MEMORIAL OF SAINT ALPHONSUS RODRIGUEZ, CONFESSOR AND SAINT MARCELLUS THE CENTURION, AND HIS CHILDREN, MARTYRS

THURSDAY OF THE THIRTIETH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY ~ FEAST DAY: OCTOBER 30, 2025

MEMORIAL OF SAINT ALPHONSUS RODRIGUEZ, CONFESSOR AND SAINT MARCELLUS THE CENTURION, AND HIS CHILDREN, MARTYRS | OCTOBER 30TH | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/category/saints-of-the-day

(Direct link to the detailed history of Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez and Saint Marcellus the Centurion and His Children | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saints-of-the-day-feast-day-october-30th/)

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary | EWTN | October 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-october-30-2025/

KIND REMINDER: JUBILEE YEAR OF HOPE 2025 HOLY DOOR SCHEDULE TIMELINES | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/jubilee-of-hope-2025/

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/

DR. PHILOMENA IKOWE AND HER JOYFUL CATHOLIC WITNESS | LIGHTS, CATHOLIC, ACTION! | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/dr-philomena-ikowe-and-her-joyful-catholic-witness/

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

PRAYER FOR VICTIMS OF NATURAL DISASTERS: We join our prayers to the prayers of others throughout the world, for the victims of natural disasters which have brought destruction and disaster to so many lives. We particularly pray for the victims of the recent Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean, for the people of Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, and others who are facing the devastation caused by the hurricane. May God grant eternal rest to all those who lost their lives, restore what was lost, and console all those who are grieving, injured, or have lost loved ones. Amen 🙏🏽

Greetings and blessings, beloved family!

Today, Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time, we joyfully thank God for the gift of life and for leading us safely to the end of the month of October. May this month bring us God’s blessings, peace, and joy in abundance. We particularly pray for those mourning the loss of a loved one who recently passed away and the eternal repose of the souls in Purgatory. May our Blessed Mother Mary intercede for all those in pain and sorrow and 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 🙏🏽 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

KIND REMINDER: JUBILEE YEAR OF HOPE 2025 HOLY DOOR SCHEDULE TIMELINES | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/jubilee-of-hope-2025/

The Jubilee began with the opening of the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2024, and will conclude with the closing of the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica on January 6, 2026. The Holy Doors at the other major basilicas (St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, and St. Paul Outside the Walls) will be closed on Sunday, December 28, 2025

Important notes

The holy doors at the major basilicas in Rome opened on December 24, 2024, and will remain open until the end of the Jubilee Year on January 6, 2026.

Participating in a pilgrimage to a designated holy door can earn a plenary indulgence.

Individuals who cannot travel to Rome can participate in the Jubilee by making a pilgrimage to a local designated site.

Local Pilgrimage Sites

For a complete list of local pilgrimage sites, check with your local diocese.

For those in the US, you can find a list of designated pilgrimage sites for all the Dioceses on their websites. For instance, the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, the Diocese of Fort Worth, Diocese of Dallas, the Archdiocese of Seattle etc all listed their local pilgrimage sites on their websites.

For example, the Diocese of Fort Worth has assigned the following Parishes as pilgrimage churches with holy doors.

St. Patrick Cathedral,
Immaculate Conception of Mary Parish,
Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish,
St. Philip the Apostle Parish,
Sacred Heart Parish

Plenary Indulgence

In his proclamation of the Jubilee of 2025, Pope Francis announced an indulgence would be available to the faithful during the jubilee year. The indulgence, he explained, would be “a way of discovering the unlimited nature of God’s mercy.”

A plenary indulgence is a grace granted by the Catholic Church through the merits of Jesus Christ to remove the temporal punishment due to sin.

“May the Jubilee be a moment of genuine, personal encounter with the Lord Jesus, the ‘door’ (cf. Jn 10:7.9) of our salvation.” ~ Pope Francis

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/

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time | October 30, 2025
Reading 1: Romans 8:31b–39
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 109:21–22, 26–27, 30–31
Gospel: Luke 13:31–35

Gospel Reading ~ Luke 13:31–35

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you! How many times I yearned to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were unwilling!”

“Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.” He replied, “Go and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I accomplish my purpose. Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day, for it is impossible that a prophet should die outside of Jerusalem.’ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how many times I yearned to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were unwilling! Behold, your house will be abandoned. But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

In today’s Gospel reading, we see the tender yet determined heart of Jesus as He faces opposition and impending danger. Some people come up to Jesus and ask Him to take a different path to the one He is travelling because His life is in danger; Herod wants to kill Him. In spite of that danger, Christ remains undeterred, fully aware that His mission must be fulfilled in Jerusalem, the city that so often rejected the prophets. Jesus expresses His determination to keep going towards the city of Jerusalem, because He wants to gather its people to Himself. His words reveal a love that is both sorrowful and steadfast: “How many times I yearned to gather your children together, but you were unwilling.” This lament captures the divine pain of love refused, the heart of God reaching out to His people, only to be met with resistance. Jesus shows a determination to keep taking the path that God is asking Him to take. Like Jesus, we too can be tempted to give up something that we know to be worthwhile, or to turn away from a path that is the path we really need to take. At such times we need help from outside ourselves to keep on running the race, fighting the good fight, keeping the faith. What enabled Jesus to keep going when He was tempted to turn back was His relationship with God, His Father. What helps us to keep going in testing times is our relationship with the Lord. A word of exhortation in the letter to the Hebrews echoes the call of the Gospel reading today: ‘Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith’.

In the Gospel, the image of Jesus comparing Himself to a mother hen gathering her chicks under her wings speaks of divine compassion. Jesus longed to gather the people of Jerusalem in a similar way. Yet, the tragedy is that Jerusalem refused to be gathered. Jesus speaks out of a sense of powerlessness. He has a deep longing to gather people to Himself but that longing goes unfulfilled if people refuse to allow themselves to be gathered. Jesus acknowledges His powerlessness before the great mystery of human freedom. The Lord’s desire for us needs to meet with some level of desire in us for Him, if His purpose for our lives is to come to pass. Yet, in our first reading St. Paul expresses His conviction that nothing can come between us and the love of God made visible in Jesus Christ. Perhaps then the Lord’s love, His longing for our hearts, can eventually overcome even our resistance. However, the Gospel reading today suggests that the Lord longs for us to respond to His loving initiative towards us, and is greatly distressed when that response is not forthcoming.

Despite human sin and rejection, Jesus’ desire remains to shelter, forgive, and restore. The Gospel reminds us that Christ’s mission was never about comfort or safety but about fidelity to the Father’s will. Even when threatened, He continued healing, preaching, and liberating souls. Like Jesus, we are called to persevere in faith even amid opposition, trusting that God’s purpose cannot be thwarted by fear, rejection, or persecution. The Lord’s lament over Jerusalem still echoes today, a call to conversion, a plea to return to His embrace. He yearns to gather us under His wings, offering refuge in His mercy. The question is: are we willing to be gathered, to allow His love to heal our stubborn hearts?

Reflecting on the First Reading, in his Letter to the Romans, Saint Paul gives one of the most triumphant declarations of faith in all of Scripture: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” This passage is a hymn of confidence in the unstoppable love of God. Paul, who endured trials, persecution, and hardship, assures us that nothing, not death, life, angels, or powers, can separate us from the love of Christ. It is a love that has conquered sin and death, a love that defends us before every accusation, and intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father. This message is a balm for every anxious or discouraged heart. When we face rejection, loneliness, or suffering, Paul reminds us that divine love remains constant and victorious. God’s love is not conditional on our success or strength; it is rooted in His eternal purpose to redeem and sanctify us. Just as Jesus refused to flee from His mission, we too must stand firm in the certainty that God is with us. Even in our weakest moments, when prayer feels empty and faith seems small, His Spirit intercedes for us and upholds us. Today’s reading calls us to live not in fear, but in faith, trusting that God’s love always has the final word.

Reflecting on the Responsorial Psalm, the psalmist’s plea, “Save me, O Lord, in your mercy,” reflects the humble cry of one who knows that deliverance comes only from God. In his distress, he finds strength not in himself but in divine compassion. Despite being “wretched and poor,” he praises God for standing “at the right hand of the poor man.” This intimate image mirrors the very truth Saint Paul proclaims, that God is for us, not against us. His mercy is not distant or abstract; it is personal, near, and steadfast. In every hardship, we are invited to echo this prayer: “Help me, O Lord, in your mercy.” When we surrender our struggles into His hands, we discover that mercy is not weakness but strength, the strength that lifts us up when we are broken and empowers us to praise Him even in suffering. The Psalm and the Gospel unite today in one voice of faith: God’s mercy surrounds the poor, protects the faithful, and never abandons those who trust in Him.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, let us ask ourselves, Do I truly believe that nothing can separate me from the love of God, or do I still live in fear of failure or rejection? When challenges come, do I respond with faith or give in to despair? Like Jesus, am I willing to remain faithful to God’s call even when it leads through hardship or misunderstanding? Have I allowed His mercy to gather me under His wings, or do I resist His love through pride, indifference, or doubt? Today, the Lord invites us to rest in His unshakable love and to trust that, in all things, we are “more than conquerors” through Him who loves us. Dear friends, today’s Scriptures remind us that divine love is invincible, stronger than death, fear, or failure. Jesus’ unwavering obedience and Paul’s confident faith both invite us to trust that our lives are securely held in God’s hands. Let us therefore live as children of hope, allowing Christ to gather us into His heart and transform our trials into victories of grace. In every storm, whisper the truth that conquers all: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” 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. 🙏🏽

