MEMORIAL OF SAINTS LAWRENCE RUIZ, AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS; SAINT WENCESLAUS, MARTYR; SAINT JOHN OF DUKLA AND SAINT SIMON DE ROJAS, PRIEST

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

SAINTS OF THE DAY ~ FEAST DAY: SEPTEMBER 28, 2025

MEMORIAL OF SAINTS LAWRENCE RUIZ, AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS; SAINT WENCESLAUS, MARTYR; SAINT JOHN OF DUKLA AND SAINT SIMON DE ROJAS, PRIEST | SEPTEMBER 28TH | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/category/saints-of-the-day

(Direct link to the detailed history of Saint Lawrence Ruiz and his Companions, Saint Wenceslaus, Saint John of Dukla, and Saint Simon de Rojas | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saints-of-the-day-feast-day-september-28th/)

Watch “Holy Mass and Angelus Prayer Presided by Pope Leo XIV | LIVE from the Vatican, St. Peter’s Square, on the occasion of the Jubilee of Catechists | September 28, 2025 | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/catholic-daily-mass-september-28-2025/

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary | EWTN | September 28, 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-28-2025/

NOVENA TO SAINT THÉRÈSE OF LISIEUX – THE LITTLE FLOWER: DAY 7: 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, Sunday of the Twenty-sixth 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.

On this special feast day, through the intercession of the Saint(s) we celebrate today, we humbly pray for the poor, abandoned, 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 lift charitable organizations, asking God’s blessing upon their mission. 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 🙏🏽

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 🙏🏾

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/

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time | September 28, 2025
Reading 1: Amos 6:1a, 4–7
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 146:7, 8–9, 9–10
Reading 2: 1 Timothy 6:11–16
Gospel: Luke 16:19–31

Gospel Reading ~ Luke 16:19–31

“You received what was good, Lazarus what was bad; now he is comforted, whereas you are tormented; ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead”

“Jesus said to the Pharisees: “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.’ Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’ He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’ But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.'”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus presents the parable of a great gulf between two individuals, a nameless rich man and a poor man named Lazarus. The parable is a striking story of wealth, neglect, failure to notice and eternal consequences. The rich man lived in luxury, oblivious to the suffering of Lazarus, who lay starving and covered with sores at his very gate. The rich man failed to notice Lazarus at his gate. He must have seen Lazarus almost every day at his gate, but he saw him without noticing him. The Gospel suggests that the rich man failed to notice not because he was too busy or in too much of a hurry, but because he was too self-absorbed. Jesus told this parable to challenge the great gulf that existed in His day between the extremely wealthy and the destitutes. This was one of the gulfs that Jesus was passionate about eliminating. The parable focuses on these two individuals who were physically close but, in reality, inhabit different worlds which never meet, between which stand a great gulf, a lack of communication.

The poor man, Lazarus had a great desire for communication from the rich man; he longed to fill himself with scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. The rich man had no desire to communicate with Lazarus. He couldn’t but see him at his gate, but he took no notice of him; he was indifferent to him. His extreme wealth and comfortable existence isolated him from his fellow human being who was suffering under his nose. The rich man created a great gulf between himself and Lazarus, a gulf that extended into life after death. Both eventually died: Lazarus was carried to the bosom of Abraham, while the rich man found himself in torment. The dramatic reversal highlights a central truth of the Kingdom: what we do or fail to do for the poor matters eternally. The rich man’s sin was not his wealth, but his blindness and indifference to the suffering right before him. His comforts became a barrier that prevented him from seeing and loving as God calls us to do. Although he was very wealthy, he was in reality very impoverished and it was in the life after death that the reality of the rich man’s poverty became clear. He was now revealed to be the needy one, calling on Abraham to ask Lazarus to become his servant, bringing him water to quench his thirst. In the afterlife, the rich man was very concerned about the fate of his five brothers, but he had failed to recognize Lazarus as his brother during his earthly life.  He failed to notice that God was calling out to him through Lazarus and that in responding to Lazarus he would have become genuinely rich, rich in spirit and in heart, rich in the sight of God. Not a great deal was being asked of the rich man. He was simply being asked to share some of his abundance with Lazarus. That would have been his path to genuine riches.

Today’s parable reminds us that we are all very dependent on one another, and that is how God expects us to live. The Lord is constantly calling out to us in and through each other. We all have something that we can share and that others need. Apart from any material resources we may have (and many people don’t have much to spare today), we may have some time, some talent, some strength or insight. We have all some gift that the Lord is asking us to place at the disposal of others, and others have some gift that we need to receive and benefit from. Those who appear to have least to give us can have most to give us. We have all had the experience of sharing something of ourselves with someone only to discover that we ended up receiving from them far more than we gave them. This is the kind of human communication that the parable asks us to strive for. It suggests that this is the path to genuine riches, to fullness of life for all of us here now and in the hereafter. The parable ends with a sobering warning: “If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.” Here Jesus points not only to the hardness of heart of His listeners but also to the coming reality of His Resurrection. It reminds us that ignoring God’s Word leads to spiritual blindness, no matter the signs before us. The Gospel challenges us to examine whether we, too, fail to recognize Christ in the poor, the marginalized, and those who cry for justice at our own gates.

