Scripture Passage: “But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that you may not appear to men to be fasting.” (Matthew 6:17)
Opening Reflection: Today, we practice a humble act of sacrifice abstaining from meat. Though it may seem like a small gesture, this act is a powerful reminder of our commitment to follow in Christ’s footsteps. Even the smallest sacrifice, when offered with a joyful heart, becomes a meaningful expression of our spiritual journey.
Meditative Reflection: Small sacrifices are not just acts of self-denial; they are opportunities to align our hearts with God’s will. When we choose to abstain from meat today, we join in the spirit of sacrifice that led Jesus into the desert. It is not the magnitude of the sacrifice that matters, but the spirit in which it is given. Reflect on the difference between offering a sacrifice reluctantly versus doing so with sincere joy and trust in God’s grace. Each small act of self-denial paves the way for deeper spiritual growth and transforms a minor gesture into a source of renewed strength.
Reflection Questions:
How does abstaining from meat help you understand the true nature of sacrifice?
In what ways can offering small sacrifices with joy deepen your relationship with God?
Lenten Question: Q: Why are small sacrifices, like abstaining from meat, important in our spiritual journey? A: Small sacrifices, when embraced with sincere joy, train our hearts to detach from earthly comforts and align with God’s will, preparing us for greater graces along our path of faith.
Lenten Action: Today, as you abstain from meat, choose one additional small sacrifice—a minor habit or indulgence—to offer in union with Christ. Consider sharing a simple, meatless meal with someone in need, or take a moment to reflect on how these small acts of self-denial strengthen your spiritual walk.
Concluding Prayer: Gracious Lord, thank You for the ultimate sacrifice of Your Son. Help us to embrace even the smallest acts of self-denial with a joyful heart, trusting that each sacrifice draws us closer to You. May our humble offerings today be a reflection of our love and commitment, and may they open our hearts to the transforming grace of Your divine plan. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Greetings and blessings, beloved family and Happy Thursday after Ash Wednesday!
Thanking God for His love and the gift of this day and praying for God’s grace and mercy on us all as we embark on our Lenten journey today. Let us draw closer to God and be renewed by prayer, fasting, penance and giving to the poor. We pray for justice, peace, love, and unity in our families and our world that is torn apart by war, terrorism, and countless other acts of violence against human life. May God keep us all safe and well during these challenging times. Wishing us all a reflective and spiritually enriching Ash Wednesday and a most blessed, holy, safe, and grace-filled Lenten Season ~ Amen🙏
Holy Rosary Prayer for Pope Francis | March 6, 2025 |https://www.youtube.com/live/d2Q1Muh4s5s?si=fxcXqxfh9cUcrXzN | LIVE from St. Peter’s Square | The prayer of the Holy Rosary for Pope Francis presided over by Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, S.D.B., Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
PRAYER FOR POPE FRANCIS: May we all unite as one voice to lift up the Vicar of Christ in prayer today as his health continues to improve after a prolonged respiratory crisis. We continue to pray for our Holy Father, 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🙏🏽
On this special feast day, as we begin our Lenten journey, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we pray for the sick and dying and all those who mourn the loss of their loved ones and celebrate their memorial anniversary today. We pray for our loved ones who have recently died, and we continue to pray for the repose of their gentle souls 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🙏
THE HOLY FATHER, POPE FRANCIS’ MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2025: FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH – For families in crisis: Let us pray that broken families might discover the cure for their wounds through forgiveness, rediscovering each other’s gifts, even in their differences. (https://popesprayerusa.net/popes-intentions/)
Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Colette of Corbie, Virgin (Patron Saint of women seeking to conceive, expectant mothers, and sick children). Saint Colette’s life was one of humble devotion, steadfast reform, and passionate prayer. In a time when her community was in need of renewal, she fearlessly embraced a life of simplicity, self-denial, and spiritual discipline to bring about true reform in the name of Christ. Her example of perseverance in holiness continues to inspire us today.
Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for all expectant mothers, those seeking for the fruit of the womb and sick children. We pray for our children, all our youths, our families, our leaders, the poor and the vulnerable, and for all who suffer injustice and persecution in our world. We continue to pray for the intentions of our Holy Father and for the Clergy, for Pope Francis, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Seminarians, and all religious as they lead us by example. We pray for those called to the Priesthood and Consecrated Life, that they may live out their baptismal promises with renewed zeal. We ask for Divine healing for those who are sick and dying, and for the speedy recovery of all who are afflicted, especially our Holy Father. We pray for those suffering from mental illness, terminal diseases, and stressful life circumstances in these challenging times. We lift up our prayers for the Church, for captives, prisoners, and persecuted Christians, for the conversion of sinners, and for all who have lost the joy of living in God’s loving presence. We pray for the renewal of our spirit, that our hearts may be set aflame with a burning desire to serve God each day. We also remember those who suffer from violence, oppression, and unrest in our communities and around the world. May the intercession of the Saints guide us toward peace, justice, and unity especially in Africa, the Middle East, and in regions afflicted by conflict.
Saint Colette of Corbie, Virgin ~ 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. 🙏🏽
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 🙏
A PRAYER TO WALK HUMBLY THROUGH LENT: Father, In Micah 6:8, You say, “O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Today we choose to walk humbly with You. We choose to live by Your Holy Spirit and to follow Your lead. Help us to hear You clearly, for we do not want to walk by pride or self-sufficiency, we want to walk with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen 🙏
God of goodness and mercy, hear my prayer as I begin this Lenten journey with you. Let me be honest with myself as I look into my heart and soul, noticing the times I turn away from you. Guide me as I humbly seek to repent and return to your love. May humility guide my efforts to be reconciled with you and live forever in your abundant grace. Transform me this Lent, heavenly Father. Give me the strength to commit myself to grow closer to you each day. Amen🙏
LENTEN FAST AND ABSTINENCE (Lenten Fast and Abstinence regulations from the USCCB): Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence.
For members of the Latin Catholic Church, the norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon members of the Latin Catholic Church from age 14 onwards
Members of the Eastern Catholic Churches are to observe the particular law of their own sui iuris Church. If possible, the fast on Good Friday is continued until the Easter Vigil (on Holy Saturday night) as the “paschal fast” to honor the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus, and to prepare ourselves to share more fully and to celebrate more readily His Resurrection.
SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT COLETTE OF CORBIE, VIRGIN – FEAST DAY ~ MARCH 6TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Colette of Corbie, Virgin (Patron Saint of women seeking to conceive, expectant mothers, and sick children). Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Colette and all the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for all those seeking for the fruit of the womb, may God grant them gift of children, for all expectant mothers, we pray for safe delivery and for all children who are sick, especially those suffering from cancers and other terminal illnesses, we pray for God’s divine healing and intervention upon them…Amen🙏
“I dedicate myself in health, in illness, in my life, in my death, in all my desires, in all my deeds so that I may never work henceforth except for your glory, for the salvation of souls, and towards the reform for which you have chosen me. From this moment on, dearest Lord, there is nothing which I am not prepared to undertake for love of you.” ~ Saint Colette of Corbie, Virgin
SAINT COLETTE OF CORBIE, VIRGIN: St. Colette was a French Abbess, reformer of the Franciscan order of Poor Clares, and unifier of the Church. She is also the founder of the Poor Clare Colettines. St. Colette was a miracle baby, born to parents over sixty years of age, who had been praying for a child to St. Nicholas of Myra. St. Colette was the daughter of a carpenter named De Boellet who served the local Benedictine abbey at Corbie in Picardy, France. She was born on January 13, 1381, christened Nicolette, and called Colette. Nicolette Boellet was named in honor of St. Nicholas and was known by her nickname, Colette. Quiet and hard-working, Colette was a pious child who demonstrated a sensitive and loving nature. When Colette was 17, both of her parents died and she was left in the care of a Benedictine abbot. Orphaned at seventeen, she distributed her inheritance to the poor and initially joined the Beguine and Benedictine orders, but neither one worked out for her. Instead, she became a third order Franciscan. As a Franciscan tertiary, she lived at Corby as a solitary. At age 21, she renounced the world in order to spend her life alone in penance and prayer as an anchoress – walled into a cell whose only opening was a grilled window into a church. She soon became well known for her holiness and spiritual wisdom, but left her cell in 1406 in response to a dream directing her to reform the Poor Clares. She entered the order of Poor Clares, was appointed superior general and she received the Poor Clares habit from Peter de Luna, whom the French recognized as Pope under the name of Benedict XIII of Avignon (the anti-pope) with orders to reform the Order and appointing her Superior of all convents she reformed.
Despite great opposition from within the Poor Clares, St. Colette persisted in her efforts. She began a successful reform of the Poor Clare convent at Beaume, Switzerland, which spread rapidly through France, Savoy, Germany, and Flanders. She revived the primitive rule and spirit of St. Francis. Her rule prescribed that the nuns go barefooted, observe perpetual fast and abstinence, and practice extreme poverty. She was well-known for her wisdom, sanctity, ecstasies, and visions of the Passion. She was also known for her appreciation and care for animals. St. Colette helped Saint Vincent Ferrer heal the papal schism and she founded seventeen convents with the reformed rule and reformed several older convents. She was reknowned for her sanctity, ecstacies, and visions of the Passion, and prophesied her own death in her convent at Ghent, Belgium. She died on March 6, 1447 at age 66 at the community she had founded in Ghent. She Through her life’s work, St. Colette’s reformation breathed new life into the Poor Clares and created a lasting model of spirituality. St. Colette was Beatified on January 23, 1740 by Pope Clement XII and Canonized on May 24, 1807 by Pope Pius VII. A branch of the Poor Clares is still known as the Colettines. The Colettine Sisters are found today, outside of France, in Belgium, Germany, Spain, England, and the United States. She the Patron Saint of expectant mothers, of childless couples who long to conceive, and of sick children.
