Greetings and blessings, beloved family and Happy Wednesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time!
SIXTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ FEBRUARY 19, 2025
MEMORIAL OF SAINT CONRAD OF PIACENZA; HERMIT; SAINT BARBATUS OF BENEVENTO, BISHOP; SAINT GABINUS, MARTYR AND BLESSED ALVAREZ OF CORDOVA| https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/
Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN | “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/2025/02/19/catholic-daily-mass-8/
PRAYER FOR POPE FRANCIS: May we all unite as one voice to lift up the Vicar of Christ in prayer today. We pray for Pope Francis’ speedy recovery and God’s Divine healing and intervention.
Almighty God, we thank you for the loving service of Pope Francis and the hope he has inspired in so many in Your great mercy. Have mercy on him in his illness now, we pray, and guide the medical staff in his care. Grant him peace and healing. Through Christ our Lord. Amen🙏🏽
A Call to Prayer: Pray for Pope Francis | https://www.ncregister.com/features/mfva-pray-for-pope-francis-health
BLACK HISTORY MONTH | Saturday, February 1, 2025 – Saturday, March 1, 2025
2025 Theme: African Americans and Labor
The month of February is BLACK HISTORY MONT
Black History Month: A Faith-Based Reflection on Legacy and Justice
February is recognized as Black History Month, a time dedicated to honoring the rich heritage, achievements, and contributions of Black individuals throughout history. As people of faith, this month offers an opportunity to reflect on God’s call for justice, love, and unity while recognizing the resilience and faith of Black communities throughout history.
Read the Full Article | Black History Month | February 2025 | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/02/16/black-history-month/
DAILY SAINTS AND REFLECTIONS | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/
Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Conrad of Piacenza, Hermit (Patron Saint for the cure of hernias, Cities and Diocese of Noto and Calendasco, Sicily); Saint Barbatus (Patron Saint of Benevento); Saint Gabinus, Martyr and Blessed Alvarez of Cordova. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and these Saints, we humbly pray for the sick and dying, particularly pray for those suffering from hernias, the coronavirus disease, cancers and other terminal diseases, praying for God’s divine healing and intervention. We also pray for persecuted Christians, the conversion of sinners and all who have fallen away from the joy of living in God’s loving presence and grace. We pray for the renewal of our spirit and a burning desire to serve God all the days of our lives. We continue to pray for torture victims, the poor, the needy and the most vulnerable in our communities and around the world. 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. 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 Conrad of Piacenza, Hermit; Saint Barbatus; Saint Gabinus, Martyr and Blessed Alvarez of Cordova ~ 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/
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/
SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT CONRAD OF PIACENZA; HERMIT; SAINT BARBATUS OF BENEVENTO, BISHOP; SAINT GABINUS, MARTYR AND BLESSED ALVAREZ OF CORDOVA – FEAST DAY ~ FEBRUARY 19TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Conrad of Piacenza, Hermit (Patron Saint for the cure of hernias, Cities and Diocese of Noto and Calendasco, Sicily); Saint Barbatus (Patron Saint of Benevento); Saint Gabinus, Martyr and Blessed Alvarez of Cordova. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and these Saints, we humbly pray for the sick and dying, particularly pray for those suffering from hernias, cancers and other terminal diseases, praying for God’s divine healing and intervention. We also pray for persecuted Christians, the conversion of sinners and all who have fallen away from the joy of living in God’s loving presence and grace… Amen 🙏🏽
Saint Conrad of Piacenza, Hermit; Saint Barbatus; Saint Gabinus, Martyr and Blessed Alvarez of Cordova ~ Pray for us 🙏🏽
Saint (s) of the Day | February 19th | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/
SAINT CONRAD OF PIACENZA, HERMIT: St. Conrad was a Franciscan tertiary and hermit, born into a noble family of Piacenza, Italy, in 1290. St. Conrad married a nobleman’s daughter in his youth. While on a hunting party, he had some brush set afire to flush a quarry; the fire spread and destroyed an entire grain field and a neighboring forest. Unable to put out the flames, Conrad and his men fled to the city, and an innocent peasant was apprehended, tortured, and condemned to death as the perpetrator of the deed. When Conrad saw the doomed man on the way to being executed, he was horrified and publicly confessed his responsibility for the disaster. He and his wife sacrificed their wealth to make restitution. As a result, he had to sell his possessions to pay for the damages.
