Author: Resa

Greetings and blessings, beloved family. Happy Saturday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time!

We thank God for His love and the gift of this day, praying for His grace and mercy upon us all. 🙏🏽

FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ FEBRUARY 15, 2025

MEMORIAL OF SAINT CLAUDE DE LA COLOMBIÈRE, PRIEST AND SAINTS FAUSTINUS, PRIEST AND JOVITA, DEACON,  MARTYRS | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN | “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/02/15/catholic-daily-mass-daily-tv-mass-february-15-2025/

DAILY SAINTS AND REFLECTIONS | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/

Today, we celebrate the Memorial of St. Claude de la Colombiere, a Jesuit Priest (Patron Saint of Toy makers; turners; Sculptors and Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus) and St. Faustinus, Priest and  St. Jovita, Deacon, Martyrs (They are the Patron Saint of Brescia). Saint Claude, bring us closer to the Heart of Jesus!  St. Claude de la Colombiere, and St. Faustinus, St. Jovita ~ Pray for us 🙏🏽 

Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, St. Claude de la Colombiere, and St. Faustinus, and  St. Jovita, we humbly pray for those who are sick, particularly those who are gravely ill and dying, especially those who are sick with cancers and other terminal diseases. We continue to pray for torture victims, the poor, the needy and the most vulnerable in our communities and around the world. Amen. We pray for the Church, for persecuted Christians, for all the innocent who suffer violence due to political or religious unrest, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world. We continue to pray for peace all over the world, particularly in Africa, the Middle East, for an end to the Ukraine-Russia conflicts and for peace in our families and throughout our divided and conflicted World. May the Saints intercede for our children, children all over the world and us all. Amen 🙏🏽

We thank God for blessing us all with the gift of His precious son, may we be saved by the name of our Savior Jesus Christ! May the good Lord grant us His grace during this Ordinary Time as we continue to serve Him in spirit and in truth. 🙏🏽

Pray “Holy Rosary for Peace with Pope Francis” | “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteries | Memorare Chaplet | Prayer in Difficult Times (Powerful Prayer) | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/01/30/holy-rosary-for-peace-with-pope-francis/

Please find below links to the websites for Daily Reflections, Foundation and interesting topics and articles about our Catholic faith and doctrines | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/01/30/daily-reflections-and-prayer-links/

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2025: FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY – FOR VOCATIONS TO THE PRIESTHOOD AND RELIGIOUS LIFE | Let us pray that the ecclesial community might welcome the desires and doubts of those young people who feel a call to serve Christ’s mission in the priesthood and religious life.

https://www.usccb.org/prayers/popes-monthly-intentions-2025 (See also http://www.popesprayerusa.net/.)

We continue to pray for the intentions of our Holy Father. We pray for the Clergy, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, Deacons, all religious, for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. For those consecrated to God by the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience that they may seek to live their baptismal promises more intensely and have the grace to persevere in their commitment to the Lord and serve with open hearts and willing spirits… Amen 🙏🏽

On this special feast day, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we pray for the sick and dying. We especially pray for our loved ones who have recently died and we continue to pray for the repose of the gentle souls of the recent plane crashes and souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls and souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

“Blessed are those who have died in the Lord; let them rest from their abors for their good deeds go with them.” ~ Rev 14:13

PRAYER FOR THE DEAD: In your hands, O Lord, we humbly entrust our brothers and sisters. In this life, you embraced them with your tender love; deliver them now from every evil, and bid them eternal rest. The old order has passed away: welcome them into paradise, where there will be no sorrow, no weeping or pain, but fullness of peace and joy with your Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen🙏

PRAYER FOR PEACE ~ POPE FRANCIS:

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!

A PRAYER FOR PEACE: Lord Jesus Christ, You are the true King of peace. In You alone is found freedom. Please free our world from conflict. Bring unity to troubled nations. Let Your glorious peace reign in every heart. Dispel all darkness and evil. Protect the dignity of every human life. Replace hatred with Your love. Give wisdom to world leaders. Free them from selfish ambition. Eliminate all violence and war. Glorious Virgin Mary, Saint Michael the Archangel, Every Angel and Saint: Please pray for peace. Pray for unity amongst nations. Pray for unity amongst all people. Pray for the most vulnerable. Pray for those suffering. Pray for the fearful. Pray for those most in need. Pray for us all. Jesus, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us. Jesus, hear our prayers. Jesus, I trust in You! Amen 🙏

Prayers for Peace | https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/prayers-for-peace/

SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT CLAUDE DE LA COLOMBIÈRE, PRIEST AND SAINTS FAUSTINUS, PRIEST AND JOVITA, DEACON,  MARTYRS – FEAST DAY ~ FEBRUARY 15TH: Today, we celebrate the Feast of St. Claude de la Colombiere, a Jesuit Priest and the (Patron Saint of Toy makers; turners; Sculptors and Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus) and St. Faustinus, Priest and  St. Jovita, Deacon, Martyrs (They are the Patron Saint of Brescia). Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, St. Claude de la Colombiere, and St. Faustinus, and  St. Jovita, we humbly pray for those who are sick, particularly those who are gravely ill and dying, especially those who are sick with cancers and other terminal diseases. We pray for torture victims, the poor, the needy and the most vulnerable in our communities and around the world and we continue to pray for the Church, for persecuted Christians. Amen 🙏🏽

St. Claude de la Colombiere, Priest, bring us closer to the Heart of Jesus and St. Faustinus, Priest and  St. Jovita, Deacon, Martyrs ~ Pray for us 🙏🏽

Saint (s) of the Day | February 15th | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/

SAINT CLAUDE DE LA COLOMBIÈRE, PRIEST: The Jesuit Priest St. Claude de la Colombiere was the first to believe in the mystical revelations of the Sacred Heart given to St. Margaret Mary in Paray le Monial Convent, France. Thanks to his support, St. Margaret Mary’s superior also believed, and propagation of the devotion to the Sacred Heart was started. St. Claude de la Colombiere (1641-1682) was born to a noble family in France in 1641 and entered the Society of Jesus in Lyons, France, and became a Jesuit priest. He gained widespread fame as an orator and educator in Paris. He was known for his solid and serious sermons and his dedication to observing the rule of his order with exactness. He became the rector of a Jesuit house next to the Monastery of the Visitation. He had great devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and, on a visit to the Visitation convent in Paray-le-Monial, he met St. Margaret Mary Alacoque who was given special revelations from the Jesus of His Sacred Heart and he learned of the vision she had been privileged to receive. St. Claude became St. Margaret Mary’s Spiritual Director and he spent eighteen months at Paray-le-Monial acting as her spiritual director and encouraging her to spread the devotion as she had been commanded by our Lord.

Father Claude himself became a zealous promoter and apostle of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, regarding it as the means of revitalizing the Faith among the people. He continued to promote the devotion when in 1676,  he was sent to England to attend the wife of the future King James II, serving at court as preacher and confessor. He preached to the Duchess of York, and succeeded in converting the Duke of York as well as other Protestants. Because of the intense hostility against Catholics at the time, his efforts earned a death sentence. When anti-Catholic persecutions broke out, Claude was falsely accused of being involved in a ‘papist plot’ and was thrown into prison. While there his health suffered due to mistreatment. During the summer of 1681 Father Claude received a commutation of his death sentence. He was preserved from execution and instead banished from England by royal decree. He returned to his native Paray-le-Monial, France where his fragile health continued to deteriorate until he died a few years later. On February 15, 1682, the first Sunday of Lent, towards evening Claude suffered a severe hemorrhage which ended his life. He died at Paray-le-Monial. The day after his death, St. Margaret Mary received supernatural assurance that he needed no prayers, as he was already in heaven. On the June 16, 1929 Pope Pius XI beatified St. Claude La Colombière, and Pope John Paul II declared him a saint on May 31,1992. The Universal Church celebrates his feast day on February 15. His charism, according to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, was that of bringing souls to God along the gospel way of love and mercy which Christ revealed to us. He’s the Patron Saint of Toy makers; turners; Sculptors and Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Quote: “God is in the midst of us, or rather we are in the midst of him; wherever we are he sees us and touches us: at prayer, at work, at table, at recreation.” ~ St. Claude de la Colombiere

PRAYER:  O Holy Saint Claude, intercede for us to be Great Saints in Heaven and may we imitate Our Lord Jesus Christ here on earth; in order to gain our Heavenly Glory which the Lord promised to those who trust and follow His ways until the end…Amen. Saint Claude, bring us closer to the Heart of Jesus!   

Lord, our God, You spoke to St. Claude in the depths of his heart that he might bear witness to Your boundless love. May his gifts of grace illumine and comfort Your Church. Amen🙏

SAINTS FAUSTINUS, PRIEST AND JOVITA, DEACON, MARTYRS: St. Faustinus, a priest and  St. Jovita, a deacon, were brothers, nobly born, and were zealous professors of the Christian religion, which they preached without fear in their city of Brescia in Lombardy, during the persecution of Adrian. Their remarkable zeal excited the fury of the heathens against them, and procured them a glorious death for their faith. According to the tradition of Brescia, they preached Christianity fearlessly while their bishop lay in hiding. Their zeal excited the fury of the heathens against them, then they were apprehended by a heathen lord called Julian. They were commanded to adore the sun, but replied that they adored the living God who created the sun to give light to the world. The statue before which they were standing was brilliant and surrounded with golden rays. Saint Jovita, looking at it, cried out: Yes, we adore the God reigning in heaven, who created the sun. And you, vain statue, turn black, to the shame of those who adore you! At his word, it turned black. The Emperor commanded that it be cleaned, but the pagan priests had hardly begun to touch it when it fell into ashes.

The two brothers, Saints Faustinus and Jovita were tortured and dragged to Milan, Rome and Naples, and then brought back to Brescia. They were sent to the amphitheater to be devoured by lions, but four of those came out and lay down at their feet. They were left without food in a dark jail cell, but Angels brought them strength and joy for new combats. The flames of a huge fire respected them, and a large number of spectators were converted at the sight. As neither threats nor torments could shake their constancy, the Emperor Hadrian, who happened to be passing through Brescia, commended them to be beheaded. Finally sentenced to decapitation, they knelt down and received the death blow at Brescia in the year 120. The city of Brescia honors them as its chief patrons and possesses their relics, and a very ancient church in that city bears their names.

On April 18 the Roman Martyrology names the martyr St. Calocerus, who was an officer in the Roman army under the Roman emperor Hadrian and was stationed in Brescia in Lombardy, Italy. His life and legend are associated with Saints Faustinus and Jovita, and according to tradition, all three saints were soldiers from Brescia. He figures largely in the legendary history of St. Faustinus and Jovita, whose heroic confession he is said to have witnessed when, as a court official, he accompanied Hadrian to his native city Brescia and was present in the amphitheatre. The constancy of the two confessors and the refusal of the wild beasts to touch them brought about his conversion, and he was baptized by Bishop Apollonius with twelve thousand other citizens. He was tortured and imprisoned in several Italian towns notably in Asti, where he instructed St. Secundus who visited him in gaol. Eventually, he was taken to Albanga in Liguria and beheaded on the seashore. Saints Faustinus and Jovita’s  feast is celebrated on February 15th, the traditional date of their martyrdom. They are the Patron Saint of Brescia.

