Author: Resa

THIRD WEEK OF LENT

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ MARCH 4, 2024

Greetings beloved family and Happy Monday of the Third Week of Lent! May God’s grace and mercy be with us all during this season of our Lenten journey🙏

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary | March 4, 2024 on EWTN” |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 4, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | March 4, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 4, 2024 |

Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 4, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteries VIRTUAL🌹JOYFUL🌹LUMINOUS🌹SORROWFUL🌹GLORIOUS” on YouTube |

Today’s Bible Readings: Monday, March 4, 2024
Reading 1, Second Kings 5:1-15
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 42:2, 3; 43:3, 4
Gospel, Luke 4:24-30

40 Days in the Desert. A Lenten journey with our Lord | Day Seventeen: Sacred Places | Monday of the Third Week of Lent | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-in-the-desert-a-lenten-journey-with-our-lord/day-seventeen-sacred-places/

40 Days at the foot of the Cross. A Gaze of Love from the Heart of our Blessed Mother Mary | Day Seventeen – Entering into Jerusalem | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-at-the-foot-of-the-cross/day-seventeen-entering-into-jerusalem/

A PRAYER TO WALK HUMBLY THROUGH LENT: Father, In Micah 6:8, You say, “O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Today we choose to walk humbly with You. We choose to live by Your Holy Spirit and to follow Your lead. Help us to hear You clearly, for we do not want to walk by pride or self-sufficiency, we want to walk with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen 🙏

God of goodness and mercy, hear my prayer as I begin this Lenten journey with you. Let me be honest with myself as I look into my heart and soul, noticing the times I turn away from you. Guide me as I humbly seek to repent and return to your love. May humility guide my efforts to be reconciled with you and live forever in your abundant grace. Transform me this Lent, heavenly Father. Give me the strength to commit myself to grow closer to you each day. Amen🙏

LENTEN FAST AND ABSTINENCE (Lenten Fast and Abstinence regulations from the USCCB): Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence.

For members of the Latin Catholic Church, the norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon members of the Latin Catholic Church from age 14 onwards

Members of the Eastern Catholic Churches are to observe the particular law of their own sui iuris Church. If possible, the fast on Good Friday is continued until the Easter Vigil (on Holy Saturday night) as the “paschal fast” to honor the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus, and to prepare ourselves to share more fully and to celebrate more readily His Resurrection.

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF MARCH: MONTH OF SAINT JOSEPH: “His was the title of father of the Son of God, because he was the Spouse of Mary, ever Virgin. He was our Lord’s father, because Jesus ever yielded to him the obedience of a son. He was our Lord’s father, because to him were entrusted, and by him were faithfully fulfilled, the duties of a father, in protecting Him, giving Him a home, sustaining and rearing Him, and providing Him with a trade” 

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH – For the new Martyrs: We pray that those who risk their lives for the Gospel in various parts of the world inflame the Church with their courage and missionary enthusiasm.

During this Liturgical season of Lent, we continue to meditate on the mystery of Jesus’ sufferings which culminated in His death on the Cross for the redemption of mankind.

On this special feast day, as we continue our Lenten journey, 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 remember our beloved, we pray for the repose of their gentle souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

During this season of Lent, please let us all continue to pray for peace all over the world, particularly in Africa, the Middle East, for an end to the current war in Israel-Palestine, and the Ukraine-Russia conflicts and for peace in our families and throughout our divided and conflicted World. Amen 🙏

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🙏

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 OF THE DAY: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Casimir whose life of service to God has made him a Patron Saint of Poland, Lithuania, and young people. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for our children, all youths, our families, our leaders, the poor and the needy, for persecuted christians, for an end to religious and political unrest, for justice and peace, love and unity in our world that is torn apart by war, terrorism, racism and countless other acts of violence against human life… Amen🙏

Saint Casimir, we ask your intercession to aid all leaders of governments, churches, and families to emulate your virtues; to be poor in spirit, just, pure, and faithful. With your aid, may leaders guide those under their authority to love and serve their country and their God with greater fervor…Amen🙏

SAINT CASIMIR OF POLAND: St. Casimir of Poland (1458-1484), born Casimir Jagiellon on October 5, 1458, he was the second son of Poland King Casimir IV and Queen Elizabeth of Austria, he was third of the thirteen children born to them in the royal palace at Cracow. St. Casimir committed his life to God from an early age, thanks in part to a brilliant and pious priest who served as the royal tutor. He and several of his brothers studied with the priest and historian John Dlugosz, whose deep piety and political expertise influenced St. Casimir in his upbringing. St. Casimir, the young prince had a distaste for the luxury of courtly life, he turned away from the privileges of his station in life and instead exercised extreme asceticism and self-denial. He wore a hairshirt under his clothes, slept on the cold ground, and knelt in prayer for long hours outside of locked churches and would spend much of the night in prayer and meditation on the suffering and death of Christ. St. Casimir showed his love for God through these exercises of devotion, and also through his material charity to the poor. He was known as a deeply compassionate young man who felt others’ pains acutely. One of his principal devotions was to the Blessed Virgin, in whose honor he composed, or at least frequently recited, the well-known “Hymn of St. Casimir.”

The young prince, St. Casimir was only 13 years old when his father was asked by the Hungarians to offer his son as their new king. St. Casimir was eager to aid the Hungarians in their defense against the Turks, so he accepted and went to be crowned in the hope of defending the Christian nation against the Turks. St. Casimir marched at the head of an army of 20,000 men to the frontier, to comply with his father’s will. The reigning King of Hungary whom the people wished to dethrone was Matthias Corvinus. On reaching the frontier and learning that the differences between King and people had been adjusted, the plan did not come to fruition. St. Casimir gladly returned home to Poland to continue his life of prayer, penance, and generosity to the poor. Realizing afterward injustice of the attempt against the King of Hungary, he could never be prevailed upon to assume the crown when the Hungarian again offered to him. After his return St. Casimir resumed his studies with the priest and historian, John Dlugosz, while developing a canny grasp of politics by observing his father’s rule. In 1479 the king left Poland to attend to state business in Lithuania, leaving Prince Casimir in charge of the realm between 1481 and 1483.

St. Casimir took a vow of celibacy which he upheld despite immense political pressure to marry. Advisers to the prince joined his father in trying to convince St. Casimir to marry. But he preferred to remain single, focusing his life on the service of God and the good of his people. St. Casimir suffered from a chronic lung condition (tuberculosis), he foresaw his death and prepared for it by deepening his devotion to God. He died en route to Vilna, the capital of Lithuania on March 4, 1484 at the age of 25 and was buried with a copy of a Marian hymn he frequently recited. Many miracles were attributed to his intercession after his death. Pope Adrian VI canonized him in 1522. One hundred and twenty-two years after his death Saint Casimir’s tomb in the cathedral church of Vilna was opened, that the holy remains might be transferred to the rich marble chapel where it now lies. The place was damp, and the very vault crumbled away in the hands of the workmen; yet the Saint’s body, wrapped in robes of silk, still intact, was found whole and incorrupt, and emitting a sweet fragrance which filled the church and refreshed all who were present. Under his head was found his hymn to Our Lady, which he had had buried with him.

