Author: Resa

TENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY ~ FEAST DAY: JUNE 14, 2024

Greetings beloved family and Happy Friday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time!

On this special feast day, with special intention, we pray for all families and for the safety and well-being of our children and children all over the world. We continue to pray for the Church, the Clergy, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Cardinals, Bishops, all Priests, that they be sanctified in their ministry to God’s people. We pray for persecuted Christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world suffering from political and religious unrest. May God protect us all and keep united in peace, love, and faith… Amen 🙏

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN on YouTube | June 14, 2024 |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | June 14, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” |June 14, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | June 14, 2024 |

Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy | from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | June 14, 2024 |

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

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

Today’s Bible Readings, Friday, June 14, 2024
Reading 1, First Kings 19:9, 11-16
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 27:7-8, 8-9, 13-14
Gospel, Matthew 5:27-32.

SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT ELISHA, THE PROPHET; SAINT METHODIUS, PATRIARCH OF CONSTANTINOPLE AND SAINT JOSEPH THE HYMNOGRAPHER, PRIEST ~ FEAST DAY: JUNE 14 Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Elisha, The Prophet; Saint Methodius, Patriarch of Constantinople, and Saint Joseph, the Hymnographer, Priest. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the sick and dying, especially those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. We also pray for the poor and the needy, for peace, love, and unity in our families and our world. And we continue to pray for the Church, the Clergy, for persecuted christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world.🙏

SAINT ELISHA, THE PROPHET: Saint Elisha, The Prophet (c 790 BC),  the successor of Elias also called Eliseus, whose name in Hebrew means “God is Salvation,” was an Old Testament Saint with many amazing miracles. St. Elisha was the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah, and you shall anoint as prophet in your place. (1 Kings 19:16). Elisha was to be anointed as prophet because he was Elijah’s God-appointed successor. Elisha was a prophet in the northern kingdom of Israel in the 800s BC. His moment of calling was rather mystical: Elisha was plowing his father’s field with twelve yoke of oxen when his predecessor, Elijah, came along and cast his mantle upon him, placing his mantle over Elisha’s shoulders―a symbol of a call to share in prophetic work, indicating thereby that Elisha was to succeed him. Elisha requested time to say farewell to his parents and then slew the oxen, gave the meat to the people, and joined Elijah.

Prophet Elisha was the messenger of God during the reigns of Jehu, Jehoahaz, and Jehoash in Israel. Before Elijah was taken up in a fiery chariot and into the whirlwind, Elisha asked to “inherit a double-portion” of Elijah’s spirit. After Elijah was taken up to Heaven, Elisha received a “double portion” of his spirit (2 Kings 2:9). This led to Elisha performing twice as many miracles as Elijah. Throughout the whole course of his life, the prophet, Elisha, accomplished a significant number of miracles. One of his first miracles was taking the mantle of Elijah and striking the water, making it part in two (2 Kings 2:14). Many of his miracles were similar to what Elijah performed, including the miraculous multiplication of a widow’s jar of oil. To relieve the widow importuned by a hard creditor, Elisha so multiplied a little oil as to enable her, not only to pay her indebtedness, but to provide for her family needs (2 Kgs 4:1-7). When he died, a man was cast into his grave and was miraculously revived after touching the bones of Elisha (2 Kings 13:21). Prophet Elisha won the gratitude of the people of Jericho for healing its barren ground by adding salt to its waters. When the armies of Judah, Israel, and Edom, then allied against Mesa, the Moabite king, were being tortured by drought in the Idumæan desert, Elisha consented to intervene. His double prediction regarding relief from drought and victory over the Moabites was fulfilled on the following morning (2 Kgs 3:4-24). To reward the rich lady of Shunam for her hospitality, he restored to life her son (2 Kgs 4:18-37). To nourish the sons of the prophets pressed by famine, Elisha changed into wholesome food the pottage made from poisonous gourds (2 Kgs 4:38-41).

During the military incursions of Syria into Israel, Elisha cured Naaman the Syrian of his leprosy by simply sending him word that he was to bathe in the Jordan seven times. At first reluctant, Naaman obeyed the Prophet, and after washed seven times in the Jordan, he was healed. Jesus referred to this when he said: “And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet: and none of them was cleansed but Naaman the Syrian” (Luke 4:27). Elisha’s life and activities are found in 1 and 2 Kings, and he is commemorated on this date in the 2004 Roman Martyrology. His feast day is observed by the Carmelites who claim descent from Elias and Elisha, who lived on Mount Carmel.

PRAYER: O God, protector and redeemer of the human family, whose wonders have been proclaimed through the wonders accomplished by your chosen prophets, you have bestowed the spirit of Elijah on your prophet Elisha: in your kindness grant us too an increase in the gifts of the Holy Spirit so that, living as prophets, we will bear constant witness to your abiding presence and providence. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen🙏

SAINT METHODIUS, PATRIARCH OF CONSTANTINOPLE: Saint Methodius worked for unity and reconciliation in the Eastern Church and served as the Patriarch of Constantinople the last five years of his life. St. Methodius was born in Syracuse into a rich family. The son of rich and distinguished Sicilian, St. Methodius received an excellent education in his native Syracuse. Having a vocation to serve God, he went while still in his youth off to Constantinople to obtain a position at court, but instead decided to enter the religious life. He first felt the call to enter religious life while in Constantinople, where he had gone to seek a position at court. He left for the island of Chios, where he built a monastery and started a monastic community on the island of Chios with his means. However, his time at the monastery was short-lived since he was summoned by the Patriarch of Constantinople, St. Nicephorus to help govern the diocese and create unity after a debate broke out on the use of icons in worship. When the second Iconoclastic persecution erupted, under Leo the Armenian. St. Methodius fearlessly defended the cult of sacred images. After the deposition and exile of St. Nicephorus, however, St. Methodius was commanded to bring Pope paschal I an account of the state of things in the Near East. So he made his way to Rome and remained there until Leo’s death. In 821, he returned under the new Emperor Michael the Stammerer but was flogged, deported, and confined on the island of Antigoni in the Propontus for seven years. He returned as patriarch in 842 and continued to work for unity.

Upon the death of the Emperor in 842, his widow Theodora became Regent for her infant son Michael III, and she appointed St. Methodius Patriarch of Constantinople. The holy man—rendered a scarecrow of his former self by his suffering and provations—immediately convoked a Council, which reaffirmed the lawfulness of venerating sacred images. To stress this fact, an annual Feast of Orthodoxy was instituted, and it continues to be observed on the First Sunday of Lent in all Byzantine Churches. This heroic Patriarch, who went to his heavenly reward on June 14, 847, was a prolofoc writer but we possess only fragments of his many poetical, theological, and controversial works, and a complete Life of St. Theophanes.

PRAYER: God, Light and Shepherd of souls, You established St. Methodius as Bishop in Your Church to feed Your flock by his word and form it by his example. Help us through his intercession to keep the faith he taught by his word and follow the way he showed by his example. Amen🙏

SAINT JOSEPH THE HYMNOGRAPHER, PRIEST: St. Joseph the Hymnographer (816-883 A.D.), “the sweet-voiced nightingale of the Church,” was a tireless servant of the Lord, glorifying Him in life, in works, and through writing countless hymns and canons to the saints. Despite a lifetime of struggle, suffering, and imprisonment, Saint Joseph produced a catalog of writings which remain today, as well as over 1,000 hymns, many of which are still sung by modern congregations. Through his legacy of writings and song, Saint Joseph preserved a priceless record of the history of our faith—a faith which continues, unchanged and unabated, today.

St. Joseph of Hymnographer was born in 816 at Sicily to a pious Christian family around the turn of the 9th century into a pious Christian family. When Muslims invaded the island, his parents, Plotinos and Agatha, moved to the Peloponnesos, Greece to escape persecution and save themselves from barbarian invasions. When he was fifteen, Saint Joseph went to Thessalonica and entered the monastery of Latomos and grew in holiness and virtue. He was distinguished by his piety, his love for work, and his meekness; and he gained the good will of all the brethren of the monastery. He was later ordained as a priest. St. Gregory the Dekapolite took Joseph with him to Constantinople to defend the traditional reverence of icons in opposition to the iconoclast heresy. St. Joseph was then chosen by the local clergy to be a messenger to Pope Leo III to obtain the Holy Father’s assistance in battling the iconoclast heretics, who were gaining power and influence. On his way to Rome, St. Joseph was captured by Muslims who delivered him into the hands of the iconoclast heretics. While held a prisoner, St. Nicholas appeared to Joseph and asked him to sing in the name of God. After six years St. Joseph was freed from prison and returned to Constantinople, where he founded a monastery dedicated to his friend St. Gregory. He also dedicated a church in the name of St. Bartholomew, to whom he had a devotion. St. Bartholomew then appeared to Joseph in a dream and encouraged him to write hymns for the Church. After writing his first hymn in honor of St. Bartholomew, St. Joseph dedicated other hymns to St. Nicholas, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and other saints. During his life he composed nearly 1,000 hymns. When another wave of iconoclasm arose, he again stood steadfast against it and was exiled for eleven years as a result; he was later exiled a second time for defending orthodox Christian doctrine. He finally died on April 3, 886 A.D.in Constantinople. The following is a selection of Hymns by St. Joseph: Let Us Now Our Voices Raise; Stars of the Morning; And Wilt Thou Pardon, Lord; O Happy Band of Pilgrims (by John M. Neale, based on words by Joseph the Hymnographer). His feast day is June 14.

Saint Joseph the Hymnographer, Priest ~ Pray for us🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:

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

Gospel Reading ~ Matthew 5:27-32

“Everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart”

“Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna. “It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce. But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

In today’s Gospel reading, our Lord Jesus Christ spoke to His disciples on the matter of true obedience to the Lord, to His Law and commandments, reminding each and every one of them that they should all be truly faithful to God, and to do whatever they can so that they would not fall into the temptations to sin and to disobey God. He mentioned without mincing His words, that should any of them were tempted and swayed to sin by any of their body parts, they should cut them off without hesitation, to remind them figuratively that sin is truly dangerous and if we do not keep vigilant against all the temptations to sin, we can indeed fall into eternal damnation and destruction, out of which there is no way out. Essentially, the Lord was telling His disciples and all of us that we must truly understand and appreciate His Law, His way and His path. We cannot be those who merely carry on living our lives day after day and then not understanding what it is that He is calling all of us to do. Each and every one of us need to grow ever stronger in our relationship with God, to find out more what He wants us to be, to be holy and worthy of Him in all things. He has called us all to do His will just like how He had called the prophet Elijah to do His will. Are we willing to commit ourselves to path that the Lord has shown us? And are we willing to devote our time and attention to be ever more dedicated to God in all things, so that our every good works, efforts, and endeavours will always proclaim God’s glory?

Our first reading today from the First Book of Kings, the prophet Elijah was called by God to the holy mountain, Mount Sinai, the same place which the Israelites had once gone to during the time of their Exodus and journey from Egypt towards the Promised Land of Canaan. At that occasion, the prophet Elijah was journeying from the land of Israel after being persecuted by the king of Israel, Ahab, and the king’s wife, Jezebel, all of whom had been wicked and refused to believe in the Lord as they should have. The prophets and messengers of God had been persecuted and killed, and Elijah himself had to flee for his life, and at the same time, the transgressions committed by the Israelite king and his people became worse and worse. God called Elijah to follow Him, and to go where He called him to go. He protected and provided Elijah with food and nourishment in the wilderness, and eventually with that strength, he went on a long journey to Mount Sinai, which we heard about today. Elijah witnessed God coming towards him at Mount Sinai, first manifesting His coming through a great windstorm, an earthquake and a great fire, but God was not in all of them. Instead, God came with the sign of a gentle breeze, which was in fact a reminder to Elijah and to all the Israelites that while He is a truly mighty, all-powerful and fearsome God, Who destroyed His enemies and punished the sinners and the wicked ones, but at the same time, He is also always full of love, compassion and mercy.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all presented with the calling of God which He called on all of us to follow Him and to do what He has entrusted to us and what He has taught us all to do in our respective lives. Each and every one of us as Christians have been entrusted with the various responsibilities and missions in our diverse commitments and vocations, in each and every parts of our lives. As God’s people and disciples, as His beloved and holy ones, we must indeed strive to be truly worthy of Him, to do whatever we must so that by our exemplary deeds and actions, by our virtues and obedience to God we may indeed become the shining beacons of His light and truth at all times. Today, let us all discern carefully our path in life, and how we should live our lives so that we may grow ever stronger and more committed to our Christian faith and life. We have been entrusted with various commitments and missions in life, in our different areas and various communities, that in our own distinct and unique way of living our Christian lives in the most authentic way possible, we may continue to profess our faith in the Lord and proclaim Him ever more courageously and faithfully in each and every moments of our lives. All of us are the missionaries of the Lord and in our own respective lives, we should continue to be evangelising, missionary and being vibrant in the living of our faith. May the Lord continue to bless us all and be with His Church, so that we may continue to be strengthened and encouraged to overcome whatever challenges and difficulties that may come our way. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace, a d may He continue to empower us so that we may truly be ever closer to Him and be ever more willing to dedicate ourselves to His cause, for the salvation of the whole world, like that of the prophet Elijah and those holy predecessors, the holy Saints, holy men and women of God who had gone before us. Amen🙏

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF JUNE: The month of June is set apart for devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. “From among all the proofs of the infinite goodness of our Savior none stands out more prominently than the fact that, as the love of the faithful grew cold, He, Divine Love Itself, gave Himself to us to be honored by a very special devotion and that the rich treasury of the Church was thrown wide open in the interests of that devotion.” These words of Pope Pius XI refer to the Sacred Heart Devotion, which in its present form dates from the revelations given to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1673-75.

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE – FOR MIGRANTS FLEEING THEIR HOMES: We pray that migrants fleeing from war or hunger, forced to undertake journeys full of danger and violence, find welcome and new opportunities in the countries that receive them.

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

PRAYER FOR PEACE ~ POPE FRANCIS:

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!

We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced; how much blood has been shed; how many lives have been shattered; how many hopes have been buried… But our efforts have beķķen in vain. Now, Lord, come to our ajnid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: “Never again war!”; “With war everything is lost”. Instill in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace. Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarreling into forgiveness. Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words “division”, “hatred” and “war” be banished from the heart of every man and woman. Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands. Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be “brother”, and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam! Amen🙏

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

On this special feast day, as we continue to celebrate our risen Lord, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we pray for the Clergy and religious as they serve in the Lord’s Vineyard. We also pray for the sick and dying. We especially pray for our loved ones who have recently died and we continue to remember our beloved, we pray for the repose of their gentle souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

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 & the Holy Spirit forever & ever. Amen🙏

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

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. Every life is a gift. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the gentle soul of our beloved family members who recently passed away and the souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. 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, with special intention for those Seminarians who will be ordained into Priesthood. 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 true Friend, I thank You for loving me with a perfect love. I pray that I will always be open to that love so that my unity with You will ever deepen. I also pray that I will be an instrument of Your love to others. Please give me the grace to love everyone in my life in the way that You love them, nothing less and nothing more. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Most Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Elisha, The Prophet and Saint Methodius, Patriarch of Constantinople and Saint Joseph the Hymnographer ~ Pray Pray 🙏

Thanking God for the gift of the Holy Spirit  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 love always, Philomena 💖

TENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

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

Greetings beloved family and Happy Thursday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time!

On this special feast day of St. Anthony of Padua, with special intention we pray for all families and for the safety and well-being of our children and children all over the world. We continue to pray for the Church, the Clergy, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Cardinals, Bishops, all Priests, that they be sanctified in their ministry to God’s people. We pray for persecuted Christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world suffering from political and religious unrest. May God protect us all and keep united in peace, love and faith… Amen 🙏

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

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

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” |June 13, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | June 13, 2024 |

Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy | from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | June 13, 2024 |

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

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

Today’s Bible Readings, Thursday, June 13, 2024
Reading 1, First Kings 18:41-46
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 65:10, 10-11, 12-13
Gospel, Matthew 5:20-26

SAINT OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT ANTHONY OF PADUA, PRIEST AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH ~ FEAST DAY; JUNE 13TH Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Anthony of Padua and all the Saints on this special feast day, we humbly pray for the Poor, the needy and those who have suffered a loss. We also pray for the sick and dying, for peace, love and unity in our families and our world. With special intention for all those seeking for life partners. And we continue to pray for the Church, the Clergy, for persecuted christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world.🙏

SAINT ANTHONY OF PADUA, PRIEST AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH: St. Anthony of Padua (1195-1231), a Franciscan Priest is one of the most popular saints in the Church. Although he is popularly invoked today by those who have trouble finding lost objects, he was known in his own day as the “Hammer of Heretics” due to the powerful witness of his life and preaching. The saint known to the Church as Anthony of Padua was not born in the Italian city of Padua, nor was he originally named Anthony. St. Anthony is called “St. Anthony of Padua” on account of his long residence in that city, he was a native of Lisbon in Portugal, where he was born Fernando de Bouillon in 1195 to a powerful yet pious family, receiving the name of Ferdinand at his Baptism. He’s a son of an army officer named Martin and a virtuous woman named Mary. They had Ferdinand educated by a group of priests, and the young man made his own decision to enter religious life at age 15. His parents placed him at an early age in the community of the Canons of the Cathedral of Lisbon, by whom he was educated. At fifteen he entered the Order of Regular Canons of St. Augustine near Lisbon. He relinquished a life of nobility, wealth, and honor, and chose instead to serve God with the Augustinians. After two years he was sent to the convent of the Holy Cross of the same Order at Coimbra. Ferdinand initially lived in a monastery of the Augustinian order outside of Lisbon. But he disliked the distraction of constant visits from his friends, and moved to a more remote house of the same order. There, he concentrated on reading the Bible and the Church Fathers, while living a life of asceticism and heartfelt devotion to God.

