SATURDAY OF THE TWENTY-EIGHTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
REMINDER: WORLD MISSION SUNDAY | OCTOBER 19, 2025 | Pope Leo XIV’s Message | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/world-mission-sunday-october-19-2025/
SAINTS OF THE DAY ~ FEAST DAY: OCTOBER 18, 2025
FEAST OF SAINT LUKE, EVANGELIST | OCTOBER 18TH | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/category/saints-of-the-day
(Direct link to the detailed history of Saint Luke the Evangelist | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saint-of-the-day-feast-day-october-18th/)
Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary | EWTN | October 18, 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-october-18-2025/
NOVENA TO SAINT JUDE: REMINDER – The 2025 Novena to Saint Jude is scheduled to begin tomorrow, Sunday, October 19th, and end on October 27th in preparation for his Feast day on October 28th. Novena to Saint Jude is prayed for Desperate Situations and Desperate Cases—especially for an end to war and terrorism. Prayed anytime of year, especially October 19–27th | Novena link below | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/novena-to-saint-jude/
GENERAL PRAYERS AND INTENTIONS | PRAYERS FOR PEACE | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/general-prayers-and-intentions/
OCTOBER IS MONTH OF THE HOLY ROSARY | THE HOLY ROSARY: WHAT IS THE HOLY ROSARY AND WHY DO WE PRAY THE HOLY ROSARY? | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2024/11/21/the-holy-rosary-what-is-the-holy-rosary-and-why-do-we-pray-the-holy-rosary/
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/
Daily Reflections with Philomena | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/
Greetings and blessings, beloved family.
Today, Saturday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time, we joyfully thank God for the gift of life and for leading us into the month of October. May this month bring us God’s blessings, peace, and joy in abundance. We pray for eternal repose of our loved ones who recently passed. May this month bring peace to troubled hearts, direction to the lost, comfort to the grieving, and strength to the weary. In all things, may His will be done and His name be glorified. Amen🙏🏽
Lord Almighty, we lift our hearts in gratitude for Your unfailing love, protection, and mercy that carried us through the past month. We entrust every day into Your hands, asking for Your blessings, guidance, and peace in our lives and families. May October be for us a season of renewed faith, deeper hope, and overflowing joy. We pray especially for all families, for children, parents, and teachers, that they may be strengthened and protected. Bless those who will celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, new opportunities, and milestones this month, and comfort those who enter October with heavy hearts or struggles. Lord, go before us, walk beside us, and remain with us always, now and forever. Amen🙏🏽
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 pray for charitable organizations, asking God’s blessing upon their mission and we lift our prayers for peace, love, justice and unity in our families, marriages 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 lift our prayers for the protection, safety and well-being of missionaries, pilots, and all travelers. 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 October. 🙏🏽
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🙏🏽
“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His Saints.” ~ Psalm 116:15
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 October | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/list-of-all-novenas-october/
COMMON CATHOLIC PRAYERS | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/common-catholic-prayers/
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:
Bible Readings for today’s Holy Mass, Saturday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Today’s Bible Readings: Feast of Saint Luke, Evangelist | Saturday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time | October 18, 2025
Reading 1: 2 Timothy 4:10–17b
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 145:10–11, 12–13, 17–18
Gospel: Luke 10:1–9
Gospel Reading ~ Luke 10:1–9
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.”
“The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.’”
In today’s Gospel, we see Jesus sending out seventy-two disciples in pairs to announce the coming of God’s Kingdom. This mission symbolizes the universal call of the Gospel a message meant for all peoples, not just a chosen few. Jesus equips His disciples with trust, simplicity, and peace, instructing them to travel lightly, without money or extra provisions. Their power and authority rest not in material security but in their faith and obedience to His word. Through their ministry of healing and peace, they are to make visible the nearness of God’s Kingdom.
The Lord’s command, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few,” remains as relevant today as it was then. The world still hungers for truth, mercy, and love, yet the number of those who courageously proclaim Christ’s message is few. Each Christian, by baptism, shares in this mission to bring healing where there is hurt, hope where there is despair, and light where there is darkness. The mission of the seventy-two teaches us that evangelization begins with trust in God’s providence and a spirit of peace. We are to go forth, not relying on our own strength or possessions, but on the Lord who sends us.