PRAYER: Almighty ever-living God, who gave Saints Faustinus and Jovita the grace of suffering for Christ, come, in your divine mercy, we pray, to the help of our own weakness, that, as your Saints did not hesitate to die for your sake, we, too, may live bravely in confessing you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever… Amen🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Saturday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time | February 15, 2025
Reading 1, Genesis 3:9-24
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 90:2, 3-4, 5-6, 12-13
Gospel, Mark 8:1-10

Gospel (USA) Mark 8:1-10

“They ate and were satisfied”

“In those days when there again was a great crowd without anything to eat, Jesus summoned the disciples and said, “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will collapse on the way, and some of them have come a great distance.” His disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread to satisfy them here in this deserted place?” Still he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They replied, “Seven.” He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then, taking the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to distribute, and they distributed them to the crowd. They also had a few fish. He said the blessing over them and ordered them distributed also. They ate and were satisfied. They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets. There were about four thousand people. He dismissed the crowd and got into the boat with his disciples and came to the region of Dalmanutha.”

Today’s Gospel reading from the Gospel according to St. Mark, gives the account of how the Lord miraculously fed a large multitude of at least four thousand people when they had followed Him to listen to Him and His teachings, and became hungry after several days of journey and time with Him without any means of sustenance and eating food from nearby places. It was at that moment the Lord showed His great love, compassion and mercy towards each and every one of us mankind, His beloved ones, by showing how He cared for the needs of the people who were there to listen to Him and who were hungry for food. According to the Gospel, the disciples find themselves faced with a situation which they feel is beyond them. Here is a large crowd of hungry people in a deserted place with no means to feed them. Their desperation comes through in the question they ask Jesus, ‘Where could anyone get bread to feed these people in a deserted place like this?’ There are times in all our lives when we feel like the disciples. We find ourselves facing into a situation which seems beyond our capacity to deal with. We wonder how we are going to manage. In the Gospel reading the disciples discovered that the Lord enabled them to deal with the situation and to feed the crowd. Working with very few human resources, seven loaves of bread and a few small fish, Jesus made it possible for the disciples to feed the crowd. Sometimes in our own lives too, the Lord enables us to do something that we would be quite unable to do if left to our own resources. The Lord can work powerfully through the few resources that are at our own disposal if we offer them to Him and invite Him to come and use them. Saint Paul knew this from his own experience. He wrote in his letter to the Philippians, ‘I can do all things through Him who gives me strength’.

Reflecting on today’s Gospel reading, there are kinds of questions asked that could either open up possibilities or close them down. The question of the disciples is a somewhat despairing one, ‘Where could anyone get bread to feed these people in a deserted place?’ The question of Jesus is much more hopeful and already points to how the crowd will be fed, ‘How many loaves have you?’ When we are faced with a situation that seems beyond our resources to deal with, it is important to ask the right kind of question. Some questions only increase our sense of powerlessness. Other questions encourage us to take whatever step we can take, no matter how small. Jesus wanted His disciples to take whatever step they could take to address the hunger of the crowd. There were some resources there which they could place at the Lord’s disposal. They could not feed the crowd on their own, but their contribution was essential to the Lord’s feeding of the crowd. As people of faith, we believe that the Lord wants to work through us for the good of humanity. It may seem as if our resources are very limited before the task in hand. Yet, if we are generous with those resources and invite the Lord to work with them, He can accomplish far more through us than we could ever imagine. The Gospel reading is reminding us that the Lord can work powerfully through what we might consider very limited resources. Indeed, He needs them if He is to continue His work of shepherding God’s people. The Lord wants us to ask the kind of questions that create space for Him to work through us. It is worth paying attention to the kinds of questions we ask. Are they coming from a place of trusting hope in the Lord or are they coming from a place where I feel it is all down to me? The Lord is always asking us to take seriously the gifts and resources He has given us, even if they seem small compared to the task that faces us. He also asks us to place them at His disposal, trusting that He will work with them in ways we could never anticipate. In the Gospel reading, the Lord showed them and us all that He could provide them and us with whatever we needed. He gave them physical sustenance through the bread that He miraculously multiplied and broke for them, as well as the spiritual sustenance of the Wisdom of God that He has delivered to all of them. There were so many people gathered and yet, their hunger were all sated, from merely seven pieces of bread brought before the Lord, and not just that, but seven whole basketful of leftover bread were collected, showing symbolically how if we truly put our trust in the Lord, then we have nothing to fear, as He would provide for us what we need and even more than that. And this is not just limited to food and physical sustenance alone, but applying to all things in our lives.

Our first reading today is the continuation of the account of the beginning of time and Creation of the world from the Book of Genesis, focusing on the moment right after our first ancestors, Adam and Eve, had fallen into sin because they disobeyed God and chose to listen to the lies and falsehoods of the evil one, who took up the shape and form of a snake to persuade and coerce firstly Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and then that of her husband Adam to do the same as well. They became aware of their nakedness and therefore, hid from God Who came looking for them. When God confronted them about what had happened, Adam and Eve ended up throwing the blame at each other, with Eve blaming the serpent, that was Satan in disguise, for having tempted her to disobey God. It was by this conscious choice of our disobedience that we have ended up falling into sin and therefore become corrupted by our own doing. God has created us all out of His great love for every one among us, and yet, we have chosen to spurn and reject His love for the love of money and material possessions, choosing to follow the whim of our desires and ambitions, our greed and ego, giving in to the temptations to be more powerful, to know more and to receive more good things of this world rather than to obey Him, the One Who had created us all out of love. That was why mankind had fallen from grace, and as a consequence of our actions, from our first reading today, our ancestors had to spend time in exile away from the Gardens of Eden, where God had intended for us all to dwell in. Our sufferings in this world are the results of our own choice, our own deliberate and conscious rebellion against God. And yet, God in His infinite love and mercy for us still desired for all of us to return back to Him, to be reconciled and reunited to Him. If God truly despised and hated us for our sins, He could have easily destroyed us and erased us from existence for having defiled the perfection of His Creation. Yet, this was not what He had chosen to do, as He showed us all His great magnanimity, showing us His generous mercy and love, offering us all the assurance of His love and guidance, revealing to us His intention, in opening for us the path to eternal life and redemption through His Son, the Saviour Whom He would send into our midst to save us.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded of the love and mercy, the kindness and compassion which God has always had for each and every one of us, His beloved people. We must consider ourselves truly fortunate because even though we have frequently fallen again and again into sin, and kept on slipping back into the path of disobedience against Him, God has always loved us and His love for us endured even throughout all these times and moments, and even despite our constant rebelliousness and wickedness. Yes, He is indeed angry at our sins and disobedience, and He chastised us all for those sins and rebellions, but in the end, He did so because He desired for all of us to be truly and fully reconciled and reunited with Him. We are called to emulate the lives and examples of the Holy men and women, and all the Saints, particularly the Saints we celebrate today, St. Claude de la Colombiere, Priest and St. Faustinus, Priest and  St. Jovita, Deacon, Martyrs. Let us all therefore do our best so that in everything that we do in our lives we will always glorify the Lord by our lives, our every actions and deeds, reminding ourselves of how much we have been loved and cared for by God at every opportunities and moments, throughout the history of our existence. We should indeed be ashamed at our sinfulness and how easily we have fallen into the traps and the temptations of the evil one, who sought our destruction and damnation, that we share his fate in Hell. This is why, as Christians, all of us who truly believe in God and have faith in Him, ought to truly show this faith and love we have for God in our everyday living and in each and every actions and deeds in our lives. May the Lord, our ever loving God and Father, continue to strengthen us in His love, empower each and every one of us so that by His guidance and strength, His providence and help, He may strengthen our weak selves and allow us to overcome the temptations of the world, so that by our efforts to resist the temptations of sin, we may come to righteousness and virtue through Him. Let us all strive to renew our faith and dedication to the Lord, doing what we can to glorify God by our lives, shunning the wicked influence of the evil one in this world, embracing instead God’s love which He has patiently shown us ever since the beginning. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace as we all continue to be good and faithful disciples and followers of God, as His beloved children, now and always. Amen 🙏🏽

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY | MONTH OF THE HOLY FAMILY The month of February is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Family. Between the events which marked Christmas and the beginning of Christ’s public life the Church has seen fit to recall the example of the Holy Family for the emulation of the Christian family. The Feast of the Presentation (February 2) or Candlemas forms a fitting transition from Christmas to Easter. The small Christ-Child is still in His Mother’s arms, but already she is offering Him in sacrifice.
The Saints that we will focus on this month and try to imitate are:
St. Blaise and St. Ansgar (February 3); St. Agatha (February 5); St. Jerome Emiliani and St. Josephine Bakhita (February 8); St. Scholastica (February 10); Our Lady of Lourdes (February 11); Sts. Cyril and Methodius (February 14); Seven Founders of the Orders of Servites (February 17); St. Peter Damian (February 21); Chair of St. Peter (February 22) and St. Polycarp (February 23). The Optional Memorial of Polycarp (February 23), is superseded by the Sunday Liturgy.

From Feast to Fast: Though the shortest month of the year, February is rich in Liturgical activity. It contains a feast (Presentation of our Lord) that bridges two other seasons (Christmas and Easter). The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on February 2nd harkens back to the Christmas mystery of Light except that now, Christ, the helpless babe, is “the Light of Revelation to the Gentiles who will save His people from their sins.” Candles, symbolizing Christ our Light, will be carried in procession this day, as will be the Paschal candle during the Easter Vigil Liturgy. In addition, the faithful may receive in February two of the four major public sacramentals that the Church confers during the liturgical year: blessed candles and the blessing of throats. “The Light of Revelation” shines more brightly with each successive Sunday of Ordinary Time, until its magnificence–exposing our sinfulness and need for conversion–propels us into the penitential Season of Lent. We prepare to accept the cross of blessed ashes on Ash Wednesday, falls on March 5, 2025, marking the beginning of the Lenten season and plunge ourselves into anticipating the major exercises of Lent–fasting, prayer, almsgiving–laying our thoughts and prayers on the heart of our Mother Mary. She, who offered her Son in the temple and on the Cross, will teach us how to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow after her Son. 🙏🏽

https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=12539

PRAYER INTENTIONS: We thank God for the gift of His Son and pray for His grace as we serve Him in truth and love. 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.

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 providential Lord, You know my every need and are concerned for every aspect of my life. Help me to trust You so completely that I always put my love of You as my first priority in life. I do believe that if I can keep You and Your will as the most important part of my life, all other necessities in life will fall in place. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏🏽

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Mother Mary, Saint Claude de la Colombière and Saints Faustinus and Jovita  ~  Pray for us 🙏🏽

With gratitude for the gift of this new year, we pray for justice, peace, love, and unity within our families and throughout the world. May God’s Divine Mercy and Grace be upon us all during this Ordinary Time. Wishing you a blessed, safe, grace-filled and relaxing weekend. May God keep us all safe and well. Amen 🙏🏽

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖

Greetings and blessings, beloved family. Happy Friday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time and Happy St. Valentine’s Day!

