SUNDAY OF THE TWENTY-FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR C)

SAINTS OF THE DAY ~ FEAST DAY: AUGUST 24, 2025

FEAST OF OUR LADY, HEALTH OF THE SICK AND SAINT BARTHOLOMEW, APOSTLE | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/category/saints-of-the-day

(Direct link to the detailed history of Our Lady, Health of the Sick, and Saint Bartholomew, Apostle | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saints-of-the-day-feast-day-august-24th/)

NOVENA TO SAINT MONICA: The 2025 Novena to Saint Monica is scheduled to begin on Monday, August 18 and end on August 26 in preparation for the Feast of Saint Monica on August 27th. The novena is especially prayed for wayward children.

NOVENA TO SAINT MONICA | AUGUST 18-26TH | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/novena-to-saint-monica/

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary | EWTN | August 24, 2025 | “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | Pray “The Angelus of Pope Leo XIV from St. Peter’s Square” | 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/catholic-daily-mass-169/

Daily Reflections with Philomena | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/

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

Greetings and blessings, beloved family and Happy Sunday!

Today, Sunday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time, we thank the good Lord for the gift of this day! On this special Feast of
Our Lady, Health of the Sick (Patroness of the sick and those suffering from illness), through her intercession, we pray today for all those who are the sick and dying, especially those who are terminally ill and afflicted with cancers and chronic illnesses. May the good Lord grant them Divine healing and intervention. Amen 🙏🏽

During this month of August, we entrust our lives, our plans, our fears, and our dreams into God’s loving hands. We pray that this month will be filled with divine blessings, new opportunities, and the strength to overcome every challenge that may come our way. We pray and celebrate with those marking birthdays, anniversaries, new jobs, weddings, and other joyful milestones this August. With special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, we pray for all those experiencing challenges in their marriages, may God grant them healing, strength, peace and love. May this be a month of peace for the anxious, healing for the sick, comfort for the brokenhearted, and provision for the needy. As we walk through the days ahead, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ go before us, the love of God surround us, and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit guide every decision we make. May this month bring us closer to holiness, deeper in faith, and stronger in hope. In all things, may God’s name be paised. Amen🙏🏽

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” ~ Matthew 5:4

We remember in prayer all who began this journey of life with us but are no longer here. We especially pray for our loved ones who have recently died, that the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom.

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 & the Holy Spirit forever & ever. Amen🙏🏽

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏🏽 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

With special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we continue to humbly pray for the well-being and safety of all parents, grandparents and the elderly. We pray for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and our divided and conflicted world today. We continue to pray for all families and for the safety and well-being of our children and children all over the world. We pray for all those who are marginalized in our society, the poor and the needy. We pray for the Church, the Clergy, our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, the Cardinals, Bishops, all Priests, that they be sanctified in their ministry to God’s people. We pray for persecuted Christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world suffering from political and religious unrest. May God protect us all and keep united in peace, love and faith. Amen 🙏🏽

Through the intercession of St. Joseph, we pray for all fathers, workers and all those who labour in this world. May the Lord bless the work of their hands and may God’s grace and mercy be with us all during this season of the Ordinary Time. Wishing us all and our loved ones a joyful, peaceful, and grace-filled month of August.🙏🏽

LIST OF ALL NOVENAS | Month of August | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/list-of-all-novenas-august/

COMMON CATHOLIC PRAYERS | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/common-catholic-prayers/

PRAYER FOR THE BEGINNING OF A NEW SCHOOL YEAR | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/prayer-for-the-beginning-of-a-new-school-year/

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:

Bible Readings for today’s Holy Mass, Sunday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Today’s Bible Readings: Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time | August 24, 2025
Reading 1: Isaiah 66:18–21
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 117:1, 2
Reading 2: Hebrews 12:5–7, 11–13
Gospel: Luke 13:22–30

Gospel Reading: Luke 13:22–30

“Strive to enter through the narrow gate; They will come from east and west and recline at table in the kingdom of God.”

“Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” He answered them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough. After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ He will say to you in reply, ‘I do not know where you are from.’ And you will say, ‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’ Then he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!’ And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves cast out. And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God. For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

In today’s Gospel reading, someone asks Jesus a significant question of life, ‘Sir, will there be only a few saved?’ They were wondering whether many or only a few would find communion with God in the afterlife. As often happens in the Gospels when people ask Jesus a question, He does not answer the question directly. He did not say, ‘yes, only a few will be saved’ or ‘no, many will be saved’. Rather than focus on the few or the many, Jesus focused on the person who was asking h
Him the question. Rather than speculate about the future, Jesus focused on the present moment. He turned to the one asking the question and said, ‘Try your best to enter by the narrow door’. Jesus seems to be saying to the questioner that the way to the salvation he was asking about requires going through a narrow door here and now. Jesus’ reference to a ‘narrow door’ is clearly an image. He is not talking about an actual narrow door that can be found somewhere. In some of the old grand houses with plenty of land you sometimes come across a walled garden where flowers and plants could grow in a sheltered environment, protected from the worst of the elements. There is generally a narrow enough gate or door into those walled gardens. To get into the garden you have to search for the small opening in the wall. You can’t just saunter into the garden with your eyes closed. You have to make an effort, to be focused and attentive. The narrow door often leads into an open and beautiful space. To enjoy the space you have to discover the narrow door and get yourself through it. In calling on people to strive to enter by the narrow door, Jesus is suggesting that the path that leads to salvation, to that garden life with God, requires effort and focus, a certain concentration on our part.

In John’s Gospel Jesus says, ‘I am the door’. He identifies the narrow door with Himself. To enter the narrow door is to enter through Him; it is to take the path that He Himself has taken, to walk in the way that He walked, to live as He lived, to love as He loved. This requires a certain focus on our part, a striving to keep saying ‘yes’ to the Lord’s way and saying ‘no’ to other ways. It will often involve a struggle and along the way we will fail many times and have to start again. Every day we keep on trying to enter by that narrow door. Given Jesus’ focus on striving to enter by the narrow door, we might be inclined to think that His implicit answer to the question, ‘Will there be only a few saved?’ was ‘Yes, only a few will be saved’. Not many will get through this narrow door. Yet, the remainder of the Gospel reading seems to suggest otherwise. Jesus goes on to speak of communion with God, life in God’s kingdom, not in terms of a beautiful walled garden, but in terms of a great banquet, ‘the feast in the kingdom of God’. Who is present at this feast? Is it only a few? Far from it! Jesus paints a picture of a great feast with an enormous number of guests. As well as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the prophets, there are people from east and west, north and south. The first reading from Isaiah speaks of the Lord gathering the nations of every language. Jesus’ vision of final salvation, what we call heaven, is of a very large and mixed gathering. It seems that a great many people are somehow getting through that narrow door. Those not present at that final banquet seem to be those who had absolutely no doubt that they would be present, who say, ‘We once ate and drank in your company; you taught in our streets’. They took it for granted they would be there, without having to enter by any narrow door. Perhaps the real focus of Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel reading are those who take for granted that all is well with them. We can never underestimate what St. Paul calls the length and breadth and depth and height of God’s love, but we cannot take it for granted either. With the Lord’s help, we have to keep entering through that narrow door. Every day we try to respond to Lord’s call to enter through him, to take His path of self-emptying love. Jesus assures that this is the path that leads to authentic life, not just after this earthly life but within it.

In our Gospel today, Jesus reminds us of the seriousness of discipleship: salvation is not automatic, it requires striving. When He was asked if only a few will be saved, Jesus does not give numbers. Instead, He redirects the question to the personal responsibility of each person: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate.” The Kingdom of God is open to all peoples, but entry requires humility, conversion, and fidelity to Christ. The “narrow gate” is an image of the challenging path of discipleship one that demands sacrifice, obedience, and perseverance. It is not enough to be near Jesus or to know about Him; we must live in union with Him, walking daily in holiness and love. As He warns, merely eating and drinking in His company is not enough. What matters is doing the will of God and living as His true disciples.

The first reading from Isaiah beautifully foreshadows this: God will gather people from every nation and tongue to see His glory. His plan of salvation is universal not for a privileged few, but for all who are willing to follow His call. The responsorial psalm echoes this universality: “Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.” The Gospel of Christ is for everyone every culture, every people, every nation.

Reflecting on the Responsorial Psalm “Go out to all the world and tell the Good News”. This short but powerful psalm reminds us that God’s mercy and faithfulness extend to all peoples, not just one nation or group. It calls us to a universal mission of evangelization, echoing the Church’s missionary spirit. The psalm teaches that praising God is not limited to words but must also be expressed in how we live and witness the Gospel. In our daily lives, we are invited to proclaim God’s goodness by showing love, compassion, and truth, drawing others closer to Him through our example.

In the second reading, the author of Hebrews speaks of God’s discipline as a sign of His love. Just as a loving father disciplines his children for their growth, God allows trials and corrections in our lives so that we may grow in righteousness. Discipline is never easy in the moment, but it produces “the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” This connects with the “narrow gate”: the path is not always easy, but it leads to life.

