Greetings, my dear beloved family! Happy Sunday and Happy Feast of Saint Philomena! You and your loved ones are in my thoughts and prayers on this special feast of my Patron Saint, St. Philomena, daughter of light.
May St. Philomena the Patron Saint of children, babies, infants, youth, students, test takers, Priests, lost causes, against infertility, sterility, virgins, desperate causes, impossible causes, forgotten causes, orphans, the poor, prisoners, the sick, mental illness, against barrenness, against bodily ills and, Children of Mary intercede for all.🙏
With special intention for the safety and well-being of our children and children all over the world, especially those beginning the new school year. We pray for wisdom, knowledge, and understanding and for God’s guidance and protection upon them during this new school year and always… Amen 🙏
May our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Philomena with all the Saints on this special feast day intercede for you, your loved ones, and us all… Amen 🙏
Saint Philomena, Powerful with God ~ Pray for us 🙏
MEMORIAL OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, MOTHER OF THE CHURCH
MEMORIAL OF SAINT BERNARDINE OF SIENA, PRIEST
Greetings beloved family. Happy Monday after Pentecost, Feast of Our Blessed Mother Mary, Mother of the Church and Happy Memorial Day!
On this Memorial Day, we pray for the repose of the souls of all the faithful departed, we particularly remember, honor and pray for all those in the military who sacrificed their lives to make the world a better place for all of us. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May their gentle souls and souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen🙏
Watch ” Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on Pentecost Sunday | EWTN on YouTube | May 20, 2024 |
Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | May 20, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | May 20, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | May 20, 2024 |
Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy | from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | May 20, 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, May 20, 2024 Reading 1, Genesis 3:9-15, 20 or Acts 1: 12-14 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 87:1-3, 5-7 Gospel, John 19:25-34
Today, a day after Pentecost Sunday we enter once again into the season of Ordinary Time, which will continue until the end of this current liturgical year in November this year. Please let us all continue to pray for the repose of the souls of all the faithful departed and for peace in our families and throughout our divided and conflicted World🙏
On this special day, we celebrate the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church or Mater Ecclesiae. This celebration began in the recent years commemorating what had been widespread acknowledgement of the role of Mary as the Mother of the faithful people of God and hence, also the Mother of the Church. Just as St. Joseph was made the Protector of the Universal Church, it is only right then that Mary is officially accorded the honor of being the Mother of the Church.
MEMORIAL OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, MOTHER OF THE CHURCH: Our Beloved Mother Mary, by virtue of being the mother of Jesus Christ, has always been recognized as the Mother of the Church, which Jesus established during His Passion. Before He expired on the Cross, Jesus gave His final instructions to Mary and John, elevating the nature of their relationship within the Kingdom of God. He said to Mary, “Woman, behold thy son,” and to St. John the Beloved (who mystically represents all His disciples), “Behold thy mother.” (John 19 26-27)
The title “Mother of the Church” was formally bestowed on Our Lady by Pope Paul VI, and she was given a liturgical memorial under this title by Pope Francis in 2018. Pope Francis decreed that the ancient devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of Mother of the Church, be inserted into the Roman liturgical calendar. The liturgical celebration, B. Mariæ Virginis, Ecclesiæ Matris, will be celebrated annually as a Memorial on the Monday after the feast of Pentecost. The feast of Pentecost celebrates the birth of the church and today’s feast celebrates Mary as Mother of the Church. The feast of Mary, Mother of the Church celebrated following Pentecost, highlights the fact that the Mother of God was praying alongside her spiritual sons, the Twelve Apostles, at the moment when the Holy Spirit descended upon them at Pentecost. St. Paul VI, at the conclusion of the Third Session of the Second Vatican Council in 1964, declared the Blessed Virgin Mary as “Mother of the Church,” that is to say of all Christian people, the faithful as well as the pastors, who call her the most loving Mother and established that “the Mother of God should be further honored and invoked by the entire Christian people by this tenderest of titles.” But it was not until February 11, 2018, that the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments inscribed a new obligatory Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Mother of the Church, into the General Roman Calendar. This memorial celebrated every year on the Monday after Pentecost is appropriate as Mary was also present in that room for the birthday of the Church.
