TUESDAY OF THE TWENTY-SIXTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
SAINTS OF THE DAY ~ FEAST DAY: SEPTEMBER 30, 2025
MEMORIAL OF SAINT JEROME, PRIEST AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH | SEPTEMBER 30TH | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/category/saints-of-the-day
(Direct link to the detailed history of Saint Jerome | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saints-of-the-day-feast-day-september-30th/)
Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary | EWTN | September 30, 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-30-2025/
NOVENA TO SAINT THÉRÈSE OF LISIEUX – THE LITTLE FLOWER: DAY 9: 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/
We thank God for granting us the grace to successfully complete the Novena to Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. May she continue to intercede for us all. Amen 🙏🏽
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, Tuesday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time, we joyfully thank God for the gift of life and for carrying us through the month of September. Lord Almighty, we lift our hearts in gratitude for Your countless blessings, both seen and unseen, and for the strength to persevere through challenges. As this month comes to an end, we entrust the days ahead into Your loving hands. May the seeds of grace, renewal, and hope planted in September continue to bear fruit in our lives and families. We pray for children, parents, teachers, and all who have begun the new school year, asking for Your guidance and protection. Bless those who celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, and milestones this month, and console those who carried heavy burdens in their hearts. Lord, as we step into a new month, go before us, walk beside us, and remain with us always. Amen. 🙏🏽
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 of Saint Jerome, we pray today for all students, teachers, librarians, Bible scholars, translators, and all who proclaim the Gospel. 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, Tuesday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Today’s Bible Readings: Memorial of Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church | September 30, 2025
Reading 1: Zechariah 8:20–23
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 87:1b-3, 4-5, 6-7
Gospel: Luke 9:51–56
Gospel Reading ~ Luke 9:51–56
“He resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem”
“When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers ahead of him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, ‘Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?’ Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.”
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus leaves Galilee and begins His journey to Jerusalem. He sets out on what will be a difficult journey, His journey to Jerusalem where He is aware rejection and death await Him. According to Luke’s Gospel, Jesus resolutely took the road for Jerusalem. Because Jerusalem has a reputation as ‘the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it’ (Lk. 13:33), Jesus has to steel Himself for this journey. He knew where this journey would lead, and, yet, He also knew He had to take it. In our own lives we often become aware of some difficult journey we have to make. We hesitate before this journey, and, yet, we know it is right and good for us to make it. It could be a visit to someone we know who has been recently bereaved. We know it is going to be difficult, and, yet, we also know we must make this visit, and, so, we steel ourselves for it. In Jesus’ case, God’s Messiah must head for the city of David. Having set out on this journey, Jesus immediately experiences a taste of the rejection that awaits Him in Jerusalem, as he is rejected by the first Samaritan village He seeks to enter. The Samaritan village refused Him hospitality, because He was a Jew heading for Jerusalem. His journey began as it would end, in rejection. In life, we all face into difficult journeys. We find ourselves heading into some situation that we know is going to make demands on us. The supportive presence of others can mean a lot to us at such times. As Jesus set out on His difficult journey, He would have welcomed support too. Yet, according to the Gospel reading, His first experience having set out on His journey was one of rejection. The path of being a disciple of the Lord, the path of dying to ourselves so that others may live more fully, is often a difficult one. Yet, it is the path of life, for ourselves and for all who cross our path. The Lord has gone this way before us; He is with us as our strength in those moments when we struggle to take some path we know we must take.
The Samaritans refusal to welcome Him simply because of His destination, shows how prejudice can blind us to God’s presence. James and John’s reaction to calling down fire shows how human anger often seeks vengeance, but Jesus rebukes them, teaching that His mission is not one of destruction but mercy. His journey to Jerusalem, which will culminate in the Cross, is a reminder that salvation comes not through violence but through sacrificial love. For us, the lesson is clear: when rejected or misunderstood, we are not to respond with retaliation but with patience, humility, and perseverance in love. Like Jesus, we too don’t always receive the support we need at those vulnerable moments in our lives. How do we respond when that happens? We can learn from Jesus’ response in today’s Gospel reading. He did not react angrily towards the Samaritan village, which is what His disciples wanted. He just continued on His journey and preached the Gospel elsewhere. He remained true to God’s purpose for His life. His way is to be our way. In the power of His Spirit, we too keep journeying on, always remaining true to God’s purpose for our lives and to our baptismal identity, which is our deepest and best self.