Eight years later, in 1220, Ferdinand learned the news about five Franciscan friars who had recently died for their faith in Morocco. When their bodies were brought to Portugal for veneration, Ferdinand developed a passionate desire to imitate their commitment to the Gospel. When a group of Franciscans visited his monastery, Ferdinand told them he wanted to adopt their poor and humble way of life. Some of the Augustinian monks criticized and mocked Ferdinand’s interest in the Franciscans, which had been established only recently, in 1209. But prayer confirmed his desire to follow the example of St. Francis, who was still living at the time. He eventually obtained permission to leave the Augustinians and join a small Franciscan monastery in 1221. At that time he took the name Anthony, after the fourth-century desert monk St. Anthony of Egypt. St. Anthony wanted to imitate the Franciscan martyrs who had died trying to convert the Muslims of Morocco. He traveled on a ship to Africa for this purpose, but became seriously ill and could not carry out his intention. The ship that was supposed to take him to Spain for treatment was blown off course, and ended up in Italy. Through this series of mishaps, St. Anthony ended up near Assisi, where St. Francis was holding a major meeting for the members of his order. Despite his poor health, St. Anthony resolved to stay in Italy in order to be closer to St. Francis himself. He deliberately concealed his deep knowledge of theology and Scripture, and offered to serve in the kitchen among the brothers. At the time, no one realized that the future “Hammer of Heretics” was anything other than a kitchen assistant and obedient Franciscan priest.

St. Anthony became a preacher by accident. Around 1224, when a scheduled preacher did not show up for an ordination ceremony at Forli, the Franciscan superior told St. Anthony to go into the pulpit. St. Anthony was forced to deliver an improvised speech before an assembly of Dominicans and Franciscans, none of whom had prepared any remarks. His eloquence stunned the crowd, and St. Francis himself soon learned what kind of man the dishwashing priest really was and he was assigned to preach throughout northern Italy. In 1224 St. Francis gave St. Anthony permission to teach theology in the Franciscan order –  “provided, however, that as the Rule prescribes, the spirit of prayer and devotion may not be extinguished.” St. Anthony taught theology in several French and Italian cities, while strictly following his Franciscan vows and preaching regularly to the people. Later, he dedicated himself entirely to the work of preaching as a missionary in France, Italy and Spain, teaching an authentic love for God to many people – whether peasants or princes – who had fallen away from Catholic faith and morality. Known for his bold preaching and austere lifestyle, St. Anthony also had a reputation as a worker of miracles, which often came about in the course of his disputes with heretics. Because of his success in converting heretics, he was called the “Hammer of Heretics”. St. Anthony of Padua was such a forceful preacher that shops closed when he came to town, and people stayed all night in church to be present for his sermons. He became associated with Padua because he made this city his residence and the center of his great preaching mission. His biographers mention a horse, which refused to eat for three days, and accepted food only after it had placed itself in adoration before the Eucharist that Anthony brought in his hands. Another miracle involved a poisoned meal, which Anthony ate without any harm after making the sign of the Cross over it. And a final often recounted miracle of St. Anthony’s involved a group of fish, who rose out of the sea to hear his preaching when heretical residents of a city refused to listen.

We may wonder why we always see Saint Anthony with the Child Jesus in his arms. The account of this heavenly visitation was told only after his death, at the official process concerning his virtues and miracles. It was narrated by the man who witnessed the marvel in question; the Saint himself had never spoken of it. Saint Anthony was in the region of Limoges in France, and was offered hospitality, rest and silence by this businessman of the region, in his country manor. He was given a room apart, to permit him to pray in peace; but during the night his host looked toward his lighted window and saw in the brilliance a little Infant of marvelous beauty in the arms of the Saint, with His own around the Friar’s neck. The witness trembled at the sight, and in the morning Saint Anthony, to whom it had been revealed that his host had seen the visitation, called him and enjoined him not to tell it as long as he was alive. The town near Limoges where this occurred remains unknown; the original account of the inquiry does not name it, but says that the man in question narrated it, with tears, after Saint Anthony’s death.

After Lent in 1231, St. Anthony’s health was in decline. Following the example of his patron – the earlier St. Anthony, who had lived as a hermit – he retreated to a remote location, taking two companions to help him. When his worsening health forced him to be carried back to the Franciscan monastery in Padua, crowds of people converged on the group in hopes of paying their homage to the holy priest. The commotion surrounding his transport forced his attendants to stop short of their destination. He did not reach the city but was taken to the Poor Clare convent at Arcella, where he died. After receiving the last rites, St. Anthony prayed the Church’s seven traditional penitential psalms, sung a hymn to the Virgin Mary, and died on June 13, 1231at the age of 36. Though he was denied the grace of Martyr’s death, St. Anthony was a Martyr of the Word, a Martyr of the road, a Martyr of the crowds. So numerous were those who flocked to hear him that often forced to preach in the open air. Pope Gregory IX, who heard him preach, called him during his lifetime the Arca Testamenti, meaning “the living repository of the Holy Scriptures” and Pope Pius XII, when he proclaimed him a Doctor of the Church, declared that he based all that he said on the texts of the Gospels, and could justly be called the Evangelical Doctor. St. Anthony’s well-established holiness, combined with the many miracles he had worked during his lifetime, moved Pope Gregory IX – who knew the saint personally – to canonize him one year after his death and was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XII in 1946. “St. Anthony, residing now in heaven, is honored on earth by many miracles daily seen at his tomb, of which we are certified by authentic writings,” proclaimed the 13th-century Pope. He is the Patron Saint of those Who have suffered a loss; lost items; lost people; lost souls; the poor; against shipwrecks; against starvation; Custody of the Holy Land; American Indians; amputees; animals; asses; barrenness; boatmen; Brazil; diocese of Beaumont, Texas; diocese of San Antonia, Texas; domestic animals; elderly people; expectant mothers; faith in the Blessed Sacrament; Ferrazzano, Italy; fishermen; harvests; horses; Lisbon, Portugal; lower animals; mail; mariners; oppressed people; Padua, Italy; paupers; poor people; Portugal; pregnant women; invoked by single women seeking for life partners; sailors; sterility; swineherds; Tigua Indians; travel hostesses; travelers; watermen and fishermen. He is renowned as the finder of lost articles. His feast day is June 13.

“Charity is the soul of faith, makes it alive; without love, faith dies.”~St Anthony of Padua

PRAYER: Almighty ever-living God, You gave Your people the extraordinary preacher St. Anthony and made him an intercessor in difficulties. By his aid grand that we may live a truly Christian life and experience Your help in all adversities… Amen🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:

Bible Readings for today, Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church | Thursday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ Matthew 5:20-26

“Whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment”

“Jesus said to His disciples: “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven. “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus declares that if any of His Jewish contemporaries were bringing their offering to the altar in the Jewish temple and they remember that someone has something against them they should first be reconciled with their brother or sister and only then present their offering. The Lord will always send us out to work to be reconciled with those who have something against us. We may not succeed in our efforts, but the Lord calls on us to be prepared always to make the first move. ‘Go and be reconciled’ Jesus declares. We are not just to wait for others to take the initiative; we have to make the move, even if in doing so we fail. The Lord took the initiative to reconcile us to Himself, through His life, death and resurrection; He calls on us to be as ready as He was to take the same initiative when a relationship needs reconciling. We have all experienced anger and can recognize its destructive power even in ourselves. We have all perceived some people in ways that lead us to speak of them or to them in a manner that is disrespectful. Even though we may differ from others at the level of action, when it comes to that deeper level that Jesus talks about in the Gospel reading we all have much more in common. Jesus calls for a virtue that goes deeper than the virtue of the scribes and the Pharisees. He is looking for a virtue that is at the level of the heart or inner core of the person and not simply at the level of action. That virtue at the deeper level that drives our actions is one we are all constantly striving to attain. It can only be attained with the of the Holy Spirit, whose power at work within us can begin to shape all we do and how and why we do it.

Our first reading today from the First Book of Kings of Israel and Judah is the continuation of the story of the life and ministry of the prophet Elijah that happened during the reign of king Ahab of Israel, the wicked and unfaithful king who had led the people of Israel down a path of rebellion and disobedience against God. At that time, the people of the northern kingdom of Israel had long been disobedient against God, refusing to follow His Law and commandments because of the kings that had been wicked and stubborn in their ways, promoting pagan worship and the establishment of pagan idols and abominations, altars and sacrifices that were not directed to the Lord, their one and only true God. And king Ahab brought this to a new low by his wicked actions and further disobedience against God. He persecuted the prophets and messengers of God, slaughtering and destroying them, refusing to listen to the words of premonition and warning which these prophets had spoken in reminding the people of the consequences of their wickedness and their sins against God. Elijah was the only prophet of God who remained active and alive back then, and he had to endure many hardships amidst his ministry. Elijah spoke of a great drought and famine that would strike against the whole land of Israel, and everything indeed happened as he had said, as rain did not come towards the land of Israel for several years. Our first reading today describes the moment when God through the prophet Elijah was showing His power to king Ahab of Israel. He showed to Ahab just how He had withheld the rain from coming over the land for years, He also brought the rain back over the land. By doing this, He essentially showed that He is truly in charge of all things, and just as He has also shown His might at Mount Carmel earlier on, bringing down fire upon the sacrificial offerings of Elijah while Baal, the god that king Ahab and the Israelites worshipped failed to do so, all these served to further highlight to the king and to the people of Israel of their folly of not obeying the words and the Law of God, their Lord and Master. The people have sinned because they preferred to follow their own ways and did not truly believe in God as they should have done.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, the Lord speaking to us through the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that each and every one of us ought to obey the Lord our God, listen to Him and His words, walking in the path that He has shown to us. All of us as God’s beloved and holy people had been called to a life that is truly full of His grace and love by living our lives each day with the desire to be righteous, full of virtue and truly being worthy of the Lord. All of us have been called to be like God Himself, full of love, compassion and mercy towards each other, just as the Lord has always been loving and compassionate towards us in each and every moments of our lives. Let us all therefore be reminded of the need for each and every one of us to renew our faith and commitment to the Lord. Through the words of the Lord and the life and actions of all the Saints, and Holy men and women, especially St. Anthony of Padua, who we celebrate today. All of us are reminded that as Christians, each and every one of us must indeed centre and focus our whole lives, our attention and all of our efforts on the Lord. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and may the Lord our loving God continue to strengthen us in faith and in our conviction so that by our every words, actions and deeds we may continue to glorify Him and proclaim Him and His Good News to all the people around us. Amen 🙏

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF JUNE: The month of June is set apart for devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. “From among all the proofs of the infinite goodness of our Savior none stands out more prominently than the fact that, as the love of the faithful grew cold, He, Divine Love Itself, gave Himself to us to be honored by a very special devotion and that the rich treasury of the Church was thrown wide open in the interests of that devotion.” These words of Pope Pius XI refer to the Sacred Heart Devotion, which in its present form dates from the revelations given to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1673-75.

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE – FOR MIGRANTS FLEEING THEIR HOMES: We pray that migrants fleeing from war or hunger, forced to undertake journeys full of danger and violence, find welcome and new opportunities in the countries that receive them.

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

PRAYER FOR PEACE ~ POPE FRANCIS:

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!

We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced; how much blood has been shed; how many lives have been shattered; how many hopes have been buried… But our efforts have beķķen in vain. Now, Lord, come to our ajnid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: “Never again war!”; “With war everything is lost”. Instill in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace. Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarreling into forgiveness. Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words “division”, “hatred” and “war” be banished from the heart of every man and woman. Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands. Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be “brother”, and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam! Amen🙏

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

On this special feast day, as we continue to celebrate our risen Lord, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we pray for the Clergy and religious as they serve in the Lord’s Vineyard. We also pray for the sick and dying. We especially pray for our loved ones who have recently died and we continue to remember our beloved, we pray for the repose of their gentle souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

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 & the Holy Spirit forever & ever. Amen🙏

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

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. Every life is a gift. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the gentle soul of our beloved family members who recently passed away and the souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. 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, with special intention for those Seminarians who will be ordained into Priesthood. 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 merciful Lord, You call us to perfect freedom from all that burdens us. Anger burdens us. Help me to see the burden that my anger imposes upon me and help me to seek true freedom through the act of forgiveness and reconciliation. Please forgive me, dear Lord, as I forgive all who have hurt me. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Most Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Anthony of Padua ~ Pray for us🙏

Thanking God for the gift of the Holy Spirit 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 Love always, Philomena 💖

TENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

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

Greetings, beloved family and Happy Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time!

On this special feast day, with special intention we pray for all families and for the safety and well-being of our children and children all over the world. We continue to pray for the Church, the Clergy, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Cardinals, Bishops, all Priests, that they be sanctified in their ministry to God’s people. We pray for persecuted Christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world suffering from political and religious unrest. May God protect us all and keep united in peace, love and faith… Amen 🙏

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

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

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” |June 11, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | June 11, 2024 |

Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy | from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | June 11, 2024 |

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

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

Today’s Bible Readings, Tuesday, June 11, 2024
Reading 1, Acts 11:21-26; 13:1-3
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6
Gospel, Matthew 10:7-13

SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT BARNABAS, APOSTLE AND MARTYR [SON OF ENCOURAGEMENT] ~ FEAST DAY: JUNE 11TH On this feast, today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Barnabas, the Apostle and Martyr. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Barnabas and all the Saints on this special feast day, we humbly pray for the sick and dying, the poor and the needy. We also pray for peace, love and unity in our families and our world. And we continue to pray for the Church, the Clergy, for persecuted Christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world.🙏

SAINT BARNABAS, APOSTLE AND MARTYR [SON OF ENCOURAGEMENT]: St. Barnabas (1st c.) was a Jew of the tribe of Levi, but born in Cyprus, where the family settled. He was a Hellenist, that is, a Jew who lived outside of Palestine and spoke the Greek tongue. He was given the name Joseph at birth. The apostle and missionary was among Christ’s earliest followers and was responsible for welcoming St. Paul into the Church. Though not one of the 12 Apostles chosen by our Lord Jesus Christ, he is traditionally regarded as one of the 72 disciples of Christ and most respected man in the first century Church after the Apostles themselves. He is mentioned by name in the New Testament. A convert to the Christian faith in Jerusalem, he sold his property and preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles alongside St. Paul the Apostle and St. Mark the Evangelist. His success in preaching prompted the Apostles to change his name of Joseph to that of Barnabas—which means “Son of Exhortation” or “Consolation” or “Son of Encouragement.” He was highly esteemed among the Christian leaders at Jerusalem and Antioch, almost ranked among the twelve Apostles themselves. According to Acts 11:24: “Blessed is this holy man, who was worthy to be numbered among the Apostles, for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith.” He also was noted for his generosity in the early Christian community of Jerusalem (Act 4:36-37).

St. Barnabas was born to wealthy Jewish parents on the Greek-speaking island of Cyprus, probably around the time of Christ’s own birth. Traditional accounts hold that his parents sent him to study in Jerusalem, where he studied at the school of Gamaliel (who also taught St. Paul). Later on, when Christ’s public ministry began, Barnabas may have been among those who heard him preach in person. At some point, either during Christ’s ministry or after his death and resurrection, St. Barnabas decided to commit himself in the most radical way to the teachings he had received. He sold the large estate he had inherited, contributed the proceeds entirely to the Church, and joined Christ’s other Apostles in holding all of their possessions in common. It was St. Barnabas who befriended the recently converted and former persecutor of the Church, Saul of tarsus, and set him on the path to becoming the great Apostle Paul by introducing him to the Apostles (Act 9:27). Saul of Tarsus, the future St. Paul, was approached by St. Barnabas after the miraculous events surrounding his conversion, and was first introduced to St. Peter and the other Apostles when everyone was still distrusting the former persecutor. St. Barnabas vouched for the genuineness of St. Paul’s conversion and had him accepted as a Christian by the other Apostles. About five years later, Sts. Barnabas and Paul spent a year in Antioch, building up the Church community whose members were the first to go by the name of “Christians.” When St. Barnabas went to Antioch to consolidate the infant Church there, he asked St. Paul to share his labors. After laboring a year at Antioch, the two Apostles brought the offerings of the community to the famine-stricken poor of the Judean community (Acts 11:27-30). Both Sts. Paul and Barnabas received a calling from God to become the “Apostles of the Gentiles,” although the title is more often associated with St. Paul. The reference to the “laying-on of hands” in Acts, chapter 13, suggests that Sts. Paul and Barnabas may have been consecrated as bishops on this occasion.