Five centuries after his death, in 1984, Pope John Paul II addressed Lithuanian pilgrims commemorating the 500th anniversary of the prince’s death. He said the Church “proclaimed Casimir a saint and placed him before us not only to be venerated but also that we might imitate his heroic virtues and follow his example of holiness.” Pope John Paul II recalled how St. Casimir “embraced a life of celibacy, submitted himself humbly to God’s will in all things, devoted himself with tender love to the Blessed Virgin Mary and developed a fervent practice of adoring Christ present in the Blessed Sacrament.” “His witness of great faith and fervent piety continues to have special meaning for us today,” the Pope said, noting especially the “challenging call” he offers to young people. “His life of purity and prayer beckons you to practice your faith with courage and zeal, to reject the deceptive attractions of modern permissive society, and to live your convictions with fearless confidence and joy.” “To all,” the Pope said, “he was a shining example of poverty and of sacrificial love for the poor and needy.” 

Saint Casimir Jagiellon life of service to God has made him a Patron Saint of Poland, Lithuania, and young people.

PRAYER: O God Almighty, to serve You is to reign. We pray through Saint Casimir’s intercession, that we may constantly serve you in sanctity and justice. And our services reflected in a holy way of life and justice. Help us to deepen our trust in You our Heavenly Father. Through our Lord Jesus Christ…. Amen🙏

PRAYER INTENTIONS: We thank God for blessing us all with the gift of His precious son, may we be saved by the name of our Savior Jesus Christ! May the Lord grant us His grace as we continue to serve Him in spirit and in truth and as we begin the Lenten Season. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the sick and dying. We particularly pray for sick children, those who are sick with convulsive disorder, mental illness, strokes, heart diseases, and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. May God restore them to good health and grant them His Divine healing and intervention. May our Mother Mary comfort them, may the Angels and Saints watch over them and may the Holy Spirit guide them in peace and comfort during this challenging time. We pray for the safety and well-being of us all and our families, for peace, love and unity in our families, our marriages and our divided and conflicted world. Every life is a gift. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the gentle souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls through the mercy of God rest in peace with our Lord Jesus Christ Amen. For all widows and widowers. And we continue to pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Bishops, the Clergy and all those who preach the Gospel. For vocations to the priesthood and religious life, for the Church, for persecuted Christians, for all the innocent who suffer violence due to political or religious unrest, for the conversion of sinners and Christians all over the world. Amen🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS

Bible readings for today, Monday of the Third Week of Lent | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ Luke 4:24-30

“Like Elijah and Elisha, Jesus was sent not only to the Jews”

“Jesus said to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth: “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. But he passed through the midst of them and went away.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus was rejected in His own hometown of Nazareth, as the people there refused to believe in what the Lord had said and proclaimed, simply because they judged Him and thought that they knew Who He truly was, the Son of a lowly village carpenter, that is His foster-father St. Joseph. The people of Nazareth hardened their hearts and minds against the Lord and rejected Him, in contrast to how the attitude of Naaman, the Syrian general had been. This was highlighted by the Lord Himself, Who said that prophets were never respected and honoured in their own lands, and gave the example of Naaman himself, who believed in God and was healed by the prophet Elisha, while so many others in the land of Israel refused to believe in Elisha and even persecuted the man of God. The people of Nazareth were enraged at Jesus because of the message that He preached. They were angry because the words of Jesus challenged their somewhat narrow view of God and what God was about. Jesus identified Himself with two prophets who ministered not just within Israel but far beyond Israel – Elijah in Sidon, and Elisha in Syria. Jesus was revealing a God who was just as concerned about the sick and suffering outside of Israel as the sick and suffering within Israel. He proclaimed a God who welcomes all sorts, sinners and tax collectors, people from outside Israel, even from Israel’s traditional enemies, such as the Syrians. Jesus was showing the people of Nazareth that God’s horizons were much wider than they had realized. They didn’t like their image of God being challenged and that is why they rejected Jesus, and would have killed him if they could have. Jesus will always challenge our image of God, because he knows God more deeply than we do. The God of Jesus is a big God, with a big heart, a wide horizon, a generous purpose for our lives. Our vision of God can sometimes be too restricted. We need to keep on being exposed to Jesus’ vision of God. That is one of the reasons why we need to keep reading, reflecting upon and praying the Gospels that have been entrusted to us by the evangelists. It is above all in the Gospels that we meet the living and true God, whom Jesus reveals by His words, His deeds, His death and His resurrection. Our calling today is to allow Jesus to shape our image of God, to rejoice, rather than to be angry at the generous and expansive God that Jesus reveals.

Our first reading today from the Book of Kings of Israel and Judah, details the story of how Naaman, a great and respected general of the Kingdom of Aram-Damascus, was afflicted with the terrible leprosy disease that was not yet easily curable at that time. That disease made one to be shunned and rejected from the community, and that must have been a really terrible blow for such a high-ranking and well-respected man. Then, Naaman came to the land of Israel hearing that there was a prophet there, the prophet Elisha, who was renowned for his many miracles and good works in ministering to the Israelites, showing God’s power and miracles to them. Naaman went to Elisha with the hope that the man of God could heal him from his conditions. Therefore, Elisha told Naaman to go and bathe in the River Jordan seven times and then he would be healed from his leprosy. Naaman became angry, expecting that the man of God should have come to him and perform his miracles to him in person, and not to ask him to do such trivial tasks, even arguing that there were better rivers in his own land. This was where Naaman’s servant reminded him that such a task was not really difficult to do, and if Naaman really wanted to be healed, then he should have just listened to Elisha and do as he was asked to do. We heard how Naaman obeyed eventually and was therefore healed from his afflictions, and was restored to good health through his obedience and faith in God. Our first reading today reminds us of how the Lord loved all of His people, including even the people who did not belong to the nation of Israel. The Aramaeans were enemies of the Israelites for much of their existence, and yet, God showed His mercy, love and healing for one of their most renowned generals. Naaman was also a representation of all of us, who are sinners and unworthy of God, and yet, through His most wonderful and generous mercy, love and compassion, Naaman was healed and therefore in the same way, all of us can and will be healed as well, as long as we allow ourselves to be healed by the Lord, healed from the taint and corruption of our many sins and wickedness, which have caused us to be separated from God and His love. The leprosy mentioned in our reading today is a representation of our sins, which are also akin to the disease in how they afflict us. Unlike leprosy, which can ultimately still be cured by earthly means, only the Lord alone can heal us from our sins, by His forgiveness and mercy. Through God’s forgiveness and grace, we will once again be in His favour, reconciled to Him, while having those sins cleared and forgiven from us. We will therefore no longer suffer the consequences of those sins which we have committed, and we will once again be filled with God’s grace, and reassured of His salvation and eternal life. All these can only happen if we allow ourselves and are open to the mercy and kindness of God that He has shown to all of us, just as He has shown it to Naaman who listened to Him and obeyed His commands through the prophet Elisha.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are reminded of several very important things that we must heed as we continue to progress through this time and season of Lent, called to repentance from our many sins and wickedness, and reminded to return to the Lord, our most loving God, Who alone can heal us from our fallen state, our troubled and corrupted beings, because of the corruption and the wickedness caused by our many sins. Through the story of the healing of Naaman the Syrian from the Old Testament to the story of how the Lord Jesus was rejected in His own hometown of Nazareth in the Gospels, we are all reminded that we should put our trust in the Lord and not in the ways of the world, many of which may lead us astray and down the wrong path in life. We are all called to repent from our sins, to be open-minded and exclude from our hearts and minds all the taints of pride and ego, all the things that have often prevented us from returning to God and being reconciled with Him. It was our ego, just as Naaman had once experienced, that kept us away from being healed and made whole again by God, which in Naaman’s case was to be healed from his leprosy. And we all must know and realise that sin is just like leprosy, a corruption that attacks not just our body but worse still, the soul and our whole being. Let us all make good use of the opportunities given to us especially during this time of Lent that we may find our path towards God and turn away from all of our past transgressions and wickedness, embracing instead the path of righteousness and virtue in life. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and be with us always and may He continue to empower us all to live ever more faithfully as His disciples and followers, doing the best we can to proclaim His glory and to serve Him most faithfully at all times. May He bless us and strengthen us that we may continue to persevere in faith and remain firm in our commitments to Him, now and always. Amen🙏

