SUNDAY OF THE WORD OF GOD: Observed on the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Sunday between January 21-27)
Greetings and blessings, beloved family. Happy Third Sunday in Ordinary Time and Sunday of the Word of God!
“Pope Francis on September 30, 2019 directed that the 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time should be observed as the Sunday of the Word of God. In a motu proprio entitled Aperuit Illis, the Holy Father said that the annual date should be “devoted to the celebration, study, and dissemination of the Word of God.” “He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Lk 24:45).
The theme for this year’s Sunday of the Word of God is, “I Hope in Your Word,” drawn from Psalm 119.
We pray for God’s grace and mercy upon us through this Ordinary Time, and may the Lord grant us the grace to serve Him in spirit and in truth🙏
*SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ JANUARY 26, 2025: MEMORIAL OF SAINTS TIMOTHY AND TITUS, BISHOPS AND SAINT JOSÉ GABRIEL BROCHERO, PRIEST
[Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops
Not celebrated as a liturgical memorial this year since it falls on Sunday]
Watch “HOLY MASS ON SUNDAY OF THE WORD OF GOD WITH POPE FRANCIS | THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR C) | Live from the Vatican, Saint Peter’s Basilica | January 26, 2025 | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/01/26/watch-holy-mass-on-sunday-of-the-word-of-god-with-pope-francis-third-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-c-live-from-the-vatican-saint-peters-basilica-january-26-2025/
Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C), January 26, 2025 on EWTN” |
Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | January 26, 2025 |
Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | January 26, 2025 |
Pray “Holy Rosary for Peace with Pope Francis” | LIVE Basilica of St. Mary Major | October 6, 2024 |
Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| January 25, 2025 |
Pray “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteries VIRTUAL🌹JOYFUL🌹LUMINOUS🌹SORROWFUL🌹GLORIOUS” oùn YouTube |
Memorare Chaplet | Prayer in Difficult Times (Powerful Prayer) |
Today’s Bible Readings: Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) | January 26, 2025
Reading 1, Nehemiah 8:2-4, 5-6, 8-10
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 19:8, 9, 10, 15
Reading 2, First Corinthians 12:12-30
Gospel, Luke 1:1-4,4:14-21
SUNDAY OF THE WORD OF GOD: The Third Sunday of Ordinary Time we mark the occasion of the Sunday of the Word of God which was instituted a few years ago, on September 30, 2019 by Pope Francis, our Supreme Pontiff with the purpose of rediscovering our love and zeal for the Lord through the deepening of our knowledge and understanding of the Sacred Scriptures. This observance aims to strengthen Catholics’ connection with Sacred Scripture and emphasize the living nature of God’s word in the Church’s life. The timing of the document is significant: September 30th is the Feast of Saint Jerome, the man who translated most of the Bible into Latin, and who famously said: “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ”. St. Jerome died in his Bethlehem monastery in 420 and the year of the institution of the Sunday of the Word of God marked almost 1600 years since his death. It is important that we have to spend some time and effort to get to know more about the Word of God contained within the Scriptures and hence, that is why this Sunday in particular, let us all delve into what we have just heard from the Scripture readings and focus our attention on the truth that the Lord Himself has brought into our midst. “He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Lk 24:45).
In a motu proprio entitled Aperuit Illis, the Holy Father, Pope Francis said that the annual date should be “devoted to the celebration, study, and dissemination of the Word of God.” This is instituted because of the need for all of us as Christians to deepen our knowledge and understanding, appreciation and immersion in the Word of God found in the Scriptures. It was often said that Catholics do not have a good grasp, knowledge or understanding of the Scriptures, and hence, it is easy for us to be led astray by those who claimed to know the meaning of the Scriptures, and those who twisted and changed the meaning of the Word of God to satisfy their own aim and ambitions, their wicked and unholy purposes, drawing us away from the righteous and holy path of God. This is why we all need to deepen our knowledge and understanding of God’s Words in the Scriptures. How do we then know the Lord better through His Word? There are many things that we can do, but first of all, we must have with us, the Sacred Scriptures, all the Word of God and His revelations as compiled and written by those whom He had inspired, and which the Church and the Church fathers had authoritatively determined to be genuine and true, beneficial and truly the Word of God, as contained in the Holy Bible. Then, we should spend quality time to examine and explore the Word of God with proper guidance through the Church, and find good references that are now easily and readily available, from reliable and good sources that can help us understand and appreciate the meaning of the Scriptures and the Word of God much better. Nonetheless, unless we spend good amount of quality time to focus on the Lord and His Word, then it is unlikely that His Word will have good and firm roots in us.
