Author: Resa

THIRTY-SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ NOVEMBER 16, 2024

NOVENA TO CHRIST THE KING [Traditionally Nine Days Prior to the Solemnity of Christ the King. Novena prayed daily from November 15–23, 2024. Please see Novena link below]

THE SAINTS: WHO ARE THEY AND HOW ARE THEY CANONISED? [Please see link to the article below]

PURGATORY: WHAT IS PURGATORY? [Please see link to this article below]

KIND REMINDER: Please remember to continue to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory throughout the month of November

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

On this special Feast day, as we continue to remember the faithful departed, please let us remember to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory this month of November. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints, we humbly pray for the souls of our faithful departed loved ones, for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the souls of all the faithful departed. May God grant our departed loved ones eternal rest, may they reach their full stature. We pray for all those who mourn, for widows and widowers. May our Blessed Mother Mary Intercede for all those in pain and sorrow. We particularly pray for those mourning the loss of a loved one who recently passed away and the souls in Purgatory. 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 labors 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🙏

We continue to pray for the safety and well-being of our children and for peace in our family and the whole world. 🙏

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 🙏

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN on YouTube” | November 16, 2024 |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | November 16, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary for Peace with Pope Francis” | LIVE Basilica of St. Mary Major | October 6, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | November 16, 2024 |

Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| November 16, 2024 |

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

Memorare Chaplet | Prayer in Difficult Times (Powerful Prayer) |

Today’s Bible Readings: Saturday, November 16, 2024
Reading 1, Third John 1:5-8
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 112:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
Gospel, Luke 18:1-8

NOVENA TO CHRIST THE KING [Traditionally Nine Days Prior to the Solemnity of Christ the King. Novena prayed daily from November 15–23, 2024 |https://www.usccb.org/Christ-the-King-2024-novena

THE SAINTS: WHO ARE THEY AND HOW ARE THEY CANONISED? | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2024/11/01/the-saints-who-are-they-and-how-are-they-canonised/

PURGATORY: WHAT IS PURGATORY? | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2024/11/15/purgatory-and-limbo/

PURGATORY: The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines purgatory as a “purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven,” which is experienced by those “who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified” (CCC 1030). It notes that “this final purification of the elect . . . is entirely different from the punishment of the damned” (CCC 1031). The purification is necessary because, as Scripture teaches, nothing unclean will enter the presence of God in heaven (Rev. 21:27) and, while we may die with our mortal sins forgiven, there can still be many impurities in us, specifically venial sins and the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven.

What Happens in Purgatory?: When we die, we undergo what is called the particular, or individual, judgment. Scripture says that “it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Heb. 9:27). We are judged instantly and receive our reward, for good or ill. We know at once what our final destiny will be. At the end of time, when Jesus returns, there will come the general judgment to which the Bible refers, for example, in Matthew 25:31-32: “When the Son of man comes in His glory, and all the angels with him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. In this general judgment all our sins will be publicly revealed (Luke 12:2–5).

November is a month when we remember our dead in a special way. It is a month when we are prone to reflecting on death, not in a morbid way but in the hopeful way that is rooted in our faith. Please let us remember to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory this month of November and always.

*SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT MARGARET OF SCOTLAND, AND SAINT GERTRUDE THE  GREAT, VIRGIN – FEAST DAY ~ NOVEMBER 16TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Margaret of Scotland and Saint Gertrude the Great, Virgin. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for all nuns and religious. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the souls of the faithful departed and we pray for all widows and widowers. We pray for all parents and children, for peace, love, justice and unity in our marriages, our families and our world. We pray for the sick and dying, especially those who are mentally and physically ill, stroke, heart diseases and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases.

SAINT MARGARET OF SCOTLAND: St. Margaret (1045-1093) was born into royalty in Hungary around 1045. Her father was Edward Atheling, heir to the English throne, an exiled Scottish nobleman (King Edward the Exile) and her mother was Princess Agatha of Hungary. She was a grand-niece of Edward the Confessor. Her family returned to England when she was 10 years old, but the Norman Conquest forced them into exile. By this time, her father had died, and her mother fled with the children. They boarded a ship which crashed onto the coast of Scotland, where they remained. In 1070, at the age of 25, Margaret married the king of Scotland, Malcolm Canmore and she became the Queen of Malcolm III. As queen, Margaret’s faith had a strong influence on her husband’s reign. She softened his temper and led him to practice virtue. She dignified the court, providing an example of purity and reverence that led others to follow in her path. She and the king prayed together and fed the hungry, offering a powerful witness of faith to the people they served. She was devoted to the spiritual perfection of her eight children, practiced austere self-denial, and possessed unflagging love for the poor.

St. Margaret’s most remarkable virtue was love of neighbor, particularly love toward the poor. Her alms supported countless unfortunates; daily she provided food for three hundred and shared in the work of serving them personally, washing their feet and kissing their wounds. In addition to being a model wife and mother, St. Margaret worked tirelessly to bring justice and relief to the poor of Scotland. She also built churches and encouraged practices of religious devotion. In her private life, she exhibited great prayerfulness and piety. Her influence was seen not only in her husband’s life, but throughout all of Scotland. As Queen, Margaret used her influence in the interests of the Faith; she convoked a synod that drew up regulation for the Lenten fast, Easter Communion, and marriage laws. She founded several churches, and was constantly engaged in prayer and devout practices. St. Margaret died in 1093, just four days after her husband and one of her sons were killed in battle. After her death she was continually venerated by the Scottish people. She was canonized in 1250 by Pope Innocent IV and proclaimed Patroness of Scotland in 1673 by Pope Clement X. St. Margaret is the Patron Saint of widows; death of children; large families; learning; queens; Scotland

PRAYER: God, You endowed St. Margaret with a wonderful love for the poor. Through her intercession and example, make us so generous that all people may see in us the image of Your goodness. Amen 🙏

SAINT GERTRUDE THE  GREAT, VIRGIN: St. Gertrude the Great (1256-1302), also known as Gertrude of Helfta, a Cistercian nun, is one of the most lovable German saints from medieval times, and through her writings she will remain for all ages a guide to the interior life. St. Gertrude the Great was born in 1256 at Eisleben on the feast of Epiphany in Thuringia (modern Germany) and at the age of five taken to the convent at Rossdorf, the Benedictine Monasteries where Gertrude of Hackeborn was abbess. Similarity in name has often occasioned confusion between the two Gertrudes. Our St. Gertrude never functioned as superior. She proved to be an extremely bright and determined student who became engrossed in her secular studies, but was negligent of her prayer life. She remained in the monastery and made her profession as a nun later in the same abbey. There she delighted in the study of the Latin language and literature as well as music and painting. In spite of much ill-health, St. Gertrude used her exceptional natural talents well, knew Latin fluently. St. Gertrude had enjoyed a good education.

In 1281, at the age of 25 St. Gertrude entered a time of spiritual crisis, after which she began to receive visions of Christ who disclose to her the secrets of mystical union and chastised her for not leaving room for God in her academic pursuits. This caused Gertrude to abandon her secular studies in total devotion to Sacred Scripture and the works of the Church Fathers. She began a life filled with humility, patience in suffering, and care for others. She dedicated herself to the meditation of Scripture and liturgical texts and frequented the reading of the Fathers. Obeying a divine wish, she put into writing the favors of grace bestowed upon her. She wrote and composed in Latin, and was versed in sacred literature. Her most important work, Legatus Divinae Pietatis, “The Herald of Divine Love,” is distinguished for theological profundity, sublime poetry, and unusual clarity. How it stimulates love of God can be felt only by reading it; Abbot Blosius is said to have read it twelve times each year. These theological studies, along with continued visions and messages from Jesus, became the basis of her work as one of the great writers and mystics of the 13th century. St. Gertrude had a lasting impact on the Church in an age where academic and religious literature was dominated by men, and she is the only female saint to earn the title “The Great.” The saintly woman was characterized by great devotion to the Sacred Humanity of our Lord in His Passion and in the Blessed Eucharist, and by a tender love for the Blessed Virgin. She was one of the early saints who, along with her companion in the monastery, St. Mechtilde of Hackeborn, spread devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. St. Teresa of Avila chose St. Gertrude the Great, the patron saint of nuns, as her model and guide. St. Gertrude the Great died in 1302, more consumed by the fire of God’s love than by fever. Her feast day is November 16th. Her feast was inserted in the Universal Calendar in 1677 by Pope Innocent XI. She’s the Patron Saint of Nuns; travellers; West Indies.

PRAYER: God, You prepared a pleasing abode for Yourself in the heart of St. Gertrude the Virgin. Through her intercession, mercifully lighten the darkness of our hearts so that we may rejoice in the knowledge that You are present and working within us. Amen 🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:

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

Gospel Reading ~ Luke 18:1-8

“Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night?”

“Jesus told His disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, “There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’ For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.’” The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus’ parable of the widow and the judge was about the need to pray continually and never lose heart. It portrays a widow who refuses to lose heart even when repeatedly faced with an unjust judge who refused to defend her rights, as he was obliged to do. There was every reason for her to lose heart. The judge was a powerful man and she was a powerless woman. Yet, she persevered with her plea for justice and eventually wore down the unjust judge. Jesus sees in the dogged perseverance of this widow the kind of faith that His followers need to have. That is why in His comment on the parable, Jesus asks the question, ‘When the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?’ Will he find the kind of persevering faith that the widow displayed or will he find that people of faith have lost heart in the face of evil and injustice? The introduction to the parable suggests that it is continuous prayer that gives rise to persevering faith, a faith that never loses heart, ‘Jesus told His disciples a parable about the need to pray continually and never lose heart’. We give expression to our faith in calm, trusting, constant prayer, but such prayer also keeps our faith strong, especially in the face of hostility, injustice and evil. In prayer we open ourselves to receive the strength that the Lord gives which allows us to face what we could not otherwise face if left to our own resources. As Saint Paul says in his letter to the Philippians, ‘I can do all things in him who strengthens me’. According to St. Luke Jesus spoke this parable about the need to pray continually and never lose heart. The primary way we keep faithful when times are difficult is through prayer.

In our Godspel reading, this vulnerable widow without status in the culture looks for justice from a powerful figure whose responsibility it is to see that justice is done, and, yet, for long periods her legitimate pleas for justice go unheard. She finds herself up against a powerful institution and, even though she has right on her side, she is ignored. Such a scenario can be found in every age. Yet, this story ends up having an unexpected ending. The powerless woman turns out to be powerful after all; the powerful judge becomes powerless before the woman’s persistent plea. In his comment on the parable, Jesus emphasizes that God is not like the judge in the story. The judge neither feared God nor respected people. God, in contrast, is a God of justice who, at the end of the day, will ensure that those who are deprived of justice will receive it. If the widow never lost heart even though she was up against an unjust judge, then surely we need not lose heart before the God whom Jesus reveals. Surely we can be faithful and persevering in our pleas, our prayers, to the Father of Jesus who is also our Father. Yet, the question Jesus asks at the end of the Gospel reading raises the possibility that we may not be as faithful and persevering as the widow was, ‘When the Son of Man comes, will He find any faith on earth?’ Jesus implies that faith, if it is to endure, must find expression in continual and persevering prayer.