Jesus also reminds His disciples that not everyone will welcome them. Some towns will reject their message, but they are not to be discouraged. The mission’s success does not depend on worldly acceptance but on faithful obedience. True discipleship means perseverance in love, even amid rejection. The peace they bring is not merely a polite greeting but a share in the very peace of Christ—a peace that transforms hearts and communities.
As we celebrate the Feast of Saint Luke, we honor one who embodied the missionary spirit of today’s Gospel. A physician by profession and an evangelist by calling, Luke used his gifts to heal both bodies and souls. St. Luke was one of Saint Paul’s co-workers. In one of his letters, St. Paul refers to Luke as ‘the beloved physician’. The Gospel of Luke, could be termed the Gospel of mercy. Luke portrays Jesus as the face of God’s mercy, which is one of Pope Francis’ favourite ways of referring to Jesus. Some of the most memorable passages of mercy are only to be found in Luke’s Gospel, such as the story of the sinful woman anointing the feet of Jesus, the parable of the prodigal son, the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, the meeting of Jesus and Zacchaeus, the dialogue between the good thief and Jesus on the cross. It is above all in Luke that Jesus is portrayed as revealing the hospitable love of God to the broken in spirit or body. Through his writings, the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, he revealed the mercy of God and the universal scope of salvation. Luke’s Gospel uniquely highlights the compassion of Christ, His concern for the poor, the sinner, and the outcast. His work continues to inspire us to proclaim the Kingdom not just in words but in compassionate action. There is a saying of Jesus in Luke which is unique to this Gospel and which sums up Luke’s portrait of Jesus, ‘the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost’. Today’s Gospel reading is also unique to Luke. It is only this Gospel who gives us this passage of Jesus sending out seventy two as labourers in God’s harvest to proclaim in word and deed the message of the kingdom, the message of God’s merciful and hospitable love. We all belong among that large group of seventy two. If Jesus is the face of God’s merciful love, He sends us all out to reveal something of that same face of God’s mercy to all those we encounter in life.
In the First Reading, Saint Paul, writing to Timothy, gives us a moving picture of faithful endurance. Abandoned by some companions and opposed by others, Paul nevertheless stands firm because “the Lord stood by me and gave me strength.” Amid loneliness and hardship, he finds consolation in the loyalty of Luke, “the only one with me.” Luke’s faithfulness in companionship mirrors the steadfast love of Christ Himself. His presence reminds us of the importance of supportive discipleship, those who remain by our side in trial and ministry alike. Like Luke, we are called to be faithful friends, compassionate healers, and courageous witnesses to the Gospel.
The Responsorial Psalm echoes this spirit of joy and mission: “Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of Your Kingdom.” Those who belong to God cannot keep silent about His goodness. Their lives proclaim the glory of His reign, not only through words but through deeds of justice, mercy, and love. The psalm reminds us that the Lord is near to all who call upon Him in truth, He never abandons those who serve Him sincerely.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are challenged to ask ourselves: Am I willing to be sent by Christ, to share His peace wherever I go? Do I trust in His providence when I face rejection or hardship? Do I live as a true witness of His mercy, healing wounds through forgiveness and kindness? Like Saint Luke, do I use my talents to build up God’s Kingdom, or do I hold them back for my own comfort? May this Feast renew our missionary zeal. Each of us, in our own way, is called to announce that “the Kingdom of God is at hand.” We do this not only by preaching but by living the Gospel through kindness, honesty, compassion, and love that reflects the heart of Christ. The Lord still calls for laborers. May we respond with courage and generosity, trusting that He walks with us wherever we are sent. 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. 🙏🏽
Heavenly Father, You called Saint Luke to proclaim the Good News of Your Kingdom and to reveal through his Gospel the compassion of Christ for all people. As we reflect on today’s readings, may we too become faithful witnesses of Your mercy and healing love. Strengthen us, like Saint Paul and Saint Luke, to persevere in our mission despite challenges and loneliness. Inspire us to reach out to the poor, the sick, and the forgotten, bringing them the comfort of Your presence. May our words and actions echo the message of peace that Jesus sent forth with His disciples. Through the intercession of Saint Luke, help us to use our talents to glorify You and to build up Your Kingdom on earth. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.🙏🏾
