FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Greetings and blessings, beloved family. Happy Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time!
Today, we continue to pray for God’s grace and mercy upon us through this Ordinary Time, and may the Lord grant us the grace to serve Him in spirit and, in truthđ
SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ JANUARY 16, 2025
OPENING OF THE HOLY DOORS | JUBILEE OF HOPE 2025 [Details and links below]
Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN | January 16, 2025” |
Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | January 16, 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 16, 2025 |
Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| January 16, 2025 |
Pray “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteries VIRTUALđšJOYFULđšLUMINOUSđšSORROWFULđšGLORIOUS” oĂšn YouTube |
Memorare Chaplet | Prayer in Difficult Times (Powerful Prayer) |
Today’s Bible Readings: Thursday, January 16, 2025
Reading 1, Hebrews 3:7-14
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 95:6-7, 8-9, 10-11
Gospel, Mark 1:40-45
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 children all over the world. 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 đ âď¸đŻâď¸đŻâď¸đŻ
“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. Amenđ
PRAYER FOR THE VICTIMS OF WILDFIRES AND DISASTERS: We continue to pray for the victims of the current wildfires in the United States (Los Angeles, California) and victims of natural disasters across the world. We especially pray for those that have lost their lives and their families.
“Most Merciful God, Be âour refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distressâ (Psalm 46:1). You created us and sustain us by Your almighty power. Your mercy knows no bounds. At this time of great suffering, we entrust all victims of the wildfires to You. Comfort them, fill them with Your grace, and provide for their needs. We entrust all who have died to Your merciful Heart. Cleanse them of their sins and welcome them into Your heavenly Kingdom. Give wisdom and prudence to those managing this disaster. Give courage and resolve to those on the front lines. Keep them safe and successful in their efforts. Command the winds and the flames to obey You, Lord, as You once calmed the stormy seas. Pour the water of Your grace upon these destructive fires. Stay them with Your powerful hand. Angels of God, come to the aid of those most in need of Godâs mercy. Protect them, guide them, and reveal to them Godâs holy will. St. Florian, patron of firefighters, pray for those bravely battling the flames. St. Michael the Archangel, defend them in their peril. Saints in Heaven, we beseech your prayer. Intercede for those most in need. From this tragedy and chaos, bring hope and peace. Turn sorrow into compassion. Turn confusion into faith. Turn despair into divine hope. We place all our trust in You, Most Merciful God, knowing that You will bring forth new life and healing from the ashes of this trial. May Your name be glorified now and forever. Amen” đđ˝
SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT MARCELLUS I, POPE AND MARTYR; SAINT HONORATUS, ARCHBISHOP OF ARLES AND BLESSED STEPHANIE QUINZANI, VIRGIN – FEAST DAY ~ JANUARY 16TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Marcellus I, Pope and Martyr; Saint Honoratus, Archbishop of Arles and Blessed Stephanie Quinzani, Virgin.
SAINT MARCELLUS I, POPE AND MARTYR: Pope Marcellus I (6 January 255 â 16 January 309) was elected bishop of Rome from May or June 308 to his death. He succeeded Marcellinus after a considerable interval. He became Pope at the end of the persecutions of Diocletian in aound 308-309. The persecutions had disrupted the Church so much that there had been a gap of over a year with no Pope. Once he was elected, he faced several challenges, including reconsituting the clergy, which had been decimated and whose remnant had practiced their vocation only covertly and with the expectation of martyrdom. He worked hard to recover and welcome back all who had denied the faith in order to keep from being murdered.
When a group of the apostacized, known as the Lapsi, refused to do penance, Marcellus refused to allow their return to the Church. The Lapsi had a bit of political pull, and some members caused such civil disruption that emperor Maxentius exiled the Pope in order to settle the matter. Legend says that Marcellus was forced to work as a stable slave as punishment, but this appears to be fiction, however we do know that he died of the terrible conditions he suffered in exile, he died on January 16, 309 as a result of privations and is considered a martyr because of that. He was initially buried in the cemetery of Saint Priscilla in Rome, but his relics were later transferred to beneath the altar of San Marcello al Corso Church in Rome where they remain today.