In our first reading today from the Epistle of St. John, the Apostle reminded the faithful people of God of the importance of them caring and showing love for one another especially for those who have dedicated themselves to the Lord and became His ministers and missionaries. As the Lord Himself has instructed His disciples, that all of them should go forth to the nations and proclaim His words and teachings, sending them out to give the words of His encouragement and truth to all the people. And they were all told not to depend too much on their own means and possessions, on all their own provisions and power, but rather to trust in the Lord and to receive whatever the people they visited and ministered among were willing to share and give to them. That was why St. John reminded all of the people of God to be truly generous in their giving and love, for their fellow brethren and especially more so for all those who have dedicated themselves to the Lord. Each and every one of them and also all of us as Christians must always be filled with generous and wonderful love of God in our every words, actions and dealings with one another. We must not ignore this calling to love and to share our blessings with our fellow brethren. Let us all not forget that the Lord Himself has been generous and compassionate towards us when we had nothing with us and when we are still sinful and corrupted by our many sins and wickedness, and calling us and offering us freely His saving help and rich grace and mercy, He has indeed shown us all what love truly is.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all called to be truly faithful disciples and followers of our Lord, dedicating and committing our time and efforts to serve the Lord and to be ever more faithful to Him at all times. All of us are reminded that we must always be loving and caring towards our fellow brothers and sisters, being generous in loving and showing compassion upon everyone around us, following the examples of the Lord Himself Who has loved us most generously all these while. We must always have faith and trust in God, knowing that through Him and His constant care and love for us, all of us shall indeed never be disappointed as He will always continue to provide for us and protect us from any harm. We are all called to follow the examples of the Holy Saints and Holy men and women, especially the examples set by St. Margaret of Scotland and St. Gertrude the Great, who we celebrate today. Let us all therefore do our best to live a truly holy and worthy life in the path that the Lord has shown us in our lives. Let us all be renewed in faith and conviction, in our zeal and desire to be truly full of God’s love and grace, to be wholly dedicated in all things and at all circumstances, to be committed to God and to be generous in our love towards each other, especially to those who need them. Let us all hence examine well our actions and way of living our lives, that each and every one of us may be truly devoted and genuine in following God, and in allowing God to lead us all through His Divine Wisdom and strength. Let us all be filled with His Holy Spirit and be empowered to live our lives each day with great joy and love for God, as well as with the commitment and desire to love Him, and our fellow brethren more and more, now and always. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace to trust and remain faithful in the Lord, that way, the Lord will work powerfully through us, including through our failures. May God be with us always and may He continue to empower us all to live always in His Holy Presence and may He bless us all and our every good works and endeavours, now and always. Amen.🙏

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER:

MONTH OF THE HOLY SOULS: The Catholic Church dedicates the entire month of November to praying in a special way for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. The Holy Souls (also called the Faithful Departed) are members of the Church who await the purification of their souls before joining the Saints in heaven for all eternity. Specifically, they are referred to as the Church Suffering (the Saints in heaven are the Church Triumphant, and the faithful on earth are the Church Militant).The poor souls in purgatory cannot pray for themselves or do anything to hasten their entrance into heaven, but we can and ought to pray for them as an act of charity. The feast of the Holy Souls is November 2nd. 

The entire month of November falls during the liturgical season known as Tempus per Annum or Ordinary Time (formerly Time After Pentecost), which is represented by the liturgical color green. Green is a symbol of hope, as it is the color of the sprouting seed and arouses in the faithful the hope of reaping the eternal harvest of heaven, especially the hope of a glorious resurrection. The liturgical color green is worn during the praying of Offices and celebration of Masses of Ordinary Time. The last portion of the liturgical year represents the time of our pilgrimage to heaven during which we hope for reward. As we come to the end of the Church year we are asked to consider the end times, our own as well as the world’s.

The month of November is very full of Memorials, feasts and solemnities. The main feast days are the Solemnity of All Saints (November 1), The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls) (November 2), the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome (November 9), The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (November 24), and St. Andrew (November 30).
The other saint days are: St. Charles Borromeo, (November 4), Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome (November 9), St. Martin of Tours, (November 11), St. Josaphat (November 12), St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (November 13) St. Albert the Great (November 15), Sts. Margaret of Scotland and Gertrude (November 16), Presentation of Mary (November 21), St. Cecilia (November 22), Sts. Clement I and St. Columban (November 23), and
St. Catherine of Alexandria (November 25). The commemorations of St. Martin de Porres (November 3), St. Leo the Great (November 10), St. Elizabeth of Hungary (November 17), and St. Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions (November 24) fall on Sundays and are superseded by the Sunday Liturgy.

https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/overviews/months/10_1.cfm

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – FOR ANYONE WHO HAS LOST A CHILD: We pray that all parents who mourn the loss of a son or daughter find support in their community and receive peace and consolation from the Holy Spirit.

https://www.usccb.org/prayers/popes-monthly-intentions-2024

PRAYER FOR PEACE ~ POPE FRANCIS:

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!

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

During this Ordinary Time, please let us all continue to pray for peace all over the world, particularly in Africa, Nigeria, 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 INTENTIONS: During this season of the Ordinary Time, through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for our children and children all over the world, we pray for their health, safety and well-being, we particularly pray for those who have no one to care for them and those who are terminally ill, we pray for God’s Divine healing upon them. We pray for all mothers, wives, those going through challenges in their marriages, Victims of verbal and spousal abuse, and we pray for peace, love and unity in our families and our world. Every life is a gift. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. 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 Vocation to the Priesthood and Religious life. We particularly pray for all Youths and all Seminarians. 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 all-wise Lord, Your will is perfect in all things, and You always bestow Your grace upon me when I pray without ceasing. Please give me a trusting Heart, dear Lord, so that I will never waver in my hope that You will always answer my prayers in accord with Your will. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Most Precious Blood of Jesus, have mercy on us. Our Blessed Mother Mary; Saint Margaret of Scotland and Saint Gertrude the Great, Virgin ~ Pray for us 🙏

Thanking God for the gift of this day 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. Have a blessed, safe, grace-filled and relaxing weekend 🙏

Blessings and  always, Philomena💖

Daily Reflections | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/

Foundation | https://gliopiepehe.org

Sir G.L.I Opiepe’s Health and Education Foundation |

THIRTY-SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ NOVEMBER 15, 2024

NOVENA TO CHRIST THE KING [Traditionally Nine Days Prior to the Solemnity of Christ the King. Novena prayed daily from November 15–23, 2024. Please see Novena link below]

THE SAINTS: WHO ARE THEY AND HOW ARE THEY CANONISED? [Please see link to the article below]

PURGATORY: WHAT IS PURGATORY? [Please see link to this article below]

KIND REMINDER: Please remember to continue to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory throughout the month of November

Greetings and blessings, beloved family. Happy Friday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time!

On this special Feast day, as we continue to remember the faithful departed, please let us remember to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory this month of November. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints, we humbly pray for the souls of our faithful departed loved ones, for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the souls of all the faithful departed. May God grant our departed loved ones eternal rest, may they reach their full stature. We pray for all those who mourn, for widows and widowers. May our Blessed Mother Mary Intercede for all those in pain and sorrow. We particularly pray for those mourning the loss of a loved one who recently passed away and the souls in Purgatory. 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 labors 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🙏

We continue to pray for the safety and well-being of our children and for peace in our family and the whole world. 🙏

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 🙏

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN on YouTube” | November 15, 2024 |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | November 15, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary for Peace with Pope Francis” | LIVE Basilica of St. Mary Major | October 6, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | November 15, 2024 |

Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| November 15, 2024 |

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

Memorare Chaplet | Prayer in Difficult Times (Powerful Prayer) |

Today’s Bible Readings: Friday, November 15, 2024
Reading 1, Second John 1:4-9
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 119:1, 2, 10, 11, 17, 18
Gospel, Luke 17:26-37

NOVENA TO CHRIST THE KING [Traditionally Nine Days Prior to the Solemnity of Christ the King. Novena prayed daily from November 15–23, 2024 | https://www.usccb.org/Christ-the-King-2024-novena

THE SAINTS: WHO ARE THEY AND HOW ARE THEY CANONISED? | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2024/11/01/the-saints-who-are-they-and-how-are-they-canonised/

PURGATORY: WHAT IS PURGATORY? | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2024/11/15/purgatory-and-limbo/

PURGATORY: The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines purgatory as a “purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven,” which is experienced by those “who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified” (CCC 1030). It notes that “this final purification of the elect . . . is entirely different from the punishment of the damned” (CCC 1031). The purification is necessary because, as Scripture teaches, nothing unclean will enter the presence of God in heaven (Rev. 21:27) and, while we may die with our mortal sins forgiven, there can still be many impurities in us, specifically venial sins and the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven.

What Happens in Purgatory?: When we die, we undergo what is called the particular, or individual, judgment. Scripture says that “it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Heb. 9:27). We are judged instantly and receive our reward, for good or ill. We know at once what our final destiny will be. At the end of time, when Jesus returns, there will come the general judgment to which the Bible refers, for example, in Matthew 25:31-32: “When the Son of man comes in His glory, and all the angels with him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. In this general judgment all our sins will be publicly revealed (Luke 12:2–5).

November is a month when we remember our dead in a special way. It is a month when we are prone to reflecting on death, not in a morbid way but in the hopeful way that is rooted in our faith. Please let us remember to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory this month of November and always.

SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT ALBERT THE GREAT, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH AND SAINT LEOPOLD OF AUSTRIA – FEAST DAY ~ NOVEMBER 15TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Albert the Great, Bishop and Doctor of the church and Saint Leopold of Austria. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for all Scientists, Philosophers and students. We pray for all parents, for peace, love, justice and unity in our marriages, our families and our world. We pray for the sick and dying, especially those who are mentally and physically ill, stroke, heart diseases and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases.

SAINT ALBERT THE GREAT, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH: St. Albert the great (1193 – 1280), the “light of Germany,” called the Great because of his encyclopedic knowledge, was born in 1193 at Lauingen, Donau. St. Albert the Great spent his youth under the spiritual tutelage of Blessed Jordan of Saxony, who inspired him to join the Order of Preachers. He studied at Padua, where under the influence of the second Dominican general, he joined the newly-founded Order of Preachers (1223). Soon he was sent to Germany, taught in various cities, particularly Cologne. He studied and taught Philosophy at Cologne and Paris, where he became one of the most noted philosophers of his day. St. Thomas Aquinas was his student. In 1248 he received the honor of Master in Sacred Theology at Paris. Throngs attended his lectures. In 1254 Albert was chosen provincial of his Order in Germany. For a time he lived at the court of Pope Alexander II, who in 1260 made him bishop of Regensburg; two years later, however, he returned to his community at Cologne. There he acted as counselor, peacemaker, and shepherd of souls with great success. He retired to dedicate his talents to writing and teaching. St. Albert the Great died in Poland in 1280 at the age of eighty-seven. Pope Pius XI numbered him among the ranks of the saints on December 16, 1931, and declared him a doctor of the Church. Much of his life was given to writing. His twenty-one folio volumes are devoted to commentaries on Aristotle (whose works were just then becoming known in the West) and the Bible. Legend credits him with drawing the ground plans for the cathedral at Cologne. St. Albert the Great, the greatest German scholar of the Middle Ages, was outstanding in the fields of natural science, theology, and philosophy.

St. Albert the Great was a man of immense knowledge and erudition. His works are voluminous in bulk and encyclopedic in scope: they include—besides biblical and theological works and sermons—treatises on Logic, Metaphysics, Ethics, and the Physics Sciences. His interests extended to Physics, Astronomy, Chemistry, and Biology, to human and animal Physiology, to Geography, Geology and Botany. St. Albert is named “Doctor Universalis” or “Universal Teacher” because of his vast knowledge and writings. This “Universal Teacher” stands out for his recognition of the autonomy of human reasons in its own sphere and the validity of knowledge gained from sense-experience. Yet he never ceased to regard the Scriptures as the fount of human spirituality or true wisdom. He was beatified in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV and was equivalently canonized by being declared a Doctor of the Church in 1931 by Pope Pius XI. St. Albert is the Patron Saint of Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Ohio; medical technicians; natural sciences; philosophers; schoolchildren; scientists; students; students of theology.