Let us pray:

God of all wisdom, I know that You know all things and that all things can be used for Your glory and for the salvation of my soul. Help me to trust You, especially when I endure suffering in life. May I never despair when treated unjustly and may my hope always be in You and in Your power to redeem all things. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Casimir of Poland ~ Pray for us🙏

Thanking God for the gift of this day and praying for us all during this season of Lent, let us be renewed by prayer, fasting, and giving to the poor. We pray for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and our world. May God keep us all safe and well during these challenging times and may this season of Lent bring us all true salvation in Christ as we remain united in peace, love and faith. Have a blessed, safe, fruitful and grace-filled third week of Lent ~ Amen🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖

THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT (YEAR B)

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ MARCH 3, 2024

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ MARCH 3, 2024

Greetings beloved family and Happy Third Sunday of Lent! May God’s grace and mercy be with us all during this season of our Lenten journey🙏

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary | March 3, 2024 on EWTN” |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 3, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | March 3, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 3, 2024 |

Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | March 3, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteries VIRTUAL🌹JOYFUL🌹LUMINOUS🌹SORROWFUL🌹GLORIOUS” on YouTube |

Today’s Bible Readings: Third Sunday of Lent, Year B | March 3, 2024
Reading 1, Exodus 20:1-17
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 19:8, 9, 10, 11
Reading 2, First Corinthians 1:22-25
Gospel, John 2:13-25

[Please Note: When the Scrutinies are used at Mass, the reflection and readings for Year A may be used in place of this one.]

40 Days in the Desert. A Lenten journey with our Lord | Third Sunday of Lent: Living Water | https://mycatholic.life/books/40-days-in-the-desert-a-lenten-journey-with-our-lord/third-sunday-of-lent-living-water/

A PRAYER TO WALK HUMBLY THROUGH LENT: Father, In Micah 6:8, You say, “O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Today we choose to walk humbly with You. We choose to live by Your Holy Spirit and to follow Your lead. Help us to hear You clearly, for we do not want to walk by pride or self-sufficiency, we want to walk with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen 🙏

God of goodness and mercy, hear my prayer as I begin this Lenten journey with you. Let me be honest with myself as I look into my heart and soul, noticing the times I turn away from you. Guide me as I humbly seek to repent and return to your love. May humility guide my efforts to be reconciled with you and live forever in your abundant grace. Transform me this Lent, heavenly Father. Give me the strength to commit myself to grow closer to you each day. Amen🙏

LENTEN FAST AND ABSTINENCE (Lenten Fast and Abstinence regulations from the USCCB): Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence.

For members of the Latin Catholic Church, the norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon members of the Latin Catholic Church from age 14 onwards

Members of the Eastern Catholic Churches are to observe the particular law of their own sui iuris Church. If possible, the fast on Good Friday is continued until the Easter Vigil (on Holy Saturday night) as the “paschal fast” to honor the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus, and to prepare ourselves to share more fully and to celebrate more readily His Resurrection.

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF MARCH: MONTH OF SAINT JOSEPH: “His was the title of father of the Son of God, because he was the Spouse of Mary, ever Virgin. He was our Lord’s father, because Jesus ever yielded to him the obedience of a son. He was our Lord’s father, because to him were entrusted, and by him were faithfully fulfilled, the duties of a father, in protecting Him, giving Him a home, sustaining and rearing Him, and providing Him with a trade” 

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH – For the new Martyrs: We pray that those who risk their lives for the Gospel in various parts of the world inflame the Church with their courage and missionary enthusiasm.

During this Liturgical season of Lent, we continue to meditate on the mystery of Jesus’ sufferings which culminated in His death on the Cross for the redemption of mankind.

On this special feast day, as we continue our Lenten journey, 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 remember our beloved, we pray for the repose of their gentle souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

During this season of Lent, please let us all continue to pray for peace all over the world, particularly in Africa, the Middle East, for an end to the current war in Israel-Palestine, and the Ukraine-Russia conflicts and for peace in our families and throughout our divided and conflicted World. Amen 🙏

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🙏

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/

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS

Bible Readings for today, Third Sunday of Lent, Year B | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030324-YearB.cfm

Gospel Reading ~ John 2:13–25

“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up”

“Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.” His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, Zeal for your house will consume me. At this the Jews answered and said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken. While he was in Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, many began to believe in his name when they saw the signs he was doing. But Jesus would not trust himself to them because he knew them all, and did not need anyone to testify about human nature. He himself understood it well.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus launches an attack on the most sacred institution of the Jewish faith, the Temple in Jerusalem. Our Lord Jesus chased out the merchants and the money changers doing their businesses at the courtyard of the Temple of God in Jerusalem. The Temple officials turned a blind eye to the wicked things that those merchants and money changers had done. They wickedly overcharged their customers, charging those pilgrims a premium for their services and goods, earning lots of profits and benefitting therefore from others’ sufferings. It was this wickedness and sin against God and their fellow mankind which the Lord Jesus was particularly angry against, as He told it all loudly for all to hear, not to turn His Father’s House into a ‘den of robbers’, referring to all those corrupt and unscrupulous merchants and money changers, and the Temple officials who grew rich out of all those wicked actions. As a Jew, Jesus would have had a love for the Temple. In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus refers to it as ‘my Father’s house’. This was the place where God, the Father of Jesus, wanted people to feel at home, all people, not just Jews. Later on in this Gospel of John, Jesus would say, ‘In my Father’s house there are many rooms’. Jesus was giving us here an image of heaven which suggested the wide and welcoming love of God, calling people to be at home in his presence. If the Temple was God the Father’s house on earth, it needed to be a place where all felt welcome, regardless of their nationality, their social status, their background or way of life. Jesus clearly saw that what was going on in the courtyard of the Temple, the buying and selling of animals for sacrifice, the changing of foreign coinage for a coinage acceptable within the Temple, was cutting across what the Temple was meant to be as God’s welcoming house on earth. It was serving the interests of the people in charge of the Temple, rather than the interests of all who were seeking God. The energy Jesus displayed in the Temple sprung from the conviction that all was far from well in his Father’s house. We would all feel moved to action if the home of our parents was being undermined in some way. It was love for God his Father and for all those whom God loved that drove Jesus to do what he did in the Temple that day. Love is not always something soft and gentle. Love can drive people to disturb those who need disturbing. Jesus disturbed the peace of the Temple that day because He could see that this was not God’s peace, the peace which causes all people to flourish as human beings. The risen Lord continues to disturb false peace today. Just as the Temple was to be the earthly expression of God’s heavenly house, the church, the community of believers, is to be the living expression in this world of the kingdom of God. When the church fails to live up to this calling, the Lord will work passionately to purify and renew it. The church’s identity is to be God’s many roomed house today, not just the physical building we call church, but the community of believers. The church is to be not so much a place but a communal space where all can feel at home in the welcoming embrace of God’s unconditional love, and in the strength of that embrace become more loving people. The zeal that drove Jesus to do what he did in the Temple continues to drive Him today as risen Lord. It drives him to keep renewing the community of his disciples, the church, so that it becomes more fully the sacrament of God’s presence in the world.

In our Gospel reading today, Jesus showed Himself to be a disturber of the peace, because the peace He found in the temple was not the peace of God. The risen Jesus continues to be a disturber of false peace today. Jesus took His stand in the Temple as God in human form. He could speak authoritatively of His Father’s house. When we take a stand against something, we always do so as sinners. In our efforts to try and put something right, we are aware that all is probably not right in our own lives. The temple of our own lives will need cleansing to some degree; how we speak and act does not always serve God’s purposes. This awareness will keep us humble as we try to give expression in our lives to the Lord’s passion for the values of God’s kingdom. The church can sometimes substitute God’s wisdom with human wisdom, God’s power with human strength. Just as in the Gospel reading Jesus wanted to purify the temple, the risen Lord is constantly working to purify the church. All of us who make up the church need to be open to His purifying presence. In the works of the book of Revelation, we need to be listening to what the Spirit, the Spirit of the risen Lord, is saying to us the church. We are all called to listen to the challenging word of the Spirit and to be open to the purifying presence of the risen Lord. We are all the church, and we all have our part to play in ensuring that the church is what the Lord intends it to be. Lent in particular is a time when we try to listen to what the Spirit may be saying to us about our lives; it is a time when as individuals and as a community we are called to allow the Spirit to renew our lives so that we conform more fully to the image and likeness of Christ. The fiery Jesus of the Gospel reading who is passionate about what God wants remains alive and active at the heart of the church today. The relationship between the Lord and the church, between the Lord and each one of us, will always be marked by a certain tension, because the Lord will always be working to purify and renew us. In the light of the Gospel reading we might ask ourselves in what ways we have allowed the values of the market place to override the values of the Gospel in our own lives, in the life of our society, in the life of our church.

In our first reading this Sunday, from the Book of Exodus, the Lord spoke to Moses, revealing the core and basic tenets of the Law and the commandments which He was giving to His people, the Israelites, whom He was taking on a journey through the desert, on their way out of the land of Egypt, from their slavery and sufferings there, and into the land of promise, the Land of Canaan. The Lord gave them all His Law and commandments to guide them and to help them navigate their lives so that they would not lose their way and be misguided into the path of sin and evil, knowing that they would disobey and rebel against Him. The Lord taught them all His ways and showed them all that to follow Him and to commit to the Covenant which He had been making with them and their ancestors, then they would have to adhere to those Law and commandments. God gave the Ten Commandments to His people through Moses. He wrote on the two slabs of stone, as the heart and core of all the laws, precepts, rules and matters pertaining His ways and teachings. The Ten Commandments, just as the Lord Jesus elaborated and explained further later on, were in essence the way to love the Lord as well as loving one another, one’s own parents, family, relatives, friends and any other people around us, even strangers and acquaintances, because God Himself is Love, and it is only right and appropriate that all of us who follow Him and call ourselves as His beloved people, as Christians, just as the Israelites in the past, do what is truly befitting of us as people filled with love both for our God and as well as for our fellow brothers and sisters around us. We are reminded that, to be truly filled with God’s love, we must show that same, selfless and most generous love towards our Lord, first and foremost, in loving and focusing ourselves on Him at all times, in loving Him with all of our strength and might, and doing whatever we can so that by our love, we may truly dedicate and commit ourselves to Him, loving Him as just how He has loved us so generously. Then, we are reminded to show love and care for our fellow brothers and sisters, not to cause any hurt or suffering upon them, to be genuine in all of our love and compassion towards each other. This is why we must always centre ourselves upon the Lord, obey His Law and commit ourselves to the path that He has shown us.

