and told him that the Child’s name should be called Jesus, meaning “God Saves.” According to Jewish law, on the 8th day after his birth a male child was to be circumcised, receive his name, and become a full member of God’s covenant people. According to the old Roman liturgical calendar, the Feast of the Circumcision of Jesus was celebrated on January 1st, eight days after Christmas, the same day that He was given His sacred name. Currently we celebrate the Solemnity of the Mother of God on January 1st and honor the Holy Name of Jesus on January 3rd. For Catholics, Jesus’ sacred name is the object of a special devotion symbolized by the monogram “IHS,” (sometimes called a Christogram), which is the first three letters of the Greek spelling of His name.

On this special feast day, as we complete the week of prayer for Christian Unity, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we particularly pray for the sick and dying. We especially pray for our loved ones who have recently died and we continue to remember our beloved late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on the first memorial anniversary of his death. We pray for the repose of his gentle soul 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 the gentle soul of Pope Benedict XVI and souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

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

PRAYER FOR THE DEAD: In your hands, O Lord, we humbly entrust our brothers and sisters. In this life, you embraced them with your tender love; deliver them now from every evil, and bid them eternal rest. The old order has passed away: welcome them into paradise, where there will be no sorrow, no weeping or pain, but fullness of peace and joy with your Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen🙏

A PRAYER FOR PEACE: Lord Jesus Christ, You are the true King of peace. In You alone is found freedom. Please free our world from conflict. Bring unity to troubled nations. Let Your glorious peace reign in every heart. Dispel all darkness and evil. Protect the dignity of every human life. Replace hatred with Your love. Give wisdom to world leaders. Free them from selfish ambition. Eliminate all violence and war. Glorious Virgin Mary, Saint Michael the Archangel, Every Angel and Saint: Please pray for peace. Pray for unity amongst nations. Pray for unity amongst all people. Pray for the most vulnerable. Pray for those suffering. Pray for the fearful. Pray for those most in need. Pray for us all. Jesus, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us. Jesus, hear our prayers. Jesus, I trust in You! Amen 🙏

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

SAINTS OF THE DAY: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops. The two followers and friends of St. Paul the Apostle who were among the first bishops of the Church, as the successors of the Apostles. It was fitting that we celebrate them today as yesterday we celebrated the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, as a reminder for us just how significant the contributions that St. Paul, formerly Saul, a great enemy of the Christian faithful turned a most ardent defender of the faith, had in the early history of the Church.

We also celebrate the Memorial of Saint José Gabriel Brochero, Priest.

SAINTS TIMOTHY AND TITUS, BISHOPS: Saints Timothy and Titus were close companions of the Apostle Paul and bishops of the Catholic Church in its earliest days. St.Paul called St. Timothy a “dearly beloved son, brother, companion in labor & man of God” and called St. Titus “my true child in common faith.” Both men received letters from St. Paul, which are included in the New Testament. Pope Benedict XVI discussed these early bishops during a general audience on Dec. 13, 2006, noting “their readiness to take on various offices” in “far from easy” circumstances. Both saints, the Pope said, “teach us to serve the Gospel with generosity, realizing that this also entails a service to the Church herself.”

SAINT TIMOTHY: St.Timothy (17-97 AD) was St. Paul’s dearest disciple, his most steadfast associate. He was the son of a Jewish mother and a Greek father, born in AD 17.  St. Timothy came from Lystra in present-day Turkey. His mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois, are known to have joined the Church, and Timothy himself is described as a student of Sacred Scripture from his youth. After St. Paul’s visit to Timothy’s home region of Lycaonia, around the year 51, the young man joined the apostle and accompanied him in his travels. After religious strife forced Paul to leave the city of Berea, Timothy remained to help the local church. St. Paul later sent him to Thessalonica to help the Church during a period of persecution. The two met up again in Corinth, and St. Timothy eventually journeyed to Macedonia on St. Paul’s behalf. Problems in the Corinthian Church brought St. Timothy back for a time, after which he joined St. Paul and accompanied the apostle in subsequent travels. Like St. Paul, Timothy endured a period of imprisonment in the course of his missionary work. His release is mentioned in the New Testament Epistle to the Hebrews.

Around the year 64, Timothy became the first bishop of the Church of Ephesus. During that same year, he received the first of two surviving letters from St. Paul. The second, written the next year, urges Timothy to visit St. Paul in Rome, where he was imprisoned before his martyrdom. Ancient sources state that St. Timothy followed his mentor in dying as a martyr for the faith. In the year 93, during his leadership of the Church in Ephesus, he took a stand against the worship of idols and was consequently killed by a mob. According to tradition St. Timothy spent the rest of his life at Ephesus as its Bishop. He was martyred during the winter of the year AD 97 at about the age of 80. The pagan festival he was protesting was held Jan. 22, and this date was preserved as St. Timothy’s memorial in the Christian East. St. Timothy is the Patron Saint: Intestinal disorders; stomach diseases. Feast day: January 26, January 24 (Trad)

SAINT TITUS: St. Titus was Bishop and Confessor, 1st century AD. He was a friend and became one of St. Paul’s most illustrious disciples. In contrast with Timothy’s partial Jewish descent and early Biblical studies, St. Titus was born into a pagan family. He is said to have studied Greek philosophy and poetry in his early years. But he pursued a life of virtue, and purportedly had a prophetic dream that caused him to begin reading the Hebrew Scriptures. According to tradition, St. Titus journeyed to Jerusalem and witnessed the preaching of Christ during the Lord’s ministry on earth. Only later, however – after the conversion of St. Paul and the beginning of his ministry – did St. Titus receive baptism from the apostle, who called the pagan convert his “true child in our common faith.” St. Paul was not only Titus’ spiritual father, but also depended on his convert as an assistant and interpreter. St. Titus accompanied Paul to the Apostolic Council of Jerusalem during the year 51, and was later sent to the Corinthian Church on two occasions. After the end of Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome, the apostle ordained St. Titus as the Bishop of Crete.

St. Paul sent his only surviving letter to Titus around the year 64, giving instructions in pastoral ministry to his disciple as he prepared to meet up with him in the Greek city of Nicopolis. St. Titus evangelized the region of Dalmatia in modern Croatia before returning to Crete. St. Titus is credited with leading the Church of Crete well into his 90s, overturning paganism and promoting the faith through his prayers and preaching. Unlike St. Timothy, St. Titus was not martyred, but died peacefully of natural cause in old age at the age of 94, having lived in the state of virginity during his whole life. St. Paul left a worthy monument to St. Titus, his faithful disciple, in the beautiful pastoral letter which forms part of the New Testament. St. Titus was Patron Saint of Crete, United States Chaplain Corp. Feastday: January 26 (New) February 6 (Trad).