PRAYER:Â Almighty and eternal God, You willed to sent St. Marcellus over Your entire people and to go before them in word and example. By his intercession keep the pastors of Your Church together with their flocks and guide them in the way of eternal salvation. Amenđ
SAINT HONORATUS, ARCHBISHOP OF ARLES: St Honoratus was of a consular Roman family that had settled in Gaul. In his youth he renounced the worship of idols and gained his elder brother, Venantius, to Christ. The two brothers, convinced of the hollowness of the things of this world, desired to renounce it with all its pleasures, but a fond pagan father put continual obstacles in their way. At length, taking with them for their director Saint Caprais, a holy hermit, they sailed from Marseilles to Greece, intending to live there unknown in a desert. Venantius soon died happily at Methone, and Honoratus, who was ill, was obliged to return to Gaul with his guide.
He first led the life of a hermit in the mountains near Frejus. Two small islands lie in the sea near that coast; on the smaller, now known as Saint HonorĂŠ, the Saint settled, and when others came to him there, he founded the famous monastery of Lerins, about the year 400. Some of his followers he appointed to live in community; others, who seemed more perfect, in separated cells as anchorites. His rule was borrowed in large part from that of Saint Pachomius.
Nothing can be more amiable than the description Saint Hilary has given of the excellent virtues of this company of saints, especially of the charity, concord, humility, compunction, and devotion which reigned among them under the conduct of their holy Abbot. Saint Honoratus was, by compulsion, consecrated Archbishop of Arles in 426, and died, exhausted with austerities and apostolical labors, in 429. His tomb is shown empty under the high altar of the church which bears his name at Arles; his body having been translated to Lerins in 1391, where the greatest part remains.
Saint Honoratus, Archbishop of Arles ~ Pray for us đ
BLESSED STEPHANIE QUINZANI, VIRGIN: Blessed Stephana de Quinzanis (variant spellings include Stephanie, Stefana; also, Quinzani; 1457 â 2 January 1530) was an Italian Dominican tertiary and stigmatic. Stephana was born to pious, but poor, parents of Brescia. She earned her living working as a servant. Her father, Lorenzo Quinzani, became a Dominican tertiary while Stephana was very young. On visits with him to the Dominican convent, she met the stigmatic Blessed Matthew Carrieri, who instructed her in her catechism. He told her that she was to be his spiritual heiress, a statement she did not understand for many years. She began receiving visions of Dominican saints from age seven, at which point she made vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, and was given a ring, as a token of her espousal to Christ. Carrieri died when Stephana was 14 years old; soon after he appeared to her in a vision, and she received the stigmata.
Stephana continued on in her formation, and at age 15 became a Dominican tertiary at Soncino. her Devotion to the poor and sick led her to found a community of Third Order Sisters in Soncino. She served as its first abbess. Her counsel was allegedly sought by many, including Saint Angela Merici, Blessed Augustine of Biella, and Blessed Osanna of Mantua. She participated in various stages of the Passion of Jesus Christ, which was attested to by 21 witnesses in 1497 in a still extant account. Sources state that although Stephana was “ugly”, she had magnificent hair. Grudging herself this one beauty, she pulled it out by the roots.
Stephana had a particularly intense devotion to Saint Thomas Aquinas. In fact, to overcome temptation of thought against purity, she once threw herself upon a cartload of thorns in imitation of the Doctor Angelicus. Exhausted from this penance, she prayed to Saint Thomas, and, according to legend, was girded by angels with a cord, which they tied so tightly around her waist that she cried out in pain. Though she had no formal theological training, she could discuss mystical theology at the most profound level. It is said that she could read the hearts and minds of the people around her, and had the gift of prophesy and healing. She lived in a nearly continuous fast. She accurately predicted the date of her own death. Stephana’s tomb became a pilgrimage site almost immediately. Her intercession was often felt in the convent that she had founded, where the sisters obtained both material and spiritual help through her intercession. Her cult was popularized by Dominicans Bartholomeo of Mantua and Battista of Salò, but their Latin vitae have been lost, and only a later Italian version that combines the two texts has survived. Her cultus was confirmed by Pope Benedict XIV on 14 December 1740.