Sts. Barnabas and Paul left Antioch along with Barnabas’ cousin John Mark, who would later compose the most concise account of Christ’s life and be canonized as St. Mark. The group’s first forays into the pagan world met with some success, but St. Mark became discouraged and returned to Jerusalem. The question of St. Mark’s dedication to the mission would arise again later, and cause a significant personal disagreement between Sts. Paul and Barnabas. For many years prior to this, however, the two Apostles traveled and preached among the Gentiles, suffering persecution and hardships for the sake of establishing Christianity among those of a non-Jewish background. The remarkable success of St. Barnabas and Paul led to one of the earliest controversies in Church history, regarding the question of whether Christian converts would have to observe Jewish rites. During the landmark Council of Jerusalem, recorded in the book of Acts, the assembled Apostles confirmed St. Peter’s earlier proclamation that the laws of the Old Testament would not be mandatory for Christians. Together with St. Paul, St. Barnabas preached the faith in Cyprus and central Asia (Acts 13-14) and attended the First Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:1-29). But on their return to Antioch they parted company when St. Barnabas wanted his nephew St. Mark to accompany them on their second missionary journey while St. Paul did not (Acts 15:30-40); accordingly, Sts. Barnabas and Paul finally separated in their ministries, while remaining Apostles of the one Catholic Church, over St. Paul’s insistence that St. Mark not travel with them again. St. Barnabas went back to Cyprus with St. Mark. The subsequent events of the life of St. Barnabas are not know for certain, except that he was known to the Corinthians (1 Cor 9:6). In death, however, the “Apostles to the Gentiles” were reunited. St. Mark is said to have buried St. Barnabas after he was killed by a mob in Cyprus around the year 62. St. Paul and St. Mark were, in turn, reconciled before St. Paul’s martyrdom five years later. He is said to have been stoned to death in Salamis in the year 61. According to tradition he died at Salamis in Cyprus, after being stoned and his body was found at Salamina in 488 A.D. St. Luke described St. Barnabas as ‘a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith’ (Acts 6:24), and he was known for his exceptional kindliness and personal sanctity, and his openness to pagans. St. Barnabas name is mentioned in the Canon of the Mass since ancient times. He’s the Patron Saint of Antioch; Cyprus; against hailstorms; invoked as peacemaker.

PRAYER: God, You commanded that St. Barnabas, who was full of faith and the Holy Spirit, should be set apart to labor for the conversion of the Gentiles. May Christ’s Gospel, which he preached with great ardor, continue to be preached faithfully by word and deed. Amen🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS

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

Gospel Reading ~ Matthew 10:7-13

“Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give”

“Jesus said to the Twelve: “As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave. As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you.”

In today’s Gospel reading from the Gospel of St. Matthew, Jesus sends out the twelve apostles on mission within Galilee, to proclaim the good news that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. He sent out His disciples and followers on missions, both to prepare His path and also to spread His works and missions to more places, by sending them two by two to proclaim the Good News of God to more and more people. He entrusted them all with the responsibilities to proclaim His salvation to everyone who were willing to listen to them so that more and more people will come to believe in God and be saved through their faith and trust in Him. St. Barnabas had done what the Lord had entrusted to him to do, as well as those of the other Apostles and disciples of the Lord. According to the Gospel, Jesus says to His followers, ‘You received without charge, give without charge’. One of the ways we give is by creating a space for others to give and to grow. This is where St. Barnabas comes into his own. He recognized and encouraged the workings of the Spirit in the lives of others. He didn’t try to do everything himself; he stepped back and allowed the Lord to work through others. That takes a certain generosity of spirit, a willingness to rejoice in the gifts of others and allow them to find expression. We can all learn from St. Barnabas that delicate art of creating space for others to flourish.

Our first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles details all the various activities and works which St. Barnabas had done in the missionary journeys he had taken, to Antioch and then to Tarsus, and it was also at this occasion that St. Barnabas took St. Paul with him, then still known as Saul, to join him in the evangelising and missionary works. St. Barnabas created an opening in the early church for St. Paul, when others were still suspicious of him because of his past persecution of the church. That was how then St. Barnabas and St. Paul were both entrusted with the important mission of proclaiming the Good News and truth of God to the non-Jewish people or the Gentiles. Both of them were sent with the mission to proclaim the Lord and His Good News to those people, and they were given the mission with the guidance and prayer of the Apostles, with the Holy Spirit leading them in their path and journey. As today’s first reading says, it was St. Barnabas who went looking for St. Paul in Tarsus, his native city, and brought him to Antioch because St. Barnabas saw that there was a great opening for St. Paul’s gifts in this city where the Gospel had been preached to pagans for the first time. St. Barnabas was what we call today an ‘enabler’. It is not surprising that his nickname in the early church, according to the Acts of the Apostles, was ‘son of encouragement’. That role of enabler or encourager remains a vital role in the church today. We all have the capacity to create openings where the gifts of someone else can flourish for the service of the whole church. It takes a certain humility to create a space where others can flourish to their potential in the service of the Lord. It is the attitude of John the Baptist expressed in his comment with regard to Jesus, ‘He must increase, but I must decrease’. The feast of St. Barnabas invites us to ask, ‘What can I do for someone so that Jesus may increase today?’

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, let us all be reminded of our own calling and mission in life, to be the faithful and committed disciples of the Lord in our own various fields and areas of commitment in life. Like St. Barnabas and his companion, St. Paul, they had been entrusted with the particular mission of reaching out to the non-Jewish people or the Gentiles because of their affinity to those who did not adhere to the Jewish customs and practices, and also their open-mindedness and willingness to reach out to those who had diverse backgrounds, unlike many among the Jewish community at that time. Each and every one of us have also been called to various missions and works in our respective lives. We have been given diverse opportunities and areas in life where we can contribute more to the spreading of the Good News of God, and where we can be the good role models and inspirations in life in whatever we have been called to be, be it as an ordained minister like Bishops and Priests, or as those in the religious and consecrated life, or those who have dedicated themselves in a holy life, of singlehood and all those who have built good and loving Christian families, filled with love and grace of God, with their children and all. All of us should do our best in our various missions and callings in life to commit ourselves to all that God had entrusted to us, in all the opportunities and blessings that He had granted to us. Each and every one of us have been truly blessed that God has entrusted these missions to us, and we should strive to make good use of these opportunities so that through our works and efforts, God may truly be glorified and He may indeed lead more and more souls to salvation and eternal life through our contributions and efforts, just as what St. Barnabas had done in his life and missions. May the Lord be with all of us in each and every moments of our lives, and may He continue to guide and strengthen us with the necessary resolve and encouragement so that we may continue to persevere in faith despite the challenges and trials we may have to face in our journey in life as Christians. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and like St. Barnabas, Holy Apostle, missionary and martyr, let us always be courageous in proclaiming the Lord, His truth, Good News and love to everyone we encounter each day and every moments in our lives, now and always. Amen 🙏

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF JUNE: The month of June is set apart for devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. “From among all the proofs of the infinite goodness of our Savior none stands out more prominently than the fact that, as the love of the faithful grew cold, He, Divine Love Itself, gave Himself to us to be honored by a very special devotion and that the rich treasury of the Church was thrown wide open in the interests of that devotion.” These words of Pope Pius XI refer to the Sacred Heart Devotion, which in its present form dates from the revelations given to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1673-75.

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE – FOR MIGRANTS FLEEING THEIR HOMES: We pray that migrants fleeing from war or hunger, forced to undertake journeys full of danger and violence, find welcome and new opportunities in the countries that receive them.

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

PRAYER FOR PEACE ~ POPE FRANCIS:

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!

We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced; how much blood has been shed; how many lives have been shattered; how many hopes have been buried… But our efforts have beķķen in vain. Now, Lord, come to our ajnid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: “Never again war!”; “With war everything is lost”. Instill in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace. Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarreling into forgiveness. Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words “division”, “hatred” and “war” be banished from the heart of every man and woman. Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands. Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be “brother”, and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam! Amen🙏

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

On this special feast day, as we continue to celebrate our risen Lord, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we pray for the Clergy and religious as they serve in the Lord’s Vineyard. We also pray for the sick and dying. We especially pray for our loved ones who have recently died and we continue to remember our beloved, we pray for the repose of their gentle souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

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 & the Holy Spirit forever & ever. Amen🙏

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

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. Every life is a gift. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the gentle soul of our beloved family members who recently passed away and the souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. 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, with special intention for those Seminarians who will be ordained into Priesthood. 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 Jesus, the true Light of the World, please shine brightly in my life so that I will see clearly and will be preserved from the darkness of sin. As You fill me with Your light, please use me as an instrument of Your love and mercy to a world filled with chaos and confusion. Dispel the darkness, dear Lord, and use me as Your instrument as You will. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Most Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Barnabas,  Apostle and Martyr ~ Pray for us🙏

Thanking God for the gift of the Holy Spirit on this special feast 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 Love always, Philomena 💖

TENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY ~ FEAST DAY: JUNE 10, 2024

Greetings, beloved family and Happy Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time!

On this special feast day, with special intention we pray for all families and for the safety and well-being of our children and children all over the world. We continue to pray for the Church, the Clergy, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Cardinals, Bishops, all Priests, that they be sanctified in their ministry to God’s people. We pray for persecuted Christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world suffering from political and religious unrest. May God protect us all and keep united in peace, love and faith… Amen 🙏

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN on YouTube | June 10, 2024 |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | June 10, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” |June 10, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | June 10, 2024 |

Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy | from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | June 10, 2024 |

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

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

Today’s Bible Readings, Monday, June 10, 2024
Reading 1, First Kings 17:1-7
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 121:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
Gospel, Matthew 5:1-12

SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT LANDRY (SAINT LANDERICUS), BISHOP OF PARIS; SAINT OLIVIA OF PALERMO, VIRGIN AND MARTYR AND BLESSED BOGUMILUS OF GNIEZNO, BISHOP ~ FEAST DAY: JUNE 10TH Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Landry (Saint Landericus), Bishop of Paris; Saint Olivia of Palermo, Virgin and Martyr and Bl. Bogumilus of Gniezno, Bishop. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for all mothers, wives, those going through challenges in their marriages, Victims of verbal and spousal abuse, we pray for peace, love and unity in our families and our world. We also pray for the sick and dying, especially those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases, for the souls of the faithful departed, may God grant them eternal rest. We pray for the poor and the needy and we continue to pray for the Church, the Clergy, for persecuted christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world. Amen🙏

SAINT LANDRY (SAINT LANDERICUS), BISHOP OF PARIS: St. Landry was the twenty seventh bishop of Paris, France.  He became bishop of Paris in 650 A.D., in the Frankish kingdom (formally Gaul) during the reign of Clovis II and served as bishop until his death. Saint Landry was a sincere and dedicated servant of God who had great love for the poor and the lowly. He’s known mainly for his work with the sick and the poor. From the time he was consecrated Bishop of Paris in 650 A.D., he devoted himself to their care – founding the city’s first hospital, dedicated to St Christopher, next to Notre Dame Cathedral which later became the Hôtel-Dieu de Paris. He was a very earnest and devout man, distinguished especially by his generosity and great love of the poor and by his charity during the famine of 651 A.D. To relieve the suffering of the poor, St. Landry sold not only his personal possessions but also some of the vessels and furniture of the church. St. Landry became increasingly aware that the sick poor of his diocese were not really cared for. The custom then was to house the sick in little hotels dependent on the inconsistent care from charitable persons. St. Landry had the idea to gather the sick under one roof in order to improve their treatment and reduce the risks of contagion, at a time when epidemics were fairly frequent. This led him to found the city’s first real hospital in 651 dedicated to St. Christopher. It was erected near Notre-Dame on the site of the dwelling place of Erchinoaldus, mayor of the palace In time. After the saint died the name was changed to the now-famous Hotel-Dieu (Hostel of God). This is the oldest hospital in the world still in operation.

Before becoming bishop, St. Landry had acted as referendary at the Merovingian court. It was he who instructed a monk named Marcolfus to write the Formulae, a collection of formulas used for a variety of legal issues. St. Landry was also responsible for the Benedictines’ setup of the Abbey of Saint-Denis. Always on the alert to provide spiritual help for his people, this saintly Bishop welcomed the Benedictines into his diocese and encouraged them to set up the Abbey of Saint Denis. In 653 AD, he signed, along with 24 other bishops, the famous foundation charter granted by King Clovis to the Abbey (Privilege of Clovis III), exempting it from episcopal jurisdiction. Clovis was the husband of Saint Bathilde, who in those years fostered the founding of numerous monasteries. St. Landry is also credited with having built the Parisian church of Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois, which later became the main parish of the royalty of France. St Landry died in 661 and was buried in the church of Saint-Germain-des-Pres, then called St Vincent’s, where there is a chapel dedicated to him. His relics, except two bones given to the parish of Saint Landry in 1408, are kept in a silver shrine. He is honored with an office in the new Paris Breviary. Numerous miracles—both during his life and following his death at his tomb—have been reported. During the French Revolution, as happened with the bodies of several other saints, the revolutionary fury caused the dispersion of most of his relics.

PRAYER: God, You made St. Landericus (St. Landry) an outstanding exemplar of Divine love and the Faith that conquers the world, and added him to the roll of saintly pastors. Grand by his intercession that we may persevere in Faith and love, and become shares of his glory. Amen. Saint Landry, Bishop of  Paris  ~ Pray for us🙏

SAINT OLIVIA OF PALERMO, VIRGIN AND MARTYR: St. Olivia or (Olive, for the olive branch, a symbol of peace, fruitfulness, dignity, and beauty) (448 – 463 A.D.) was the beautiful daughter of a noble family living near Palermo on the island of Sicily. She desired to serve God through her life as a consecrated virgin, and gave her wealth to the poor. At age 13 she was known for her beauty but announced that she wanted to give her life to God and her wealth to the poor and live a consecrated life. But then, the east German Vandal tribe started to expand into the Mediterranean. Vandal King Genseric took Palermo, and many Christians were martyred. St. Olivia was kidnapped and taken to the city of Tunis in Northern Africa. She faced down her captors, strengthened the faith of her fellow Christian prisoners and performed miracles that converted pagan prisoners to the Christian faith. Enraged, but careful about the popular maiden, the city’s governor had her expelled from the city to be a hermitess, where he hoped she would starve or be killed by wild beasts. She was found alive by hunters who at first tried to take advantage of her. She not only stopped them but converted their hearts.

They brought her back to civilization, where she continued to convert pagans. When she was found to have cured and converted many Muslims, the governor tried again. He threw her in prison to try to force her to apostatize. She was  tortured in prison. He had her scourged, stripped, and submerged in a cauldron of boiling oil. Her body and her faith remained unscathed. He sentenced her to be burned alive, but that didn’t work, either. After converting her executioner she was burned and finally beheaded. It’s said her soul was seen flying to heaven as the form of a dove. St. Olivia is held in esteem by Christians and Muslims today. In Tunisia there was an ancient Christian basilica dedicated in her honor and built on the site of her tomb; today a mosque rests on the site, yet it retains her name and the memory of her relics. St. Olivia is a virgin martyr venerated especially in Sicily and Tunisia. She’s Patron Saint of Music, Trivigliano, Italy. Her feast day is June 10th.

PRAYER: O Heavenly Patron, in whose name I glory, pray ever to God for me; strengthen me in my faith; establish me in virtue; guard me in the conflict; that I may vanquish the foe malign and attain to glory everlasting. Amen. Saint Olivia, Virgin and Martyr  ~ Pray for us🙏

BLESSED BOGUMILUS OF GNIEZNO, BISHOP: Bl. Bogumilus of Gniezno of Poland was Archbishop of Gniezno, Poland for 5 years, until he resigned his see and retired as a Camaldolese hermit. Pope St. Paul VI declared him the patron of the Archdiocese of Gniezno. Bl. Bogumilus was born to the Polish nobility, and the twin brother of Boguphalus. He studied in Paris, France and was ordained a priest. He served at Holy Trinity parish in Dobrow, Poland, a church that he built himself. He had a great dedication to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and loved solitude. His uncle, the Archbishop of Gniezno, made him the chancellor of Gniezno. Bl. Bogumilus later succeededed his uncle as Archbishop of Gniezno in 1167. During his time as archbishop he founded a Cistercian abbey at Koronowo. Through the five years of his episcopacy, he was opposed by his own clergy for his insistence on strict adherance to the clerical discipline and simple lifestyle. He resigned his see in 1172 and became a Camaldolese hermit at Uniedow, Poland for the last decade of his life. He died in 1204. His cult began immediately after his death, especially in eastern Poland, however the formal process of beatification didn’t begin until 1625 and stalled until 1908. Finally, Pope Pius XI beatified Bl. Bogumilus on May 27, 1925. Pope St. Paul VI declared him the patron of the Archdiocese of Gniezno, Poland.