PRAYER: Lord God, You filled Sts. Timothy and Titus with apostolic virtues, through their intercession may we live good and religious lives her on earth and thus be worthy of our heavenly home. Saints Timothy and Titus, companions of St. Paul ~ Pray for us. Amen🙏

SAINT JOSÉ  GABRIEL BROCHERO, PRIEST: St. José Gabriel is known in Argentina as the “cowboy priest.” This gaucho, as local cattle-herders are known, served a large parish spread over miles of mountainous terrain. St. José showed bravery in his first years as a priest by ministering to victims of a cholera epidemic in the city of Cordoba, Argentina. At 29 he was assigned to St. Albert, a remote parish numbering about ten thousand souls with neither schools nor roads. Padre José went on the back of a mule along the mountains to care for his flock, carrying a Mass kit and an image of the Blessed Mother. His flock was, in a sense, “lost,” so remote were they from the larger society. Father José said of his people that “they were abandoned by everyone, but not by God.” Early in his tenure, he desired spiritual renewal for his parish and so he led a group across mountains in a snowstorm to a retreat being held at Cordoba on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. This beginning in prayer produced much fruit in the parish.

His priestly ministry drew him to the people, to “go out,” as Jesus and his apostles went out to where the people were to be found. This “going out” involved risk: the danger of terrain, long days far from home, and the unexpected. Pope Francis has especially encouraged priests and generally all Christians to get out on the roads and into the public squares as a necessary first step in evangelization, in sharing Christ. St. José Gabriel was not unknown to the public for his incarnational way of ministering. He worked alongside his people. A Cordoba newspaper wrote about this priest’s way of serving in an 1887 article: “He practices the gospel. Are you missing a carpenter? He’s a carpenter. Are you missing a laborer? He’s a laborer. He rolls up his cassock wherever he is, takes the shovel or hoe and opens a public road in 15 days aided by his parishioners.” In these tasks St. José found a space of communion in labor with his parishioners and a solid imitation of his patron, St. Joseph. He worked to build roads, schools, and to get mail and telegraph couriers for the good of the people. In his letter to those gathered for the beatification ceremony, Pope Francis said: “This shepherd who smelled of sheep became poor among the poor.”

St. José Gabriel was born in 1840, the same year of birth as St. Damien of Molokai. Like Damien, José Gabriel served those who were considered untouchable, the lepers, and like Damien he died a leper. He continued to pray and offer Mass although ill and blind. His “going out” was a complete emptying of self. Pope Francis wrote: “Brochero did not stay in the parish offices: he would exhaust himself riding his mule and he ended up being sick with leprosy.” St. José Gabriel died January 26, 1914. The beatification ceremony at Cordoba was attended by close to 150,000 people, including three thousand gauchos wearing the traditional ponchos of the Argentine cowboy. This priest was a lone ranger when he had to be and, like his Divine Master, was brave, courageous, and bold.

PRAYER: We humbly ask you, almighty God, that at the intercession of blessed José Gabriel, you may multiply your gifts among us and order our days in peace. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen🙏

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. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, Our Lady Queen of Peace and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for peace, love and unity in our families, our marriages and our divided and conflicted world. We continue to pray for the safety and protection of all Unborn Children from conception to natural death and all expectant mothers. Every life is a gift. We continue to pray for the sick and dying, especially sick children, those who are mentally and physically ill, strokes, heart diseases, and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. 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 an end to wars, political and religious unrest. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for torture victims, the poor, the needy and the most vulnerable in our communities and around the world. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the souls of the faithful departed and for all widows and widowers. And we continue to pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Bishops, the Clergy and all those who preach the Gospel. We pray for 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, Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

[Gospel Reading: Luke 10:1-9 for the Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus and on Mark 4:26-34 for Friday, Third Week in Ordinary Time]

Gospel Reading ~ Luke 10:1-9 (Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus)

“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few”

“The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two other disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his pay. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.’”

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus appointed seventy two disciples and sends them out ahead of Him; it wasn’t enough just to appoint the twelve. Indeed, as He sends out the 72, He asks them to pray to the Lord of the harvest for even more workers for the Lord’s harvest. Indeed, the Lord needs us all; we are all called to be His co-workers, proclaiming by our lives that, in the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel, ‘the kingdom of God is very near to you’. If the Lord needs us to share in His work, we, in turn, need each other’s support if we are to respond to that call of the Lord. That is why in the Gospel reading, Jesus sends out the seventy-two in pairs, not singly. Labourers in the Lord’s harvest need to labour together. We need each other’s gifts and experience if the Lord’s work is to be done in today’s world. We all have something unique to contribute to that work of the Lord. Each of us has some gift of the Spirit to give to others, and each of us has much to receive from the gifts of the Spirit in others. Jesus’ words to the seventy-two suggest that He was aware that this attempt on His part to touch the lives of a bigger number would not always be successful, ‘I am sending you out like lambs among wolves’. Yet, the Lord was never put off by people’s resistance. Whether people accepted or rejected Him, it remained the case that ‘the kingdom of God is very near to you’. The Lord is always near to us, and never tires of seeking us out and calling out to us to come to Him. He can do this in a whole variety of ways.

Gospel Reading ~ Mark 4:26-34 (Friday, Third Week in Ordinary Time)

“A man scatters seed on the land and would sleep and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how”

“Jesus said to the crowds: “This is how it is with the Kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come.” He said, “To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.” With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.”

The first of the two parables Jesus speaks in today’s Gospel reading is the parable of the seed growing secretly. Jesus is saying that there is some correspondence between the coming of the kingdom of God and the way the farmer, having thrown seed on the land, then has nothing much to do, until the crop is ready for harvest. Yet, even though the farmer is doing very little in between sowing and harvesting, the seed is working away during that time, producing first a shoot, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. Jesus appears to be saying that God can be powerfully at work in our lives even in those times when we ourselves appear to be doing very little. Sometimes we equate God’s work with our own exercise of energy. Yet, there are times in our lives when we can do very little, whether for reasons of health or for some other reason. Jesus suggests in that parable that even in those quiet times when we appear to have very little to show for ourselves, God can be working away in our lives for the good, working in us and through us. It was Paul who said that God’s power is made perfect in weakness.