Saint Colette’s Quotes
“If there be a true way that leads to the Everlasting Kingdom, it is most certainly that of suffering, patiently endured.”
“We must faithfully keep what we have promised. If through human weakness we fail, we must always without delay arise again by means of holy penance, and give our attention to leading a good life and to dying a holy death. May the Father of all mercy, the Son by his holy passion, and the Holy Spirit, source of peace, sweetness and love, fill us with their consolation. Amen.”
“My eyes, I have filled with Jesus upon Whom I have fixed them at the Elevation of the Host at Holy Mass and I do not wish to replace Him with any other image.”
Prayer for a Special Intention
O glorious SAINT COLETTE, I beseech you through the burning love which inflamed your heart for Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament, through the marvelous graces with which He enriched you and the loving compassion you did bear to Him in His bitter sufferings, obtain from Him for me my requests. . . .,which I hope to receive through your powerful intercession. Amen🙏
PRAYER: O Lord Jesus Christ, who have enriched Your spouse, SAINT COLETTE, with heavenly graces, grant, we beseech You, that we may imitate her virtues here on earth, and with her enjoy the eternal happiness of heaven. Amen🙏
Today’s Bible Readings: Thursday After Ash Wednesday, March 6, 2025 Reading 1, Deuteronomy 30:15-20 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 1:1-2, 3, 4, 6 Gospel, Luke 9:22-25
Gospel Reading ~ Luke 9:22-25
“Whoever loses his life for my sake will save it”
“Jesus said to His disciples: “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.” Then He said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?”
In today’s Gospel reading, on this second day of Lent, points us ahead to the story of Holy Week. Jesus declares to His disciples that He is ‘destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to death’, and then ‘to be raised on the third day’. In this Gospel of Luke, Jesus speaks these words just before He sets out on His final journey to Jerusalem. This will be a journey to suffering and death on a Roman cross, but, ultimately, it will be a journey to glory, as Jesus passes through death in the hands of His loving Father. In the Gospel reading, Jesus declares that ‘anyone who loses his life for my sake, that person will save it’. Jesus implies that choosing life, for ourselves and for others, often means losing our lives for His sake. It is in dying to ourselves, out of love for the Lord and others, that we find life. This is what it means to choose life. Choosing love, and the life which flows from love, will often mean losing our lives in the sense of dying to ourselves, denying ourselves. Jesus Himself lost His life because He chose love, but in choosing love He found life. God raised Him to new life. Jesus’ teaching and His whole existence shows us that when we chose love, the kind of self-emptying love that Jesus embodied, we will be choosing life. Our choice to love will always be life-giving for ourselves and for others. Choice is not a value in itself. It’s value, or disvalue, is determined by what is chosen, the object of our choice. Jesus wants us to keep choosing love and in so doing to keep choosing life. We are all pro-choice, whether we like it or not, because not to choose is to choose. The important question is ‘What do we chose?’ Each day of Lent we can ask ourselves, ‘What does it mean for me to choose life today?’ ‘What do I need to renounce to follow the Lord more closely along the path to true life?’Jesus assures us in the Gospel reading that in seeking to follow Him every day we are choosing life, we are saving our lives.
In our first reading today, the Lord spoke to His people, the Israelites, through Moses, the leader whom God had appointed and sent to free the Israelites from their enslavement in Egypt, bringing them all out through the power of God as they journeyed towards the Promised Land of Canaan. The Lord placed His Law and commandments to them all, passing them His Law and precepts to be followed and obeyed, that they might remain on the right path in life. The call of Moses is ‘Choose life’. Moses called on the Israelites to ‘love the Lord your God and follow His ways’. To choose life is to choose love, the love of the Lord, and the love of all whom the Lord loves. Moses spoke to the Israelites, in that occasion, just as he was already getting old and having led the Israelites on their forty years of detour and journey in the desert due to the infidelity and the lack of faith that the Israelites had shown. He reminded the whole people of Israel how fortunate they were for having been chosen as God’s own people and how He has favoured them and guided them all the way. God has presented His Law, commandments and ways, and the choice was therefore the people’s, on whether they would want to follow Him or not.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, as we continue to progress through this current Season of Lent that began yesterday on Ash Wednesday, we are called and reminded many times on the need for each and every one of us to resist the temptations of the world and all the allures of worldly comfort, pleasure and ambitions, and all the other things which may prevent us from coming ever closer to God and His grace. The Lord is speaking to us regarding the matter of following God and His commandments and Law and all that He has given and revealed to us through His Church. All of us as Christians are called to follow the Lord wholeheartedly, to devote ourselves, our lives and actions to adhere to His path. And as we begin this season of Lent, all of us are called to renew this commitment we have in the Lord, to purify our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, our whole entire beings, in following God from now on with greater fervour and dedication. All of us are called to make that conscious choice to stand with the Lord, willing and ready to carry our crosses in life, devoting our effort, time and attention to serve the Lord by being exemplary as Christians in life. We are all called to follow the path that God has shown us and definitively reject sin and all of Satan’s many temptations and efforts to turn us away from God. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace in our respective journeys of faith. May He continue to watch over us and grant us the strength to persevere through the challenges and trials of our faith and life, and help us that we may draw ever closer to Him and His salvation, from now on and always, that we may help and inspire one another to become ever closer to God and be better Christians, through this wonderful time and season of Lent. May all of us continue to grow ever deeper in our conviction and desire to live our lives most worthily as Christians from now on, and may God bless us all in everything that we say and do, in all of our dealings and interactions each day, and bless our Lenten observances and practices in all occasions. Amen 🙏
DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF MARCH | MONTH OF ST. JOSEPH: The month of March is dedicated to St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus Christ. “His was the title of father of the Son of God, because he was the Spouse of Mary, ever Virgin. He was our Lord’s father, because Jesus ever yielded to him the obedience of a son. He was our Lord’s father, because to him were entrusted, and by him were faithfully fulfilled, the duties of a father, in protecting Him, giving Him a home, sustaining and rearing Him, and providing Him with a trade”. “This patronage must be invoked as ever necessary for the Church, not only as a defense against all dangers, but also, and indeed primarily, as an impetus for her renewed commitment to evangelization in the world and to re-evangelization,” wrote St. John Paul II in Redemptoris Custos (Guardian of the Redeemer). St. John Paul II further said, “Because St. Joseph is the protector of the Church, he is the guardian of the Eucharist and the Christian family. Therefore, we must turn to St. Joseph today to ward off attacks upon the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist and upon the family. We must plead with St. Joseph to guard the Eucharistic Lord and the Christian family during this time of peril.”
The first four days of March fall during the liturgical season known as Tempus per Annum or Ordinary Time (formerly known as Time after Epiphany) which is represented by the liturgical color green. Green, the symbol of hope, is the color of the sprouting seed and arouses in the faithful the hope of reaping the eternal harvest of heaven, especially the hope of a glorious resurrection. The remainder of the month of March is the liturgical season of Lent which is represented by the liturgical color violet or purple — a symbol of penance, mortification and the sorrow of a contrite heart. All saint days that are usually Memorials are shifted to Optional Memorials during the season of Lent. As we continue our journey “up to Jerusalem” during the month of March, three prominent ideas are proposed for our contemplation by the liturgy of Lent: the Passion and Resurrection of Christ, baptism, and penance. The Solemnity of St. Joseph (March 19) is a special landmark this month in which we will celebrate the great honor bestowed upon the foster father of Jesus. The Solemnity of the Annunciation is celebrated on March 25. And if you are Irish, St. Patrick’s feast is another cause for a joyful celebration. The Saints that we will focus on this month and try to imitate are: St. Katharine Drexel (March 3); St. Casimir (March 4); Sts. Perpetua and Felicity (March 7); St. John of God (March 8); St. Patrick (March 17); St. Cyril of Jerusalem (March 18); and St. Joseph (March 19). The Optional Memorials of St. Frances of Rome (March 9) and St. Turibio de Mogrovejo (March 23) are superseded by the Lenten Sunday liturgy.
