FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR C)
SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ FEBRUARY 9, 2025
NOVENA IN HONOR OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES | Novena Starts: February 2nd; Feastday: February 11th | Novena prayer | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/02/02/novena-to-our-lady-of-lourdes/
Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN | “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/02/09/catholic-daily-mass-3/
Greetings and blessings, beloved family and Happy Sunday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time!
Today, on this Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Teilo, Bishop; Saint Apollonia, Virgin and Martyr and Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, Religious. Through the intercession of our blessed Mother Mary, St. Apollonia (Patron Saint of Dentists, tooth disease, toothache) and all the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the sick and dying, for a courageous and holy death, especially the elderly, may beseech her to strengthen their faith as they weaken and approach death. And for people suffering from toothache and other dental diseases.
“O Glorious Apollonia, patron saint of dentistry and refuge to all those suffering from diseases of the teeth, I consecrate myself to thee, beseeching thee to number me among thy clients. Assist me by your intercession with God in my daily work and intercede with Him to obtain for me a happy death. Pray that my heart like thine may be inflamed with the love of Jesus and Mary, through Christ our Lord. Amen. 0 My God, bring me safe through temptation and strengthen me as thou didst our own patron Apollonia, through Christ our Lord….Amen.”🙏
We continue to pray for torture victims, the poor, the needy and the most vulnerable in our communities and around the world. Amen. For those who are sick, especially those who are sick with cancers and other terminal diseases. We pray 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. We continue to pray for peace all over the world, particularly in Africa, the Middle East, for an end to the Ukraine-Russia conflicts and for peace in our families and throughout our divided and conflicted World. May the Saints intercede for our children, children all over the world and us all. Amen. Saint Teilo, Bishop; Saint Apollonia, Virgin and Martyr and Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, Religious ~ Pray for us🙏
We 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! May the good Lord grant us His grace during this Ordinary Time as we continue to serve Him in spirit and in truth. 🙏🏽
Pray “Holy Rosary for Peace with Pope Francis” | “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteries | Memorare Chaplet | Prayer in Difficult Times (Powerful Prayer) | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/01/30/holy-rosary-for-peace-with-pope-francis/
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/
DAILY REFLECTIONS | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/
THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2025: FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY – FOR VOCATIONS TO THE PRIESTHOOD AND RELIGIOUS LIFE | Let us pray that the ecclesial community might welcome the desires and doubts of those young people who feel a call to serve Christ’s mission in the priesthood and religious life.
https://www.usccb.org/prayers/popes-monthly-intentions-2025 (See also http://www.popesprayerusa.net/.)
We continue to pray for the intentions of our Holy Father. We pray for the Clergy, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, Deacons, all religious, for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. For those consecrated to God by the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience that they may seek to live their baptismal promises more intensely and have the grace to persevere in their commitment to the Lord and serve with open hearts and willing spirits… Amen 🙏🏽
On this special feast day, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we pray for the sick and dying. We especially pray for our loved ones who have recently died and we continue to pray for the repose of the gentle souls of the recent plane crashes and souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls and souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯
“Blessed are those who have died in the Lord; let them rest from their abors for their good deeds go with them.” ~ Rev 14:13
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🙏
PRAYER FOR PEACE ~ POPE FRANCIS:
Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!
