WEDNESDAY OF THE TWENTY-FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
SAINTS OF THE DAY ~ FEAST DAY: SEPTEMBER 24, 2025
FEAST OF OUR LADY OF RANSOM (OUR LADY OF MERCY) AND MEMORIAL OF SAINT PACIFICUS OF SAN SEVERINO, PRIEST AND SAINT GERARD SAGREDO OF CSANÁD, BISHOP AND MARTYR | SEPTEMBER 24TH | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/category/saints-of-the-day
(Direct link to the detailed history of Our Lady of Ransom, St. Pacificus of San Severino, and St. Gerard Sagredo | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saints-of-the-day-feast-day-september-24th/)
Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary | EWTN | September 24, 2025 | “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/catholic-daily-mass-september-24-2025/
NOVENA TO SAINT THÉRÈSE OF LISIEUX – THE LITTLE FLOWER: DAY 3: The 2025 Novena to Saint Thérèse of Lisieux is scheduled to begin on Monday, September 22nd, and end on September 30th in preparation for her Feast day on October 1st. | Link to Novena to Saint Thérèse of Lisieux – The Little Flower | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/novena-to-saint-therese-of-lisieux-the-little-flower/
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.
Today, Wednesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time. We joyfully thank God for the gift of this month, September, and thank Him for the gift of life! Lord Almighty, we thank You for granting us your grace and favor and we entrust every day of this month into Your loving hands. May September be a season of renewal, hope, and abundant blessings for us and our families. We continue to pray for all families and for the safety and well-being of children all over the world, especially those beginning the new school year. Bless those who will celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, new opportunities, and milestones this month, and be near to those who carry heavy burdens in their hearts.
Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary on this special Feast day, we ask for healing for the sick and dying, especially those who are suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases, strength for the weary, peace in troubled homes, and provision for all in need. Guide our steps in righteousness, protect us from harm, and fill our hearts with faith, joy, and gratitude. May this month draw us closer to Your will, and may every day be a testimony of Your goodness and mercy in our lives. We begin this month with trust in Your unfailing love, Lord, and we surrender all that lies ahead into Your hands. Amen 🙏🏾
On this feast day, through the intercession of the Saints we celebrate today, we humbly pray for the poor and those in need, for all those who are marginalized in our society. For those who are imprisoned, especially those who are unjustly imprisoned. We pray for those who fight for truth, peace, justice, love, and unity in our families and our world. May God protect us all and keep us safe and united in peace, love and faith. Amen 🙏🏽
We continue to 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.
Through the intercession of St. Joseph, we pray for all fathers, mothers, workers, and all those who labor 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 Ordinary Time. Wishing us all and our loved ones a joyful, peaceful, and grace-filled month of September. 🙏🏽
We remember in prayer all who began this journey of life with us but are no longer here. We pray for the gentle repose of the souls of our loved ones who recently passed away, and we continue to pray for the souls in Purgatory; lost souls. For the repose of the souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” ~ Matthew 5:4
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🙏🏽
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 🙏🏽 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯
LIST OF ALL NOVENAS | Month of September | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/list-of-all-novenas-september/
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/
MEET THE NEW SAINTS | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/canonization-of-carlo-acutis-pier-giorgio-frassati/
SAINT CARLO ACUTIS (1991–2006): a teenager from Milan, passionate about computer science, he used new media to spread the faith and love for the Eucharist. Beatified in 2020, he is a model of digital evangelization. | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saint-carlo-acutis/
SAINT PIER GIORGIO FRASSATI (1901–1925): a young man from Turin, sportsman and mountain enthusiast, he stood out for his charity towards the poor and his joyful witness to the Gospel. Beatified in 1990, he is the patron of young people and students. | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saint-pier-giorgio-frassati/
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:
Bible Readings for today’s Holy Mass, Wednesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Today’s Bible Readings: Wednesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time | September 24, 2025
Reading 1: Ezra 9:5–9
Responsorial Psalm: Tobit 13:2, 3–4a, 4befghn, 7–8
Gospel: Luke 9:1–6
Gospel Reading ~ Luke 9:1–6
“He sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick”
“Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there. And as for those who do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.” Then they set out and went from village to village proclaiming the good news and curing diseases everywhere.”