Today, January 26th marks the 6th Sunday of the Word of God and the Vatican hosts the Jubilee for the World of Communication. The Holy Mass celebration concluded the three-day Jubilee of the World of Communications, which is the first part of the many individual events animating the Jubilee of Hope in 2025. The Holy Mass highlighted the theme for this year’s Sunday of the Word of God, “I Hope in Your Word,” drawn from Psalm 119. In his homily, the Pope reflected on the Gospel passage from Luke, in which Jesus reads the Scriptures at the synagogue in his hometown of Nazareth. The celebration was particularly significant as it marked the convergence of the Word of God Sunday with the Jubilee for the World of Communication, emphasizing the Church’s commitment to both preserving and proclaiming the Gospel message in contemporary society. “Let us respond with ardor to the joyful announcement of Christ!” Pope Francis said, encouraging the faithful to bring “good news to the poor, proclaiming release to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, letting the oppressed go free and announcing the year of the Lord’s favor.”
According to Pope Francis, the Word of God brings us joy and light. During his homily, Pope Francis emphasized five key aspects of Christ’s mission that characterize the Gospel message. “The Gospel is a word of joy, summoning us to mutual acceptance and fellowship, as we make our pilgrim journey towards the Kingdom of God,” the pontiff declared. “The Word of God is alive: through the centuries it walks with us and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, it is at work in history,” Pope Francis said during his homily. “The Lord is always faithful to His promise, which He maintains out of love for humanity.” The Pope noted that while Christ’s salvation is not yet fully realized, as evidenced by ongoing global conflicts, “wars, injustice, pain and death will not have the final word over the peoples of the earth and our history: for the Gospel is a living and certain word that never disappoints.” The Pope closed by reminding the congregation that when Scripture is read, studied, and prayed with, “we do not simply receive information about God; rather, we welcome the Spirit who reminds us of all that Jesus said and did.” During the Holy Mass, the Pope conferred the ministry of Lector on 40 lay people. The newly installed lectors included representatives from Albania (4), Argentina (3), Austria (5), Bolivia (1), Brazil (4), Philippines (5), Iceland (1), Italy (6), Mexico (5), Poland (1), and Slovenia (5).
Sunday of the Word of God is observed on the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Sunday between January 21-27). Link – https://www.usccb.org/committees/divine-worship/sunday-word-god
Daily Reflections | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:
*Bible Readings for today’s Holy Mass, Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) | Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops (Feast not celebrated as a liturgical memorial this year since it falls on Sunday) | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Gospel Reading ~ Luke 1:1–4; 4:14–21
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled”
“Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning and ministers of the word have handed them down to us, I too have decided, after investigating everything accurately anew, to write it down in an orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings you have received. Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news of him spread throughout the whole region. He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all. He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
In today’s Gospel reading, when Jesus returned to His home town Nazareth for the first time after beginning His public ministry, He went to the local synagogue on the Sabbath, just as we go to Mass on Sunday. When He was invited to read the second reading from the prophets, He chose a reading for Himself, rather than a set reading that was already prepared. When the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to Him, He very deliberately unrolled the scroll until He found the passage He wanted. This particular passage must have meant a great deal to Him; it summed up how He understood His mission. Like Isaiah, Jesus knew that the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, had come upon him. According to the Gospel of St. Luke, after His baptism, while He was praying, the Holy Spirit descended on Him. The Spirit was empowering Him for His mission that lay ahead. Jesus realized that the Holy Spirit was pushing Him towards certain kind of people, in particular what the passage from Isaiah refers to as the poor, the captives, the blind and the downtrodden. Jesus recognized that it was above all this diverse group that needed to hear the good news that they were loved by God, that God’s favour rested upon them and that God was working to transform their lives, bringing them healing, wholeness and liberation.