A PRAYER FOR PEACE: Lord Jesus Christ, You are the true King of peace. In You alone is found freedom. Please free our world from conflict. Bring unity to troubled nations. Let Your glorious peace reign in every heart. Dispel all darkness and evil. Protect the dignity of every human life. Replace hatred with Your love. Give wisdom to world leaders. Free them from selfish ambition. Eliminate all violence and war. Glorious Virgin Mary, Saint Michael the Archangel, Every Angel and Saint: Please pray for peace. Pray for unity amongst nations. Pray for unity amongst all people. Pray for the most vulnerable. Pray for those suffering. Pray for the fearful. Pray for those most in need. Pray for us all. Jesus, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us. Jesus, hear our prayers. Jesus, I trust in You! Amen 🙏
Prayers for Peace | https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/prayers-for-peace/
NOVENA IN HONOR OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES [Novena Starts: February 2nd; Feastday: February 11th]
NOVENA PRAYER: Most Holy Mother Mary, at Lourdes you asked us to do penance and to pray for the conversion of sinners. Obtain for each of us the grace of true repentance. Help those for whom we pray, and especially those who most need God’s mercy. Your Divine Son so loves every soul that He gave His life to pay the price for our redemption. Help us to return His love by making the sacrifices needed to keep his commandments. Most Holy Mother you offered your Divine Son to the Eternal Father when you presented Him in the temple; offer us to the Father as your other children; watch over us and guide us. Blessed Mother, obtain for me the grace I most need, and especially these favors that I ask in this Novena, if they be in keeping with God’s will. Amen.
O Immaculate Virgin Mary, preserved from the slightest stain of sin, and enriched with all the treasures of divine grace, I thank you for the many blessings I have received through your most powerful intercession. You know my needs, my trials, my sufferings. Mother of mercy, I beseech you to hear my prayer, and to obtain for me of your Divine Son the favors I seek in this Novena. (Here make your requests.)
THE MEMORARE: Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of Virgins, my Mother; to thee I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful; O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen 🙏🏽(Add your daily Rosary)
Our Lady of Lourdes, Pray for us 🙏🏽
Saint Bernadette, Pray for us 🙏🏽
Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes Link | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/02/02/novena-to-our-lady-of-lourdes/
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:
Bible Readings for today’s Holy Mass | Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Today’s Bible Readings: Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) | February 9, 2025
Reading 1, Isaiah 6:1-2, 3-8
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 138:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 7-8
Reading 2, First Corinthians 15:1-11
Gospel, Luke 5:1-11
Gospel Reading ~ Luke 5:1–11
“They left everything and followed Jesus”
“While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon said in reply, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that the boats were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.”
Today’s Gospel reading this Sunday according to St. Luke the Evangelist, details the moment when the Lord went to the Lake of Galilee where He encountered His first disciples, the fishermen who worked at the lake, namely the two pairs of brothers, Simon and Andrew, as well as James and John. And it was there that the four fishermen, who were fishing by the lakeside, were told by the Lord to put their nets out into the deep water, despite them having caught nothing after many hours of labour. Simon, as the leader of the group spoke about his frustrations of not getting the fish all night long, but he obeyed the Lord’s command, and as soon as the nets were lowered according to the Lord’s commands, as we heard, there were so many fishes trapped that the two boats were almost sunk by them. This is an important reminder for all of us as Christians that as we embark on our journey of evangelisation as well as in our work of proclaiming the Good News of God to the people around us, we cannot do them without involving God and without putting our faith and trust in Him. And in every successes that we do and experience, the Lord is involved in them in some ways, beyond our knowledge, understanding and even ability to perceive. We must not be tempted or deluded into thinking that we can do everything by our own power and might, and as we respond to God’s call, in doing what He wants us all to do, in our outreach to everyone around us, in our respective communities and places, we must always root ourselves firmly in our faith in the Lord, and put Him at the centre of each and every one of our actions and works.