We thank God for His love and the gift of this day, praying for His grace and mercy upon us all. May we draw closer to Him through prayer, acts of love, and generosity toward those in need. We lift our hearts in prayer for justice, peace, love, and unity in our families and in a world torn apart by war, terrorism, and countless acts of violence against human life. May God keep us safe and well during these challenging times. Wishing us all a blessed, holy, safe, and grace-filled day. Amen. 🙏 Love always ❤️

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you” ~ John 15:12

FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ FEBRUARY 14, 2025

MEMORIAL OF SAINT VALENTINE, PRIEST AND MARTYR AND SAINTS CYRIL, MONK AND METHODIUS, BISHOP | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/02/14/memorial-of-saint-valentine-priest-and-martyr/

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN | “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/02/14/catholic-daily-mass-5/

DAILY SAINTS AND REFLECTIONS | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/

Today, we honor and celebrate the Memorial of Saint Valentine, Priest and Martyr, the patron saint of love, young people, happy marriages, greetings, engaged couples, beekeepers, and those suffering from fainting, plague, epilepsy, and other ailments. We also commemorate Saints Cyril, Monk, and Methodius, Bishop, (Patron Saints of Europe and protection against storms), devoted brothers who played a vital role in spreading Christianity across Eastern Europe.

Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Valentine and Saints Cyril, and Methodius, and all Saints, we humbly pray for marriages, loved ones, for those seeking for life partners, young people and for those who are sick, particularly those who are sick with Epileptic disorders and mental illness. For those who are sick and dying, especially those who are sick with cancers and other terminal diseases. We continue to pray for torture victims, the poor, the needy and the most vulnerable in our communities and around the world. Amen. We pray for the Church, for persecuted Christians, for all the innocent who suffer violence due to political or religious unrest, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world. We continue to pray for peace all over the world, particularly in Africa, the Middle East, for an end to the Ukraine-Russia conflicts and for peace in our families and throughout our divided and conflicted World. May the Saints intercede for our children, children all over the world and us all. Amen.
We thank God for blessing us all with the gift of His precious son, may we be saved by the name of our Savior Jesus Christ! May the good Lord grant us His grace during this Ordinary Time as we continue to serve Him in spirit and in truth. 🙏🏽

Pray “Holy Rosary for Peace with Pope Francis” | “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteries | Memorare Chaplet | Prayer in Difficult Times (Powerful Prayer) | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/01/30/holy-rosary-for-peace-with-pope-francis/

Please find below links to the websites for Daily Reflections, Foundation and interesting topics and articles about our Catholic faith and doctrines | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/01/30/daily-reflections-and-prayer-links/

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2025: FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY – FOR VOCATIONS TO THE PRIESTHOOD AND RELIGIOUS LIFE | Let us pray that the ecclesial community might welcome the desires and doubts of those young people who feel a call to serve Christ’s mission in the priesthood and religious life.

https://www.usccb.org/prayers/popes-monthly-intentions-2025 (See also http://www.popesprayerusa.net/.)

We continue to pray for the intentions of our Holy Father. We pray for the Clergy, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, Deacons, all religious, for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. For those consecrated to God by the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience that they may seek to live their baptismal promises more intensely and have the grace to persevere in their commitment to the Lord and serve with open hearts and willing spirits… Amen 🙏🏽

On this special feast day, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we pray for the sick and dying. We especially pray for our loved ones who have recently died and we continue to pray for the repose of the gentle souls of the recent plane crashes and souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls and souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

“Blessed are those who have died in the Lord; let them rest from their abors for their good deeds go with them.” ~ Rev 14:13

PRAYER FOR THE DEAD: In your hands, O Lord, we humbly entrust our brothers and sisters. In this life, you embraced them with your tender love; deliver them now from every evil, and bid them eternal rest. The old order has passed away: welcome them into paradise, where there will be no sorrow, no weeping or pain, but fullness of peace and joy with your Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen🙏

PRAYER FOR PEACE ~ POPE FRANCIS:

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!

A PRAYER FOR PEACE: Lord Jesus Christ, You are the true King of peace. In You alone is found freedom. Please free our world from conflict. Bring unity to troubled nations. Let Your glorious peace reign in every heart. Dispel all darkness and evil. Protect the dignity of every human life. Replace hatred with Your love. Give wisdom to world leaders. Free them from selfish ambition. Eliminate all violence and war. Glorious Virgin Mary, Saint Michael the Archangel, Every Angel and Saint: Please pray for peace. Pray for unity amongst nations. Pray for unity amongst all people. Pray for the most vulnerable. Pray for those suffering. Pray for the fearful. Pray for those most in need. Pray for us all. Jesus, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us. Jesus, hear our prayers. Jesus, I trust in You! Amen 🙏

Prayers for Peace | https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/prayers-for-peace/

SAINT(S) OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT VALENTINE, PRIEST AND MARTYR AND SAINTS CYRIL, MONK, AND METHODIUS, BISHOP – FEAST DAY ~ FEBRUARY 14TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Valentine, Priest and Martyr (Patron Saint of Love, Young People, Happy Marriages, Greetings, Affianced couples, against fainting, beekeepers, happy marriages, love, plague, epilepsy, Lesvos) and We also commemorate Saints Cyril, Monk, and Methodius, Bishop, (Patron Saints of Europe), devoted brothers who played a vital role in spreading Christianity across Eastern Europe. Valentine’s Day, also called Saint Valentine’s Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14th. The Feast day of Saint Valentine is the celebration of love and affection. Before the 14th century, St. Valentine’s Day was primarily about honoring a Christian martyr. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a martyr named Valentine, and through later folk traditions it has also become a significant cultural, religious and commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions of the world.

Over the centuries, Valentine’s Day has been a religious feast day and a secular day of romance. In its earliest incarnation, it was even a ritual celebrating fertility and springtime. There are various legends about this Christian figure named Valentine or Valentinus, who was martyred on February 14 in the 3rd century AD. Due to complicated and unclear facts, the Catholic Church removed the Feast of St. Valentine from the General Liturgical Calendar in 1969, though it still recognizes him as a Saint. The feast day in his name replaced the pagan Roman festival of Lupercalia. Valentine’s Day always falls on February 14, but the day of the week varies by year. In 2025, Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday for the first time since 2020.

Saint Valentine and Saints Cyril and Methodius ~ Pray for us 🙏🏽

Saint (s) of the Day | February 14th | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/

SAINT VALENTINE, PRIEST, AND MARTYR: St. Valentine was a Roman priest, born in c. 226 Terni, Italia, Roman Empire and lived in Rome during the reign of Emperor Claudius II. The feast of St. Valentine of February 14 was first established in 496 by Pope Gelasius I, who included Valentine among all those “… whose names are justly reverenced among men, but whose acts are known only to God.” St. Valentine, together with St. Marius and his family assisted the martyrs who suffered during the reign of Emperor Claudius II in the 3rd century. According to legend, he ministered to Christians who were persecuted and imprisoned for their faith and died a martyr. In addition to his other edicts against helping Christians, one account has it that Emperor Claudius II banned all marriages and engagements in Rome, he issued a decree forbidding marriage, believing this was the reason Roman men were unwilling to serve in the army. In order to increase troops for his army, he forbade young men to marry, believing that single men made better soldiers than married men. St. Valentine defied this decree and urged young lovers to come to him in secret so that he could join them in the sacrament of matrimony. Eventually, he was discovered by the Emperor, who promptly had St. Valentine arrested and brought before him. Because he was so impressed with the young priest, Emperor Claudius attempted to convert St. Valentine to Roman paganism rather than execute him. However, St. Valentine held steadfast and, in turn, attempted to convert Emperor Claudius to Christianity, at which point the Emperor condemned him to death. While in prison, Valentine was tended by the jailer, Asterius, and his blind daughter. St. Valentine miraculously restored sight to his jailer’s blind daughter, causing the jailer and his entire extended household, forty-six people in total, to immediately convert to Christianity. Upon hearing this, Emperor Claudius ordered St. Valentine’s execution. Asterius’ daughter was very kind to Valentine and brought him food and messages. They developed a friendship. 

The night before his execution, St. Valentine wrote a farewell message to the jailer’s daughter, whom he had befriended and signed it affectionately “From Your Valentine,” a phrase that lives on even today. He was executed on February 14th,  269 AD (aged 42–43) in Rome, Roman Empire. The Martyrology says, “At Rome, on the Flaminian Way, the heavenly birthday of the blessed martyr Valentine, a priest. After performing many miraculous cures and giving much wise counsel, he was beaten and beheaded under Claudius Caesar.” The church in which he is buried existed already in the fourth century and was the first sanctuary Roman pilgrims visited upon entering the Eternal City. Valentine has become the universal symbol of friendship and affection shared each anniversary of the priest’s execution — St. Valentine’s Day. Valentine has also become the patron of engaged couples. The custom of sending valentines on this day is the revival of an ancient pagan practice, which consisted of boys drawing the names of girls in honor of their goodness, Februata Juno, on February 15. To abolish this practice, names of Saints were substituted on billets drawn upon this day. He’s pictured with birds because birds start pairing in February around his feast day. He’s the Patron Saint of: Affianced couples; betrothed couples; engaged couples; happy marriages; love; lovers; youths; epilepsy; greeting card manufacturers; greetings; plague; travelers; young people; against fainting; bee keepers.

“Three things will last forever: Faith, Hope, and Love. But the greatest of these is Love.” ~ 1 Corinthians 13:13

PRAYER: “O St. Valentine, lover of Christ and of the Church, we ask your intercession that we may learn how to love God above all things and to selflessly love one another. O glorious St. Valentine, pray for us that we too may have the steadfast faith of the martyrs.”

“God of power and mercy, through Your help St. Valentine has overcome the tortures of his passion. Help us who celebrate his triumph to remain victorious over the wiles of our enemies.” … Amen🙏

Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Valentine and all Saints, we humbly pray for marriages, loved ones, for those seeking for life partners, young people and for those who are sick, particularly those who are sick with Epileptic disorders and mental illnesses. We pray for the sick and dying, particularly pray for those who are suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. May God grant them His divine healing and intervention. Amen 🙏🏽

Saint Valentine, Priest and Martyr ~ Pray for us 🙏🏽

SAINTS CYRIL, MONK, AND METHODIUS, BISHOP: Saints Cyril (originally named Constantine) and Methodius, known as the Apostles of the Slavs, were two brothers born into a noble family in Thessalonika, Greece. Methodius, the elder, was born around 815, and Cyril around 827. Though they came from a prestigious senatorial background, they renounced their wealth and status to dedicate their lives to God. Cyril became a professor of philosophy in Constantinople and librarian at the Hagia Sophia, while Methodius served as a governor in a Slavic-populated region before embracing monastic life.