By issuing the Decree on the celebration of the feast of Mary, Mother of the Church, Pope Francis wishes to promote this devotion in order to “encourage the growth of the maternal sense of the Church in the pastors, religious and faithful, as well as a growth of genuine Marian piety.” The decree reflects on the history of Marian theology in the Church’s liturgical tradition and the writings of the Church Fathers. It says Saint Augustine and Pope Saint Leo the Great both reflected on the Virgin Mary’s importance in the mystery of Christ. “In fact the former [St. Augustine] says that Mary is the mother of the members of Christ, because with charity she cooperated in the rebirth of the faithful into the Church, while the latter [St. Leo the Great] says that the birth of the Head is also the birth of the body, thus indicating that Mary is at once Mother of Christ, the Son of God, and mother of the members of his Mystical Body, which is the Church.” The decree says these reflections are a result of the “divine motherhood of Mary and from her intimate union in the work of the Redeemer.” Scripture, the decree says, depicts Mary at the foot of the Cross (cf. Jn 19:25). There she became the Mother of the Church when she “accepted her Son’s testament of love and welcomed all people in the person of the beloved disciple as sons and daughters to be reborn unto life eternal.” The Church encourages the faithful to observe the day with special acts of devotion and thanksgiving prayers to the Blessed Mother, to pray the Holy Rosary in union with Pope Francis with the special intention of praying for the sick, for an end to wars, political and religious unrest in our world and to make an act of consecration to Mary, the Mother of the Church.
PRAYER: O God, Father of mercies, whose Only Begotten Son, as he hung upon the Cross, chose the Blessed Virgin Mary, his Mother, to be our Mother also, grant, we pray, that with her loving help your Church may be more fruitful day by day and, exulting in the holiness of her children, may draw to her embrace all the families of the people. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen🙏
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🙏
SAINTS OF THE DAY – SAINT BERNARDINE OF SIENA, PRIEST, FEAST DAY ~ MAY 20TH: As we celebrate Our Most Blessed Mother Mary, Mother of the Church, we also celebrate the Memorial of Saint Bernardine of Siena. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Bernardine of Siena on this feast day, we humbly pray for the sick and dying, especially those suffering from respiratory diseases, cancers and other terminal diseases. We pray for the poor and the needy all over the world, for gamblers, for advertisers, those in public relations, Evangelists and all those who proclaim the good news of our Lord. 🙏
SAINT BERNARDINE OF SIENA, PRIEST: St. Bernardine (1380–1444) is known as “the Apostle of Italy” for his efforts to revive the country’s Catholic faith during the 15th century. Born Bernardine Albizeschi in 1380 to upper-class parents in the Italian republic of Siena. Misfortune soon entered the boy’s life when he lost his mother at age three and his father four years later. His aunt Diana cared for him afterward, and taught him to seek consolation and security by trusting in God. Even at a young age, Bernardine demonstrated a remarkable concern for the poor as an outgrowth of his love for God. Having become accustomed to fasting, he preferred at times to go without any food in order to help someone in greater need. From the ages of 11 to 17 he focused on his studies, developing the eloquence and dedication that would serve his future work as an evangelist. Before becoming a preacher, however, Bernardine spent several years ministering to the sick and dying. He enrolled in a religious association that served at a hospital in the town of Scala, and applied himself to this work from 1397 to 1400. During that time, a severe plague broke out in Siena, causing a crisis that would eventually lead to the young man taking charge of the entire hospital. Inside its walls, up to 20 people were dying each day from an illness that also killed many of the hospital workers. The staff was decimated and new victims were coming in constantly. St. Bernardine persuaded 12 young men to help him continue the work of the hospital, which he took over for a period of four months. Although the plague did not infect him, the exhausting work left him weak and he contracted a different sickness that kept him in bed for 4 months After recovering, he spent over a year caring for his aunt Bartholomaea before her death.