In the first reading, Amos delivers a sharp warning to the complacent and self-indulgent in Zion. He condemns those who lounge in comfort, feasting and anointing themselves while remaining unmoved by the suffering of others. Their luxury blinds them to the collapse of their nation. This prophetic message echoes the Gospel: God is not pleased with indifference to injustice. Comfort without compassion leads to ruin. The passage calls us to vigilance, our faith must not be dulled by complacency but awakened to action in love and justice.

Reflecting on the Responsorial Psalm, “Praise the Lord, my soul!” sings the Psalmist, celebrating God as defender of the oppressed, provider for the hungry, and protector of strangers, widows, and orphans. The psalm contrasts God’s justice with the fate of the wicked. It reminds us that true worship is not empty words but living in alignment with God’s heart for the lowly. Each act of kindness, advocacy, or mercy is a form of praise.

In the second reading, St. Paul exhorts Timothy to “pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness” and to “compete well for the faith.” Unlike the complacency condemned in Amos and the selfishness of the rich man in the Gospel, Paul urges steadfastness and integrity. He reminds us that Christ alone is King of kings, dwelling in unapproachable light. This passage directs our gaze beyond temporary wealth or honor toward eternal life with Christ, who is the true treasure.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are challenged to ask: Do I recognize the “Lazarus” at my gate, or do I turn away from the suffering around me? In what ways might I be living in comfort while remaining indifferent to others’ needs? Am I complacent in my spiritual life, content with routine instead of growing in holiness? How am I pursuing righteousness, faith, and gentleness as Paul exhorts? Do I allow God’s Word to convict me, or do I harden my heart like those who refused to believe even when Christ rose from the dead? As we meditate on today’s readings, we are reminded that faith without love in action is empty. The rich man’s downfall was not his wealth but his indifference, while Lazarus, though poor and forgotten, was exalted by God. Amos warns us against complacency, Paul urges us to pursue righteousness with steadfast devotion, and the psalmist invites us to praise the Lord who raises up the lowly. Let us not be deaf to the cries of the poor or blind to the opportunities God places before us to act with mercy. May our lives reflect the justice and compassion of Christ, so that when our earthly journey ends, we may be welcomed into the eternal embrace of God. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace as we remain steadfast in faith and continue to serve Him in spirit and in truth. 🙏🏽

Lord Jesus, open my eyes to see You in the poor and the suffering who stand before me. Free me from complacency and selfishness, and give me a heart that is quick to love, serve, and show mercy. Help me to live with righteousness, patience, and gentleness, pursuing the eternal life to which You call me. May I never ignore the cries at my door but respond with compassion, knowing that whatever I do for the least of my brothers and sisters, I do for You. Amen 🙏🏽

MEMORIAL OF SAINTS LAWRENCE RUIZ AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS; SAINT WENCESLAUS, MARTYR; SAINT JOHN OF DUKLA, PRIEST; AND SAINT SIMON DE ROJAS, PRIEST ~ FEAST DAY: SEPTEMBER 28TH: Today, the Church honors a diverse group of holy men who, in different ways, bore witness to Christ: Saint Lawrence Ruiz and his Companions, Martyrs (the first canonized Filipino saint and his fellow martyrs, who died in Japan for the faith); Saint Wenceslaus, Martyr (the young Duke of Bohemia and patron of the Czech Republic, who upheld the Catholic faith against great opposition); Saint John of Dukla, Priest (a Polish Franciscan known for his poverty, obedience, and perseverance, even in blindness); and Saint Simon de Rojas, Priest (the Spanish “Apostle of the Ave Maria,” devoted to Our Lady and the poor). Through their intercession, we pray today for the sick and the dying, especially those suffering from cancer, neurological disorders, or other terminal illnesses. We lift up widows and widowers, the poor and needy, and the souls in Purgatory. We pray for peace, love, and unity in our families and in our world. We entrust the Holy Father, bishops, priests, and religious to the Lord, asking for more vocations, the perseverance of persecuted Christians, and the conversion of sinners. May the witness of these saints strengthen our faith and remind us that holiness can be lived in martyrdom, leadership, religious life, and humble service. Amen🙏🏾

Saints of the Day with Daily Reflections | September 28th | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com

(Direct link to the detailed history of Saint Lawrence Ruiz and his Companions, Saint Wenceslaus, Saint John of Dukla, and Saint Simon de Rojas | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saints-of-the-day-feast-day-september-28th/)

SAINT LAWRENCE RUIZ AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS: Saint Lawrence Ruiz (1600–1637) was the first canonized Filipino saint and a lay Dominican. Born in Manila to a Chinese father and a Filipino mother, he was a devoted husband and father of three children, and worked as a calligrapher. Wrongly accused of a crime, he fled the Philippines with missionaries bound for Japan, where Christians were being persecuted. Arrested in Nagasaki, he and fifteen companions Dominican priests, religious sisters, and lay faithful were brutally tortured. Lawrence was suspended upside down in a pit and refused to renounce Christ, declaring, “I shall die for God, and for Him I would give many thousands of lives if I had them.” He was martyred in 1637. Canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1987, he is honored as the first Filipino martyr and a witness of courage, faith, and fidelity.