In our first reading today for the feast of Saints Timothy and Titus, they were two of St. Paul’s closest co-workers. Yesterday the Church celebrated the Conversion of Saint Paul, the great Apostle to the Gentiles. Today the Church honors two of St. Paul’s co-workers. Saints Timothy and Titus were both chosen as bishops in the apostolic age of the early Church, and each received letters from Saint Paul that are included in the New Testament. St. Paul begins by telling Timothy that he always remembers him in his prayers. St. Paul was very convinced of the value of intercessory prayer. He frequently told people that he remembered them in his prayers. We all appreciate being remembered in other people’s prayers, and other people appreciate it when we let them know that we are praying for them. This is one of the ways we give expression to what the church calls the communion of saints, the deep bond between all the baptized, including the bond between those of us on our pilgrim way and those who have come to the end of their earthly pilgrimage. It is because of that aspect of the communion of saints that we pray not only for the living but also for the dead. In praying for each other, we are being reminded and reminding each other that we need each other on our journey towards God. We need each other’s prayers; we also need each other’s witness. In our first reading St. Paul addresses Timothy as a third-generation believer. He refers to the faith that came first to live in his grandmother Lois, and then in his mother Eunice, and then in Timothy himself. It seems that Timothy caught the faith in his home. The same is true for many of us. Our own faith owes a great deal to the faith of our parents and grandparents. The same could not be said of St. Paul. His parents and grandparents were Jewish. It was his life changing encounter with the risen Lord that brought him to faith in Jesus, probably leaving him at odds with his parents and grandparents. Both Sts. Timothy’s and Paul’s experience reminds us that the Lord can touch the lives of people through the faith of family members, but He can also touch their lives in other, less conventional, ways. The Lord is always reaching out to us in one way or another. St. Paul praises St. Timothy’s sincere faith but he reminds him that his faith has its roots in the faith of his mother and of his grandmother. St. Timothy has received the gift faith from others, from his mother, Eunice, and, before her, from his grandmother, Lois. St. Paul then calls upon him to give to others the gift of faith that he has received from those before him, not in a spirit of timidity but in a spirit of courageous witness. St. Paul encourages us to ‘fan into a flame’ whatever gift God has given us, because, as St. Paul goes on to say, whatever gift God has given us, is never a ’spirit of timidity’ but always a ‘Spirit of power, and love, and self-control’. This is a message we all need to hear today. We need the faith of others if our own faith is to endure. Our efforts to live the faith and to witness to the Lord make it easier for everyone else to do so as well. We can all point to parents, grandparents and various other companions on the pilgrimage of life, without whom we would not have come to faith in the Lord. As St. Paul needed Sts. Timothy and Titus, and Jesus needed many workers, we need each other’s witness if the gift that God gave us in baptism is to be fanned into a living flame, in the words of today’s first reading. We ask the Lord to increase our faith so that we can be a support to one another in the living out of our baptismal calling.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures on this special Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus, all of us are called and reminded to be more like St. Timothy and St. Titus in serving the Lord, in loving Him and our fellow brothers and sisters more and more. Let us ask ourselves if we have been faithful and true to our faith in God, or whether we have allowed ourselves to be swayed by the many temptations of worldly desires and pleasures that we end up falling deeper and deeper into the path of sin and evil. We are called to be better examples and role models of our Christian faith, and the best way for this to happen, is for each one of us to strive to be righteous, just and committed at all times, and not be lukewarm and ignorant in our faith. May the Lord continue to guide and strengthen us in each and every moments throughout our lives. May He empower each one of us that we will always be ever more courageous and committed to live our lives with ever greater faith and love for God and for our fellow men. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace and bless our every actions, good efforts, works and endeavours, and may St. Timothy and St. Titus, holy servants of God, intercede for us all sinners. Amen🙏

Let us pray:

Saints Timothy and Titus, you were called by God to share in the apostolic ministry of Saint Paul, to go forth to preach, and to draw many souls to Heaven. Your faith, zeal, and countless virtues assisted you in this mission. Please pray for me, that I may also share in the apostolic work of the Church and help bring many souls to Christ. Saints Timothy and Titus, pray for me.

My transforming Lord, I thank You for the way that You have sown the seed of Your holy Word into my own life. I thank You for the way in which You have changed me, freed me from sin and set me on the path to holiness. Use me, dear Lord, to sow that seed in the lives of others and fill me with wonder and awe as I witness Your merciful hand at work. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Mother Mary, Saints Timothy and Titus and Saint José Gabriel Brochero ~ Pray for us🙏

Thanking God for the gift of this new year and praying for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and our world and for God’s Divine Mercy and Grace upon us all as we begin this Ordinary Time. Wishing all of us a most blessed, safe, healthy, prosperous and grace-filled New Year and a relaxing weekend ~ Amen🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖

THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ JANUARY 25, 2024

FEAST OF THE CONVERSION OF SAINT PAUL, APOSTLE

WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY 2024: In the Northern Hemisphere, beginning Thursday, January 18, 2024 and ends Thursday, January 25, 2024. Link for prayers for the entire week below.

PRAY TO PROTECT HUMAN LIFE! 9 DAYS FOR LIFE NOVENA: JANUARY 19-27, 2024
Link for 9 Days for Life Novena below.

Greetings, beloved family and Happy Thursday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time!

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on January 25, 2024 on EWTN” |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | January 25, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | January 25, 2024 |

Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | January 25, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | January 25, 2024 |

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Thursday, January 25, 2024
Reading 1, Acts 22:3-16 or Acts 9:1-22
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 117:1, 2
Gospel, Mark 16:15-18

PRAY TO PROTECT HUMAN LIFE! 9 DAYS FOR LIFE NOVENA: JANUARY 19-27, 2024

9 Days for Life is a novena for the protection of human life. Each day’s intention is accompanied by a short reflection and suggested actions to help build a culture of life. Link for 9 Days for Life: January 19-27, 2024: https://www.respectlife.org/9-days-for-life

WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY 2024: In the Northern Hemisphere, Thursday, January 18, 2024 and ends Thursday, January 25, 2024.

Today is day Eight and the last day of the week of prayer for Christian Unity, which is celebrated around the world from January 18th – 25th. As we conclude this year’s week of prayer for Christian Unity with focus on Christians in the Northern Hemisphere, we join our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world as we continue to pray for peace, love, justice and unity in our divided and conflicted world so we can better build God’s Kingdom here on earth. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, look down with pity upon us and keep us all united in love and faith, so that we may all be truly one in Christ…Amen🙏

The theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2024: “You shall love the Lord your God… and your neighbor as yourself” ~ Luke 10:27

WPCU 2024 Daily Readings: Link for prayers for the entire week: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2024 | USCCB | https://www.usccb.org/committees/ecumenical-interreligious-affairs/week-prayer-christian-unity-2024

The theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2024 was selected by the Pontifical Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, the World Council of Churches, and the Christian Churches in Burkina Faso, coordinated by the community of Chemin Neuf, a French Catholic and ecumenical community of vowed and lay people and its local community in Burkina Faso.

The theme, taken from the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke, reflects the connection between love of God and love of neighbor with a particular concern for challenging the boundaries of who is considered “neighbor”. In this pericope, Jesus is questioned as to the path to eternal life. His answer is not to only observe the commandments, but to also imitate the love of God in the giving of self for another. It is a call for charity, mercy, justice, and unity.