Blessed Bogumilus of Gniezno, Bishop ~ Pray for us🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:

Bible Reasings for today, Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ Matthew 5:1-12

“Blessed are the poor in spirit”

“When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely bec ause of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

In today’s Gospel reading, in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus puts before His disciples, before us, a very demanding way of life. In the Beatitudes He declares that those who embrace such a way of life are blessed, are fortunate. The Beatitudes express in a very succinct form the vision of Jesus for human living, and, in particular, for living as His followers, as His disciples. The qualities Jesus refers to in those nine beatitudes find fullest expression in Jesus’ own life. He was ‘poor in spirit’ in that He recognized His dependence on God His Father for the work He was sent to do. He was ‘pure in heart’ in that His heart, His desire, was focused on doing God’s will and on the coming of God’s kingdom. He was ‘merciful’ in that He brought God’s merciful love to those who were broken in body, mind, heart or spirit. He ‘hungered and thirsted for what is right’, for what God wanted, and was prepared to be persecuted for being true to that deep hunger and thirst. When we look at the beatitudes, we are looking at Jesus, but we are also looking at the person that Jesus is calling us to become. To live the beatitudes is to become, in the words of Saint Paul, fully mature with the fullness of Christ Himself. When we live the beatitudes, as Jesus did, we will be truly blessed, because we will receive in abundance from God, ‘we will be comforted, we will be satisfied, we will have mercy shown us…’ This is indeed a Gospel passage that is worth pondering, allowing it to seep into us so that it really shapes us.

Our first reading today from the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah, details the moment when the Lord called His servant, the prophet Elijah from the kingdom of Israel, as he was sent to minister to the people of the northern kingdom of Israel. At that time, the king of the northern kingdom was king Ahab, who was very infamous for his wickedness and all that he had done in disobeying the Lord and in refusing to follow the path of God. In fact, king Ahab brought the people ever further from the Lord by introducing more pagan worship and practices, through the support of his wife, the wicked queen Jezebel. The prophet Elijah had a really difficult time in trying to do his mission among the Israelites, and this is because many of them were stubborn in their refusal to listen to the Lord and His prophets, including Elijah himself, and many of those prophets and messengers of God had been persecuted and even killed. Elijah himself had to evade persecutions and sufferings, and in this latest episode of his work, he told king Ahab that there would be great years of famine and drought throughout the land of Israel as a consequence and punishment for the sins and wickedness of the Israelites and their king. Elijah had to flee to the wilderness as God guided him to escape from the king and anyone who might have sought to blame and destroy him for his role in the famine and drought. But Elijah obeyed the Lord faithfully and committed him to the missions that had been entrusted to him by the Lord. He allowed the Lord to guide him to wherever he was sent to, and he continued to devote himself thoroughly to the Lord despite the challenges and hardships that he had to encounter and endure throughout his missions. The prophet Elijah followed the Lord and went on to do many great things, despite having to move from places to places, suffering many things, but he did so gladly because he had faith and trust in the Lord. He showed us all the great examples and inspiration so that we all may also follow in his footsteps in how we should also follow the Lord.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded of what we all need to do as those whom God had called and chosen to be His own people, to be those whom He has considered to be His children. Each and every one of us should continue to do what the Lord Himself has taught and shown us through His Church, and all the teachings and ways passed down upon us, so that by our every actions, our every words and works, our interactions with one another, all of us will continue to live ever more faithfully in the Lord, and be exemplary in all things. Let us all therefore strive to renew our faith in the Lord and to commit ourselves ever more thoroughly to His cause from now on. Let us all continue to do what the Lord has entrusted to us in the various missions and things which He had given to us, so that by our every actions, works and efforts we may continue to be committed to the Lord in all the things that we say and do. Hopefully our lives and actions, our every interactions and commitments will truly be good examples and we may be good inspirations for everyone around us, for our fellow brothers and sisters in the Church of God, inspiring others to follow in our footsteps just as the prophet Elijah and many others have inspired us to follow them in their examples. Let us all be reminded of the Eight Beatitudes and everything that we are all encouraged to do as Christians so that by our good and exemplary lives, we may indeed be blessed by God, and by our examples, we may bring forth this blessings to everyone around us as well. May our lives always be the inspiration for others and may we all continue to devote ourselves and our whole way of life, our every moments to glorify God at all times. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and may He continue to empower and strengthen us in our daily struggles in life, now and forevermore. Amen 🙏

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF JUNE: The month of June is set apart for devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. “From among all the proofs of the infinite goodness of our Savior none stands out more prominently than the fact that, as the love of the faithful grew cold, He, Divine Love Itself, gave Himself to us to be honored by a very special devotion and that the rich treasury of the Church was thrown wide open in the interests of that devotion.” These words of Pope Pius XI refer to the Sacred Heart Devotion, which in its present form dates from the revelations given to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1673-75.

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE – FOR MIGRANTS FLEEING THEIR HOMES: We pray that migrants fleeing from war or hunger, forced to undertake journeys full of danger and violence, find welcome and new opportunities in the countries that receive them.

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

PRAYER FOR PEACE ~ POPE FRANCIS:

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!

We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced; how much blood has been shed; how many lives have been shattered; how many hopes have been buried… But our efforts have beķķen in vain. Now, Lord, come to our ajnid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: “Never again war!”; “With war everything is lost”. Instill in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace. Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarreling into forgiveness. Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words “division”, “hatred” and “war” be banished from the heart of every man and woman. Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands. Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be “brother”, and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam! Amen🙏

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

On this special feast day, as we continue to celebrate our risen Lord, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we pray for the Clergy and religious as they serve in the Lord’s Vineyard. We also pray for the sick and dying. We especially pray for our loved ones who have recently died and we continue to remember our beloved, we pray for the repose of their gentle souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

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 & the Holy Spirit forever & ever. Amen🙏

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

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. Every life is a gift. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the gentle soul of our beloved family members who recently passed away and the souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. 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, with special intention for those Seminarians who will be ordained into Priesthood. 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:

Lord of all holiness, You are perfect in every way. You lived every virtue and Beatitude to perfection. Give me the grace to open myself to You so that I may hear You call me to perfection of life and so that I may respond generously with my whole life. Make me holy, dear Lord, so that I will find the happiness and fulfillment You wish to bestow. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Most Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Landry (Saint Landericus); Saint Olivia of Palermo and Bl. Bogumilus of Gniezno ~ Pray for us🙏

Thanking God for the gift of the Holy Spirit on this special feast 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 Love always, Philomena 💖

TENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR B)

SAINTS OF THE DAY ~ FEAST DAY: JUNE 9, 2024

Greetings, beloved family and Happy Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time!

On this special feast day, with special intention we pray for all families and for the safety and well-being of our children and children all over the world. We continue to pray for the Church, the Clergy, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Cardinals, Bishops, all Priests, that they be sanctified in their ministry to God’s people. We pray for persecuted Christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world suffering from political and religious unrest. May God protect us all and keep united in peace, love and faith… Amen 🙏

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN on YouTube | June 9, 2024 |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | June 9, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” |June 9, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | June 9, 2024 |

Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy | from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | June 9, 2024 |

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

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

Today’s Bible Readings, Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) | June 9, 2024
Reading 1, Genesis 3:9-15
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
Reading 2, Second Corinthians 4:13-5:1
Gospel, Mark 3:20-35

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:

Bible Readings for today, Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060924.cfm

Gospel Reading ~ Mark 3:20–35

“It is the end of Satan”

“Jesus came home with His disciples. Again the crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat. When His relatives heard of this they set out to seize Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.” The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “By the prince of demons He drives out demons.” Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables, “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand; that is the end of him. But no one can enter a strong man’s house to plunder His property unless He first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder the house. Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin.” For they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.” His mother and His brothers arrived. Standing outside they sent word to him and called him. A crowd seated around Him told Him, “Your mother and your brothers and your sisters are outside asking for you.” But He said to them in reply, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking around at those seated in the circle He said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus’ relatives were convinced that He was out of His mind. He was upsetting powerful people like the scribes in the Gospel reading by His words and actions, bringing shame down upon His family. Since Jesus left His home in Nazareth, Jesus has literally been a man with a mission. The son of the carpenter has become the proclaimer of the presence of God’s kingdom. His message was experienced as good news by many, especially the most vulnerable and broken. However, the same message was perceived as dangerous and troublesome by others, especially those who prided themselves on understanding God’s will as expressed in the Jewish Law. Jesus has been making many enemies among the influential and the powerful. So much so, that many people have been saying about Jesus, ‘He is out of His mind’. Jesus’ family feel the need to do something out of concern for His well-being. According to the beginning of today’s Gospel reading, His relatives set out from Nazareth to take charge of Jesus. They decided that Jesus needed to be taken in hand for His own good and their good. It sounded as if they were going to forcibly take Him home. They set out one day from Nazareth and travelled the short distance to Capernaum where Jesus had based His ministry. The end of today’s Gospel reading shows what happened when they reached the house in Capernaum where Jesus was teaching with a group of His followers sitting around Him, listening to Him. They soon discovered that they had less influence over Jesus than they imagined. When they reached the house where He was teaching and sent in a message to Him that they wanted to see Him, He sent back a message which clearly showed that He had moved on from His blood family. When Jesus was informed that His family, including his mother, were outside asking for Him to come out, He looked around at those seated about Him and said in effect, ‘this is now my family’. ‘Here are my mother and brothers’ and sisters. Everyone who seeks to do God’s will as Jesus reveals it is now a member of His new family. His relatives could become members of the new family He was forming but, firstly, they would have to give up their efforts to control Him and, instead, surrender to what God was doing through h
Him. His life was now being shaped by the will of God His heavenly Father, not by the will of His earthly family. His primary allegiance was to God and not to any human authority, including the authority of His beloved family. Jesus was inviting His family to give their primary allegiance to God by allowing Jesus to be Himself. Here was a family intervention that did not quite go according to plan from the perspective of Jesus’ family members. God was at work in the life of Jesus in a way that His family did not understand and struggled to accept. Their plans and purposes for Jesus were too small. They had yet to learn to surrender to God’s purpose for Jesus’ life. Sometimes, our plans and purposes for others, even for those we love the best, can be too confining. We often struggle to let them go to a greater purpose that we don’t fully understand at the time. God’s purpose for Jesus was that He would form a new family, a family of his disciples. In time, this new family came to be called the church. We are all members of that new family of Jesus. God’s purpose for Jesus’ life has come to embrace us all. All who have been baptized in the name of the Trinity belong to the family of the church. The words of Jesus at the end of today’s Gospel reading are very striking. He is saying in effect that the members of His family of origin do not have a stronger claim on him in virtue of their blood relationship with Him. He clearly wants the members of His family of origin to become members of His new family, but, in doing so they are no more His brothers and sisters and mother than the other members of His new family. Jesus’ words bring home to us the privileged relationship we have with Him. Through the Holy Spirit, we have become His brothers and sisters. Although Jesus is the Son of God in a unique way, we have been caught up into His own relationship with God; we are sons and daughters of God. This great privilege contains its own calling. When Jesus looked around at His new family at the end of today’s Gospel reading, He said, ‘anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother’. Sometimes the call to do the will of God, as Jesus has revealed it to us, does not always come easy to us. The first reading refers to Adam who did his own will rather than God’s will, eating from the tree that God had forbidden to him, in an effort to be like God. As a result of not doing God’s will, he felt distant from God and hid from God; so God had to cry out after him, ‘Where are you?’ In the Gospel reading, the learned scribes were clearly acting contrary to God’s will in attributing Jesus’ healing power to an evil spirit, Satan, rather than to God’s Spirit. Jesus declares that those who demonize goodness in this way put themselves beyond the reach of God’s forgiveness. The demonizing of those who proclaim God’s will to the world, and live accordingly, has been with us all through history, up to the present. The risen Lord keeps calling us back into His new family, the family of those who try to live in accordance with God’s will for our lives. The Lord who calls us also pours the Holy Spirit into our hearts to empower us to do the will of God by living in the same loving and merciful way as He did. As members of Jesus’ family, Jesus taught us to pray, ‘Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven’. Our daily calling as the Lord’s brothers and sisters is to make that prayer a reality in the concrete circumstances of our lives, by doing the will of God as He has revealed it to us.

Our first reading today from the beginning of the Book of Genesis detail the story of the moment of mankind’s fall into sin. It was the moment right after Adam and Eve, our first ancestors, ate of the fruits of the forbidden Tree of knowledge of good and evil, the tree that the Lord specifically told Adam and Eve not to eat from because if they were to eat of the fruits, then they would die. Indeed, that would come true, because when Adam and Eve, tempted by the falsehoods and lies of Satan chose to disobey God and ate the fruits of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil, they had to suffer the trials and hardships of the world, suffering in this world and eventually like all of us, we have to endure death. It was never God’s intention to make us suffer and endure death, but it was by our own conscious choice, choosing the falsehoods of the evil one that had deceived and deluded us with temptations of worldly glory, power, knowledge and all the things that we ourselves often desired for in this world. God created us all good and perfect, all in His own image, and we have indeed been intended to a life of pure bliss and perfect harmony with Him forever, but because of our wickedness and sins, we have fallen into this state, and by our own choice we have fallen into this path of wickedness and evil, and we should have been crushed and destroyed for this rebellion. And yet, God Who loved each and every one of us desired that all of us should be reconciled and reunited with Him. Despite our imperfections and evils, He wanted that each and every one of us may overcome our challenges and imperfections, all the temptations and evils present around us so that we may truly discover the true purpose in life, that is to be in perfect love and harmony in God, to be once again blessed and full of God’s grace just as how it was at the very beginning of time. That is why He has repeatedly sent us again and again His help, reaching out to us through His servants and messengers, His prophets, and ultimately, His own Beloved Son.

In our second reading this Sunday from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians, St. Paul the Apostle spoke to all the faithful including all of us reminding us that through Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, God had revealed the fullness of His love and the intention to be reconciled with us. Each and every one of us are meant to overcome the limitations of our worldly and earthly selves. Our human existence and our sufferings in this world are part of this journey, of repentance and reconciliation with God. And the Lord has sent us His only begotten Son, to be the One to bridge the gap between us and Himself, and to show us all the truth of His salvation and love. Through Christ we have received the assurance of eternal life, and the new life in the Lord, through the Holy Spirit that He has sent down to be upon us in His Church, to dwell within us and among all of us. And He also gave us all His own Most Previous Body and Blood to partake, that by partaking in Him, the Bread of Life, we may have life in us, a new life that is truly blessed and filled with God’s grace. And by accepting Him as Our Lord and Saviour, becoming part of this One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, we have all been called to return to the Lord, to our loving Father and Creator, Who has always loved us all these while, and Who wants to be reconciled with us.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures this Sunday we are all reminded of our human nature and the sins which we have committed because of our inability to resist the temptations of worldly glory and desire, the temptations and coercions which the evil one and his forces have placed in our paths in life. All of us are reminded that we are all God’s people and we should always strive to do what is good, right and just, all in accordance to everything that God has shown and taught us, to be truly and holy, worthy and appropriate in our lives for Him at all times. Otherwise, how can we truly call ourselves as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people? The Lord reminded all of us through all of these that we must always strive to oppose the temptations of sin, the allures of wicked desires and evils all around us, and we must strive to obey the Lord and His reminders to us, that we must always do His will, and do what He has commanded and taught us to do in our every moments throughout life. We must always remind ourselves not to allow the evil one to tempt and to drag us into our downfall, but instead we must continue to remain firmly faithful to the Lord and put our complete faith and trust in Him at all times. Let us all hence continue to live our lives worthily in the Lord, doing whatever we can so that by all of our words, actions and deeds, we will continue to walk in this path of grace towards the Lord, and that we may grow ever stronger in our faith in Him. Let us all continue to persevere in faith, in our every day moments and lives so that we may not be discouraged by all the challenges and the hardships we may have to encounter in our journey. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and may the good Lord, our loving and compassionate God continue to guide and strengthen us in each and every moments of our lives, and in our every works and endeavours. Amen 🙏

SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT EPHREM, DEACON AND DOCTOR; SAINTS PRIMUS AND FELICIAN, MARTYRS; SAINT COLUMBA OF IONA, PRIEST AND ABBOT AND BLESSED ANNA MARIA TAIGI, RELIGIOUS ~ FEAST DAY: JUNE 9TH

Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Ephrem, Deacon and Doctor of the Church; Saints Primus and Felician, Martyrs; Saint  Columba of Iona, Priest and Abbot and Blessed Anna Maria Taigi. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for all mothers, wives, those going through challenges in their marriages, Victims of verbal and spousal abuse, we pray for peace, love and unity in our families and our world. We also pray for the sick and dying, especially those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases, for the souls of the faithful departed, may God grant them eternal rest. We pray for the poor and the needy and we continue to pray for the Church, the Clergy, for persecuted Christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world. Amen🙏

SAINT EPHREM, DEACON AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH: Saint Ephrem, called “the Harp of the Holy Spirit,” is the great classic Doctor of the Syrian church. As deacon at Edessa, hermit, and Doctor of the Church he made important contributions to the spirituality and theology of the Christian East during the fourth century. He vigorously combated the heresies of his time, and to do so more effectively wrote poems and hymns about the mysteries of Christ, the Blessed Virgin and the saints. He had a great devotion to Our Lady. He was a commentator on Scripture and a preacher as well as a poet, and has left a considerable number of works, which were translated into other Eastern languages as well as into Greek and Latin. St. Ephrem was born about 306 at Nisibis, a city in Roman Mesopotamia (modern Syria). According to traditions,  his father was at one time a pagan priest and his family later became, entirely Christian. St. Ephrem was banished from his home by his pagan father for his Christian sympathies. He found refuge with St. James, Bishop of Nisibis, under whose guidance he received a thorough education. Baptized at eighteen years of age, and began to consider the salvation of his soul more seriously. He embraced an ascetic lifestyle under the direction of Bishop James of Nisibis who gave him permission to live as a hermit. St. Ephrem supported himself with manual labor, making sails for ships, while living in a remarkably austere manner with few comforts and little food. He assumed a post as a teacher in the flourishing school of Nisibis. After the death of St. Ephrem’s spiritual director and friend, Bishop James of Nisibis in 338, soon after, St. Ephrem left his solitude and moved to Edessa in present-day Turkey where, after entering the monastic life, he was ordained deacon. He was known for sermons which combined articulate expressions of Catholic orthodoxy with urgent and fruitful calls to repentance. The deacon was also a voluminous author, producing commentaries on the entire Bible as well as the theological poetry for which he is best known. Ephrem used Syriac-language verse as a means to explain and popularize theological truths, a technique he appropriated from others who had used poetry to promote religious error. Late in his life, the deacon made a pilgrimage to the city of Caesarea, where God had directed him to seek the guidance of the archbishop later canonized as Saint Basil the Great. Basil helped Ephrem to resolve some of his own spiritual troubles, giving him advice which he would follow as he spent his final years in solitary prayer and writing.