In 861, the Byzantine Emperor Michael III sent the brothers on a mission to the Khazars near the Black Sea, where they successfully converted many to Christianity and discovered what were believed to be relics of Pope St. Clement I. Two years later, in 863, Prince Rastislav of Great Moravia requested missionaries to spread Christianity in a language his people could understand. The emperor, along with Patriarch Photius, chose Cyril and Methodius for this mission. The brothers translated the Liturgy and Scriptures into Slavonic and created an alphabet now known as the Cyrillic script. They also developed the Glagolitic script, which is still used in some Eastern liturgical traditions today. Despite the German missionaries’ earlier efforts, Cyril and Methodius achieved great success, converting many to Christianity.

In 867, they were summoned to Rome to report on their mission. Pope Hadrian II welcomed them and approved their methods, despite opposition from some clergy who were critical of their liturgical innovations. Cyril entered a monastery in Rome, taking the name Cyril, but passed away shortly after on February 14, 869, at the age of 42. He was buried in St. Peter’s Basilica, and his remains were later transferred to the Basilica of San Clemente, where they remain today. His funeral was a grand event, honoring his contributions to the faith.

After Cyril’s death, Methodius continued their apostolic work alone. He was consecrated as an archbishop and returned to Moravia, where he evangelized not only Moravians but also the people of Slovakia, Bohemia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Dalmatia, and Carinthia. Facing opposition from German clergy, he was imprisoned for three years but was later reinstated by Pope John VIII. Despite continued challenges, he expanded his mission to Poland, converted the Duke of Bohemia and his wife, and is believed to have traveled as far as Kiev and Moscow, helping establish Christian communities.

Methodius translated the entire Bible into Slavonic with the assistance of Greek priests and appointed a native Moravian successor to continue the mission after his passing. He died on April 6, 885, in Velehrad, the capital of Moravia, after enduring years of struggle and opposition. He was laid to rest in the Church of St. Mary, with funeral rites conducted in Greek, Slavonic, and Latin. The work of Saints Cyril and Methodius played a crucial role in the later Christianization of Ukraine and Russia, leading to the baptism of Prince Vladimir of Kiev in 988. Patronage: Saints Cyril and Methodius are Patron Saints of Europe, patrons of Slavic peoples, Bohemia, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Russia, ecumenism, the unity of Eastern and Western Churches, and protection against storms.

PRAYER: Merciful God, You enlightened the Slavic nations through the teachings of Saints Cyril and Methodius. Help us to embrace Your truth and grow as a people united in faith. May we continue their mission of spreading the Gospel with courage and perseverance. Amen. 🙏🏽

Saints Cyril, Monk, and Methodius, Bishop ~ Pray for us 🙏🏽

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:

Bible Readings for today’s Holy Mass | Friday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time | Memorial of Saint Valentine, Priest and Martyr and Saints Cyril, Monk, and Methodius, Bishop | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Today’s Bible Readings: Friday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time | February 14, 2025
Reading 1, Genesis 3:1-8
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7
Gospel, Mark 7:31-37

Gospel Reading ~ Mark 7:31-37

“He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak”

“Jesus left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”) And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it. They were exceedingly astonished and they said, “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus heals a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech. Jesus is in the Decapolis region, a region mostly populated by non-Jews and, there, He heals a pagan man who is both deaf and also has a speech impediment. At the end of the Gospel reading, the people of that region say, ‘He has done all things well; He makes the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak’. Jesus only directly healed the man’s hearing, but once his hearing was healed, he lost his speech impediment. The Gospel reading suggests that hearing is more fundamental than speaking. If our hearing is right, our speaking will be right. There is a very real sense in which listening is prior to speaking. We need to listen carefully before we speak. If we fail to listen, the words we speak may not be the right words. According to the Gospels, on the road to Emmaus, Jesus first listened to the story of the two disciples; only then did He tell a story of His own that shed new light on their story. As in all else, so in this matter of giving priority to listening over speaking, Jesus is our teacher. In the gospel reading people declare of Jesus, ‘he has done all things well’. His doing all things well was rooted in hHs attentive listening to God and to others, His attentiveness to all of life. There is a sense in which we are all a little bit like that man in the gospel reading who was brought to Jesus. We all need our ears to be opened that bit more so that we can speak well and, like Jesus, do all things well.

Reflecting on the Gospel reading, when Jesus was asked by people to heal the deaf man who had a speech impediment, He listened to their request and He responded to it. After Jesus healed the man, He asked those same people not to tell others about what He had done. However, the people who had brought the deaf and dumb man to Jesus did not listen to Jesus’ request. In fact, the more Jesus insisted that they say nothing to anyone about what He did, the more widely they published it. Even though Jesus listened to their request, they did not listen to His request. The man whom the people brought to Jesus did not listen because he could not listen; he was deaf. Yet, we know from our experience of ourselves and of others, that good hearing does not always make for good listening. Our failure to listen can often have an impact on what we say and how we say it. It is striking that when Jesus restored the deaf man’s hearing, he was able to speak clearly for the first time. His hearing and speaking were closely associated. Listening and speaking are also closely associated. The more we truly listen to someone, the more likely it is that the words we speak to them will build them up and bring them life.

Our first reading today from the Book of Genesis,gives an account of the moment when Satan, in the form of a snake, came upon our ancestors in the Gardens of Eden. At that time, everything had been created all good and perfect by God, and our ancestors, Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, had also been created perfect, all wonderful and good, in the image and likeness of God Himself, all meant to enjoy forever the fullness of God’s love and grace. However, our inability to resist the temptations of sin, of worldly desires, ambitions and pride, had all led to us succumbing to the sweet lies and falsehoods of Satan, who used all those to lead us all down the path of ruin, and therefore brought us into the corruption of sin. Satan played upon our curiosity and desire for knowledge, and also our indulgence in pleasure to seek for what we have been told not to seek the pursuit of power, glory and knowledge that Satan has offered us by tempting our ancestors to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and which he has continued to tempt us with as he offered us all sorts of worldly goods and ambitions, and all other things meant to shake our faith and trust in the Lord, in trying to make us to embrace the path of disobedience and sin instead. That is why we are reminded of this today so that we will always be vigilant and we will not allow Satan and all of the other forces of evil to tempt us into the path towards our downfall and destruction.

As we reflect on the hope of words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the downfall of mankind into sin, reminding us all how sin has led us into this wretched existence in this corrupted world, filled with sin and evil. But at the same time, we are being reminded also of our true nature which God had made and intended us all to be, a pure and holy existence in His Presence as He has meant us all to enjoy. At the same time, we should put our trust in the Lord, and allowing Him to heal us all from our afflictions, our corruptions of sin and evil, allowing us to be whole once again, to be enlightened once again by God’s grace and love, by His light and truth. God is the only One Who can do this for us, and we have to keep this always in mind. We are called to reflect on and emulate the lives and examples of the Holy men and women, and Saints, particularly the Saints we celebrate today, Saint Valentine, and Saints Cyril, and Methodius. They achieved much success in proclaiming the Good News of God to the pagan nations, and were also involved in other missionary works, including inter-Church mission to Rome and many other good works. Through their efforts, many of those people they visited and ministered became Christians, bringing God’s salvation to countless more souls. They did encounter difficulties and challenges during their ministry, including conflicts with the Latin and the Western Church during their evangelising work among the pagans, enduring the political conflicts between the Western and Eastern Christendom that happened at that time, but all these did not dissuade them from continuing to do their works and to carry on the missions entrusted to them faithfully to the very end of their lives. Let us all therefore strive to follow in the footsteps of Saint Valentine, and Saints Cyril and St. Methodius and do our best in all things, so that by our dedication and commitment to God, we may always be shining beacons of His light and truth, becoming the manifestation of His love and mercy, His kindness and compassion to all those whom we encounter daily in life. Hopefully many more people may come to believe in the Lord and be saved through us, and through everything that we do in our everyday living. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and be with us always, and may He bless us in all of our good works and endeavours, now and always. Amen 🙏🏽

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY | MONTH OF THE HOLY FAMILY The month of February is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Family. Between the events which marked Christmas and the beginning of Christ’s public life the Church has seen fit to recall the example of the Holy Family for the emulation of the Christian family. The Feast of the Presentation (February 2) or Candlemas forms a fitting transition from Christmas to Easter. The small Christ-Child is still in His Mother’s arms, but already she is offering Him in sacrifice.
The Saints that we will focus on this month and try to imitate are:
St. Blaise and St. Ansgar (February 3); St. Agatha (February 5); St. Jerome Emiliani and St. Josephine Bakhita (February 8); St. Scholastica (February 10); Our Lady of Lourdes (February 11); Sts. Cyril and Methodius (February 14); Seven Founders of the Orders of Servites (February 17); St. Peter Damian (February 21); Chair of St. Peter (February 22) and St. Polycarp (February 23). The Optional Memorial of Polycarp (February 23), is superseded by the Sunday Liturgy.

From Feast to Fast: Though the shortest month of the year, February is rich in Liturgical activity. It contains a feast (Presentation of our Lord) that bridges two other seasons (Christmas and Easter). The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on February 2nd harkens back to the Christmas mystery of Light except that now, Christ, the helpless babe, is “the Light of Revelation to the Gentiles who will save His people from their sins.” Candles, symbolizing Christ our Light, will be carried in procession this day, as will be the Paschal candle during the Easter Vigil Liturgy. In addition, the faithful may receive in February two of the four major public sacramentals that the Church confers during the liturgical year: blessed candles and the blessing of throats. “The Light of Revelation” shines more brightly with each successive Sunday of Ordinary Time, until its magnificence–exposing our sinfulness and need for conversion–propels us into the penitential Season of Lent. We prepare to accept the cross of blessed ashes on Ash Wednesday, falls on March 5, 2025, marking the beginning of the Lenten season and plunge ourselves into anticipating the major exercises of Lent–fasting, prayer, almsgiving–laying our thoughts and prayers on the heart of our Mother Mary. She, who offered her Son in the temple and on the Cross, will teach us how to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow after her Son. 🙏🏽

https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=12539

PRAYER INTENTIONS: We thank God for the gift of His Son and pray for His grace as we serve Him in truth and love. 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.