LET US PRAY: We pray, O gracious Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that we all may be one as you are one. In your community of complete unity, we have our beginning and our end. To you we pray, asking for the gift of visible unity among all who believe in your Christ. As we commemorate this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, we are reminded by your Word that all human beings are our neighbors and that we are to love them like ourselves and in the same way we love you. Help us to overcome the barriers and divisions we have nurtured against your will. Grant to us, O Lord, a new Spirit of love and solidarity, that we may proclaim your good news to all of creation. We ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirt are one God, for ever and ever. Amen 🙏

DAY 8: “GO AND DO LIKEWISE”

Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” (Lk 10:37)

SCRIPTURE READINGS:
Romans 12:9-13
Psalm 41:1-2

MEDITATION: Through these words – “Go and do like- wise.” – Jesus sends each of us, and each of our churches, to live out his commandment to love. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, we are sent out to be “other Christs”, reaching out to suffering humanity in compassion and mercy. Like the Good Samaritan towards the injured man, we can choose not to reject those who are different, but instead cultivate a culture of proximity and goodwill. How does Jesus’ invitation to “Go and do likewise” speak to my life? What does this call of Christ imply for my relationships with members of other churches? How can we charitably bear witness together to God’s love? As ambassadors for Christ (cf. 2 Cor 5:20), we are called to be reconciled to God and to one another, for fellowship to take root and grow in our churches and in areas affected by inter-communal conflict, such as in Burkina Faso. As mutual trust and confidence increase, we will become more willing to reveal our wounds, including ecclesial wounds, that Christ’s love may visit and heal us through each other’s love and care.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit, the giver of life, who makes us more open to each other, resolves conflict, and strengthens our bonds of communion. May we grow in mutual affection and in the desire to announce the Gospel message more faithfully, that the world may come together in unity and welcome the Prince of Peace. Through Christ our Lord. Amen 🙏

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF JANUARY – MONTH OF THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS: The month of January is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. After the Blessed Virgin Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit, the Angel Gabriel appeared to St. Joseph and told him that the Child’s name should be called Jesus, meaning “God Saves.” According to Jewish law, on the 8th day after his birth a male child was to be circumcised, receive his name, and become a full member of God’s covenant people. According to the old Roman liturgical calendar, the Feast of the Circumcision of Jesus was celebrated on January 1st, eight days after Christmas, the same day that He was given His sacred name. Currently we celebrate the Solemnity of the Mother of God on January 1st and honor the Holy Name of Jesus on January 3rd. For Catholics, Jesus’ sacred name is the object of a special devotion symbolized by the monogram “IHS,” (sometimes called a Christogram), which is the first three letters of the Greek spelling of His name.

On this special feast day, as we complete the week of prayer for Christian Unity, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we particularly pray for the sick and dying. We especially pray for our loved ones who have recently died and we continue to remember our beloved late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on the first memorial anniversary of his death. We pray for the repose of his gentle soul 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 the gentle soul of Pope Benedict XVI and souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

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

PRAYER FOR THE DEAD: In your hands, O Lord, we humbly entrust our brothers and sisters. In this life, you embraced them with your tender love; deliver them now from every evil, and bid them eternal rest. The old order has passed away: welcome them into paradise, where there will be no sorrow, no weeping or pain, but fullness of peace and joy with your Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen🙏

A PRAYER FOR PEACE: Lord Jesus Christ, You are the true King of peace. In You alone is found freedom. Please free our world from conflict. Bring unity to troubled nations. Let Your glorious peace reign in every heart. Dispel all darkness and evil. Protect the dignity of every human life. Replace hatred with Your love. Give wisdom to world leaders. Free them from selfish ambition. Eliminate all violence and war. Glorious Virgin Mary, Saint Michael the Archangel, Every Angel and Saint: Please pray for peace. Pray for unity amongst nations. Pray for unity amongst all people. Pray for the most vulnerable. Pray for those suffering. Pray for the fearful. Pray for those most in need. Pray for us all. Jesus, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us. Jesus, hear our prayers. Jesus, I trust in You! Amen 🙏

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

SAINTS OF THE DAY: Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle. We celebrate that extraordinary moment in the life of St. Paul when he was transformed from a fierce persecutor of the church to its great Apostle to the Gentiles. On this day, we also celebrate the Memorial of Saint Dwynwen, Religious.

THE CONVERSION OF SAINT PAUL, APOSTLE: St. Paul, originally named Saul at his circumcision, a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, was born at Tarsus, the capitol of Cilicia. He was a Roman citizen from birth. He was brought up as a strict Jew, and later became a violent persecutor of the Christians. As he was “a young man” at the stoning of St. Stephen and “an old man” when writing to Philemon, about the year 63, he was probably born around the beginning of the Christian era. To complete his schooling, St. Paul was sent to  Jerusalem, where he sat at the feet of the learned Gamaliel and was educated in the strict observance of the ancestral Law. Here he also acquired a good knowledge of exegesis and was trained in the practice of disputation. As a zealous Pharisee, he returned to Tarsus before the Public Life of Christ opened in Palestine. Some time after the death of our Lord, St. Paul returned to Palestine. His profound conviction and emotional character made his zeal develop into a religious fanaticism against the infant Church. He took part in the stoning of the First Martyr, St. Stephen, and in the fierce persecution of the Christian that followed.

In the fury of his zeal, he appealed to the high priest and Sanhedrin for a commission to take up all Jews at Damascus who confessed Jesus Christ, and bring them bound to Jerusalem, that they might serve as public examples to incite terror into others. But God was pleased to show forth in Saul his patience and mercy: Saul was almost at the end of his journey to Damascus, when, around noon, he and his company were surrounded by a great light from heaven, and fell to the ground and was struck blind. Then Saul heard a voice, which to him was articulate and distinct, but not understood by the rest: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? Saul answered: “Who art thou, Lord?” Christ said: “Jesus of Nazarene whom you are persecuting.(Acts 22:7-8). There was a Christian of distinction in Damascus, Ananias, greatly respected by the Jews for his irreproachable life and great virtue. Christ appeared to this holy disciple, and commanded him to go to Saul, who was at that moment in the house of Judas at prayer. Ananias trembled at the name of Saul, being familiar with the misdeeds he had done in Jerusalem and the errand for which he set out to Damascus. But our Redeemer overruled his fears, and charged him a second time to go, saying: “Go, for he is a vessel of election to carry my name before Gentiles and kings, and the children of Israel: and I will show him how much he has to suffer for my name. For tribulation is the test and portion of all the true servants of Christ.” Thus a blasphemer and a fierce persecutor was immediately transformed and converted to the Christian Faith. He was baptized, changed his name from Saul to Paul, and became an Apostle. God then used St. Paul and his zeal to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, especially to the Gentiles. He began travelling and preaching the Faith. He was chosen to be one of the principal instruments of God in the conversion of the world. He made three missionary journeys which brought him to the great centers of Asia Minor and southern Europe, and made many converts. Fourteen of his Epistles are found in the New Testament.

St. Paul was martyred in Rome by beheading in about the year 65 A.D., and his relics are in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside-the-Walls near the Ostian Way. Pope Innocent III commanded this feast  to be observed with great solemnity. He’s Patron Saint: Against snakes; authors; Cursillo movement; evangelists; hailstorms; hospital public relations; journalists; lay people; missionary bishops; musicians; poisonous snakes; public relations personnel; public relations work; publishers; reporters; rope braiders; rope makers; saddlemakers; saddlers; snake bites; tent makers; writers; Malta; Rome; Poznan, Poland; newspaper editorial staff Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Diocese of Covington, Kentucky; Diocese of Birmingham, Alabama; Diocese of Las Vegas, Nevada; Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island; Diocese of Worcester, Massachusetts.