Near the end of his life, Ephrem briefly left his hermitage to serve the poor and sick during a famine. His last illness came in 373, most likely from a disease he contracted through this service. When his own death approached, he told his friends: “Sing no funeral hymns at Ephrem’s burial … Wrap not my carcass in any costly shroud: erect no monument to my memory. Allow me only the portion and place of a pilgrim; for I am a pilgrim and a stranger as all my fathers were on earth.” St. Ephrem of Syria died in June of 373. Soon after his death, he was remembered in a public address by his contemporary Saint Gregory of Nyssa, who closed his remarks by asking Ephrem’s intercession. “You are now assisting at the divine altar, and before the Prince of life, with the angels, praising the most holy Trinity,” said Gregory. “Remember us all, and obtain for us the pardon of our sins.” Pope Benedict XV proclaimed him a Doctor of the Church in 1920. St. Ephrem wrote many works in defense of the Catholic Church, on the various Mysteries of Our Lord Jesus Christ and in honor of the Virgin Mary. Poet, exegete, and orator extraordinary, St. Ephrem was called “The prophet of the Syrians” and “The Lyre of the Holy Spirit.” St. Ephrem bestowed on the hymnic genre that fullness which has been associated with it in the Eastern Church ever since and also left us a classic commentary on the four Gospels called the Diatessaron. Eastern Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christian celebrate his feast on January 28. He’s the Patron Saint of Spiritual directors; spiritual leaders.

PRAYER: Lord, graciously infuse the Holy Spirit into our hearts. By His inspiration, St. Ephrem the Daecon rejoiced in singing of Your mysteries and through His power he was enabled to serve You alone. Amen🙏

SAINTS PRIMUS AND FELICIAN, MARTYRS: Saints Primus and Felician were brothers who suffered martyrdom about the year 297 during the Diocletian persecution. These two martyrs were brothers who lived in Rome, heirs of a family of great wealth, toward the latter part of the third century. St. Primus and his younger brother St. Felician, the sons of a Roman nobleman, were converts to Christianity who devoted themselves to corporal works of mercy. They frequented the prisons, visiting their fellow Christians imprisoned for their faith by the pagan Roman authorities. It was through the assiduous love of Pope Felix I that they had the happiness, in their mature years, of being converted to the Christian faith; afterwards they encouraged each other for many years in the practice of all good works. They seemed to possess nothing but for the poor, and often, during the persecutions, they spent both nights and days with the confessors in their dungeons, or at the places of their torments and execution. Some they exhorted to persevere; others who had fallen, they raised again. They made themselves the servants of all in Christ, that all might attain to salvation through Him.

Though their zeal was very remarkable, they had escaped the dangers of many bloody persecutions; they had grown old in the heroic exercises of their virtue, when it pleased God to crown their labors with a glorious martyrdom. Eventually the two brothers were themselves apprehended. St. Primus was about 90 years old, when the pagans raised so great an outcry against the brothers that they were apprehended and put in chains. After refusing to sacrifice to the pagan gods, the two were inhumanly scourged and tortured, and then sent to a town twelve miles from Rome to be chastised again, as avowed enemies to the gods, by a prefect who detested the Christians. There they were cruelly tortured to make them renounce their faith, both together and then separately, but the grace of God strengthened each of them. As this failed to shake their profession of the faith, they were tortured a second time. St. Felician was nailed by his hands and feet to a post and left without food or water for three days; St. Primus was beaten with clubs and burnt with torches. God spared them amidst these tortures, and wild beasts in an arena imitated their God’s mercy. St. Primus was then beheaded, after which his brother was told the falsehood that St. Primus had apostatized. Recognizing this as a lie, St. Felician remained steadfast, and suffered martyrdom that same day. Both of them were beheaded on June 9, 286. Their relics, transferred in the seventh century within the city, are at present in the church of St. Stephen on the Coelian Hill.

Saints Primus and Felician, Martyrs ~ Pray for us🙏

SAINT COLUMBA OF IONA, PRIEST AND ABBOT: Saint Columba, or Columkille (521-597), the apostle of the Picts of Scotland, was born of a noble family on December 7, 521 at Garton, County Donegal, Tyrconnell, Ireland. His parents named him Crimtham (Pronounced Criffan) meaning “a fox.”   He was brought up in the company of many saints at the school of St. Finian of Clonard. He studied Holy Scripture under the saintly bishop Finian, and when ordained a priest in 546 he opened a school where he formed several disciples. He founded several monasteries in Ireland. He is sometimes called Columkille, which is Old Irish for Founder of cells. Though austere, he was not morose; and, although he often longed to die, he was untiring in good works throughout his life. His zeal in preaching against public vices offended King Dermot, and the Saint decided to leave his domains, departing for Scotland with a dozen of his disciples. He arrived there in 565, according to Saint Bede. There he founded a hundred religious houses and converted the Picts of the north, who in gratitude gave him the island of Iona, a short distance from the mainland. On that island Saint Columba founded his celebrated large monastery of Hy (or Y Colm-Kille), a school for apostolic missionaries and martyrs, and for centuries the last resting place of a multitude of Saints and of the kings of Scotland. Later its monks adopted the Rule of Saint Benedict.

The gentleness and charity of Saint Columba, which were unfailing, won the hearts of all with whom he conversed. His virtues, to which God added the gifts of prophecy and miracles, attracted for him universal veneration. The kings did nothing without consulting him; King Edhan in 570 wished to receive the royal ornaments from his hand. Four years before his death, our Saint had a vision of Angels, who told him that the day of his death had been deferred four years, in answer to the prayers of his spiritual children. Thereupon the Saint wept bitterly, for he desired above all things to reach his true home. He was seventy-six years old, and surrounded in choir by his disciples, when finally the day of his peaceful death came. It was the 9th of June, 597, when he said to his disciple Diermit, This day is called the Sabbath, that is, the day of rest, and such will it truly be to me; for it will put an end to my labors. Then, kneeling before the altar, he received the Viaticum, and sweetly slept in the Lord. He died on June 9, 597 at the age of 75 at the foot of the altar at Iona while blessing his people, and was buried there at Iona,  Scotland. His relics were later carried to Downpatrick in Ulster and laid in the same shrine with those of Saint Patrick and Saint Bridget. He’s Patron Saint against floods; bookbinders; floods; Ireland; poets; Derry; and co-patron of Ireland and of Scotland.

Saint Columba of Iona, Priest and Abbot  ~ Pray for us 🙏

BLESSED ANNA MARIA TAIGI, RELIGIOUS: Bl. Anna Maria Taigi (1769-1837) was a Wife and mother, an Italian Roman Catholic professed member from the Secular Trinitarian Tertiary. Bl. Anna Maria  Taigi, born Anna Maria Giannetti on May 29, 1769 in Siena, Italy, to a poor working class family. Her family later moved to Rome, and Anna took on various low-skill jobs to help with the family finances. She married a pious man Domenico Taigi, a brash and impulsive individual with bad temper though devoted to his wife. She grew in virtue, and together they had seven children. As a young wife and mother she discerned God calling her to renounce the vanities and worldliness that she was accustomed to. She began to give little care to fancy dress, and accepted God’s grace more in her life. With her husband’s consent she transformed their home into a sanctuary through which she would serve God. Although she was not wealthy, Anna would give her spare money to the poor and needy.

Bl. Anna Maria Taigi experienced a series of ecstasies during her life and was reported to have heard the voices of God and Jesus Christ on several occasions. She soon entered the Third Order of Trinitarians and became a Secular Trinitarian after experiencing a sudden religious conversion. That happened in the winter of 1790 at Saint Peter’s Basilica when Bl. Taigi came into contact with a range of cardinals and luminaries, which included Vincent Strambi and the bishop Benedict Joseph Flaget. She grew in holiness and God transformed her into a mystic: she experienced ecstasies during prayer, and was given visions of the future and the state of other’s souls which were shown to her in a miraculous golden globe of light over the course of forty-seven years. Many sought her out for spiritual advice as she attended her household duties. She refused special favors from benefactors, and instead lived a life of austerity, relying on God to provide for her daily needs. Bl. Anna Maria’s life was marked with much suffering, which she joyfully embraced, and God used her as an instrument for many conversions. Bl. Anna Maria Taigi died on June 9, 1837. The beatification process opened in 1863 under Pope Pius IX after she was titled as a Servant of God and Pope Benedict XV later beatified her in mid-1920. She’s Patron Saint of Housewives, Mothers, Victims of verbal abuse, Victims of spousal abuse, Families, Trinitarian tertiaries. Her feast day is June 9th.

Blessed Anna Maria Taigi, Religious ~ Pray for us🙏

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF JUNE: The month of June is set apart for devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. “From among all the proofs of the infinite goodness of our Savior none stands out more prominently than the fact that, as the love of the faithful grew cold, He, Divine Love Itself, gave Himself to us to be honored by a very special devotion and that the rich treasury of the Church was thrown wide open in the interests of that devotion.” These words of Pope Pius XI refer to the Sacred Heart Devotion, which in its present form dates from the revelations given to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1673-75.

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE – FOR MIGRANTS FLEEING THEIR HOMES: We pray that migrants fleeing from war or hunger, forced to undertake journeys full of danger and violence, find welcome and new opportunities in the countries that receive them.

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

PRAYER FOR PEACE ~ POPE FRANCIS:

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!

We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced; how much blood has been shed; how many lives have been shattered; how many hopes have been buried… But our efforts have beķķen in vain. Now, Lord, come to our ajnid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: “Never again war!”; “With war everything is lost”. Instill in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace. Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarreling into forgiveness. Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words “division”, “hatred” and “war” be banished from the heart of every man and woman. Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands. Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be “brother”, and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam! Amen🙏

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

On this special feast day, as we continue to celebrate our risen Lord, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we pray for the Clergy and religious as they serve in the Lord’s Vineyard. We also pray for the sick and dying. We especially pray for our loved ones who have recently died and we continue to remember our beloved, we pray for the repose of their gentle souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

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 & the Holy Spirit forever & ever. Amen🙏

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

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. Every life is a gift. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the gentle soul of our beloved family members who recently passed away and the souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. 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, with special intention for those Seminarians who will be ordained into Priesthood. 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:

Most merciful Lord, You offer forgiveness to all who come to You with humility and sincere sorrow. Please fill me with these virtues and give me the resolve to change as I open myself to Your unfathomable mercy. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us. Our Most Blessed Mother Mary, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mediatrix of all Graces and Saint Ephrem; Saints Primus and Felician; Saint  Columba of Iona and Blessed Anna Maria Taigi  ~ Pray for us🙏

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you. Immaculate Heart of Mary, Pray for us. Amen🙏

Thanking God for the gift of the special  feasts of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and we continue to pray 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, and grace-filled Sunday and week🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖

NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY ~ FEAST DAY: JUNE 8, 2024

FEAST OF OUR BLESSED MOTHER MARY, MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACES

MEMORIAL OF SAINT MÉDARD, BISHOP AND SAINT WILLIAM OF YORK, BISHOP

Greetings, beloved family and Happy Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Our Blessed Mother Mary, the Mediatrix of all graces!

On this special feast day of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Mediatrix of all graces, with special intention we pray for all families and for the safety and well-being of our children and children all over the world. We continue ro pray for the Church, the Clergy, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Cardinals, Bishops, all Priests, that they be sanctified in their ministry to God’s people. We pray for persecuted Christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world suffering from political and religious unrest. May God protect us all and keep united in peace, love and faith… Amen 🙏

Watch “Holy Mass on EWTN on YouTube | June 8, 2024 |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | June 8, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” |June 8, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | June 8, 2024 |

Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy | from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | June 8, 2024 |

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

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

Today’s Bible Readings, Saturday, June 8, 2024
Reading 1, 2 Timothy 4:1-8
Responsorial Psalm, Psalm 71:8-9, 14-15ab, 16-17, 22
Gospel, Luke 2:41-51

Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060824.cfm

SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY; FEAST OF OUR BLESSED MOTHER MARY, MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACES; MEMORIAL OF SAINT MÉDARD, BISHOP AND SAINT WILLIAM OF YORK, BISHOP ~ FEAST DAY: JUNE 8TH Today, we celebrate the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary; Feast of Our Blessed Mother Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces and we also celebrate the Memorial of Saint Medard, Bishop and Saint William of York, Bishop. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, the Immaculate Heart and Mediatrix of All Graces and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for those going through difficulties especially during these incredibly challenging times, we pray for the sick and dying, especially those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases, those with toothache and other dental and those who are mentally ill. We also pray for the poor and the needy, for peace, love and unity in our families and our world. We also pray for those seeking for the fruit of the womb, for captives and those who are imprisoned. And we continue to pray for the Church, the Clergy, for persecuted christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world.🙏

IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY: Today, the church celebrates the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary the day after the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is celebrated on the Saturday following the second Sunday after Pentecost, the day after the feast of the Sacred Heart, which is celebrated on the Friday following the second Sunday after Pentecost. The coming together in this way of the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary brings home to us the unique relationship between Jesus and His Mother Mary. The closeness of the two celebrations shows how the heart of Mary is close to the heart of her Son. The word ‘Immaculate’ comes from the Latin noun ‘macula’, which in English means a spot or stain, and the Latin adjetive ‘maculatus’, which means stained. Immaculatus, then, is unstained. When we speak of the immaculate heart of Mary we are stating that her heart was free of all moral stain. It was a heart that was completely given over to God, and to her Son, who was God incarnate. She is to be found among ‘the pure in heart’, whom Jesus declares blessed because they will see God. Mary had that purity of heart or intention; she was single minded in her devotion to God and to her Son, who was also God’s Son. This devotion honors Mary’s perfect purity of heart in virtue of her Immaculate Conception, and the perfect union of her heart—on fire with love for God and her spiritual children—with the heart of her Son, Jesus. The traditional image of the heart of Jesus is of a pierced heart, a heart that has suffered because of love. The heart of Mary is also a pierced heart. When Jesus was presented in the Temple, Simeon said to Mary, ‘a sword will pierce your own soul too’. This memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary celebrates Mary as one whose heart is given over completely to God’s will and purpose for her life. The Sacred Heart of Jesus reveals God’s unconditional love for us all. Mary’s immaculate heart reveals her total love for God, with all her heart, mind, soul and strength. In two passages in the Gospel of Luke we have reference to Mary treasuring and pondering in her heart the sacred events of Jesus’ life, which became the foundation of the pious devotion to the Heart of Mary in the Church.

In the midst of the second world war Pope Pius XII put the whole world under the special protection of our Savior’s Mother by consecrating it to her Immaculate Heart, and in 1944 he decreed that in the future the whole Church should celebrate the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This is not a new devotion. In the seventeenth century, St. John Eudes preached it together with that of the Sacred Heart; in the nineteenth century, Pius VII and Pius IX allowed several churches to celebrate a feast of the Pure Heart of Mary. Pope Pius XII instituted today’s feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the whole Church, so as to obtain by her intercession “peace among nations, freedom for the Church, the conversion of sinners, the love of purity and the practice of virtue” (Decree of May 4, 1944). We commemorate this Feast in honor of the interior life of Mary, mother of Jesus, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections, and, above all, her virginal love for God the Father, her maternal love for her son Jesus Christ, and her motherly and compassionate love for all mankind. Traditionally, the Immaculate Heart is depicted pierced with seven swords or wounds, in homage to the seven dolors of Mary and roses, usually red or white, wrapped around the heart. Patron Saint of Apostleship of Prayer, Ratnapura Diocese, Alliance of Sacred Hearts, Russian Territories, Scotland, Central Africa, Republic of the Congo, Angola, Ecuador, Panama, Minglanilla, Cebu, Philippines, and, Georgia.