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 good Jesus, please open my ears to hear all that You wish to say to me and please loosen my tongue so that I will become a mouthpiece of Your holy word to others. I offer myself to You for Your glory and pray that You will use me in accord with Your holy will. Jesus, I fully trust in You. Amen. 🙏🏽

Save us, Savior of the world. Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Valentine, and Saints Cyril and Methodiu ~ Pray for us 🙏🏽

With gratitude for the gift of this new year, we pray for justice, peace, love, and unity within our families and throughout the world. May God’s Divine Mercy and Grace be upon us all during this Ordinary Time. Wishing you a blessed, safe, grace-filled and a joyful Valentine’s Day and weekend. May God keep us all safe and well. Amen 🙏🏽

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖

FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ FEBRUARY 13, 2025

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN | “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/02/13/catholic-daily-mass-4/

DAILY SAINTS AND REFLECTIONS | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/

Today, we celebrate the Memorial of St. Catherine de Ricci, Virgin (Patron Saint of the sick, gravely ill ) and Blessed Jordan of Saxony, Priest (Patron Saint of Vocations to the Dominican Order, Faculty of Engineering University of Santo Tomas Manila, Philippines). 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. Amen. St. Catherine de Ricci, Virgin and Blessed Jordan of Saxony, Priest ~ Pray for us 🙏🏽

Through the intercession of our Mother Mary, and the Saints we continue to pray for torture victims, the poor, the needy and the most vulnerable in our communities and around the world. Amen. For those who are sick, especially those who are sick with cancers and other terminal diseases. We pray for the Church, for persecuted Christians, for all the innocent who suffer violence due to political or religious unrest, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world. We continue to pray for peace all over the world, particularly in Africa, the Middle East, for an end to the Ukraine-Russia conflicts and for peace in our families and throughout our divided and conflicted World. May the Saints intercede for our children, children all over the world and us all. Amen.
We thank God for blessing us all with the gift of His precious son, may we be saved by the name of our Savior Jesus Christ! May the good Lord grant us His grace during this Ordinary Time as we continue to serve Him in spirit and in truth. 🙏🏽

Pray “Holy Rosary for Peace with Pope Francis” | “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteries | Memorare Chaplet | Prayer in Difficult Times (Powerful Prayer) | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/01/30/holy-rosary-for-peace-with-pope-francis/

Please find below links to the websites for Daily Reflections, Foundation and interesting topics and articles about our Catholic faith and doctrines | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/01/30/daily-reflections-and-prayer-links/

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2025: FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY – FOR VOCATIONS TO THE PRIESTHOOD AND RELIGIOUS LIFE | Let us pray that the ecclesial community might welcome the desires and doubts of those young people who feel a call to serve Christ’s mission in the priesthood and religious life.

https://www.usccb.org/prayers/popes-monthly-intentions-2025 (See also http://www.popesprayerusa.net/.)

We continue to pray for the intentions of our Holy Father. We pray for the Clergy, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, Deacons, all religious, for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. For those consecrated to God by the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience that they may seek to live their baptismal promises more intensely and have the grace to persevere in their commitment to the Lord and serve with open hearts and willing spirits… Amen 🙏🏽

On this special feast day, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we pray for the sick and dying. We especially pray for our loved ones who have recently died and we continue to pray for the repose of the gentle souls of the recent plane crashes and souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls and souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

“Blessed are those who have died in the Lord; let them rest from their abors for their good deeds go with them.” ~ Rev 14:13

PRAYER FOR THE DEAD: In your hands, O Lord, we humbly entrust our brothers and sisters. In this life, you embraced them with your tender love; deliver them now from every evil, and bid them eternal rest. The old order has passed away: welcome them into paradise, where there will be no sorrow, no weeping or pain, but fullness of peace and joy with your Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen🙏

PRAYER FOR PEACE ~ POPE FRANCIS:

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!

A PRAYER FOR PEACE: Lord Jesus Christ, You are the true King of peace. In You alone is found freedom. Please free our world from conflict. Bring unity to troubled nations. Let Your glorious peace reign in every heart. Dispel all darkness and evil. Protect the dignity of every human life. Replace hatred with Your love. Give wisdom to world leaders. Free them from selfish ambition. Eliminate all violence and war. Glorious Virgin Mary, Saint Michael the Archangel, Every Angel and Saint: Please pray for peace. Pray for unity amongst nations. Pray for unity amongst all people. Pray for the most vulnerable. Pray for those suffering. Pray for the fearful. Pray for those most in need. Pray for us all. Jesus, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us. Jesus, hear our prayers. Jesus, I trust in You! Amen 🙏

Prayers for Peace | https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/prayers-for-peace/

MEMORIAL OF SAINT CATHERINE DE RICCI, VIRGIN AND BLESSED JORDAN OF SAXONY, PRIEST – FEAST DAY ~ FEBRUARY 13TH Today, we celebrate the Memorial of St. Catherine de Ricci, Virgin (Patron Saint of the sick, gravely ill ) and Blessed Jordan of Saxony, Priest (Patron Saint of Vocations to the Dominican Order, Faculty of Engineering University of Santo Tomas Manila, Philippines). 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. Amen 🙏🏽

St. Catherine de Ricci, Virgin and Blessed Jordan of Saxony, Priest ~ Pray for us 🙏🏽

Saint (s) of the Day | February 13th | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/

SAINT CATHERINE DE RICCI, VIRGIN: St. Catherine (1522-1590) was born at Florence, Italy in 1522, to a respectable merchant family. The Ricci are an ancient family in Tuscany. She was given the name Alexandrina at her baptism, but she took the name of Catherine at her religious profession. Having lost her mother in her infancy, at a young age she took the Blessed Virgin Mary as her mother. Her father placed her in the Convent of Monticelli, near the gates of Florence, where her aunt, Louisa de Ricci, was a nun when she was between the age of six and seven. To her, this place was a paradise, but after some years her father took her home. As a child, she spoke to her guardian angel, prayed the rosary, and did penances. Attracted to the religious life, and with the consent of her father, she received the religious veil in the convent of Dominicanesses at Prat, in Tuscany in the year 1535 at fourteen years of age. For two years she suffered inexpressible pains under a complication of violent distempers, which remedies only seemed to increase. These sufferings she sanctified by the interior disposition with which she bore them, and which she nourished by assiduous meditation on the passion of Christ. The victory over herself, and purgation of her affections was completed by a perfect spirit of prayer; for by the union of her soul with God, and the establishment of the absolute reign of his love in her heart, she was dead to and disengaged from all earthly things.

Most wonderful were the raptures of St. Catherine in meditating on the passion of Christ, she developed into a great mystic and could bilocate, with an intense devotion to the Passion of Christ, which was her daily exercise, but to which she totally devoted herself every week for many years. Catherine would go into ecstasy from noon every Thursday through 4:00 p.m. on Friday, experiencing in a mystical manner the sufferings of Christ during his Passion. She was also given the spiritual gift of the stigmata at 20; Christ’s wounds would appear on her body through the course of the ecstasy. She experienced the “Ecstasy of the Passion” for 12 years. After enduring much humiliation for years on account of these sufferings, she was eventually accepted as a holy woman and later became prioress. The saint was chosen, when very young, first as mistress of the novices, then sub-prioress, and, in the twenty-fifth year of her age, was appointed as perpetual prioress. Her advice was widely sought on many spiritual and practical matters. Despite being cloistered, she kept up a loving correspondence with many relatives, friends, and her spiritual children. The reputation of her extraordinary sanctity and prudence drew her many visits from a great number of bishops, princes, and cardinals. Among those in her correspondence were three future popes, the Cardinals Cervini, Alexander of Medicis, and Aldobrandini, who all three were afterwards raised to St. Peter’s chair, under the names of Pope Marcellus II, Pope Clement VIII, and Pope Leo XI. She is said to have received a ring from the Lord as a sign of her espousal to him; to her, it appeared as gold set with a diamond; everyone else saw a red lozenge and a circlet around her finger.

One of the miracles that was documented for her canonization was her appearance many hundreds of miles away from where she was physically located. This involved appearing in a vision St Philip Neri, a resident of Rome, with whom she had maintained a long-term correspondence. Neri, who was otherwise very reluctant to discuss miraculous events, confirmed the event. After a long illness she passed from this mortal life to everlasting bliss and possession of the object of all her desires on the feast of the Purification of our Lady, on the 2nd of February, in 1589, the sixty-seventh year of her age. The ceremony of her beatification was performed by Clement XII in 1732, and that of her canonization by Benedict XIV in 1746. She’s the Patron Saint of the sick, gravely ill, Prato, Italy.

PRAYER: Almighty God, you brought our sister Catherine to holiness through her contemplation of you Son’s passion. As we remember the dying and rising of your Son, help us to become courageous preachers and teachers of these mysteries. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, you Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever”…Amen 🙏🏽

BLESSED JORDAN OF SAXONY, PRIEST: Blessed Jordan (C. 1190-1237) was a Dominican Priest and one of the first leaders of the Dominican Order. Bl. Jordan was a Saxon named Gordanus, or Giordanus, a German of noble descent. Referred to in Latin as Jordanis, also known as de Alamania. He received a pious upbringing, and was noted for his charity to the poor from an early age. Educated in Germany, he received a Bachelor of Divinity in Paris and Masters’ degree in theology at the University of Paris by 1219, when he met St. Dominic. The next year he joined the Dominican Order of Preachers in 1220 under Saint Dominic himself, and became Prior Provincial of the Order in Lombardy in 1221. When Dominic died, Blessed Jordan succeeded Dominic and was elected as the second Master General of the Order in 1222. Under his administration, the Order spread throughout Germany and into Denmark and Switzerland.

Blessed Jordan used his talents for preaching. By his powerful preaching, he also brought in new recruits—e.g., St. Albert the Great. During one of his sermons, grace from the Holy Spirit called Saint Albert the Great into the Order. He is the author of Libellus de principiis Ordinis Praedicatorum (“Booklet on the beginnings of the Order of Preachers”), a Latin text which is both the earliest biography of Saint Dominic and the first narrative history of the Order’s foundation. The life of St. Dominic that he wrote is very valuable source of information about the Saint. Blessed Jordan is particularly remembered for his ability to turn a phrase. For example, when he was asked what was the best way to pray, he replied: “The way in which you can pray most fervently.” Bl. Jorden helped Blessed Diana d’Andalo found the monastery of Saint Agnes. In 1237, Blessed Jordan went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land with two of the Brothers. Their ship was wrecked by a storm off the coast of Syria, and all on board perished. His cult was approved in 1825 by Pope Leo XII. He’s the Patron Saint of Vocations to the Dominican Order, Faculty of Engineering University of Santo Tomas Manila, Philippines.

PRAYER: O God, You endowed Blessed Jordan with wonderful zeal to save souls and power to propagate religious life. Through his merits and prayers, enable us to live always in this same spirit and so attain the glory reserved for us in heaven. Amen 🙏🏽

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Thursday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time | February 13, 2025
Reading 1, Genesis 2:18-25
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 128:1-2, 3, 4-5
Gospel, Mark 7:24-30

Gospel Reading ~ Mark 7:24-30

“The dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps”

“Jesus went to the district of Tyre. He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it, but he could not escape notice. Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him. She came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, “Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” She replied and said to him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.” Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter.” When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus was in Tyre, a predominantly pagan city on the Mediterranean coast and a pagan woman approaches Jesus to heal her very disturbed daughter. In the Gospels, most of the people who approach Jesus for help are Jews, like Himself. It seems that Jesus regarded His ministry as primarily to Jews. As He says to the pagan woman, ‘The children should be fed first’, the children being the people of Israel, the children of God. It is only after Jesus rose from the dead that He would instruct His disciples to preach the Gospel to all nations, Jews and pagans. However, this pagan woman was not prepared to wait; her daughter was in great need. Normally, the parents of a sick child are never prepared to wait; they insist that their child be cared for immediately. When Jesus says, in a little parable, ‘it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house dogs’, the woman identifies with the house dogs, ‘but the housedogs under the table can eat the children’s scraps’. In other words, the children and the housedogs can eat at the same time, with the housedogs benefiting from the children’s untidy eating habits. Jesus couldn’t but respond to such an ingenious response; He had to heal the woman’s daughter. His timetable of a ministry to the Jews before a ministry to pagans had to give way. Jesus shows us that we need to hold our plans, our programmes, our timetables, lightly. Human need takes priority over all else. God calls out to us through those in great need, even when that need disrupts our carefully laid out plans. God can be speaking to us through the unexpected and unplanned event and through those who are very different from us. We need something of the freedom that Jesus displayed, the freedom of the Spirit, to go where God is leading us and to do what God is asking of us.