Reflecting on the first reading, in Zechariah’s prophecy, nations from every corner of the earth will flock to Jerusalem, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” This is a striking image of unity and inclusivity, people of every language and background recognizing God’s presence and seeking His favor. It points to the Church’s mission today: to be a sign of God’s presence so evident that others are drawn to Christ by the witness of our lives. Where the Gospel shows rejection, the first reading assures us that God’s plan is for a universal gathering of peoples in His love.
The Responsorial Psalm beautifully echoes this theme with the refrain, “God is with us.” Zion, the city of God, becomes a home for all nations, where joy and celebration overflow. This psalm reminds us that our true dwelling place is in God, and that unity and belonging in Him transcend earthly divisions. In Christ, we find our true home and our identity as God’s children.
As we reflect and meditate on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are challenged to ask ourselves: Do I respond with mercy or with anger when I face rejection or misunderstanding? Am I willing to stay faithful to God’s mission even when it is difficult or unpopular? Do my words and actions draw others to recognize that “God is with us”? How can I, like Jerusalem in Zechariah’s vision, be a sign of God’s presence that welcomes and unites others? Let us walk with Christ on His journey to Jerusalem, not shrinking back when faced with trials or rejection. May we embrace His way of love and mercy, becoming true witnesses of God’s presence in the world, so that others may be drawn to Him through the example of our lives. 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 set Your face toward Jerusalem with courage and love, even when others rejected You. Teach us to follow Your example of mercy over vengeance, of patience over anger. May we be living witnesses of Your presence so that others may say, “God is with them.” Strengthen us to remain steadfast in faith, to welcome all people in Your name, and to live as instruments of Your peace. Amen. 🙏🏽
MEMORIAL OF SAINT JEROME, PRIEST AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH ~ FEAST DAY: SEPTEMBER 30TH: Today, the Church celebrates the Memorial of Saint Jerome (347–420), Priest, Monk, and Doctor of the Church, one of the greatest Biblical scholars of all time. Through the intercession of Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Jerome, we pray today for all students, teachers, librarians, Bible scholars, translators, and all who proclaim the Gospel. We entrust the sick and dying, especially those battling cancer, mental illness, or terminal disease, to God’s healing mercy. We lift up the souls in Purgatory and the faithful departed, widows and widowers, and all the poor and needy. We pray for peace, unity, and love within marriages, families, and our world. We commend the Holy Father, bishops, priests, deacons, and seminarians to the Lord, asking for more vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life. Finally, we remember persecuted Christians, the conversion of sinners, and the perseverance of all believers. Amen 🙏🏽
Saints of the Day with Daily Reflections | September 30th | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com
(Direct link to the detailed history of Saint Jerome | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saints-of-the-day-feast-day-september-30th/)
SAINT JEROME, PRIEST AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH: Born in Stridon (modern-day Croatia) around 347, Saint Jerome was a man of immense intellect, fiery passion, and deep love for Scripture. Educated in Rome, he mastered Latin and Greek, and though he once pursued worldly ambitions, his heart was captured by Christ. After baptism, Jerome devoted his life to asceticism, study, and prayer. He spent years in the Syrian desert, battling temptations and studying Hebrew, which later enabled him to translate the Old Testament from its original language. Jerome became secretary to Pope Damasus I, who commissioned him to revise and standardize the Latin Scriptures. This monumental work, known as the Vulgate, became the official Bible of the Western Church for over a millennium and remains one of the most influential translations in Christian history. Jerome eventually settled in Bethlehem, where he lived a life of prayer, scholarship, and spiritual direction, often with the help of noble Roman women like Saint Paula and Saint Eustochium.
