DailyReflections

MEMORIAL OF SAINT JOHN NEUMANN, BISHOP; SAINT SIMEON STYLITES, HERMIT AND SAINT TELESPHORUS, POPE AND MARTYR

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FEAST AND SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ JANUARY 5, 2025

SOLEMNITY OF THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD

[Depending upon the practice of the local diocese or territory, the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord is widely celebrated on January 6th, or on the first Sunday after January 1st in countries where this feast is not a Holy Day of Obligation. Roman Catholic dioceses in many countries celebrates the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th, some countries including the dioceses of the United States celebrate this feast on Sunday, January 5, 2025].

HOLY MASS ON THE SOLEMNITY OF THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD WITH POPE FRANCIS | LIVE FROM THE VATICAN, ST. PETER’S BASILICA| JANUARY 6, 2025 [Link below]

OPENING OF THE 5TH HOLY DOOR | BASILICA OF SAINT PAUL OUTSIDE THE WALLS | JUBILEE 2025 | LIVE FROM ROME | JANUARY 5, 2025 [Link below]

OPENING OF THE HOLY DOORS SCHEDULES | JUBILEE OF HOPE 2025 [Details and links below]

On this special Feast day, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and all the Saints, on this feast day, we humbly pray and thank God for blessing us all with the gift of His precious son, our Savior Jesus Christ! For the safety and well-being of all our children and school children as they return to school this new year after the Christmas holiday. We pray for God’s guidance and protection upon them. We continue to pray for peace all around the world, particularly in the Middle East, Ukraine-Russia and other parts of the world. We pray for an end to the wars and conflicts, and for peace in our families and throughout our divided and conflicted World. For the gentle repose of the souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls and souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen 🙏 âœïžđŸ•ŻâœïžđŸ•ŻâœïžđŸ•Ż

“Blessed are those who have died in the Lord; let them rest from their abors for their good deeds go with them.” ~ Rev 14:13

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

Watch “Holy Mass on the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord on Sunday, January 5, 2025 on EWTN” |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy on the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord” | January 5, 2025 |

Watch “HOLY MASS ON THE SOLEMNITY OF THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD WITH POPE FRANCIS | LIVE FROM THE VATICAN, ST. PETER’S BASILICA| JANUARY 6, 2025” |

SOLEMNITY OF THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD | POPE FRANCIS | LIVE FROM THE VATICAN | JANUARY 6, 2025 |

LIVE from St. Peter’s Basilica | Holy Mass will be presided over by Pope Francis on the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord on January 6, 2025.

Watch “OPENING OF THE HOLY DOOR | BASILICA OF SAINT PAUL OUTSIDE THE WALLS | JUBILEE 2025 | LIVE FROM ROME | JANUARY 5, 2025” |

OPENING OF THE HOLY DOOR | BASILICA OF SAINT PAUL OUTSIDE THE WALLS | JUBILEE 2O25 | LIVE FROM ROME | JANUARY 5, 2025 |

Cardinal James Michael Harvey, Archpriest Coadjutor of the Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, presided over the Holy Mass and opens this fifth and last Holy Door of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, in Rome, for the Jubilee of Hope 2025.

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

Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | January 5, 2025 |

Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| January 5, 2025 |

Pray “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteries VIRTUALđŸŒčJOYFULđŸŒčLUMINOUSđŸŒčSORROWFULđŸŒčGLORIOUS” oĂčn YouTube |

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, Sunday, January 5, 2025
Reading 1, Isaiah 60:1-6
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13
Reading 2, Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6
Gospel, Matthew 2:1-12

OPENING OF THE HOLY DOORS SCHEDULES | JUBILEE OF HOPE 2025

Pope Francis opens the Holy Door Ushering in the Jubilee of Hope | ‘Hope is Alive’ | Vatican News | December 24, 2024 | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2024/12/25/pope-francis-opens-the-holy-door-ushering-in-the-jubilee-of-hope-hope-is-alive-vatican-news-december-24-2024/

These last three Holy Doors will be closed on Sunday, 28 December 2025.

SOLEMNITY OF THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD: Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. Depending upon the practice of the local diocese or territory, the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord is widely celebrated on January 6, or on the first Sunday after January 1 in countries where this feast is not a Holy Day of Obligation. Roman Catholic dioceses in many countries celebrates the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th, some countries including the dioceses of the United States celebrate this feast on Sunday, January 5, 2025.

THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD: The Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord is one of the oldest Christian feasts and one of the most important. The feast of the Epiphany also known as Theophany or the Feast of Manifestation which is traditionally celebrated on the 12th day after Christmas, on January 6th. However, in the Roman Catholic dioceses in many countries including the dioceses of the United States where the solemnity of the Epiphany is not observed as a holy day of obligation, this feast has been moved and assigned to a Sunday, which is then considered a proper day on the calendar, falling on the Sunday between January 2nd and January 8th. This year, others may celebrate the feast of Epiphany on Sunday, January 5, 2025 (from General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar). Pope Francis will preside over Holy Mass on the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord on January 6, 2025. [ Holy Mass Link- https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/01/05/solemnity-of-the-epiphany-of-the-lord-pope-francis-live-from-the-vatican-january-6-2025/]

The celebration of the Epiphany is one of the oldest Christian festivals on the Church’s calendar, celebrated since the end of the second century, it predates even the celebration of Christmas. It is commonly known as Twelfth Night, Twelfth Day, or the Feast of Epiphany. The word “epiphany” comes from the Greek word epiphaneia – a verb that means “to shine upon,” “to manifest,” “to reveal” or “to make known.” It means “manifestation” or “showing forth”. It is also called Theophany (“manifestation of God”), especially by Eastern Christians who remember the time when God ‘Theos’ manifested Himself before His people, a term known as ‘Epiphaneia’, that has the meaning of revelation, as He came forth bringing the Light and Hope to the nations, just as He has promised through His prophets and messengers. It refers to the great manifestations of our Lord’s incarnate nature as truly God and truly man, “God in flesh made manifest. Thus, the feast of the Epiphany celebrates the many ways that Christ has made Himself known to the world. Historically, Epiphany celebrated four events that manifested the mission and divinity of Christ: Jesus’ nativity; the visit of the Magi to the Holy Family to adore Him (Matthew 2:1-12);  the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River where the Father revealed Him as His beloved Son (Mark 1:9-11); and Jesus’ first miracle at the wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11). Each biblical event is a theophany, or epiphany, a special manifestation of Jesus Christ to mankind. The relationship between these events is beautifully described in this antiphon from the Divine Office: “This day the Church is joined unto the Heavenly Bridegroom, since Christ hath washed away her sins in Jordan; the wise men hasten with gifts to the marriage supper of the King; and they that sit at meat together make merry with water turned into wine. Alleluia.” At one point in Church history all of these events were celebrated on the Epiphany, but now the liturgical calendar assigns particular feasts or proper days for each. The visit of the Magi is emphasized on Epiphany Day, and Christ’s baptism is celebrated the first Sunday that follows. In our day, the great Solemnity of the Epiphany primarily celebrates the visit of the Magi representing our Lord’s manifestation to all the Gentiles (the non-Jewish people of the world) and the corresponding call of the Gentiles to faith in Jesus Christ.

Through this important event of the Epiphany, God manifested Himself to the nations, represented by the Three Magi or the Three Wise Men, who came from very far lands to visit and pay homage to the One Whose coming they had predicted, and following the great Sign in the sky, the Star of Bethlehem, that appeared above the place where the Lord Jesus was born. All the Three Magi set off on a long journey from their lands, at a time when travel was arduous, difficult, lengthy and slow, traversing long distances so that they might come to and see the Holy One of God, the One Whose coming was proclaimed by the great Star. The Star of Bethlehem is a sign of the Messiah, and is also a symbol of faith or ‘Signum Fidei’ because the Three Wise Men went on that very long journey in seeking the One Whom they believed in, as a great Figure and Master, and although they did not yet know Who He truly was, but the Spirit of God present in all the peoples, even then, moved their hearts, and brought them on the journey of faith towards the Lord. The gifts which they brought to the Lord had made people to speculate the places of their origins, with the countries of Sheba and Seba in what is now Ethiopia and Yemen respectively as possible candidates. Those gifts echoed what the prophet Isaiah spoke about in the first reading today, of the caravan of camels from Sheba and Seba coming to the Lord, glorifying Him and praising Him.

The three gifts of the Three Magi are themselves very symbolic and a revelation of Who the Lord Jesus truly was, in the gift of the gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gold represents the kingship and the glory of Christ, while the Frankincense represents both His Divinity and also His role as our Eternal High Priest, and lastly the Myrrh represents the way how the Lord would accomplish His mission, through the suffering and death that He would have to endure during His Passion, for our sake and our salvation. Through all these three gifts therefore, we all come to know the full extent of Who the Lord our God is, and what He has done for us through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. This is the essence of what the Epiphany celebration is all about.