A Time of Penance and Promise: The Church’s vibrant new life has been obscured by the austerity of the penitential season of Lent. But that life is indisputable, and it will burgeon forth on Easter as Christ coming forth from His tomb! At the beginning of this month we will embark on our journey to the cross by receiving ashes and donning the purple of penance. During this month our journey to the cross with our acts of penitence. We will reflect on our mortality (Remember man thou art dust) and the shortness of life (and to dust thou shall return). We will heed the call, Now is the acceptable time, now is “the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2).” Just like Our Lord’s earthly life every moment of our lives is leading up to the last moment—when for eternity we will either go to God or suffer the fires of hell. The Solemnity of the Annunciation bravely appears during Lent; a pure white flower in the purple Lenten landscape. It seems to be, at first glance, a Christmas feast, but upon reflection we grasp that the feast is intimately linked to the Paschal mystery. For what Christ inaugurated at His Incarnation in accepting to offer Himself for the human race, He will complete in His sacrifice on the cross. 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. As the weeks of Lent progress, let us not be tired of doing our good works and penance, but continue with the enthusiasm of the catechumens on their way to Easter and Baptism. May our Lenten observance be a joyful journey — and not a forced march. 🙏🏽
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 Lord grant us His grace as we continue to serve Him in spirit and in truth and as we begin the Lenten Season. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the sick and dying. We particularly pray for sick children, those who are sick with convulsive disorder, mental illness, strokes, heart diseases, and those suffering from cancers and other 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, for peace, love, and unity in our families, our marriages, and our divided and conflicted world. Every life is a gift. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the gentle 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 through the mercy of God rest in peace with our Lord Jesus Christ Amen. 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. 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:
My loving Lord, I thank You for Your unwavering commitment to sacrifice Yourself for us all. I thank You for this unfathomable depth of true love. Give me the grace I need, dear Lord, to turn away from all forms of selfish love so as to imitate and participate in Your most perfect sacrificial love. I do love You, dear Lord. Help me to love You and others with all my heart. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏🏽
Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Colette of Corbie ~ Pray for us 🙏🏽
Thanking God for the gift of this day and praying for us all during this season of Lent, let us be renewed by prayer, fasting, and giving to the poor. We pray for justice, peace, love, and unity in our families and our world. May God keep us all safe and well during these challenging times, and may this season of Lent bring us all true salvation in Christ as we remain united in peace, love, and faith. Have a blessed, safe, fruitful, and grace-filled Lenten Season ~ Amen 🙏🏽
Day Two: A Call to Inner Conversion Thursday After Ash Wednesday
Scripture Passage: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.” (James 4:10)
Opening Reflection: As we continue our Lenten journey, today invites us to embrace humility—a crucial step in our inner conversion. Humility opens our hearts to receive God’s grace and reminds us that true transformation begins when we let go of pride and worldly attachments.
Meditative Reflection: Humility is not merely about modesty; it is the foundation of genuine repentance. It enables us to see our shortcomings and acknowledge our need for God’s help. Reflect on the moments when pride has kept you from fully surrendering to God’s will. Consider the things you hold dear—your opinions, possessions, or personal achievements—and ask yourself if they sometimes stand in the way of a deeper relationship with God. By releasing these attachments, you allow His transformative grace to enter your heart.
Today, allow yourself to experience the liberating power of humility. Embrace your weaknesses as opportunities for growth, knowing that it is in our brokenness that God’s strength is made perfect. This inner conversion is a quiet, personal journey where each act of letting go paves the way for a renewed and intimate union with our Creator.
Reflection Questions:
What prideful attitudes or attachments might be hindering your spiritual growth?
How can embracing humility lead you to a more authentic relationship with God?
Lenten Question: Q: Why is humility essential during Lent? A: Humility allows us to see our true selves, recognize our need for God’s grace, and open our hearts to transformation. It paves the way for sincere repentance and helps us embrace the freedom that comes from letting go of our pride.
Lenten Action: Perform a simple act of service or kindness today—something done quietly, without seeking recognition. Let this humble gesture be a reflection of your willingness to put others before yourself.
Concluding Prayer: Heavenly Father, as I journey through this season of Lent, help me to embrace humility and surrender my pride. Open my heart to Your transforming grace and teach me to let go of all that separates me from Your love. Guide me to live a life of genuine conversion, where I find strength in weakness and true worth in Your mercy. I ask this in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
“Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return” ~ Genesis 3:19
Greetings, and blessings, beloved family. Happy Ash Wednesday!
Thanking God for His love and the gift of this day and praying for God’s grace and mercy on us all as we embark on our Lenten journey today. Let us draw closer to God and be renewed by prayer, fasting, penance and giving to the poor. We pray for justice, peace, love, and unity in our families and our world that is torn apart by war, terrorism, and countless other acts of violence against human life. May God keep us all safe and well during these challenging times. Wishing us all a reflective and spiritually enriching Ash Wednesday and a most blessed, holy, safe, and grace-filled Lenten Season ~ Amen🙏
FEAST AND SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ MARCH 5, 2025
PRAYER FOR POPE FRANCIS: May we all unite as one voice to lift up the Vicar of Christ in prayer today as his health continues to improve after a prolonged respiratory crisis. We continue to pray for our Holy Father, 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🙏🏽
On this special feast day, as we begin our Lenten journey, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we pray for the sick and dying and all those who mourn the loss of their loved ones and celebrate their memorial anniversary today. We pray for our loved ones who have recently died, and we continue to pray for the repose of their gentle souls 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🙏
THE HOLY FATHER, POPE FRANCIS’ MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2025: FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH – For families in crisis: Let us pray that broken families might discover the cure for their wounds through forgiveness, rediscovering each other’s gifts, even in their differences. (https://popesprayerusa.net/popes-intentions/)
Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint John Joseph of the Cross, Priest (Patron Saint of Ischia, Italy). St John-Joseph’s early life was one of poverty, homelessness and searching for work. And we also celebrate Saint Lucius I, Pope, who was a true shepherd of his flock during a time of violent persecution. He laid down his life for Christ. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for our children, all youths, our families, our leaders, the poor and the needy, for persecuted christians, for an end to religious and political unrest, for justice and peace, love and unity in our world that is torn apart by war, terrorism, racism and countless other acts of violence against human life. We continue to pray for the intentions of our Holy Father. We pray for the Clergy, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, and all the ministers, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Seminarians, all religious, for vocations to the Priesthood and Consecrated 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. We pray for the Divine healing upon those who are sick and dying, particularly pray for the speedy recovery and Divine healing of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, we pray for those suffering from mental illness, cancers and other terminal diseases. We pray for those who are physically and mentally suffering from stressful life events at these incredibly challenging times. We pray for the Church, for captives, prisoners, 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, for all the innocent who suffer violence due to political or religious unrest, 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 John Joseph of the Cross, Priest and Saint Lucius I, Pope ~ 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. 🙏🏽
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 🙏
Three Pillars of Lent: Almsgiving, Prayer and Fasting!
“Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return” ~ Genesis 3:19
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Holy Season of Lent, also known as Quadragesima, a time of preparation and reflection as we prepare ourselves well for the upcoming celebrations of Holy Week and Easter, the most important moments in our whole entire liturgical year. This is the time we contemplate our relationship with God and identify the areas in our spiritual life that need work. Season of Lent is 40 days of prayer, fasting, penance and almsgiving in preparation for the celebration of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
At the beginning of Lent, on Ash Wednesday, ashes are blessed during Mass, after the homily. The blessed ashes are then “imposed” on the faithful as a sign of conversion, penance, fasting and human mortality. The ashes are blessed at least during the first Mass of the day, but they may also be imposed during all the Masses of the day, after the homily, and even outside the time of Mass to meet the needs of the faithful. Priests or deacons normally impart this sacramental, but instituted acolytes, other extraordinary ministers or designated lay people may be delegated to impart ashes, if the bishop judges that this is necessary. The ashes are made from the palms used at the previous Passion Sunday ceremonies.
The ashes received on the head today is a sign of repentance and humility. It reminds us of our dependence on God and our call to turn away from sin. The act of putting on ashes symbolizes fragility and mortality, and the need to be redeemed by the mercy of God. It is a symbolic representation of our desire to be forgiven from our sins, and as a sign of our repentance and regret from all the things that we have disobeyed the Lord for, and which therefore brought us into the path of sin and evil, out of which we are seeking the Lord for His help and grace, so that, He may free us from the shackles of our sins and evils. Far from being a merely external act, the Church has retained the use of ashes to symbolize that attitude of internal penance to which all the baptized are called during Lent.
For members of the Latin Catholic Church, the laws regarding abstinence and fasting are as follows: Abstinence from eating meat is to be observed on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays during Lent, including Good Friday. Since Jesus sacrificed His flesh for us on Good Friday, we refrain from eating flesh meat in His honor on Fridays. Abstaining from eating meat is also a form of penance– admitting to any wrongdoings and sins while turning back to belief in God. Abstinence applies to all persons 14 years of age and older. Fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday applies to all Catholics who have completed their eighteenth year to the beginning of their sixtieth year. A person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together don’t equal that regular-sized meal. Fasting should be done out of love for God and of neighbor.
Lent is a Season of Reflection, Renewal and Preparation. As we begin our Lenten journey – the 40 days of preparation for Easter, we are called to make sacrifices and acknowledge our need for a Savior. The sacrifices we practice and the ashes we receive allow us to be a witness to others and a witness to Christ’s sacrifice. However, we are called not simply to choose a sacrifice, practice it for 40 days, and then go back to life as usual. We are called to truly deepen our relationship with Christ. Lent is traditionally a time of penance, when we try to die to ourselves in some way so as to live more fully to the Lord and to others. The traditional practices of Lent put before us the essentials for growth into the image of God’s Son. There are all in the service of love, a greater love of God (prayer), a more generous love of neighbour (almsgiving), and a truer love of ourselves (fasting). We recommit ourselves on Ash Wednesday to build our lives on those three loves, so that we may more fully become all that God is calling us to be.
In his message for Lent 2025, Pope Francis invites the faithful to embark on a journey of faith, community, and hope, reminding us that Lent is a time of renewal and conversion. He says:”The Jubilee motto, ‘Pilgrims of Hope,’ evokes the lengthy journey of the people of Israel to the Promised Land… A first call to conversion thus comes from the realization that all of us are pilgrims in this life.”