PRAYER: God, You made St. Albert great by enabling him to combine human wisdom and Divine Faith. Help us to adhere to his teaching that we may progress in the science and at the same time come to a deeper understanding and love of You. Amen 🙏
 
SAINT LEOPOLD OF AUSTRIA: St. Leopold of Austria (1073 – 15 November 1136), known as Leopold the Good, was the Margrave of Austria from 1095 to his death in 1136. He was born at Melk, Austria in 1073, and was educated by Bishop Altman of Passau and succeeded his father as margrave of Austria when he was twenty-three. He married the daughter of Emperor Henry IV, by whom he had eighteen children, in 1106, founded the monasteries of Heiligenkreuz in the Wienerwald, Klosterneuburg, near Vienriazell in Styria, and was known for his piety and charity. He refused the imperial crown when his brother-in-law Henry V died in 1125. Leopold died after reigning as margrave for forty years at Klosterneuburg on November 15, 1136. He was surnamed “the Good” by his people and was canonized in 1486. St. Leopold is the patron saint of Austria. This day is called Goose Day in Austria, another harvest festival that includes traditional menus of roast goose and the drinking of the new wine. Patron Saint of Austria (so named in 1663); death of children; large families; Lower Austria; step-parents; Upper Austria.

St. Leopold of Austria ~ Pray for us 🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:

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

Gospel Reading ~ Luke 17:26-37

“So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed”

“Jesus said to His disciples: “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man; they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building; on the day when Lot left Sodom, fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all. So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, someone who is on the housetop and whose belongings are in the house must not go down to get them, and likewise one in the field must not return to what was left behind. Remember the wife of Lot. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it. I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. And there will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken, the other left.” They said to him in reply, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the body is, there also the vultures will gather.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus warns against being so absorbed in the ordinary things of life that we neglect what is of ultimate importance. He refers to the ordinary business of human living, namely, eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building, marrying and raising a family. We are all engaged in some or all of these activities. Along with other activities, they are all very important and essential to human living. Life could not go on without them. They are so important that we may see them as of ultimate importance; this is all there is. Yet, Jesus is saying that there is something even more important, above and beyond all of that necessary activity there is a deeper reality, what the Gospel reading refers to as the day for the Son of Man to be revealed. The Son of Man is revealed at the end of time and at the end of our own personal lives. The Son of Man is also revealed in the here and now; the Lord calls out to us in and through the ordinary activities in which we are always engaged. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. All of life is an invitation to contemplate the Lord who is at the heart of life. He calls out to us, as we go about our daily lives, to seek Him with all our being just as He seeks us with all His being.

Jesus is inviting us to look beyond all the many worthwhile activities we are engaged in and to notice His presence at the heart of it all. That is our openness to receive the coming of the Son of Man, our welcoming of His presence to us. We are to pay attention to the Lord present in the midst of life. We could refer to this as a contemplative attitude towards living. We remain engaged in all the activities that make up our usual day but we recognize that there is more at the core of it all, and that more is the Lord seeking us out, calling out to us. What is His call to us at the heart of all that we do? We find the answer to that question in today’s first reading, where Saint John refers to the fundamental commandment, ‘let us love one another’. Both the Gospel and First reading today suggest that it is not so much the activities themselves that are of ultimate importance but the fundamental attitude of heart that lies behind them. Saint John in the first reading names this attitude of heart as love. ‘To live a life of love’, he says, is to live according to God’s commandments, and this is what ultimately matters. To say that the Lord is at the heart of all our living is to say that Love is at the heart of all our living, the Lord’s loving presence to us and His call to us to reflect His love for us in the way we relate to one another, to love one another as He loves us. Whenever, in the midst of all our activities, we are seeking to open ourselves more fully to the Lord ‘s loving presence to us and to pass on that love to those we meet, then we are contemplatives in action. All our activities will be shaped by the Lord’s presence. In the Gospel reading, Jesus declares that anyone who loses His life will keep it. By ‘losing one’s life’ Jesus means giving one’s life in love to others, and to God present to us in others. This is what gives meaning to all our activities, and it is this quality of heart which will endure when all else passes away. As Saint Paul says, ‘Love never ends’. Love never ends because it is of God, it is a reflection of God’s life, and God never ends.

Our first reading today from the Epistle of St. John is the reminder from the Apostle to the faithful and hence to all of us, of the need for us to show love in all of our every actions and deeds, in our every interactions and works with one another because ultimately, our God is Love, and if He is Love Himself, the manifestation of perfect and most selfless love, then all of us must also be manifestation of God’s love, embodied in our every actions and deeds, in all the words we speak and in every moments of our lives. God Himself has shown His love to us through His beloved Son, Whom He had sent into the world, into our midst so that He may show us all the manifested and most perfect love of God in the flesh, becoming tangible and approachable for all of us. As Christians, it is imperative that we keep reminding ourselves that we have been called to love most generously and sincerely to our fellow brothers and sisters around us. We should not ignore those who need our love and kindness, our help and compassion. There are many out there who have not been loved, ignored and ostracised by those who are around them, and if we are in the position to show love to these brethren of ours, then we should really make good use of the opportunities that God has given us so that we may truly love our brothers and sisters in the same way that the Lord Himself has first loved us all, in all the kindness and patient love and care that He has shown us all these while. We should therefore show the same love in each and every moments of our lives too.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded of the need for each and every one of us to heed the call of the Lord for us to obey His Law and commandments, to follow His ways and to love in the way that He has shown and taught us because in the end, we will be held accountable for all of our actions and deeds, our show of love to our brothers and sisters around us or any lack of love instead. If we have not loved our fellow brothers and sisters as we should have done, then we shall also be held accountable for our lack of action and love for our brethren. We have to keep all this in mind as we all continue living our lives as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people, at all times. All of us are reminded to be righteous, good and worthy in all of our works and deeds. Each and every one of us are called to put our faith and trust in the Wisdom that God has given to us, and place ourselves firmly in the path which the Lord has shown us. All of us as God’s followers and disciples, we are all expected to follow God’s ways, obey His Law and commandments at all times, regardless of our background, nature, occupation or whatever it is that we are doing. And today we are also reminded that especially for those in the positions of power and responsibility, it is even more important that we live our lives in accordance with God and His ways, or else we may end up misleading many others down the wrong path, and the consequences for us will indeed be severe. As we reflect on the lives of the Saints and Holy men and women, especially the life and works of St. Albert the Great, and and Saint Leopold of Austria, who we celebrate today, we are all reminded to commit ourselves to a life of faith and dedication to God. We should always walk ever more faithfully in the Lord’s path, and do our best so that in each and every moments of our lives, we will continue to glorify the Lord by our every actions and deeds, our every efforts and works, like St. Albert the Great and so many of our other holy predecessors had done. Let us all therefore strive to be good, worthy and responsible in how we live our lives as Christians in this world. Let us all be filled with the desire to love God and to proclaim His truth and love, with humility and faith, much as St. Albert the Great and the many other Saints, Holy men and women of God had done. May all of us be able to follow them in their footsteps as well, and strive to live our lives worthily as Christians, now and always. Let us all be good examples and role models for one another, in how we live our lives so that we may inspire more and more people to live their lives worthily and to walk ever always in God’s path. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace to seek the Lord in spite of the many obstacles in our lives, the Lord can find a way through to us if we follow through on our own desire for Him. May God bless us always, now and forevermore, and may He bless our every good works, efforts and endeavours, for His greater glory. Amen.🙏

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER:

MONTH OF THE HOLY SOULS: The Catholic Church dedicates the entire month of November to praying in a special way for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. The Holy Souls (also called the Faithful Departed) are members of the Church who await the purification of their souls before joining the Saints in heaven for all eternity. Specifically, they are referred to as the Church Suffering (the Saints in heaven are the Church Triumphant, and the faithful on earth are the Church Militant).The poor souls in purgatory cannot pray for themselves or do anything to hasten their entrance into heaven, but we can and ought to pray for them as an act of charity. The feast of the Holy Souls is November 2nd. 

The entire month of November falls during the liturgical season known as Tempus per Annum or Ordinary Time (formerly Time After Pentecost), which is represented by the liturgical color green. Green is a symbol of hope, as it is the color of the sprouting seed and arouses in the faithful the hope of reaping the eternal harvest of heaven, especially the hope of a glorious resurrection. The liturgical color green is worn during the praying of Offices and celebration of Masses of Ordinary Time. The last portion of the liturgical year represents the time of our pilgrimage to heaven during which we hope for reward. As we come to the end of the Church year we are asked to consider the end times, our own as well as the world’s.

The month of November is very full of Memorials, feasts and solemnities. The main feast days are the Solemnity of All Saints (November 1), The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls) (November 2), the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome (November 9), The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (November 24), and St. Andrew (November 30).
The other saint days are: St. Charles Borromeo, (November 4), Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome (November 9), St. Martin of Tours, (November 11), St. Josaphat (November 12), St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (November 13) St. Albert the Great (November 15), Sts. Margaret of Scotland and Gertrude (November 16), Presentation of Mary (November 21), St. Cecilia (November 22), Sts. Clement I and St. Columban (November 23), and
St. Catherine of Alexandria (November 25). The commemorations of St. Martin de Porres (November 3), St. Leo the Great (November 10), St. Elizabeth of Hungary (November 17), and St. Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions (November 24) fall on Sundays and are superseded by the Sunday Liturgy.

https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/overviews/months/10_1.cfm

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – FOR ANYONE WHO HAS LOST A CHILD: We pray that all parents who mourn the loss of a son or daughter find support in their community and receive peace and consolation from the Holy Spirit.

https://www.usccb.org/prayers/popes-monthly-intentions-2024

PRAYER FOR PEACE ~ POPE FRANCIS:

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!

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

During this Ordinary Time, please let us all continue to pray for peace all over the world, particularly in Africa, Nigeria, 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 INTENTIONS: During this season of the Ordinary Time, through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for our children and children all over the world, we pray for their health, safety and well-being, we particularly pray for those who have no one to care for them and those who are terminally ill, we pray for God’s Divine healing upon them. We pray for all mothers, wives, those going through challenges in their marriages, Victims of verbal and spousal abuse, and we pray for peace, love and unity in our families and our world. Every life is a gift. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. 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 Vocation to the Priesthood and Religious life. We particularly pray for all Youths and all Seminarians. 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 ever-present Lord, You come to me always, suddenly and unexpectedly, and so often I do not hear You or perceive Your presence. Please help me to live continually for You and by Your grace, choosing Heavenly realities over temporary indulgences. May I live this way always, meeting You every moment of my life and anticipating that glorious final meeting with You at the time of judgment. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Most Precious Blood of Jesus, have mercy on us. Our Blessed Mother Mary; Saint Albert the Great and Saint Leopold of Austria ~ Pray for us 🙏

Thanking God for the gift of this day 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. Have a blessed, safe, grace-filled and relaxing weekend 🙏

Blessings and  always, Philomena💖

Daily Reflections | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/

Foundation | https://gliopiepehe.org

Sir G.L.I Opiepe’s Health and Education Foundation |

THIRTY-SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ NOVEMBER 13, 2024

THE SAINTS: WHO ARE THEY AND HOW ARE THEY CANONISED? [Please see link to the article below]

KIND REMINDER: Please remember to continue to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory throughout the month of November

Greetings and blessings, beloved family. Happy Wednesday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time!

