SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Greetings and blessings, beloved family and Happy Friday of the Seventh 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 February. May His name be praised forever and ever. Amen 🙏🏽
SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ FEBRUARY 28, 2025
MEMORIAL OF POPE SAINT HILARY (HILARIUS); SAINT ROMANUS OF CONDAT, ABBOT AND BLESSED DANIEL BROTTIER, PRIEST | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/
Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN | “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/02/28/catholic-daily-mass-13/
WORLD PRAYERS FOR POPE FRANCIS |
https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/02/26/world-prayers-for-pope-francis-vatican-live-anxious-prayers-as-pope-francis-lingers/
PRAYER FOR POPE FRANCIS: May we all unite as one voice to lift up the Vicar of Christ in prayer today as his health continues to improve after a prolonged respiratory crisis. We continue to pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis’ speedy recovery and God’s Divine healing and intervention.
Almighty God, we thank you for the loving service of Pope Francis and the hope he has inspired in so many in Your great mercy. Have mercy on him in his illness now, we pray, and guide the medical staff in his care. Grant him peace and healing. Through Christ our Lord. Amen🙏🏽
THIRD YEAR MEMORIAL ANNIVERSARY OF FR. THOMAS KENNEDY: It’s been 3 years since our beloved Fr. Thomas Kennedy went to be with our Lord. On this third year rememberance of his passing to eternal glory, with special intention, we pray for the eternal repose of his gentle soul. We thank the good Lord for blessing us all with the special gift of Fr. Tom Kennedy, for his faithful, selfless, generous and loving service in the Lord’s vineyard. We are all consoled knowing that he is resting in the bosom of the Lord, where there is neither pain nor sorrow. He’s an Angel watching over us all. We continue to keep Fr. Tom’s family, the Priests and our St. Joseph Parish, Arlington Texas and the entire Churh in prayers as we celebrate the Memorial of Fr. Tom today. May the good Lord receive him and all the faithful departed into the light of Eternal Kingdom.
Eternal rest grant unto Fr. Thomas Kennedy, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon him. May his gentle soul 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🙏
BLACK HISTORY MONTH | Saturday, February 1, 2025 – Saturday, March 1, 2025
2025 Theme: African Americans and Labor
The month of February is BLACK HISTORY MONT
Black History Month: A Faith-Based Reflection on Legacy and Justice
February is recognized as Black History Month, a time dedicated to honoring the rich heritage, achievements, and contributions of Black individuals throughout history. As people of faith, this month offers an opportunity to reflect on God’s call for justice, love, and unity while recognizing the resilience and faith of Black communities throughout history.
Read the Full Article | Black History Month | February 2025 | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/02/16/black-history-month/
DAILY SAINTS AND REFLECTIONS | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/
Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Pope Saint Hilary (Hilarius); Saint Romanus of Condat, Abbot (Patron Saint of drowning victims, insanity, mental illness, mentally ill people) and Blessed Daniel Brottier, Priest. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the Clergy, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, and all the ministers, the Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, Seminarians, all religious and we pray for our children, students and youths all over the world. We particularly, pray for Vocations to the Priesthood and Consecrated Life. We continue to pray for the Divine healing upon those who are sick and dying, particularly pray for the speedy recovery and Divine healing of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, we pray for those suffering from mental illness, cancers and other terminal diseases. We continue to pray for those who are physically and mentally suffering from stressful life events at these incredibly challenging times. We pray for the Church, for captives, prisoners, persecuted Christians, the conversion of sinners and all who have fallen away from the joy of living in God’s loving presence and grace. We pray for the renewal of our spirit and a burning desire to serve God all the days of our lives. We continue to pray for torture victims, the poor, the needy and the most vulnerable in our communities and around the world, for all the innocent who suffer violence due to political or religious unrest, and Christians all over the world. We continue to pray for peace all over the world, particularly in Africa, the Middle East, for an end to the Ukraine-Russia conflicts and for peace in our families and throughout our divided and conflicted World. May the Saints intercede for our children, children all over the world and us all. Amen 🙏🏽
Pope Saint Hilary (Hilarius); Saint Romanus of Condat, Abbot and Blessed Daniel Brottier, Priest ~ Pray for us 🙏🏽
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 good Lord grant us His grace during this Ordinary Time as we continue to serve Him in spirit and in truth. 🙏🏽
Pray “Holy Rosary for Peace with Pope Francis” | “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteries | Memorare Chaplet | Prayer in Difficult Times (Powerful Prayer) | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/01/30/holy-rosary-for-peace-with-pope-francis/
Please find below links to the websites for Daily Reflections, Foundation and interesting topics and articles about our Catholic faith and doctrines | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/01/30/daily-reflections-and-prayer-links/
THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2025: FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY – FOR VOCATIONS TO THE PRIESTHOOD AND RELIGIOUS LIFE | Let us pray that the ecclesial community might welcome the desires and doubts of those young people who feel a call to serve Christ’s mission in the priesthood and religious life.