The Pope emphasizes three key aspects of our Lenten journey:
Journeying in faith, by reflecting on our spiritual progress and stepping out of our comfort zones.
Journeying together, by fostering unity and ensuring no one is left behind.
Journeying in hope, by trusting in God’s promise of eternal life.
He encourages us to examine whether we truly live as a community, embracing others with love and patience, and placing our hope in Christ, whose resurrection is the foundation of our faith. Concluding his message, Pope Francis entrusts our Lenten journey to the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Mother of Hope.
During this season of Lent, in this Jubilee Year of Hope, please let us all continue to pray for peace all over the world, particularly in the Middle East, and the Ukraine-Russia conflicts and for peace in our families and throughout our divided and conflicted World. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this Ash Wednesday, as we embark on our Lenten journey, we humbly pray for the poor and the needy, for persecuted Christians, for an end to religious and political unrest, for justice and peace, love and unity in our world that is torn apart by war, terrorism, and countless other acts of violence against human life. Amen 🙏🏽
Today’s Bible Readings: Ash Wednesday | Wednesday March 5, 2025 Reading 1, Joel 2:12-18 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17 Reading 2, Second Corinthians 5:20-6:2 Gospel, Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
Gospel Reading ~ Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
“Your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you”
“Jesus said to His disciples: “Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”
In today’s Gospel reading, our Lord Jesus was teaching His disciples and the people listening to Him regarding the matter of the practice of fasting. He taught them about the right way how each and every one of them ought to be fasting, that is by doing so not because they wanted to be seen or witnessed, praised or honoured by others in doing that. In essence, the Lord reminded them and hence all of us as well, that our practice of fasting and abstinence which we always do today on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, abstinence itself which we practice on Fridays throughout the year, and other Lenten practices, like almsgiving and other devotions, should always be centred on God. Jesus’ comments on almsgiving, prayer and fasting, have been described as the three pillars of Lent. They are practices that are deeply rooted in the Jewish tradition. Jesus affirms their value in today’s Gospel reading, but He warns against engaging in these practices in a way that draws attention to ourselves. What seems like something virtuous can be very self-serving in reality. The three practices of almsgiving, prayer and fasting that Jesus speaks about in the Gospel reading are three traditional ways of responding to God’s love for us in Christ, three ways of journeying towards God who has journeyed towards us. They are three ways of responding to that call of God at the beginning of the first reading, ‘Come back to me with all your heart’. These three Lenten practices are closely interlinked. Fasting is in the service of prayer and almsgiving. We die to ourselves so as to live more fully towards God and our fellow human being.
In our first reading today from the Book of the prophet Joel, the words of the Lord were spoken to the people, calling on all the people of God to return to their Lord and Master with repentance and sincere desire to turn themselves towards His mercy and forgiveness. The prophet Joel was sent by God to minister to the people of the southern kingdom of Judah, the southern half of the kingdom of God’s people, to remind them all of the Lord’s Law and commandments, calling upon all of them to restore the faithful practices of their ancestors and for them to turn away from their sins and wickedness. At that time, the kingdom of Judah and the people of God had fallen far away from the path of the Lord, disobeying and disregarding the commandments which God had taught to them and their ancestors and requiring them to follow and obey. And as a result, they had been beset by troubles, difficulties and persecution from their enemies. But the prophet Joel highlighted how God is truly loving and merciful, and all of us ought to come to Him seeking His mercy and forgiveness, as He forgives those who sincerely seeks Him and wants to be forgiven. This first reading of Lent captures the primary message of Lent, ‘Come back to me with all your heart… turn to the Lord your God again, for He is all tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in graciousness’. The call to come back, to turn, to the Lord is at the heart of Lent. It is a call to turn towards the one who is always turned towards us in tenderness and compassion. Coming back or turning suggests a change of direction. The word that is translated ‘repent’ in English means to have a change of mind or heart. We often think of repentance as a feeling of sorrow for any wrong we have done or good we have failed to do. However, repentance is a more positive movement. It is a turning towards the Lord, which will often mean a turning away from other directions we could take. That turning, that change of direction, that change of mind or heart, is supremely life affirming because the one who is turned towards us and who calls out to us to turn towards Him more fully is the one who is the source of our joy.
In today’s second reading, from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in the city and region of Corinth, the Apostle reminded all the faithful there of the great grace and mercy which God has shown to all of them, the beloved people of God, and how they all should seek the compassionate love and mercy from God because this very moment is indeed the favourable time to seek God’s mercy and forgiveness. What St. Paul told to the faithful among the Corinthians is also a reminder for all of us that we should not procrastinate or delay in our efforts to seek the Lord, as some among us may delay in doing so because we think that we still have ample amount of time in our lives to be forgiven from our many sins and wickedness. Saint Paul reminds us that the God from whom we have turned away has sought us out and continues to seek us out in the person of His Son Jesus. ‘For our sake, God make the sinless one into sin, so that in Him we might become the goodness of God’. What a powerful statement that is! God sent His Son to become like us so that we might become like Him. God in His Son journeyed towards our sinful condition so that we might journey towards God’s goodness. The ashes that we wear on this day tell the world that we are sinners. Yet, those ashes we received are in the shape of a cross, which proclaims that we believe in a God whose love is stronger than our sin. As Paul declares in his letter to the Romans, ‘God demonstrates His love for us, in that while we still were sinners, Christ died for us’.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures as we enter into this Season of Lent today, being marked with the blessed ashes as a sign of our repentance, let us more importantly mark our hearts with the genuine sign of repentance and with the strong desire to seek God’s love and mercy, His compassion and forgiveness. The ashes should not be merely just an external symbol or formality, and it should not be the source of pride and ego, thinking that we are better or more righteous than others. Rather, it should remind us all of our sinfulness, and our weakness in our faith life, so that we may come to seek the Lord, to seek His loving compassion and mercy, that He may lead us all out of the darkness and into His light once again. All of us are called to spend more time with God, to be more faithful and committed to Him, and the practices that the Church has called us to do this Lent, which includes the fast and abstinence, as well as greater love and charity, generosity and almsgiving, all these should be done because we have the desire to love God more, to come closer to Him and be reconciled with Him. We are reminded that Lent is a time to reflect on how we might take up these three practices of almsgiving, prayer and fasting, so as to grow more fully into our baptismal calling. We take ashes on this Ash Wednesday as a sign of our desire, our commitment, to grow in our response to the Lord’s calling by means of these three great Lenten pillars. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and mercy and may He bless our Lenten journey and experience starting today, so that we may strive to be ever better Christians, not just in name, but also in words and deeds, in all things. Let us be more loving and charitable this Lent, and also resist the temptations to sin, in various forms and ways, by our faithful practice of fasting and abstinence, done right with the right focus and intent, not for ourselves but for the greater glory of God. May the Lord continue to bless us and empower us all in our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always, and may He bless our Lenten journey to come, that we will make best use of it. Amen 🙏🏽
SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT JOHN JOSEPH OF THE CROSS, PRIEST AND SAINT LUCIUS I, POPE – FEAST DAY ~ MARCH 5TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint John Joseph of the Cross, Priest (Patron Saint of Ischia, Italy). St John-Joseph’s early life was one of poverty, homelessness and searching for work. And we also celebrate Saint Lucius I, Pope, who was a true shepherd of his flock during a time of violent persecution. He laid down his life for Christ. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the poor and the needy, especially those who are suffering at these incredibly challenging times and we also pray for persecuted christians, for an end to religious and political unrest, for justice and peace, love and unity in our world that is torn apart by war, terrorism, racism and countless other acts of violence against human life… Amen 🙏🏽
Saint John Joseph of the Cross, Priest and Saint Lucius I, Pope ~ Pray for us 🙏🏽
SAINT JOHN JOSEPH OF THE CROSS, PRIEST: St. John-Joseph of the Cross (1654-1734) was a Confessor, priest, Franciscan Friar, born on the feast of the Assumption on August 15, 1654 on the beautiful island of Ischia, near Naples. He joined the Franciscan Order of the Strict Observance (the reform of St. Peter of Alcantara) at age sixteen. He was the first Italian to follow the reform movement of Saint Peter Alcantara. St. John Joseph was very ascetic even as a young man. He devoted himself even at his youngest years to a life of poverty and fasting. St. John’s influence was great despite his young age, his reputation for holiness prompted his superiors to put him in charge of establishing a new friary, after three years even before he was ordained. He was sent to help found a new order of friars in Piedmont in 1674 and he assisted with his own hands in the building. Much against his will, he was ordained to the priesthood. One day St. John Joseph was found in the chapel in ecstasy, raised far above the floor. He won the hearts of all his religious, and became a priest out of obedience to his Superiors. He obtained what seemed to be an inspired knowledge of moral theology, in prayer and silence. He assisted at the death of his dear mother who rejoiced and seemed to live again in his presence, and after he had sung the Mass for the repose of her soul, saw her soul ascend to heaven, to pray thereafter their God face to face. With his superiors’ permission St. John built another monastery and drew up rules for that community, he codified a set of guidelines for spiritual and daily life that were approved by the Holy See and became a lasting model for religious communities. He afterward became master of novices. Some time later he was made provincial of the province of Naples, erected in the beginning of the 18th century by Pope Clement XI. In 1702 he was appointed Vicar Provincial of the Alcantarine Reform in Italy. During his time as Vicar he implemented a rule that no beggar would be turned away without assistance, and in times of extreme scarcity he would offer his own portion to the poor. He labored hard to establish in Italy this branch of his Order, which the Sovereign Pontiff had separated from the same branch in Spain. His ministry brought him many sufferings, especially moral sufferings occasioned by numerous calumnies. Nonetheless, St. John Joseph succeeded in his undertakings, striving to inculcate in his subjects the double spirit of contemplation and penance which Saint Peter of Alcantara had bequeathed to the Franciscans of the Strict Observance.