Then the 22-year-old St. Bernardine moved to a small house outside the city, where he began to discern God’s will for his future spending much time praying and fasting to know God’s will for his life. He discerned a call to Holy Orders and the religious life, and eventually chose to join the Franciscans of the Strict Observance in 1403 at the age of 22, embracing an austere life focused on poverty and humility. During this time, while praying before a crucifix, Bernardine heard Christ say to him: “My son, behold me hanging upon a cross. If you love me, or desire to imitate me, be also fastened naked to your cross and follow me. Thus you will assuredly find me.” After Bernardine was ordained a priest, his superiors commissioned him to preach as a missionary to the Italians who were falling away from their Catholic faith. The Dominican evangelist St. Vincent Ferrer, just before leaving Italy, preached a sermon in which he predicted that one of his listeners would continue his work among the Italians – a prophecy St. Bernardine heard in person, and went on to fulfill. He lived in solitude for over a decade before being sent to preach in the streets, which he did with incredible skill, so much so that he became the most renowned preacher of his day. He traveled on foot to strife-torn cities, attacking sin and paganism and encouraging all to a life of faith and virtue. Huge crowds numbering in the tens of thousands would come to hear him preach in the public square. His fame and effectiveness as a preacher caused the pope to compare him to St. Paul the Apostle. St. Bernardine’s personal devotion to God, which amazed even the strict Franciscans, made his preaching extremely effective. He moved his hearers to abandon their vices, turn back to God, and make peace with one another. He promoted devotion to the name of Jesus as a simple and effective means of recalling God’s love at all times. When other priests consulted him for advice, St. Bernardine gave them a simple rule: “In all your actions, seek in the first place the kingdom of God and his glory. Direct all you do purely to His honor. Persevere in brotherly charity, and practice first all that you desire to teach others.” By this means, he said, “the Holy Spirit will be your master, and will give you such wisdom and such a tongue that no adversary will be able to stand against you.”
St. Bernardine was especially known for his devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and for promulgating devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus. It was he who devised the IHS symbol over a blazing sun as a monogram and logo for the Holy Name of Jesus (in Greek) to replace the public display of insignias of rival family tribes which disturbed the peace. This symbol of Christ began appearing in churches and on public buildings, even to this day.
St. Bernardine’s own life attested to this source of strength in the face of trials. He patiently suffered an accusation of heresy – which Pope Martin V judged to be false – and refused to abandon his bold preaching when a nobleman threatened him with death. But St. Bernardine was also widely admired throughout Italy, and he was offered the office of a bishop on three occasions. In 1427, he refused the Bishopric of Siena; in 1431, that of Ferrara; and again, in 1435, that of Urbino. Each time, however, he turned down the position, choosing to fulfill the prediction of St. Vincent Ferrer through his missionary work. St. Bernardine preached throughout most of Italy several times over, and even managed to reconcile members of its warring political factions. Saint Bernardine was appointed Vicar General of his Order in 1438, which office he held for five years, and revived the practice of its strict rule of life, then preached again for a time until his last illness forced his retreat in 1444. He was instrumental in effecting many conversions. Then in 1444, forty years after he first entered religious life, St. Bernardine became sick while traveling. He continued to preach, but soon lost his strength and his voice. St. Bernardine of Siena died at Aquilea in the midst of his missionary labors, on May 20, 1444, on Ascension Eve of that year, while his brethren were chanting the antiphon, Father, I have manifested Thy Name to men. Only six years later, in 1450, a Jubilee year, Pope Nicholas V canonized him as a saint. When he began as the head of his Franciscan community there were 300 friars; when he died there were over 4,000. He’s the Patron Saint of advertisers; advertising; publicists; against hoarseness; communications; compulsive or uncontrolled gambling; gambling addicts; lungs; public relations; chest, respiratory, or lung problems; Aquila, Italy; diocese of San Bernardino, California; Italy.
“Whenever the divine favour chooses someone to receive a special grace, or to accept a lofty vocation, God adorns the person chosen with all the gifts of the Spirit needed to fulfil the task at hand.” ~ St. Bernardine of Siena
PRAYER: “St. Bernardine of Siena, you were healed of respiratory illness and preached the love and mercy of God everywhere you went. I come to you now seeking your prayers for all who suffer respiratory illnesses. Plead their cases in union with Mary, the Mother of God, and seek healing for them if that is God’s holy will. Pray, dear saint, that they suffer with joy, persevere with hope, and that they join their afflictions with Jesus’ for the salvation of souls. I ask your intercession on their behalf in Jesus’ holy Name… Amen”🙏
O God, You gave St. Bernardine Your Priest an exceeding love for the Holy Name of Jesus. Through his merits and prayers grant that we may ever be inflamed with the spirit of Your love…. Amen🙏
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS
Bible Readings for today, Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
“Gospel Reading ~ John 19:25-34”
“Behold, your son. Behold, your mother”
“Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I thirst.” There was a vessel filled with common wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth. When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.” And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit. Now 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 that 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.”