Blessed Stephanie Quinzani, Virgin ~ Pray for us đ
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:
Bible Readings for today’s Holy Mass, Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Gospel Reading ~ Mark 1:40-45
“The leprosy left him, and he was made clean”
“A leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said, âIf you wish, you can make me clean.â Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched the leper, and said to him, âI do will it. Be made clean.â The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once. Then he said to him, âSee that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.â The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere.”
In todayâs Gospel reading someone with the most isolating of diseases (leprosy) approaches Jesus. According to the Jewish Law the leper should not have approached Jesus or anyone who didnât have leprosy. The leper comes up to Jesus and says, âIf you wish, you can make me clean”. The leper could not presume that Jesus would choose 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, “Of course, I do will it. Be made clean.â Jesus chose to do what nobody else would have chosen to do; He reached out and touched the leper and, as a result, his leprosy was healed. In many of the healing stories in the Gospels, Jesus heals people by means of His word alone, âBe healedâ. Remarkably in this case, He didnât just heal the leper with His word, as He could have, but He firstly reached out to touch the leper and only then spoke His healing word. In touching him, Jesus released him from his isolation, even before He spoke His healing word. Jesus touched the untouchable. We are being reminded that there is nothing in our lives that the Lord shies away from. There is no situation in our lives, no condition or circumstance that need be a barrier to the Lordâs healing and life-giving presence. âIf you want toâ. There is no doubting what the Lord wants. He wants us to have life and have it to the full. All He needs from us is something of the daring initiative of the leper in approaching Him. If we come before the Lord today in trusting faith, nothing in our lives need come between us and the Lordâs healing presence. In the Gospels, Jesus is consistently portrayed as choosing to make contact with those who are broken in body, mind or spirit, and who live on the margins because of their brokenness. The risen Lord continues to make those same choices; He chooses to connect with each of us in our own brokenness. He will always be a healing and life-giving presence in our lives. He asks us to be the same for each other, to make the kinds of choices that bring healing and new life to others.
According to the Gospel, when the leper begged the Lord sincerely to heal him and the Lord granted his wish, healing him from his leprosy and making him wholly well again, the Lord then told him to follow the prescribed rules, to show himself to a priest and not to speak of what he had experienced, the miraculous healing and all. But the leper disobeyed the Lord, perhaps partly due to his enthusiasm to let everyone know what had happened to him. Unfortunately, that disobedience came at a price because it likely made known to everyone of the interaction which the Lord Jesus had made with the leper, which was a taboo at the time. That was why the Lord could no longer go openly to any towns and places, and had to remain in the wilderness Himself. This of course did not stop many people from continuing to bring their sick ones to the Lord, wanting Him to heal their sick ones or their own problems and sickness. The Lord showed His love towards everyone and healed all of them. We are all reminded to be obedient and commit ourselves to follow in the Lordâs path and to do His will, and humble ourselves before Him, realising that we are all sinners who are in need of His healing and mercy.