Obedience moved St. John to accept appointments as novice master, guardian and, finally, provincial. His years of mortification enabled him to offer these services to the friars with great charity. He was known as a deeply holy man who served Christ and the monastic community through daily acts of mortification and humility. Despite his high ranking position, he continued to lead a life of service and took on menial tasks whenever possible. As guardian, he saw himself with no higher privilege and insisted on working in the kitchen or chopping and carrying the firewood and water needed by the friars. When his term as provincial expired, St. John Joseph dedicated himself to hearing confessions and practicing mortification, two concerns contrary to the spirit of the dawning Age of Enlightenment. St. John Joseph exemplified the most sublime virtues, especially humility and religious discipline. He also possessed numerous gifts in the supernatural order and he was said to have performed numerous miracles as well as the gift of prophecy. Finally, consumed by labors for the glory of God, he was called to his reward. Stricken with apoplexy, he died an octogenarian in his monastery at Naples on March 5, 1734. Countless posthumous miracles confirmed the sanctity and glory of the Saint. Self-denial is never an end in itself but is only a help toward greater charity—as the life of Saint John Joseph shows. St. John Joseph was beatified in 1789 and canonized in 1839 by Pope Gregory XVI. He’s the Patron Saint of Ischilia, Italy, the place where he was born.
PRAYER: St. John Joseph, pray for us that we will place our love for others before our love for ourselves. We ask today for your mighty intercession, to pray for us that we learn humility and seek an attitude of service so we, too, may follow in the footsteps of Jesus. In His Mighty Name we pray… Amen 🙏🏽
O God, You inspired St. John Joseph to strive for perfect charity and so attain Your Kingdom at the end of his pilgrimage on earth. Strengthen us through his intercession that we may advice rejoicing in the way of love. Amen 🙏🏽
SAINT LUCIUS I, POPE: His Holiness Pope St. Lucius I was born in Rome, Italy and his father’s name was Porphyrianus. He assumed the Throne on June 25, 253 A.D., and ruled only eight months until his death on March 5, 254 A.D. He was chosen as the 22nd Pontiff to succeed Pope St. Cornelius after his death in exile, forced to leave Rome by the Emperor Trebonianus Gallus. It was a very difficult phase for the Church still a long way from obtaining freedom of worship, which would only come with the edicts of 311 and 313. Pope St. Cornelius’ predecessor, Saint Fabian, had already died in prison among hardships under the persecution of Decius. Pope St. Lucius himself was exiled briefly immediately after his election as pope during the persecution of Emperor Gallus but a few weeks later when Valerian, who initially was not hostile to Christians, became emperor. he was then allowed to return to Rome.
During his brief reign, St. Lucius I was noted for his ascetic lifestyle, even while on the throne. St. Lucius continued the policy of Cornelius in admitting repentant apostates to communion after due penance. He forbade men and women not related by blood to live together, even decreeing that clergy should not live with deaconesses even if given lodging for reasons of charity. He condemned the Novatian heresy, which was held by Antipope Novatian, who taught that those baptized Christians who had denied their faith or performed the formalities of a ritual sacrifice to the pagan gods, under the pressures of the persecution sanctioned by Emperor Decius, in AD 250, were never to again be admitted to the Faith. A letter of St. Cyprian congratulated and celebrated St. Lucius memory with the highest praise for him on his return from exile and praising him for his confession of Christ and condemning the Novatians for their refusal of the sacraments to those who had fallen but were penitent. Pope St. Lucius I was a true shepherd of his flock during a time of violent persecution. He laid down his life for Christ on March 5, 254 A.D in Rome Italy, under a year into his reign. He was buried at Saint Callistus catacomb but his relics were later transferred to the church of Saint Cecilia in Rome, where they now lie, by order of Clement VIII. His successor was Stephen I.
PRAYER: O Eternal Shepherd, who appointed blessed Lucius shepherd of the whole Church, let the prayers of this martyr and supreme pontiff move You to look with favor upon Your flock and to keep it under Your continual protection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏🏽
DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF MARCH | MONTH OF ST. JOSEPH: The month of March is dedicated to St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus Christ. “His was the title of father of the Son of God, because he was the Spouse of Mary, ever Virgin. He was our Lord’s father, because Jesus ever yielded to him the obedience of a son. He was our Lord’s father, because to him were entrusted, and by him were faithfully fulfilled, the duties of a father, in protecting Him, giving Him a home, sustaining and rearing Him, and providing Him with a trade”. “This patronage must be invoked as ever necessary for the Church, not only as a defense against all dangers, but also, and indeed primarily, as an impetus for her renewed commitment to evangelization in the world and to re-evangelization,” wrote St. John Paul II in Redemptoris Custos (Guardian of the Redeemer). St. John Paul II further said, “Because St. Joseph is the protector of the Church, he is the guardian of the Eucharist and the Christian family. Therefore, we must turn to St. Joseph today to ward off attacks upon the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist and upon the family. We must plead with St. Joseph to guard the Eucharistic Lord and the Christian family during this time of peril.”
The first four days of March fall during the liturgical season known as Tempus per Annum or Ordinary Time (formerly known as Time after Epiphany) which is represented by the liturgical color green. Green, the symbol of hope, is the color of the sprouting seed and arouses in the faithful the hope of reaping the eternal harvest of heaven, especially the hope of a glorious resurrection. The remainder of the month of March is the liturgical season of Lent which is represented by the liturgical color violet or purple — a symbol of penance, mortification and the sorrow of a contrite heart. All saint days that are usually Memorials are shifted to Optional Memorials during the season of Lent. As we continue our journey “up to Jerusalem” during the month of March, three prominent ideas are proposed for our contemplation by the liturgy of Lent: the Passion and Resurrection of Christ, baptism, and penance. The Solemnity of St. Joseph (March 19) is a special landmark this month in which we will celebrate the great honor bestowed upon the foster father of Jesus. The Solemnity of the Annunciation is celebrated on March 25. And if you are Irish, St. Patrick’s feast is another cause for a joyful celebration. The Saints that we will focus on this month and try to imitate are: St. Katharine Drexel (March 3); St. Casimir (March 4); Sts. Perpetua and Felicity (March 7); St. John of God (March 8); St. Patrick (March 17); St. Cyril of Jerusalem (March 18); and St. Joseph (March 19). The Optional Memorials of St. Frances of Rome (March 9) and St. Turibio de Mogrovejo (March 23) are superseded by the Lenten Sunday liturgy.
A Time of Penance and Promise: The Church’s vibrant new life has been obscured by the austerity of the penitential season of Lent. But that life is indisputable, and it will burgeon forth on Easter as Christ coming forth from His tomb! At the beginning of this month we will embark on our journey to the cross by receiving ashes and donning the purple of penance. During this month our journey to the cross with our acts of penitence. We will reflect on our mortality (Remember man thou art dust) and the shortness of life (and to dust thou shall return). We will heed the call, Now is the acceptable time, now is “the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2).” Just like Our Lord’s earthly life every moment of our lives is leading up to the last moment—when for eternity we will either go to God or suffer the fires of hell. The Solemnity of the Annunciation bravely appears during Lent; a pure white flower in the purple Lenten landscape. It seems to be, at first glance, a Christmas feast, but upon reflection we grasp that the feast is intimately linked to the Paschal mystery. For what Christ inaugurated at His Incarnation in accepting to offer Himself for the human race, He will complete in His sacrifice on the cross. 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. As the weeks of Lent progress let us not be tired of doing our good works and penance, but continue with the enthusiasm of the catechumens on their way to Easter and Baptism. May our Lenten observance be a joyful journey — and not a forced march. 🙏🏽
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 Lord grant us His grace as we continue to serve Him in spirit and in truth and as we begin the Lenten Season. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the sick and dying. We particularly pray for sick children, those who are sick with convulsive disorder, mental illness, strokes, heart diseases, and those suffering from cancers and other 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 these challenging times. We pray for the safety and well-being of us all and our families, for peace, love and unity in our families, our marriages and our divided and conflicted world. Every life is a gift. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the gentle 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 through the mercy of God rest in peace with our Lord Jesus Christ Amen. For all widows and widowers. Please let us continue to pray for peace in our families and throughout our divided and conflicted World. Amen🙏
Let us pray:
My freeing Lord, help me to see my greatest sins this Lent and to begin the process of overcoming them. Please reveal to me the virtues I need to embrace so as to be freed of these burdens and to grow more firmly in my love of You and others. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏🏽
Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint John Joseph of the Cross and Saint Lucius I ~ Pray for us🙏
Thanking God for the gift of this 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, fruitful and grace-filled Lenten week. May God keep us all safe and well ~ Amen 🙏🏽
Three Pillars of Lent: Almsgiving, Prayer and Fasting!
“Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return” ~ Genesis 3:19
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Holy Season of Lent, also known as Quadragesima, a time of preparation and reflection as we prepare ourselves well for the upcoming celebrations of Holy Week and Easter, the most important moments in our whole entire liturgical year. This is the time we contemplate our relationship with God and identify the areas in our spiritual life that need work. Season of Lent is 40 days of prayer, fasting, penance and almsgiving in preparation for the celebration of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
At the beginning of Lent, on Ash Wednesday, ashes are blessed during Mass, after the homily. The blessed ashes are then “imposed” on the faithful as a sign of conversion, penance, fasting and human mortality. The ashes are blessed at least during the first Mass of the day, but they may also be imposed during all the Masses of the day, after the homily, and even outside the time of Mass to meet the needs of the faithful. Priests or deacons normally impart this sacramental, but instituted acolytes, other extraordinary ministers or designated lay people may be delegated to impart ashes, if the bishop judges that this is necessary. The ashes are made from the palms used at the previous Passion Sunday ceremonies.
The ashes received on the head today is a sign of repentance and humility. It reminds us of our dependence on God and our call to turn away from sin. The act of putting on ashes symbolizes fragility and mortality, and the need to be redeemed by the mercy of God. It is a symbolic representation of our desire to be forgiven from our sins, and as a sign of our repentance and regret from all the things that we have disobeyed the Lord for, and which therefore brought us into the path of sin and evil, out of which we are seeking the Lord for His help and grace, so that, He may free us from the shackles of our sins and evils. Far from being a merely external act, the Church has retained the use of ashes to symbolize that attitude of internal penance to which all the baptized are called during Lent.
For members of the Latin Catholic Church, the laws regarding abstinence and fasting are as follows: Abstinence from eating meat is to be observed on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays during Lent, including Good Friday. Since Jesus sacrificed His flesh for us on Good Friday, we refrain from eating flesh meat in His honor on Fridays. Abstaining from eating meat is also a form of penance– admitting to any wrongdoings and sins while turning back to belief in God. Abstinence applies to all persons 14 years of age and older. Fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday applies to all Catholics who have completed their eighteenth year to the beginning of their sixtieth year. A person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together don’t equal that regular-sized meal. Fasting should be done out of love for God and of neighbor.
Lent is a Season of Reflection, Renewal and Preparation. As we begin our Lenten journey – the 40 days of preparation for Easter, we are called to make sacrifices and acknowledge our need for a Savior. The sacrifices we practice and the ashes we receive allow us to be a witness to others and a witness to Christ’s sacrifice. However, we are called not simply to choose a sacrifice, practice it for 40 days, and then go back to life as usual. We are called to truly deepen our relationship with Christ. Lent is traditionally a time of penance, when we try to die to ourselves in some way so as to live more fully to the Lord and to others. The traditional practices of Lent put before us the essentials for growth into the image of God’s Son. There are all in the service of love, a greater love of God (prayer), a more generous love of neighbour (almsgiving), and a truer love of ourselves (fasting). We recommit ourselves on Ash Wednesday to build our lives on those three loves, so that we may more fully become all that God is calling us to be.
In his message for Lent 2025, Pope Francis invites the faithful to embark on a journey of faith, community, and hope, reminding us that Lent is a time of renewal and conversion. He says:”The Jubilee motto, ‘Pilgrims of Hope,’ evokes the lengthy journey of the people of Israel to the Promised Land… A first call to conversion thus comes from the realization that all of us are pilgrims in this life.”
The Pope emphasizes three key aspects of our Lenten journey:
Journeying in faith, by reflecting on our spiritual progress and stepping out of our comfort zones.
Journeying together, by fostering unity and ensuring no one is left behind.
Journeying in hope, by trusting in God’s promise of eternal life.
He encourages us to examine whether we truly live as a community, embracing others with love and patience, and placing our hope in Christ, whose resurrection is the foundation of our faith. Concluding his message, Pope Francis entrusts our Lenten journey to the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Mother of Hope.
During this season of Lent, in this Jubilee Year of Hope, please let us all continue to pray for peace all over the world, particularly in the Middle East, and the Ukraine-Russia conflicts and for peace in our families and throughout our divided and conflicted World. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this Ash Wednesday, as we embark on our Lenten journey, we humbly pray for the poor and the needy, for persecuted Christians, for an end to religious and political unrest, for justice and peace, love and unity in our world that is torn apart by war, terrorism, and countless other acts of violence against human life. Amen 🙏🏽
LIVE from Rome for the Ash Wednesday Penitential Procession and Holy Mass, celebrated by Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, Major Penitentiary and Delegate of Pope Francis.
Church of Sant’Anselmo & Basilica of Santa Sabina | March 5, 2025 | 4:30 PM – 6:45 PM (CET)
The solemn “Statio” and penitential procession leads to the first stational church of Lent, followed by the blessing and imposition of ashes, marking the beginning of this sacred season of prayer, fasting, and conversion.
PRAYER FOR POPE FRANCIS:May we all unite as one voice to lift up the Vicar of Christ in prayer today as his health continues to improve after a prolonged respiratory crisis. We continue to pray for our Holy Father, 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🙏🏽
Scripture Passage: “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” (Genesis 3:19) “Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord your God.” (Joel 2:13)
Reflection: Today marks the beginning of our Lenten journey—a time set apart for repentance, renewal, and deepening our relationship with God. As you receive the blessed ashes on your forehead, remember that these marks are not just symbols of our human frailty, but also powerful reminders of our call to conversion. In ancient times, ashes symbolized mourning and penance; they signified a turning away from sin and a return to God. When Jesus spoke of repentance and humility, He invited us to look inward and recognize our need for God’s mercy. Just as the ashes remind us that we are dust and will return to dust, they also challenge us to live with the awareness that every moment is an opportunity for transformation and rebirth.
As you reflect on the meaning of these sacred marks, consider how you might let go of inordinate attachments and open your heart to divine grace. Today, ask yourself: What does it truly mean to be marked by ashes? Let this be a day to set aside worldly concerns and focus on the spiritual journey ahead. Embrace this day as the start of a period of sincere self-examination and humble service—a time to surrender your pride and allow God to lead you into a deeper, more authentic relationship with Him.
Lenten Question: Q: How do the ashes remind us of our call to conversion? A: The ashes symbolize our mortality and brokenness, inviting us to turn away from sin and to seek God’s transformative mercy.
Lenten Action: Take a few moments today to write down one attachment or habit that you feel holds you back from fully embracing God’s love. Reflect on how releasing this attachment might open the door to spiritual renewal, and consider sharing your commitment with a trusted friend or family member.
PRAYER: Almighty God, as we begin this season of Lent, open our hearts to Your mercy. May the ashes we receive today remind us of our need for conversion and renew our spirit with Your grace. Help us to embrace our weaknesses and to grow in humility and love. Guide us on this journey of repentance, so that we might emerge closer to You, transformed by Your forgiving love. We ask this through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen 🙏🏽
Greetings and blessings, beloved family. Happy Shrove Tuesday, the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time!