Reflecting on the Gospel reading, we all may find it a little disturbing when Jesus
said to the pagan woman, ‘The children should be fed first’, the children being the people of Israel, the children of God and then went on to say, ‘it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house-dogs’. Jesus was picking up a term that Jews often used with reference to pagans. Yet, Jesus was using an image here, like a little parable. He is not calling the woman a house-dog. He is simply saying that like the house-dogs who have to wait until the children are fed first, the pagans will have to wait a little longer before experiencing the fruits of the presence of God’s kingdom. However, as said in the Gospel, this woman, this passionate mother, was not prepared to wait. She turns Jesus’ image to her advantage declaring that house-dogs often eat the crumbs that fall from the children’s table, with the result that children and house dogs end up eating together. Jesus recognized her wit and her faith and immediately responded to her request. The woman displays the kind of determined faith we all need, especially in these time. This is a faith that is not easily silenced or weakened, even in the face of the Lord’s apparent unwillingness to respond to us at times. The story of the pagan woman confirms that sometimes our relationship with the Lord can take the form of a wrestling match or an argument, and the Lord seems to be at ease with that. According to the Book of Genesis, Jacob wrestled with God. This woman was, in a sense, wrestling with Jesus. There can be an element of wrestling with God in our own faith. Our faith can be put to the test when the Lord does not appear to hear our prayer. At such times we need to be as tenacious in our faith as the Syrophoenician woman was.

Our first reading today from the Book of Genesis is the continuation of the account of the moment when the Lord created the world and the entire Universe, how He prepared the beautiful and most amazing Gardens of Eden for us mankind to reside in, and today, we are shown how God made the first man, Adam a companion in the form of the first woman, Eve. God made Adam a companion in Eve so that he would not be alone, and would have become complete with the woman, blessed by God, being fruitful and multiple, with children as gifts from God, to share the love and joy of God’s blessings and grace together as one people of God. God also entrusted His creation to mankind, to all of us for us to take good care of them and to be responsible stewards and caretakers of all that He had created.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all being reminded of the great love, compassion and kindness that God has shown to each and every one of us. We are reminded how fortunate all of us are that God has always known what we needed, and how He has shown His love to us most generously in various occasions, again and again. God never gave up in loving us all and despite our disobedience against Him, our frequent refusal to obey Him and listen to His words, He still patiently reached out to us nonetheless and desires for us to be reconciled and reunited to Him, to be loved again by Him and no longer be lost to Him, just as He has always desired. We are reminded again in the Scriptures that God has loved us so greatly and desired for us to enjoy forever the eternal glory and inheritance that He has provided for us, and all of us are equally beloved by God, no matter what our backgrounds or status are. But we must have that faith in Him and His Providence, and we should not allow ourselves to be easily divided by all sorts of prejudices and biases which we may have, and we must not allow ourselves to be tempted by pride, ego and ambitions, which have led many to their downfall, including many among the Pharisees, the teachers of the Law and many among the people of God at the time, for thinking that they were better and superior than others, and thus refused to listen to God’s words delivered to them through Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. We are called to emulate the lives and examples of the Holy men and women, particularly those whom we celebrate today, St. Catherine de Ricci, Virgin and Blessed Jordan of Saxony, Priest. May the Lord, our most loving God and Father continue to provide us all whatever we need, and may He continue to strengthen us all in faith so that we may not be easily swayed by all sorts of the temptations of the world, that we will remember the love of God for each one of us, putting Him ahead of all others things in our lives, obeying Him and His commandments, and not to give in to our human desires or to be intimidated by any kind of obstacles or challenges in our path. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace to be exemplary in our way of life, in our actions, words and deeds so that we may inspire others to follow in our footsteps and be faithful to God as well. May God bless our every efforts, our works, actions and endeavours, and be with us always, through our lives, at all times, helping us to resist the many temptations of sin and worldly glory. In all things, and at all opportunities, may we always glorify Him, now and forevermore. Amen 🙏🏽

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY | MONTH OF THE HOLY FAMILY The month of February is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Family. Between the events which marked Christmas and the beginning of Christ’s public life the Church has seen fit to recall the example of the Holy Family for the emulation of the Christian family. The Feast of the Presentation (February 2) or Candlemas forms a fitting transition from Christmas to Easter. The small Christ-Child is still in His Mother’s arms, but already she is offering Him in sacrifice.
The Saints that we will focus on this month and try to imitate are:
St. Blaise and St. Ansgar (February 3); St. Agatha (February 5); St. Jerome Emiliani and St. Josephine Bakhita (February 8); St. Scholastica (February 10); Our Lady of Lourdes (February 11); Sts. Cyril and Methodius (February 14); Seven Founders of the Orders of Servites (February 17); St. Peter Damian (February 21); Chair of St. Peter (February 22) and St. Polycarp (February 23). The Optional Memorial of Polycarp (February 23), is superseded by the Sunday Liturgy.

From Feast to Fast: Though the shortest month of the year, February is rich in Liturgical activity. It contains a feast (Presentation of our Lord) that bridges two other seasons (Christmas and Easter). The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on February 2nd harkens back to the Christmas mystery of Light except that now, Christ, the helpless babe, is “the Light of Revelation to the Gentiles who will save His people from their sins.” Candles, symbolizing Christ our Light, will be carried in procession this day, as will be the Paschal candle during the Easter Vigil Liturgy. In addition, the faithful may receive in February two of the four major public sacramentals that the Church confers during the liturgical year: blessed candles and the blessing of throats. “The Light of Revelation” shines more brightly with each successive Sunday of Ordinary Time, until its magnificence–exposing our sinfulness and need for conversion–propels us into the penitential Season of Lent. We prepare to accept the cross of blessed ashes on Ash Wednesday, falls on March 5, 2025, marking the beginning of the Lenten season and plunge ourselves into anticipating the major exercises of Lent–fasting, prayer, almsgiving–laying our thoughts and prayers on the heart of our Mother Mary. She, who offered her Son in the temple and on the Cross, will teach us how to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow after her Son. 🙏🏽

https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=12539

PRAYER INTENTIONS: We thank God for blessing us all with the gift of His precious son, may we be saved by the name of our Savior Jesus Christ! May the good Lord grant us His grace during this Ordinary Time as we continue to serve Him in spirit and in truth. Every life is a gift. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints, we humbly pray for torture victims, the poor, the needy and the most vulnerable in our communities and around the world. For persecuted Christians, for all the innocent who suffer violence due to political or religious unrest, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world. We pray for all those who are sick, we particularly pray for sick children, the mentally and physically ill, strokes, heart diseases, and those suffering from breast cancer and other cancers and terminal diseases. May God restore them to good health and grant them His Divine healing and intervention. May our Mother Mary comfort them, may the Angels and Saints watch over them and may the Holy Spirit guide them in peace and comfort during this challenging time. We pray for the safety and well-being of us all and our families. We pray for an end to war, political and religious unrest. We pray for peace, love and unity in our families, our marriages and our divided and conflicted world. For God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the souls of the faithful departed and for all widows and widowers. We continue to pray for the Clergy, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, Deacons, all religious, for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. For those consecrated to God by the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience that they may seek to live their baptismal promises more intensely and have the grace to persevere in their commitment to the Lord and serve with open hearts and willing spirits… Amen. We pray for the Church, for persecuted Christians, for all the innocent who suffer violence due to political or religious unrest, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world. During this Ordinary Time, please let us all continue to pray for peace all over the world, particularly in Africa, the Middle East, for an end to the Ukraine-Russia conflicts and for peace in our families and throughout our divided and conflicted World. Amen 🙏🏾

Let us pray:

My merciful Lord, I trust in Your perfect love for me and for all peoples. I pray especially for those who carry heavy burdens and for those whose lives are deeply intertwined with evil. Please set them free, dear Lord, and welcome them into Your family so that they become true children of Your Father. May I have the humility and faith I need to help bring forth this abundance of grace for others. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏🏽

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Catherine de Ricci and Blessed Jordan of Saxony ~ Pray for us 🙏🏽

Thanking God for the gift of this new year and praying for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and our world and for God’s Divine Mercy and Grace upon us all as during this Ordinary Time. Have a blessed, safe, grace-filled and fruitful week. May God keep us all safe and well ~ Amen 🙏🏽

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖

FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ FEBRUARY 12, 2025

FEAST OF OUR LADY OF ARGENTEUIL

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN | “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/02/12/catholic-daily-mass-act-of-spiritual-communion/

DAILY SAINTS AND REFLECTIONS | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/

Today, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Argenteuil and the Memorial of Saints Saturninus and Companions, Martyrs of Abitina in Africa; Saint Julian the Hospitaller and Eulalia, Virgin and Martyr. St. Julian is considered the Patron Saint of ferrymen, innkeepers, hospitality, travelers, boatmen, pilgrims, knights and circus performers. For prayer and reflection: “Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained Angels.” ~ Hebrews 13:1-2. May the good Lord guide and protect all travelers through all the means of transportation. Our Lady of Argenteuil, Saints Saturninus and Companions, Martyrs of Abitina in Africa; Saint Julian the Hospitaller and Eulalia, Virgin and Martyr ~ Pray for us🙏

Through the intercession of our Mother Mary, and the Saints we continue to pray for torture victims, the poor, the needy and the most vulnerable in our communities and around the world. Amen. For those who are sick, especially those who are sick with cancers and other terminal diseases. We pray for the Church, for persecuted Christians, for all the innocent who suffer violence due to political or religious unrest, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world. We continue to pray for peace all over the world, particularly in Africa, the Middle East, for an end to the Ukraine-Russia conflicts and for peace in our families and throughout our divided and conflicted World. May the Saints intercede for our children, children all over the world and us all. Amen.
We thank God for blessing us all with the gift of His precious son, may we be saved by the name of our Savior Jesus Christ! May the good Lord grant us His grace during this Ordinary Time as we continue to serve Him in spirit and in truth. 🙏🏽

Pray “Holy Rosary for Peace with Pope Francis” | “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteries | Memorare Chaplet | Prayer in Difficult Times (Powerful Prayer) | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/01/30/holy-rosary-for-peace-with-pope-francis/

Please find below links to the websites for Daily Reflections, Foundation and interesting topics and articles about our Catholic faith and doctrines | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/01/30/daily-reflections-and-prayer-links/

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2025: FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY – FOR VOCATIONS TO THE PRIESTHOOD AND RELIGIOUS LIFE | Let us pray that the ecclesial community might welcome the desires and doubts of those young people who feel a call to serve Christ’s mission in the priesthood and religious life.

https://www.usccb.org/prayers/popes-monthly-intentions-2025 (See also http://www.popesprayerusa.net/.)