https://www.usccb.org/prayers/popes-monthly-intentions-2025 (See also http://www.popesprayerusa.net/.)
We continue to pray for the intentions of our Holy Father. We pray for the Clergy, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, Deacons, all religious, for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. For those consecrated to God by the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience that they may seek to live their baptismal promises more intensely and have the grace to persevere in their commitment to the Lord and serve with open hearts and willing spirits… Amen 🙏🏽
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/
SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF POPE SAINT HILARY (HILARIUS); SAINT ROMANUS OF CONDAT, ABBOT AND BLESSED DANIEL BROTTIER, PRIEST – FEAST DAY ~ FEBRUARY 28TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Pope Saint Hilary (Hilarius); Saint Romanus of Condat, Abbot (Patron Saint of drowning victims, insanity, mental illness, mentally ill people) and Blessed Daniel Brottier, Priest. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the repose of the souls of all the faithful departed; the sick and dying, we particularly pray for those
suffering from mental illness, cancers and other terminal diseases. May God grant them His divine healing and intervention. Amen 🙏🏽
Pope Saint Hilary (Hilarius); Saint Romanus of Condat, Abbot and Blessed Daniel Brottier, Priest ~ Pray for us 🙏🏽
Saint(s) of the Day | February 28th | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/
POPE SAINT HILARY (HILARIUS): Pope St. Hilary (or Hilarius) was the Bishop of Rome from November 19, 461 to his death on February 29, 468 and guardian of Church unity. He rose to prominence in the Church when he became archdeacon under Pope St. Leo the Great, working closely with him as a trusted aid. Replacing a man like Pope Saint Leo the Great was not easy, but the next pope, St. Hilary was a man after St. Leo’s heart, then was archdeacon Hilary. St. Hilary was a Sardinian who had joined the Roman clergy and had been sent by St. Leo as one of the papal legates to the council at Ephesus in 449. This council, intended to settle the Monophysite affair, got out of hand. Packed with Monophysites and presided over by Dioscorus, the patriarch of Alexandria, the assembly refused to listen to the protests of the papal legates. Dioscorus steam-rollered through the council a condemnation of the orthodox and saintly Flavian, patriarch of Constantinople, and an approval of the Monophysite leader Eutyches. There St. Hilary fought bravely against the monophysite heresy, for which his life was threatened. He was forced into hiding and fled back to Rome for safety. He had to fly in fear for his life and hide in a chapel of St. John the Evangelist. It was only with difficulty that he got back to Rome. In vain Hilary protested. No wonder St. Leo called this Ephesus council a gathering of robbers! St. Hilary was so highly esteemed that after Pope Leo’s death he was elected to the papacy.
As Pope, St. Hilary worked hard to foster order in the Gallic hierarchy. When a certain Hermes illegally made himself archbishop of Narbonne, two Gallic delegates came to Rome to appeal to Pope St. Hilary. He held a council at Rome in 462 to settle the matter. He also upheld the rights of the see of Arles to be the primatial see of Gaul. From Spain also came appeals of a similar nature. To settle these Hilary held a council at Rome in 465. This is the first Council at Rome whose acts have come down to us. According to the “Liber Pontificalis” he sent a letter to the East confirming the ecumenical councils of Nicaea, Ephesus, and Chalcedon, and the famous dogmatic letter of his predecessor St. Leo to Flavian. He also publicly in St. Peter’s rebuked the shadow-emperor Anthemius for allowing a favorite of his to foster heresy in Rome.