This event inspired both spouses to enter religious life. Conrad, then twenty-five years old, joined a group of Third Order Franciscan hermits, and his wife entered the Poor Clares. After visiting the holy places in Rome, in quest of more solitude, St. Conrad retired to a hermitage in the Noto Valley near Syracuse, Sicily, and dwelt for about forty years, he lived a life of prayer and severe penance, spending a great part of his time caring for the sick in a nearby hospital, St. Martin’s Hospital sleeping on the bare ground with a stone for pillow, and with dry bread and raw herbs for food. God rewarded his great virtue by the gift of prophecy and the grace of miracles. He died while praying on his knees in 1351, surrounded by a bright light, in the presence of his confessor, who was unaware for some time of his death because of his position. He was canonized in 1625 by Pope Urban VIII. His cult was approved by Pope Paul III. He’s the Patron Saint for the cure of hernias, Cities and Diocese of Noto and Calendasco, Sicily. Known for his holiness, people sought St. Conrad out for advice and spiritual direction. Through his intercession, we give thanks and pray for all those we turn to for spiritual guidance.
PRAYER: Almighty God, You attracted Saint Conrad through his zeal for justice to serve You faithfully in the desert. Through his prayers may we live justly and piously, and happily succeed in coming to You. Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord, that as Thou were pacified by the penance of Blessed Conrad, so we may imitate his example and blot out the stains of our sins by crucifying our flesh. Through Christ our Lord… Amen
Heavenly Father, just as St Conrad of Pieacenza, was chosen to be a messenger of Your love and forgiveness, grant we pray, that by his prayers, we too maybe bearers of Your gracious love. We pray for the assistance of our holy Mother, during our journey to the eternal glory of the kingdom, help us to become like little children and in that new purity, shine with the Light of our Lord and Saviour. Through Jesus our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever… Amen🙏
SAINT BARBATUS OF BENEVENTO, BISHOP: Saint Barbatus (c. 610 – Feb. 19, 682), also known as Barbas, was a bishop of Benevento from 663 to 682, who persuaded the Lombards, and their prince to convert to Christ. He succeeded Ildebrand in this capacity. He assisted in a church council called by Pope Agatho in Rome in 680 and in 681 attended the Third Council of Constantinople against the Monothelites. St. Barbatus was born in the village of Vandano, near Cerreto Sannita, then part of the Duchy of Benevento, toward the end of the papacy of Gregory the Great. At that time, Benevento had recently (in 590) been captured by Arian Lombards from the Trinitarian Romans.
According to the ninth century vitae, he received a Christian education, and spent a good deal of time studying the Christian scriptures. He took holy orders as soon as allowed to do so, and was immediately employed by the local bishop as a preacher, a task for which he had considerable talent. Shortly thereafter, he was made the curate of St. Basil’s Church in nearby Morcone, where his preaching was not well received by indifferent parishioners only nominally Christian. He continued his calls for reform but eventually returned to Benevento, where he was welcomed back by those who remembered him from earlier. At the time, the people of Benevento still entertained some idolatrous superstitions, including veneration of a golden viper and a local walnut tree. The local Lombard prince, Romuald I son of the Arian Lombard King Grimoald I, was himself involved in these activities. Barbatus regularly preached against them only to be ignored. Later, he warned the people of the city of the great trials they would soon suffer at the hands of the East Roman Emperor Constans II and his army, who shortly thereafter landed in the area and laid siege to Benevento. The people, in their fear, renounced the practices St. Barbatus had criticized. He then cut down the tree the locals had worshipped, and melted the viper into a chalice for use in the church. St. Barbatus himself was responsible for a practical form of resistance to Constans. In 1903 the foundations of the Temple of Isis were discovered close to the Arch of Trajan in Benevento, and many fragments of fine sculptures in both the Egyptian and the Greco-Roman style belonging to it were found. They had apparently been used as the foundation of a portion of the city wall, reconstructed in 663 under the fear of an attack by Constans, the temple having been destroyed by order of St. Barbatus to provide the necessary material.
The presiding bishop of Benevento, Ildebrand, died during the siege, which ended as St. Barbatus had foretold, with the defeat of Constans. After the withdrawal of the invaders, St. Barbatus was made bishop on March 10, 633 and continued his efforts to eliminate superstition. In 673 Duke Romuald placed the grotto of St. Michael at Gargano under the care of St. Barbatus. In 680, he assisted in a council held by Pope Agatho, and took part in the sixth general council held in Constantinople in 681 regarding the Monothelites. He died shortly after the end of the council, on 19 February 682, at about seventy years of age, almost nineteen of which he had spent in the episcopal chair. St. Barbatus is Patron Saint of the city of Benevento, Cicciano, Castelvenere, Casalattico and Valle dell’Angelo.