Our first reading this Sunday from the Book of the prophet Isaiah gives the account of how Isaiah witnessed a great heavenly vision from the Lord. At that time, Isaiah, who lived in the kingdom of Judah, was called by God to be His servant, His prophet to the people of Judah, and He revealed Himself to Isaiah, showing him all of His glory in Heaven, with all the glorious Angels surrounding Him and attending to Him, praising Him ceaselessly, and then a great Seraph, one of the chief Angels of God came to Isaiah, putting the coal from the heavenly Altar and purified Isaiah, who was therefore called and chosen to be God’s servant, as the prophet of God, and Isaiah responded positively to God calling on him to minister to His people. This was the beginning of Isaiah’s mission to the people of Judah, which had been alternating between rulers that were faithful to God and those who disobeyed God’s Law and commandments. King Uzziah, the king of Judah who had just passed away then, was one of those who disobeyed God and brought the people into sin, worshipping all sorts of pagan gods and idols. Meanwhile, the other kingdom of God’s people, the northern neighbour of Judah, the Kingdom of Israel had been been destroyed and conquered by the Assyrians a while earlier. Many of the people of the Kingdom of Israel had been uprooted from their homeland and forced to wander in exile in the distant lands of Assyria and Mesopotamia. Therefore, Isaiah had been called to proclaim God’s words of His people in Judah, firstly to warn them of the similar fate that they might be facing if they were to continue to walk down the path of rebellion and disobedience against Him, and at the same time, to provide them all with the message of assurance of God’s love and providence, His kindness and mercy, because despite of their rebelliousness and sins, God still loved His people nonetheless, and He has always been patient in loving and caring for them, providing them all with the means and ways for them to seek Him and His merciful love. God wants to let His beloved ones know that He is there for them, and if they are willing to repent and turn away from their sinful ways, then He will welcome them all back most warmly and lovingly.
Our second reading this Sunday from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful in Corinth, details the experiences which St. Paul mentioned to the faithful there on how he became a believer himself, after having received the truth of God from the Apostles and the other disciples, and after having encountered the Lord Himself in a vision that led to His conversion. He shared with all of them this story of his conversion and calling firstly to remind them all of the same truth which the faithful in Corinth have also believed in, and how he has been tasked with the mission to continue proclaiming the same Good News and truth to more and more people that he encountered throughout his journeys. Again, just like Isaiah before him, St. Paul had been called and sent to do God’s will, to continue the good works which He has initiated and started, and which He therefore entrusted to them. Through the good works that each of them had done, many more people came to know of the Lord, His love and mercy, and were led into the path of repentance and reconciliation, through which they were restored to grace in God and hence to the glorious inheritance that He has wanted to provide to them. And it is this same mission which all of us also share in, as our calling and responsibility as Christians, to be the ones to proclaim the Lord and His Good News to all the nations, to show the Lord to the world through our exemplary lives and actions, at all times.
Reflecting on today’s Scripture readings, each of today’s three readings shows how God entered the lives of three very imperfect people, blessing them in a very striking way. While Isaiah was at prayer in the Temple of Jerusalem, he was blessed with a vision of God’s majesty, of the Lord seated upon a high throne, even though Isaiah, on his own admission, was a person of unclean lips who lived among a people of unclean lips. On the road to Damascus, St. Paul was blessed with a vision of the risen Lord, even though at that very moment he persecuting the followers of the Lord. St. Peter the fisherman was blessed with the gift of an extraordinary catch of fish, even though, as he acknowledged, he was a sinful man. The way the Lord relates to each one of us is how he related to the Prophet Isaiah, St. Paul and St. Peter. He bestows his favour upon us without waiting for us to do anything to deserve it. In our second reading Saint Paul says, ‘I hardly deserve the name apostle’. The Lord doesn’t relate to us on the basis of what we deserve but simply out of the abundance of his own goodness and his love for us. He doesn’t ask us to change for the better before giving us his favour. Rather, He bestows His favour on us to empower us to change for the better, to enable us to become the person he wants us to become and knows we can become. As a result of the Lord’s favour towards him, St. Paul the persecutor of the church became the great apostle to the pagans. Likewise, St. Peter the fisherman became the rock on which Jesus built