Loving Father, You did not spare Your own Son but gave Him up for us all. Strengthen our hearts with the assurance of Your unfailing love. When we face trials, remind us that You are for us, not against us. When fear rises, let faith take its place. Teach us to rest under the shelter of Your wings and to find peace in Your mercy. May the intercession of Your Son, who now reigns at Your right hand, uphold us in every difficulty. Fill us with courage to continue the mission You have given us, and let our lives proclaim that nothing can separate us from Your love in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. 🙏🏾

MEMORIAL OF SAINT ALPHONSUS RODRIGUEZ, CONFESSOR, AND SAINT MARCELLUS THE CENTURION AND HIS CHILDREN, MARTYRS – FEAST DAY: OCTOBER 30TH: Today, the Church commemorates the humble faith and heroic witness of Saint Alphonsus (Alonso) Rodriguez, Confessor (Patron of Porters, Doorkeepers, and Lay Brothers), and Saint Marcellus the Centurion and His Children, Martyrs (Patron of Conscientious Objectors). These holy men, one a humble Jesuit brother who sanctified ordinary duties, the other a Roman soldier who laid down his life for Christ, teach us that holiness can flourish in every state of life. Through their example, we are reminded that fidelity to God is not measured by position or status, but by love, perseverance, and courage. On this day, we pray through their intercession for all who labor quietly in hidden service, for those who face persecution for their faith, and for the grace to live each moment faithfully in God’s presence. May their witness inspire us to embrace our daily crosses with humility and joy, trusting that no act of love is ever small in the eyes of God. Amen. 🙏🏾

Saints of the Day with Daily Reflections | October 30th https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com

( Direct link to the detailed history of Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez and Saint Marcellus the Centurion and His Children | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saints-of-the-day-feast-day-october-30th/)

SAINT ALPHONSUS (ALONSO) RODRIGUEZ, CONFESSOR: Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez (1532–1617) was a Spanish Jesuit lay brother whose hidden holiness became a beacon of spiritual light. Born in Segovia, Spain, the son of a wool merchant, Alphonsus’s early life was marked by loss and hardship. Prepared for his First Communion by Saint Peter Faber, one of the first Jesuits, he seemed destined for a bright future. Yet tragedy repeatedly struck: by the age of thirty-one, Alphonsus had lost his wife, all three of his children, and his mother. Reduced to poverty and grief, he turned to prayer, penance, and total surrender to God’s will. Seeking to dedicate his life to God, Alphonsus applied to join the Society of Jesus but was at first rejected because of his age and lack of formal education. Undeterred, he returned to school in his late thirties, enduring ridicule from much younger classmates. His perseverance was rewarded when the Jesuits finally accepted him as a lay brother at nearly forty years old. Assigned as a porter at the Jesuit College of Majorca, he held this humble position for forty-six years. From the doorway, he welcomed students, visitors, and the poor with kindness, prayer, and spiritual counsel, transforming an ordinary duty into a ministry of grace.

Many who met him, including the young Saint Peter Claver, recognized his sanctity and sought his wisdom. Alphonsus became a spiritual guide, encouraging Claver to volunteer for the South American missions, where he would later serve enslaved Africans with heroic compassion. Though Alphonsus never left his post, his influence reached across continents. His writings, discovered after his death, revealed a profound mystic whose heart burned with love for Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Saint Alphonsus died on October 31, 1617, after a life of prayer and hidden service. His last words were “Jesus, Mary.” Canonized in 1887, he reminds us that sanctity is found not in great deeds, but in great love, faithfully offered in the simplicity of daily life.