On this special Feast day, as we continue to remember the faithful departed, please let us remember to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory this month of November. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints, we humbly pray for the souls of our faithful departed loved ones, for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the souls of all the faithful departed. May God grant our departed loved ones eternal rest, may they reach their full stature. We pray for all those who mourn, for widows and widowers. May our Blessed Mother Mary Intercede for all those in pain and sorrow. We particularly pray for those mourning the loss of a loved one who recently passed away and the souls in Purgatory. 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 labors 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🙏

We continue to pray for the safety and well-being of our children and for peace in our family and the whole world. 🙏

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 🙏

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN on YouTube” | November 13, 2024 |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | November 13, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary for Peace with Pope Francis” | LIVE Basilica of St. Mary Major | October 6, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | November 13, 2024 |

Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| November 13, 2024 |

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

Memorare Chaplet | Prayer in Difficult Times (Powerful Prayer) |

Today’s Bible Readings: Wednesday November 13, 2024
Reading 1, Titus 3:1-7
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6
Gospel, Luke 17:11-19

THE SAINTS: WHO ARE THEY AND HOW ARE THEY CANONISED? | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2024/11/01/the-saints-who-are-they-and-how-are-they-canonised/

PURGATORY: The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines purgatory as a “purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven,” which is experienced by those “who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified” (CCC 1030). It notes that “this final purification of the elect . . . is entirely different from the punishment of the damned” (CCC 1031). The purification is necessary because, as Scripture teaches, nothing unclean will enter the presence of God in heaven (Rev. 21:27) and, while we may die with our mortal sins forgiven, there can still be many impurities in us, specifically venial sins and the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven.

What Happens in Purgatory?: When we die, we undergo what is called the particular, or individual, judgment. Scripture says that “it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Heb. 9:27). We are judged instantly and receive our reward, for good or ill. We know at once what our final destiny will be. At the end of time, when Jesus returns, there will come the general judgment to which the Bible refers, for example, in Matthew 25:31-32: “When the Son of man comes in His glory, and all the angels with him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. In this general judgment all our sins will be publicly revealed (Luke 12:2–5).

November is a month when we remember our dead in a special way. It is a month when we are prone to reflecting on death, not in a morbid way but in the hopeful way that is rooted in our faith. Please let us remember to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory this month of November and always.

SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT FRANCES XAVIER CABRINI, VIRGIN; SAINT DIDACUS OF ALCALÁ, RELIGIOUS; SAINT STANISLAUS KOSTKA, RELIGIOUS AND SAINT AGOSTINA LIVIA PIETRANTONI, MARTYR – FEAST DAY ~ NOVEMBER 13TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin; Saint Didacus of Alcalá; Saint Stanislaus Kostka and Saint Agostina Livia Pietrantoni. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for abuse victims, immigrants, orphans, children, students and Healthcare workers. We pray for the sick and dying, especially those who are mental and physically ill, stroke, heart diseases and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases.

SAINT FRANCES XAVIER CABRINI, VIRGIN: St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850 – 1917) also known as Mother Cabrini was an Italian missionary. This saint was the first United States citizen to be canonized. Mother Cabrini, who had a deathly fear of water and drowning, crossed the Atlantic Ocean more than 30 times in service of the Church and the people she was serving. St. Frances Xavier Cabrini was born in Lombardy, near Milan, Italy in 1850 of parents who were farmers, She was the thirteenth child, born when her mother was fifty-two years old. Her father would often gather his children in the kitchen to hear him read from a book on the lives of the saints. The missionary spirit was awakened in her as a little girl when her father read stories of the missions to his children. At eighteen, she desired to become a Sister but poor health stood in her way. Turned away from being a nun twice due to poor health, she prayed before the relics of her patron, Francis Xavier, the great Jesuit missionary-saint, about founding a new religious order to evangelize the East just as he did. She helped her parents until their death, and then worked on a farm with her brothers and sisters. Orphaned in Italy before she was 18. She received a good education, and at eighteen was awarded the normal school certificate. For a while she helped the pastor teach catechism and visited the sick and the poor. She also taught school in a nearby town, and for six years supervised an orphanage assisted by a group of young women. The bishop of Lodi heard of this group and asked St. Frances to establish a missionary institute to work in his diocese. St. Frances did so, calling the community the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart and took on the name “Xavier” in honor of St. Francis Xavier, the great missionary to the Orient. An academy for girls was opened and new houses quickly sprang up.

One day Bishop Scalabrini, founder of the Missionaries of Emigration, described to Mother Cabrini the wretched economical and spiritual conditions of the many Italian immigrants in the United States, and she was deeply moved. An audience with Pope Leo XIII changed her plans to go to the missions of the East. Pope Leo XIII approved of her order, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, but instead of sending her to China as she had desired since childhood, he sent her to the West, specifically to America to serve the growing European immigrant population which faced poverty and disenfranchisement. “Not to the East, but to the West,” the Pope said to her. “Go to the United States.” Mother Cabrini no longer hesitated. She landed in New York, United States in 1889 with six Sisters to work among the Italian immigrants. She established an orphanage, and then set out on a lifework that comprised the alleviation of every human need. For the children she erected schools, kindergartens, clinics, orphanages, and foundling homes, and numbers of hospitals for the needy sick. St. Frances went on to found 67 institutions—schools, orphanages, and hospitals—throughout the Western Hemisphere. At her death over five thousand children were receiving care in her charitable institutions, and at the same time her community had grown to five hundred members in seventy houses in North and South America, France, Spain, and England. The saint, frail and diminutive of stature, showed such energy and enterprise that everyone marveled. She crossed the Atlantic twenty-five times to visit the various houses and institutions. In 1909 she adopted the United States as her country and became a citizen. After thirty-seven years of unflagging labor and heroic charity she died alone in a chair on December 22, 1917 at Columbus Hospital at Chicago, Illinois, while making dolls for orphans in preparation for a Christmas party. Cardinal Mundelein of Chicago officiated at her funeral and in 1938 also presided at her beatification by Pius XI. She was canonized by Pius XII in 1946, just before a new wave of immigrants began to arrive in the U.S. St. Frances Xavier received American citizenship, and in 1946 became the first United States citizen to be canonized by the Catholic Church. She lies buried under the altar of the chapel of Mother Cabrini High School in New York City. St. Frances Xavier’s ministry left a significant mark on the Americas, creating lasting institutions to educate and care for those in need. She is Patron Saint of hospital administrators; immigrants; orphans. Her feast day is November 13th.  

QUOTES FROM SAINT FRANCES XAVIER CABRINI, VIRGIN:
☆“Go often my dear ones and place yourself at the feet of Jesus. He is our comfort, our way, and our life.”
☆”We must pray without tiring, for the salvation of mankind does not depend upon material success . . . but on Jesus alone.”
☆”If you are in danger, if your hearts are confused, turn to Mary; she is our comfort, our help; turn towards her and you will be saved.”
☆”I will go anywhere and do anything in order to communicate the love of Jesus to those who do not know Him or have forgotten Him.”
☆”Prayer is powerful! It fills the earth with mercy, it makes the Divine clemency pass from generation to generation; right along the course of the centuries wonderful works have been achieved through prayer.”

A PRAYER FOR PEACE OF MIND (by Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini)

Fortify me with the grace of Your Holy Spirit and give Your peace to my soul that I may be free from all needless anxiety, solicitude and worry. Help me to desire always that which is pleasing and acceptable to You so that Your will may be my will… Amen.🙏

PRAYER: God our Father, who called Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini from Italy to serve the immigrants of America, by her example, teach us to have concern for the stranger, the sick, and all those in need, and by her prayers help us to see Christ in all the men and women we meet or encounter. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever… Amen🙏

SAINT DIDACUS OF ALCALÁ, RELIGIOUS: St. Didacus (or Diego, Jacob) was born in the town of San Nicolas, Andalusia. From early youth he showed a love for solitude. At Arrizafa, near Cordova, he became a Franciscan brother and was outstanding in humility and obedience. He had little formal education, yet through divine enlightenment in no way lacked wisdom. As a missionary he visited the Canary Islands and was appointed first superior of the new foundation there. In 1450 Pope Nicholas V confided to his care the sick in the celebrated convent of Ara Caeli. With his tongue he often cleansed the wounds of the sick. He miraculously healed many with oil from the lamp which burned before a picture of the Blessed Virgin or with the sign of the Cross.

During a stay at the friary at Alcala in 1463, Didacus felt the approach of his last hour. Wrapped in discarded rags, with eyes fixed immovably upon a crucifix, he died while fervently praying the words of the hymn Dulce lignum, dulces clavos, O sweet wood, O sweet nails that held so sweet a burden! For a long time his body remained incorrupt. He’s the Patron Saint of the diocese of San Diego, California; Franciscan laity; Franciscan lay brothers.

Saint Didacus of Alcalá, Religious ~ Pray for us 🙏

SAINT STANISLAUS KOSTKA, RELIGIOUS: St. Stanislaus Kostka (1550-1568) a Jesuit Novice was born on October 28, 1550 at Rostkowo, Poland into a large Polish noble family, the son of a Polish senator, St. Stanislaus was first privately educated at the family castle. He later at the age of 14, attended a Jesuit prep college in Vienna, where he exemplified an iron will to live a life of holiness and set a holy example for all. While at the college, Stanislaus suffered from a serious illness. St. Barbara and two angels appeared to him and he seemed to be given Holy Communion in the vision (either by St. Barbara or by the angels). Also, Our Lady visited him and told him that he would recover and become a Jesuit. That prompted his desire to enter the Jesuits. The Jesuit provincial in Vienna was too afraid of making Stanislaus’s father angry to admit Stanislaus to the Order, so the saint walked to Augsburg and then Dillingen, a total of 350 miles, and there appealed to St. Peter Canisius, the Jesuit provincial of Upper Germany. St. Peter Canisius took him in, and after three weeks, sent Stanislaus to Rome to see St. Francis Borgia, who was general of the Jesuits.

In Rome, St. Stanislaus became a Jesuit at the age of 17, much to the dissatisfaction of his father. His devotion to the Eucharist was apparent to all, since he went into ecstasy after receiving Communion. St. Stanislaus became ill again only 9-10 months into his novitiate and he predicted his own death and died 2 days later on August 15, 1568 (aged 17)
Rome, Papal States, on the Feast of the Assumption of a fever. He was Beatified 8 October 8, 1605, at Saint Peter’s Basilica, Papal States by Pope Paul V and Canonized December 31, 1726, at Saint Peter’s Basilica, Papal States by Pope Benedict XIII. St. Stanislaus is the Patron Saint of Poland, Jesuit novices, students, broken bones, heart palpitations, Ateneo de Manila Junior High School Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, aspirants to the Oblates of St. Joseph, last sacraments.

Saint Stanislaus Kostka, Religious ~ Pray for us 🙏

SAINT AGOSTINA LIVIA PIETRANTONI, MARTYR: St. Olivia Pietrantoni was born and baptized March 27th, 1864 Pozzaglia Sabina, Italy to Francesco Pietrantoni and Caterina Costantini, farmers. She was the second of eleven children. Olivia, later known as “Livia”, was confirmed at age four and received first Holy Communion c. 1876. From an early age she worked in fields and tended animals. At age seven she began to work with other children who were moving sacks of stone and sand for construction of a road from Orvinio to Poggio Moiano. When she was twelve, she left for the winter months with other youngsters to work in the winter olive harvest in Tivoli. She refused offers of marriage and, believing she had a vocation to religious life, traveled to Rome with her uncle. Some had suggested that she sought religious life to escape hard work. To them she is said to have replied, “I wish to choose a Congregation in which there is work both day and night.” But in Rome, she was turned away. A few months later, the Mother General of the Sisters of Charity of Saint Jeanne-Antide Thouret communicated that Livia was expected at the Generalate. She arrived in Rome, aged 22, on March 23, 1886. After postulancy and the novitiate, she received the name “Saint Agostina” and at that time had a premonition that she would indeed become a saint by that name.