PRAYER: Lord God, You taught the whole world through the preaching of the Apostle St. Paul. As we celebrate his Conversion grant that, following his example, we may be witnesses to Your truth in this world. Amen🙏

SAINT DWYNWEN, RELIGIOUS: St. Dwynwen translated means ‘she who leads a blessed life’. St. Dwynwen lived during the 5th century and was a princess from Anglesey in Wales, the beautiful and virtuous daughter of King Brychan Brycheiniog. Legend has it that she was one of the prettiest of Brychan Brycheiniog’s 24 daughters. According to legend she fell in love with a young Prince called Maelon Dafodrill, but unfortunately her father had already arranged that she should marry someone else. St. Dwynwen was so upset that she could not marry Maelon that she begged God to make her forget him. She refused to marry due to her piety and desire for the religious life. She prayed that her desire for marriage would be removed, and that God would give happiness to all lovers. After falling asleep, St. Dwynwen was visited by an angel, who appeared carrying a sweet potion designed to erase all memory of Maelon and turn him into a block of ice. God then gave three wishes to St. Dwynwen. Her first wish was that Maelon be thawed; her second that God meet the hopes and dreams of true lovers; and third, that she should never marry. All three were fulfilled, and as a mark of her thanks, St. Dwynwen devoted herself to God’s service for the rest of her life.

St. Dwynwen became consecrated to God as a nun and founded a convent on Llanddwyn Island, off the west coast of Anglesey. Her church and its ‘holy well’ named after her became a pilgrimage shrine after her death in 465AD from the Middle Ages down to today, especially for lovers. Visitors to the well believed that the sacred fish or eels that lived in the well could foretell whether or not their relationship would be happy and whether love and happiness would be theirs. Remains of Dwynwen’s church can still be seen today. The popularity and celebration of St Dwynwen’s Day has increased considerably in recent years. St Dwynwen is the Welsh Patron Saint of lovers, which makes her the Welsh equivalent of St Valentine.

PRAYER TO SAINT DWYNWEN: Oh Blessed St. Dwynwen, you who knew pain and peace, division and reconciliation. You have promised to aid lovers and you watch over those whose hearts have been broken. As you received three boons from an Angel, intercede for me to receive 3 blessings to obtain my heart’s desire (state request) and if that is not God’s will, a speedy healing from my pain; your guidance and assistance that I may find love with the right person, at the right time, and in a right way; and an unshakeable faith in the boundless kindness and wisdom of God and this I ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 🙏

St. Dwynwen, we beseech thee, comfort lovers whose vision is unclear. Send mending to those with love lost. Protect companions. In your name we seek to do the same. In your name we choose love first. With the love of you, Mary and of Jesus Christ. Amen🙏

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. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, Our Lady Queen of Peace and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for peace, love and unity in our families, our marriages and our divided and conflicted world. We continue to pray for the safety and protection of all Unborn Children from conception to natural death and all expectant mothers. Every life is a gift. We continue to pray for the sick and dying, especially sick children, those who are mentally and physically ill, strokes, heart diseases, and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. 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 an end to wars, political and religious unrest. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for torture victims, the poor, the needy and the most vulnerable in our communities and around the world. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the souls of the faithful departed and for all widows and widowers. And we continue to pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Bishops, the Clergy and all those who preach the Gospel. We pray for 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, Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ Mark 16:15-18

“Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation”

“Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Our Lord Jesus Christ commissioned His disciples to go forth to the world and proclaim the Good News, He has called on many to follow Him and to be His witnesses, so that many more people may come to believe in Him as well. He calls on all of us to embrace His truth and to show that same truth to others by our own life and dedication. Just as in today’s first reading, St. Paul had committed himself and his life to follow the Lord in this way, in giving his life to serve the Lord and abandoning all the prospects and good life he once had earlier on. He became one of the Lord’s greatest champions and defenders instead of a persecutor. This Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul marks that moment when even such a great sinner and enemy of the Lord and His people could turn away from his wrong path and walk in the path of God’s righteousness. The example of St. Paul the Apostle and his conversion is a classic and very good example that no sinner is truly beyond God’s help and grace, as long as the sinner is willing to make amends and listen to the Lord calling on him or her, and turn back towards Him.

St. Paul in our first reading today, says that before Christ appeared to him he was zealous for God, ‘full of duty towards God’. Yet, this duty towards God expressed itself in a very destructive way. He persecuted a new movement within Judaism that had come to be called the ‘Way’ and, eventually, came to be known as Christianity. It was the appearance of the risen Lord to St. Paul and the Lord’s question, ‘Why do you persecute me?’ that stopped St. Paul in his tracks. From that moment on, he remained full of duty towards the God of Israel, but it found expression in a very different way. Rather than persecuting those whose beliefs were different to his, he proclaimed the good news of God’s unconditional love for all humanity, revealed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. In the words of today’s Gospel reading, he went on to proclaim this good news to all creation. As he would write in his letter to the church in Rome, the heart of this good news is nothing ‘in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord’. St. Paul speaks in the first reading of this encounter with the risen Lord on the road to Damascus as an experience of light, ‘a bright light from heaven suddenly shone round me’. He came to see God in a new way. His eyes were opened to the good news that the love in God’s heart was boundless, and in the light of that love he came to see that the love in his own heart had been very narrowly focused, restricted to those who thought and lived like himself. St. Paul’s relationship with God deepened as a result of what happened near Damascus and, as a result, he began to relate to others in the way God relates to them, in the way Jesus related to others during His public ministry and continues to relate to us as risen Lord. St. Paul’s experience teaches us that the more we grow in our relationship with God the Father and His Son Jesus, the more expansive our heart will become and the broader our horizon will become. As we open ourselves more fully to God as God really is, to God as Love, then we will relate to others in ways that bring people together in all their diversity. We will no longer feel threatened by those who are different from us but we will open ourselves to what God can teach us through them, while sharing with them the treasure of the Gospel that brings joy to our lives.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures on this special Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle all of us are reminded that we are all also called by the Lord for the same purpose and mission in our own lives. Each and every one of us as members of the Church are parts of the Church’s works and missions in proclaiming the truth of God and evangelising the whole world. All of us are successors of the works entrusted by the Lord to His Apostles and disciples, the missions that the Lord entrusted to His Church. The works of St. Paul and the other Apostles and disciples of the Lord are still aplenty and ongoing, as there are ever more people out there who have not yet known the Lord and His truth. St. Paul the Apostle showed us the way forward in life, in how we should commit ourselves to God’s mission and works. Let us all therefore strive to renew our faith and lives by our humble obedience to the Lord and the willingness to change ourselves by listening to God’s will and words. Let us all be growing ever stronger in our faith and relationship with the Lord in the way that St. Paul had done himself. Let us be converted in life and draw ever closer to the Lord, and be good role models in our lives and actions, that we may inspire many others to live worthily of the Lord. Let us trust in God’s love that is so great that not even the greatest of sinners are beyond God’s mercy and forgiveness. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace to grow in our understanding of God and God’s will for our lives, so that our own zeal for God is directed in a way that really does serve God’s purpose for our world. May God continue to strengthen our faith and may He bless us in our everyday lives and actions. May God bless us in our every endeavours, efforts and good works for His greater glory, now and always. Amen🙏

Let us pray:

Lord, I do love You and desire to be used by You in the way that You choose. Help me to convert my heart more fully to You so that I can be led by Your gentle and powerful hand. I accept whatever mission You give to me and pray that my life will give You true glory and further Your glorious Kingdom on earth. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Mother Mary, Saint Paul the Apostle and Saint Dwynwen ~ Pray for us🙏

Thanking God for the gift of this new year and praying for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and our world and for God’s Divine Mercy and Grace upon us all as we begin this Ordinary Time. Wishing all of us a most blessed, safe, healthy, prosperous and grace-filled New Year. Have a blessed and fruitful week~ Amen🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖

THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ JANUARY 24, 2024

FEAST OF OUR LADY QUEEN OF PEACE

WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY 2024: In the Northern Hemisphere, beginning Thursday, January 18, 2024 and ends Thursday, January 25, 2024. Link for prayers for the entire week below.