In today’s Gospel reading Jesus sends out the twelve whom He had earlier chosen to share in His mission. Jesus calls the Twelve Apostles, empowering them with His own authority to cast out demons, heal the sick, and proclaim the Kingdom of God. Yet, He sends them out with nothing, no food, money, or extra clothing, so that they would depend entirely on God’s providence and the hospitality of others. This radical detachment is a reminder that the mission of discipleship does not rest on material security but on trust in God’s power. The Apostles were to preach not themselves, but Christ, and their poverty served as a visible witness that the Gospel is not about worldly gain but about the Kingdom of God. The instruction to “shake the dust from your feet” against those who rejected them was not an act of anger but a symbolic gesture, leaving the responsibility with those who refused the Good News. In today’s Gospel, Jesus calls the Twelve Apostles, empowering them with His own authority to cast out demons, heal the sick, and proclaim the Kingdom of God. Yet, He sends them out with nothing, no food, money, or extra clothing, so that they would depend entirely on God’s providence and the hospitality of others. This radical detachment is a reminder that the mission of discipleship does not rest on material security but on trust in God’s power. The Apostles were to preach not themselves, but Christ, and their poverty served as a visible witness that the Gospel is not about worldly gain but about the Kingdom of God. The instruction to “shake the dust from your feet” against those who rejected them was not an act of anger but a symbolic gesture, leaving the responsibility with those who refused the Good News.
When Jesus sends out the twelve on mission, He calls on them to travel light. They are not to be too self-sufficient. Instead they are to depend on the hospitality of those to whom they preach the Gospel. Rather than be overly self-reliant, they are to leave space for themselves to become reliant on others, to become reliant on the Lord present to them in others. We all like to be independent and self-reliant to some extent, and, indeed, we need to be. However, today’s Gospel reading reminds us that we can never be fully self-reliant. We began life completely dependent on others, and as we come towards the end of our life we can find ourselves once more completely dependent on others. Yet, even between these two moments of high dependence, we continue to depend on others in so many ways. Throughout our lives we depend on others to bring to us what we do not have within ourselves. We can make the mistake of trying to do it alone and depriving ourselves of rich resources that others can bring to us. The Lord is always inviting us to be open to the service that he renders us in and through others. Each one of us has much to give and much to receive. The Lord who wants to serve others through us also wants to serve us through others. All of us are called to do the Lord’s work, to do some labouring in the Lord’s plentiful harvest. What that might mean for any one of us is something we have to try and discern with the Lord’s help. In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus not only sent out the twelve, He also gave them power. In sending them, He empowered them. If we respond to the Lord’s call to work in His harvest, we can be assured that the Lord will also empower us for the work He is calling us to do. Today’s Gospel challenges us to trust God deeply, to travel light in our spiritual journey, and to witness to Christ by relying on His strength, not on our possessions.
In the first reading, Ezra offers a heartfelt prayer of repentance on behalf of Israel. He acknowledges the nation’s sins, their captivity, and their disgrace, but also God’s mercy in restoring them. Even though they were slaves, God did not abandon them but moved the hearts of foreign kings to allow the rebuilding of the Temple. Ezra’s humility and gratitude reveal the posture of a true leader acknowledging sin, receiving God’s mercy, and committing to renewal. Like Israel, we too fall into sin, but God never abandons us. He always leaves a “remnant,” a chance to begin again, to rebuild what has been broken in our lives and communities.