In the time and place of Jesus, only a small elite were very wealthy; the vast bulk of the population would have been considered ‘poor’; they could easily and suddenly find themselves dependent on other people’s generosity for survival. The person of Lazarus in one of Jesus’ parables is an extreme example of the poorest. Many were ‘captive’, in that they were slaves of wealthy masters, or were imprisoned, or enslaved to debt. Those who were ‘blind’ or deaf or crippled or who suffered from some other disability were poor because they could not work. The Gospel story of blind Bartimaeus who begged by the roadside is one of such people. Many people in Jesus’ day were downtrodden or oppressed, the victims of injustice, such as the widow in Jesus’ parable of widow and the unjust judge. The word translated ‘liberty’ in the Gospel reading also has the meaning ‘forgiveness’ elsewhere in Luke’s gospel. Proclaiming liberty to captives can also be understood as bringing God’s forgiveness to those considered ‘sinners’ and who felt trapped by this realization. In that sense, we can also understand the ‘poor’ as the spiritually poor. In the Gospel of St. Luke, Jesus refers to this group as the ‘lost’. According to the Gospels, Zacchaeus was one of the lost; he was very wealthy but he was spiritually poor. The prodigal son in that wonderful parable was rich; his father had lots of land and loads of servants. Yet, he was spiritually poor; he was lost. Jesus was saying in this mission statement, ‘I have come to bring God’s favour to all who need it most, all who feel on the edge for whatever reason, and I am going to do this “today”, in the here and now of my ministry’. There is a wonderful wide embrace in this mission statement of Jesus; we are all included in this embrace. There are times in all our lives when we feel poor, captive, blind, lost and downtrodden in some way. It is then that Jesus, the risen Lord, is especially close to us. We can turn to Him in our weakness, in our vulnerability, and experience His favour, His strengthening presence. The mission that Jesus announces in Nazareth is also the mission of the church. The church exists to make present in the ‘today’ of our age this mission of Jesus to proclaim God’s favour, God’s liberating love, to all who need it most. In fixing our eyes on the Lord, we are not only graced and blessed by His gift of God’s favour, but we are empowered to become channels of God’s favour to others. Pope Francis once declared, ‘The thing the church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness, proximity. I see the church as a field hospital after battle’. This is the kind of church that Pope Francis is asking us to become.
In today’s second reading, St. Paul speaks about the community of the Lord’s followers, the church, as the body of Christ, in which each member is concerned for all the others, so that if one member suffers, all suffer with it. All of us together are now Christ’s body in the world. The Spirit of the Lord that empowered and directed Jesus’ mission has been given to us, the members of Christ’s body. Jesus’ subsequent mission shows that our loving concern must extend beyond the members of the church to embrace all who suffer, regardless of race or creed, just as the Samaritan in one of Jesus’ parables embraced the half dead Jew, his traditional enemy. Jesus’ mission statement is also a mission statement for us all as members of the church. As St. Paul says at the beginning of that second reading, ‘In the one Spirit we were all baptized, Jews as well as Greeks, slaves as well as free, and one Spirit was given to us all to drink’. The Spirit of the Lord will bring what is best in our human spirit to full expression, and whenever that happens the poor experience good news and those who are captive discover a new freedom.
St. Paul the Apostle reminds us all is that we have to strive to seek for unity amongst all of us Christians, and to do our best to work with one another, to support each other and the efforts of the Church in its many missions and works for the salvation of souls and for the benefit of everyone around us. We cannot and should not remain idle in our lives, and we have to do our best to work for the greater good of everyone, doing our part so that we may contribute our part to the mission and efforts of the Church. All of us share this mission which the Lord has entrusted to us His Church, and the responsibility is ours to do our part in reaching out to the world and living our lives worthily as Christians, at all times. We must realise that the works of the Church are not limited just to those who are ordained, or members of the clergy and the religious orders. In fact, many of those who are laypeople have to contribute and be active part in the mission of the Church, as the Lord has given various, diverse gifts and talents, abilities and opportunities to each one of us, and we are entrusted with these different responsibilities, and we have to adapt as best as we can, to do our best in living our lives and carrying out our duties and responsibilities faithfully, be it as a member of the ordained, or those who have given themselves to consecrated and religious life, or those laypeople living in the world in their various capacities. The Lord needs us to continue the mission he announced in the synagogue of Nazareth. As Saint Paul reminds us in today’s second reading, ‘Now together you are Christ’s body; but each of you is a different part of it’. We are the Lord’s hands and feet, ears and eyes, mind and heart, today. The Lord comes to us in our own poverty and brokenness so that we can be living and life-giving members of His body today, each in our own unique way. St. Paul says that there is great diversity in the body of Christ. We each have different gifts of nature which the Spirit of God can bring fully to life. We each have a unique contribution to make to the Lord’s mission in today’s world. The gifts of each one of us are needed and each one of us needs the gifts of everyone else. The Lord looks to each of us to place our gifts and our energies at His disposal, at the disposal of the Holy Spirit, so that He can continue to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour in our world today.