PRAYER: We thank the Lord, for the gift of revealing Himself to all nations, and ask that He continue to be revealed in the works of His children
 Amen🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:

Bible Readings for today, Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ Matthew 2:1-12

Adoration by the Magi: “We saw His star at its rising and have come to do Him homage”

“After Jesus had been born at Bethlehem in Judaea during the reign of King Herod, some wise men came to Jerusalem from the east. ‘Where is the infant king of the Jews?’ they asked. ‘We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage.’ When King Herod heard this he was perturbed, and so was the whole of Jerusalem. He called together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, and enquired of them where the Christ was to be born. ‘At Bethlehem in Judaea,’ they told him ‘for this is what the prophet wrote: And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are by no means least among the leaders of Judah, for out of you will come a leader who will shepherd my people Israel.’ Then Herod summoned the wise men to see him privately. He asked them the exact date on which the star had appeared, and sent them on to Bethlehem. ‘Go and find out all about the child,’ he said ‘and when you have found him, let me know, so that I too may go and do him homage.’ Having listened to what the king had to say, they set out. And there in front of them was the star they had seen rising; it went forward, and halted over the place where the child was. The sight of the star filled them with delight, and going into the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, and falling to their knees they did him homage. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. But they were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, and returned to their own country by a different way.”

Today’s Gospel reading puts before us two very contrasting responses to the news that the long-awaited Jewish Messiah had just been born. Astrologers from the East were so excited by this news that they set out on a long journey to find the child so as to pay Him homage. King Herod in Jerusalem was so perturbed by the same news that he sought to kill the child.

On this feast of the Epiphany we are asked to identify with the response of the astrologers, the wise men, from the East. They were people who were very observant of God’s natural world, in particular that part of God’s natural world that came into view when darkness descended. They observed and studied the stars. They were fascinated by the stars. Yet, they recognized that the stars, for all their splendour, pointed beyond themselves to some more wonderful reality, to God. So, when they heard that God was visiting our world in a new way through a child who had just been born, they set out in search of that child. These exotic figures from the East show us how being attentive to God’s natural world can draw us closer to God. This can happen in different ways for different people. For the wise men it was their fascination with the stars that led them to the true light of the world. For others, the sea can have a similar impact, revealing in some mysterious way the depth and power of God. There came a point on the journey of the wise men when they needed more than the signs of nature to find the child whom they were seeking. When they came to Jerusalem they had to ask, ‘Where is the infant king of the Jews?’ To make the last short step on their long journey, they needed more than the light of a star. They needed the light of the Scriptures. The chief priests and the scribes who knew the Scriptures were able to point them in the direction of Bethlehem. On our own journey towards the Lord, we too need the light of the Scriptures as well as the light of nature. The Scriptures are a fuller revelation of God than the natural world. It is in and through the Scriptures that we meet God and His Son in a special way. Through the Scriptures God speaks to us in a privileged way. He asks us to listen and to allow our lives to be shaped by what we hear. The wise men allowed themselves to be guided by the Scriptures, as well as by the star. They showed something of that responsiveness to God’s word to which we are all called.

Having been moved by the presence of God in nature and in the Scriptures, the wise men came face to face with God in a child. They did not worship the star; they did not even worship the Scriptures. But they did worship the child, because they recognized that here was Emmanuel, God-with-us. We too worship Emmanuel, and we do so in a special way every time we celebrate the Eucharist. As the wise men expressed their worship by offering the child their precious gifts, we express our own worship of the Lord in the Eucharist by offering Him gifts, and our most precious gift is the gift of our lives. In the Eucharist we give ourselves to the Lord, in response to His giving of Himself to us as bread of life, saying ‘Here I am’ in response to His ‘Take and eat’. The Gospel reading tells us that, after worshipping the child, the wise men returned home by a different way. Their meeting with the infant king of the Jews somehow changed them. Our own worship of the Lord in the Eucharist will often prompt us to take a different path too. We come to the Eucharist open to being changed by our meeting with the Lord. We are sent forth from the Eucharist to follow the way of the Lord more closely.