The Responsorial Psalm echoes this theme with joyful praise: “Blessed be God, who lives forever.” God humbles and exalts, He scatters and gathers, He disciplines but also restores. Even in exile, Tobit proclaims God’s greatness, showing that true faith praises God not only in joy but also in trial. The Psalm invites us to bless the Lord in every circumstance, recognizing His hand in both correction and consolation.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are invited to ask ourselves: Do I trust God enough to “travel light” in life, or do I cling to material and emotional securities? Am I willing to let go and depend on His providence? Like Ezra, do I bring my sins and the sins of my community before the Lord with humility, trusting in His mercy to rebuild and restore? Do I, like the Psalmist, bless God in every season, even in trial, knowing He never abandons His people? Brothers and sisters, today’s readings call us to a deeper trust in God’s providence, a humility that confesses our weakness, and a faith that proclaims God’s greatness in all circumstances. The Apostles remind us that mission is not about wealth or comfort but about dependence on Christ. Ezra reminds us that even when we have fallen, God offers mercy and renewal. And Tobit reminds us to never stop praising God, even in exile or trial. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace as we remain steadfast in faith and continue to serve Him in spirit and in truth.🙏🏽
Lord Jesus, You call and send Your disciples with authority and mission, entrusting them to rely not on possessions but on Your providence. Teach me to depend more on You than on worldly securities. Like Ezra, may I recognize my sins and turn to You in repentance, trusting always in Your mercy. May my life proclaim Your Kingdom by acts of love, healing, and faithfulness. Keep me steadfast, Lord, as Your disciple, ready to walk wherever You send me, relying only on Your grace. Amen. 🙏🏽
FEAST OF OUR LADY OF RANSOM (OUR LADY OF MERCY); MEMORIAL OF SAINT PACIFICUS OF SAN SEVERINO, PRIEST; AND SAINT GERARD SAGREDO OF CSANÁD, BISHOP AND MARTYR ~ FEAST DAY: SEPTEMBER 24TH: Today, the Church honors Our Lady of Ransom (Our Lady of Mercy), the compassionate Mother who inspires freedom and hope; Saint Pacificus of San Severino, Priest (Patron of those with chronic pain, known for patience and prayer); and Saint Gerard Sagredo of Csanád, Bishop and Martyr (Apostle of Hungary and patron of Budapest). Their lives remind us that God’s mercy reaches into captivity, suffering, and persecution, bringing renewal and salvation. Through their intercession, we pray today for all captives and those who suffer oppression; for the sick, especially those with chronic illnesses, cancer, or mental anguish; for widows, widowers, and the poor; for the souls in Purgatory and the faithful departed; for peace and unity in our families and in the world; and for the Holy Father, bishops, priests, and all vocations in the Church. May God grant us the grace to imitate their courage, faith, and trust in His providence. Amen. 🙏🏾
Saints of the Day with Daily Reflections | September 24th| https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com
(Direct link to the detailed history of Our Lady of Ransom, St. Pacificus of San Severino, and St. Gerard Sagredo | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saints-of-the-day-feast-day-september-24th/)
OUR LADY OF RANSOM (OUR LADY OF MERCY): The feast of Our Lady of Ransom, or Nuestra Señora de la Merced, celebrates Mary as Mother of Mercy and Deliverer of the captive. In 1218, the Blessed Virgin appeared separately to St. Peter Nolasco, St. Raymond of Peñafort, and King James of Aragon, asking them to establish an order dedicated to freeing Christians enslaved by the Moors. Thus began the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy (the Mercedarians), whose members took a unique vow: to offer themselves as hostages if necessary for the release of Christian captives. Their sacrificial love saved countless souls from apostasy and despair.
The feast, first kept by the Mercedarian Order, was later extended to the whole Church by Pope Innocent XII. Mary, under this title, remains a beacon of mercy for all who suffer bondage—whether physical, spiritual, or emotional. As Pope St. Pius X beautifully said, “In the midst of this tide of evil, the Virgin Most Merciful rises before our eyes like a rainbow as the arbiter of peace between God and man.” Today, we entrust to Our Lady of Ransom all who are enslaved by sin, addiction, or injustice, asking her to intercede for their deliverance. She is patroness of Barcelona, Spain, and of all who bear the names Mercedes, Mercy, or Clemency.
PRAYER: O Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Ransom, you broke the chains of captives and restored them to freedom. Intercede for us, that we may be delivered from every bondage of sin and despair, and live as true children of God. Amen. 🙏🏾
SAINT PACIFICUS OF SAN SEVERINO, PRIEST (1653–1721): St. Pacificus, whose name means peace, was an Italian Franciscan priest known for his patience, miracles, and deep union with God. Orphaned as a child, he entered the Franciscan Order at seventeen and was ordained in 1678. Though he began as a preacher and missionary, poor health confined him by the age of thirty-nine. For the remaining twenty-nine years of his life, he endured blindness, deafness, and chronic pain, yet bore his suffering with extraordinary patience.
Even in weakness, God worked powerfully through him, granting him mystical ecstasies, prophecy, and miracles. St. Pacificus became a living witness that holiness does not require strength of body, but faithfulness of spirit. He was canonized in 1839 and is honored as the patron saint of those who suffer from chronic pain and infirmities.
PRAYER: Loving God, through the intercession of St. Pacificus, grant us the grace to embrace suffering with patience and to seek Your presence in every trial. May we, like him, turn our weakness into an offering of love for You. Amen. 🙏🏾
SAINT GERARD SAGREDO OF CSANÁD, BISHOP AND MARTYR (980–1046): St. Gerard Sagredo, born in Venice, Italy, was a Benedictine monk who planned a pilgrimage to the Holy Land but was instead led by providence to Hungary. There, King St. Stephen entrusted him with the evangelization of his people and the education of his son, Prince Emeric. Appointed the first bishop of Csanád, St. Gerard became known as the Apostle of Hungary, tirelessly preaching the Gospel and helping to root Christianity in the nation.