Though his sharp tongue made him both admired and feared, Jerome’s writings, treatises, and letters shaped Christian theology for centuries. His famous statement still resounds: “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” He died on September 30, 420, and was later proclaimed a Doctor of the Church. Today, he is honored as the patron saint of archaeologists, archivists, Bible scholars, librarians, schoolchildren, students, and translators.
QUOTES OF SAINT JEROME:
☆”Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ!”
☆”Those who persevere in sin are those who are held in abhorrence by God, but those who abandon the ways of sin are loved by the Lord.”
☆“Martyrdom does not consist only in dying for one’s faith. Martyrdom also consists in serving God with love and purity of heart every day of one’s life”
☆“Thank God I am deemed worthy to be hated by the world.”
☆”Love is not to be purchased, and affection has no price.”
☆“There are things in life that are bigger than ourselves. Life is short, live it well.”
☆“Even while living in the world, the heart of Mary was so filled with motherly tenderness and compassion for men that no-one ever suffered so much for their own pains, as Mary suffered for the pains of her children.”
☆“Either we must speak as we dress, or dress as we speak. Why do we profess one thing and display another? The tongue talks of chastity, but the whole body reveals impurity.”
☆“So valuable to heaven is the dignity of the human soul that every member of the human race has a guardian angel from the moment the person begins to be.”
PRAYER: “Show me, O Lord, Your mercy, and delight my heart with it. Let me find You whom I so longingly seek. Behold, here is the man whom the robbers seized, manhandled, and left half dead on the road to Jericho. Kind-hearted Samaritan, come to my aid! I am the sheep who wandered into the wilderness. Seek after me and bring me home again to Your fold. Do with me according to Your will, that I may abide with You all the days of my life, and praise You with all those who are with You in heaven for all eternity. Amen.” 🙏🏽
God, You gave Saint Jerome a deep love for Your Word and a burning zeal to make it known. May Your people hunger for Scripture and find in it the fountain of life. Through his intercession, grant us wisdom to live Your truth and courage to proclaim it. Amen. 🙏🏽
Our Blessed Mother Mary, and Saint Jerome ~ 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: Heavenly Father, on this Memorial of Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church, we lift our hearts to You in faith and hope. May all nations recognize Your presence and walk together in peace, just as the prophet Zechariah foretold. Inspire us to dwell joyfully in Your house, like the psalmist, and to remain steadfast in following Christ even when we face rejection or misunderstanding, as seen in today’s Gospel. Through the intercession of Saint Jerome, who taught us that ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ, we pray for a renewed hunger for Your Word among all believers. We remember students, teachers, translators, and scholars, asking that they be guided by wisdom and truth. We entrust to You the sick, the dying, the poor, widows, widowers, and all who suffer in silence. Bless families with unity and love, strengthen marriages, and bring peace to our broken world. We also commend to You the souls in Purgatory, the persecuted Church, the Holy Father, and all clergy and religious, asking for more vocations to serve Your people faithfully.
LET US PRAY:
My courageous Lord, You faced Your suffering with much courage, strength, surrender and hope. You saw the value of Your free embrace of Your suffering and chose it with all the power of your soul. Give me the grace I need, dear Lord, to also resolutely determine to journey toward the cross I am called to embrace in life, so that my free embrace of my cross will unite me more fully with You. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen 🙏🏽
Lord God, You raised up Saint Jerome to deepen the Church’s love for Sacred Scripture. Grant that, nourished by Your Word and strengthened by the Sacraments, we may live as true disciples of Christ. Teach us to embrace mercy over retaliation, perseverance over discouragement, and faith over fear. Fill our minds with Your wisdom and our hearts with Your peace, that we may bear witness to Your truth in every word and action. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 🙏🏽
Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed and Saint Jerome ~ 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. As we bring this month of September to a close, we lift our gratitude for the blessings received, the protection granted, and the grace that has carried us through. May we step into the new month with hope, safety, and the quiet joy that comes from knowing that Christ walks with us always. Alleluia! Have a blessed, safe, and fruitful Tuesday, and a grace-filled transition into the month ahead. 🙏🏽
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