Today is the last day before the beginning of the season and time of Lent, which will begin tomorrow with the imposition of the blessed ashes on Ash Wednesday, the very first day of the Lenten season. May God grant us His grace and mercy as we prepare to begin our Lenten journey, a period of fasting and penance, tomorrow, Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025. The month of March is dedicated to St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus Christ. May St. Joseph intercede for us all during this season of Lent. Amen 🙏🏽
FEAST AND SAINT OF THE DAY ~ FEAST DAY: MARCH 4, 2025
FEAST OF THE HOLY FACE OF JESUS AND SHROVE TUESDAY | TUESDAY PRIOR TO ASH WEDNESDAY
PRAYER FOR POPE FRANCIS: May we all unite as one voice to lift up the Vicar of Christ in prayer today as his health continues to improve after a prolonged respiratory crisis. We continue to pray for our Holy Father, 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🙏🏽
On this special feast day, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we pray for all those who mourn the loss of their loved ones and celebrate their memorial anniversary today. We pray for our loved ones who have recently died, and we continue to pray for the repose of their gentle souls 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🙏
THE HOLY FATHER, POPE FRANCIS’ MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2025: FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH – For families in crisis: Let us pray that broken families might discover the cure for their wounds through forgiveness, rediscovering each other’s gifts, even in their differences. (https://popesprayerusa.net/popes-intentions/)
Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus and the Memorial of Saint Casimir whose life of service to God has made him a Patron Saint of Poland, Lithuania, and young people. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for our children, all youths, our families, our leaders, the poor and the needy, for persecuted christians, for an end to religious and political unrest, for justice and peace, love and unity in our world that is torn apart by war, terrorism, racism and countless other acts of violence against human life. We continue to pray for the intentions of our Holy Father. We pray for the Clergy, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, and all the ministers, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Seminarians, all religious, for vocations to the Priesthood and Consecrated 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. We pray for the Divine healing upon those who are sick and dying, particularly pray for the speedy recovery and Divine healing of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, we pray for those suffering from mental illness, cancers and other terminal diseases. We pray for those who are physically and mentally suffering from stressful life events at these incredibly challenging times. We pray for the Church, for captives, prisoners, 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, for all the innocent who suffer violence due to political or religious unrest, 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 🙏🏽
Holy Face of Jesus ~ Have Mercy on us; St. Casimir of Poland ~ 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. 🙏🏽
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 🙏
FEAST AND SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST OF THE HOLY FACE OF JESUS AND SHROVE TUESDAY | MEMORIAL OF SAINT CASIMIR OF POLAND – FEAST DAY ~ MARCH 4TH: Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus and Shrove Tuesday. We also celebrate the Memorial of St. Casimir of Poland. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and these Saints, we humbly pray for vocation to the priesthood and religious life and we pray for the sick and dying, we particularly pray for those who are suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. May God grant them His divine healing and intervention. We pray for the poor and the needy, for persecuted christians, for an end to religious and political unrest, for justice and peace, love and unity in our world that is torn apart by war, terrorism, racism and countless other acts of violence against human life. Amen 🙏🏽
Saint Casimir, we ask your intercession to aid all leaders of governments, churches, and families to emulate your virtues; to be poor in spirit, just, pure, and faithful. With your aid, may leaders guide those under their authority to love and serve their country and their God with greater fervor…Amen🙏🏽
Holy Face of Jesus ~ Have Mercy on us; St. Casimir of Poland ~ Pray for us 🙏🏽
FEAST OF THE HOLY FACE OF JESUS AND SHROVE TUESDAY: Shrove Tuesday (the day prior to Ash Wednesday) is the traditional feast day of the Holy Face of Jesus. Venerable Pope Pius XII granted that the Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus be observed on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, he fulfilled the desire of Our Lord that His sorrowful Holy Face be contemplated in reparation for our sins. Veneration of the Holy Face of Jesus has its beginning during Christ’s Passion, making it one of the oldest devotions in the Christian tradition. St. Veronica, as a sign of her love and compassion, offered Our Savior a veil to wipe the blood and sweat from his face as he carried his cross on the way to his crucifixion. In reward for her charity and compassion, Jesus left an impression of his Holy Face upon the veil. In the 19th Century Jesus expressed His wishes to Sister Mary of St Peter (1816 – 1848), a Carmelite Nun in Tours, France, that there be an actual Devotion to his Holy Face. Our Lord wanted this in reparation for blasphemies against Him and His Holy Name as well, as for the profanation of Sunday (when people engage unnecessarily in commerce and other such labours and chores on Sunday, a day meant for rest and reflection on God). In August, 1843, He dictated to her the well-known Golden Arrow Prayer and gave her Promises for those who would honour His Holy Face. Soon afterwards, Venerable Leo Dupont, known as the “Holy Man of Tours” helped to publicise this Devotion, through a number of miraculous cures attributed to an image of our Lord’s Holy Face, in his possession. In 1885, Pope Leo XIII gave Ecclesiastical approval of the Devotion to the Holy Face and established an Archconfraternity for it. The first Holy Medal of the Holy Face was given to Ven Pope Pius XII, who approved the Devotion and the Medal. In 1958 he formally declared the Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus as Shrove Tuesday for all Catholics.
TUESDAY DEVOTION TO THE HOLY FACE: The Lord also requested that His Holy Face be honoured each Tuesday and especially on Shrove Tuesday, before Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of Lent. Requesting this Devotion, Jesus appeared covered with blood and very sadly said to Blessed Pierina: “Do you see how I suffer? Yet, very few understand Me. Those who say they love Me are very ungrateful! I have given My Heart as the sensible object of My great love to men and I give My Face as the sensible object of My sorrow for all the sins of men. I wish that it be venerated by a special Feast on Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. I wish that the Feast be preceded by a Novena in which the faithful make reparation with Me, joining together and sharing in My sorrow.”
As part of the preparations for Lent, it is appropriate to celebrate the Feast of the Holy Face by spending some time before the Blessed Sacrament and reciting the prayers of reparation. In addition, the repetition of this Devotion each Tuesday in Lent may be a means of drawing closer to Our Lord during this time of more intense prayer and conversion.
THE EIGHT PROMISES OF JESUS:
All those who honour My Face in a spirit of reparation, will by so doing, perform the office of the pious Veronica. According to the care they take in making reparation to My Face, disfigured by blasphemers, so will I take care of their souls which have been disfigured by sin. My Face is the seal of the Divinity, which has the virtue of reproducing in souls the image of God.
Those who by words, prayers or writing, defend My cause in this Work of Reparation I will defend before My Father and will give them My Kingdom.
By offering My Face to My Eternal Father, nothing will be refused and the conversion of many sinners will be obtained.
By My Holy Face, they will work wonders, appease the anger of God and draw down mercy on sinners.
As in a kingdom they can procure all that is desired, with a coin stamped with the King’s effigy, so, in the Kingdom of Heaven, they will obtain all they desire, with the precious coin of My Holy Face.
Those who, on earth, contemplate the wounds of My Face shall, in Heaven, behold it radiant with glory.
They will receive in their souls, a bright and constant irradiation of My Divinity, that by their likeness to My Face, they shall shine with particular splendour in Heaven. 8. I will defend them, I will preserve them and I assure them of Final Perseverance.
PRAYER TO THE HOLY FACE OF JESUS By: St. Therese of Lisieux: O Jesus, who in Thy bitter Passion didst become “the most abject of men, a man of sorrows”, I venerate Thy Sacred Face whereon there once did shine the beauty and sweetness of the Godhead; but now it has become for me as if it were the face of a leper! Nevertheless, under those disfigured features, I recognize Thy infinite Love and I am consumed with the desire to love Thee and make Thee loved by all men. The tears which well up abundantly in Thy sacred eyes appear to me as so many precious pearls that I love to gather up, in order to purchase the souls of poor sinners by means of their infinite value. O Jesus, whose adorable Face ravishes my heart, I implore Thee to fix deep within me Thy divine image and to set me on fire with Thy Love, that I may be found worthy to come to the contemplation of Thy glorious Face in Heaven. Amen🙏
SAINT CASIMIR OF POLAND: St. Casimir of Poland (1458-1484), born Casimir Jagiellon on October 5, 1458, he was the second son of Poland King Casimir IV and Queen Elizabeth of Austria, he was third of the thirteen children born to them in the royal palace at Cracow. St. Casimir committed his life to God from an early age, thanks in part to a brilliant and pious priest who served as the royal tutor. He and several of his brothers studied with the priest and historian John Dlugosz, whose deep piety and political expertise influenced St. Casimir in his upbringing. St. Casimir, the young prince had a distaste for the luxury of courtly life, he turned away from the privileges of his station in life and instead exercised extreme asceticism and self-denial. He wore a hairshirt under his clothes, slept on the cold ground, and knelt in prayer for long hours outside of locked churches and would spend much of the night in prayer and meditation on the suffering and death of Christ. St. Casimir showed his love for God through these exercises of devotion, and also through his material charity to the poor. He was known as a deeply compassionate young man who felt others’ pains acutely. One of his principal devotions was to the Blessed Virgin, in whose honor he composed, or at least frequently recited, the well-known “Hymn of St. Casimir.”
The young prince, St. Casimir was only 13 years old when his father was asked by the Hungarians to offer his son as their new king. St. Casimir was eager to aid the Hungarians in their defense against the Turks, so he accepted and went to be crowned in the hope of defending the Christian nation against the Turks. St. Casimir marched at the head of an army of 20,000 men to the frontier, to comply with his father’s will. The reigning King of Hungary whom the people wished to dethrone was Matthias Corvinus. On reaching the frontier and learning that the differences between King and people had been adjusted, the plan did not come to fruition. St. Casimir gladly returned home to Poland to continue his life of prayer, penance, and generosity to the poor. Realizing afterward injustice of the attempt against the King of Hungary, he could never be prevailed upon to assume the crown when the Hungarian again offered to him. After his return St. Casimir resumed his studies with the priest and historian, John Dlugosz, while developing a canny grasp of politics by observing his father’s rule. In 1479 the king left Poland to attend to state business in Lithuania, leaving Prince Casimir in charge of the realm between 1481 and 1483.
St. Casimir took a vow of celibacy which he upheld despite immense political pressure to marry. Advisers to the prince joined his father in trying to convince St. Casimir to marry. But he preferred to remain single, focusing his life on the service of God and the good of his people. St. Casimir suffered from a chronic lung condition (tuberculosis), he foresaw his death and prepared for it by deepening his devotion to God. He died en route to Vilna, the capital of Lithuania on March 4, 1484 at the age of 25 and was buried with a copy of a Marian hymn he frequently recited. Many miracles were attributed to his intercession after his death. Pope Adrian VI canonized him in 1522. One hundred and twenty-two years after his death Saint Casimir’s tomb in the cathedral church of Vilna was opened, that the holy remains might be transferred to the rich marble chapel where it now lies. The place was damp, and the very vault crumbled away in the hands of the workmen; yet the Saint’s body, wrapped in robes of silk, still intact, was found whole and incorrupt, and emitting a sweet fragrance which filled the church and refreshed all who were present. Under his head was found his hymn to Our Lady, which he had had buried with him.
Five centuries after his death, in 1984, Pope John Paul II addressed Lithuanian pilgrims commemorating the 500th anniversary of the prince’s death. He said the Church “proclaimed Casimir a saint and placed him before us not only to be venerated but also that we might imitate his heroic virtues and follow his example of holiness.” Pope John Paul II recalled how St. Casimir “embraced a life of celibacy, submitted himself humbly to God’s will in all things, devoted himself with tender love to the Blessed Virgin Mary and developed a fervent practice of adoring Christ present in the Blessed Sacrament.” “His witness of great faith and fervent piety continues to have special meaning for us today,” the Pope said, noting especially the “challenging call” he offers to young people. “His life of purity and prayer beckons you to practice your faith with courage and zeal, to reject the deceptive attractions of modern permissive society, and to live your convictions with fearless confidence and joy.” “To all,” the Pope said, “he was a shining example of poverty and of sacrificial love for the poor and needy.”