Our first reading this Sunday from the Book of the prophet Nehemiah gives the account of the moment when the assembly of the Israelites gathered together in the ruins of Jerusalem, led by the prophet and priest Ezra, who was the contemporary of Nehemiah, at the time when the Israelites were allowed to return back to their homeland after many decades in exile in distant lands. The context of the event was that the disobedience of the Israelites, the sins of the predecessors and ancestors of those who were mentioned in today’s first reading, had led to the destruction of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, the kingdoms of the people of God by the Assyrians and the Babylonians. The people of Israel were scattered in distant lands away from their lands, while foreigners were settled in those lands that God had given to them and their ancestors. But God has never abandoned or forgotten about His people, as He still loved them all and wanted to restore all of them to grace, despite their many sins, wickedness and disobedience. He did this through the Great King of Persia, Cyrus, who conquered Babylonia and issued an edict of emancipation and liberation to all the Israelites, freeing them from their bondage and allowing them to return once again back to their homeland. Not only that, but he also even authorised the rebuilding of the destroyed cities and towns and especially the Temple of God in Jerusalem, in a great show of compassion and tolerance to the people under his rule. Thus, the Israelites came back to Jerusalem and their homeland, led by the priest Ezra and the king’s scribe, Nehemiah. It was therefore at that occasion Ezra proclaimed the Law of God and the words of the Scriptures to the assembly of the people of God who had finally returned to their homeland. The people were sorrowful and sad because of the many sins which they and their ancestors had committed against the Lord, which had caused their predicament in the first place, but Ezra told them not to be sorrowful or mourn on that day, but instead to rejoice greatly because it was truly a joyful day and moment that the Lord had made, in continuing to provide for His people despite their sins and faults, their disobedience and wickedness, showing them His constant love and compassion, kindness and grace, restoring them to their lands and allowing them to rebuild their lives and cities.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures this Sunday of the Word of God, we are all reminded that God Himself, His Divine Word, has become incarnate in the flesh and dwelled among us all, in the person of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world. It is a reminder for all of us that God did not just make empty words or promises, but manifested His love, His kindness and compassion towards all of us through His incarnation, the sending of His Son into this world, to be born of His Mother, the Blessed Mary ever Virgin, to show us all the perfect love that He has always had for each and every one of us, and which we should appreciate and realise as we all carry on living our lives as Christians in our world today. We are all called as Christians to be the faithful and worthy bearers of our faith in the Lord, to be truly missionary, evangelising and active in how we proclaim the truth and Good News of God to everyone around us. We cannot and should not be ignorant of this calling which we have received from the Lord, and we should always be ready and prepared to go forth, revealing the Word of God that we have received and shared to the whole world. It is what we are called to do on this Sunday of the Word of God, to proclaim the salvation of God to all the nations, and to be the shining beacons of His light and truth, helping many of our fellow brothers and sisters in their journey towards the Lord. Let us all commit ourselves anew from now on, with a new commitment and spirit, to follow the Lord ever more wholeheartedly in all things. Let us show the ever enduring love and mercy, compassion and kindness which God has for us all, His beloved ones, even to the greatest of sinners among us. No one is truly excluded or barred from the love and mercy of God, and we should be the ones to bear witness to His love and kindness. We are called to emulate the Holy men and women and all the Saints, particularly the Saints we celebrate today, Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops and Saint José Gabriel Brochero, Priest. All of us are called and reminded to be more like St. Timothy and St. Titus in serving the Lord, in loving Him and our fellow brothers and sisters more and more. Let us ask ourselves if we have been faithful and true to our faith in God, or whether we have allowed ourselves to be swayed by the many temptations of worldly desires and pleasures that we end up falling deeper and deeper into the path of sin and evil. We are called to be better examples and role models of our Christian faith. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace as we continue to strive to live faithful and worthily of the Lord. May He be with us always, and bless us in our every good efforts and endeavours, now and forevermore and may St. Timothy and St. Titus, Holy servants of God, intercede for us all sinners. Amen 🙏🏽
SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINTS TIMOTHY AND TITUS, BISHOPS AND SAINT JOSÉ GABRIEL BROCHERO, PRIEST – FEAST DAY ~ JANUARY 26TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops. The two followers and friends of St. Paul the Apostle who were among the first bishops of the Church, as the successors of the Apostles. It was fitting that we celebrate them today as yesterday we celebrated the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, as a reminder for us just how significant the contributions that St. Paul, formerly Saul, a great enemy of the Christian faithful turned a most ardent defender of the faith, had in the early history of the Church. We also celebrate the Memorial of Saint José Gabriel Brochero, Priest.
[Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops
Not celebrated as a liturgical memorial this year since it falls on Sunday]
SAINTS TIMOTHY AND TITUS, BISHOPS: Saints Timothy and Titus were close companions of the Apostle Paul and bishops of the Catholic Church in its earliest days. St.Paul called St. Timothy a “dearly beloved son, brother, companion in labor & man of God” and called St. Titus “my true child in common faith.” Both men received letters from St. Paul, which are included in the New Testament. Pope Benedict XVI discussed these early bishops during a general audience on Dec. 13, 2006, noting “their readiness to take on various offices” in “far from easy” circumstances. Both saints, the Pope said, “teach us to serve the Gospel with generosity, realizing that this also entails a service to the Church herself.”
SAINT TIMOTHY: St.Timothy (17-97 AD) was St. Paul’s dearest disciple, his most steadfast associate. He was the son of a Jewish mother and a Greek father, born in AD 17. St. Timothy came from Lystra in present-day Turkey. His mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois, are known to have joined the Church, and Timothy himself is described as a student of Sacred Scripture from his youth. After St. Paul’s visit to Timothy’s home region of Lycaonia, around the year 51, the young man joined the apostle and accompanied him in his travels. After religious strife forced Paul to leave the city of Berea, Timothy remained to help the local church. St. Paul later sent him to Thessalonica to help the Church during a period of persecution. The two met up again in Corinth, and St. Timothy eventually journeyed to Macedonia on St. Paul’s behalf. Problems in the Corinthian Church brought St. Timothy back for a time, after which he joined St. Paul and accompanied the apostle in subsequent travels. Like St. Paul, Timothy endured a period of imprisonment in the course of his missionary work. His release is mentioned in the New Testament Epistle to the Hebrews.
Around the year 64, Timothy became the first bishop of the Church of Ephesus. During that same year, he received the first of two surviving letters from St. Paul. The second, written the next year, urges Timothy to visit St. Paul in Rome, where he was imprisoned before his martyrdom. Ancient sources state that St. Timothy followed his mentor in dying as a martyr for the faith. In the year 93, during his leadership of the Church in Ephesus, he took a stand against the worship of idols and was consequently killed by a mob. According to tradition St. Timothy spent the rest of his life at Ephesus as its Bishop. He was martyred during the winter of the year AD 97 at about the age of 80. The pagan festival he was protesting was held Jan. 22, and this date was preserved as St. Timothy’s memorial in the Christian East. St. Timothy is the Patron Saint: Intestinal disorders; stomach diseases. Feast day: January 26, January 24 (Trad)
SAINT TITUS: St. Titus was Bishop and Confessor, 1st century AD. He was a friend and became one of St. Paul’s most illustrious disciples. In contrast with Timothy’s partial Jewish descent and early Biblical studies, St. Titus was born into a pagan family. He is said to have studied Greek philosophy and poetry in his early years. But he pursued a life of virtue, and purportedly had a prophetic dream that caused him to begin reading the Hebrew Scriptures. According to tradition, St. Titus journeyed to Jerusalem and witnessed the preaching of Christ during the Lord’s ministry on earth. Only later, however – after the conversion of St. Paul and the beginning of his ministry – did St. Titus receive baptism from the apostle, who called the pagan convert his “true child in our common faith.” St. Paul was not only Titus’ spiritual father, but also depended on his convert as an assistant and interpreter. St. Titus accompanied Paul to the Apostolic Council of Jerusalem during the year 51, and was later sent to the Corinthian Church on two occasions. After the end of Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome, the apostle ordained St. Titus as the Bishop of Crete.