As pope, St. Hilary fought for the rights of the papacy in spiritual matters against the Roman Emperor, and increased organization and discipline between the bishops and the Holy See. He also did much work in building, remodeling, and decorating Roman churches and other public places. St. Hilary deserves great credit for his work in building and decorating churches in Rome. Of especial interest is the oratory he built near the Lateran, dedicated to St. John the Evangelist. The Pope attributed his escape from the wild Monophysites at Ephesus to the intercession of the Beloved Disciple, and to show his gratitude he built this beautiful oratory. Over its doors may still be seen the inscription, “To his deliverer, Blessed John the Evangelist, Bishop Hilary, the Servant of Christ.” Hilary built two more churches and spent freely in decorating still others. The gold and silver and marble used so lavishly by this Pope in adorning the Roman churches indicate that the wealthy families of Rome must have saved something from the grasping hands of Goths and Vandals. St. Hilary died on February 29, 468. His feast is celebrated on February 28.
Pope St. Hilary (or Hilarius) ~ Pray for us 🙏🏽
SAINT ROMANUS OF CONDAT, ABBOT: St. Romanus was abbot of Gallo Roman descent. He adopted the life of a hermit in the Jura Mountains, France, at the age of thirty-five, left his family and entered a monastery at Lyons. Here he remained a short time before taking with him the constitutions and conferences of the celebrated monastic author, Cassian, to retire to a spot in the solitude of Mont Jura. His occupation consisted in prayer, reading and manual labor. Later his brother Lupicinus and some other joined him. These were followed by such a large number that the two brothers thus found it necessary to establish two monasteries, at Condat and Leuconne, and a convent for women at La Beaume, which no men were allowed ever to enter, which was governed by their sister and where St. Romanus chose his burial-place. The two brothers governed their monasteries in great harmony, though Lupicinus was the more inclined to severity of the two. Lupicinus used no other bed than a chair or a hard board; never touched wine, and would scarcely ever suffer a drop either of oil or milk to be poured on his pottage. In summer his subsistence for many years was only hard bread moistened in cold water so that he could eat it with a spoon. His tunic was made of various skins of beasts sewn together,. with a cowl; he used wooden shoes, and wore no stockings unless when he was obliged to go out of the monastery.
The abstinence they prescribed for their monks was milder than that observed by the Orientals and by the monks of Lerins. The principal reason for this was that the physical constitution of the Gauls required more nourishment. However, they always abstained from every kind of meat, and only used milk and eggs in time of sickness. St. Romanus was famed for his healing of two lepers at Saint Maurice. He died on February 28, 463 on his return from a pilgrimage and was buried at La Beaume. His brother, St. Lupicinus survived him and toiled for seventeen more years on earth and also achieved the crown of sanctity—his feast is on March 21. St. Romanus is the Patron Saint of drowning victims, insanity, mental illness, mentally ill people.
PRAYER: Lord, amid the things of this world, let us be wholeheartedly committed to heavenly things in imitation of the example of evangelical perfection You have given us in St. Romanus. Amen🙏
BLESSED DANIEL BROTTIER, PRIEST: Bl. Daniel Jules Alexis Brottier, C.S.Sp. (September 7, 1876 – February 28, 1936), was a French Roman Catholic Priest in the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (who currently refer to themselves as Spiritans). Blessed Daniel Brottier was born in La Ferté-Saint-Cyr, a commune in the Loir-et-Cher Department of France on September 7, 1876, the second son of Jean-Baptiste Brottier, coachman for the Marquis Durfort, and his wife Herminie (née Bouthe). A story from his childhood recounts that his mother asked him what he would like to be when he grew up. Bl. Daniel’s answer was, “I won’t be either a general or a pastry chef—I will be the Pope!” His mother reminded him that to be the pope, he would first have to become a priest. Little Daniel piped up, “Well, then I’ll become a priest!” At the age of 10, Brottier made his First Communion, and enrolled a year later in the minor seminary at Blois. In 1896, at the age of 20, he did one year of military service at Blois. He was ordained on October 22, 1899, after which he was assigned to teach for three years at a secondary school in Pontlevoy, France. His zeal for spreading the Gospel beyond the classroom or the confines of France made him to join the Spiritan Congregation.