Saint Casimir Jagiellon life of service to God has made him a Patron Saint of Poland, Lithuania, and young people.
PRAYER: O God Almighty, to serve You is to reign. We pray through Saint Casimir’s intercession, that we may constantly serve you in sanctity and justice. And our services reflected in a holy way of life and justice. Help us to deepen our trust in You our Heavenly Father. Through our Lord Jesus Christ…. Amen🙏
Today’s Bible Readings: Tuesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time | Tuesday, March 4, 2025 Reading 1, Sirach 35:1-12 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 50:5-6, 7-8, 14, 23 Gospel, Mark 10:28-31
Gospel Reading ~ Mark 10:28-31
“You will receive a hundred times as much persecution in this present age, and eternal life in the age to come”
“Peter began to say to Jesus, ‘We have given up everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come. But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
In today’s Gospel reading, Peter speaks up on behalf of all the disciples who have given up a lot to follow Jesus. Unlike the rich man in yesterday’s Gospel reading who refused to give up his riches to follow Jesus, the disciples have left everything to follow Jesus. Jesus had just been speaking about how attachment to the riches of this world can prevent people from answering God’s call in their lives. In contrast, Jesus’ disciples had left everything to follow Him. Peter, Andrew, James and John had left a lucrative fishing business. Matthew had left a financially rewarding tax collecting business. Peter asked the question that was probably on the lips of the other disciples even though they would never have asked it, ‘What about us? We have left everything and followed you’. Peter was saying, ‘We are not like the rich man who has just walked away after you called him to follow you. What will we gain from the sacrifices we have made?’ It is a very human question, even if we might think there is an element of self-interest in it. Jesus assures Peter, and all of us, that those who give generously to him will experience his generosity in ways they would never have expected. Jesus speaks to Peter of being repaid a ‘hundred times over… now in this present time and, in the world to come, eternal life’. According to the Gospels, Jesus says very succinctly, ‘give and it will be given to you’. Our giving to the Lord, in whatever form, always creates a space in our lives for the Lord to be much more generous with us than we have been with Him.
Reflecting on the Gospel, Jesus assures Peter and the others that, having left everything, they will receive far more than they have left behind, both in this life and in the next life. Following Jesus, living the Gospel, regardless of our particular state in life, will always be demanding. The Gospel will always call us beyond the world we have created for ourselves and where we are most comfortable. In that sense, responding to the Lord’s call will always involve a dying to ourselves in some sense so as to live for others, some form of self-giving. The assurance Jesus gives us in today’s Gospel reading is that in giving in this way, we will receive far more than we give. Our giving to the Lord creates a space for the Lord to give to us to a much greater degree than we could ever give to Him. . Our first reading today is the continuation of the exhortation from the prophet Sirach, the prophet reminds all the faithful people of God and hence all of us to be generous in offering ourselves to the Lord because He is truly full of love and mercy, and if we do what is right and just, worthy in the eyes of the Lord, committing ourselves to His cause and be good in all of our actions, words and deeds, then all of us will truly be blessed and rewarded by the Lord in the end. It is a reminder for all of us to live our lives worthily in the best way we can, to be good inspiration and role models tor our fellow brothers and sisters around us by our living and vibrant faith. Just as in the Gospel, the Lord reassured all His disciples and said that no one who had devoted themselves and made sacrifices to follow Him would be found wanting, which echoes what the prophet Sirach had mentioned in our first reading today. Essentially it is a reminder for us all that the Lord loves the righteous and virtuous, and those whom He deems to be worthy shall be truly blessed and cared for by Him, and they shall not be lost from Him.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, let us all remind ourselves of the calling which all of us have received from the Lord for us to follow Him and the path that He has shown to us so that we may continue to walk down the path of righteousness and virtue in life. We have been reminded of God’s great and most generous love and mercy, and we should make great use of the opportunities that God has granted to us to reach out to Him and to be fully reconciled and reunited with Him. On this Feast of yhe Holy Face of Jesus, we are called to emulate the lives and examples of the Holy men and women, particularly those who we celebrate today, St. Casimir of Poland. All of us are reminded to be good role models and inspirations for our fellow men and women, living our lives with righteousness and grace, to be truly faithful in all things and circumstances. We should be the shining beacons of God’s light, hope and Good News in our darkened world, corrupted and filled with sin and evil. Through our commitment to God, our righteousness and virtue, we should bring God’s light into our world, inspiring many others around us to follow the Lord as well. It is by our good life and examples that we can do this, to fulfil what the Lord has entrusted to us. Let us all therefore do our part as Christians, to be the faithful and devoted missionaries and evangelising disciples, doing our best to proclaim the Lord to all. And as we all enter into this time and season of Lent tomorrow, let us all continue to strive to resist the temptations of sin, and continue to keep our lives truly holy and worthy of the Lord, now and always. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and be with us always, and may He continue to bless our every good works, efforts and endeavours, and bless our preparations for the upcoming season of Lent. Amen 🙏🏽
DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF MARCH | MONTH OF ST. JOSEPH: The month of March is dedicated to St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus Christ. “His was the title of father of the Son of God, because he was the Spouse of Mary, ever Virgin. He was our Lord’s father, because Jesus ever yielded to him the obedience of a son. He was our Lord’s father, because to him were entrusted, and by him were faithfully fulfilled, the duties of a father, in protecting Him, giving Him a home, sustaining and rearing Him, and providing Him with a trade”. “This patronage must be invoked as ever necessary for the Church, not only as a defense against all dangers, but also, and indeed primarily, as an impetus for her renewed commitment to evangelization in the world and to re-evangelization,” wrote St. John Paul II in Redemptoris Custos (Guardian of the Redeemer). St. John Paul II further said, “Because St. Joseph is the protector of the Church, he is the guardian of the Eucharist and the Christian family. Therefore, we must turn to St. Joseph today to ward off attacks upon the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist and upon the family. We must plead with St. Joseph to guard the Eucharistic Lord and the Christian family during this time of peril.”
The first four days of March fall during the liturgical season known as Tempus per Annum or Ordinary Time (formerly known as Time after Epiphany) which is represented by the liturgical color green. Green, the symbol of hope, is the color of the sprouting seed and arouses in the faithful the hope of reaping the eternal harvest of heaven, especially the hope of a glorious resurrection. The remainder of the month of March is the liturgical season of Lent which is represented by the liturgical color violet or purple — a symbol of penance, mortification and the sorrow of a contrite heart. All saint days that are usually Memorials are shifted to Optional Memorials during the season of Lent. As we continue our journey “up to Jerusalem” during the month of March, three prominent ideas are proposed for our contemplation by the liturgy of Lent: the Passion and Resurrection of Christ, baptism, and penance. The Solemnity of St. Joseph (March 19) is a special landmark this month in which we will celebrate the great honor bestowed upon the foster father of Jesus. The Solemnity of the Annunciation is celebrated on March 25. And if you are Irish, St. Patrick’s feast is another cause for a joyful celebration. The Saints that we will focus on this month and try to imitate are: St. Katharine Drexel (March 3); St. Casimir (March 4); Sts. Perpetua and Felicity (March 7); St. John of God (March 8); St. Patrick (March 17); St. Cyril of Jerusalem (March 18); and St. Joseph (March 19). The Optional Memorials of St. Frances of Rome (March 9) and St. Turibio de Mogrovejo (March 23) are superseded by the Lenten Sunday liturgy.
A Time of Penance and Promise: The Church’s vibrant new life has been obscured by the austerity of the penitential season of Lent. But that life is indisputable, and it will burgeon forth on Easter as Christ coming forth from His tomb! At the beginning of this month we will embark on our journey to the cross by receiving ashes and donning the purple of penance. During this month our journey to the cross with our acts of penitence. We will reflect on our mortality (Remember man thou art dust) and the shortness of life (and to dust thou shall return). We will heed the call, Now is the acceptable time, now is “the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2).” Just like Our Lord’s earthly life every moment of our lives is leading up to the last moment—when for eternity we will either go to God or suffer the fires of hell. The Solemnity of the Annunciation bravely appears during Lent; a pure white flower in the purple Lenten landscape. It seems to be, at first glance, a Christmas feast, but upon reflection we grasp that the feast is intimately linked to the Paschal mystery. For what Christ inaugurated at His Incarnation in accepting to offer Himself for the human race, He will complete in His sacrifice on the cross. 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. As the weeks of Lent progress let us not be tired of doing our good works and penance, but continue with the enthusiasm of the catechumens on their way to Easter and Baptism. May our Lenten observance be a joyful journey — and not a forced march. 🙏🏽
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:
My generous Lord, You ask everything of me. You ask me to abandon everything in my pursuit of Your perfect will. Give me the grace I need to answer Your call and to live sacrificially for You without counting the cost. You are generous beyond description, dear Lord, and I trust that following You will produce an abundance of good fruit. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏🏽
Save Us, Savior of the World. Holy Face of Jesus ~ Have Mercy on us; Our Blessed Mother Mary and St. Casimir of Poland ~ Pray for us 🙏🏽
Thanking God for the gift of this 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, fruitful and grace-filled Lenten week. May God keep us all safe and well ~ Amen 🙏🏽