Saint Barbatus of Benevento, Bishop ~ Pray for us 🙏
SAINT GABINUS, MARTYR: St. Gabinus also known as Gabin, was a member of the imperial Roman nobility, who was ordained in his old age. He was the brother of Saint Caius, the twenty-ninth Pope (283-296) and the father of the beautiful little virgin martyr, Saint Susanna, whose feast is August 11, and who was martyred for her Faith and her purity, because she would not marry the son-in-law of the pagan Emperor Diocletian. Saint Susanna was martyred in 295, and one year later, in 296, her father, Saint Gabinus, shed his blood for the Faith for which his daughter had died.
Though a relative of Emperor Diocletian he suffered martyrdom by beheading for refusing to sacrifice to the pagan gods. He died as a martyr in 296AD. His relics are venerated in Holy Trinity church in Lyon, France, where his feast day is celebrated on 19 February.
PRAYER: God our Father, today we celebrate the Memorial of St. Gabinus, Grant that, following his example, we may serve You with perfect love and rejoice in experiencing Your goodness. Amen🙏
BLESSED ALVAREZ OF CORDOVA: Bl. Alvarez of (Córdoba) Cordova (1350-1430) also known as Albaro of Cordova or Alvaro de Zamora was born to a noble family in Zamora, Spain. He joined the Dominican Order in 1368 and preached throughout Spain. A renowned and well-travelled preacher, well known in Andalusia and Italy. Pilgrim to the Holy Lands. Preached Crusade. Personal confessor, spiritual guide and served at the court of Queen Catherine as political advisor to Queen Catherine. In charge of the education of young King John II. Opposed the Avignon pope Peter de Luna. Reformed many of the practices common at court. He went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and upon his return preached the crusades against the Muslims. He founded the famous priory of Scala Caeli (Ladder of Heaven) at Cordova, a Dominican convent of strict observance, and it is said that angels helped provide its building materials. It became a well known center of piety and learning. Bl. Alvarez lived a life of great austerity and spent his days there preaching, teaching, begging alms in the street, even though he could easily obtain what he needed from the royal court and spending his nights in prayer. In the gardens of the house he set up a series of oratories with images of the Holy Lands in Jerusalem and Passion, similar to modern Stations of the Cross.
Numerous miracles and many wonderful stories are attributed to Bl. Alvarez, which include: Angels are reported to have helped built Escalaceli, moving stone and wooden building materials to the site during the night, placing them where workmen could easily get them during the day; Once when the entire food stocks for the house consisted of a single head of lettuce, he gathered all the brothers at table, gave thanks for the meal, and sent the porter to the door; the porter found a stanger leading a mule loaded with food. After unloading the mule, the stranger and the animal disappeared; Alvarez once found a beggar dying alone in the street. He wrapped the poor man in his own cloak, and carried him back to Escalaceli. When he arrived at the house and unwrapped the cloak, instead of man, he found a crucifix. It still hangs in Escalaceli; A bell in the chapel with Alvarez’s relics rings by itself just before the death of anyone in the house. Blessed Alvarez was dedicated to Christ’s Passion and helped spread devotion to the Way of the Cross throughout western Europe. He also successfully led a resistance against the anti-pope and brought Spain under allegiance to the true pope in Rome. He died in c.1430 at Escalaceli near Cordova, Spain of natural causes, and buried there. Attempts were made to move Bl. Alvarez’s relics to Cordova, but each try led to violent storms that kept the travellers bottled up until they gave up their task, leave the bones where they are. Beatified on September 22, 1741, Saint Peter’s Basilica, Papal States by Pope Benedict XIV (cultus confirmed)
PRAYER: God of mercy, you endowed Blessed Alvarez with the gifts of penance and divine love. With the help of his prayers and example may we always bear the suffering of Christ in our bodies and your love in our hearts. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen🙏
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS
Bible Readings for today, Wednesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Today’s Bible Readings: Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Reading 1, Genesis 8:6-13, 20-22
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 116:12-13, 14-15, 18-19
Gospel, Mark 8:22-26
Gospel Reflection ~ Mark 8:22-26
“His sight was restored and he could see everything distinctly”
“When Jesus and his disciples arrived at Bethsaida, people brought to him a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. Putting spittle on his eyes he laid his hands on the man and asked, “Do you see anything?” Looking up the man replied, “I see people looking like trees and walking.” Then he laid hands on the man’s eyes a second time and he saw clearly; his sight was restored and he could see everything distinctly. Then he sent him home and said, “Do not even go into the village.”