In today’s Gospel reading, Mary was present at the foot of the cross as Jesus gave up His spirit, in the sense of His bodily spirit, but also the Holy Spirit. According to the Gospel reading, as Jesus hung from the cross, just before His death, He gave His mother as a mother to the beloved disciple, and to all His present and future disciples whom the beloved disciple represented at the cross. Jesus had a unique relationship with Mary, as son to mother, but He wanted all His disciples to share in this relationship. Just as He wanted us to share in His relationship with God, calling Him ‘Abba, Father’, as He did, so He wanted us to share in His relationship with His mother, Mary, calling her ‘mother’ as He did. The only male disciple at the foot of the cross is the disciple whom Jesus loved, often referred to as the beloved disciple. He is never given a name in this Gospel of John, perhaps to encourage us all to place our own names upon him. The beloved disciple represents us all, because we are all beloved disciples. What Jesus said to His disciples at the last supper in this Gospel of John, He says to disciples in every generation, ‘As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you’. The beloved disciple stands in for us all at the foot of the cross, and Jesus’ words to this disciple are addressed to us all, ‘This is your mother’, and Jesus’ words to His mother concern us all, ‘Woman, this is your son (or daughter)’. Jesus shares His mother with all His disciples, making Himself a brother to us all. According to the Gospel reading, the beloved disciple made a place for Mary in his home. We are all called to make a place for Mary in our lives, to allow her to fulfil her role as mother of Jesus’ disciples, mother of the church. Jesus has given her to us as a gift to support us on our journey as His disciples. Her role in our lives is not to draw attention to herself but to lead us to her Son. We find her fulfilling this role at Cana, saying to the servants, ‘Do whatever He tells you’. We look to her to help us to do whatever Jesus tells us, to keep His word in our lives, as she did. That is why we call on her to pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death. We are all invited to relate to Mary as our spiritual mother, as one who can lead us to her Son and help to keep us open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Jesus gives us Mary as a wonderful spiritual resource. As she stood by the cross as her Son was dying, so she stands by us as we travel the way of the cross in its various forms. As she joined in prayer with the disciples prior to Pentecost, so she prays with us and for us. It is with confidence that we can turn to her, saying, ‘Pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death’. Mary is the Lord’s gift to us, one of the greatest gifts He could possibly give us. On this feast of Mary, mother of the church, we renew our appreciation of this gift of Mary, and we receive this gift of the Lord more fully into our lives.
In today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, the apostles, along with several women, including Mary, the mother of Jesus, are in an upper room of a house in Jerusalem waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit. The risen Lord had instructed His followers not to leave Jerusalem but to wait there for the promised Holy Spirit. Our Blessed Mother Mary was there at the very beginning of the church, in a motherly role.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are reminded to seek the Lord with renewed heart, faith and commitment, following His own Mother, Mary, the Mother of the Church, who is also our own Mother. May Our Blessed Mother Mary intercede for us and lead us down the path of righteousness, to always inspire and remind us whenever we err or make any mistakes in life, so that we will not be easily be swayed by the many temptations all around us, all the evils and wickedness of the world. Let us all follow the Lord and His Mother, and do whatever it is that we have been called to do, to be worthy in all things and to commit our lives anew as Christians, those whom God had called and chosen to be His own beloved people. Let all of our actions, works and deeds from now on continue to inspire many others and help many of our fellow brethren to be able to come ever closer to God together with each one of us. Let us all therefore also entrust ourselves to her, and remind ourselves to follow her good examples in faith, her dedication and love for God, in our own lives. Let us also continue to do the good works of the Church, in evangelisation of the whole world, revealing the truth that God has shown us, and guided by His Holy Spirit, to continue to spread the light and hope of God’s truth to more and more people. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace to remind us that our Mother Mary is there as mother for us all throughout our lives, and that her primary role is to lead us to her Son, who is our way, our truth and our life. Mary, our loving Mother and the Mother of the Church, pray for us all sinners and pray for the Church that your Son, Our Lord and Saviour, had established in this world. Intercede for us all whenever we need your help, and be with us always in our journey towards your Son. May God be with us all and with His Church, now and always. And may Our Mother Mary, our mother and the Mother of the Church, pray for us sinners always, and guide us all towards her Son’s light and salvation. Amen🙏
DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF MAY: MONTH OF OUR LADY: In addition to the myriad feast days honoring Our Lady under her many titles and virtues, the entire month of May is especially given to her praise. In the words of Pope Paul VI, May is “a month which the piety of the faithful has long dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God … For this is the month during which Christians, in their churches and their homes, offer the Virgin Mother more fervent and loving acts of homage and veneration; and it is the month in which a greater abundance of God’s merciful gifts comes down to us from our Mother’s throne.”
THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF MAY – FOR THE FORMATION OF RELIGIOUS AND SEMINARIANS: We pray that religious women and men, and seminarians, grow in their own vocations through their human, pastoral, spiritual and community formation, leading them to be credible witnesses to the Gospel.🙏
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 been in vain. Now, Lord, come to our aid! 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 Easter season, 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 and the Holy Spirit forever and 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 dearest Mother, you stood by your Son with unwavering fidelity and love. You cared for Him, nurtured Him and never left His side. I also am your dear child. I thank you for your loving fidelity toward me and open my heart to the grace of your Son that you bestow upon me throughout life. Help me to be more attentive to your motherly care and to daily grow in gratitude for your presence in my life. Mother Mary, pray for us. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen🙏
Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary, Queen of Apostles an̈d Saint Bernardine of Siena ~ Pray for us 🙏
Thanking God for the gift of this day and praying for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and our world and for God’s Divine Mercy and Grace upon us all and for vocations to priesthood and consecrated life. Have a blessed, safe, grace-filled and fruitful week🙏
MEMORIAL OF SAINT PETER CELESTINE, POPE; SAINT PUDENTIANA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR AND SAINT YVES OF BRITTANY (IVO OF KERMARTIN), PRIEST AND LAWYER
Greetings, beloved family and Happy Pentecost Sunday!
We thank God for His grace and mercy and for blessing us all with the gift of the Holy Spirit. May we be filled with the blessing of the Holy Spirit now and always. 🙏
Watch “HOLY MASS ON THE SOLEMNITY OF PENTECOST PRESIDED BY POPE FRANCIS” | LIVE FROM THE VATICAN | MAY 19, 2024 |
Pope Francis’ Homily at the Holy Mass on the Solemnity of Pentecost | May 19, 2024 | https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2024/documents/20240519-omelia-pentecoste.html
Watch ” Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on Pentecost Sunday | EWTN on YouTube | May 19, 2024 |
Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | May 19, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | May 19, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | May 19, 2024 |
Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy | from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | May 19, 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: Pentecost Sunday, May 19, 2024 Reading 1, Acts 2:1-11 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34 Reading 2, First Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13 Gospel, John 20:19-23
SOLEMNITY OF PENTECOST SUNDAY: Happy Birthday! Today is Pentecost, the feast of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost day is called the “birth-day” of the Church. Solemnity of Pentecost Sunday, marks the last day of the fifty glorious days of Easter, it marks the end of the first novena and the Easter Season. We are back to Ordinary Time on Monday. As we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, we also celebrate the birth of the Church. Thus, today is a celebration of our membership in the life of the Church. Pentecost (Whitsunday), with Christmas and Easter, ranks among the great feasts of Christianity. It commemorates not only the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and Disciples, but also the fruits and effects of that event: the completion of the work of redemption, the fullness of grace for the Church and its children, and the gift of faith for all nations.
When Jesus ascended into heaven forty days after His resurrection, He instructed the Apostles to wait in Jerusalem for the sending of the Holy Spirit. Ten days later the eleven Apostles, together with the Blessed Virgin Mary, were praying in the Upper Room on the Lord’s Day. The Holy Spirit descended upon them as tongues of fire, as recorded in the second chapter of Acts. “When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.” ~ Acts 2:1–4
Jews from distant lands were gathered in Jerusalem for the feast of the harvest of the first-fruits, which was the closing festival of the Pascal season. The Apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit, began to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the various languages of the people. Scripture records that through this miracle 3,000 souls were baptized and added to the Church that same day. Because of this, Pentecost is considered the birthday of the Catholic Church.
Pentecost enables us to be powerful instruments of the transforming grace of God. And there is no doubt that the world around us needs this grace. As we celebrate Pentecost, it would be helpful to ponder the primary effects of the Holy Spirit in a prayerful way. The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit are: Fear of the Lord, Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Counsel, Fortitude and Piety.These Gifts are the primary effects of Pentecost for each and every one of us. Use them as an examination of your life and let God show you where you need to grow more deeply in the strength of the Holy Spirit.
PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT: Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful and kindle in them the fire of Your love. Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth. O, God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Jesus, I trust in You… Amen🙏
Pope Francis’ Homily at the Holy Mass on the Solemnity of Pentecost | May 19, 2024 | https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2024/documents/20240519-omelia-pentecoste.html
Gospel Reading ~ John 20:19–23
“As the Father sent me, so I send you: Receive the Holy Spirit”
“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”
“Come Holy Spirit!”