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

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

PRAYER: Lord our God, you made the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary the home of your eternal Word and the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit. Give us a heart that is free from sin and attentive to your will, that, faithful to your commandments, we may love you above all things and seek to help others in their need. 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🙏

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you. Immaculate Heart of Mary, Pray for us. Amen🙏

FEAST OF OUR BLESSED MOTHER MARY, MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACES: Mediatrix of all graces is a title given to our Blessed Virgin Mary; as the Mother of God, she mediates the Divine Grace. Pope Leo XIII declared in his Encyclical of September 22, 1891: “We may affirm that nothing, by the will of God, is given to us without Mary’s mediation, in such way that just as no one can approach the almighty Father but through His Son, likewise no one, so to speak, can approach Christ but through His Mother.” Pope Leo XIII declared in his Encyclical Octobri Mense (On The Rosary) of September 22, 1891: “With equal truth may it be also affirmed that, by the will of God, Mary is the intermediary through whom is distributed unto us this immense treasure of mercies gathered by God, for mercy and truth were created by Jesus Christ.” In addition to Mediatrix, other titles are given to her in the Church including: Advocate, Helper, Benefactress. In a papal encyclical of 8 September 1894, Pope Leo XIII said: “The recourse we have to Mary in prayer follows upon the office she continuously fills by the side of the throne of God as Mediatrix of Divine grace.” The Second Vatican Council referred in its document Lumen gentium to Mary as “Advocate, Auxiliatrix, Adjutrix and Mediatrix”.

On this feast of Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces, all the graces which flow from the redemption of Jesus Christ are granted to the human family through the motherly intercession of Mary. Mary mediated Jesus Christ, the Author of all graces, to the world when she agreed to be the human mother of God made man (cf. Lk 1:38). And from the cross at Calvary (Jn 19:26) and as the final gift to humanity, Jesus gives Mary as a spiritual mother to us all: “Son, behold your mother” (cf. Jn 19:26). For this reason, Vatican II refers to Mary as a “mother to us in the order of grace ” (Lumen Gentium, n. 62) and several twentieth century popes have officially taught the doctrine of Mary as Mediatrix of all graces, quoting the words of St Bernard: “It is the will of God that we obtain all favours through Mary.” The Mediatrix performs this task in intimate union with the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier, with whom she began the drama of our Lord’s Redemption at the Annunciation (cf. Lk. 1:35).Thirdly, Mary is our Advocate for people of God, in that she takes the petitions of her earthly children, especially in times of difficulties, and brings them through her maternal intercession before her Son and our Lord Jesus.

In the Old Testament, the Queen Mother brought the petitioned needs of the people of Israel to the throne of her son the king (cf. 1 Kings 2:19). Now Mary is the new Queen Mother and Advocate in the new Kingdom of her Son, who brings the petitioned needs of the people of God to the throne of her glorious Son, Christ the King, particularly in our present difficult times. The universal mediation of the Mother of Jesus as Coredemptrix, Mediatrix of all graces, and Advocate for the people of God is already contained in the official and authoritative teachings of the Church’s Magisterium. Now, at the summit of the Marian era, what remains is the final proclamation by the Church of this final Marian doctrine as Christian dogma revealed by God.

PRAYER: O Lord Jesus Christ, our Mediator with the Father, Who hast deigned to appoint the Blessed Virgin, Thy Mother, to be our Mother also and our Mediatrix with Thee, graciously grant that whosoever goes to Thee in quest of blessings may be gladdened by obtaining them all through her, Thou Who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end… Amen🙏

THE MEMORARE TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY: Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that any one who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.. Amen🙏

SAINT MÉDARD, BISHOP. He’s also known as Saint Medardus  (456–545) was the Bishop of Noyon, France. St. Médard or Medardus was one of the most honored bishops of his time, often depicted laughing, with his mouth wide open, and therefore he was invoked against toothache. Legend says that a sudden shower once fell, soaking everyone except St Médard who remained perfectly dry, because an eagle had spread its wings over him. Ever since, Médard was known as maître de la pluie—master of rain. In religious art, an eagle shelters Médard from the rain. St. Médard of Noyon was born at Salency (Oise), Picardy, France  about 456. His father, Nectardus, was of Frankish origin, while his mother, named Protagia, was Gallo-Roman. It is believed that St. Gildardus, Bishop of Rouen, was his brother. Under the care of his pious parents he made rapid strides in virtue, evincing particularly a great charity for the poor. His youth was entirely consecrated to the practise of Christian virtues and to the study of sacred and profane letters. He often accompanied his father on business to Vermand and to Tournai, and frequented the schools, carefully avoiding all worldly dissipation. At thirty-three years of age he was ordained to the priesthood and became a bright ornament of that holy state, preaching to the people by both word and example. His exemplary piety and his knowledge, considerable for that time, decided the Bishop of Vermand (d. 530) to confer on him Holy Orders, and caused him to be chosen as his successor. In 530, St. Medard became Bishop of Augusta Verumanduorum, being consecrated by St. Remigius, who had baptized King Clovis in 496. Forced, in spite of his objections, to accept this heavy charge, he devoted himself zealously to his new duties. In an effort to accomplish those duties in greater security, since Vermand and the northern part of France in general were then generally troubled by wars and exposed to the incursions of the barbarians, he removed his episcopal see in 531 from Vermand, a little city without defence, to Noyon, the strongest place in that region. The year following, St. Eleutherius, Bishop of Tournai, died and St. Médard was invited to assume the direction of that diocese also. He refused at first, but being urged by Clotaire himself he at last accepted. This union of the two dioceses lasted until 1146, when they were again separated.

Although he was then seventy-two years old, he redoubled his labors, extending his zeal wherever the honor of God seemed to require it. He bore persecutions in silence and with patience. Though he had the affliction of beholding his diocese ravaged by the Huns and Vandals, it gave him a fresh opportunity to practice charity. In 544, Radegondes, Queen of France, received the religious veil from the Saint’s hands, and she was made a deaconess with the consent of her husband, King Clotaire, who, doing penance for the sins of his youth, allowed himself to be guided by the counsels of St. Medard. The holy man died in his episcopal city on June 8, 545, Noyon, Oise, Picardy, France and the whole kingdom lamented his loss. A celebrated Benedictine abbey afterward arose over his tomb at Soissons. King Clotaire, who had paid him a last visit at Noyon, had his body transferred to the royal manor of Crouy at the gates of the city of Soissons. Over the tomb of St. Médard was erected the celebrated Benedictine abbey which bears his name. St. Médard was one of the most honoured bishops of his time, his memory has always been popularly venerated in the north of France, and he soon became the hero of numerous legends. One of which says that if it rains on St. Médard’s feast day it will be followed by forty days of rain; and forty days of sunshine will follow if it is clear. St. Médard was one of the most honoured bishops of his time, his memory has always been venerated in northern France, and he soon became the hero of numerous legends. Each year on his memorial the Rosiere is awarded to the young girl who has been judged the most virtuous and exemplary in the region of Salency, France; she is escorted by 12 boys and 12 girls to the church, where she is crowned with roses and given a gift of money. This is a continuation of a yearly stipend or “scholarship” he apparently instituted when bishop. His younger sister was the first to be crowned the Rosiere. He’s Patron Saint of weather; invoked against bad weather, against toothache, against imprisonment; against sterility; brewers; captives; harvests; for good weather; for rain; imprisoned people; mentally ill people; peasants; prisoners; vineyards.

PRAYER: God, Light and Shepherd of souls, You established St. Medard as Bishop in Your Church to feed Your flock by his word and form it by his example. Help us through his intercession to keep the Faith he taught by his word and follow the way he showed by his example. Amen🙏

SAINT WILLIAM OF YORK, BISHOP: St. William of York (d. 1154) also known as William Fitzherbert or William of Thwayt was Archbishop of York. He was born to a powerful family in England, the nephew of King Stephen, whose sister Emma was believed to have married Herbert of Winchester, treasurer to Henry I. St. William became a priest, and about 1130 he was canon and treasurer of York Minster Cathedral at the time when the English crown was contested by two grandchildren of William the Conqueror. In 1142 when the Archbishop of York died, St. William was chosen to take his place at the insistance of the king, in opposition to the candidature of Henry Murdac, a Cistercian monk. Kind-hearted and generous to the poor, St. William was well-liked by the people; however, he faced political and ecclesiastical opposition from the rival to the English throne. The validity of the election was disputed on the ground of alleged simony and royal influence, and Archbishop Theobald refused to consecrate him pending an appeal to Rome. St. Bernard exercised his powerful influence against St. William in favour of Murdac, but in 1143 the pope decided that St. William should be consecrated, if he could clear himself from the accusation of bribery, and if the chapter could show that there had been no undue royal pressure. St. William proved his innocence so conclusively that the legate consecrated him archbishop at Winchester 26 September, 1143. He set himself at once to carry out reforms in his diocese, and his gentleness and charity soon won him popularity; but he neglected to obtain from Cardinal Hincmar the pallium which Lucius II sent him in 1146, and the pope died before William had been invested. Because he was consecrated without papal approval, William was accused of wrongdoing by those who wanted their preferred prelate in the position; even St. Bernard of Clairvaux opposed him. Although he eventually confirmed William’s appointment, the Pope died before the pallium was given, and the new pope took the side of William’s detractors. The new pope, Blessed Eugenius III, was himself a Cistercian, and the English Cistercians soon renewed their complaints against St. William, which St. Bernard supported. Meanwhile Hincmar carried the pallium back to Rome, so that, in 1147, St. William had to travel there to obtain it, raising the expenses of his journey by sale of treasures and privileges belonging to York. This afforded fresh matter of complaint and finally the new pope suspended him from his functions on the ground that he had enthroned the Bishop of Durham without exacting the pledges required by the former pope.  

A new archbishop was ordained in St. William’s place and he took refuge with his friend, the King of Sicily and went to live as a monk with his uncle, a bishop, in quiet prayer and penance. But his partisans in England took an unwise revenge by destroying Fountains Abbey, of which Murdac was now prior. This further inflamed St. William’s enemies, who again approached the pope, with the result that in 1147 he deposed the archbishop from his seat; and on the failure of the chapter to elect a successor, he consecrated Murdac in his stead. St. William devoted himself to prayer and mortification at Winchester till 1153, six years later when the pope and St. Bernard were both dead. He then appealed to the new pope, Anastasius IV, for restoration to his see, a request which the death of Murdac in October made it easier to obtain. The new pope made St. William the successor. St. William having received the pallium, returned to York, where he showed the greatest kindness to the Cistercians who had opposed him, and promised full restitution to Fountains Abbey. The people were overjoyed at his return—so many came to greet him as he entered the city that a bridge collapsed under their weight; the fact that no one was hurt was considered a miracle. A few months later, after celebrating Mass on Trinity Sunday, St. William became ill and died. Poisoning was suspected but never confirmed. Miracles took place at his tomb which gave rise to his canonization in 1227 by Pope Honorius III. In 1283 his relics were translated to a shrine behind the high altar of York Minster, where they remained till the Reformation. His feast day is June 8th.

Saint William of York, Bishop ~ Pray for us🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:

Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060824.cfm

Gospel Reading ~ Luke 2:41-51

“His mother kept all these things in her heart”

“Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus, at the young age of twelve, displays that single-minded devotion to God and to God’s purpose and work, as He says to His worried parents, ‘Did you not know that I must be busy with my Father’s affairs?’ Jesus’ single-minded, single-hearted, devotion to God His Father, was a trial for His mother, Mary. The Gospel reading says that she did not understand what her young son meant. She had to learn to let Him go to God’s purpose, God’s work and the Gospel suggests that it was a struggle for her at times. Yet, she allowed her own heart to be given over to what God wanted for Jesus and for herself, even though it did not always come easy to her. Her struggle to do this is the struggle of each one of us. When it comes to God and His Son, we are tempted to have a divided heart, to give just some of our heart to God. The heart of Jesus is the heart of God, a heart full of love for humankind. It is a heart that can be , it was on the cross. The heart of Mary is the heart of a mother, a heart that is full of love for her aschild, a heart that is easily broken because whatever affects her child affects her deeply.  Today’s memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary places Mary before us as an inspiration and encouragement to us in our struggle. Her human heart is the perfect human response to Jesus’ Sacred Heart of love and that is why we can turn to her with confidence and ask her to pray for us sinners now, as we try to respond to the love of Jesus in the wholehearted way that she did.

On today’s memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we are being invited to recognize Mary as one in whom the Lord made both integrity and praise to spring up. A wonderful example of her praise of God is her great prayer, the Magnificat, to be found at the beginning of Luke’s Gospel. As well as being a woman of praise, she was a woman of integrity. There was nothing false about her. She gave her heart to God and her life was an expression of that dedication of herself to God. Her heart was immaculate in the sense that there was no trace of sin or self-centredness there. She lived for God, surrendering to God’s purpose for her life, ‘let it be to me according to your word’. She was the prime example of what the Gospels call the ‘pure in heart’.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures on this feast of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, after the celebration of the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, reminds us all of the special link and connection that Jesus our Lord has with His mother Mary, and just how the loving, Immaculate Heart of Mary is truly a reflection of her own Son’s Most Sacred Heart. Mary’s heart is full of love for all of us, her adopted children, as we all have been entrusted by the Lord to her to be our own mother, and as we also become her own children by faith. Therefore, today, as we commemorate this Feast in honor of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Mother of God and also our own mother, let us all hence commit ourselves anew to love the Lord, our God and Saviour, through the examples that our beloved mother herself had shown, in how Mary had dedicated her whole life to love her Son, and how she had dedicated her whole life to obey God’s will and becoming the perfect example for all of us in how we should live our own lives as Christians. Let us all henceforth renew our faith in the Lord our God, entrusting ourselves in the Immaculate Heart of Mary, His Mother, as well as in His Most Sacred Heart, that we may strive from now on, in our best ability and effort to walk ever more faithfully in His presence, distancing ourselves from sin, and turning once again into the path of righteousness and justice, following the path that God has shown us. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace to turn to our Blessed Mother Mary with confidence and ask her to pray for us sinners and continue to guide us in our journey of faith through life, that we may always ever be faithful, at all times. Amen🙏

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF JUNE: The month of June is set apart for devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. “From among all the proofs of the infinite goodness of our Savior none stands out more prominently than the fact that, as the love of the faithful grew cold, He, Divine Love Itself, gave Himself to us to be honored by a very special devotion and that the rich treasury of the Church was thrown wide open in the interests of that devotion.” These words of Pope Pius XI refer to the Sacred Heart Devotion, which in its present form dates from the revelations given to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1673-75.

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE – FOR MIGRANTS FLEEING THEIR HOMES: We pray that migrants fleeing from war or hunger, forced to undertake journeys full of danger and violence, find welcome and new opportunities in the countries that receive them.

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

PRAYER FOR PEACE ~ POPE FRANCIS:

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!

We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced; how much blood has been shed; how many lives have been shattered; how many hopes have been buried… But our efforts have beķķen in vain. Now, Lord, come to our ajnid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: “Never again war!”; “With war everything is lost”. Instill in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace. Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarreling into forgiveness. Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words “division”, “hatred” and “war” be banished from the heart of every man and woman. Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands. Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be “brother”, and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam! Amen🙏

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

On this special feast day, as we continue to celebrate our risen Lord, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we pray for the Clergy and religious as they serve in the Lord’s Vineyard. We also pray for the sick and dying. We especially pray for our loved ones who have recently died and we continue to remember our beloved, we pray for the repose of their gentle souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

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 & the Holy Spirit forever & ever. Amen🙏

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

PRAYER INTENTIONS: As we begin 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. Every life is a gift. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the gentle soul of our beloved family members who recently passed away and the souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. 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, with special intention for those Seminarians who will be ordained into Priesthood. 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:

Most Immaculate Heart of Mother Mary, you reveal to us the perfect way to love your Son and to be devoted to Him. Fill me with the love you had for your Son by interceding for me. Thank you for the witness you gave to us all and help us to imitate the countless virtues that flowed from your heart. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us. Our Most Blessed Mother Mary, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mediatrix of all Graces and Saint Médard, Bishop and Saint William of York, Bishop ~ Pray for us🙏

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you. Immaculate Heart of Mary, Pray for us. Amen🙏

Thanking God for the gift of the special  feasts of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and we continue to pray 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 and relaxing weekend🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖

NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY ~ FEAST DAY: JUNE 7, 2024

SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS
[Friday following the second Sunday after Pentecost]

WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE SANCTIFICATION OF PRIESTS

Greetings beloved family and Happy Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus!