His church and Prophet Isaiah became one of the greatest prophets of Israel. When Peter said to Jesus, ‘Leave me, Lord’, he was speaking out of a sense of unworthiness at being so greatly blessed. Yet, Jesus wasn’t asking him to be worthy or deserving. It’s as if Jesus was saying to St. Peter, ‘I know you are unworthy, but I have blessed you abundantly anyway, and I have a job for you to do’. The Lord, of course, can touch our lives at any time of the day, and He can do so even when we are not consciously seeking to be touched by the Lord’s presence. The Lord doesn’t ask any of us to be worthy or deserving. He wants to bless us with His presence, with His gifts, as we are, even if we are actively opposing Him, as St. Paul was at the time. If we say to Him, ‘Leave me, Lord, because I am sinful’, He will ignore us. He wants us, rather, to pray, ‘Come, Lord Jesus’. He wants us to open ourselves to the many ways that He can bless and grace us. He can do that whether we are at prayer in a place of worship as Prophet Isaiah was, or going about our day job, as St. Peter was, or actively opposing the Lord’s good work, as St.Paul was. The Lord wants to touch our lives with His gracious and generous presence, wherever we happen to be on our life’s journey, and He will find a way to do so, if we give Him half a chance, if we can bring ourselves to say with all our heart, ‘Come, Lord Jesus’, rather than ‘Leave me, Lord’. When we open ourselves to the Lord’s coming, He will often move us to take a direction we would never have taken if left to ourselves. If left to themselves, Prophet Isaiah would never have become the prophet he was, St. Paul would never have become the apostle to the pagans, and St. Peter would never have become the leader of the early church. The Lord has something important for each of us to do, some vital contribution to make to his own good work in our world, and He can work powerfully even through our weaknesses, if we allow Him.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures this Sunday, we are all reminded of the calling which the Lord our God has given to each and every one of us, the mission that He Himself has entrusted to us through His Church. We are reminded today through the readings of the Scripture passages which all highlighted to us the importance of service and mission, and answering God’s call in our lives. Each one of us have been given the various gifts, talents, abilities and opportunities, all unique to us and our circumstances so that we may make good use of these things which God has given to us for the good of the Church and for the whole world, the salvation of all mankind. As we have discerned and discussed through these readings of the Sacred Scriptures which we have received this Sunday, we can see clearly how God has called on all of us, His disciples and followers, to be His missionaries and workers, the ones to proclaim His salvation, the Good News He has brought into our midst, and to reveal His love to everyone. We should be inspired to follow the good examples set by our predecessors, like that of the prophet Isaiah, the many other prophets, and the disciples of the Lord like the Twelve Apostles, four of whom were mentioned in our Gospel passage today, and also St. Paul the Apostle, who followed the Lord wholeheartedly and dedicated himself to decades of service in being a missionary disciple, spreading the faith to countless people he encountered, to the very end of his life. Let us all therefore do our best and strive to respond to God’s call, in His call for us to embrace our missions in life, to do what we can to glorify His Name, and also to save more and more people by showing them all the sure path towards God, by sharing our own faith with them and by becoming good examples, inspirations and as good role models ourselves in how we live our own lives as devoted and faithful Christians at all times. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, be our Guide and may He grant us the grace to be humble and strengthen our resolve and commitment to live faithfully in His presence, always and at all times. May the Lord be with us always, and may He guide us to Himself, and help us to walk ever more faithfully in His Presence, and may the Lord, our most loving God and Father, continue to bless us all in our every good endeavours, and may He continue to empower and guide each one of us in everything we do now and forevermore. Amen 🙏🏽
SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT TEILO, BISHOP; SAINT APOLLONIA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR AND BLESSED ANNE CATHERINE EMMERICH, RELIGIOUS – FEAST DAY ~ FEBRUARY 9TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Teilo, Bishop; Saint Apollonia, Virgin and Martyr and Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, Religious. Through the intercession of our blessed Mother Mary, St. Apollonia (Patron Saint of Dentists, tooth disease, toothache) and all the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the sick and dying, for a courageous and holy death, especially the elderly, may beseech her to strengthen their faith as they weaken and approach death. And for people suffering from toothache and other dental diseases.