“When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.” ~ Acts 2:1–4
In today’s Gospel reading from John 20:19-23, the message of Jesus to His disciples is set within the context of the evening before He was crucified. It is the night of the last supper. Jesus is with His closest disciples, those who, in a sense, have been His family for the previous three years. They have travelled with Him, listening to His words, observing what He was doing. Now it seems as if it is all going to end tragically. In this highly charged moment, Jesus has something important to say to these disciples. As He takes His leave of them, He promises to send them what He calls another Advocate or Paraclete. He has been their Advocate for the previous three years. Now he promises to send them another Advocate, the Holy Spirit. A Paraclete or Advocate is, literally, someone who is called to stand alongside someone else in their time of need. A Paraclete is someone you would want standing alongside you in a difficult situation. Jesus may soon be cruelly taken from His disciples but He promises that He will come to them again in and through this other Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit both of Jesus Himself and of God His Father.
The promise that Jesus makes to His disciples in that Gospel reading is made to all of us. The disciples gathered around Jesus on that night before He died represent the disciples of every generation. The promise that Jesus made to His disciples came to pass for them at the Jewish feast of Pentecost, a short time after Jesus’ death and resurrection. The same promise has come to pass for us at our Baptism, our Confirmation, and, indeed, every day of our lives. The risen Lord is constantly offering us the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, to stand alongside us in our times of need, and not just to stand alongside us but to reside within us. As Saint Paul says in our second reading today, ‘the Spirit of God has made his home in you’, ‘the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you’. On this feast of Pentecost, we give thanks for this wonderful resource that the Lord has given us to stand alongside us and to dwell within us. The readings today remind us of some of the ways that this great gift can be a resource to us. Saint Paul in the second reading tells us that the Holy Spirit makes us cry out ‘Abba, Father!’ The Spirit within us inspires us to address God in the same intimate way that Jesus did, as ‘Abba, Father’. The Spirit within us is always praying in this way to God. Our prayer is allowing ourselves to be caught up into this prayer of the Spirit which is constantly happening deep within us. Jesus makes reference to another way that the Holy Spirit is a resource for us. He says in that Gospel reading that the Holy Spirit will ‘teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you’. It is the Spirit who makes the words of Jesus preserved in the Gospels come alive for us. That is why before reading the Gospels or listening to them being read it is good to pray to the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit who allows us to hear the Lord’s word as a word for us, a word for me, here and now in the concrete circumstances of my life. The Spirit draws out new depths of meaning from the teaching of Jesus for the changing circumstances of life in which we find ourselves. Without the Spirit the Gospel would become a dead letter.
Our first reading today from Acts 2:1-11 reminds us of another way that the Holy Spirit is a resource for us. “Pentecost” which means “fiftieth” was the second of the three most important of the annual feasts in the Jewish calendar. It occurred seven weeks after Passover and was primarily a feast of thanksgiving for the harvest: the first-fruits of the wheat crop were offered to God on that day. On that first Pentecost the Holy Spirit empowered the disciples to communicate Jesus to others, in spite of the various language barriers. When the Holy Spirit came upon the first disciples of Jesus, they received an ability to communicate in a way they had never communicated before. We can only communicate the Lord to each other if we know the Lord ourselves. That is what the Holy Spirit does for us today. It is the Holy Spirit who empowers us to bear witness to Jesus before others, to communicate him to other by what we say and do, by who we are. The Holy Spirit is the great communicator. Today was the day chosen for the opening of this mission of the Apostles. That they were backed by the divine power of the Holy Spirit was proved, not only by the gift of tongues but more especially by the change His coming wrought on the Apostles. From this day forward they were men dedicated to one purpose and to one purpose only, to bring the good news, the Gospel of Christ, to the world. Today’s feast is a reminder to us of the essential role of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We need to keep on praying, ‘Come Holy Spirit’, to keep on opening our lives more fully to this great gift of the risen Lord.