The Gospel closes with a great reversal: “Some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” Status, wealth, or privilege do not guarantee entry into God’s Kingdom. What matters is humility, faith, and perseverance. God looks at the heart.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we might ask ourselves: Am I striving daily to walk through the narrow gate of faith, or do I rely on comfort and familiarity with religion without true conversion? Do I welcome God’s discipline in my life as a loving correction, or do I resist His refining work? How do I live out the universal call to holiness, sharing the Good News with others beyond my comfort zone? Do I place my security in external practices, or in a real relationship with Christ that transforms my life? May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and mercy, as we remain faithful and continue to serve Him in spirit and in truth.🙏🏽

Lord Jesus, You call us to strive to enter through the narrow gate, walking faithfully in Your ways. Strengthen us to choose the path of humility, sacrifice, and love, even when it is difficult. Teach us to welcome Your discipline as a sign of Your Fatherly love, and to persevere in righteousness. May we not be content with being near You outwardly, but live as true disciples who hear Your word and put it into practice. As the psalm proclaims, “Go out to all the world and tell the Good News,” inspire us to be joyful witnesses of Your mercy to every nation and people. Gather us into Your Kingdom, where the last will be first and Your glory will be revealed. Keep our hearts steadfast, our eyes fixed on You, and our hope anchored in Your promise of eternal life. Amen🙏🏾

FEAST OF OUR LADY, HEALTH OF THE SICK AND SAINT BARTHOLOMEW, APOSTLE ~ FEAST DAY – AUGUST 24TH: Today, the Church celebrates two pillars of faith and intercession: Our Lady, Health of the Sick (Patroness of the sick and those suffering from illness), and Saint Bartholomew the Apostle (Patron of nervous and neurological diseases, tanners, butchers, and Armenia). On this feast, we turn to Mary, the tender Mother who embraces the sick and suffering, and to Bartholomew, the faithful apostle who bore fearless witness to Christ, even unto martyrdom. Through their intercession, we pray today for the sick and dying, especially those afflicted with cancer and chronic illness. We remember the poor and needy, the grieving, and all who seek comfort. We pray for peace, love, and unity in our families and in the world. We entrust the Church, our Holy Father, bishops, clergy, and seminarians to their care, asking for holy vocations, strength for persecuted Christians, and the conversion of sinners. May their example inspire us to purity of heart, steadfast faith, and love of God above all things. 🙏🏾

Saint(s) of the Day with Daily Reflections | August 24th | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com

(Direct link to the detailed history of Our Lady, Health of the Sick, and Saint Bartholomew, Apostle | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saints-of-the-day-feast-day-august-24th/)

OUR LADY, HEALTH OF THE SICK: From the earliest days of the Church, Christians have turned to Mary in times of suffering. Known as “Health of the Sick”, she intercedes tenderly for those who are physically, emotionally, and spiritually afflicted. This devotion gained particular prominence during plagues in Europe, when countless faithful sought her help and experienced her maternal protection.

Tradition holds that Mary cared for St. Joseph at the hour of his death, together with her Son, Jesus making her the tender comforter of the dying. Over the centuries, titles such as “Joy of the Sick” and “Refuge of Sinners” have echoed this maternal role. The Litany of Loreto includes “Health of the Sick,” and religious orders have long promoted devotion under this name. Even hospitals, like the Immaculate Conception Hospital in Mexico (1524), were dedicated to Mary as “Health of the Sick.”

Mary’s maternal care is not limited to physical healing she also intercedes for our spiritual well-being, leading us to her Son, the Divine Physician. In every trial, her presence consoles us, and her intercession strengthens us in hope.

Pope Francis’ Prayer to Our Lady, Health of the Sick (March 2020): “O Mary, you shine continuously on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope. We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick… Help us, Mother of Divine Love, to conform ourselves to the Father’s will and to do what Jesus tells us… Deliver us from every danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin.” 🙏

Prayer to Our Lady, Health of the Sick: Virgin most holy, Mother of the Incarnate Word, I entrust to you my soul and body, my joys and sorrows, my health and sickness. Intercede for all who suffer in mind, body, or spirit. Strengthen the sick, comfort the dying, and obtain for us healing according to God’s will. Our Lady, Health of the Sick, pray for us. Amen. 🙏🏾

SAINT BARTHOLOMEW, APOSTLE: Saint Bartholomew, also identified with Nathaniel in the Gospel of John (John 1:45–51), was one of the Twelve Apostles chosen by Christ. When Philip invited him to meet Jesus, Bartholomew was skeptical “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”yet his openness of heart allowed him to recognize the Messiah when Jesus revealed, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” In wonder and faith, he confessed: “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

Bartholomew’s purity of heart and sincerity made him a true disciple: honest, without guile, and ready to surrender to truth. After Pentecost, tradition holds that he carried the Gospel to distant lands, including India, Armenia, and Mesopotamia. His fearless preaching won many converts, but it also cost him his life. Ancient accounts say he was flayed alive and martyred in Armenia, giving his final witness to Christ with unwavering courage. Today, he is venerated as the patron saint of Armenia and of those suffering from nervous and neurological diseases.