PRAY TO PROTECT HUMAN LIFE! 9 DAYS FOR LIFE NOVENA: JANUARY 19-27, 2024
Link for 9 Days for Life Novena below.

Greetings, beloved family and Happy Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time!

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on January 24, 2024 on EWTN” |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | January 24, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | January 24, 2024 |

Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | January 24, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | January 24, 2024 |

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Wednesday, January 24, 2024
Reading 1, Second Samuel 7:4-17
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 89:4-5, 27-28, 29-30
Gospel, Mark 4:1-20

PRAY TO PROTECT HUMAN LIFE! 9 DAYS FOR LIFE NOVENA: JANUARY 19-27, 2024

9 Days for Life is a novena for the protection of human life. Each day’s intention is accompanied by a short reflection and suggested actions to help build a culture of life. Link for 9 Days for Life: January 19-27, 2024: https://www.respectlife.org/9-days-for-life

WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY 2024: In the Northern Hemisphere, Thursday, January 18, 2024 and ends Thursday, January 25, 2024

Today is day Seven of the week of prayer for Christian Unity, which is celebrated around the world from January 18th – 25th. As we continue this year’s week of prayer for Christian Unity with focus on Christians in the Northern Hemisphere, we join our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world in praying for peace, love, justice and unity in our divided and conflicted world so we can better build God’s Kingdom here on earth. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, look down with pity upon us and keep us all united in love and faith, so that we may all be truly one in Christ…Amen🙏

The theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2024: “You shall love the Lord your God… and your neighbor as yourself” ~ Luke 10:27

WPCU 2024 Daily Readings: Link for prayers for the entire week: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2024 | USCCB | https://www.usccb.org/committees/ecumenical-interreligious-affairs/week-prayer-christian-unity-2024

The theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2024 was selected by the Pontifical Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, the World Council of Churches, and the Christian Churches in Burkina Faso, coordinated by the community of Chemin Neuf, a French Catholic and ecumenical community of vowed and lay people and its local community in Burkina Faso.

The theme, taken from the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke, reflects the connection between love of God and love of neighbor with a particular concern for challenging the boundaries of who is considered “neighbor”. In this pericope, Jesus is questioned as to the path to eternal life. His answer is not to only observe the commandments, but to also imitate the love of God in the giving of self for another. It is a call for charity, mercy, justice, and unity.

LET US PRAY: We pray, O gracious Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that we all may be one as you are one. In your community of complete unity, we have our beginning and our end. To you we pray, asking for the gift of visible unity among all who believe in your Christ. As we commemorate this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, we are reminded by your Word that all human beings are our neighbors and that we are to love them like ourselves and in the same way we love you. Help us to overcome the barriers and divisions we have nurtured against your will. Grant to us, O Lord, a new Spirit of love and solidarity, that we may proclaim your good news to all of creation. We ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirt are one God, for ever and ever. Amen 🙏

DAY 7: “WHICH OF THESE THREE, DO YOU THINK, WAS A NEIGHBOR?”

Jesus said: “Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor?” (Lk 10:36)

SCRIPTURE READINGS:
Philippians 2.1-5
Psalm 10:17-18

MEDITATION: At the end of the parable, Jesus asked the lawyer: who was the neighbor to the man victimized? The lawyer replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” He does not say “the Samaritan” and we might imagine that the hostility between Samaritans and Jews made that answer hard to admit. We often discover neighbors in the most unexpected people, even those whose very name or origins we find difficult to utter. In today’s world, where polarized politics often set those of different religious identities against one another, Jesus challenges us through this parable to see the importance of our vocation to cross borders and walls of separation. As with the lawyer, we are challenged to reflect upon how we live our lives, not merely in terms of whether we do good or not, but whether, like the priest and the Levite, we are neglecting to act mercifully.

PRAYER: Holy God, your Son Jesus Christ came among us to show us the way of compassion. Help us by your Spirit to follow His example, to serve the needs of all your children, and so give united Christian witness to your ways of love and mercy. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen 🙏

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF JANUARY – MONTH OF THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS: The month of January is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. After the Blessed Virgin Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit, the Angel Gabriel appeared to St. Joseph and told him that the Child’s name should be called Jesus, meaning “God Saves.” According to Jewish law, on the 8th day after his birth a male child was to be circumcised, receive his name, and become a full member of God’s covenant people. According to the old Roman liturgical calendar, the Feast of the Circumcision of Jesus was celebrated on January 1st, eight days after Christmas, the same day that He was given His sacred name. Currently we celebrate the Solemnity of the Mother of God on January 1st and honor the Holy Name of Jesus on January 3rd. For Catholics, Jesus’ sacred name is the object of a special devotion symbolized by the monogram “IHS,” (sometimes called a Christogram), which is the first three letters of the Greek spelling of His name.

On this feast day, as we continue the week of prayer for Christian Unity, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we particularly pray for the sick and dying and we continue to remember our beloved late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on the first memorial anniversary of his death. We pray for the repose of his gentle soul 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 the gentle soul of Pope Benedict XVI and souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

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

PRAYER FOR THE DEAD: In your hands, O Lord, we humbly entrust our brothers and sisters. In this life, you embraced them with your tender love; deliver them now from every evil, and bid them eternal rest. The old order has passed away: welcome them into paradise, where there will be no sorrow, no weeping or pain, but fullness of peace and joy with your Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen🙏

A PRAYER FOR PEACE: Lord Jesus Christ, You are the true King of peace. In You alone is found freedom. Please free our world from conflict. Bring unity to troubled nations. Let Your glorious peace reign in every heart. Dispel all darkness and evil. Protect the dignity of every human life. Replace hatred with Your love. Give wisdom to world leaders. Free them from selfish ambition. Eliminate all violence and war. Glorious Virgin Mary, Saint Michael the Archangel, Every Angel and Saint: Please pray for peace. Pray for unity amongst nations. Pray for unity amongst all people. Pray for the most vulnerable. Pray for those suffering. Pray for the fearful. Pray for those most in need. Pray for us all. Jesus, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us. Jesus, hear our prayers. Jesus, I trust in You! Amen 🙏

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

SAINTS OF THE DAY: Today, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady Queen of Peace and the Memorial of Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church.