PRAYER: Almighty God, through the intercession of Saint Lawrence Ruiz and his companions, grant us strength to remain faithful in trials and to witness to Your truth with courage and love. Amen🙏🏽

SAINT WENCESLAUS, MARTYR: Saint Wenceslaus (907–935) was the Duke of Bohemia, raised in the Catholic faith by his grandmother, Saint Ludmilla. Despite political unrest, he worked to strengthen Christianity in his land, ruling with humility, chastity, and charity. His mother Dragomir and his brother Boleslaus opposed the faith, and tragically, Boleslaus betrayed and murdered him near Prague. Wenceslaus forgave his brother with his dying breath. Venerated immediately after his death, he became a symbol of Christian kingship and is the national patron of the Czech Republic.

PRAYER: O God, You taught Saint Wenceslaus to prefer Your Kingdom above earthly power. Grant that, through his prayers, we may seek Your will with courage and humility. Amen 🙏🏽

SAINT JOHN OF DUKLA, PRIEST: Saint John of Dukla (1414–1484) was a Polish Franciscan who lived a life of poverty, obedience, and devotion to Our Lady. A preacher in Ukraine, Moldavia, and Belarus, he brought many back to the faith. Even after losing his sight in later years, he continued to preach and guide souls with the help of an assistant. Known for his ascetic life and missionary zeal, his tomb became a site of miracles. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1997 and is venerated as a patron of Poland and Lithuania.

PRAYER: Lord, through the intercession of Saint John of Dukla, grant us steadfastness in faith and perseverance in trials, that we may always proclaim Your mercy. Amen.🙏🏽

SAINT SIMON DE ROJAS, PRIEST: Saint Simon de Rojas (1552–1624), a Spanish Trinitarian priest, was renowned for his deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Called the “Apostle of the Ave Maria,” he founded the Congregation of the Slaves of the Sweet Name of Mary and served as spiritual director and royal tutor in Spain. A gifted theologian, preacher, and benefactor of the poor, he united love of Mary with love of the marginalized. Canonized in 1988 by Pope John Paul II, he remains a model of Marian devotion and service.

PRAYER: Loving God, through the intercession of Saint Simon de Rojas, enkindle in us a tender love for Mary and a generous heart for the poor and forgotten. Amen. 🙏🏽

Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Lawrence Ruiz and his Companions, Saint Wenceslaus, Saint John of Dukla, and Saint Simon de Rojas ~ 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: Today, as we reflect on the parable of the rich man and Lazarus and on the lives of Saints Lawrence Ruiz and his companions, Wenceslaus, John of Dukla, and Simon de Rojas, we are called to reject complacency, indifference, and selfishness. We pray for hearts to open to the cries of the poor, the sick, the persecuted, and the forgotten. May we, like these saints, live with courage, humility, and compassion, standing firm in faith even in trials. We especially lift up the needs of the Church, that bishops, priests, religious, and lay faithful may remain steadfast witnesses of Christ’s love. We remember the sick, the dying, widows, widowers, the marginalized, and the souls in Purgatory. May God grant peace to our world, unity in our families, and the grace to recognize Christ in the least of our brothers and sisters.

LET US PRAY:

Lord of true riches, the spiritual wealth of true virtue, charity, faith and hope are all that matters in life. Material possessions mean little in this life and are a source of many temptations. Please free me from the desire for wealth. Free me from greed, selfishness and envy. Fill me with a spirit of detachment and generosity, and help me to build up true treasure in Heaven. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen 🙏🏽

Lord God, You are the defender of the poor and the protector of the lowly. Through the intercession of Saints Lawrence Ruiz and his companions, Saint Wenceslaus, Saint John of Dukla, and Saint Simon de Rojas, grant us the courage to live our faith with integrity and the compassion to serve those in need. Open our eyes to recognize the Lazarus at our doorstep and give us the grace to respond with mercy and generosity. Strengthen our families, guide our leaders, heal the sick, and console the suffering. May our lives reflect Your justice and love, so that when our earthly journey ends, we may be welcomed into the eternal joy of Your Kingdom. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 🙏🏾

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Saint Lawrence Ruiz and his Companions, Saint Wenceslaus, Saint John of Dukla, and Saint Simon de Rojas ~ 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 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, and grace-filled Sunday, 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 |
https://youtu.be/gB31nuOFx0A?si=mSoZs-wiByhGs

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