Our first reading today is the continuation of the discourse from the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews in which he further elaborated about the importance of embracing the salvation of God to the audience this Epistle was intended to, that is the Jewish community at that time in the early days of the Church, both those who have believed in God and those who have not yet believed in Him. This is because at that time, quite a few among the Jewish community still refused to believe in the Lord, hardening their hearts and minds against Him, despite having seen, heard and witnessed firsthand everything that He had done in their midst, all of His miracles and wonders, and all of His Wisdom and words He had spoken to them. That was why the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews exhorted the Jewish community not to follow in the examples of their predecessors, that of the Israelites during the days of their Exodus from Egypt and the journey to the Promised Land of Canaan, when they frequently disobeyed the Lord, refusing to follow the words and instructions that Moses, Godâs servant and their leader had given to them, worshipping pagan idols like the golden calf they had built and made to be their god, and also the gods and idols of the people they encountered in their way like the Midians and the other Canaanites. All of these blatant disobedience and refusals to obey the Lord led them to face the wrath of God, and many of them perished for their disobedience and sins. This is therefore also an important reminder for all of us just as the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews intended to make this known to the Jewish people of his time, that while God is truly full of compassion, love and mercy, ever ready and willing to welcome us back to His Presence, ceaselessly trying to lead us all back to Himself and showing His compassion and grace known to all of us in so many occasions, but we must not take His love, compassion and mercy for granted, as if we continue to be stubborn in refusing His kindness and His generous mercy, then in the end, we shall be judged by those sins which we have committed, as well as by our stubborn attitudes and our refusals against Godâs generous love and mercy.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded that we must always be vigilant against sin and all of its wicked snares, so that we do not fall into temptation and be separated ever further from God because of our sins. Instead, we should seek to be healed by Him, the only One Who can forgive us all from our many and innumerable sins, provided that we truly show the sincere desire and effort to seek Him and also desire to be forgiven and healed by Him. If we continue to be stubborn in our rebelliousness and refusal to walk in the path that God has shown us, preferring to do things our own way and living in sin, then we shall be judged by that conscious choice which we have made. As we listened to these words from the Scriptures, we are once again reminded that obedience is truly something that is very important, and we should not persist in our disobedience especially against God, against His will and commandments. Instead, we should commit ourselves to follow His path and to do His will, and humble ourselves before Him, realising that we are all sinners who are in need of His healing and mercy. For the main reason why many people, including those Israelites during the time of the Exodus and afterwards, and the Jewish leaders during the time of Jesus, were stubborn and refused to listen to the Lord was because of their pride and ego, as well as their attachment to the worldly desires and ambitions, to all the temptations present all around us. We are called to emulate the Holy men and women and the Saints, particularly the Saints we celebrate today, Saint Marcellus I, Pope and Martyr; Saint Honoratus, Archbishop of Arles and Blessed Stephanie Quinzani, Virgin. Let us all therefore strive to live our lives ever more faithfully and worthily of God from now on, doing our best so that by our every moments in life, in everything that we say and do, in all the actions we take in life and in whatever we do, our interactions towards one another and in our whole lives, we will continue to grow in faith and humility, and continue to focus our lives and existence on the Lord, to continue to do His will and to obey Him wholeheartedly in all things, now and always. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace to remain faithful and give expression to our faithfulness to the Lord by our faithful love for each other. May God bless us always, and bless our every good works, efforts and endeavours, and inspire us to do more good things in our lives in this world. Amenđ
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 Childâs name should be called Jesus, meaning âGod Saves.â 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 Godâs 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, Jesusâ sacred name is the object of a special devotion symbolized by the monogram âIHS,â (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 POPEâS MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2025: 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 đ
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 feast day, we humbly pray and 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! And as we begin the Ordinary Time, may the Lord grant us the grace to serve Him in spirit and in truth. 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 sick with heart diseases, strokes, mental illness, and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. 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⌠Amenđ
Let us pray:
My divine Lord, help me to see that which is within me that most harms my relationships with others. Help me to see that which causes isolation and hurt. Give me the humility to see this and the trust I need to turn to You to confess it and seek Your healing. You and You alone can free me from my sin, so I turn to You in confidence and surrender. With faith, I also await Your healing words, âI do will it. Be made clean.â Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen đ
Save Us, Savior of the World; Our Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Our Blessed Mother Mary; Saint Marcellus I; Saint Honoratus and Blessed Stephanie Quinzani ~ Pray for usđ
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/
SIR G.L.I OPIEPEâS HEALTH AND EDUCATION FOUNDATION | https://gliopiepehe.org
THE LITURGICAL YEAR IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2024/12/03/the-liturgical-year-in-the-catholic-church/
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/
THE JUBILEE PRAYER
Link to the prayer of the Jubilee of Hope 2025 | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/01/08/the-jubilee-prayer/
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 week! Amenđ
Blessings and love always, Philomenađ