Today’s Gospel reading gives an account of how Jesus heals a blind man in stages. There’s a very special and personal encounter between Jesus and the blind man He healed in today’s Gospel reading. When the people of Bethsaida brought the blind man to Jesus, He took the man by the hand and led him out of the village, perhaps in search of a place of greater privacy and quiet where He could heal him. Then, in that quiet place, Jesus places His own spittle on the man’s eyes and lays His hands on him, both very personal and, indeed, intimate, gestures. Without presuming that the man is healed, Jesus asks him, ‘Can you see anything?’, thereby involving the man in his own healing. When the man indicated that he was beginning to see but could not yet see clearly, people looked like trees to him, then, Jesus laid His hands on him again the second time. It was only then that the man could see everything plainly and distinctly. Jesus could now send him home, without the need to take him by the hand. We can see in this healing story an image of how the Lord wishes to relate to us today. He calls each one of us into a personal relationship with himself. To deepen this relationship, he will often lead us by the hand away from the places where we normally congregate to a quiet place where He can speak to our hearts and touch our lives. The Lord needed to touch this man more than once to bring him from darkness to light; the man’s healing was not instantaneous. We need the repeated touch of the Lord’s presence if we are to keep journeying towards ever greater light, the light of the Lord’s life-giving love by which we can see everything clearly. The Lord continues to call us ‘out of the village’ and He looks to us to keep responding to His call.
Reflecting on today’s Gospel reading, this man’s journey from blindness to sight is, in some ways, a reflection of our own journey. We don’t come to see everything in an instant. If we come to see at all, we come to see gradually, in stages. That is especially true of our relationship with the Lord. It is only little by little that we come to know Him, and it is only beyond this life that we will see the Lord clearly, face to face. In this life, the best we can hope for is slow but steady progress in our coming to know the Lord – in our coming to know him not just with our mind but with our heart. The Gospel reading suggests that even though our progress is often slow, the Lord continues to work with us; He continues to lay His hands on us so that we might see Him more clearly and follow Him more fully.
In our first reading today from the Book of Genesis, the Lord ended the Great Flood that He had sent into the world at the time of Noah, allowing him and his family, and all the animals taking shelter in his Ark to gain reprieve from the Flood. Noah obeyed God’s commands and built the Ark over a period of many decades, providing the means by which to survive the great catastrophe sent by the Lord to cleanse the whole world from all the wickedness due to the sins which had come about from the children of Cain and other mankind, who had been totally bereft of good conduct and moral, and which had led to the corruption of the whole world. God truly loved all of His people, as He had created us all out of love, and yet, at the same time, He also despised the sins and the corruption of evil that we have allowed ourselves to be corrupted with. And that was why the Great Flood happened at that time, because in all the whole world, there was no longer any good or virtue among all of mankind, save that which was found in Noah and his family. That was why God chose Noah and his family to save them all from the cleansing Flood that He would send into the world. He did not wish for the righteous to share in the fate of the wicked, those who have consistently and constantly refused to listen to Him and follow His path. He guided and protected them through that storm and flood, which lasted for a whole period of over a year, including the period of rain and when the flood covered the whole world. Today’s first reading gives an account of the time when the Flood finally receded and all the occupants of the Ark could finally walk on the dry land safely once again. After the Flood, Noah made an offering to God on the Altar at Mount Ararat where the Ark landed at, making a Covenant with God between Him and his descendants. God made a solemn vow and promise not to destroy mankind again with the Great Flood, after that Flood had cleansed away the whole world and wiped out all those who were wicked and evil, sparing only Noah and his immediate family. The rainbow, which usually appears after the rain as mentioned, is a reminder of God’s promise to man, that He would remember not to send another world destroying Flood again, a reminder that ultimately, we are all beloved and dear, precious and important to God. Nonetheless, this does not mean that we can then act and live with impunity, disobeying God’s commandments and Law, as it was our wickedness and sins that led to the Great Flood in the first place.