He was sent on missionary work to Senegal, West Africa. After eight years there, his health suffered and he went back to France where he helped raise funds for the construction of a new cathedral in Senegal. Even after he had left Senegal, Bl. Daniel Brottier was asked by Bishop Hyacinthe Jalabert, the Apostolic Vicar of Senegal, to conduct a fund-raising campaign to build a cathedral in Dakar. To this end, Brottier was appointed the Vicar General of Dakar, even though he was residing in Paris. Bl. Daniel Brottier focused on this project for seven years over two periods (i.e., 1911–1914 and 1919–1923), the interlude being a result of the First World War. The so-called “African Memorial Cathedral” was consecrated on February 2, 1936, just a few weeks before Bl. Daniel Brottier’s death.
At the outbreak of World War I Bl. Daniel became a volunteer chaplain. He was awarded the Croix de guerre and the Légion d’honneur for his services as a chaplain during World War I. He attributed his survival on the front lines to the intercession of Saint Therese of Lisieux, and built a chapel for her at Auteuil when she was canonized. After the war he established a project for orphans and abandoned children “the Orphan Apprentices of Auteuil” in the suburb of Paris. Bl. Daniel Brottier gave up his soul to God on February 28, 1936 in the Hospital of St. Joseph in Paris. Fifteen thousand Parisians attended his funeral Mass. He was buried in the Chapel of St. Thérèse in Auteuil on April 5, 1936. He was declared venerable in 1983, and then beatified only 48 years ago on November 25, 1984, by Pope John Paul II.
Blessed Daniel Jules Alexis Brottier, Priest ~ Pray for us 🙏🏽
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:
Bible Readings for today’s Holy Mass, Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Today’s Bible Readings: Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time | February 28, 2025
Reading 1, Sirach 6:5-17
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 119:12, 16, 18, 27, 34, 35
Gospel, Mark 10:1-12
Gospel Reading ~ Mark 10:1-12
“What God has joined together, no human being must separate”
“Jesus came into the district of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds gathered around him and, as was his custom, he again taught them. The Pharisees approached him and asked, “Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?” They were testing him. He said to them in reply, “What did Moses command you?” They replied, “Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce and dismiss her.” But Jesus told them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate.” In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this. He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
In today’s Gospel reading, the Lord Jesus was confronted by some Pharisees as He was out teaching the people, asking and testing Him about the matter of divorce, on whether divorce is allowed or not as according to the Law of God revealed through Moses, divorce had been allowed as long as certain requirements were fulfilled. Thus, those Pharisees tried to test the Lord with this difficult dilemma and case, hoping to trap Him in His own words and discredit Him before the people. But the Lord showed forth His Wisdom and authority, and proclaimed the truth of God, His intentions for His people and the true meaning of the Law plainly through His words. The Lord made it clear that divorce was not in fact meant to be possible, as the Lord Himself said that this concession was made by Moses because the Israelites back then were so stubborn and hardened in their hearts that he allowed this concession for divorce to happen. Our Lord Jesus speaks about His vision for marriage as the faithful and enduring love of a man and a woman for each other, such that the two become one. ‘They are no longer two, therefore, but one body’. Jesus presents His vision of marriage as a communion in love between a man and a woman, such that the two become one body. It is clear from the Gospel reading that this was a more radical vision of marriage than had become the norm within the Jewish world. The Pharisees who questioned Jesus acknowledged that Moses allowed a man to divorce his wife, although a woman could not divorce her husband according to the Jewish Law. Jesus, however, went back beyond Moses to the book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible, according to which God created male and female so that they would leave father and mother and become one body in marriage. This vision of Jesus for marriage has always shaped the church’s teaching on marriage. This is an understanding of marriage which is hotly contested in today’s culture, but it will always be the church’s understanding of marriage, because it was Jesus’ vision for marriage. The fact that marriage breakdown is something we all deal with in one shape or form does not invalidate this vision of Jesus. Jesus is saying, ‘this is God’s will for married life’. In a sense, all that Jesus says reveals God’s will for our lives. That is why we try to listen carefully to all His word because we believe that true happiness and peace is found when we live in accordance with God’s will for our lives as revealed to us by Jesus. Jesus calls on all of us, whether we are married or single, to live in communion with others, to love one another as He has loved us. Such a life of loving communion is the very life of God, the life of the Trinity. We are called to this life because we are made in the image of God, in the image of that loving communion which is the life of God. As Christians, we are all called to a life of love that is in some way a reflection of God’s life of love, the life of the Trinity. We all need the help of the Holy Spirit if our human loving is to be an image of the self-giving and self-emptying love of God and His Son, Jesus. That is why we are encouraged to pray, ‘come Holy Spirit, fill my heart, and kindle in me the fire of your love’.