We continue to pray for the intentions of our Holy Father. We pray for the Clergy, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, Deacons, all religious, for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. For those consecrated to God by the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience that they may seek to live their baptismal promises more intensely and have the grace to persevere in their commitment to the Lord and serve with open hearts and willing spirits… Amen 🙏🏽

On this special feast day, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we pray for the sick and dying. We especially pray for our loved ones who have recently died and we continue to pray for the repose of the gentle souls of the recent plane crashes and souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls and souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

“Blessed are those who have died in the Lord; let them rest from their abors for their good deeds go with them.” ~ Rev 14:13

PRAYER FOR THE DEAD: In your hands, O Lord, we humbly entrust our brothers and sisters. In this life, you embraced them with your tender love; deliver them now from every evil, and bid them eternal rest. The old order has passed away: welcome them into paradise, where there will be no sorrow, no weeping or pain, but fullness of peace and joy with your Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen🙏

PRAYER FOR PEACE ~ POPE FRANCIS:

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!

A PRAYER FOR PEACE: Lord Jesus Christ, You are the true King of peace. In You alone is found freedom. Please free our world from conflict. Bring unity to troubled nations. Let Your glorious peace reign in every heart. Dispel all darkness and evil. Protect the dignity of every human life. Replace hatred with Your love. Give wisdom to world leaders. Free them from selfish ambition. Eliminate all violence and war. Glorious Virgin Mary, Saint Michael the Archangel, Every Angel and Saint: Please pray for peace. Pray for unity amongst nations. Pray for unity amongst all people. Pray for the most vulnerable. Pray for those suffering. Pray for the fearful. Pray for those most in need. Pray for us all. Jesus, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us. Jesus, hear our prayers. Jesus, I trust in You! Amen 🙏

Prayers for Peace | https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/prayers-for-peace/

FEAST AND SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST OF OUR LADY OF ARGENTEUIL | MEMORIAL OF SAINTS SATURNINUS AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS OF ABITINA IN AFRICA; SAINT JULIAN THE HOSPITALLER AND SAINT EULALIA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR – FEAST DAY ~ FEBRUARY 12TH Today, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Argenteuil and the Memorial of Saints Saturninus and Companions, Martyrs of Abitina in Africa; Saint Julian the Hospitaller and Eulalia, Virgin and Martyr (refer to the Memorial celebration December 10th). St. Julian is considered the Patron Saint of ferrymen, innkeepers, hospitality, travelers, boatmen, pilgrims, knights and circus performers. For prayer and reflection: “Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained Angels.” ~ Hebrews 13:1-2

Our Lady of Argenteuil, Saints Saturninus and Companions, Martyrs of Abitina in Africa; Saint Julian the Hospitaller and Eulalia, Virgin and Martyr ~ Pray for us🙏

Saint (s) of the Day | February 12th | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/

OUR LADY OF ARGENTEUIL: Our Lady of Argenteuil, Paris, built by Clovis I (101) containing a portion of the Seamless Garment. The Abbot Orsini wrote: “This priory preserves a portion of the seamless garment of Our Lord.” In about the year 500, Clovis was the King of the Franks, but he was not yet a Catholic. Years passed as his wife Clotilda prayed for her husband to convert, yet always King Clovis demurred. Then one fateful day Clovis was engaged in a desperate battle, finding himself sorely bested. At the point of ruin, he cried aloud to the Christian God to assist him, promising to forsake his pagan gods if he were granted a miraculous victory. Looking up to heaven, Clovis cried: “Jesus Christ, whom Clotilda declares to be the Son of the Living God, who it is said givest aid to the oppressed and victory to those who put their hope in Thee, I beseech the glory of Thy aid! If Thou shalt grant me victory over these enemies and I test that power which people consecrated to Thy name say they have proved concerning Thee, I will believe in Thee and be baptized in Thy name. For I have called upon my gods, but, as I have proved, they are far removed from my aid. So I believe that they have no power, for they do not succor those who serve them. Now I call upon Thee, and I long to believe in Thee – all the more that I may escape my enemies!”

God was pleased to answer Clovis’ petition immediately, for no sooner had he prayed than his enemies fled the field. Clovis won the battle, and he was a man of his word. Hating his former error, Clovis converted to the True Faith. It is related in the Gospels that Christ’s executioners played dice over this tunic. According to legend, that tunic was found in the fourth century by Saint Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine. It was then kept in Constantinople until the eighth century. In the year 800, the Empress Irene of Byzantium offered Charlemagne the Holy Tunic at his coronation as Emperor of the West. The emperor then gave the relic to the priory of Argenteuil when his daughter, Theodrade, became abbess. In the year 850, the Normans plundered the village of Argenteuil, including the Basilica of Saint Dennis, but the tunic was hidden in a wall before their arrival. When the abbey was rebuilt in 1003, the relic was restored. It is venerated until the 16th century when it was partially burned by Huguenots in 1567. During the French Revolution the Benedictine priory was destroyed, and the relic then given to a parish church for safekeeping. In 1793, a priest found it necessary to cut it into pieces and bury them in his garden to protect them from profanation. In 1795, after the priest’s imprisonment had ended, the Holy Tunic appeared again and the different fragments were sewn back together. The Holy Tunic was displayed again in the nineteenth century, and pilgrimages resumed. On the 13 of December in 1983, the parish priest of Saint Dennis discovered the tunic had been stolen. On February 2,1984, Father Guyard received a phone call from a stranger promising to return the treasure on the condition that their names would be kept secret. That same evening the tunic, with its case, was found in the Basilica of Saint Dennis.

The last solemn exposition of the tunic took place during the Easter holiday in 1984. In six days, approximately 80,000 people came to see the tunic. The Holy Tunic measures nearly 5’ by 3’ in size. The fibers are wool and of a very regular size. It is a soft, lightweight fabric, and the weaving is uniform and regular with a twisted “Z,” made on a primitive loom. The tunic is remarkable for a tunic woven manually, as it is made without any seam, including the sleeves. The dark brown fabric is typical of the clothing in the early centuries of the Christian era. The fabric was dyed brown, using a method widely in practice at the time by people of modest means. The construction and dyeing show the tunic to date from the time of Christ. It is the garment worn by Christ after the Flagellation and along the road to Calvary as He carried His cross. Christ’s blood and sweat thus impregnate the fabric. In 1985 a test was done showing the blood was type AB. Pollen common to Palestine has also been found in the fabric.

HAIL MARY: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen🙏

SAINTS SATURNINUS AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS OF ABITINA IN AFRICA: The persecutions of Christians in the 4th century were brutal under the Emperor Diocletian. One of the worst scenes was in Abitina, a town in North Africa. Diocletian issued an order that all Christians, under penalty of death, had to deliver up Holy Scriptures to be burned. The bishop of Abitina complied with the magistrates and brought them the sacred Scriptures to be consumed by fire. This act of sacrilege was followed by a hailstorm, which ravaged the whole country, and a violent rainstorm that extinguished the fire.

About the year 304, during a Sunday service in the home of Octavius Felix, Roman soldiers seized 49 people including their priest from Abitina in Africa, Saturninus and his four children and 44 other Christian men, women and children from the same city were arrested during Sunday assemble for refusing to hand over the Sacred Scriptures. Two eldest of the four children of Saturninus, were lectors, Mary was a virgin consecrated to God, and Hilary was a young boy. When they were brought before their judges, they so zealously professed Jesus that even their tormentors were impressed with their faith, however, it did little to spare them. After some of them were tortured, these dedicated Christians were sent to Carthage for trial and brought before the proconsul Anulinus. Upon their arrival, some were put on the rack, their bodies torn with iron hooks. Other forms of torture were inflicted on the rest. All appeared before Anulinus on February 11, 304, and strongly defended their Faith before being sent back to prison.

The proconsul focused on the youngest child of Saturninus and tried to get him to reject his faith. Young Hilarianus, however, filled with the Holy Spirit, was not afraid and announced, “I am a Christian; I have been at the collect (gathering to worship), and it was of my own voluntary choice, without any compulsion.” The proconsul then threatened him by telling him that he would cut off his nose and ears. The child replied, “You may do it; but I am a Christian.” With this, the proconsul ordered the child and all the others to prison. They all ended their lives under the hardships of their imprisonment except for two, who on Feb. 11 died from their wounds.

PRAYER: Lord, we devoutly recall the sufferings of Sts. Saturnius and his Companions. Give success to our joyful prayers and grant us also constancy in our Faith. Amen🙏

SAINT JULIAN THE HOSPITALLER: Also known as “the Poor Man,” came from a wealthy, noble family in the early 4th century and he married a noble widow. Heis a popular saint in Western Europe. According to a legend, while Julian was a baby, he was cursed to one-day kill his own parents. His father wanted him killed, but his mother kept him alive. When he was old enough to learn of the curse, he left his family to preserve their safety. Julian and his wife moved far away from them. Julian’s parents later found their whereabouts and made an unexpected visit to his castle while Julian was away hunting. His wife gave them one of the best rooms. He received a vision from the devil that his wife was in his bed with another man, and he returned home to kill whoever was in his bed. When Julian returned from his hunt and saw the two figures in bed, he assumed it was his wife with a lover. In a jealous rage, Julian killed his mother and father. Julian was so horrified upon learning the truth that he swore to devote the remainder of his life to good works and penance. He and his wife then undertook a pilgrimage to Rome, and on their return established a hospital to continue their penance, dedicating their lives to caring for the poor and sick. Sometime later, Julian was awakened in the middle of a cold night by a voice crying out for help. Finding a man with leprosy nearly frozen to death, he disregarded the danger to himself and carried him into his house and placed the stranger in his own bed. In the morning, Julian woke to find the man—now shining in heavenly light—ascending to heaven. As he vanished from sight, he told Julian that God had accepted his penance and granted him absolution for his sins, that God would reward Julian and his wife for the care they showed to those in need.

The hospital was built near a river that was frequently crossed by people prompted to travel by the Holy Crusades. People frequently drowned crossing this river so Julian took responsibility of ferrying travelers across and tending to the sick. One night, the devil vandalized his house, and blaming it on those he helped, Julian said that he would never house anyone else ever again. God showed up at his door, asking for help, and he denied Him. After recognizing him, he retracted his statement and decided to help all those who needed it once again. One night, thieves came into their hospital and killed Julian and his wife in the same way Julian had killed his mother and father. “There were great miracles without end in that place and land,” recounts the legend. “So many that, as it pleased God, their bodies were brought to Brioude (France).” St. Julian is considered the Patron Saint of ferrymen, innkeepers, hospitality, travelers, boatmen, pilgrims, knights and circus performers.