In our first reading today from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, the prophet spoke to the people of God in Israel and Judah, telling them of the coming of the salvation in God, which would come soon through the Messiah, the Saviour which God has promised to all of them. The prophet was encouraging a people that by then had suffered a lot of hardships and difficulties, obstacles and challenges. He told them that the Lord would not forget about them, and He would send them His deliverance, which would come with a great Light coming among the people of God. Indeed, the Lord would send His salvation through His people, born of a people whom He had first called, the people of Israel, of the children of Abraham, fulfilling everything that He has promised to His faithful servants. Through this great Light, which is in Christ the Lord, all people will come to see the salvation of God, which has been unveiled and shown to us, through His Nativity and Epiphany. If His Nativity marks the moment when He was born into this world, and was announced by the Angels of God to the people of Israel through those shepherds of Bethlehem in the wilderness, then the Epiphany marks the moment when He revealed Himself as the Saviour of all, as the Almighty God and King, born into this world to gather everyone to Himself, to every nations and peoples, for He is not just God of Israel or over the land of Israel, but He is God, Ruler and King over the whole Universe, and this is what the Lord has revealed to us all, through the events of the Epiphany.

In our second reading today, St. Paul in his Epistle to the Church and the faithful people of God in Ephesus spoke of this same revelation, that God reveals the desire He has to save each and every one of us mankind, without exception, His love and kindness, His generous mercy, that all those who seek Him, regardless whether they are Jewish or non-Jewish, they will all be saved and become part of the one holy people of God, those whom God has called and chosen. This is the response to those whom at the time of the Lord’s ministry and the early Church who claimed that only the Jewish people deserved salvation from God, or that everyone who sought to be saved must adopt all the customs, practices and beliefs of the Jews to the extent that they themselves became Jewish. Thus, St. Paul refuted such a claim, and the fact that it was he who did so is significant because St. Paul was a Pharisee who adhered to such beliefs in the superiority and exclusivity of salvation to only the Jewish people. But God revealed the truth to St. Paul, and upon whose conversion received the reality and true intention of God in calling all of His people to Himself, regardless of their background, race, origin or by any other worldly parameters we often differentiated ourselves by. To the Lord, everyone is truly equal, equal in stature, equal in opportunity and equally beloved by Him without prejudice or discrimination. And He has given us all the ultimate means to achieve this salvation, and that is through His Son and His coming into this world.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures on the great Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, we mark the occasion when the Lord revealed and manifested Himself to all the nations through the representation of the Three Magi or the Three Wise Men, who came all the way to Bethlehem after long and arduous journey, seeking the Star of Bethlehem marking the birthplace of the Saviour. Just like the Three Magi in the past, let us all therefore come to seek the Lord with all of our efforts and hearts, our minds and might. Let us all be faithful to the Lord and follow Him, like the Three Magi making the intense effort in walking the long journey from their distant homelands to seek the Saviour through the Star of Bethlehem. Are we all able to do the same as they had done? They were not believers at first, but saw the signs that God had sent into this world, followed those signs and came all the way to Bethlehem to pay Him homage and to worship Him. They represent all of us mankind, all of whom have been scattered all throughout the world, but through the grace and love of God, Who has sent us Christ to be our Good Shepherd, to gather us all from the ends of the world to Himself, to find our way to God. May the Lord, Who made Himself visible and Who has revealed Himself to all the nations, be with us all and continue to call upon us to follow Him. May He continue to guide us all through the path of grace and His love and truth, so that we may follow Him, with all of our hearts and minds, and be truly saved. Just as He has promised and assured us through His suffering, death on the Cross and finally through His glorious Resurrection, He has shown us the light of His hope and the grace of eternal life that will be ours if we keep strong our faith in Him, and continue to walk faithfully in His Presence and remain firmly committed to His path. May the Lord, our glorious and mighty God, Who revealed Himself to all the nations, be with us and bless our every good deeds and efforts, all of our endeavours for His greater glory. On this feast of Epiphany, may God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace to be as open to the Lord’s path as the wise men were. Wishing all of us a Most Blessed and Holy Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord! Amen🙏

SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT JOHN NEUMANN, BISHOP; SAINT SIMEON STYLITES, HERMIT AND SAINT TELESPHORUS, POPE AND MARTYR – FEAST DAY ~ JANUARY 5TH: Today, on this special Sunday of the Epiphany of the Lord, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint John Neumann, Bishop; Saint Simeon Stylites, Hermit and Saint Telesphorus, Pope, Martyr.

