FRIDAY AFTER EPIPHANY

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ JANUARY 10, 2025

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

On this Feast day, through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and all the Saints, 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 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

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

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

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary | January 10, 2025 on EWTN” |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | January 10, 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 10, 2025 |

Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| January 10, 2025 |

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

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Friday, January 10, 2025
Reading 1, First John 5:5-13
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20
Gospel, Luke 5:12-16

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.

THE JUBILEE PRAYER
Link to the prayer of the Jubilee of Hope 2025 | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/01/08/the-jubilee-prayer/

SAINT (S) OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT WILLIAM OF BOURGES, BISHOP – FEAST DAY ~ JANUARY 10TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint William of Bourges, Bishop.

SAINT WILLIAM OF BOURGES, BISHOP: St. William (1155–1209), an abbot in 12th century France, was a descendant of the family of the ancient Counts of Nevers. He was educated under the care of Peter, Archdeacon of Soissons, his maternal uncle. Though his father planned for him to become a soldier and a career in the military, St. William followed his longing for a religious life dedicated to God. At an early age he learned to despite the vanities of the World and to give himself with ardor to exercises of piety and to the acquisition of knowledge. On entering the ecclesiastical state he became Canon of Soissons and of Paris. Later he resolved to abandon the world and enter the Order of Grammont. St. William lived in this Order for some time and practiced great austerities. Dissensions arose between the fathers and lay brothers, which caused him to pass over to the austere Order of Citeaux that had recently been founded.

St. William took the habit at Pontigny, and after some time became Abbot, first of Fontaine Jean, and later of Chaalis near Senlis. St. William had a special devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and loved to spend much of his time at the foot of the altar. In the year 1200 the clergy of the Church of Bourges elected him to succeed Henry de Sully, their Archbishop; but the news overwhelmed him with grief, he was very reluctant to leave his solitude and life of prayer as a monk. It took two orders of obedience, one from his religious superior, the Abbot of Citeaux and another from Pope Innocent III himself, to convince him to accept the dignity. In his new office, St. William led his people by example, he redoubled his austerities, he was known for the disciplines he used to sharpen his will, including fasting from flesh meat and constantly wearing a hairshirt and he gave personal care to the poor, sick, and imprisoned. He lived during a time when a certain heresy was popular, and converted many people away from that distortion of the faith.

St. William was preparing for a mission among the Albigenses when he died kneeling at prayer in 1209. Witnesses counted 18 miracles when he was alive and another 18 after his death on January 10, 1209. As he had requested, he was buried in ashes wearing a hairshirt and his relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica. He was canonized in 1217 by Pope Honorius III. St. William of Bourges is Patron Saint of the University of Paris.

PRAYER: Almighty and ever-living God, You willed to make Bishop William rule over Your people. Grant by his interceding merits that we may receive the grace of Your mercy. Amen🙏
 
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:

Bible Readings for today, Friday after Epiphany | USCCB |January 10, 2025 | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ Luke 5:12-16

“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean …. I do will it, be made clean.”

“It happened that there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where Jesus was; and when he saw Jesus, he fell prostrate, pleaded with Him, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I do will it. Be made clean.” And the leprosy left him immediately.  Then he ordered him not to tell anyone, but “Go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” The report about him spread all the more, and great crowds assembled to listen to him and to be cured of their ailments, but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray.”

In today’s Gospel reading, a leper comes up to Jesus and fell on his face before Jesus, imploring Him and says, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”  The leper could not presume that Jesus would want to heal him, because lepers were not supposed to approach others; they were to keep out of the way, for fear they would contaminate others. However, in reply, Jesus said to him, “I do will it.  Be made clean.” Jesus chose to do what nobody else would have chosen to do; he reached out and touched the leper and his leprosy was healed. The leper received Jesus’ coming and experienced Jesus as life-giving. The profound act of faith in Jesus released the leper of his leprosy. It gave him a new and fuller life; he would no longer be required to live apart from the community. He would no longer feel separated from God. The leper had great faith in Jesus’ power to heal him. His only concern was whether Jesus actually wanted to heal him, ‘Lord, if you wish’. He must have wondered if Jesus really wanted to involve Himself with someone who was shunned by everyone else. Jesus did the one thing no healthy person would have done; He reached out His hand and touched the leper. There could be no doubt about Jesus’ willingness to be in communion with this man so as to cure him and bring him a fuller life. Jesus’ willingness to be in communion with us in a way that is life-giving for us is never in doubt. He is never put off by whatever may be broken or out of joint in our lives. His life-giving coming and presence can be relied upon each day. What is needed from us is something of the leper’s faith, a readiness to come before him in our need and entrust ourselves to Him. In the Gospels, Jesus is consistently portrayed as choosing to make contact with those who are broken in body, mind or spirit, and who are not part of the mainstream. The risen Lord continues to connect with each of us in our own brokenness; He wants to be a healing and life-giving presence in our lives. He asks us to be the same for each other, to chose as He chooses, to want what He wants.