OUR LADY QUEEN OF PEACE: The Feast of Our Lady Queen of Peace is celebrated annually on January 24. The memorial feast celebration has two dates: July 9 and January 24.This feast commemorates the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is often represented holding a dove and an olive branch, that are the symbols of peace. Our Lady of Peace, Mother of Peace, Queen of Peace or Our Lady Queen of Peace is a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The traditional story holds that in the early 1500s in France, a certain Jean de Joyeuse presented the statue as a wedding gift to his young bride, Françoise e Voisins. The statue was known as the “Virgin of Joyeuse”, and became a cherished family heirloom. Around the year 1588, Jean’s grandson, Henri Joyeuse, joined the Capuchin Franciscans in Paris and brought the statue with him, where it remained for many years. With the olive branch in her hand and the Prince of Peace on her arm, the statue was called Our Lady of Peace. In 1657 the Capuchin community erected a larger chapel to accommodate the growing number of faithful who sought her intercession. On July 9 that year, before a large crowd which included King Louis XIV, the papal nuncio to France blessed and solemnly enthroned the Virgin’s statue. Pope Alexander VII would later designate this date for the Capuchin community to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Peace.

During the French Revolution, which erupted in 1789, the Capuchins were driven from their monastery. They took the image with them to prevent its destruction by the atheistic rebels. When peace was restored in the land, the statue was brought out of hiding and entrusted to Peter Coudrin, a priest in Paris. In 1800, Coudrin and Henriette became co-founders of a community of sisters, brothers and priests — the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and the Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The congregation was particularly successful in the Kingdom of Hawaii. They consecrated the Hawaiian Islands under the protection of Our Lady Queen of Peace who has been the patroness of the Catholic Church in Hawaii since 1827. The first Catholic missionaries to the Hawaiian Islands arrived at Honolulu Bay on July 7, 1827. These missionaries were members of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and of Perpetual Adoration and upon their arrival in the islands dedicated their labors to the patroness of the Congregation, Our Lady Queen of Peace and placed the Islands under her protection. It was in her honor that these missionaries erected the first Catholic Church.

Our Lady Queen of Peace, is the Patron Saint of El Salvador. In the parish church of St Michael, in the city of San Salvador, there is an ancient statue of the Virgin Mary holding an olive branch which, according to some accounts, was brought there from a shipwreck. In September 1787 the inhabitants of the city attributed to the statue their safety when threatened by a volcanic eruption. The Virgin was also held up as a model of peace among warring factions in the country at the time of the war of independence. The statue was solemnly crowned in November 1921, in the presence of the country’s president. The original statue of Our Lady of Peace in France, was ceremonially crowned on July 9, 1906 by the Archbishop of Paris in the name of Pope Pius X. Every July 9 since then, the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary have celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of Peace. While January 24th is the feast day in Hawaii and in some churches of the United States. During World War I Pope Benedict XV added the title Our Lady Queen of Peace to the Litany of Loreto (Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

PRAYER TO MOTHER MARY FOR PEACE OF MIND: Kneeling at your feet, sweet Mother of God and Queen of Peace, I, your loving child, confidently turn to you in my need, seeking your intercession for peace of mind and comfort to my troubled heart. (Mention your petition here.) O listen to me, dear heavenly mother. Come to my aid and refuse me not as I cry to you. For you are my mother, and you fail no one who has recourse to you, O Consoler of the afflicted, O Queen of Peace. Amen🙏

SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH: St. Francis, son of the Count de Sales was born on August 21, 1567 in the family castle of Sales, in Thorens in the duchy of upper Savoy. He was the firstborn child of Francis and Frances De Boisy. His father was forty-four, and his mother fifteen. There were twelve children born to the family, five of whom died soon after their birth. Showing an early inclination for the ecclesiastical state he received tonsure at eleven years of age. St. Francis’ studies were lengthy and were accomplished in three stages: college studies at la Roche and Annecy (where his priestly vocation was born); Soon afterward, he was sent to Paris to study Philosophy and Theology at the Jesuit college in Paris; and finally he went on to the University of Padua where he was honored with a Doctorate in both Canon and Civil Law in 1591. He was a gifted young man: of brilliant intellect, persevering, purposeful, serene, affable, irresistibly charming, and above all, consumed with the love of God. On his return home, with the reluctant consent of his parents who had envisioned other things for him, St. Francis entered the priesthood and was ordained to the priesthood in 1593. A little later, he took upon himself the arduous mission of Chablais, where Calvinism had obtained a stronghold. From 1594 to 1598 he labored at the difficult and dangerous task of preaching to the Protestants of Chablais and effected the return of some 70,000 souls to the Catholic faith. In the midst of the most enormous difficulties, he pursued his labor with apostolic heroism, and was rewarded with the most wonderful fruits of conversion.

While engaged in this work he received his appointment as coadjutor to the Bishop of Geneva, whom he succeeded as Bishop on December 8, 1602. St. Francis became the good shepherd amongst his people and began to labor zealously in his diocese for the clergy and people. He was tireless in visiting his 450 parishes; he organised the further formation of his clergy, proclaiming that learning was the eighth sacrament for a priest. He concerned himself with the reform of monasteries, and the catechesis of the young. He extended his labor elsewhere, preaching the Lenten sermons at various places outside of the diocese. He spent hours in the confessional, dialogued with the Calvinists, preached the Advent and Lenten homilies in many cities in Savoy and France, undertook spiritual direction both viva voce and in correspondence, took part in theological discussions, and with his friend Senator Antonio Favre founded the Florimontane Academy. In 1610, he founded the Order of the Visitation, with the help of the Baroness de Chantal, now St. Jane Frances. And in the midst of his constant pastoral work and multitude of activities, he also composed several instructive works for the edification of the faithful. He found time to write the book that has made him known to succeeding ages: “Introduction to a Devout Life ( Philothea) published in 1609. It shows how ordinary life can be sanctified and in 1616 his Treatise on the Love of God (Theotimus). His one concern is how to lead the reader to the love of God and the imitation of Christ. His zeal for souls is attested in 21,000 extant letters and 4,000 sermons which exemplify how he applied St. Paul’s words: “I have become all things to all men.” You may epitomize his character in two words, kindliness and lovableness — virtues that were the secret of his success. His writings reflect his kindheartedness and sweet disposition. Although not born a Saint, St. Francis developed a gentle and amiable disposition over time. By nature his temperament was choleric, fiery; little was needed to throw him into a state of violent anger. It took years before he mastered his impatience, his unruly temper. Even after he became bishop, there were slips, as for instance, when someone rang a bell before he had finished preaching. The important point, of course, is that by constant perseverance he did in time attain perfect self-mastery. Wherein lies a lesson.