Sister Agostina was sent to Holy Spirit Hospital, which had served the sick for seven hundred years. The hospital was not, in fact, hospitable to religious. The Capuchins had been forced to leave, crucifixes and other religous articles were removed and banned, and the sisters were forbidden to speak of God. While working in the tuberculosis ward, Sister contracted the disease, but was miraculously healed. In the course of her work, Sister Agostina found a private corner of the hospital in which to pray for the patients, including Joseph Romanelli, an adult male patient who harrassed her with obscenities and threatening notes. When his blind mother visited him on occasion, Sister made a point of welcoming her. Romanelli was eventually expelled from the hospital for harrassing women who worked in the hospital laundry. He continued to harrass Sister Agostina, sending threats of “I will kill you with my own hands” and “Sister Agostina, you have only a month to live.” On November 13, 1894 Joseph Romanelli attacked Sister Agostina and killed her at the age of 30. As she was dying, she was heard only to utter words of forgiveness and invocations to Mary.  The process for Sister Agostina’s cause begun in 1936, the first decree was in 1945. She was beatified by Pope Paul VI on November 12, 1972 and canonized by Pope John Paul II on April 18, 1999. St. Agostina Livia Pietrantoni is the Patron Saint of abuse victims, martyrs, people in poverty, people ridiculed for their piety.

QUOTES FROM SAINT AGOSTINA LIVIA PIETRANTONI
☆“All, is too little for the Lord.”
☆”We will lie down for such a long time after death that it is worth while to keep standing while we are alive.   Let us work now, one day we will rest.”

Saint Agostina Livia Pietrantoni, Martyr ~ Pray for us 🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:

Bible Readings for today, Memorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ Luke 17:11-19

“Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?”

“As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”

In today’s Gospel reading, ten lepers approached Jesus crying out to Him, ‘Jesus, Master!’ Take pity on us’. Jesus responded to their desperate plight and healed them of their leprosy. However, only one, a Samaritan, came back to praise God and to thank Jesus. The unexpected gift of good health distracted the other nine so that they forgot about Jesus and failed in the normal human courtesy of returning to thank Him for their cure. Only one of the ten, a Samaritan, turned towards God present in Jesus in sickness and in health; the other nine turned towards Him only in sickness and forgot about Him in health. Sometimes God’s greatest gifts to us can separate us from God. We can be so focused on the gift that we forget the source of the gift. It is only to the Samaritan that Jesus says, ‘Your faith as saved you’. Whereas all ten received the gift of physical health, he alone received the gift of salvation, which is the fruit of faith, a relationship with God that is alive and vital in health as well as in sickness. It is the outsider, the despised Samaritan, who teaches us the importance of valuing God at all times in and through all His gifts. We have all been graced in various ways; we have all received a great deal as a gift. We don’t always recognize that the ultimate source of all these graces and gifts is God. That is what distinguished the Samaritan leper from the other nine in today’s Gospel reading. All ten were equally graced; they had all been healed by Jesus of a disease that left them only half-alive. Yet, it is said of only one of them that, finding himself cured, he ‘turned back praising God at the top of his voice’. He threw himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked Him because he recognized that God was working through Jesus. He thanked Jesus, but he praised God. He had the insight to see that God was at work in gift of healing he received from Jesus. Jesus recognized this leper’s insight; he didn’t say, ‘nobody has come back to thank me, except this foreigner’, but ‘no one has come back to give praise to God, except this foreigner’. That is why Jesus goes on to say to him, ‘your faith has saved you’. This leper had the vision of faith; he recognized God at work in the good that had happened to him, in the extraordinary way he had been graced. We are called to that same vision of faith; we are called to recognize and to acknowledge God at work in all those experiences of grace that bless us throughout our lives. God’s grace calls forth our praise. Jesus holds a foreigner, a non-Jew, a Samaritan up as a model of faith for us all. The response of faith to being blessed by God is always one of praise and thanksgiving. We need to allow this prayer of praise and thanksgiving to rise up within us on a regular basis, because we are all being continuously graced by God. Saint Paul puts it very simply in one of his letters, ‘Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you’.

In our first reading today from the Epistle of St. Paul to St. Titus, the Apostle spoke about the matter of how everyone of the faithful and holy people of God ought to be truly faithful to the Lord, and to distance themselves from all sorts of vices, evils and corruptions of the world. As Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people, those whom He had called and chosen from this world, we are essentially expected to follow the path that the Lord has presented and guided us through, the path of His righteousness and virtue, through which we shall find the path to salvation in God. All of us are called to be good role models and inspirations for each other in faith, to be thoroughly dedicated to Him and to be the shining beacons of God’s light and truth from now on, if we have not yet done so. That is because all of us have been saved by what the Lord had done for us in Jesus Christ, His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, just as St. Paul had reminded his protege, St. Titus and all of us, the faithful people of God. We must not take for granted everything that God had done for us, all the love that He has shown us most patiently and wonderfully. God has shown us all His love and generosity, compassion and kindness so that we can also follow His examples instead of as St. Paul said, hating one another and be filled with anger and malice in our hearts, thinking of nothing but ruin and destruction for others around us. As God’s holy and beloved people, each and every one of us are called to be those who are always filled with genuine love and kindness to one another, to be concerned with the needs and the plight of those who are suffering in our midst.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded to seek the Lord Who is our ever loving, compassionate and merciful God, the One Who has always shown His patient love and grace, attention and kindness towards us, despite us having constantly and consistently been disobedient towards Him, not listening to Him and disobeying His will, His Law and commandments. As our loving Father, the Lord has always been patient in loving us and in caring for us, forgiving us all of our sins and mistakes, our faults and all the things which we have done in defiance against His will, patiently reaching out towards us, helping and guiding us to walk in the right path, and showing us the path towards salvation and eternal life, hoping that we will turn away from our wicked path and return towards Him with renewed love and faith. Sin is indeed a leprosy of the soul, as one would have put it and compared it rightly, as just like leprosy that eats upon the flesh and corrupts it, sin is a far more dangerous affliction on us. For what can harm the body can be cured by worldly means, by doctors and other methods known to us, but there is no cure and healing for sin save that of the healing and forgiveness provided by God alone. And the Lord willingly provides us this healing and cure, calling upon all of us to come back to His ever loving and comfortable embrace, in His Holy Presence. However, we need to make the commitment for this, to commit ourselves to follow Him and to dedicate ourselves to His cause, in recognising that each and every one of us have the part to play in our salvation, by accepting God’s generous offer of mercy and salvation, and by cooperating with Him and being grateful at all the love that He has shown us. We are reminded to emulate the Saints, the Holy men and women, especially those who we celebrate today, Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini; Saint Didacus of Alcalá; Saint Stanislaus Kostka and Saint Agostina Livia Pietrantoni. Let us all hence strive to live our lives worthily as Christians, to listen to and obey the Lord’s words and will, to heed His call for us to follow Him, and to realise just how blessed and fortunate we are to have been beloved by God. Let us all contemplate God’s generous love and then strive to embody the same love in all of our actions and dealings, interactions and works. Let our love be generously given as well then, in our love for the Lord and also in our love for our fellow brothers and sisters, so that by our love, people will indeed know the Lord and His love, and that they will also know that we are all His holy and beloved people. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace to remain faithful and may the Lord continue to guide us in our journey of faith through life, and may He empower us all to be good and true disciples, faithful and committed witnesses to His truth and love at all times. Let us help one another, especially the poor among us, to come ever closer to God. May God bless our every good works and efforts, now and always. Amen 🙏

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER:

MONTH OF THE HOLY SOULS: The Catholic Church dedicates the entire month of November to praying in a special way for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. The Holy Souls (also called the Faithful Departed) are members of the Church who await the purification of their souls before joining the Saints in heaven for all eternity. Specifically, they are referred to as the Church Suffering (the Saints in heaven are the Church Triumphant, and the faithful on earth are the Church Militant).The poor souls in purgatory cannot pray for themselves or do anything to hasten their entrance into heaven, but we can and ought to pray for them as an act of charity. The feast of the Holy Souls is November 2nd. 

The entire month of November falls during the liturgical season known as Tempus per Annum or Ordinary Time (formerly Time After Pentecost), which is represented by the liturgical color green. Green is a symbol of hope, as it is the color of the sprouting seed and arouses in the faithful the hope of reaping the eternal harvest of heaven, especially the hope of a glorious resurrection. The liturgical color green is worn during the praying of Offices and celebration of Masses of Ordinary Time. The last portion of the liturgical year represents the time of our pilgrimage to heaven during which we hope for reward. As we come to the end of the Church year we are asked to consider the end times, our own as well as the world’s.

The month of November is very full of Memorials, feasts and solemnities. The main feast days are the Solemnity of All Saints (November 1), The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls) (November 2), the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome (November 9), The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (November 24), and St. Andrew (November 30).
The other saint days are: St. Charles Borromeo, (November 4), Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome (November 9), St. Martin of Tours, (November 11), St. Josaphat (November 12), St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (November 13) St. Albert the Great (November 15), Sts. Margaret of Scotland and Gertrude (November 16), Presentation of Mary (November 21), St. Cecilia (November 22), Sts. Clement I and St. Columban (November 23), and
St. Catherine of Alexandria (November 25). The commemorations of St. Martin de Porres (November 3), St. Leo the Great (November 10), St. Elizabeth of Hungary (November 17), and St. Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions (November 24) fall on Sundays and are superseded by the Sunday Liturgy.

https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/overviews/months/10_1.cfm

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – FOR ANYONE WHO HAS LOST A CHILD: We pray that all parents who mourn the loss of a son or daughter find support in their community and receive peace and consolation from the Holy Spirit.

https://www.usccb.org/prayers/popes-monthly-intentions-2024

PRAYER FOR PEACE ~ POPE FRANCIS:

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!

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

During this Ordinary Time, please let us all continue to pray for peace all over the world, particularly in Africa, Nigeria, 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 INTENTIONS: During this season of the Ordinary Time, through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for our children and children all over the world, we pray for their health, safety and well-being, we particularly pray for those who have no one to care for them and those who are terminally ill, we pray for God’s Divine healing upon them. We pray for all mothers, wives, those going through challenges in their marriages, Victims of verbal and spousal abuse, and we pray for peace, love and unity in our families and our world. Every life is a gift. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. 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 Vocation to the Priesthood and Religious life. We particularly pray for all Youths and all Seminarians. 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 gracious Lord, You bestow Your mercy upon me in superabundance. Without You, Jesus, I have nothing; but with You, I receive everything. May I always know and understand my need for Your grace. And as I am gifted with it, may I respond with the deepest gratitude, thus, saving my soul through faith. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Most Precious Blood of Jesus, have mercy on us. Our Blessed Mother Mary; Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini;  Saint Didacus of Alcalá; Saint Stanislaus Kostka and Saint Agostina Livia Pietrantoni ~ Pray for us 🙏

Thanking God for the gift of this day 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. Have a blessed, safe, grace-filled and fruitful week🙏

Blessings and  always, Philomena💖

Daily Reflections | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/

Foundation | https://gliopiepehe.org

Sir G.L.I Opiepe’s Health and Education Foundation |

THIRTY-SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ NOVEMBER 12, 2024

THE SAINTS: WHO ARE THEY AND HOW ARE THEY CANONISED? [Please see link to the article below]

KIND REMINDER: Please remember to continue to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory throughout the month of November

Greetings and blessings, beloved family. Happy Tuesday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time!

On this special Feast day, as we continue to remember the faithful departed, please let us remember to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory this month of November. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints, we humbly pray for the souls of our faithful departed loved ones, for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the souls of all the faithful departed. May God grant our departed loved ones eternal rest, may they reach their full stature. We pray for all those who mourn, for widows and widowers. May our Blessed Mother Mary Intercede for all those in pain and sorrow. We particularly pray for those mourning the loss of a loved one who recently passed away and the souls in Purgatory. 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 labors 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🙏

We continue to pray for the safety and well-being of our children and for peace in our family and the whole world. 🙏

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 🙏

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN on YouTube” | November 12, 2024 |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | November 12, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary for Peace with Pope Francis” | LIVE Basilica of St. Mary Major | October 6, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | November 12, 2024 |

Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| November 12, 2024 |

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

Memorare Chaplet | Prayer in Difficult Times (Powerful Prayer) |

Today’s Bible Readings: Tuesday November 12, 2024
Reading 1, Titus 2:1-8, 11-14
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 37:3-4, 18, 23, 27, 29
Gospel, Luke 17:7-10

THE SAINTS: WHO ARE THEY AND HOW ARE THEY CANONISED? | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2024/11/01/the-saints-who-are-they-and-how-are-they-canonised/

PURGATORY: The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines purgatory as a “purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven,” which is experienced by those “who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified” (CCC 1030). It notes that “this final purification of the elect . . . is entirely different from the punishment of the damned” (CCC 1031). The purification is necessary because, as Scripture teaches, nothing unclean will enter the presence of God in heaven (Rev. 21:27) and, while we may die with our mortal sins forgiven, there can still be many impurities in us, specifically venial sins and the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven.