“O Glorious Apollonia, patron saint of dentistry and refuge to all those suffering from diseases of the teeth, I consecrate myself to thee, beseeching thee to number me among thy clients. Assist me by your intercession with God in my daily work and intercede with Him to obtain for me a happy death. Pray that my heart like thine may be inflamed with the love of Jesus and Mary, through Christ our Lord. Amen. 0 My God, bring me safe through temptation and strengthen me as thou didst our own patron Apollonia, through Christ our Lord….Amen.”🙏
Saint Teilo, Bishop; Saint Apollonia, Virgin and Martyr and Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, Religious ~ Pray for us🙏
Saint (s) of the Day | February 9th | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/
SAINT TEILO, BISHOP: St. Teilo was a sixth-century monk and bishop who led the Church in the Llandaff area of present-day Cardiff. His time as bishop included a major disease outbreak, which forced the local church and its leader into temporary exile. St. Teilo was an important and revered figure, who became a popular namesake for churches in Wales. St. Teilo is sometimes known under alternate versions of his name, including Theliau, Elios and Eliud. According to tradition Teilo was born about the year 480 AD at either Gumfreston or Penally in south Pembrokeshire. There are indications that St. Teilo’s father was a man named Usyllt, who may have been canonized as “Saint Issell.” A clearer connection exists between St. Teilo and the well-known Welsh patron Saint David, Teilo’s fellow monk and bishop, who was also his cousin. Finally, it appears that Teilo’s nephew, St. Oudaceus, succeeded him as the Bishop of Llandaff.
St. Teilo’s education took place at two institutions directed by saints. The first was established by the renowned Church leader and educator Saint Dubric (or Dyfrig), while the second was the school directed by Saint Paulinus of Wales. Later, St. Teilo himself became a monk and headed a monastic school in Llandaff. According to tradition, St.Teilo’s made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land with St. David and their companion St. Padarn, and that the three were made bishops by the Patriarch of Jerusalem in approximately 518. Afterward, St. Teilo purportedly went to France, serving the Church there for several years alongside his friend St. Samson of Brittany. St. Teilo became the bishop of Llandaff, he took over leadership after its previous bishop St. Dubric retired to a hermitage on Bardsey Island. St. Teilo earned the acclaim of the faithful as a worthy successor to St. Dubric. The depth of their trust became clear in 547, when a severe disease (Yellow Fever) outbreak prompted Teilo to lead a large portion of his flock into exile for several years to escape its effects. He and his followers fled to Cornwall, from Cornwall they travelled to Brittany, staying with St. Samson and waiting for the plague to pass. Almost eight years passed, during which time Teilo and his followers are said to have planted three miles of fruit trees before they returned to Wales. His admirable leadership continued in Llandaff for several years after the crisis, and he died peacefully in a local monastery in 566 AD. In the centuries that followed, St. Teilo was honored in parts of France as well as in and Wales. Several churches in south Wales and Brittany are dedicated to St Teilo. A town in northwestern France, “Saint-Thelo,” still bears his name. He’s Patron Saint of Horses and fruit trees.
Saint Teilo, Bishop ~ Pray for us 🙏
SAINT APOLLONIA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR: St. Apollonia was a deaconess of advanced age and noted sanctity. She was one of a group of virgin martyrs who suffered in Alexandria during a local uprising against the Christians prior to the persecution of Decius about 250. After a life spent in self-sacrifice and works of charity, this holy woman fell prey to a howling mob venting its fury on any Christians it could find. Enraged at St. Apollonia’s courageous refusal to sacrifice to idols, some in the mob struck out at her and knocked out all her teeth. St. Apollonia was then threatened with being burnt alive in a fire that was enkindled. She asked for a few moments to think things over. Then, so anxious was she embrace martyrdom that she tore free from the hands of her tormentors and, prompted by the Holy Spirit, leapt into the fire before they were ready. And the pagans remained amazed to see a weak woman more anxious to die for Christ than the cruel pagans were to torment her.
The story of St. Apollonia’s martyrdom was told to Fabius, the Bishop of Antioch, by St. Dionysius, the Bishop of Alexandria (died 265), a contemporary. The Martyrology reads: “At Alexandria the holy virgin Apollonia—under the Emperor Decius (249-251) her teeth were beaten out; then the executioners built and lit a funeral pyre, and threatened to burn her alive unless she would repeat their blasphemies. After some reflection she suddenly tore herself loose from her tormentors and threw herself into the flames. The fire of the Holy Spirit that glowed within her was more intense than the burning pyre. Her executioners were astounded to see a weak woman willingly embracing death with such determination before they were ready to carry out their threats.”