SAINT JOHN NEUMANN, BISHOP: St. John Nepomucene Neumann (1811-1860) was born on March 28, 1811, in Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic. His parents were Philip, a stocking knitter and his wife, Agnes Neumann in the village of Prachatitz in Bohemia. The third of six children, he had four sisters and a brother. From his mother he acquired the spirit of piety and through her encouragement entered the Seminary at Budweis after college.When the day came for his ordination to the priesthood, his bishop fell ill and couldn’t proceed with the ceremony. However, because Bohemia had an over-abundance of priests at the time, John’s ordination was never rescheduled. Undeterred in pursuing his priestly vocation, St. John decided to go to America to seek ordination. Since he had been reading about missionary activities in the United States, St. John decided to go to the United States in 1836 as a missionary priest to serve America’s European immigrant population. He walked most of the way to France and then boarded a ship to New York. St. John arrived in Manhattan on June 9, 1836, where he was gladly welcomed by Bishop John Dubois, who at that time had only 36 priests for the 200,000 Catholics living in the state of New York and part of New Jersey. Just 16 days after his arrival, St. John was ordained a priest in New York in 1836 by Bishop Dubois and sent to Buffalo.

Father John established himself in a small log parish house. He hardly ever lit a fire and often lived on only bread and water. On January 16, 1842, St. John joined the Redemptorist order and made his profession as a Redemptorist, the first to do so in America. He continued his missionary work and labored in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. In 1852, he was consecrated Bishop of Philadelphia. St. John Neumann as bishop left his impact on the United States by building a vast number of churches, schools, hospitals, and orphanages. The number of parochial school students greatly increased in his diocese and the erection of many parishes, especially national parishes for the numerous immigrants. St. Neumann built 50 churches and began the construction of a cathedral. He opened almost 100 schools, and the number of parochial school students grew from 500 to 9,000. St. John Neumann had a strong effect on the religious life of the laity in the United States, especially in his promotion of devotion to the Holy Eucharist. He was also the first Bishop of the United States to prescribe the Forty Hours Devotion in his diocese. He founded the first church in America for Italian-speaking people. He also founded the Glen Riddle group of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis. At 48 years of age, completely exhausted from all his apostolic endeavors, he collapsed in the street on January 5, 1860. He is buried beneath the altar of the lower Church in St. Peter the Apostle Church in Philadelphia. He became the first American bishop to be beatified. St. Neumann was canonized by Pope Paul VI on June 19, 1977. He is famous for knowing twelve languages and for being the first American man and American bishop to be canonized. He is the Patron Saint of Catholic Education. His feast day is January 5th.

PRAYER: Almighty God, You called St. John Neumann to a life of service, zeal, and compassion in guiding Your people in the new world. By his prayers enable us to build up the community of the Church through our dedication to the Christians education of youthu and through our witness of brotherly love. Amen.🙏

SAINT SIMEON STYLITES, HERMIT: St. Simeon Stylites, also called Simeon the Elder, (390-459) was a Syrian Christian hermit who was the first known stylite, or pillar hermit. He was called Simeon the Elder to distinguish him from several other stylites also named Simeon. He was a son of a shepherd, born in 390 in Sisan, Cilicia, near modern Aleppo, Syria. During winter in about the year 401, as a shepherd boy, who could not lead his sheep to the fields on account of the cold, he went to the church instead and listened to the eight Beatitudes, which were read that morning. He asked how these blessings were to be obtained, and then, when he was told of the monastic life, a thirst for perfection arose within him. He became the wonder of the world, the great Saint Simeon Stylites, given by God in spectacle to Angels and men. St. Simeon entered a monastic community but was expelled because of his excessive austerities and became a hermit. His reputed miracle-working generated popular veneration to such a degree that, to escape the importunities of the people, he began his pillar life northwest of Aleppo about 420. His first column was 2 metres (6 feet) high, later extended to about 15 metres (50 feet), and the platform is said to have been about 1 square metre (about 11 square feet).

He remained atop the column for 37 years, permanently exposed to the elements, standing or sitting day and night in his restricted area, protected from falling by a railing, and provided with a ladder to communicate with those below or to receive meagre gifts of food from disciples. Visitors sought spiritual counsel, relief from sickness, intervention for the oppressed, enlightenment in prayer and doctrine. Simeon apparently converted many people, the words which God put into his mouth brought crowds of pagans to Baptism and sinners to penance and he influenced the Eastern Roman emperor Leo I to support the orthodox Chalcedonian party during the 5th-century controversy over the nature of Christ. At last, he died on September 2, 459, Telanissus, Syria. When he died, those who watched from below noticed that he had been motionless for three whole days. They ascended, and found the old man’s body still bent in the attitude of prayer; but his soul was with God. His pillar became a pilgrimage site, and Simeon’s reputation inspired ascetics, both men and women, to emulate and surpass his austerities; some stylites appeared as late as the 19th century in Russia.