What Happens in Purgatory?: When we die, we undergo what is called the particular, or individual, judgment. Scripture says that “it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Heb. 9:27). We are judged instantly and receive our reward, for good or ill. We know at once what our final destiny will be. At the end of time, when Jesus returns, there will come the general judgment to which the Bible refers, for example, in Matthew 25:31-32: “When the Son of man comes in His glory, and all the angels with him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. In this general judgment all our sins will be publicly revealed (Luke 12:2–5).

November is a month when we remember our dead in a special way. It is a month when we are prone to reflecting on death, not in a morbid way but in the hopeful way that is rooted in our faith. Please let us remember to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory this month of November and always.

SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT JOSAPHAT, BISHOP AND MARTYR AND SAINT MARTIN I, POPE AND MARTYR – FEAST DAY ~ NOVEMBER 12TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr and Saint Martin I, Pope and Martyr.
May Saint Josaphat, Patron Saint of Ukraine, intercede for the people of Ukraine during these challenging times.

SAINT JOSAPHAT, BISHOP AND MARTYR: St. Josaphat Kuncewitcz (1580-1623) was born about the year 1580 at Vladimir, Volhynia, [part of the Polish province of Lithuania at the time] to a devout religious family of Ruthenian ancestry in what is now Ukraine. He was baptized and given the name John in the Eastern Orthodox Church. While being instructed as a child on the sufferings of our Savior, his heart is said to have been wounded by an arrow from the sacred side of the Crucified. He devoted his virginity to the Virgin Mary and grew in his reverence for ancient liturgy. During a revival of Eastern Catholic monastic life, in 1604 he joined the Ukrainian Order of Saint Basil (Basilians) and was ordained to Holy Orders in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in 1609. He lived as a monk in a very mortified life, went barefoot even in winter, refrained from the use of wine and flesh-meat, and always wore a penitential garb. He was noted for his life of asceticism, holiness, and virtue which led to his appointment in 1614 as archimandrite of Vilna, Russia and four years later Archbishop of Polotzk in what is today Belarus; in this position he worked untiringly for Church reunion. He was a great friend of the poor, once even pledged his archepiscopal omophorion (pallium) to support a poor widow.

During his lifetime there was much sociopolitical and ecclesiastical rivalry between the Catholics and Orthodox and the Latin and Byzantine rites, especially in the wake of the 1596 Union of Brest which saw the Ruthenian Church break with Orthodox and place itself under the authority of the Holy See. St. Josaphat was passionate about working for the reunification with Rome and won many heretics and schismatics back to communion with the Holy See. However, he was also strongly opposed to the Latinization of his people. This combination of views drew ire from both Catholic and Orthodox clergy. His diocese was contested by the Orthodox, and a rival Orthodox bishop was set up to oppose him, causing riots. During one uprising Josaphat tried to calm the tensions and work for reunification and peace, but his enemies plotted to kill him. In a sermon, he himself spoke of his death as imminent. When he visited Vitebsk (now in Russia), his enemies, a mob of Orthodox Christians attacked his lodging and murdered a number of his companions. Meekly the man of God hastened toward the mob and, full of love, cried, “My children, what are you doing? If you have something against me, see, here I am.” With furious cries of “Kill the papist!”, they rushed upon him with gun and sword and he was murdered in 1623 at the age of forty-three. St. Josaphat’s body was thrown into the river but emerged, surrounded by rays of light, and was recovered. St. Josaphat’s body was discovered incorrupt, five years later. Remarkably, the saint’s onetime rival – the Orthodox Archbishop Meletius – was reconciled with the Catholic Church in later years. His murderers, when sentenced to death, repented their crime and became Catholics. After his martyrdom many miracles were attributed to his intercession. St. Josaphat’s sacrifice became a blessing as regret and sorrow over his death converted many hearts toward reunification with Rome. In 1867, Josaphat became the first saint of the Eastern Church to be formally canonized by Rome. He is one of the Patron Saints of Poland; Ukraine.

QUOTES OF SAINT JOSAPHAT:
☆”Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
☆“I am ready to die for the holy union, for the supremacy of Saint Peter and of his successor, the Supreme Pontiff.”
☆“Please God I will give my life for the holy union, for the supremacy of Peter and of the Holy Father, his successor… Lord, grant me the grace to shed my blood for the unity of the church and in behalf of obedience to the Holy See.”

PRAYER: God, stir up in Your Church the Spirit that strengthened St. Josaphat to be able to lay down his life for his sheep. May we be strengthened by the same Spirit so that through Josaphat’s intercession we may be ready to lay down our lives for our brethren. Amen 🙏

SAINT MARTIN I, POPE AND MARTYR: Saint Pope Martin I, was born at Todi on the Tiber, son of Fabricius; elected Pope at Rome, July 21, 649, to succeed Theodore I; died at Cherson in the present peninsulas of Krym, September 16, 655, after a reign of 6 years, one month and twenty six days, having ordained eleven priests, five deacons and thirty-three bishops. Pope Martin I, was outstanding for virtue and knowledge. He was a courageous defender of the faith against heresy. He was selected by divine Providence to be the supreme defender of the doctrine that in Christ there are two wills, a divine and a human, against the monothelite teaching of one will, favored at Constantinople. Immediately after ascending the papal throne, he convoked a synod at the Lateran which put the true teaching in its proper light and condemned the opposing error. Emperor Constans II supported the monothelite patriarch of Constantinople and commissioned the Exarch Olympios to assassinate the Pope. The Exarch entrusted the task to a lictor to murder Martin during Mass in the church of St. Mary of the Crib. The lictor could not accomplish the mission because he was suddenly struck blind. From that moment many misfortunes befell the Emperor, but no change in attitude resulted. Instead he sent the Exarch Theodor Kalliopes to Rome with orders to arrest the Pope.

St. Martin was carried to Constantinople to begin a tedious martyrdom. He was given over to the scoffing of the rabble as he lay ill on the ship. For three months he languished in prison. Called before a tribunal, he was condemned, robbed of his episcopal garments and put into chains. Finally he was banished to Cherson in the Crimea where he died there due to inhuman privations  and exhaustion on September 16, 655. Two letters written before his death give evidence of how he suffered under the dreadful treatment.

PRAYER: Pope Saint Martin I, through your intercession before the Father in Heaven, fortify all teachers and leaders of the Church to remain steadfast in the truth, to advocate for the truth, and to suffer for the truth, no matter the personal cost… Amen🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:

Bible Reading for today, Monday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time | Memorial of Saint Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel (USA) Luke 17:7-10

“We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do”

“Jesus said to the Apostles: “Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’? Would he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished’? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’”

In today’s Gospel reading, the parable that Jesus speaks draws on an experience of life that would have been current in His time, although somewhat alien to our time, and that is the scenario of a master of the household with servants. The setting of the story is drawn from the culture in which Jesus lived. When the servant has done what is expected of him, the master is not in debt to him. He doesn’t owe his servant anything, not even gratitude. Jesus is simply drawing attention to a certain reality of His time, without necessarily approving of it. Our Lord Jesus highlighted the fact and reality to His disciples that we are all servants of the Lord, our Master and each and every one of us should always remember that we should only do what our Lord and Master has wanted and called us to do, and then at the same time, we should not be conceited and proud, thinking that we deserve more things or that we ought to have more just because of our actions, works and deeds, or end up demanding the Lord to reward us for whatever we have done in His Name, in our obedience and contributions to the Church and the works of salvation, our many missions and outreach to everyone around us. In the Gospel, Jesus may be suggesting that even after we have done what God asks of us, God is not in our debt in any way. God never owes us anything. We don’t serve God to put God under some kind of obligation to us. Rather we serve God because it is the right thing to do. We serve God out of love and gratitude for all God has done and is doing for us. After we have done what God asks of us we simply entrust ourselves to his generous love, knowing that God will bless us in ways that will far surpass anything we may have done for God.

The parable that Jesus speaks in the Gospel suggests that what really matters in our relationship with God is that we be faithful to what the Lord asks of us. The servant in the parable did what was asked of him; he dutifully kept to his routine day after day. He embodies faithfulness and reliability. In our relationship with God, we are called to be faithful, to stay the course. At times we may feel that God is very distant from us. We may consider that our religious practice has become something of a routine with little excitement; we may wonder if we are just going through the motions, with nothing much underpinning what we do. We may even suspect that we are losing faith. The parable assures us that God sees our faithfulness, even when we might doubt it, and that God values our faithful service, even when we are tempted to make light of it. Even though we may doubt our ability to stay the course, God will keep us faithful, if we ask Him to do so. In that sense, faith, faithfulness, is more of God’s doing than ours. Faith is always God’s gift to us, and it is given to all who desire it, no matter how small that desire may appear to us. We are all reminded that salvation is a grace from God for us, and we are saved by our faith in Him, which we make alive and genuine through our actions and works, our contributions and efforts in life. But we are not saved solely through our own efforts and works, as without true and genuine faith in God, those efforts and works are meaningless. Similarly, faith that is not made alive, real and manifest through active contributions, actions and genuine Christian virtues, efforts and works is also dead and meaningless. Hence, we are all reminded today that we must always put the Lord our God at the centre and as the focus of our whole lives and existence. Then, at the same time, we must also actively live our lives as Christians, in following the Lord ever more courageously and faithfully at all times, obeying Him in all the Law and commandments He had presented to us, and answering His call to us, that He made to each one of us.

Our first reading today, from the Epistle of St. Paul to St. Titus, talks about the words of St. Paul to his protege, who was one of the first bishops of the Church as the successors of the Apostles that they and all the other faithful people of God must always be good, virtuous and faithful to the Lord so that in all their daily living, each and every one of them, in their own respective capacities and parts of the community they were living in that they may become worthy bearers of Christ’s truth and Good News to everyone they encountered and interacted with. They have to be truly devoted to God through their faithful observance and living of the Lord’s Law and commandments, and by showing Christian charity and virtue in all the things that they say and do.To be Christians, it is always important for all of us to be truly faithful to God, not just in appearances and formality, not just in words and proclamations, but also in all of our every actions and deeds, in our every good works and contributions, our every encounter with everyone around us, those whom we meet in our daily lives. As Christians, all of us ought to be good, worthy and righteous in all things, to strive to do what the Lord has called and commanded us all to do, to be truly devoted to Him in all things, doing our very best so that our whole lives may indeed be full of virtue and goodness, that through us, many more people will come to know the Lord and believe in Him, experiencing His love and grace, His kindness, compassion and mercy through our own loving actions, words and deeds.