On this special feast day of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, we also celebrate the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests. With special intention we pray for the Church, the Clergy, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Cardinals, Bishops, all Priests, that they be sanctified in their ministry to God’s people. We pray for persecuted christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world suffering from political and religious unrest. May God protect us all and keep united in peace, love and faith… Amen 🙏

Watch ” Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN on YouTube | June 7, 2024 |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | June 7, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” |June 7, 2024 |

Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy | from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | June 7, 2024 |

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

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus | Friday, June 7, 2024
Reading 1, Hosea 11:1, 3-4, 8-9
Responsorial Psalm, Isaiah 12:2-3, 4, 5-6
Reading 2, Ephesians 3:8-12, 14-19
Gospel, John 19:31-37

NOVENA TO THE SACRED HEART: Novena dates: May 29 – June 6, 2024. June 7, 2024: Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart | https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/novena-prayer-to-the-sacred-heart-311

SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS: Today, we celebrate The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus; also the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests is celebrated on the Friday after the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. This suggests to us that the Eucharist (Corpus Christi) is none other than the Heart of Jesus Himself, of the One who “takes care of us” with His “heart”. The liturgical Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is celebrated the first Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi, or 19 days after Pentecost Sunday. This devotion is especially concerned with what the Church deems to be the long-suffering, love, and compassion of the HEART of Christ towards humanity.

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is one of the most popular Catholic devotions. Although it was beloved in previous centuries, this general devotion arose first in Benedictine and Cistercian monasteries of that time, especially in response to the devotion of St. Gertrude the Great. On 20 October 1672, Father Giovanni Eudes, a priest from Normandy, celebrated this feast for the first time. But there had already been several German mystics that had begun cultivating devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Middle Ages: Mechtild of Magdeburg (1212-1283), Mechtilde of Hackeborn (1240-1298) and Gertrude of Helfta (1256-1302) – and the Dominican, Blessed Henry Suso (1295 – 1366). But specific devotions became popularized when St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690), a Visitation nun of the convent of Paray-le-Monial contributed greatly. She had a personal revelation involving a series of visions of Christ as she prayed before the Blessed Sacrament. St. Margaret Mary had entered the French convent in Saône-et-Loire in 1671. She already had the reputation of being a mystic when on December 27, 1673 she received the first vision of Jesus who invited her to take John’s place, the only apostle who physically rested his head on Jesus’s chest, among those present at the Last Supper. “My Divine Heart is so passionately in love with humanity that it can no longer contain within itself the flames of its ardent love. It must pour them out. I have chosen you for this great plan,” Jesus told her. The following year, St. Margaret had two other visions. In the first, Jesus’s heart was on a throne enveloped in flames brighter than the sun and more transparent than crystal, surrounded by a crown of thorns. In the other, she saw Christ shining in glory. Flames of fire were coming out of every part of his chest to the point that it looked like a furnace. Jesus spoke to her and asked her to receive Communion every first Friday for nine consecutive months and to prostrate herself on the ground for an hour the night between Thursday and Friday. This is how the practice of the nine first Fridays originated and the Holy Hour of Adoration. Then in a fourth vision, Christ asked for the institution of a feast to honour his Heart and to make reparation through prayer for offenses received.

St. Margaret Mary wrote, “He disclosed to me the marvels of his Love and the inexplicable secrets of his Sacred Heart.” Christ emphasized to her His love — and His woundedness caused by Man’s indifference to this love. When Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1673, showing her a vision of the now-famous image of His Sacred Heart, surrounded by flames. He said to her: “My Heart is so full of love for men that It can no longer contain the flames of Its burning love. I must discover to men the treasures of My Heart and save them from perdition.” She was given the special mission to spread devotion to His Sacred Heart throughout the Church. Jesus gave St. Margaret Mary many promises associated with this devotion, and requested that a feast day in honor of His Sacred Heart be instituted on the Friday after the Octave of Corpus Christi. In 1856, the Feast of the Sacred Heart was spread to the Universal Church and Pope Pius IX made it an obligatory feast throughout the universal Church and in 1899 Pope Leo XIII solemnly consecrated all mankind to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, calling it “the great act” of his pontificate. In 1995, Saint John Paul II instituted the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests on this same day so that the priesthood might be protected in the hands of Jesus, rather in his heart, so it could be open to everyone.

Our Lord Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary on many occasions, and explained to her the devotion to His Heart. Jesus also made 12 specific promises to those who would honor His Sacred Heart:

1. I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life.
2. I will give peace in their families and will unite families that are divided.
3. I will console them in all their troubles.
4. I will be their refuge during life and above all in death.
5. I will bestow the blessings of Heaven on all their enterprises.
6. Sinners shall find in my Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall rise quickly to great perfection.
9. I will bless those places wherein the image of My Heart shall be exposed and honored and will imprint My love on the hearts of those who would wear this image on their person. I will also destroy in them all disordered movements.
10. I will give to priests who are animated by a tender devotion to my Divine Heart the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.
11. Those who promote this devotion shall have their names written in my Heart, never to be effaced.
12. I promise you in the excessive mercy of my Heart that my all-powerful love will grant to all those who communicate on the First Friday in nine consecutive months, the grace of final penitence: they will not die in my disgrace, nor without receiving their Sacraments. My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.

To receive the promises Jesus made to St. Margaret Mary, there are a few requirements: Receiving Communion Frequently; Going to Confession and receiving the Eucharist on the first Friday of each month, for nine consecutive months. (If it isn’t offered at your parish, you can go to Confession & offer your prayers for the Holy Father’s intentions).
Celebrating the Feast of the Sacred Heart has also been established by Saint Pope John Paul II as the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests. On this day, let’s especially remember our Priests – and the challenge made to us all in Jesus’ message to St. Margaret Mary: to love everyone, faithfully, with the endless love of Jesus. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you. Amen🙏

PRAYER: Divine Heart of Jesus, I offer you through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Mother of the Church, in union with the Eucharistic Sacrifice, my prayers, actions, joys and sufferings of this day in reparation for sins and for the salvation of all people, in the grace of the Holy Spirit for the glory of the Heavenly Father. Amen🙏

SACRED HEART PRAYER: I give myself and consecrate to the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ, my person and my life, my actions, pains and sufferings, so that I may be unwilling to make use of any part of my being other than to honor, love and glorify the Sacred Heart. This is my unchanging purpose, namely, to be all His, and to do all things for the love of Him, at the same time renouncing with all my heart whatever is displeasing to Him. I therefore take You, O Sacred heart, to be the only object of my love, the guardian of my life, my assurance of salvation, the remedy of my weakness and inconstancy, the atonement for all the faults of my life and my sure refuge at the hour of death.

Be then, O Heart of goodness, my justification before God the Father, and turn away from me the strokes of his righteous anger. O Heart of love, I put all my confidence in You, for I fear everything from my own wickedness and frailty, but I hope for all things from Your goodness and bounty. Remove from me all that can displease You or resist Your holy will; let your pure love imprint Your image so deeply upon my heart, that I shall never be able to forget You or to be separated from You. May I obtain from all Your loving kindness the grace of having my name written in Your Heart, for in You I desire to place all my happiness and glory, living and dying in bondage to You. Amen🙏

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you ~ Amen🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS

Bible Readings for today, Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Gospel Reading ~ John 19:31–37

“One soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out”

“Since it was preparation day, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath, for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken and they be taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out. An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true; he knows that he is speaking the truth, so that you also may come to believe. For this happened so that the Scripture passage might be fulfilled: Not a bone of it will be broken. And again another passage says: They will look upon him whom they have pierced.”

In today’s Gospel reading, the pierced heart of Christ proclaimed that ‘greater love’ Jesus speaks about in the Gospel of John. ‘No one can have greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends’. The Gospel readt today, in which we heard of the account of the Passion of the Lord, at the very moment when He died after having suffered most greatly and painfully for our sake and salvation. We heard how the Son of God Himself had truly died, emptying Himself of all glory and embracing all of us with His most perfect and selfless love. The soldiers were told to break the legs of those who were crucified with the Lord that they might not continue to hang on the Cross through to the Passover day, but the Lord had already passed away, and one of them was told to prove and check that the Lord had indeed died. The soldier, which tradition stated to be one St. Longinus, pierced the side of the Lord with his spear, just as the Scriptures had predicted, and immediately Blood and water rushed out. This was the moment when the Lord’s love has been fully given to us through His loving sacrifice on the Cross, the moment when all of us were united to His death, to die to our past sins and wickedness, and to open for us all the path to everlasting life and salvation, by the means of His Church. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, this was the moment when the Church of God was born, when the Blood and water pouring forth from the Lord’s Body, from His own Most Sacred Heart, came down upon us all in this world. His perfect and most worthy offering had been completed and accepted by the Lord, His heavenly Father, as the most worthy offering for the atonement of all of our sins. Through this act of supreme love and kindness, compassion and forgiveness, God has united us all to Himself, our humanity and human nature to His own human nature and self, truly suffering and truly died on the Cross, the Lamb of God, persecuted and slain for the sake of our salvation.

In our first reading today from the Book of the prophet Hosea, the Lord spoke to His people, the Israelites through the prophet Hosea telling all of them that He truly loved all of them, and even though He had chastised and punished them for their many sins, rebellions and wickedness because of their unfaithfulness, but God continued to love all of His beloved people nonetheless, and He also mentioned to them everything that He had done for them throughout history, how He led them all the way, and brought His salvation upon them, patiently guiding them all so that they might find their way towards Him and follow Him faithfully and worthily. At that time, the prophet Hosea was sent by the Lord to the people of the kingdom of Israel, the northern half of the once united Kingdom of Israel, consisting of the ten northern tribes that broke away from the rule of the House of David. For much if not most of its history and existence, this kingdom and its people had been rebellious against God, refusing to obey His Law and commandments, worshipping pagan idols and gods despite the many messengers, prophets and guides whom the Lord had sent to them in order to help them to find their way back to Him. Instead, they shut their ears and hearts against those servants of God, persecuted and silenced them, killing many of them in refusing to believe in God and in stubbornly refusing to repent from their many sins. Yet, God still loved them and all of us nonetheless. He is patient and full of love, and He still wants us all to come back to Him, repenting from all of our sins. God is always ever generous with His mercy, and His Most Sacred Heart has been manifested to us with the fullness of His love personified and made approachable to us, the love that is truly warm and wonderful, the love that conquered even sin and death.

Our second reading today from St. Paul in his Epistle to the Ephesians summarised all these in emphasising yet again the role which Christ, Our Lord and Saviour had played in the fulfilment of everything which God had planned for our salvation, to liberate each and every one of us from the power and dominion of sin and death. Through His perfect obedience and loving sacrifice, He has undone the disobedience and the corruption of sin and evil, which had separated us all from the fullness of God’s grace and love. Through Christ, we all have received a new hope and a new life, a new reality and existence that is filled with God’s grace and love, as we become part of His one Body, the Church, sanctified and made one by the outpouring of His Blood, which overflowed from His wounded and broken, Most Sacred Heart. Our second reading today, gives us one of the shortest and, yet, most profound statements about God in all of the Bible, ‘God is love’. It goes on to state that ‘God’s love was revealed when God sent into the world His only Son’. Jesus is the supreme revelation of God who is love. All authentic love is life-giving and that is uniquely true of God who is love and of Jesus the revelation of that love. God sent His Son so that we could have life through Him, according to our second reading. In the Gospel reading, Jesus uses the image of ‘rest’ to speak of that love. He invites all who are burdened to come to Him and to find rest, to find life. Even a slight inkling of the tremendous love of God for us can have a transforming effect on us. In the words of the second reading, it can empower us to love one another as God has loved us.

Today’s readings remind us that this love of the Lord is especially sensitive to all those in greatest need of this love, what the first reading calls, the lost, the stray, the wounded, the weak, what Saint Paul in the second reading refers to as ‘sinners’ and the Gospel reading as the ‘lost’. It is to the Sacred Heart we can turn whenever we find ourselves belonging to any of those categories, and, we belong there all the time in one way or another. Today’s feast reminds us that the Lord’s love for us is unconditional. It is not a response to our goodness; it makes us good. It is not a love that waits for us to seek it out; it is a love that is constantly seeking us out. Today’s feast invites us to keep on trusting in God’s loving initiative towards us through his Son and the Holy Spirit, regardless of where we find ourselves in life. It is a feast that prompts us to cry out with Saint Paul, ‘I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me’.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, as the Church celebrates the great Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, we celebrate the great love of God which has been manifested by the coming of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. And this day, all of us commemorate this love manifested not just in the Person of Our Lord Jesus Christ, but also in His Most Sacred Heart, His bleeding and wounded Heart, pierced for our salvation, from which poured out the most wonderful, selfless and perfect love, and He truly wants to share with us this ever patient and enduring love that He had for us from the very beginning, for He had indeed created us all out of His most generous love. Through His Most Sacred Heart, pierced and wounded for us, we are reminded of every single wounds that we ourselves have caused upon the Lord, Who has loved us all so selflessly and tenderly, so patiently and generously from the very beginning of time, from the moment when He first created this world and all of us. We must understand and realise that it is our sins and wickedness, our faults and evils, our disobedience against God that had made Him to bear the consequences and punishments for all those that were meant for us. We should have been destroyed and perished because of our many faults and sins, and yet, God willingly took it up upon Himself to bear the burden of those sufferings and pains, all the wounds we have inflicted on Him, so that by His wounds, and through His Most Sacred Heart, full of ever burning and passionate Love for each one of us, we may have the hope and assurance of everlasting life through reconciliation and reunification with God, our Lord and Master. Let us all therefore renew our commitment to the Lord, by recalling His love for us and remembering everything that He had done for us, all the love that came forth outpouring from His Most Sacred Heart. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace as we continue to put our trust in Him and the love that He has constantly shown us, and do our best so that in our own respective lives in this world, our lives will continue to be full of love, both for the Lord our God and for our fellow brothers and sisters around us, now and always. Amen 🙏

SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT ROBERT OF NEWMINSTER, PRIEST AND ABBOT AND BLESSED ANNE OF SAINT BARTHOLOMEW, RELIGIOUS ~ FEAST DAY: JUNE 7TH On this Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Robert of Newminster, Priest and Abbot and Blessed Anne of Saint Bartholomew, Religious. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the sick and dying, especially those who are sick with the coronavirus disease and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. We pray for an end to violence and war and for those going through difficulties especially during these incredibly challenging times, we pray for the poor and the needy, for peace, love and unity in our families and our world. And we continue to pray for the Church, the Clergy, for persecuted christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world.🙏

SAINT ROBERT OF NEWMINSTER, PRIEST AND ABBOT: St. Robert of Newminster ( c. 1100–1159) was born at Gargrave, Yorkshire, England, at the beginning of the 12th century. He studied at the University of Paris, was ordained a priest and served as a parish priest at Gargrave. He spent the early years of his priesthood as rector of his hometown but later joined the Benedictine community at Whitby and then the Cistercians at Fountains. In 1132 he helped to establish Fountains Abbey which embraced the Cistercian rule of St Bernard of Clairvaux. Fountains was to have a daughter abbey at Newminster near Morpeth, Northumberland and St. Robert became the first abbot in 1138/9. The Abbey of Newminster at Morpeth, Northumberland became a place of pilgrimage.

As Abbot, St. Robert founded several new monasteries and also provided a fine example leading his monks to sanctity. He was known for his kindness, austerity and holiness. He was a great man of prayer, a spiritual writer and exorcist. He recited the entire Psalter of 150 psalms daily and he ate sparingly to maintain his self-denial. This holy man was endowed with special power over evil spirits and he cured many possessed persons; he is sometimes pictured as holding the devil in chains and taming him with an upright crucifix. He led a strict way of life and fasted from food and drink, especially during Lent. One Easter Day his stomach, weakened by the fast of Lent, could take no food. Finally he consented to try to eat some bread sweetened with honey. Before it was brought, he changed his mind and sent the food, untouched, to the poor at the gate. The plate was received by a young man who took the bread and disappeared.

St. Robert was a close friend of the simple holy hermit, Saint Godric of Finchale and often visited him in his lonely hermitage at Finchale, where they would discourse about heavenly mysteries. At the moment of St. Robert’s death, on June 7, 1159, his friend, St. Godric saw his soul ascending to heaven like a ball or globe of fire, taken up by the Angels in a pathway of light, while the gates of heaven opened before them. St. Robert took his name from Newminster Abbey, where he and his monks lived until his death on June 7, 1159. He was buried at St Robert of Newminster’s R C Church, Morpeth, United Kingdom. 

PRAYER: Lord, amid the things of this world, let us be wholeheartedly commited to heavenly things in imitation of the example of evangelical perfection You have given us in St. Robert the Abbot. Amen🙏

BLESSED ANNE OF SAINT BARTHOLOMEW, RELIGIOUS: Bl. Anne of St. Bartholomew (1549–1626) was a Spanish Roman Catholic professed religious and a professed member from the Discalced Carmelites. She was favoured with innumerable mystical graces from childhood, she imbibed the Teresian spirit at its very source, being the nurse, secretary, and travel companion of the great reformer of Carmel, Saint Teresa of Ávila. Bl. Anne led the establishment of new monasteries of in France and the Lowlands. Bl. Anne was born Ana García Manzanas on October 1, 1549 at Almendral de la Cañada, Old Castile, Crown of Castile in Spain, one of seven children. Her parents died when the plague swept through Spain, leaving her an orphan at the age of ten. She then became a shepherdess tending her brother’s sheep. From a young age she had an extraordinary spiritual life, including being graced with many visions. In one of them the Blessed Virgin Mary told her she would become a nun, which was further encouraged by a vision of Jesus. When she tried to enter the monastery she was turned away for being too young. Years later, when her family tried to arrange her marriage, she finally entered the Carmelite monastery at the age of 21, the same one in which St. Teresa of Avila lived. St. Teresa chose Bl. Anne as her personal secretary and assistant, even though she had to teach Bl. Anne how to write. For five years Bl. Anne was the companion of St. Teresa of Avila, traveling with her and assisting her in the establishment of new foundations. She was a close friend and aide to Saint Teresa of Ávila and it was in Bl. Anne’s arms that St. Teresa died on October 4, 1582. On her deadbed, sensing her last moment approaching, St. Teresa confessed, received the Viaticum and expired with her head resting in the arms of the faithful Anne, who had attended her day and night.