Saint Simeon Stylites, Hermit ~ Pray for us 🙏

SAINT TELESPHORUS, POPE AND MARTYR: St. Telesphorus, who governed the Church from 126 to 136 during a period of violent persecution, suffered martyrdom for the faith. Saint Telesphorus was of Greek ancestry and born in Terranova da Sibari, Calabria, Italy.  St. Telesphorus was the seventh Roman bishop in succession from the Apostles, and, according to the testimony of St. IrenÊus he suffered a glorious martyrdom. In the fragment of the letter of IrenÊus of Lyons to Pope Victor concerning the celebration of Easter, St. Telesphorus is mentioned as one of the Roman bishops who always celebrated Easter on Sunday but  maintained church fellowship with those communities that did not follow this custom.

He started the tradition of Christmas Midnight Masses, the celebration of Easter on Sundays, the keeping of a seven-week Lent before Easter and the singing of the Gloria, all these are usually attributed to his pontificate, but some historians doubt that such attributions are accurate. Some legends say he was a hermit before his election, and that he instituted the tradition of Lent, but these are doubtful. He is the only 2nd-century pope whose martyrdom can be verified. According to St. Irenaeus, he was “an illustrious martyr”. His remains are interred in the Vatican. The Carmelites venerate Telesphorus as a patron saint of the order since some sources depict him as a hermit living on Mount Carmel. The town of Saint-TĂ©lesphore, in the southwestern part of Canada’s Quebec province, is named after him.

Saint Telesphorus, Pope and Martyr ~ Pray for us 🙏

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.

https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=12538

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY – FOR THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION: Let us pray for migrants, refugees, and those affected by war, that their right to an education, which is necessary to build a better world, might always be respected.

https://www.usccb.org/prayers/popes-monthly-intentions-2025

PRAYER FOR PEACE ~ POPE FRANCIS:

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!

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/

PRAYER INTENTIONS: Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints, on this special feast day, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, we humbly pray and thank God for blessing us all with the gift of His precious son, our Lord Christ! We pray for the safety and well-being of everyone and for all those traveling during this season of Christmas and new year. We pray for peace, love and unity in our marriages, our families and our world today, as we face these incredibly challenging times. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for the sick and dying, especially sick children, those who are mentally and physically ill, strokes, heart diseases, and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. We pray for an end to wars, political and religious unrest. 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:

Most glorious Christ Child, the Father in Heaven honored Your birth by placing a star over the place where you lay. Through that new star, Your divine presence was made manifest to the world in the Magi who responded with faith and worship. Please manifest Yourself to me within my own soul where You wish to be born, and give me the love and zeal I need to follow the example of the Magi, offering You my own gifts in adoration and trust. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint John Neumann;  Saint Simeon Stylites and Saint Telesphorus ~ Pray for us 🙏

Please find below links to the websites for Daily Reflections, Foundation and interesting topics and articles about our Catholic faith and doctrines:

DAILY REFLECTIONS | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/

FOUNDATION | https://gliopiepehe.org

SIR G.L.I OPIEPE’S HEALTH AND EDUCATION FOUNDATION | https://youtu.be/gB31nuOFx0A?si=mSoZs-wiByhGsY

THE LITURGICAL YEAR IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2024/12/03/the-liturgical-year-in-the-catholic-church/

THE HOLY ROSARY: WHAT IS THE HOLY ROSARY AND WHY DO WE PRAY THE HOLY ROSARY? | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2024/11/21/the-holy-rosary-what-is-the-holy-rosary-and-why-do-we-pray-the-holy-rosary/

THE SAINTS: WHO ARE THEY AND HOW ARE THEY CANONISED? | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2024/11/01/the-saints-who-are-they-and-how-are-they-canonised/

PURGATORY: WHAT IS PURGATORY? | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2024/11/15/purgatory-and-limbo/

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.  Journey mercies for all those traveling during this Christmas season and new year. Wishing all of us a most blessed, safe, healthy, prosperous and grace-filled Epiphany Sunday and New Year! Amen🙏

Blessings and  love always, Philomena💖

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