Reflecting on both today’s first and Gospel readings, we find a progression towards a state which is sought after and longed for. In the first reading, Noah lives in hope that the waters of the flood will be dried up from the earth. He sends out a dove and, finding nowhere to perch, it returns to him in the ark. Then he sends out the dove a second and again the dove returns to the ark, however, on this occasion, the dove had a new olive branch in its beak, indicating that the waters were beginning to recede. When Noah sends out the dove the third time, it does not return to the ark, showing that the flood has receded and that creation is being renewed. In the Gospel reading, Jesus works to heal a blind man who had been brought to Him. After Jesus put spittle on the man’s eyes and laid his hands on him, the blind man began to see. He could see people but they looked like trees walking about. When Jesus laid His hands on the man’s eyes again, he could see clearly. Noah needed to be patient, and so did Jesus. In both readings, God’s creative work is afoot, but it happens slowly and gradually. Some processes cannot be rushed. At the beginning of his letter to the Philippians, St. Paul prays that God who has begun His good work in the community would bring it to completion. God’s good work in our lives will only be brought to completion in eternity. Here and now we try to co-operate with God’s ongoing creative work within us and among us, and, at times learning to be patient with its seemingly slow progress in ourselves and in others.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all called to remember the love and kindness, the grace and mercy which God has generously given to us all throughout history, by saving us from certain death and sparing the righteous ones amongst us from destruction. He also provided us all with the means to seek Him and His forgiveness, His mercy and compassion above all else. That He has done all these for our sake proved to us beyond any doubt that we are truly beloved and precious to God, and if we come to seek Him and His mercy, God will surely welcome us all most joyfully, leading us away from the precipice of darkness and destruction into a new life filled with His love and grace. At the same time, we are reminded of how fortunate we are that God, Who is our Lord and Master, great beyond our imagination, is also our loving Father, Who is always ever concerned about us, seeking to be reconciled and reunited with us, ever being patient in leading and guiding us all towards His eternal Kingdom and the salvation which He has repeatedly promised and reassured us. He has given us so many opportunities and paths for us to reach Him, and it is indeed sad to see how many people spurned these opportunities and chances that the Lord has generously provided to them, preferring instead to remain in the state of corruption, in wickedness, darkness and sin. Many among us had fallen into the temptations of worldly pleasures and desires, all of which had distracted us from God and His love, and from everything that He had done for us. We are called to emulate the lives and examples of the Holy men and women and the Saints, particularly the Saints we celebrate today, Saint Conrad of Piacenza, Hermit, Saint Barbatus, Saint Gabinus, Martyr and Blessed Alvarez of Cordova. Let us all therefore continue to do our best in living our lives in each and every moments most faithfully and strive to be righteous, worthy and good in our every words, actions and deeds so that we may truly be worthy to be called as Christians, as God’s own beloved and holy people. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and may the good Lord bless us in our every good works and endeavours, in our every efforts so that by His blessings and guidance, we may continue to grow ever stronger in our love, faith and dedication to God, and be ever closer to the eternal kingdom of glory, everlasting life and true happiness that God Himself has promised us, distancing ourselves from the taint and corruption of sin that can lead us astray into our downfall and destruction. May God be with us always in our respective journeys. Amen 🙏🏽
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 the gift of His Son and pray for His grace as we serve Him in truth and love. During this Ordinary Time, through the intercession of our Blessed Mother and the Saints we honor today, we pray for the sick and suffering, especially children and those battling epilepsy, strokes, heart disease, cancer, and other terminal illnesses. May God restore them to health and bring them comfort and peace. Every life is a gift.
We pray for the safety of our families and loved ones, for healing in marriages, and for unity in a world divided by violence and conflict. May God deliver us from hopeless situations and impossible causes.
We remember the souls in Purgatory, asking for God’s mercy upon them. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.
We pray for widows, widowers, and all who are grieving. May the Lord strengthen them in their trials.
We continue to pray for Pope Francis, the Clergy, and all those spreading the Gospel. May God bless vocations to the priesthood and religious life and protect persecuted Christians worldwide. We pray for peace in our families and throughout the world. Amen. 🙏🏽
Let us pray:
All-powerful Lord, You choose to send forth Your almighty power upon those who have come to faith in You by receiving the Gospel You have sent forth. Please open my ears to hear so that I will choose to convert and believe and, thus, be disposed to be transformed by Your abundant grace. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏
Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Conrad of Piacenza; Saint Barbatus; Saint Gabinus and Blessed Alvarez of Cordova ~ Pray for us🙏
With gratitude for the gift of this new year, we pray for justice, peace, love, and unity within our families and throughout the world. May God’s Divine Mercy and Grace be upon us all during this Ordinary Time. Wishing us all a blessed, safe, grace-filled and fruitful week. May God keep us all safe and well. Amen 🙏🏽
Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