In our second reading today from St. Paul in his Epistle to the Church and the faithful people of God in the city of Corinth, the Apostle spoke of how their beliefs, the beliefs that Christians upheld and possessed, all of them might lead to ridicule, rejection and persecution from both the Jewish authorities and people, as well as the Greeks, the two groups which at that time were where the main obstacles to the Christian missions came from. The Jewish authorities in particular opposed the teachings of the Lord and the works of His Apostles because they denied that He is the Son of God, and they had charged Him with blasphemy and crime against the Lord and His people. Meanwhile, for the Greeks, many of whom were still pagan at that time, the rapid growth of the Christian faith and the increasingly rapid rate of conversion were threatening their traditional way of life and their own beliefs in the many pagan gods of the region. We are called to uphold the the teachings of the Lord and try to give expression in our lives to the Lord’s passion for the values of God’s kingdom. Just as in today’s Gospel, the stand that Jesus took in the Temple could be considered foolish. He was setting Himself against powerful interest groups, which could only spell danger for Him. Yet, as Paul states in today’s second reading, ‘God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom’. Sometimes God may ask us to take a step that, from a merely human point of view, looks foolish, and, yet, in reality is an expression of the wisdom and power of God.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures this Sunday, as we approach the halfway point in this season of Lent, each and every one of us are reminded to reflect on our own respective way of life, and our actions. We are called to listen to the Lord our God, heed His Law and commandments, and be truly genuine and sincere in following Him as His disciples, followers and holy people. We cannot be truly saved unless we have embraced God in all things, in all parts of our whole lives and do everything in accordance to His will, to the best of our abilities. God has given us His Law and commandments to help and guide us in our journey, so that we can find the best path towards Him, in following what His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, has taught and revealed to us, in truly being obedient to the fullness of God’s Law and commandments, in being sincere and full of love both for God and for our fellow brothers and sisters around us. Each and every one of us are reminded that as Christians, we must always stand firm in our faith and in our Christian way of living, resisting and rejecting the temptations of worldly glory and all the paths of evil and wickedness which the devil and all of the forces of the wicked have arrayed against us. Each and every one of us should embrace God’s path and remember His Law and commandments, reminding ourselves that as Christians, as God’s holy people, we must always be exemplary in our lives and actions, and we must inspire others around us in how we live our lives, fulfilling the Law and commandments of God, not just doing them without meaning and purpose, but doing them with full of understanding and appreciation of what the Law is all about. Just as the Lord has rooted out and chased those wicked people out of the Temple of God, let us all be reminded that especially during this time and season of Lent, we should also root out from ourselves all the wickedness of sin and evil, all the things which had ensnared us and kept us away from God and His truth. We must remember that our body, heart, mind, soul and our whole being itself is like the Temple of God, and we must always keep it pure and worthy of the Lord at all times. This is why today and henceforth, let us all repent from our sinful and wicked ways, and make best use of this time of Lent to turn back once again towards the Lord, our most loving and merciful God, keeping faithfully His Law and commandments, and be good inspiration for everyone around us. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and bless us in our every good efforts and endeavours, all the work we do for His greater glory, not only just for the duration of this season of Lent, but continuing on for the rest of our lives. Amen🙏

*SAINTS OF THE DAY – MEMORIAL OF SAINT KATHARINE DREXEL, VIRGIN AND SAINT CUNEGUNDES, EMPRESS: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Katharine Drexel, Virgin (Patron Saint of racial justice and of philanthropists) and
Saint Cunegundes, Empress (Patron Saint of Luxembourg and Lithuania). Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the poor and the needy, for persecuted christians, for an end to religious and political unrest, for justice and peace, love and unity in our world that is torn apart by war, terrorism, racism and countless other acts of violence against human life.🙏

SAINT KATHARINE DREXEL, VIRGIN: St. Katharine Drexel (1858-1955) was a wealthy heiress from a prominent family in Philadelphia who abandoned her family’s fortune to found an order of sisters dedicated to serving the impoverished African American and American Indian populations of the United States. Although African-Americans had been freed from slavery, they continued to suffer serious abuse and were often prevented from obtaining even a basic education. Much the same situation held in the case of the native American Indians, who had been forcibly moved into reservations over the course of the 19th century. St. Katharine was born on November 26, 1858, Philadelphia, PA to Francis Anthony Drexel and Hannah Langstroth, a wealthy and well-connected banking family. The family’s wealth, however, did not prevent them from living out a serious commitment to their faith. Her mother opened up the family house three times a week to feed and care for the poor, and her father had a deep personal prayer life. Both parents encouraged their daughters to think of the family’s wealth not as their own, but as a gift from God which was to be used to help others. During the summer months, Katharine and her sisters would teach catechism classes to the children of the workers on her family’s summer estate. The practice would prepare her for a life of service, with a strong focus on education and attention to the poor and vulnerable. She had an excellent education and traveled widely. As a rich girl, she had a grand debut into society. From a young age became imbued with love for God and neighbor, she felt called to serve the spiritual and temporal needs of the underprivileged, particularly the African American and Native American communities. She began by donating money, but quickly realized this would not bring the lasting change these communities desperately needed —the lacking ingredient was people. She had always been interested in the plight of the Indians, having been appalled by reading Helen Hunt Jackson’s A Century of Dishonor.  

While on a European tour, she met Pope Leo XIII and asked him to send more missionaries to Wyoming for her friend Bishop James O’Connor. The pope replied, “Why don’t you become a missionary?” His answer shocked her into considering new possibilities. Back home, she visited the Dakotas, met the Sioux leader Red Cloud and began her systematic aid to Native American missions. She could easily have married. But after much discussion with Bishop O’Connor, she wrote in 1889, “The feast of Saint Joseph brought me the grace to give the remainder of my life to the Indians and the Colored.” Newspaper headlines screamed “Gives Up Seven Million!” In February of 1891, she made her first vows in religious life – formally renouncing her fortune and her personal freedom for the sake of growing closer to God in solidarity with the victims of injustice. After three and a half years of training, St. Katharine founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Native Americans and African Americans, whose members would work for the betterment of those they were called to serve. From the age of 33 until her death in 1955, she dedicated her life and a fortune of 20 million dollars to this work. St. Katharine and her first band of nuns (Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored) build the first missions boarding school for Native Americans in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1894. A string of foundations followed. By 1942 she had a system of African American Catholic schools in thirteen states, plus forty mission centers and twenty-three rural schools. Segregationists harassed her work, even burning a school in Pennsylvania. In all, she established fifty missions for Native Americans in sixteen states. Two saints met when she was advised by Mother Cabrini about the “politics” of getting her order’s rule approved in Rome. Her crowning achievement was the founding of Xavier University in New Orleans in 1915, the first Catholic university in the United States for African Americans. At seventy-seven, she suffered a heart attack and was forced to retire. Apparently her life was over. But now came almost twenty years of quiet, intense prayer from a small room overlooking the sanctuary. Small notebooks and slips of paper record her various prayers, ceaseless aspirations and meditation. She died at the age of ninety-six on March 3, 1955 at Cornwells Heights, Pennsylvania. At her death there were more than 500 Sisters teaching in over 63 schools throughout the country. St. Katherine was beatified by Pope John Paul II on November 20, 1988, and canonized on October 1, 2000 by the same Pontiff, making her the second American-born saint and the first one born a U.S. citizen. She’s the Patron Saint of racial justice and of philanthropists.

PRAYER: Ever loving God, you called Saint Katharine Drexel to teach the message of the Gospel and to bring the life of the Eucharist to the African American and Native American peoples. By her prayers and example, enable us to work for justice among the poor and oppressed. Keep us undivided and draw us all into the Eucharistic community of Your Church, that we may be one in you. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever… Amen🙏

SAINT CUNEGUNDES, EMPRESS: St. Cunegundes was the daughter of Siegfried, the first Count of Luxemburg, and Hadeswige, his pious wife. They instilled into her from her cradle the most tender sentiments of piety, and married her to St. Henry, Duke of Bavaria, who, upon the death of the Emperor Otho III., was chosen king of the Romans, and crowned on the 6th of June, 1002. She was crowned at Paderborn on St. Laurence’s day. In the year 1014 she went with her husband to Rome, and received the imperial crown with him from the hands of Pope Benedict VIII. She had, by St. Henry’s consent, before her marriage made a vow of virginity. Calumniators afterwards made vile accusations against her, and the holy empress, to remove the scandal of such a slander, trusting in God to prove her innocence, walked over red-hot ploughshares without being hurt. The emperor condemned his too scrupulous fears and credulity, and from that time they lived in the strictest union of hearts, conspiring to promote in everything God’s honor and the advancement of piety.