For prayer and reflection: “Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained Angels.” ~ Hebrews 13:1-2

PRAYER: O God, who alone are holy and without whom no one is good, command, we pray, through the intercession of blessed Julian, that we be numbered among those who do not deserve to be deprived of your glory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Reading 1, Genesis 2:5-9, 15-17
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 104:1-2, 27-28, 29-30
Gospel, Mark 7:14-23

Gospel Reading ~ Mark 7:14-23

“What comes out of the man, that is what defiles him”

“Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” When he got home away from the crowd his disciples questioned him about the parable. He said to them, “Are even you likewise without understanding? Do you not realize that everything that goes into a person from outside cannot defile, since it enters not the heart but the stomach and passes out into the latrine?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) “But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him. From within the man, from his heart, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus makes a distinction between what is on the outside of a person and what is within. We are not defiled and corrupted by whatever we partake and eat, as the Lord Himself declared that every type of food which had been considered as unclean by the Jewish community to be clean and worthy. The words of Jesus in today’s Gospel reading are part of the response to the experts in the Jewish Law who criticize Jesus’ disciples for ‘eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them’. This failure to follow the washings prescribed was considered to make someone ritually unclean. In His response, Jesus shifts the focus away from a concern with external, ritual, cleanliness, to a focus on what lies within the human person, what Jesus calls the ‘heart’. Jesus was more concerned with people’s underlying attitudes and values than with whether or not they followed various human regulations that some held to be sacred. It is not that Jesus made a sharp distinction between what was internal to someone and what was external. He was well aware that what is internal will reveal itself externally. As He declares in the Gospel reading, the very visible and external behaviours of fornication, theft, murder, and adultery all have roots within the person. ‘They come from within and make a person unclean’. What is within the heart cannot be kept hidden for long. As Jesus says elsewhere, ‘a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit… Thus you will know them by their fruits’. If our heart is right, our lives will bear good fruit that is visible to all. Getting our heart right is as much God’s work as ours. There is a conviction throughout the Scriptures that it is God who works the internal transformation that shows itself in a life of goodness. That same conviction is well expressed in the prayer to the Holy Spirit, ‘Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in us the fire of your love’.

Reflecting on yesterday’s Gospel reading, Jesus is saying that the religious experts of the time are not getting their priorities right. Their priorities are not God’s priorities. The most important part of a tree is its roots, which are invisible because they go down deep into the earth. Jesus is suggesting God wants us to look deeply into ourselves with a view to getting our depths right. Our inner life will determine the quality of our outer, observable life. Our underlying attitudes and values are what really matters. We need to keep working on our inner core, or, rather, allow the Lord to keep working on it, asking Him to keep on renewing our heart so that it corresponds more to His heart.

And in our Scripture passage today, we are reminded of this truth, of our original immaculate nature which has become tainted by sin that came from within us. Our first reading today from the Book of Genesis gives the account of the first day of the existence of mankind, when Adam and Eve were formed by God, to be the ones to take care of everything that He had created, and as they still wandered in the beautiful and most awesome Gardens of Eden, meant to enjoy forever the love and grace of God, in the state of grace and holy existence, made and formed perfect, in the very image and likeness of God. God made all things good and perfect, and this was highlighted in the earlier accounts of the Creation in our past two days of readings from the same Book of Genesis, from the earlier two chapters. According to the Book of Genesis, the Lord created all things in the Gardens of Eden for us mankind to dwell in and to enjoy the wonders of His love for us. He also told them all about how they could eat of everything in the Garden except for that of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Everything were all created good and wonderful, and no corruption or sin yet existed at that time. However, it was our desires, which were not essentially malicious, in what later Satan would manipulate to his own ends, in tempting Adam and Eve to disobey God which led to our corruption by sin. And linking to our Gospel reading today, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil itself is not something evil or wicked, as there can be nothing that God created which is flawed, imperfect or evil. God made all things good and perfect just as He intended. Even Satan himself, who was known as Lucifer, the Lightbringer, was a wonderful, beautiful and excellent Angel of God, who was created as the most brilliant and mightiest among the Angels. He was created all good and wonderful just as all of us and all of Creation had been created. However, he became obsessed with that beauty and brilliance that he possessed, and became proud, leading to his rebellion against God in his desire to become the ruler over all things. That was how Satan fell from grace and was cast out of Heaven. In the same manner, by the temptations which Satan had given to Adam and Eve, our ancestors gave in to their desires for knowledge and power, that led them into sin, corruption and therefore their downfall.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded of the need for all of us to shun and reject all sorts of evil in our lives, to keep ourselves free from the corruption of sin and evil, the darkness of this world as we continue living our lives worthily as Christians. Each and every one of us should always strive to do what is right and just in accordance to things which the Lord has shown and taught us. This is because we ourselves are the ones to be good inspirations and role models for our fellow brethren around us. All of us are reminded that we have been created all good, wonderful and perfect by God, but it was our disobedience and sins, our wicked desires and unholy temptations that had led to our downfall. And this is exemplified no better than those Pharisees and teachers of the Law themselves who often criticised the Lord and His disciples for not observing the Law in the manner that they had observed it. They were so obsessed and focused on the external application of the Law that they had forgotten its true purpose, intention and meaning. Not only that but many among them also allowed their pride and desire for worldly recognition and power to mislead them down the path of disobedience against God, as shown by their persistent refusal to listen to the Lord and their constant critique of the Lord and His disciples’ works, despite having listened to the Wisdom of God being spoken to them and to the miracles and wonders performed before their own eyes. We are all called to emulate the lives and examples of the Holy men and women, and the Saints, particularly those whom we celebrate today, Our Lady of Argenteuil, Saints Saturninus and Companions, Martyrs of Abitina in Africa; Saint Julian the Hospitaller and Eulalia, Virgin and Martyr. Let us all therefore remind ourselves to continue living our lives worthily in the Lord, placing Him at the very heart and centre of our existence. Let us all resist the temptations of the evil ones who are constantly trying to bring us to our downfall by disobedience against God. May the Lord be with us always and may He continue to empower and strengthen us all in our journey so that we may grow ever stronger in our commitment towards Him, in each and every moments of our lives. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace to be exemplary in our way of life, in our actions, words and deeds so that we may inspire others to follow in our footsteps and be faithful to God as well. May God bless our works and endeavours, and be with us always, through our lives, at all times, helping us to resist the many temptations of sin and worldly glory. Amen 🙏🏽

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY | MONTH OF THE HOLY FAMILY The month of February is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Family. Between the events which marked Christmas and the beginning of Christ’s public life the Church has seen fit to recall the example of the Holy Family for the emulation of the Christian family. The Feast of the Presentation (February 2) or Candlemas forms a fitting transition from Christmas to Easter. The small Christ-Child is still in His Mother’s arms, but already she is offering Him in sacrifice.
The Saints that we will focus on this month and try to imitate are:
St. Blaise and St. Ansgar (February 3); St. Agatha (February 5); St. Jerome Emiliani and St. Josephine Bakhita (February 8); St. Scholastica (February 10); Our Lady of Lourdes (February 11); Sts. Cyril and Methodius (February 14); Seven Founders of the Orders of Servites (February 17); St. Peter Damian (February 21); Chair of St. Peter (February 22) and St. Polycarp (February 23). The Optional Memorial of Polycarp (February 23), is superseded by the Sunday Liturgy.

From Feast to Fast: Though the shortest month of the year, February is rich in Liturgical activity. It contains a feast (Presentation of our Lord) that bridges two other seasons (Christmas and Easter). The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on February 2nd harkens back to the Christmas mystery of Light except that now, Christ, the helpless babe, is “the Light of Revelation to the Gentiles who will save His people from their sins.” Candles, symbolizing Christ our Light, will be carried in procession this day, as will be the Paschal candle during the Easter Vigil Liturgy. In addition, the faithful may receive in February two of the four major public sacramentals that the Church confers during the liturgical year: blessed candles and the blessing of throats. “The Light of Revelation” shines more brightly with each successive Sunday of Ordinary Time, until its magnificence–exposing our sinfulness and need for conversion–propels us into the penitential Season of Lent. We prepare to accept the cross of blessed ashes on Ash Wednesday, falls on March 5, 2025, marking the beginning of the Lenten season and plunge ourselves into anticipating the major exercises of Lent–fasting, prayer, almsgiving–laying our thoughts and prayers on the heart of our Mother Mary. She, who offered her Son in the temple and on the Cross, will teach us how to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow after her Son. 🙏🏽

https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=12539

PRAYER INTENTIONS: We thank God for blessing us all with the gift of His precious son, may we be saved by the name of our Savior Jesus Christ! May the good Lord grant us His grace during this Ordinary Time as we continue to serve Him in spirit and in truth. Every life is a gift. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints, we humbly pray for torture victims, the poor, the needy and the most vulnerable in our communities and around the world. For persecuted Christians, for all the innocent who suffer violence due to political or religious unrest, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world. We pray for all those who are sick, we particularly pray for sick children, the mentally and physically ill, strokes, heart diseases, and those suffering from breast cancer and other cancers and terminal diseases. May God restore them to good health and grant them His Divine healing and intervention. May our Mother Mary comfort them, may the Angels and Saints watch over them and may the Holy Spirit guide them in peace and comfort during this challenging time. We pray for the safety and well-being of us all and our families. We pray for an end to war, political and religious unrest. We pray for peace, love and unity in our families, our marriages and our divided and conflicted world. For God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the souls of the faithful departed and for all widows and widowers. We continue to pray for the Clergy, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, Deacons, all religious, for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. For those consecrated to God by the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience that they may seek to live their baptismal promises more intensely and have the grace to persevere in their commitment to the Lord and serve with open hearts and willing spirits… Amen. We pray for the Church, for persecuted Christians, for all the innocent who suffer violence due to political or religious unrest, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world. During this Ordinary Time, please let us all continue to pray for peace all over the world, particularly in Africa, the Middle East, for an end to the Ukraine-Russia conflicts and for peace in our families and throughout our divided and conflicted World. Amen 🙏🏾

Let us pray:

My merciful Lord, help me to see sin for what it is. Help me, especially, to see my own sin—that sin within my own heart that defiles me as Your dear child. As I see my sin, give me the grace I need to reject it and to turn to You with all my heart so that I can become a new creation in Your grace and mercy. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏🏽

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary, Our Lady of Argenteuil and Saints Saturninus and Companions; Saint Julian the Hospitaller and Eulalia ~ Pray for us 🙏🏽

Thanking God for the gift of this new year and praying for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and our world and for God’s Divine Mercy and Grace upon us all as during this Ordinary Time. Have a blessed, safe, grace-filled and fruitful week. May God keep us all safe and well ~ Amen 🙏🏽

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