Bartholomew reminds us that purity of heart leads to vision of God (cf. Matthew 5:8). His encounter with Christ shows that an honest heart, open to truth, will always recognize the Lord when He comes. His martyrdom challenges us to hold fast to faith, even in trial, and to proclaim Christ boldly in a world that often rejects Him.

PRAYER: God, who strengthened Your apostle St. Bartholomew with sincerity of heart and fidelity in witness, grant that through his intercession, we too may cling to Christ with undivided hearts and proclaim His salvation to all nations. Amen. 🙏🏾

Our Blessed Mother Mary, Our Lady, Health of the Sick, and Saint Bartholomew, Apostle ~ Pray for us! 🙏🏾

GENERAL PRAYERS AND INTENTIONS | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/general-prayers-and-intentions/

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 AUGUST: For mutual coexistence. Let us pray that societies where coexistence seems more difficult might not succumb to the temptation of confrontation for ethnic, political, religious or ideological reasons.

(https://popesprayerusa.net/popes-intentions/)

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF AUGUST | MONTH OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY: August is dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, inviting us to reflect on her pure love, deep sorrow, and unwavering obedience to God. Her heart, aflame with charity and pierced by suffering, mirrors the life of Christ and calls us to follow Him more closely through her example. This month, the Church encourages us to console her sorrowful heart and grow in holiness through prayers like the Rosary, the Litany of the Immaculate Heart, and the First Saturday Devotion. Through Mary’s heart, we are led ever closer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

“O Immaculate Heart of Mary, be our refuge and the way that leads us to God.”

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us and draw us into deeper love and trust in your Son. Amen🙏🏽

https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=12540

PRAYER INTENTIONS: Heavenly Father, we lift up to You the needs of the Church and the world. Through the intercession of Our Lady, Health of the Sick, we entrust to You all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit especially the sick, the dying, and those enduring chronic illnesses that they may find healing, comfort, and peace. Through the prayers of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle, strengthen our faith, purify our hearts, and make us steadfast in bearing witness to Christ, even in the face of trials. We pray for our Holy Father, bishops, priests, and seminarians, that they may shepherd Your people with courage and holiness. Bless our families with unity, love, and peace, and grant strength to all persecuted Christians across the world. May Your mercy gather people from every nation into Your kingdom, where the first are last and the last are first, so that all may rejoice in the banquet of eternal life.

LET US PRAY:

Lord, as You journeyed through life, You looked only at the hearts of those You encountered. You treated each person with dignity and love. Please help me to shed all temptations to see others through the eyes of the world and to show full respect to all of Your sons and daughters. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen 🙏🏽

Lord God, You remind us in Your Word that the path to eternal life is narrow and requires courage, humility, and trust in You. As You gather people from every nation to share in the banquet of Your Kingdom, grant us the grace to walk faithfully in discipline and love, never turning aside from the way of Christ. Strengthen our hearts when trials come, reminding us that Your correction is a sign of Your Fatherly care. Through the intercession of Our Lady, Health of the Sick, and Saint Bartholomew, make us instruments of healing, peace, and faith in our world. May we strive daily to enter through the narrow gate, so that one day we may rejoice with all the saints in the eternal joy of Your presence. Amen.🙏🏽

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary, Our Lady, Health of the Sick, and Saint Bartholomew, Apostle ~ Pray for us 🙏🏽

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you. Immaculate Heart of Mary, Pray for us. Amen 🙏🏽

Thanking God for the precious gift of this new day, and during this gentle rhythm of Ordinary Time, may our hearts remain open to the quiet working of the Holy Spirit who continues to guide, renew, and strengthen us each day. May this new month be filled with blessings, safety, and the quiet joy that comes from knowing that Christ walks with us always. Alleluia! Have a blessed, safe, grace-filled Sunday and a fulfilling week 🙏🏽

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖

Daily Reflections with Philomena | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/

Sir G.L.I Opiepe’s Health and Education Foundation | https://gliopiepehe.org

Sir G.L.I Opiepe’s Health and Education Foundation | Global Missions Now Awards |

North Texas Catholic Magazine | Dr. Philomena Ikowe – Life on Purpose (pages 44-45) | https://www.flipsnack.com/A9DFE877C6F/north-texas-catholic-magazine-mar-apr-issue-2025/full-view.html