Theologians have debated about whether St. Apollonia’s act of throwing herself on the fire could be considered suicide. This would have been the “honorable” choice of good pagan Romans or Greeks when public humiliation or fall from power was inevitable. But the Church has never condoned suicide and St. Augustine, among others, defended the saint’s actions as noble, showing that she preferred martyrdom to giving up her faith and that she was merely proceeding with the inevitable. As was true for many of the early martyrs, St. Apollonia was immediately revered as a saint. She was especially venerated in the West and, in the Middle Ages, became known as the saint whose intercessions could help with problems of the teeth. She is invoked against toothaches and dental diseases. She’s the Patron Saint of Dentists; tooth disease; toothache. We praise God for the fearless courage of those early saints and ask that those who are in danger of mob violence in our day may be aided by the prayers of St. Apollonia.🙏
PRAYER: Lord God, You showered heavenly gifts on St. Apollonia. Help us to imitate her virtues during our earthly life and enjoy eternal happiness with her in heaven. Amen🙏
BLESSED ANNE CATHERINE EMMERICH, RELIGIOUS: Bl. Anne Catherine was born “Anna Katharina” on September 8, 1774 in Flamsche, Westphalia, Germany. She was a German nun and mystic whose visions were recorded in The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ (1833) and The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1852), by the German Romantic writer Clemens Brentano. Bl. Anne Catherine was the fifth of nine children born to a poor farming family. Parents were Bernard Emmerich, Anne Hiller. From her earliest years she demonstrated religious devotion and the desire for a life of prayer. At that young age she received divine knowledge imparted to her through extremely detailed visions of the lives of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and the saints. As a child her guardian angel often appeared to her, and Jesus Himself visited her while she was tending sheep. The suffering souls in purgatory often called upon her assistance to offer prayers and penances on their behalf. Bl. Anne Catherine worked on the family farm which afforded her little opportunity to learn to read and write, however, her attempts to join a religious community were largely unsuccessful because of her family’s poverty. Bl. Anne Catherine’s failure to learn to play the organ undermined her admission to the Poor Clares, a Franciscan order in Münster. Finally, in 1802, at the age of 28, after many years of longing for the religious life, Anne Catherine entered the novitiate with the Augustinian community at Agnetenberg, but her poverty and intense devotion alienated her from the other nuns. In 1811 the convent was suppressed by order of Napoleon as part of his secularization of church property, and Bl. Emmerick was taken in as a housekeeper for a priest in Dülmen. She devoted her life to waging a spiritual battle for suffering souls, and in her great charity she accepted extreme physical, yet supernatural, sufferings which ultimately left her bedridden in 1813 after long suffering from illness and in great pain and remained so until her death 11 years later; her only nourishment during this time was the communion wafer. This strange phenomena of physical suffering for the spiritual condition of other souls was not always accepted by others, and she endured much ridicule due to the astonishing manner in which her experiences displayed themselves.
Bl. Anne Catherine soon received the stigmata and began to experience mystical visions of the Virgin Mary and, especially, of the sufferings and Passion of Jesus. Her experiences became widely known, and her visions were recorded and published by Brentano, who stayed with her from 1818 until her death. Brentano’s posthumously published The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary discusses Bl. Anne Catherine Emmerick’s visions of a house near the ancient Greek city of Ephesus (now in western Turkey) in which Mary, according to one tradition, spent her last years. In 1881 ruins of a house answering Bl. Anne Catherine Emmerick’s description were discovered by a French priest, and the site subsequently became a shrine. The house was visited by several Popes including, Pope Paul VI in 1967, Pope John Paul II in 1979 and Pope Benedict XVI in 2006 visited the house and treated it as a Shrine and Holy Place. Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich died on February 9, 1824 (aged 49) at Dülmen, Germany. She was Beatified on October 3, 2004 by Pope John Paul II, who emphasized her suffering, especially the stigmata and her generosity. She was beatified solely on the basis of her own personal sanctity and virtue. She had supernatural insight when working with the sick and poor. She was a model of heroic virtue for her contemporaries, and for us today.
Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, Religious ~ Pray for us 🙏
DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY | MONTH OF THE HOLY FAMILY The month of February is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Family. Between the events which marked Christmas and the beginning of Christ’s public life the Church has seen fit to recall the example of the Holy Family for the emulation of the Christian family.
The Feast of the Presentation (February 2) or Candlemas forms a fitting transition from Christmas to Easter. The small Christ-Child is still in His Mother’s arms, but already she is offering Him in sacrifice.
The Saints that we will focus on this month and try to imitate are:
St. Blaise and St. Ansgar (February 3); St. Agatha (February 5); St. Jerome Emiliani and St. Josephine Bakhita (February 8); St. Scholastica (February 10); Our Lady of Lourdes (February 11); Sts. Cyril and Methodius (February 14); Seven Founders of the Orders of Servites (February 17); St. Peter Damian (February 21); Chair of St. Peter (February 22) and St. Polycarp (February 23). The Optional Memorial of Polycarp (February 23), is superseded by the Sunday Liturgy.
From Feast to Fast: Though the shortest month of the year, February is rich in Liturgical activity. It contains a feast (Presentation of our Lord) that bridges two other seasons (Christmas and Easter). The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on February 2nd harkens back to the Christmas mystery of Light except that now, Christ, the helpless babe, is “the Light of Revelation to the Gentiles who will save His people from their sins.” Candles, symbolizing Christ our Light, will be carried in procession this day, as will be the Paschal candle during the Easter Vigil Liturgy. In addition, the faithful may receive in February two of the four major public sacramentals that the Church confers during the liturgical year: blessed candles and the blessing of throats. “The Light of Revelation” shines more brightly with each successive Sunday of Ordinary Time, until its magnificence–exposing our sinfulness and need for conversion–propels us into the penitential Season of Lent. We prepare to accept the cross of blessed ashes on Ash Wednesday, falls on March 5, 2025, marking the beginning of the Lenten season and plunge ourselves into anticipating the major exercises of Lent–fasting, prayer, almsgiving–laying our thoughts and prayers on the heart of our Mother Mary. She, who offered her Son in the temple and on the Cross, will teach us how to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow after her Son. 🙏🏽
https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=12539
PRAYER INTENTIONS: We 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! May the good Lord grant us His grace during this Ordinary Time as we continue to serve Him in spirit and in truth. Every life is a gift. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints, we humbly pray for torture victims, the poor, the needy and the most vulnerable in our communities and around the world. 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. We pray for all those who are sick, we particularly pray for sick children, the mentally and physically ill, strokes, heart diseases, and those suffering from breast cancer and other cancers and terminal diseases. May God restore them to good health and grant them His Divine healing and intervention. May our Mother Mary comfort them, may the Angels and Saints watch over them and may the Holy Spirit guide them in peace and comfort during this challenging time. We pray for the safety and well-being of us all and our families. We pray for an end to war, political and religious unrest. We pray for peace, love and unity in our families, our marriages and our divided and conflicted world. For God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the souls of the faithful departed and for all widows and widowers. We continue to pray for the Clergy, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, Deacons, all religious, for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. For those consecrated to God by the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience that they may seek to live their baptismal promises more intensely and have the grace to persevere in their commitment to the Lord and serve with open hearts and willing spirits… Amen. We pray 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. During this Ordinary Time, please let us all continue to pray for peace all over the world, particularly in Africa, the Middle East, for an end to the Ukraine-Russia conflicts and for peace in our families and throughout our divided and conflicted World. Amen 🙏🏾
Let us pray:
My miraculous Lord, You gave a command of love to Saint Peter, and he obeyed You with generosity. As a result, You brought forth an abundant catch. Please give me the strength of will to obey all that You speak to me, so that You will bring forth an abundance of good fruit in my life also. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏
Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Teilo; Saint Apollonia and Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich ~ Pray for us🙏
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 during this Ordinary Time. Have a blessed, safe, grace-filled Sunday and fruitful week. May God keep us all safe and well ~ Amen🙏
Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