FEAST OF SAINT LUKE, EVANGELIST ~ FEAST DAY: OCTOBER 18TH: Today, we joyfully celebrate the Feast of Saint Luke, Evangelist, one of the four inspired authors of the Holy Gospel and the beloved companion of Saint Paul. Through the powerful intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Luke, we lift our hearts in prayer for divine mercy, healing, and grace upon the world. We pray for all physicians, surgeons, nurses, and healthcare workers, that they may be guided by compassion and wisdom in their service to life. We remember the sick and the suffering, especially those afflicted with mental illness, cancer, and chronic or terminal diseases, and those enduring pain in body or spirit. We pray for artists, painters, sculptors, and writers, that their creativity may glorify God and uplift souls. We pray for the poor, the needy, and the abandoned, for widows and widowers, and for the souls in Purgatory—may they find rest in God’s eternal love. We also pray for our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, for bishops, priests, and all who proclaim the Gospel with faith and courage. May the example of Saint Luke inspire every Christian to be a true messenger of Christ’s mercy, bringing light and hope into the world. Through his intercession, may we grow in compassion, perseverance, and love for the Word of God. Amen. 🙏🏾
Saint of the Day with Daily Reflections | October 18th | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com
( Direct link to the detailed history of Saint Luke the Evangelist | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saint-of-the-day-feast-day-october-18th/)
SAINT LUKE, EVANGELIST (1st Century): Saint Luke, whose name means “bringer of light,” was a Greek physician from Antioch and one of the early converts to Christianity. A close companion of Saint Paul, Luke traveled with him on missionary journeys, sharing in his labors and sufferings, even remaining with him through imprisonment in Rome. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Luke wrote both the Gospel according to Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, which together make up nearly one-fourth of the New Testament. Luke’s Gospel stands out for its warmth, compassion, and emphasis on the universality of salvation. He portrays Jesus as the merciful Savior who brings healing to the sinner, hope to the poor, and light to those in darkness. His writings reveal deep reverence for the Blessed Virgin Mary, preserving for us the intimate stories of the Annunciation, Visitation, and Nativity. Many scholars believe he drew from Mary’s own testimony, making him the “Evangelist of the Mother of God.”
Tradition also holds that Saint Luke was a skilled artist, who painted the first icons of the Blessed Virgin Mary holding the Child Jesus—images that continue to inspire Christian devotion today. As a physician, writer, historian, and artist, Saint Luke used every talent to glorify God and spread the message of divine mercy. He is honored as the patron of physicians, artists, painters, sculptors, butchers, and bachelors. The Church venerates him as a martyr, who gave his life in witness to the Gospel.
QUOTES OF SAINT LUKE, EVANGELIST
☆”What is impossible with men is possible with God.”
☆”Remember the past, plan for the future, but live for today, because yesterday is gone and tomorrow may never come.”
☆”Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you”
☆”To whom much is given, from him much will be required.”
☆”And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”
PHYSICIAN’S PRAYER TO SAINT LUKE: Most charming and saintly Physician, you were animated by the heavenly Spirit of love. In faithfully detailing the humanity of Jesus, you also showed his divinity and his genuine compassion for all human beings. Inspire our physicians with your professionalism and with the divine compassion for their patients. Enable them to cure the ills of both body and spirit that afflict so many in our day… Amen.🙏🏾
PRAYER TO SAINT LUKE: O St. Luke, you were chosen to reveal in preaching and writing God’s love for the poor. Moved by the heavenly Spirit of Love, you detailed the life of Jesus, showing His divinity and His genuine compassion for all human beings. Help those who already glory in God’s name to persevere in one heart and one mind, and inspire all people that they may hear the Good News of Salvation… Amen.🙏🏾
PRAYER: God, You chose St. Luke to reveal in preaching and writing Your love for the poor. Grant that those who already glory in Your Name may persevere in one heart and one mind, and that all people may hear Your Good News of salvation. Amen🙏🏾
Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Luke the Evangelist ~ 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 OCTOBER: For collaboration between different religious traditions. Let us pray that believers in different religious traditions might work together to defend and promote peace, justice, and human fraternity.