As we reflect on the words of the Scriptures today, we are all reminded that we must always continue to live our lives well in the manner that the Lord has shown and taught us. We must always be righteous and good in all of our words, actions and deeds, so that the Lord will find us all to be worthy and just, worthy of the eternal life and true happiness that He has promised to each one of us. As Christians, it is expected that all of us should always be full of faith and zeal in living our lives, in each and every moments in them to be truly shining and worthy beacons of God’s light and grace. And if we are truly God’s people, His followers and disciples, then we should always live our lives with God’s teachings and truth at the forefront in our lives at all times. As we have discerned and reflected on the Sacred Scriptures today, we are reminded to emulate the Saints, the Holy men and women, particularly the Saints we celebrate today, the life and inspiring examples of St. Josaphat Kuntsevych and St. Martin I, Popes and Martyrs. Let us all therefore be resolved to live a good and worthy life in the manner that God has called us to in each and every moments, opportunities and occasions throughout our lives. Let us all be the shining examples and role models for one another in faith in all things, and help one another to remain firmly faithful to the Lord, to be truly committed in actions and deeds, to be courageous despite all the challenges and difficulties, trials and hardships we may encounter in our journey in life. May God in His infinite grace, mercy and wisdom, grant us His grace and ever enduring love for each one of us, may He continue to bless us and strengthen us at all times, that we may grow ever stronger in faith and be ever more devoted and closer to Him and may He empower us all to remain ever always in His loving presence, now and forevermore. Amen 🙏

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER:

MONTH OF THE HOLY SOULS: The Catholic Church dedicates the entire month of November to praying in a special way for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. The Holy Souls (also called the Faithful Departed) are members of the Church who await the purification of their souls before joining the Saints in heaven for all eternity. Specifically, they are referred to as the Church Suffering (the Saints in heaven are the Church Triumphant, and the faithful on earth are the Church Militant).The poor souls in purgatory cannot pray for themselves or do anything to hasten their entrance into heaven, but we can and ought to pray for them as an act of charity. The feast of the Holy Souls is November 2nd. 

The entire month of November falls during the liturgical season known as Tempus per Annum or Ordinary Time (formerly Time After Pentecost), which is represented by the liturgical color green. Green is a symbol of hope, as it is the color of the sprouting seed and arouses in the faithful the hope of reaping the eternal harvest of heaven, especially the hope of a glorious resurrection. The liturgical color green is worn during the praying of Offices and celebration of Masses of Ordinary Time. The last portion of the liturgical year represents the time of our pilgrimage to heaven during which we hope for reward. As we come to the end of the Church year we are asked to consider the end times, our own as well as the world’s.

The month of November is very full of Memorials, feasts and solemnities. The main feast days are the Solemnity of All Saints (November 1), The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls) (November 2), the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome (November 9), The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (November 24), and St. Andrew (November 30).
The other saint days are: St. Charles Borromeo, (November 4), Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome (November 9), St. Martin of Tours, (November 11), St. Josaphat (November 12), St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (November 13) St. Albert the Great (November 15), Sts. Margaret of Scotland and Gertrude (November 16), Presentation of Mary (November 21), St. Cecilia (November 22), Sts. Clement I and St. Columban (November 23), and
St. Catherine of Alexandria (November 25). The commemorations of St. Martin de Porres (November 3), St. Leo the Great (November 10), St. Elizabeth of Hungary (November 17), and St. Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions (November 24) fall on Sundays and are superseded by the Sunday Liturgy.

https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/overviews/months/10_1.cfm

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – FOR ANYONE WHO HAS LOST A CHILD: We pray that all parents who mourn the loss of a son or daughter find support in their community and receive peace and consolation from the Holy Spirit.

https://www.usccb.org/prayers/popes-monthly-intentions-2024

PRAYER FOR PEACE ~ POPE FRANCIS:

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!

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

During this Ordinary Time, please let us all continue to pray for peace all over the world, particularly in Africa, Nigeria, 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 INTENTIONS: During this season of the Ordinary Time, through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for our children and children all over the world, we pray for their health, safety and well-being, we particularly pray for those who have no one to care for them and those who are terminally ill, we pray for God’s Divine healing upon them. We pray for all mothers, wives, those going through challenges in their marriages, Victims of verbal and spousal abuse, and we pray for peace, love and unity in our families and our world. Every life is a gift. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. 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 Vocation to the Priesthood and Religious life. We particularly pray for all Youths and all Seminarians. 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 Lord and Master, You have commanded me and all Your servants to obey Your commands of perfect love. Your will alone is what is best for our lives and Your dictates bring fulfillment and purpose to our lives. May I, with Your Blessed Mother, always obey You in everything, for I am a servant of You, dear Lord. May I joyfully do what I am obliged to do. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Most Precious Blood of Jesus, have mercy on us. Our Blessed Mother Mary; Saint Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr and Saint Martin I, Pope and Martyr ~ Pray for us 🙏

Thanking God for the gift of this day 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. Have a blessed, safe, grace-filled and fruitful week🙏

Blessings and  always, Philomena💖

Daily Reflections | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/

Foundation | https://gliopiepehe.org

Sir G.L.I Opiepe’s Health and Education Foundation |

THIRTY-SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ NOVEMBER 11, 2024

THE SAINTS: WHO ARE THEY AND HOW ARE THEY CANONISED? [Please see link to the article below]

KIND REMINDER: Please remember to continue to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory throughout the month of November

Greetings and blessings, beloved family. Happy Monday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time!

Happy Veterans Day (USA)! We celebrate and honor all men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces. We pray for those in service and for their families. Thank you for your dedicated service and sacrifice for the nation and the world. God bless🙏

On this special Feast day, as we continue to remember the faithful departed, please let us remember to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory this month of November. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints, we humbly pray for the souls of our faithful departed loved ones, for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the souls of all the faithful departed. May God grant our departed loved ones eternal rest, may they reach their full stature. We pray for all those who mourn, for widows and widowers. May our Blessed Mother Mary Intercede for all those in pain and sorrow. We particularly pray for those mourning the loss of a loved one who recently passed away and the souls in Purgatory. 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 labors 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🙏

We continue to pray for the safety and well-being of our children and for peace in our family and the whole world. 🙏

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 🙏

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN on YouTube” | November 11, 2024 |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | November 11, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary for Peace with Pope Francis” | LIVE Basilica of St. Mary Major | October 6, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | November 11, 2024 |

Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| November 11, 2024 |

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

Memorare Chaplet | Prayer in Difficult Times (Powerful Prayer) |

Today’s Bible Readings: Monday November 11, 2024
Reading 1, Titus 1:1-9
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
Gospel, Luke 17:1-6

THE SAINTS: WHO ARE THEY AND HOW ARE THEY CANONISED? | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2024/11/01/the-saints-who-are-they-and-how-are-they-canonised/

PURGATORY: The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines purgatory as a “purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven,” which is experienced by those “who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified” (CCC 1030). It notes that “this final purification of the elect . . . is entirely different from the punishment of the damned” (CCC 1031). The purification is necessary because, as Scripture teaches, nothing unclean will enter the presence of God in heaven (Rev. 21:27) and, while we may die with our mortal sins forgiven, there can still be many impurities in us, specifically venial sins and the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven.

What Happens in Purgatory?: When we die, we undergo what is called the particular, or individual, judgment. Scripture says that “it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Heb. 9:27). We are judged instantly and receive our reward, for good or ill. We know at once what our final destiny will be. At the end of time, when Jesus returns, there will come the general judgment to which the Bible refers, for example, in Matthew 25:31-32: “When the Son of man comes in His glory, and all the angels with him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. In this general judgment all our sins will be publicly revealed (Luke 12:2–5).

November is a month when we remember our dead in a special way. It is a month when we are prone to reflecting on death, not in a morbid way but in the hopeful way that is rooted in our faith. Please let us remember to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory this month of November and always.

SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT MARTIN OF TOURS, BISHOP AND SAINT MENNAS, MARTYR – FEAST DAY ~ NOVEMBER 11TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop and Saint Mennas, Martyr. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for all veterans and all those serving in the military, we pray for their safety and well-being. 🙏

SAINT MARTIN OF TOURS, BISHOP:
St. Martin of Tours (c. 316-397 A.D.) was born to pagan parents in Savaria, Pannonia (modern day Hungary) in the year 316 AD. During his youth, his family moved to Italy. Against the wishes of his parents he discovered Christianity and associated with Christians and became a catechumen in his early teens. He joined the Roman imperial army at age 15, serving in a ceremonial unit that acted as the emperor’s bodyguard, rarely exposed to combat. Cavalry officer, and assigned to garrison duty in Gaul. Trying to live his faith, he refused to let his servant to wait on him. Once, while serving near Amiens in Gaul (modern France), on a horseback he encountered a beggar. Having nothing to give but the clothes on his back, Martin cut his heavy officer‘s cloak in half, and gave it to the beggar. Martin was later granted a vision of Christ who, clothed in the cloak he had given the beggar, encouraged him to be baptized. He was baptized into the Church at age 18. Just before a battle, Martin announced that his faith prohibited him from fighting. He was charged with cowardice, was jailed, and his superiors planned to put him in the front of the battle. However, the invaders sued for peace, the battle never occurred, and Martin was released from military service at Worms, Germany. After his discharge from military service (356), he became a disciple and spiritual student of Saint Hilary of Poitiers, France and was ordained. On a visit to Lombardy to see his parents, Martin was robbed in the mountains – but managed to convert one of the thieves. At home he found that his mother had converted, but his father had not. The area was strongly Arian, and openly hostile to Catholics. Martin was badly abused by the heretics, at one point even by the order of an Arian bishop. Learning that the Arians had gained the upper hand in Gaul and exiled Saint Hilary, Martin fled to the island of Gallinaria (modern Isola d’Albenga). Learning that the emperor had authorized the return of Saint Hilary, Martin ran to him in 361, then became a hermit for ten years in the area now known as Ligugé. A reputation for holiness attracted other monks, and they formed what would become the Benedictine abbey of Ligugé. 

When bishop of Tours, France died in 371, Martin was the immediate choice to replace him. Martin declined, citing unworthiness. Rusticus, a wealthy citizen of Tours, claimed that his wife was ill and asking for Martin; tricked by this ruse, Martin went to the city where he was declared bishop by popular acclamation, and then consecrated on July 4, 372. As bishop, he lived in a hermit‘s cell near Tours. Other monks joined him, and a new house, Marmoutier, soon formed. He rarely left his monastery or see city, but sometimes went to Trier, Germany to plead with the emperor for his city, his church, or his parishioners. He healed and performed miracles and also possessed the gift of discerning spirits. He was far advanced in age when he fell into a grievous fever during a visitation at Candes, an outlying parish of his diocese. Unceasingly he begged God to release him from this mortal prison. His disciples, however, implored him with tears, “Father, why are you leaving us? To whom will you entrust the care of your disconsolate children?” Deeply moved, Martin turned to God: “Lord, if I am still necessary for Your people, I will not refuse the labor. Your will be done!” St. Martin died on that pastoral visit to Candes, Tours, France on November 8, 397
of natural causes. By his request, he was buried in the Cemetery of the Poor on November 11, 397. His relics rested in the basilica of Tours, a scene of pilgrimages and miracles, until 1562 when the catheral and relics were destroyed by militant Protestants. Some small fragments on his tomb were found during construction excavation in 1860. St. Martin of Tours has historically been among the most beloved saints in the history of Europe. In a 2007 Angelus address, Pope Benedict XVI expressed his hope “that all Christians may be like St Martin, generous witnesses of the Gospel of love and tireless builders of jointly responsible sharing.” He’s the Patron Saint of beggars; soldiers; against alcoholism; against impoverishment; against poverty; cavalry; equestrians; geese; horse men; horses; hotel-keepers; innkeepers; Pontifical Swiss Guards; quartermasters; reformed alcoholics; riders; tailors; vintners; wine growers; wine makers and many cities.

QUOTES OF SAINT MARTIN OF TOURS:
☆”Lord, if your people need me, I will not refuse the work. Your will be done.”
☆“In the name of the Lord Jesus and protected only by the sign of the cross, without shield or helmet, I shall penetrate the enemy’s ranks and not be afraid.”
☆“Now let me fight for God. As for your bonus, let someone who is going to join the battle receive it. I am a soldier of Christ- combat is not permitted me.”
☆”Allow me, brothers, to look toward heaven rather than at the earth, so that my spirit may set on the right course when the time comes for me to go on my journey to the Lord.”
☆”With the sign of the Cross, I shall more certainly break through the ranks of the enemy than if armed with shield and sword.”