Our Second Reading is from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians 12:2-7, 12-13. The gifts of the Holy Spirit were very evident in the infant Church. This was necessary to prove to the pagans that the Christian religion was from the real God who controlled all things. The God of the Christians had real powers and they were distributed freely by the Holy Spirit when occasion demanded. St. Paul is emphasizing that these gifts are not given to an individual for his honor or glory but to help to build up the Church. Not only did the Holy Spirit make his presence felt by the external exercise of his powers, on that first Pentecost day, but he continued to do so for some years until the Church had laid solid foundations in the Gentile world. The important point to bear in mind today on this, the anniversary of the public manifestation of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles, is the infinite love of God for us, his Chosen People of the new covenant. Through the Incarnation men are empowered to become adopted sons of God; through baptism we become members of Christ’s body, his Church. Through the direct reception of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation, we are made active members of the Christian Church, with all the strength and powers necessary to be effective members, on active service daily, true soldiers of Christ. The Holy Spirit came to us in confirmation with his gifts and graces to enable us to work for the whole Church, for the whole body of Christ. We are made soldiers to form an army that will work together for the protection of our nation and our freedom. No man is put into military uniform in order to look after his own interests. We too are not made soldiers of Christ in order to save our own souls only—we are soldiers in order to help our fellow-Christians and all men in their common fight against sin and Godlessness. We must then take an active part in the battles of the Church, against everything that impedes the practice of the Christian virtues.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today on this special feast of the Holy Spirit, we are reminded that, it is the Holy Spirit who helps us to know the Lord – and to know Him not just with our heads but with our hearts. The role of the Holy Spirit is to lead us to the complete truth, to lead us to Jesus who is the Truth. The Holy Spirit, takes from the Lord and tells it to us. The Spirit communicates with us about the Lord, leading us into a deeper communion with Him. We need the Holy Spirit if we are to come to know the Lord and, so, communicate the Lord to others in what we say and do. Because the Holy Spirit is so necessary to us in our Christian lives, the Lord is not slow to share the Spirit with us. Pentecost is not a once off event. The Lord continues to pour out the Holy Spirit on all those who ask for this gift. On this feast of Pentecost, we ask for a fresh outpouring of the Spirit on each of us, so that we, like the first disciples, will be able to communicate the Lord to each other today. We as individuals have a gift of tongues which all men can understand. It is the gift of love infused into us by the Holy Spirit. Love unites, love is a common language, by means of love we can speak to all nations. May the Risen Lord be with us and His Church always, and may the Holy Spirit continue to guide and strengthen us, inflame and encourage us that we may always be firm in our faith and actions, and do our best to reach out to others with exemplary and shining faith in God. May the Holy Spirit lead us and help us to serve God ever more courageously and may all of us be strengthened in all things, now and always, forevermore. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace to receive the Spirit of God who comes to help us to communicate with each other about the Lord, to build communion in the Lord. Come, Holy Spirit and renew the face of the Earth, and come to bless and strengthen us, give us the courage and desire to continue to do God’s will, at all times. Amen🙏
PRAYER FOR PENTECOST
VENI CREATOR SPIRITUS
Come, Holy Spirit, Creator blest, and in our souls take up Thy rest; come with Thy grace and heavenly aid to fill the hearts which Thou hast made. O comforter, to Thee we cry, O heavenly gift of God Most High, O fount of life and fire of love, and sweet anointing from above.
Thou in Thy sevenfold gifts are known; Thou, finger of God’s hand we own; Thou, promise of the Father, Thou Who dost the tongue with power imbue. Kindle our sense from above, and make our hearts o’erflow with love; with patience firm and virtue high the weakness of our flesh supply. Far from us drive the foe we dread, and grant us Thy peace instead; so shall we not, with Thee for guide, turn from the path of life aside.
Oh, may Thy grace on us bestow the Father and the Son to know; and Thee, through endless times confessed, of both the eternal Spirit blest. Now to the Father and the Son, Who rose from death, be glory given, with Thou, O Holy Comforter, henceforth by all in earth and heaven. Amen🙏
THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
These Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit are the primary effects of Pentecost for each and every one of us. Use them as an examination of your life and let God show you where you need to grow more deeply in the strength of the Holy Spirit.
FEAR OF THE LORD: With this gift the Christian becomes keenly aware of anything that may hurt his/her relationship with God. There is a holy “fear” of hurting this relationship and grace is given to avoid these things at all cost.
WISDOM: With this gift the Christian is given a special grace to “ponder divine realities” in his/her speculative reason. We are able to see the big picture and know how best to be an instrument of peace and harmony in our world.
UNDERSTANDING: This is the ability to have a supernatural assurance of the matters of faith. Life makes sense. We can make sense of the deeper parts of revelation, make sense of suffering and understand those things that tempt us to doubt. With this gift we come to see how everything in life can work for good in accordance with God’s plan.
KNOWLEDGE: With this gift the Christian knows, more in the practical intellect, what God’s will is in this or that situation. We know how to live, how to discern God’s will and what decision to make in our daily life. It also enables us to learn from our past mistakes.
COUNSEL: With this gift the Christian sees him/herself as a link in a chain which makes up the entire Church. God uses each one of us to help and support one another on our journey. We know what to say and how to act so as to do our part to build up one another.