Our first reading today from the Epistle of St. John talks about the testimony of God’s salvation, which He had made known and revealed to all of us through His Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world. And by the coming of His Son into this world, God has opened the path to Himself and extended for us all the sure path to eternal life. And St. John mentioned not just one but three testimonies of the truth about the Lord’s coming, in water, in Blood and in Spirit. All these three testimonies affirm the truth about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Whose appearance in our midst have restored the hope that had once been lost to Him, and brought us back to see the light of God and His ever generous love. Those testimonies of water, Blood and Spirit are the truths presented to us about the Messiah, with the first testimony of water referring to the moment when the Lord was baptised in the River Jordan by St. John the Baptist just as it has been prophesied. The Herald of the Messiah, St. John the Baptist himself recognised the One Whose coming He has been preparing the world for, and as He entered into the water, the Heavens itself opened and the voice of God the Father was heard, revealing that the Son of Man Who was baptised that day was indeed the Son of God as well, further affirmed by the Holy Spirit in the form of a Dove descending down from Heaven to rest upon Him. Truly this testimony showed us all that Jesus Christ is indeed the Divine Word of God incarnate in the flesh. Then, the testimony of Blood is a reminder for us all of the redemptive mission of Our Lord, as He came into this world ultimately to be the One Who would offer the perfect and only worthy sacrifice and offering for our behalf, as our One True and Eternal High Priest, offering the Body and Blood of the Lamb of God, that is His own Most Precious Body and Blood, which had been broken and outpoured for us from His Cross at Calvary. There is no other Blood worthy enough to save us all from our predicaments and from the power of sin and darkness. That He willingly embraced us all and offered Himself and His life for us, is truly testimony and proof enough of what the Lord has done for us, the reality of what He had given to us, the perfect gift of His love. Then lastly, the testimony of the Spirit referred not just to the descent of the Holy Spirit at the moment when the Lord Jesus was baptised at the River Jordan, but also referring to the moment when the Holy Spirit came down upon the Apostles and the other disciples of the Lord, at the occasion of Pentecost, fifty days after the Lord has risen from the dead and ten days after He has ascended in glory to Heaven. This coming of the Holy Spirit and the guidance that the Lord has given us all His Church ever since is a fulfilment of everything that the Lord Himself has spoken about sending His Advocate, the Helper, the Holy Spirit upon His Church and all of His disciples and followers, to strengthen and guide us all in our path, showing that whatever He had said, all would indeed come true.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded of the love of God which has been made evident, real, tangible and approachable to all of us through His Son, which has been testified by many testimonies and proofs, that the love of God had indeed manifested itself in our midst, dwelling among us, He Who is known as Emmanuel, God Who is with us, living in our presence and walking in our world with us. He has brought us His healing, salvation and liberation so that each and every one of us may have the sure path out of the darkness and into the light of His salvation and grace, as He has promised to us from the very beginning, and which He has indeed fulfilled perfectly through His Son. Therefore, we are all called as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people to continue to proclaim our Lord and Saviour in our world today, reminding everyone whom we encounter of Who it is that we truly serve and believe in, reiterating our fullness of faith and trust in Him and in the salvation and eternal life that He has promised to each and every one of us. Let us all therefore strive to do our best in each and every moments to glorify the Lord by our every actions, words and deeds, in everything that we say and do, in our every interactions with one another so that we may show the truth of God to all the people around us.
May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and may the good Lord be with us all, and empower each one of us so that we will continue to live worthily in His Holy Presence, and be the worthy bearers and the good and shining beacons of His light and salvation, His truth and love, now and always. 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.

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, 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:

Lord, help me to be committed to a life of true prayer and devotion each and every day. Help me to be faithful to this life of prayer and to continually be drawn deeper in my love of You. As I learn to pray, use me to be a witness to others so that those who need You the most will be changed by my love of You. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint William of Bourges ~ 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 |

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 New Year and relaxing weekend! Amen🙏

Blessings and  love always, Philomena💖