Going once to make a retreat in Hesse, she fell dangerously ill, and made a vow to found a monastery, if she recovered, at Kaffungen, near Cassel, in the diocese of Paderborn, which she executed in a stately manner, and gave it to nuns of the Order of St. Benedict. Before it was finished St. Henry died, in 1024. She earnestly recommended his soul to the prayers of others, especially to her blear nuns, and expressed her longing desire of joining them. She had already exhausted her treasures in founding bishoprics and monasteries, and in relieving the poor, and she had therefore little left now to give. But still thirsting to embrace perfect evangelical poverty, and to renounce all to serve God without obstacle, she assembled a great number of prelates to the dedication of her church of Kaffungen on the anniversary day of her husband’s death, 1025; and after the gospel was sung at Mass she offered on the altar a piece of the true cross, and then, putting off her imperial robes, clothed herself with a poor habit; her hair was cut off, and the bishop put on her a veil and a ring as a pledge of her fidelity to her heavenly Spouse. After she was consecrated to God in religion, she seemed entirely to forget that she had been empress, and behaved as the last in the house, being persuaded that she was 30 before God. She prayed and read much, worked with her hands, and took a singular pleasure in visiting and comforting the sick.

Thus she passed the last fifteen years of her life. Her mortifications at length reduced her to a very weak condition and brought on her last sickness. Perceiving that they were preparing a cloth fringed with gold to cover her corpse after her death, she changed color and ordered it to be taken away; nor could she be at rest till she was promised she should be buried as a poor religious in her habit. She died on the 3d of March, 1040. Her body was carried to Bamberg and buried near that of her husband. She was solemnly canonized by Innocent III in 1200. She’s the Patron Saint of Luxembourg and Lithuania.

PRAYER: God, You inspired St. Cunegundes to strive for perfect charity and so attain Your Kingdom at the end of her pilgrimage on earth. Strengthen us through her intercession that we may advance rejoicing in the way of love…Amen🙏

PRAYER INTENTIONS: We thank God for blessing us all with the gift of His precious son, may we be saved by the name of our Savior Jesus Christ! May the Lord grant us His grace as we continue to serve Him in spirit and in truth and as we begin the Lenten Season. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the sick and dying. We particularly pray for sick children, those who are sick with convulsive disorder, mental illness, strokes, heart diseases, and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. May God restore them to good health and grant them His Divine healing and intervention. May our Mother Mary comfort them, may the Angels and Saints watch over them and may the Holy Spirit guide them in peace and comfort during this challenging time. We pray for the safety and well-being of us all and our families, for peace, love and unity in our families, our marriages and our divided and conflicted world. Every life is a gift. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the gentle souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls through the mercy of God rest in peace with our Lord Jesus Christ Amen. For all widows and widowers. And we continue to pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Bishops, the Clergy and all those who preach the Gospel. For vocations to the priesthood and religious life, for the Church, for persecuted Christians, for all the innocent who suffer violence due to political or religious unrest, for the conversion of sinners and Christians all over the world. Amen🙏

Let us pray:

My cleansing Lord, You cleansed the Temple of Jerusalem not once, but twice. Your zeal for its purity of worship was clear. Please come and make my soul Your dwelling place today and cleanse me of all sin. Please help me to especially see any ways that I have remained obstinate in my sin, and please cleanse those sins with much vigor. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Katharine Drexel and Saint Cunegundes ~ Pray for us🙏

Thanking God for the gift of this day and praying for us all during this season of Lent, let us be renewed by prayer, fasting, and giving to the poor. We pray for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and our world. May God keep us all safe and well during these challenging times and may this season of Lent bring us all true salvation in Christ as we remain united in peace, love and faith. Have a blessed, safe, fruitful and grace-filled Third Sunday of Lent and week ~ Amen🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖

LIVE from St. Peter’s Basilica | Holy Mass presided over by Pope Francis on the Feast of Holy Mary, Mother of God.

FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ FEBRUARY 3, 2024

*NOVENA IN HONOR OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES [Novena Starts: February 2nd; Feastday: February 11th ~ Novena prayer below]

Greetings beloved family and Happy Saturday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time!

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | February 3, 2024 |

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on February 3, 2024 on EWTN” |

Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | February 3, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | February 3, 2024 |

Pray “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | February 3, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteries VIRTUAL🌹JOYFUL🌹LUMINOUS🌹SORROWFUL🌹GLORIOUS” on YouTube |

Today’s Bible Readings: Saturday, February 3, 2024
Reading 1, First Kings 3:4-13
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 119:9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
Gospel, Mark 6:30-34

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY: MONTH OF THE PASSION OF OUR LORD: The month of February is traditionally dedicated to the Passion of Our Lord in anticipation of the liturgical season of Lent. In this month, we begin to meditate on the mystery of Jesus’ sufferings which culminated in his death on the Cross for the redemption of mankind. Saints who had a special devotion to Christ’s passion include St. Francis of Assisi, who was the first known Saint to receive the stigmata; St. John of the Cross; St. Bridget of Sweden; and St. Catherine of Siena.

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 remember our beloved late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on the first memorial anniversary of his death. We pray for the repose of his gentle soul and the 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 the gentle soul of Pope Benedict XVI and souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

Please let us continue to pray for peace all over the world, particularly in the Middle East, for an end to the current war in Israel-Palestine, and the Ukraine-Russia conflicts and for peace in our families and throughout our divided and conflicted World. Amen 🙏

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🙏

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

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

NOVENA IN HONOR OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES [Novena Starts: February 2nd; Feastday: February 11th]

NOVENA PRAYER: Most Holy Mother Mary, at Lourdes you asked us to do penance and to pray for the conversion of sinners. Obtain for each of us the grace of true repentance. Help those for whom we pray, and especially those who most need God’s mercy. Your Divine Son so loves every soul that He gave His life to pay the price for our redemption. Help us to return His love by making the sacrifices needed to keep his commandments. Most Holy Mother you offered your Divine Son to the Eternal Father when you presented Him in the temple; offer us to the Father as your other children; watch over us and guide us. Blessed Mother, obtain for me the grace I most need, and especially these favors that I ask in this Novena, if they be in keeping with God’s will. Amen.
O Immaculate Virgin Mary, preserved from the slightest stain of sin, and enriched with all the treasures of divine grace, I thank you for the many blessings I have received through your most powerful intercession. You know my needs, my trials, my sufferings. Mother of mercy, I beseech you to hear my prayer, and to obtain for me of your Divine Son the favors I seek in this Novena. (Here make your requests.)