St. Paul sent his only surviving letter to Titus around the year 64, giving instructions in pastoral ministry to his disciple as he prepared to meet up with him in the Greek city of Nicopolis. St. Titus evangelized the region of Dalmatia in modern Croatia before returning to Crete. St. Titus is credited with leading the Church of Crete well into his 90s, overturning paganism and promoting the faith through his prayers and preaching. Unlike St. Timothy, St. Titus was not martyred, but died peacefully of natural cause in old age at the age of 94, having lived in the state of virginity during his whole life. St. Paul left a worthy monument to St. Titus, his faithful disciple, in the beautiful pastoral letter which forms part of the New Testament. St. Titus was Patron Saint of Crete, United States Chaplain Corp. Feastday: January 26 (New) February 6 (Trad).
PRAYER: Lord God, You filled Sts. Timothy and Titus with apostolic virtues, through their intercession may we live good and religious lives her on earth and thus be worthy of our heavenly home. Saints Timothy and Titus, companions of St. Paul ~ Pray for us. Amen🙏
SAINT JOSÉ GABRIEL BROCHERO, PRIEST: St. José Gabriel is known in Argentina as the “cowboy priest.” This gaucho, as local cattle-herders are known, served a large parish spread over miles of mountainous terrain. St. José showed bravery in his first years as a priest by ministering to victims of a cholera epidemic in the city of Cordoba, Argentina. At 29 he was assigned to St. Albert, a remote parish numbering about ten thousand souls with neither schools nor roads. Padre José went on the back of a mule along the mountains to care for his flock, carrying a Mass kit and an image of the Blessed Mother. His flock was, in a sense, “lost,” so remote were they from the larger society. Father José said of his people that “they were abandoned by everyone, but not by God.” Early in his tenure, he desired spiritual renewal for his parish and so he led a group across mountains in a snowstorm to a retreat being held at Cordoba on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. This beginning in prayer produced much fruit in the parish.
His priestly ministry drew him to the people, to “go out,” as Jesus and his apostles went out to where the people were to be found. This “going out” involved risk: the danger of terrain, long days far from home, and the unexpected. Pope Francis has especially encouraged priests and generally all Christians to get out on the roads and into the public squares as a necessary first step in evangelization, in sharing Christ. St. José Gabriel was not unknown to the public for his incarnational way of ministering. He worked alongside his people. A Cordoba newspaper wrote about this priest’s way of serving in an 1887 article: “He practices the gospel. Are you missing a carpenter? He’s a carpenter. Are you missing a laborer? He’s a laborer. He rolls up his cassock wherever he is, takes the shovel or hoe and opens a public road in 15 days aided by his parishioners.” In these tasks St. José found a space of communion in labor with his parishioners and a solid imitation of his patron, St. Joseph. He worked to build roads, schools, and to get mail and telegraph couriers for the good of the people. In his letter to those gathered for the beatification ceremony, Pope Francis said: “This shepherd who smelled of sheep became poor among the poor.”
St. José Gabriel was born in 1840, the same year of birth as St. Damien of Molokai. Like Damien, José Gabriel served those who were considered untouchable, the lepers, and like Damien he died a leper. He continued to pray and offer Mass although ill and blind. His “going out” was a complete emptying of self. Pope Francis wrote: “Brochero did not stay in the parish offices: he would exhaust himself riding his mule and he ended up being sick with leprosy.” St. José Gabriel died January 26, 1914. The beatification ceremony at Cordoba was attended by close to 150,000 people, including three thousand gauchos wearing the traditional ponchos of the Argentine cowboy. This priest was a lone ranger when he had to be and, like his Divine Master, was brave, courageous, and bold.
PRAYER: We humbly ask you, almighty God, that at the intercession of blessed José Gabriel, you may multiply your gifts among us and order our days in peace. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen🙏
DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF JANUARY | MONTH OF THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS: The month of January is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. After the Blessed Virgin Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit, the Angel Gabriel appeared to St. Joseph and told him that the Child’s name should be called Jesus, meaning “God Saves.” According to Jewish law, on the 8th day after his birth a male child was to be circumcised, receive his name, and become a full member of God’s covenant people. According to the old Roman liturgical calendar, the Feast of the Circumcision of Jesus was celebrated on January 1st, eight days after Christmas, the same day that He was given His sacred name. Currently we celebrate the Solemnity of the Mother of God on January 1st and honor the Holy Name of Jesus on January 3rd. For Catholics, Jesus’ sacred name is the object of a special devotion symbolized by the monogram “IHS,” (sometimes called a Christogram), which is the first three letters of the Greek spelling of His name.
https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=12538
THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2025: FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY – FOR THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION: Let us pray for migrants, refugees, and those affected by war, that their right to an education, which is necessary to build a better world, might always be respected.
https://www.usccb.org/prayers/popes-monthly-intentions-2025
PRAYER FOR PEACE ~ POPE FRANCIS:
Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!