After St. Teresa’s departure for eternity, Bl. Anne became a reference point for those who, both inside and outside the Order of Carmel, wished to come to better know the Teresian soul and her epic feat. And it soon became evident how much that faithful witness had allowed herself to be shaped by her superior and assimilated her spirit. Out of obedience, she received the black veil, which meant she was no longer a simple lay sister, and she was sent to France, together with other religious, to introduce the Order of Discalced Carmelites there. Bl. Anne assisted in the foundation of several other monasteries in France, becoming prioress at three of them. She sometimes struggled with her superiors as she set about setting new convents and holding her position as a prioress. Bl. Anne spent the final years of her life in Belgium in the Netherlands, where she founded the Carmel of Antwerp and remained until her death. At that time, the Belgians were at war with the Dutch. Her reputation for sanctity became so widespread that many soldiers, before leaving for the war front, came to ask her for some object of hers, to use it as a relic and an assurance of God’s protection. God spared one soldier from death who carried in his breast pocket a paper bearing the writing of the holy mother. A bullet passed through the thick cloth of his uniform, but was stopped by the fine sheet of paper! Furthermore, on two occasions, in 1622 and 1624, when the city was about to be seized by enemy troops, the prayers of Mother Anne miraculously saved it, justifying what was said some time before by the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia, daughter of Philip II, who was at that time governing the Low Countries: “I fear nothing concerning the Castle of Antwerp or this city, for I am more assured by the prayers of Mother Anne of St. Bartholomew than by any number of armies that I could have there.” On June 7, 1626 this courageous soul, Bl. Anne finished her course in this world to enter into the joys of Heaven, where, certainly at the side of her beloved Mother Teresa of Jesus, she continues to help those who work for the glory of God and His Church. After her death over 150 approved miracles (and more that have not been officially approved) were attributed to her intercession. Bl. Anne died on June 7, 1626 (aged 75) Antwerp, County of Flanders, Spanish Netherlands. She was Beatified on May 6, 1917, Saint Peter’s Basilica, Kingdom of Italy by Pope Benedict XV. She’s the Patron Saint of Antwerp. Her feast day is June 7th.

PRAYER TO BL. ANNE OF ST. BARTHOLOMEW: Father, rewarder of the humble, you blessed your servant Anne of Saint Bartholomew with outstanding charity and patience. May her prayers help us, and her example inspire us, to carry our cross and be faithful in loving you, and others for your sake. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen🙏

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF JUNE: The month of June is set apart for devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. “From among all the proofs of the infinite goodness of our Savior none stands out more prominently than the fact that, as the love of the faithful grew cold, He, Divine Love Itself, gave Himself to us to be honored by a very special devotion and that the rich treasury of the Church was thrown wide open in the interests of that devotion.” These words of Pope Pius XI refer to the Sacred Heart Devotion, which in its present form dates from the revelations given to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1673-75.

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE – FOR MIGRANTS FLEEING THEIR HOMES: We pray that migrants fleeing from war or hunger, forced to undertake journeys full of danger and violence, find welcome and new opportunities in the countries that receive them.

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

PRAYER FOR PEACE ~ POPE FRANCIS:

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!

We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced; how much blood has been shed; how many lives have been shattered; how many hopes have been buried… But our efforts have beķķen in vain. Now, Lord, come to our ajnid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: “Never again war!”; “With war everything is lost”. Instill in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace. Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarreling into forgiveness. Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words “division”, “hatred” and “war” be banished from the heart of every man and woman. Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands. Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be “brother”, and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam! Amen🙏

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

On this special feast day, as we continue to celebrate our risen Lord, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we pray for the Clergy and religious as they serve in the Lord’s Vineyard. We also pray for the sick and dying. We especially pray for our loved ones who have recently died and we continue to remember our beloved, we pray for the repose of their gentle souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

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 & the Holy Spirit forever & ever. Amen🙏

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

PRAYER INTENTIONS: As we begin 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. Every life is a gift. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the gentle soul of our beloved family members who recently passed away and the souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. 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, with special intention for those Seminarians who will be ordained into Priesthood. 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:

Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.  I thank You, dear Lord, for giving all to me.  You held nothing back from me and You continue to pour out Your life for my good and for the good of the whole world.  May I receive all You give to me and hold nothing back from You.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, You poured out upon the world the love and mercy of Your transforming grace through the instrument of the blood and water pouring forth from Your wounded side. Help me to gaze upon this font of mercy and to be covered with it through the gift of the Sacraments. May I always be open to all that You wish to bestow upon me by these precious and transforming instruments of Your love. Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen 🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Most Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Robert of Newminster and Blessed Anne of Saint Bartholomew ~ Pray for us🙏

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you. Amen🙏

Thanking God for the gift of this special  feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and we continue to pray 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 and relaxing weekend🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖

NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY ~ FEAST DAY: JUNE 6, 2024

NOVENA TO THE SACRED HEART: Novena dates: May 29 – June 6, 2024. June 7, 2024: Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart (Novena link below)

Greetings beloved family. Happy Thursday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time!

We pray and thank God for the successful completion of the Novena to the Sacred Heart in preparation for the celebration of the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart, tomorrow June 7, 2024.

We continue to pray for the safety and well-being of our children, youths, students and children all over the world. With special intention for all students graduating this school. year. May God continue to grant them all wisdom, knowledge and understanding and may He empower them as they walk into the future with faith, hope, and love guided by the Holy Spirit through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary. Amen🙏

Watch ” Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN on YouTube | June 6, 2024 |

Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | June 6, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” |June 6, 2024 |

Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | June 6, 2024 |

Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy | from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | June 6, 2024 |

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Thursday, June 6, 2024
Reading 1, Second Timothy 2:8-15
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14
Gospel, Mark 12:28-34

NOVENA TO THE SACRED HEART: Novena dates: May 29 – June 6, 2024. June 7, 2024: Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart | https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/novena-prayer-to-the-sacred-heart-311

SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT NORBERT OF XANTEN, BISHOP AND SAINT MARCELLIN CHAMPAGNAT, RELIGIOUS ~ FEAST DAY: JUNE 6TH Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Norbert of Xanten, Bishop and Saint Marcellin Champagnat, Religious. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, Mother of the Church and the Saints on this feast day, Saint Norbert who was called the “Apostle of the Blessed Sacrament” and Saint Marcellin Champagnat, we humbly pray for us to have a great love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, too. We pray for all expectant mothers, for safe delivery. We pray for peace, love and unity in our families and our world. We also pray for the poor and the needy, the sick and we continue to pray for the Church, the Clergy, for persecuted christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world.🙏

SAINT NORBERT OF XANTEN, BISHOP: St. Norbert of Xanten was called the “Apostle of the Blessed Sacrament”. Also known as Norbert Gennep, was bishop and founder of the Premonstratensian order of canons regular. St. Norbert was born at Xanten in the Rhineland, about 1080. The early part of his life was devoted to the world and its pleasures. He even entered upon the ecclesiastical state in a worldly spirit. He was ordained subdeacon, but fear of greater restraint prevented him from receiving higher orders. An accident became the occasion of a wonderful change of heart. A stroke of lightning frightened Norbert’s horse, whereupon he was thrown to the ground and knocked senseless; on regaining consciousness, he became a sincere penitent. He left the court and withdrew to Xanten, where he began to lead a retired and penitential life. A retreat the Saint made in the monastery of St. Sigebert, near Cologne, completed his conversion, and he spent two years preparing himself for the priesthood, which he received at Cologne. Soon after, he resigned his ecclesiastical benefices, sold his property and gave the proceeds to the poor, and traveled to Languedoc, where Pope Gelasius II was at that time.

St. Norbert went from place to place, preaching penance. Finally, he settled at Premontre, where he established the Order of Premonstratensians, which became very numerous even during the life of the holy founder. He was forced to accept the dignity of Archbishop of Magdeburg, about the year 1125, but in this exalted station he practiced the same austerity that had been familiar to him in the cloister. St. Norbert’s zeal effected a great reformation in his diocese, though, like other Saints, he had enemies in those to whom his life was a reproach. Together with St. Bernard he labored much to extinguish the disorders caused by the schism of the anti-Pope, Anacletus. Upon his return from a journey to Rome with Emperor Lothaire, he fell ill, and, after four months of sickness, died June 6, 1134. He was canonized in 1582 by Pope Gregory XII. He’s Patron Saint of peace, invoked during childbirth for safe delivery; Kingdom of Bohemia (now Czech Republic), Magdeburg.

PRAYER: O God, who made the Bishop Saint Norbert a servant of your Church outstanding in his prayer and pastoral zeal, grant, we ask, that by the help of his intercession, the flock of the faithful may always find shepherds after your own heart and be fed in the pastures of salvation. 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  Norbert of Xanten… Pray for us🙏

SAINT MARCELLIN CHAMPAGNAT, RELIGIOUS: St. Marcellin Champagnat (1789–1840) was born on May 20, 1789 to a peasant family near Lyons, France, in the same year the French Revolution erupted. He was a priest of the Society of Mary and the founder of the Little Brothers of Mary, a congregation of brothers devoted to the education of the young. He was the ninth child of a very pious catholic family and develpoed a very deep devotion to Mary as a young boy, which he learned from an aunt who was a religious.  He also had a great capacity for work, which he learned from his father. Champagnat left school at the age of seven, and when, at the age of 14, he discovered through the help of a priest his own vocation to the priesthood, he had to begin to study again almost from scratch. Aware of his limitations, and against the advice of those around him, he entered the minor seminary and struggled to learn the fundaments of schooling. However, never losing sight of the will of God for him, he struggled through these difficult years with his eyes fixed on the horizon of God’s call. In the major seminary he became friends with the future Curé of Ars, Jean-Marie Vianney.  He was ordained with his companions on July 22, 1816, the feast of St. Mary Magdalen. One of his desires was to found a congregarion devoted to the name of Mary in order to re-evangelize French society in the wake of the French Revolution. He saw his main task as the Christian education of the young, and this inclination was quickened and solidified upon encountering a dying young boy who had nearly no knowledge of the faith.

He founded the Little Brothers of Mary on January 2, 1817, when two young men decided to join him in his mission. He set about at once, in addition to his parish ministry, to educate uncultured young boys and turn them into ardent apostles of Jesus Christ, all the while living in abject poverty and trusting totally in the will of God, and the solicitous protection of the Virgin Mary, to whom he gave all, for the sake of the Lord Jesus. He made his school year flexible with the farming seasons, and the fees were affordable to the poor. His congregation, The Little Brothers of Mary, now called The Marist Brothers. They were dedicated to the education of youth, especially the most neglected. When Marcellin died his order had 48 establishments in France with 278 Brothers. Today there are 5,100 Brothers working in over 80 countries. St. Marcellin Champagnat died on June 6, 1840 at the age of 51, his health having been worn out by his immense workload and an illness. At his canonization in 1999 by Pope John Paul II, the Holy Father said of him, “St Marcellin proclaimed the Gospel with a burning heart. He was sensitive to the spiritual and educational needs of his time, especially to religious ignorance and the situations of neglect experienced in a particular way by the young.”

All to Jesus through Mary, and all to Mary for Jesus.” – St. Marcellin Champagnat

St. Marcellin Champagnat ~ Pray for us🙏

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS

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

Gospel Reading ~ Mark 12:28-34

“There is no commandment greater than these”

“One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” Jesus replied, “The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, He is One and there is no other than he. And to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, he said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” And no one dared to ask him any more questions.”

In today’s Gospel reading, one of the Jewish scribes comes up to Jesus and asks Him, ‘Which is the first of all the commandments?’ There were a lot of rules and regulations in the Jewish religion at that time. He wanted to know which one was the most important. In His answer Jesus gave more than He was asked for. He was asked for the first commandment; He gave the first and second commandment, the first being to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and the second being to love our neighbour as ourselves. In that way Jesus was showing that these two commandments are inseparable. We cannot love God without loving our neighbour, and in loving our neighbour we are, at the same time, loving God. Yet, the two commandments are not on the same level, one is first and one is second. It is the love of God which is to be the primary love in our lives. We owe the greatest devotion to God. As Jesus says in one of the other Gospels, ‘Seek first the kingdom of God’. God as revealed in Jesus is to be our greatest love. If we are caught up into a loving relationship with God, it will overflow into a love of all those whom God loves, and our various human loves for other people will reflect something of God’s love for them.

In our first reading today from the Epistle of St. Paul to St. Timothy, the Apostle speaks about the salvation which the Lord has shown all of us, and which He has generously and constantly promised to us, and renewed that promise through all that He had done, through the coming of His Son, Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, by Whom the whole world has been shown the sure path to God’s grace and eternal life. This is what St. Paul wanted to remind all of us, the faithful people of God, of just how wonderful God’s love has been, and how fortunate we truly are for having been beloved in such a manner. This is why all of us are reminded of this great love of God, and what we all as Christians ought to be doing henceforth, in loving God, our Lord and Master, and in loving one another, our fellow brothers and sisters, at all times. We have truly been very blessed to be in God’s love and favour, and we must never squander the opportunities and the great generosity that God has shown us all these while. Otherwise we may lose sight on what truly matters for us in life, especially if we allow ourselves to be swayed by the many temptations and pleasures of the world around us. This is why we must remind ourselves always to be ever committed to the Lord, to His love and kindness.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded of the love of God which He has given to all of us, as He grants us all the most wonderful graces and blessings, constantly reaching out to us and showing us His love throughout all of history. He has loved us all from the very beginning, and He has indeed created us all out of His ever enduring and patient love. He spared us from destruction and eternal damnation because of this same love, and gave us all the perfect gift of love, manifested in His only begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, we are reminded this day that we should not take God’s love for granted, and we are also reminded that we have to love Him and our fellow brothers and sisters in the same way. Through the great examples showed by the lives of the Saints and Holy men and women, especially St. Norbert and all the Saints, who we celebrate today, let us all be inspired to follow the Lord ever more faithfully and to commit ourselves thoroughly to His cause. Let us all remind ourselves and one another not to be swayed easily worldly temptations and desires, but as we recall the ever enduring and generous love which God has always had for us, let us all continue to love Him first and foremost and do our very best so that we may truly be committed to God at all times and be the good and worthy role models for our fellow Christians, our fellow brothers and sisters around us, whom we also ought to love and care for, as much as we can. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace to follow the footsteps of the faithful servants of God and be good examples and role models of faith ourselves, now and always. Amen 🙏

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF JUNE: The month of June is set apart for devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. “From among all the proofs of the infinite goodness of our Savior none stands out more prominently than the fact that, as the love of the faithful grew cold, He, Divine Love Itself, gave Himself to us to be honored by a very special devotion and that the rich treasury of the Church was thrown wide open in the interests of that devotion.” These words of Pope Pius XI refer to the Sacred Heart Devotion, which in its present form dates from the revelations given to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1673-75.

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE – FOR MIGRANTS FLEEING THEIR HOMES: We pray that migrants fleeing from war or hunger, forced to undertake journeys full of danger and violence, find welcome and new opportunities in the countries that receive them.

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

PRAYER FOR PEACE ~ POPE FRANCIS:

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!

We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced; how much blood has been shed; how many lives have been shattered; how many hopes have been buried… But our efforts have beķķen in vain. Now, Lord, come to our ajnid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: “Never again war!”; “With war everything is lost”. Instill in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace. Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarreling into forgiveness. Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words “division”, “hatred” and “war” be banished from the heart of every man and woman. Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands. Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be “brother”, and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam! Amen🙏

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

On this special feast day, as we continue to celebrate our risen Lord, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we pray for the Clergy and religious as they serve in the Lord’s Vineyard. We also pray for the sick and dying. We especially pray for our loved ones who have recently died and we continue to remember our beloved, we pray for the repose of their gentle souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

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 & the Holy Spirit forever & ever. Amen🙏

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

PRAYER INTENTIONS: As we begin 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. Every life is a gift. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the gentle soul of our beloved family members who recently passed away and the souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. 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, with special intention for those Seminarians who will be ordained into Priesthood. 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 of all Truth, You look upon the humble souls with graciousness and mercy, and You reveal to them the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven. Please give me the gift of humility, dear Lord, so that I may always turn to You with every question in life. Fill me with the gift of understanding so that I may know how to love and serve You more faithfully each and every day. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen🙏

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Most Blessed Mother Mary, Mother of the Church and Saint Norbert of Xanten and Saint Marcellin Champagnat ~ Pray for us🙏

Thanking God for the gift of the Holy Spirit 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, and grace-filled and fruitful week🙏

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