PRAYER: Blessed Saint Martin, You were born under pagan ways but since your childhood you were chosen to be a Prince of the Church and as Bishop of Tours, many souls were redeemed and liberated from the satanic forces through your prayers, austerities and blessings. We humbly ask for your intercession before Our Lord Jesus Christ because we want to be worthy of the grace and mercy of the Holy Spirit that lead us from darkness to light into the eternal kingdom, for ever and ever… Amen”🙏

God, Your Bishop St. Martin glorified You by both his life and his death. Renew in us Your grace, so that neither death nor life can separate us from Your love. Amen 🙏
 
SAINT MENNAS, MARTYR: St Mennas, c285 – 309, was an Egyptian Christian soldier who joined the Roman army, but left after three years during the persecution of Diocletian and Maximian to go into the desert and do penance, he became a hermit in response to Diocletian’s decrees. During the celebration of a great festival on the Emperor’s birthday, which the people celebrated with outdoor spectacles, Mennas appeared fearlessly professed his faith at the theatre at Cotyaeum and openly mocked belief in pagan gods. He was seized and led before the prefect Pyrrhus, in charge. He was cruelly scourged by Pyrrhus, put to torture, tied to the rack, his whole body was burned with torches, brushed with thorns, torn with leaden whips. He was finally beheaded and his body thrown into the fire. Christians took what remained, his body was brought to Egypt and and gave it honorable burial. The martyr was soon invoked in many needs and afllictions. His grave, close to Alexandria, became such a famous place of pilgrimage that, as at Lourdes today, a whole town arose to accommodate the pilgrims. Many small phials or eulogia have been found there which show St. Mennas between two kneeling camels. He’s the Patron Saint of Falsely accused people; peddlers; travelling merchants.

Saint Mennas, Martyr ~ Pray for us 🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:

Bible Readings for today, Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ Luke 17:1-6

“If your brother wrongs you seven times in one day, and returns to you seven times saying, “I am sorry,” you should forgive him”

“Jesus said to His disciples, “Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the one through whom they occur. It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times saying, ‘I am sorry,’ you should forgive him.” And the Apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” The Lord replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”

In today’s Gospel reading, there are three parts to it. The first part has to do with how we relate to each other, and the final part with how we relate to God. In the first part Jesus warns against the danger of leading others astray. He warns against becoming an obstacle to others on their journey of faith. We are to watch ourselves for the sake of others. We have a responsibility for each other, and, in particular, for each other’s relationship with the Lord. We have the awesome possibility of helping to open up others to the Lord or placing an obstacle to their relationship with the Lord. The second part of the Gospel reading calls on us to be ready to forgive those who do wrong us if they ask for forgiveness, and to be ready to do that not just once but seven times. It is in response to both of those quiet different but equally demanding teachings of Jesus that in the third part of the gospel reading the disciples turn to Him and say, ‘Increase our faith’. They sense that the call of the Gospel is beyond them and so they ask for an increase in faith. We can all feel at times that the call of the Gospel is more than we can rise to. We may be very aware of ways that we block others from meeting the Lord and ways that we fail to forgive when forgiveness is asked for. Yet, Jesus declares that God can work powerfully through faith as small as a mustard seed. We are not to underestimate the faith in the Lord we do have and the ways that the Lord is working powerfully through that faith. We need to acknowledge the faith we have, especially at those times when we are tempted to think that our faith is terribly impoverished.

As Jesus warns against putting an obstacle in the way of someone else’s faith, leading someone astray, away from the Lord, all of us must live a good and virtuous life, and to avoid any scandals or behaviours that are contrary to our faith in the Lord, so that we do not end up misleading others away from the path towards God, or to discourage people from following the Lord, which can very well happen if our actions and deeds are not in accordance to the Lord and His path, His commandments and will. All of us are representatives of the Lord’s works, His truth and teachings, His Good News and the face of His Church in this world, and if we do not practice our faith in the manner that we should have done, how can we expect others then to believe in the same manner? That is why we are all reminded that we should always be truly full of faith in the Lord, to trust Him ever more wholly in our lives, to be filled at all times with the great love and mercy from God. The expectation and difficulties are even greater for those who have been called to the higher office, of those who have given themselves in service to God, to be His priests and even more so as the bishops of the Church, as the shepherds of the Lord’s flock. As from the words of St. Paul to St. Titus, the expectations for those who have been called and chosen to be bishops are truly great, and no matter how pious, holy and devout they are, they can still falter and fall into sin, as quite a number of bishops and priests in the past have fallen into the path of sin, which led to great scandals of the Church, causing untold harm and destruction, for many souls to be lost away from the Lord and His salvation. It is important therefore that each and every one of us continue to support them and to help them, to pray for them all so that they may all truly remain faithful to their missions. Saint Paul often called on the members of the early church to build each other up in faith. We have some responsibility not just for the material well-being of others, but also for their spiritual well-being. The Lord calls on us to be truly faithful as well in our every words, actions and deeds. All of us must also practice what we believe in our lives and in every actions that we do, in our every interactions with one another, or else we are no better than hypocrites who did not truly believe in God or paying only lip service to the Lord, having no real love or faith, commitment and dedication to God. The Lord can work powerfully through faith that is only the size of a mustard seed. Even our little faith can be the wellspring of that loving way of relating to each that Jesus outlines in the Gospel reading.

In our first reading today from the Epistle of St. Paul to St. Titus, one of his protege, the Apostle spoke of the matter of the overseers of the faithful, which would eventually be known as the bishops of the dioceses once the administration and management of the ever growing Christian community developed further. Those overseers were chosen by the Apostles and their successors, as the ones to take care of the needs of the people of God, especially in their spiritual needs, to help and guide the people on their way towards the Lord and salvation in Him, and hence, as St. Paul mentioned to St. Titus, it is very important that they all must be of good character and truly worthy of such a role, and hence, they ought to be selected carefully from among the people of God. Such was the demand placed on those who were to be entrusted with the position of overseers, the precursor to the office of bishops, as they would be the ones to shepherd the people of God. If the shepherds were corrupt and wicked in their lives and actions, then the people would be very easily misled down the wrong path, become corrupted and misguided into the wrong path, or they might have led the people to be disillusioned and discouraged to follow the Christian path and ways any further, due to the scandals and the wicked living of their leaders, overseers and elders. This had happened in many occasions throughout the history of the Church, and we are all reminded therefore that we have to strive to be truly faithful in all things, especially those among us who have been called to give our service to the Lord and to guide others towards Him.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded to be ever faithful and committed to God, to be full of God’s grace and love in all of our actions, words and deeds, in all of our dealings and works, so that we will always be truly righteous and just in all of them, so that we may truly be the worthy, good and committed bearers of our Christians truth and Good News, to be the beacons of God’s light in our world today, in the midst of our communities and among all those whom we encounter in life in each and every moments of our lives. We should always strive to be good role models and inspirations for everyone around us in how we live our faith. We are all reminded that each and every one of us as Christians must always be filled with commitment and true devotion and love for the Lord, our God. We must not be easily swayed, tempted and led astray by the falsehoods and the temptations of the evil ones, all those who have desired and wanted for our destruction and doom. There are always challenges, trials and temptations facing us on our way, and we must always remain strong, remembering and reminding ourselves that there are many of our fellow brothers and sisters around us, all of us, believers in Christ, who have also been facing challenges, trials and difficulties at all times for God’s sake. May the Lord continue to strengthen us in our faith and give us the courage and the power to endure the many challenges and trials present all around us, that hopefully we will continue to live righteously and worthily in the path that God has shown and taught us, and following in the examples of the Holy Saints and martyrs, particularly that of St. Martin of Tours, whose feast we celebrate and whose memory we venerate and remember today. As we remember the words of wisdom from the Scriptures and the life of St. Martin of Tours, let us all continue to strive to do our best to live our lives in the manner that is truly holy and worthy of God. All of us should always continue to live our every day living with genuine devotion and commitment to God, showing the love of God manifested through our actions, through our genuine care and concern for those around us, much as St. Martin of Tours and the many other Holy men and women of God had done, those who are our inspirations and role models to follow. May we all also become good and worthy role models for our fellow brethren as well. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace to be open to His presence. May the Lord continue to guide us and strengthen us in our journey, and may He bless us all in our every good deeds, efforts and endeavours, now and always, forevermore. Amen🙏

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER:

MONTH OF THE HOLY SOULS: The Catholic Church dedicates the entire month of November to praying in a special way for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. The Holy Souls (also called the Faithful Departed) are members of the Church who await the purification of their souls before joining the Saints in heaven for all eternity. Specifically, they are referred to as the Church Suffering (the Saints in heaven are the Church Triumphant, and the faithful on earth are the Church Militant).The poor souls in purgatory cannot pray for themselves or do anything to hasten their entrance into heaven, but we can and ought to pray for them as an act of charity. The feast of the Holy Souls is November 2nd. 

The entire month of November falls during the liturgical season known as Tempus per Annum or Ordinary Time (formerly Time After Pentecost), which is represented by the liturgical color green. Green is a symbol of hope, as it is the color of the sprouting seed and arouses in the faithful the hope of reaping the eternal harvest of heaven, especially the hope of a glorious resurrection. The liturgical color green is worn during the praying of Offices and celebration of Masses of Ordinary Time. The last portion of the liturgical year represents the time of our pilgrimage to heaven during which we hope for reward. As we come to the end of the Church year we are asked to consider the end times, our own as well as the world’s.

The month of November is very full of Memorials, feasts and solemnities. The main feast days are the Solemnity of All Saints (November 1), The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls) (November 2), the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome (November 9), The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (November 24), and St. Andrew (November 30).
The other saint days are: St. Charles Borromeo, (November 4), Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome (November 9), St. Martin of Tours, (November 11), St. Josaphat (November 12), St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (November 13) St. Albert the Great (November 15), Sts. Margaret of Scotland and Gertrude (November 16), Presentation of Mary (November 21), St. Cecilia (November 22), Sts. Clement I and St. Columban (November 23), and
St. Catherine of Alexandria (November 25). The commemorations of St. Martin de Porres (November 3), St. Leo the Great (November 10), St. Elizabeth of Hungary (November 17), and St. Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions (November 24) fall on Sundays and are superseded by the Sunday Liturgy.

https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/overviews/months/10_1.cfm

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – FOR ANYONE WHO HAS LOST A CHILD: We pray that all parents who mourn the loss of a son or daughter find support in their community and receive peace and consolation from the Holy Spirit.

https://www.usccb.org/prayers/popes-monthly-intentions-2024

PRAYER FOR PEACE ~ POPE FRANCIS:

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!

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

During this Ordinary Time, please let us all continue to pray for peace all over the world, particularly in Africa, Nigeria, 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 INTENTIONS: During this season of the Ordinary Time, through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for our children and children all over the world, we pray for their health, safety and well-being, we particularly pray for those who have no one to care for them and those who are terminally ill, we pray for God’s Divine healing upon them. We pray for all mothers, wives, those going through challenges in their marriages, Victims of verbal and spousal abuse, and we pray for peace, love and unity in our families and our world. Every life is a gift. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. 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 Vocation to the Priesthood and Religious life. We particularly pray for all Youths and all Seminarians. 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 most compassionate Lord, You love the sinner and deeply desire that they turn to You in their need. Please give me Your heart of compassion so that I will be free to love them as You love them. May I never become an instrument of temptation for them to fall further away from You but, instead, become an instrument of Your unfailing mercy. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Most Precious Blood of Jesus, have mercy on us. Our Blessed Mother Mary; Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop and Saint Mennas, Martyr ~ Pray for us 🙏

Thanking God for the gift of this day 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. Have a blessed, safe, grace-filled and fruitful week🙏

Blessings and  always, Philomena💖

Daily Reflections | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/

Foundation | https://gliopiepehe.org

Sir G.L.I Opiepe’s Health and Education Foundation |