After King Stephen’s death, pagan uprisings broke out, and Gerard was martyred in Budapest in 1046. According to tradition, he was placed in a spiked barrel and rolled down a hill, which now bears his name Gellért Hill. Canonized in 1083 by Pope St. Gregory VII, he is honored as the patron saint of Hungary and Budapest, remembered for his zeal, courage, and sacrificial witness to the faith.
PRAYER: O God, who gave St. Gerard Sagredo strength to preach the Gospel and courage to die for the faith, grant that we may imitate his zeal and fidelity, bearing witness to Christ in all circumstances. Amen. 🙏🏾
Our Blessed Mother Mary, Our Lady of Ransom, St. Pacificus of San Severino, and St. Gerard Sagredo ~ 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 SEPTEMBER: For our relationship with all of creation. Let us pray that, inspired by Saint Francis, we might experience our interdependence with all creatures who are loved by God and worthy of love and respect.
(https://popesprayerusa.net/popes-intentions/)
DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER | MONTH OF OUR LADY OF SORROWS: September is dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, inviting us to unite our hearts with Mary in her profound sharing of Christ’s Passion. As Simeon foretold, “a sword will pierce your own soul too” (Luke 2:35), and throughout her life Mary endured deep sorrows that culminated at Calvary. In her silent strength and unwavering faith, she became the compassionate Mother of all Christians, offering her suffering with Christ for the salvation of the world.
This month, the Church calls us to meditate on the Seven Sorrows of Mary: Simeon’s prophecy, the Flight into Egypt, the loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple, meeting Jesus on the way to Calvary, standing at the foot of the Cross, receiving His lifeless Body, and placing Him in the tomb. By reflecting on these sorrows, we learn patience in trials, compassion for the suffering, and a deeper love for Jesus who suffered for us.
Prayers such as the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows, the Rosary of Our Lady of Sorrows, and the Litany of Our Lady of Sorrows help us to walk with Mary in her suffering and to discover hope and consolation in her maternal heart.
“Most Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, teach us to stand with you at the Cross, sharing in Christ’s love and redemptive sacrifice.”
Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us. Amen 🙏🏾
https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=12540
PRAYER INTENTIONS: On this day, as we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Ransom and the memorials of Saints Pacificus of San Severino and Gerard Sagredo, we lift our prayers with hearts full of trust. We ask for deliverance for all who suffer bondage, whether through sin, addiction, oppression, or injustice, remembering how Christ sent His apostles “to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick”. May the merciful intercession of Our Lady bring freedom and consolation to captives and hope to those in despair. Inspired by Ezra’s prayer of repentance, we also pray for the renewal of the Church, that we may always be faithful to God’s covenant. Through the witness of Saint Pacificus, may the sick, the suffering, and all who endure chronic pain find strength in patience and union with Christ. Through the courage of Saint Gerard Sagredo, may missionaries, bishops, and all who proclaim the Gospel be filled with zeal, fidelity, and perseverance. Finally, we pray for peace in our families, our nations, and the world, trusting that the Lord restores His people and calls us to live as witnesses of His mercy.
LET US PRAY:
My all-powerful Lord, You have authority over evil, the power to heal and offer all the gifts of eternal salvation. Help me to be open to the ways that You desire to come to me. Please free me from the attacks of the evil one, bring healing and hope, and bring forth the abundance of Your glorious Kingdom in my life. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen 🙏🏽
Heavenly Father, You sent Your Son to heal, to forgive, and to set captives free. On this day, we turn to You with humble hearts, asking that Your mercy renew us as it renewed Israel in Ezra’s time. Through the intercession of Our Lady of Ransom, grant freedom to all who are bound by sin or oppression. Through the prayers of Saint Pacificus, give patience and hope to the sick and suffering. Through the example of Saint Gerard Sagredo, inspire us to bear courageous witness to the Gospel in our own lives. May we, like the apostles, go forth with faith, trusting not in our own strength but in the power of Your Word and Spirit. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen🙏🏾
Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary, Our Lady of Ransom, St. Pacificus of San Severino, and St. Gerard Sagredo ~ 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, Wednesday, fruitful week ahead, and a fulfilling month of September🙏🏽
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