THE MEMORARE: Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of Virgins, my Mother; to thee I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful; O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen🙏(Add your daily Rosary)

Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes Link | https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/novena-to-our-lady-of-lourdes-297

SAINTS OF THE DAY: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Blaise, Bishop and Martyr and Saint Ansgar, Bishop. Through the intercession of St. Blaise, we humbly pray for all those who are sick, we particularly pray for those suffering from diseases of the throat and terminal diseases and for protection of all people. We ask this through Christ our Lord…. Amen🙏

SAINT BLAISE, BISHOP AND MARTYR: St. Blaise (d. 316 A.D.) was born into a wealthy Christian family in Armenia. He was trained as a physician before becoming a priest, and was finally ordained a Bishop of Sebaste in Armenia. He is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. Saint Blaise devoted the earlier years of his life to the study of philosophy, and afterwards became a physician. In the practice of his profession he saw so much of the miseries of life and the hollowness of worldly pleasures, that he resolved to spend the rest of his days in the service of God. From being a healer of bodily ailments, he became a physician of souls. When a wave of Christian persecution began, God instructed St. Blaise to hide in a desert cave, then he retired for a time, by divine inspiration, to a cavern where he remained in prayer. While he was in hiding, birds miraculously brought him food and sick men came to him to be healed. He lived in a cave on Mount Argeus and was a healer of men and animals. According to legend, sick animals would come to him on their own for help, but would never disturb him at prayer. Agricola, governor of Cappadocia, came to Sebaste to persecute Christians. His huntsmen went into the forests of Argeus to find wild animals for the arena games, and found many waiting outside St. Blaise’s cave. Discovered in prayer, St. Blaise was arrested, and Agricola tried to get him to recant his faith. While in prison, St. Blaise ministered to and healed fellow prisoners, including saving a child who was choking on a fish bone. Saint Blaise’s protection of those with throat troubles apparently comes from a legend that a boy was brought to him who had a fishbone stuck in his throat. The boy was about to die when Saint Blaise healed him. This led to the blessing of throats which takes place on St. Blaise’s feast day.

St. Blaise was eventually martyred, he thrown into a lake to drown, he stood on the surface and invited his persecutors to walk out and prove the power of their gods; they drowned. When he returned to land, he was martyred by being beaten, his flesh torn with wool combs (which led to his association with and patronage of those involved in the wool trade), and then beheaded in about the year 316. At the execution site he prayed aloud to God for his persecutors, and asked that in the future those who would invoke him might be aided, as he had been permitted to assist them during his lifetime. Our Lord appeared to him and said in a voice which all bystanders heard, that He granted his prayer. Since that time his intercession has often been effectually solicited, especially in cases of all kinds of throat problems. St. Blaise has been extremely popular for centuries in both the Eastern and Western Churches and many cures were attributed to him, notably that of a child who was suffocating through a fish bone being caught in his throat. In 1222 the Council of Oxford prohibited servile labour in England on his feast. He is invoked for all throat afflictions, and on his feast two candles are blessed with a prayer that God will free from all such afflictions and every ill all those who receive this blessing. St. Blaise is a Patron Saint of throat diseases; goiters; coughs; whooping cough; healthy throats; choking, wild animals, builders, infants,,physicians; veterinarians; wool-combers; wool weavers; builders; carvers; construction workers; stonecutters;  animals; Against wild beasts; Dalmatia; Dubrovnik.

It is customary in many places to bless the throats of the faithful with two candles tied together with a red ribbon to form a cross. The rite of the blessing of throats may take place before or after Mass. The priest or deacon in giving the blessing of the throat places the candles around the throat of the faithful as they seek the blessing, using the following prayer: “Through the intercession of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you free from every disease of the throat, and from every other disease. In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. R. Amen.”🙏

PRAYER: Lord, hear Your people through the intercession of St. Blaise, Your Martyr. Help us to enjoy peace in this life and find a lasting refuge in the next. Amen🙏

SAINT ANSGAR, BISHOP: St. Ansgar (801- 865), also known as Anskar, Anschar or Oscar, was Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen in the northern part of the Kingdom of the East Franks. St. Ansgar became known as the “Apostle of the North” because of his travels (Scandinavia, specifically of Denmark and Sweden) and the See of Hamburg received the missionary mandate to bring Christianity to Northern Europe. St. Ansgar was the son of a noble Frankish family, born near Amiens (present day France) on September 8, 801. After his mother’s early death, St. Ansgar was brought up from childhood and educated at the  Benedictine monastery of Old  Corbie in Picardy and later became a monk there and Abbot of New Corbie in Westphalia. According to the Vita Ansgarii (“Life of Ansgar”), when the little boy learned in a vision that his mother was in the company of Blessed Mary, mother of Jesus, his careless attitude toward spiritual matters changed to seriousness. The vision became His main life motivator. In 822, St. Ansgar became one of many missionaries sent to found the abbey of Corvey (New Corbie) in Westphalia, where he became a teacher and preacher. A group of monks including St. Ansgar were sent further north to Jutland with the king Harald Klak, who had become newly converted to Christianity and received baptism during his exile. With Harald’s downfall in 827 and St. Ansgar’s companion Autbert having died, their school for the sons of courtiers closed and St. Ansgar returned to Germany without noticeable success. Then in 829, Sweden asked for Christian missionaries, the Swedish king Björn at Hauge requested missionaries for his Swedes, King Louis sent St. Ansgar, now accompanied by friar Witmar from New Corbie as his assistant. St. Ansgar preached and made converts, particularly during six months at Birka. At Sweden, St. Ansgar built the first Christian Church there.

In 831, St. Ansgar was recalled and he returned to Louis’ court at Worms and appointed to the Archbishopric of Hamburg-Bremen. He received the mission of evangelizing pagan Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The King of Sweden decided to cast lots as to whether to admit the Christian missionaries into his kingdom. St. Ansgar offred the issue to the care of God, and the lot was favorable. St. Ansgar was consecrated as a bishop of Hamburg in November 831, with the approval of Gregory IV. Before traveling north once again, he traveled to Rome to receive the pallium directly from the pope’s hands, and was formally named legate for the Scandinavian missions in northern lands. Funds for the northern apostolate stopped with Emperor Louis’s death in 840, his empire was divided and St. Ansgar lost the abbey of Turholt, which Louis had given to endow St. Ansgar’s work. Then in 845, the Danes  unexpectedly raided Hamburg, destroying all the church’s treasures and books. After thirteen years’ work in Hamburg, St. Ansgar saw it burned to the ground by invading Northmen; Sweden and Denmark returned to paganism. St. Ansgar now had neither see nor revenue, and many helpers deserted him. The new king, Louis’ 3rd son, Louis the German, did not re-endow Turholt to St. Ansgar, but in 847 he named the missionary to the vacant diocese of Bremen, where St. Ansgar moved in 848 and was made Archbishop of Bremen. In 854, he was entrusted with the organization of the hierarchy in the Nordic countries. In 854, he returned to Denmark, converted Erik, King of Jutland, and helped mitigate the horrors of the slave trade. Pope Nicholas I approved the union of the two dioceses of Bremen and Hamburg in 864. St. Ansgar’s biographers remark that he was an extraordinary preacher, a humble and ascetical priest. He was devoted to the poor and the sick, imitating the Lord in washing their feet and waiting on them at table. He died peacefully at Bremen, Germany on February 3, 865 (aged 63), without achieving his wish to be a martyr. Sweden became pagan again after his death and remained so until the coming of missionaries two centuries later. He had enough frustrations to become a saint and he did. Patron Saint of: Denmark; Scandinavia; Sweden.