PRAYER: O humble Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez, faithful servant of God, who found holiness in the quiet duties of everyday life, teach us to see Christ in every person and every task. Obtain for us the grace of patience, humility, and perseverance in our vocation, that we may serve others with joy and love. May your example inspire us to find God in all things and to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary through charity and prayer. Amen. 🙏🏾

SAINT MARCELLUS THE CENTURION AND HIS CHILDREN, MARTYRS: Saint Marcellus, a Roman centurion born in Galicia, Spain, was a courageous soldier turned witness for Christ. Married to a noble woman named Nona and father of twelve children, he lived faithfully in military service until his conversion to Christianity through the preaching of a holy bishop in León. From that moment, his loyalty to Christ became stronger than any allegiance to earthly power.

During the Emperor Maximian’s birthday celebration in 298, a feast marked by pagan sacrifices, Marcellus refused to participate. Casting aside his military insignia and weapons, he publicly declared, “I serve Jesus Christ, the eternal King.” For this act of conscience and faith, he was imprisoned and brought before the prefect, who condemned him to death for desertion. Marcellus was beheaded in Tangier, Morocco, on October 30, 298, bearing witness that one cannot serve both God and idols. His steadfast courage inspired his family: several of his sons followed him in martyrdom, and the notary Cassian, who refused to record the unjust death sentence, was also executed for his faith. Their blood bore testimony to the Gospel’s power to transform hearts, even amid persecution.

Saint Marcellus’s life reminds us that true discipleship requires fidelity to Christ above all else. His courage continues to inspire Christians facing persecution or moral compromise in the modern world.

PRAYER: Almighty and Ever-Living God, You strengthened Saint Marcellus and his children to bear witness to Your truth even unto death. Grant us, through their intercession, the courage to stand firm in our faith, to reject sin and falsehood, and to follow You faithfully in every trial. May their martyrdom inspire us to live with conviction, defend justice, and persevere in love until we reach the glory of Your Kingdom. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 🙏🏾

Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez, and Saint Marcellus the Centurion and His Children, pray for us — that we may be faithful in small things, courageous in trials, and steadfast in hope. Amen. 🙏🏾

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

WORLD MISSION SUNDAY (WMS) | OCTOBER 19, 2025 | Pope Leo XIV’s Message | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/world-mission-sunday-october-19-2025/

CANONIZATION OF SEVEN NEW SAINTS BY POPE LEO XIV | OCTOBER 19, 2025 | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/pope-leo-xivs-canonization-of-seven-new-saints-october-19-2025/

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

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

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

PRAYER INTENTIONS: Heavenly Father, You are our strength and refuge, and in Your love, we find courage to face every trial. On this memorial of Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez and Saint Marcellus the Centurion with his Children, we thank You for their examples of humble service and steadfast faith. Through their intercession, we pray for all who feel weary, forgotten, or abandoned, that they may be renewed in hope and trust that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. We lift up those who suffer persecution, those enduring hardship for the sake of truth, and all who struggle to remain faithful in difficult times. Bless our families, strengthen the aged and sick, comfort the dying, and bring peace to the restless and fearful. We pray for priests, religious, and all who serve Your Church, that like Saint Alphonsus, they may find joy in humble service; and for Christians in hostile environments, that like Saint Marcellus and his children, they may remain firm in faith even unto death. May Your Spirit teach us to love without fear and to live each day in the confidence of Your saving grace. Amen🙏🏾

LET US PRAY:

My compassionate Lord, You yearn to protect me from the many evils in this world. You yearn to heal me of the wounds my sins have caused. And You yearn to bestow upon me the gift of eternal life. I accept Your protection, dear Lord, and pray for the healing I need. Please cover me always and bestow upon me the gift of eternal life. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen 🙏🏽

Lord Jesus, You wept over Jerusalem out of love for Your people and longed to gather them under Your wings. Gather us now into Your mercy, and keep us steadfast in faith amid life’s struggles. Strengthen our hearts to trust that neither tribulation, distress, nor death itself can separate us from Your love. Through the example of Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez, teach us humility and faithfulness in the small duties of each day; and through the witness of Saint Marcellus and his children, grant us courage to stand firm for the truth of the Gospel. May our lives become a living testimony of Your love, and may we one day share in the fullness of joy in Your eternal Kingdom. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 🙏🏾

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed, Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez and Saint Marcellus the Centurion and His Children ~ 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 gradually come to the end of the 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, and grace-filled Thursday, a fruitful week, 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

MEMORIAL OF SAINT ALPHONSUS RODRIGUEZ, CONFESSOR AND SAINT MARCELLUS THE CENTURION, AND HIS CHILDREN, MARTYRS

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