(https://popesprayerusa.net/popes-intentions/)
DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF OCTOBER | MONTH OF THE HOLY ROSARY: October is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary, a powerful prayer that draws us into the heart of the Gospel through the eyes of Mary. The Rosary is more than repetition. It is a meditation on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, united with the loving presence of His Blessed Mother. As Pope St. John Paul II reminded us, the Rosary is “a compendium of the Gospel,” helping us to contemplate Christ’s face with Mary.
The twenty mysteries of the Rosary, Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, and Luminous, invite us to journey with Christ from His Incarnation to His Passion and His triumph over death. Each mystery opens us to God’s saving love, strengthens our faith, and leads us to imitate the virtues of Jesus and Mary in our daily lives. This month, the Church invites us to renew our devotion to the Rosary by praying it daily, whether alone, in families, or in community. Through it, we find peace in times of trial, strength against temptation, and deeper trust in God’s providence. Mary, Queen of the Holy Rosary, intercedes for us and leads us always to her Son.
“O Mary, our Blessed Mother and Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, teach us to pray with a pure heart and a steadfast spirit. As we meditate on the mysteries of Christ, help us to grow in faith, hope, and love. Intercede for us before your Son, that our families, our Church, and our world may be filled with peace and the light of the Gospel. Amen.” 🙏🏽
https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=12540
THE HOLY ROSARY: WHAT IS THE HOLY ROSARY AND WHY DO WE PRAY THE HOLY ROSARY? | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2024/11/21/the-holy-rosary-what-is-the-holy-rosary-and-why-do-we-pray-the-holy-rosary/
PRAYER INTENTIONS: On this blessed Feast of Saint Luke, Evangelist, we lift our hearts in gratitude for the divine gift of the Gospel and the healing power of God’s Word. Through the intercession of Saint Luke the beloved physician, faithful disciple, and inspired writer, we pray for all who dedicate their lives to caring for others, especially doctors, nurses, and all healthcare workers, that they may be guided by compassion, wisdom, and strength in their service. We remember the sick and the suffering, the lonely and the forgotten, and those battling mental, emotional, or physical illness, that through God’s mercy they may find healing and hope. We pray for missionaries and evangelists, that their words and witness may bring the light of Christ to every heart. We also remember artists, writers, and all who use creativity for good, that their gifts may glorify God. May we, inspired by Saint Luke’s example, proclaim Christ’s peace wherever we go, becoming instruments of love and mercy in our world. Amen. 🙏🏾
LET US PRAY:
My saving Lord, You sent Your disciples on a mission to share Your saving message with all. Today I especially thank You for the life and ministry of Saint Luke. Please use me, dear Lord, to imitate his wonderful example and to share Your glorious life with others. Please lead me and inspire me to especially reach out to those whom You have put into my life. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen 🙏🏽
Heavenly Father, You inspired Saint Luke to reveal in his Gospel the compassion and mercy of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Grant that, strengthened by his intercession, we may live as faithful witnesses to Your Word, bringing healing, comfort, and hope to all who suffer. Bless all physicians and caregivers with the grace to serve with patience and love. May the sick be restored to health in body and spirit, and may all who hear the Good News respond with faith and joy. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 🙏🏾
Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed, and Saint Luke the Evangelist ~ 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 begin this new month of October, we lift our hearts in gratitude for the blessings of the past and entrust the days ahead into God’s loving hands. May this month be filled with hope, safety, and the quiet joy that comes from knowing that Christ walks with us always. Alleluia! Have a blessed, safe, grace-filled, and fruitful Saturday, a relaxing weekend, and a fulfilling month of October. 🙏🏽
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