Prayers for Peace | https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/prayers-for-peace/
PRAYER FOR THE VICTIMS OF WILDFIRES AND DISASTERS: We continue to pray for the victims of the current wildfires in the United States (Los Angeles, California and other parts of the country) and victims of natural disasters across the world. We especially pray for those that have lost their lives and their families.
PRAYER INTENTIONS: Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints, on this feast day, we humbly pray and thank God for blessing us all with the gift of His precious son, may we be saved by the name of our Savior Jesus Christ! And as we begin the Ordinary Time, may the Lord grant us the grace to serve Him in spirit and in truth. We pray for peace, love and unity in our marriages, our families and our world today, as we face these incredibly challenging times. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for the sick and dying, especially sick children, those who are sick with heart diseases, strokes, mental illness, and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. We pray for torture victims, the poor, the needy and the most vulnerable in our communities and around the world. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the souls of the faithful departed and for all widows and widowers. And we continue to pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Bishops, the Clergy and all those who preach the Gospel. We pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, for the Church, for persecuted christians, for all the innocent who suffer violence due to political or religious unrest, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world… Amen🙏
Let us pray:
Glorious Word of God, You have come to set us free by revealing to us Your love and mercy and by bestowing that grace upon us. Please open my mind and heart to Your holy Word so that I will be driven by a holy love to serve and follow You all the days of my life. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏
Saints Timothy and Titus, you were called by God to share in the apostolic ministry of Saint Paul, to go forth to preach, and to draw many souls to Heaven. Your faith, zeal, and countless virtues assisted you in this mission. Please pray for me, that I may also share in the apostolic work of the Church and help bring many souls to Christ. Saints Timothy and Titus, pray for me. 🙏🏽
Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Mother Mary, Saints Timothy and Titus and Saint José Gabriel Brochero ~ Pray for us🙏
*Please find below links to the websites for Daily Reflections, Foundation and interesting topics and articles about our Catholic faith and doctrines:
DAILY REFLECTIONS | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/
SIR G.L.I OPIEPE’S HEALTH AND EDUCATION FOUNDATION | https://gliopiepehe.org
THE LITURGICAL YEAR IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2024/12/03/the-liturgical-year-in-the-catholic-church/
OPENING OF THE HOLY DOORS SCHEDULES | JUBILEE OF HOPE 2025
Pope Francis opens the Holy Door Ushering in the Jubilee of Hope | ‘Hope is Alive’ | Vatican News | December 24, 2024 | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2024/12/25/pope-francis-opens-the-holy-door-ushering-in-the-jubilee-of-hope-hope-is-alive-vatican-news-december-24-2024/
THE JUBILEE PRAYER
Link to the prayer of the Jubilee of Hope 2025 | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/01/08/the-jubilee-prayer/
Reflections and Prayer Links for 2025 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity:
Reflections and Prayers for the Eight Days: A Journey through the Nicene Creed | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/01/18/2025-week-of-prayer-for-christian-unity/
Resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, and throughout the year | 2025 EN WPCU.pdf| https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/01/18/week-of-prayer-for-christian-unity-2025-january-18-25-2025/
9 DAYS FOR LIFE: PRAY TO PROTECT HUMAN LIFE | January 16-24, 2025 | USCCB* [Link below] https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/01/17/9-days-for-life-novena-usccb/
SOLEMNITY OF THE CONVERSION OF SAINT PAUL THE APOSTLE | CELEBRATION OF SECOND VESPERS ON THE 58TH WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY | HOMILY OF THE HOLY FATHER, POPE FRANCIS | LIVE from the Vatican, Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls | Saturday, 25 January 2025 | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/01/26/solemnity-of-the-conversion-of-saint-paul-the-apostle-celebration-of-second-vespers-on-the-58th-week-of-prayer-for-christian-unity-homily-of-the-holy-father-pope-francis/
Thanking God for the gift of this new year and praying for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and our world and for God’s Divine Mercy and Grace upon us all as we begin this Ordinary Time. Wishing all of us a most blessed, safe, healthy, prosperous and grace-filled New Year and Sunday of the Word of God and week. Amen🙏
Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