Our first reading today is the continuation of the Book of the prophet Sirach, the prophet Sirach spoke words of wisdom to the people of God regarding the matter of friendships and relationships, and how one ought to manage these in our lives, so that we do not end up being disappointed by the friends we make, who may not be our true and lasting friends. The prophet Sirach presented the wisdom of God in highlighting the different kinds of friends that we may have and make in our lives’ journeys. He rightly mentioned how if we are not careful or vigilant, we may end up making friends with those who just seek benefits from that friendship they were making with us, but one that do not truly last. Why is that so? That is because some people are friends with us just because there are things that they can benefit from us, and this is the reality of how the world works. And there will be those who stay by our side only during the good and prosperous times, while when things go against us, they will likely abandon us. Only true and faithful friends will stay by our side, and not leave us even when things are difficult for us. That is exactly what the prophet Sirach told us, that we should treasure any of these good and faithful friends if we have them with us, and take good care of such friends and the friendships that we should nurture and maintain with them. This is something that we should be doing in our lives, in living our lives faithfully as good Christian brothers and sisters to one another, to be faithful and committed to our relationships and friendships with each other.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are reminded to live our lives with virtue and righteousness, to do what God has commanded and taught us to do, to be truly Christians not just in name or appearance, but also in our every actions, words and deeds, in our every moments in life. As Christians, all of us must be good role models, in being the good examples for everyone around us, touching their lives by our inspiring actions. We must show our Christian faith in all of our interactions with one another, in our love for our fellow brothers and sisters around us, and in our desire to carry out our activities in accordance with God’s will, following His Law and commandments at all times, in how we act towards our friends and even to strangers all around us. Linking our Gospel reading today from the Gospel of Mark to the first reading from the Book of the prophet Sirach, we are essentially reminded that in our establishment of relationships, particularly in the Holy Matrimony or Marriage between man and woman, it is very important that we develop good and healthy relationship. According to the book of Sirach, about true friendship, ‘a faithful friend is a sure shelter, whoever finds one has found a rare treasure. A faithful friend is something beyond price… a faithful friend is the elixir of life’. According to the reading, those who fear the Lord will find a faithful friend. In other words, when we relate well to the Lord we will find faithful friends. When our relationship with the Lord is right it helps us to find and to form good human relationships that are marked by faithfulness and self-giving. In the Gospel reading, Jesus speaks of a special kind of friendship, the relationship between a husband and wife in marriage. His vision of marriage has something in common with the vision of friendship in the first reading. Jesus presents the ideal of two people, man and woman, remaining faithful to each other for life to the point where they become no longer two but one. Whether we are married or single, we can all taste the joy of a faithful friendship, through which we come to experience the Lord’s faithful love in others and reveal that faithful love of the Lord to others. It is also important to take note that strong and good Christian families are the important foundations and pillars of the Church, as it is through good and faithful Christian families, filled with love and faith in God, and also with love and devotion to one another that we can raise generations of young Christians that are steeped in God’s love and grace, and by showing them how we all ought to live as Christians, as God’s holy people, His disciples and followers, that we can lead new generations of the faithful of God, showing them the path to follow in our journey of faith as Christians, as we navigate through the difficulties, challenges and temptations found all around us in this world. If we are not careful, and let the evil one to strike at our families, then it will harm the Church and countless young Christians and ourselves as well. That is why as Christians, we are exhorted to be careful in how we live our lives, so that we may avoid committing acts and ways in our lives that are contrary to our Christian faith and beliefs. We must not do things that may constitute a scandal to our faith, to the Church and the Holy Name of the Lord. We are called to emulate the lives and examples of the Holy men and women, and all the Saints, particularly, Pope Saint Hilary (Hilarius); Saint Romanus of Condat, Abbot and Blessed Daniel Brottier, Priest. Let us all remind ourselves that as God’s holy and beloved people, each and every one of us ought to reflect the same kind of love that God has for us, the love that is totally generous, unconditional and genuine, in how we treat one another, be it as friends or relatives, and be it as spouses in our families, in our other forms of relationships and friendships in this life we have. Let us all strive to be good and worthy examples of our Christian living, modelling our every actions, words and deeds, our whole lives on the examples that our Lord Himself has shown us, and which many of our holy predecessors, the saints and martyrs had inspired us all with as well. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and may the Lord be with us always, and may He continue to guide us all to His path, to His salvation and eterrnal life. Amen 🙏🏽
DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY | MONTH OF THE HOLY FAMILY The month of February is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Family. Between the events which marked Christmas and the beginning of Christ’s public life the Church has seen fit to recall the example of the Holy Family for the emulation of the Christian family. The Feast of the Presentation (February 2) or Candlemas forms a fitting transition from Christmas to Easter. The small Christ-Child is still in His Mother’s arms, but already she is offering Him in sacrifice.