In an age when fanaticism was the rule in controversies, St. Francis manifested an exceptional restraint and meekness. His pastoral zeal, which was anxious for the sanctification of the laity and the adaption of the religious life to the new needs, marks a turning point in the history of spirituality. Out of love for his own poor diocese, he refused opportunities for advancement, including the cardinalate. St. Francis died  of a stroke on December 28, 1622, with the words “Jesus” on his lips. His funeral was solemnised at Annecy on January 24th following, and his remains transferred to the Visitation Convent. St. Francis was canonized on 19 April 19, 1665 by Pope Alexander VII; many years later in 1877, in recognition of the Introduction and his other writings, Pius IX declared him a Doctor of the Church, the first French-speaking member of that august assembly. He’s Patron Saint of writers; authors; educators; journalists; teachers; deaf people; deafness; Diocese of Baker, Oregon; Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Ohio; Catholic press; Diocese of Columbus, Ohio; confessors;  Diocese of Wilmington, Delaware.

PRAYER: Father in heaven, You prompted St. Francis de Sales to become all things to all for the salvation of all. May his example inspire us to dedicated love in the service of our brothers and sisters. Amen🙏
 
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. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, Our Lady Queen of Peace and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for peace, love and unity in our families, our marriages and our divided and conflicted world. We continue to pray for the safety and protection of all Unborn Children from conception to natural death and all expectant mothers. Every life is a gift. We continue to pray for the sick and dying, especially sick children, those who are mentally and physically ill, strokes, heart diseases, and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. 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 an end to wars, political and religious unrest. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for torture victims, the poor, the needy and the most vulnerable in our communities and around the world. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the souls of the faithful departed and for all widows and widowers. And we continue to pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Bishops, the Clergy and all those who preach the Gospel. We pray for 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, Memorial of Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ Mark 4:1-20

‘What the sower is sowing is the word’

“On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea. A very large crowd gathered around him so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down. And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.
And he taught them at length in parables,
and in the course of his instruction he said to them, “Hear this! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it and it produced no grain. And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” He added, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.” And when he was alone, those present along with the Twelve questioned him about the parables. He answered them, “The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you. But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that they may look and see but not perceive, and hear and listen but not understand, in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.” Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables? The sower sows the word. These are the ones on the path where the word is sown. As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the word sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy. But they have no roots; they last only for a time. Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word, but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”

Our Gospel reading today details the famous parable of the sower which the Lord Jesus told and explained to the people who were gathered there to listen to Him. The parable of the sower showed how the sower spread the seeds that fell on various places, and how each of those seeds turned out to be. Some of those seeds fell on the roadside only to be picked up and eaten by the birds of the air, representing all those who have ignored God’s words, His truth and calling, and hence, the evil ones came to snatch them into the path of darkness. And yet, some other seeds fell on rocky ground, where the seeds could not properly germinate and get themselves rooted, representing all those who have not allowed the Lord’s words to penetrate into their hearts and minds, as they hardened their hearts and minds against Him and His truth, out of pride, arrogance and greed, amongst other things. Then, those seeds that fell amongst brambles and thistles are those who allowed themselves to receive the word of God, His calling and all, but they were tempted and persuaded by worldly temptations, and failed to allow the Lord’s words to fully grow and mature in them. Only those seeds that fell into the fertile soil managed to germinate and grow well, and not just that, but even managing to produce many more times than what were sown. These are the ones who truly listen to the Lord, understanding His will and committed themselves to Him wholeheartedly.

According to the parable of the sower, much of the seed that the sower scattered produced nothing; it was taken by the birds of the air, choked by thorns, scorched by the sun. Yet, some of what he sowed produced a wonderful harvest. In spite of much frustration and failure, there was a great crop at the end of the day. The Lord appears to be saying through that parable that His own efforts, His words and His deeds, would eventually bear great fruit, in spite of many setbacks, including misunderstanding, rejection and, eventually, crucifixion. The parable is a word of encouragement to those who might be tempted to lose faith in Him. It is also a word of encouragement to all of us as we try to share in the Lord’s work and mission. It is as if Jesus is saying to us, ‘if the seed is good, the crop will be good, in spite of setbacks and failure’. We do have good seed, the good seed of the Gospel. We can be confident that in scattering that seed, in witnessing to that Gospel, the Lord will work powerfully through us. Jesus is assuring us all that, despite all the setbacks, the opposition and hostility, God is at work and that work will lead to something wonderful. The seed of the Gospel is good and powerful. Whatever the odds against us, we must keep sowing.

In our first reading today from the Book of the prophet Samuel, King David of Israel, after having united the kingdom, defeated the enemies of Israel and conquered Jerusalem, the city that he made to be the new capital of the kingdom, he finally had peace and prosperity throughout his kingdom. And then, King David desired to build a proper House, a great Temple dedicated to God and for His worship in Jerusalem, which he then conveyed to the prophet Nathan, the prophet who likely succeeded Samuel in being the prophet of God among the people of Israel. Initially Nathan told David that he should do whatever it is that he had planned, but God then later on told David through Nathan, that it was not for him to build the House and Temple which he had intended to build for Him. Instead, it would be his son, Solomon, the next King, who would be the one to build the Holy Temple. The Lord also used that opportunity to tell David that He shall keep the rule of David’s house and family firm forever, and that He will always be with His beloved people forever. He reminded David how He has been with all of them, and with him as well throughout his journey, and how He will continue to provide for all who put their trust and faith in Him.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded to listen to the Lord and to His words being spoken in our hearts and minds, so that each and every one of us may continue to walk faithfully in His Presence, and that we will continue to grow ever stronger in faith and dedication to Him, and not be easily swayed by the many temptations and falsehoods, wickedness and evils present all around us in this world. As long as we remain receptive to God’s words, and allow Him to touch our lives, we will continue to grow in faith and strength, holiness and grace. Let us all therefore seek to be more faithful to God just as St. Francis de Sales whose feast we celebrate today and many other saints, holy men and women of God had done before us. Through the examples of King David of Israel and St. Francis de Sales, we all can see clearly how God had done so many wonderful works through His servants who have responded and answered His calling well. Each and every one of us as Christians have also been called to follow the Lord in our own ways, and we have been entrusted with the various missions and vocations in our respective parts of life, for us to follow through. We are all called to answer God’s call and to do what we can so that we can inspire all those around us with our exemplary life and faith. Let us all discern carefully our path in life so that in whatever we do, we will always strive to glorify God and to put Him first and foremost in all things. And through the intercession of our Mother Mary as we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady Queen of Peace today, we are reminded to do our best in our daily lives and at every moments to listen to the Lord’s call and His will, and be humble in obeying all that He had told and asked us to do. May all of us be ever more obedient and committed in our faith, and draw ever closer to the Lord and His path. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace, bless us, and may He empower us all to live ever more faithfully in His Presence, now and always. Amen🙏

Let us pray:

My merciful Lord, help me to be open fully to Your holy Word so that the seed of Your Word will be planted deeply in my heart. May I always reject the many lies and deceptions of the world so that I can be freed of the anxieties and fleeting pleasures of life. May I seek only the deep and sustaining delights that come from a life fully given over to You so that I will live in the peace and grace of Your holy will. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Mother Mary, Our Lady Queen of Peace and Saint Francis de Sales ~ Pray for us🙏

Thanking God for the gift of this new year and praying for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and our world and for God’s Divine Mercy and Grace upon us all during this Ordinary Time. Wishing all of us a most blessed, safe, healthy, prosperous and grace-filled New Year and fruitful week~ Amen🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