PRAYER: Saint Ansgar, you persevered in difficult times to bring the faith to a pagan land. You saw success and then failure, glory and then disappointment. Your work did not outlast you, but pleased God nonetheless. May we see our work as our duty, and our vocation as God’s will, even when the fruit of our labor is harvested by someone else, or not at all ~  Amen🙏

PRAYER INTENTIONS: We thank God for blessing us all with the gift of His precious son, may we be saved by the ame of our Savior Jesus Christ! May the Lord grant us His grace as we continue to serve Him in spirit and in truth. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and Saints Blaise and Ansgar on this feast day, we humbly pray for all those who are sick, we particularly pray for those suffering from diseases of the throat. We also pray for sick children, the mentally and physically ill, strokes, heart diseases, and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. May God restore them to good health and grant them His Divine healing and intervention. May our Mother Mary comfort them, may the Angels and Saints watch over them and may the Holy Spirit guide them in peace and comfort during this challenging time. We pray for an end to war, political and religious unrest. We pray for the safety and well-being of us all and our families. 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 torture victims, the poor, the needy and the most vulnerable in our communities and around the world. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the gentle souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen. For all widows and widowers. And we continue to pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Bishops, the Clergy and all those who preach the Gospel. We pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, for the Church, for persecuted christians, for all the innocent who suffer violence due to political or religious unrest, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world. Please let us continue to pray for peace in our families and throughout our divided and conflicted World. Amen🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:

Bible Readings for today, Saturday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ Mark 6:30-34

“They were like sheep without a shepherd”

“The Apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them. When Jesus disembarked and saw the vast crowd, His heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.”

In today’s Gospel reading, after the disciples had engaged in a period of mission, Jesus took them off to some lonely place so that they could rest for a while. Jesus knew the value of rest. Jesus’ plans for Himself and His disciples didn’t work out. He had no sooner arrived in this lonely place that it was full of people who were seeking Him out. Jesus did not get upset or annoyed that His plans had not worked out; He simply adjusted Himself to the new situation. He recognized that the needs of the crowds were greater than His disciples’ need for rest, and, so, He immediately addressed Himself to the spiritual hunger of the crowd, teaching them at great length. According to the Gospel, Jesus had compassion on the crowd because they were like sheep without a shepherd. The good shepherd discovered that He had a bigger flock to care for than the little flock of His twelve disciples. Jesus understood that God was in the disappointment of plans not working out. God was calling to Him through the spiritual hunger of the crowd. When our plans don’t work out, it’s not always the disaster we think it is at the time. God can be calling to us through the unexpected and unwelcome event. The collapse of our plans can create a space for the Lord to serve us in ways we had never anticipated. When plans don’t work out, a compassionate, accepting, response, in the spirit of Jesus, is often what is called for. The Gospel reading suggests that it is good to have plans but not to hold on to them too tightly. The failure of our plans to materialize can create an opening for something worthwhile to happen that we had not planned. The Lord can work powerfully in the openings that the failure of our plans creates. We need the freedom to let go of our plans when a greater good, a greater purpose, beckons to us.

Our first reading today, details the story of the young King Solomon of Israel, who had just taken over the rein of the kingdom from his recently deceased father, King David of Israel. The young Solomon was lacking in experience and his youth is something that had often been taken against rulers of his age, by the people and the important figures of the kingdom. Hence, he came to Gibeon to offer prayers to God, and in that prayer, he sought God’s guidance and help, asking Him for wisdom and knowledge, the understanding and the ability to judge well, between things that are good and evil. God was pleased with Solomon and his prayers, and blessed him more than what he had asked for, because he had not asked for wealth, worldly glory or power, as what many others would have done instead. Through this simple example of the prayer of Solomon, we are all reminded that we should always anchor ourselves firmly and faithfully in God, and not to allow ourselves to be easily swayed and turned by our desires and by all other sorts of wicked things and temptations present all around us. We must remain firm in our commitment and in our desire to walk down this path of righteousness, grace and virtue as the Lord Himself has shown and led us through. Like Solomon and his father David before him, we should also humble ourselves before the Lord and ask Him for help and assistance, guidance and strength that we may be better able to live our lives worthily and with devotion as good and faithful Christians, in all moments and opportunities that have been provided to us.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded to seek the Lord whenever we have any need or problems, and we should always keep our faith in Him regardless of the challenges, trials and difficulties that we may encounter in our lives and respective journeys. We must always be faithful to God and trust in Him in whatever path that He has called us into, and we must not allow the temptations of worldly glory and pleasures to distract and discourage us from this path that we have been called and led into by the Lord. We should also seek the Lord for help, guidance and strength, in all occasions and opportunities. We are called to put our trust and faith in the Lord, and also through the lives and works of the Saints and holy men and women, especially St. Blaise and St. Ansgar, whom we celebrate today. Let us all therefore do our best so that in each and every moments of our lives, we may continue to live ever more worthily in God’s Presence, and to come ever closer to the Lord. Let us all therefore come to the Lord, asking Him to help and guide us, and strengthen and encourage us in our path, so that in everything that we say and do, we will continue to glorify God, and that like St. Blaise and St. Ansgar before us, we may be the shining examples of our faith, commitment and love for God. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace to remain strong in our faith and may the Lord bless us in our every good efforts, endeavours and works, and may He guide us all through our lives, through our darkest moments, that we may always remain strong in Him, always. Amen 🙏

Let us pray:

My generous Lord, You gave of Yourself without reserve. People came to You in their need, and You did not hesitate to serve them out of love. Give me a heart that imitates Your generosity and help me to always say “Yes” to the charitable work to which I am called. May I learn to find great joy in serving others, especially in those unplanned and unexpected circumstances of life. Jesus, I trust in You ~Amen🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Blaise and Saint Ansgar ~ 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 we begin this Ordinary Time. Wishing all of us a most blessed, safe, healthy, prosperous, fruitful and grace-filled New Year and a relaxing weekend ~ Amen🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖

LIVE from the Chair of St. Peter Altar at St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, for the Holy Mass in memory of Pope Benedict XVI, marking two years since his passing. The Mass is presided over by Cardinal Kurt Koch, followed by a procession to his tomb. The late pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI died on December 31, 2022 at the age of 95. May his gentle soul continue to rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen 🙏🏽