The Saints that we will focus on this month and try to imitate are:
St. Blaise and St. Ansgar (February 3); St. Agatha (February 5); St. Jerome Emiliani and St. Josephine Bakhita (February 8); St. Scholastica (February 10); Our Lady of Lourdes (February 11); Sts. Cyril and Methodius (February 14); Seven Founders of the Orders of Servites (February 17); St. Peter Damian (February 21); Chair of St. Peter (February 22) and St. Polycarp (February 23). The Optional Memorial of Polycarp (February 23), is superseded by the Sunday Liturgy.
From Feast to Fast: Though the shortest month of the year, February is rich in Liturgical activity. It contains a feast (Presentation of our Lord) that bridges two other seasons (Christmas and Easter). The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on February 2nd harkens back to the Christmas mystery of Light except that now, Christ, the helpless babe, is “the Light of Revelation to the Gentiles who will save His people from their sins.” Candles, symbolizing Christ our Light, will be carried in procession this day, as will be the Paschal candle during the Easter Vigil Liturgy. In addition, the faithful may receive in February two of the four major public sacramentals that the Church confers during the liturgical year: blessed candles and the blessing of throats. “The Light of Revelation” shines more brightly with each successive Sunday of Ordinary Time, until its magnificence–exposing our sinfulness and need for conversion–propels us into the penitential Season of Lent. We prepare to accept the cross of blessed ashes on Ash Wednesday, falls on March 5, 2025, marking the beginning of the Lenten season and plunge ourselves into anticipating the major exercises of Lent–fasting, prayer, almsgiving–laying our thoughts and prayers on the heart of our Mother Mary. She, who offered her Son in the temple and on the Cross, will teach us how to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow after her Son. 🙏🏽
https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=12539
PRAYER INTENTIONS: We thank God for the gift of His Son and pray for His grace as we serve Him in truth and love. During this Ordinary Time, through the intercession of our Blessed Mother and the Saints we honor today, we pray for the sick and suffering, especially children and those battling epilepsy, strokes, heart disease, cancer, and other terminal illnesses. May God restore them to health and bring them comfort and peace. Every life is a gift.
We pray for the safety of our families and loved ones, for healing in marriages, and for unity in a world divided by violence and conflict. May God deliver us from hopeless situations and impossible causes.
We remember the souls in Purgatory, asking for God’s mercy upon them. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.
We pray for widows, widowers, and all who are grieving. May the Lord strengthen them in their trials.
We continue to pray for Pope Francis, the Clergy, and all those spreading the Gospel. May God bless vocations to the priesthood and religious life and protect persecuted Christians worldwide. We pray for peace in our families and throughout the world. Amen. 🙏🏽
Let us pray:
Lord of all truth, You desire that I always come to You with sincerity, honesty and humility, seeking resolution to every internal question and conflict I face. You call me to approach others with this same depth of communication. Give me the grace to always seek the unity and truth that result in peace of mind and heart. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏🏽
Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Hilary (Hilarius); Saint Romanus of Condat and Blessed Daniel Brottier~ Pray for us 🙏🏽
With gratitude for the gift of this new year, we pray for justice, peace, love, and unity within our families and throughout the world. May God’s Divine Mercy and Grace be upon us all during this Ordinary Time. Wishing us all a blessed, safe, grace-filled and relaxing weekend. May God keep us all safe and well. Amen 🙏🏽
Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