FORTITUDE: Simply put, it is a firmness of mind and spirit to do good and avoid evil. It’s a sort of Christian courage. The Gospel will call all of us to a radical life of love. Fortitude gives us the strength we need to follow through.
PIETY: This gift enables us to first reverence and love God, but also to see the dignity of one another and reverence each other as children of God.
PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT: Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful and kindle in them the fire of Your love. Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth. O, God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Jesus, I trust in You… Amen🙏
SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT PETER CELESTINE, POPE; SAINT PUDENTIANA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR AND SAINT YVES OF BRITTANY (IVO OF KERMARTIN), PRIEST AND LAWYER ~ FEAST DAY: MAY 19TH: As we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost today, we also celebrate the Memorial of Saint Peter Celestine, Pope; Saint Pudentiana, Virgin and Martyr and Saint Yves of Brittany (Saint Ivo of Kermartin), Priest and Lawyer. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for justice, peace and love in our world. We pray for all lawyers and those in authority. We pray for the sick and dying, especially those suffering from terminal diseases and for the safety and well-being of the poor and the needy all over the world. We continue to pray for the Church, the Clergy, for persecuted christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world🙏
SAINT PETER CELESTINE, POPE: St. Peter (1221- 1296) was born Pietro Angelerio in about 1221, also known as Pietro da Morrone, Peter of Morrone, and Pope Celestine V. He was the eleventh of the twelve children of a poor Italian farmer in Apulia, in the Neapolitan province of Moline. His parents, Angelo Angelerio and Maria Leone were very virtuous, and charitable to the poor to the uttermost of their abilities. As a child, Peter had visions of our Blessed Lady, Angels and Saints. His heavenly visitors encouraged him in his prayers and chided him when he fell into any fault. After his father’s death, his mother, though only a poor widow, seeing his extraordinary inclination to piety provided him with a literary education, she sent him to school, feeling sure that he would one day be a Saint. He retired into the desert when he was hardly an adolescent. His virtues soon drew disciples around him. This was the origin of the branch of the Benedictine order known as the Celestines. He became a Benedictine monk at the age of seventeen and was eventually ordained priest at Rome. His love of solitude led him first into the wilderness of Monte Morone in the Abruzzi, whence his surname, and later into the wilder recesses of Mt. Majella. He was strongly influenced by the life of John the Baptist, and took him as his model in his religious life. His hair-cloth was roughened with knots, he wore a chain of iron encompassing his emaciated frame, and he fasted every day except for on Sunday. Each year he kept four Lents, passing three of them on bread and water only, and he consecrated the entire day and a great part of the night to prayer and labour. At twenty years of age he left the schools, and retired to a solitary mountain of Apulia, where he made himself a little cell under ground, but so small that he could scarce stand or lie down in it. Here he lived three years in great austerities, during which he was often assailed by violent temptations and assaulted by evil spirits; but these he overcame by the help of such practices and austerities as the grace of God suggested to him. He was consoled by the visits of Angels. After this his seclusion was invaded by disciples who refused to be sent away; and the rule of life which he gave them formed the foundation of the Celestines, a branch of the Order of Saint Benedict. Angels assisted in the church which St. Peter built; unseen bells rang peals of surpassing sweetness, and heavenly music filled the sanctuary when he offered the Holy Sacrifice; he had consented to be ordained, to find in the Holy Eucharist assistance against temptation.
Suddenly the poor anchorite found himself torn from his loved solitude, having been named by acclamation to the Papal throne, which had remained vacant for twenty-seven months. Resistance was of no avail. He took the name of Celestine, to remind him of the heaven he was leaving and for which he sighed. He was seventy-two years old. He was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States for five months from July 5th to December 13, 1294. St. Peter judged himself unfit for the office, and summoning the cardinals to his presence, he solemnly resigned his trust. During the remaining three years of his life he worked many and great miracles. On the day after his abdication, his blessing after Mass healed a lame man. Saint Peter left the palace, desiring seclusion, but was brought back by the papal guards, for his successor feared a schism; crowds had followed Saint Peter. Lest he be prevailed upon to take back his office, he was put under surveillance at Anagni. Content, he remarked: I desired nothing but a cell, and a cell they have given me. And there he enjoyed his former loving intimacy with the Saints and Angels, and sang the Divine praises almost continually. At length, on Pentecost Sunday he told his guards he would die within the week, and immediately fell ill. He received the Last Sacraments, and the following Saturday, as he finished the concluding verse of Lauds, Let every spirit bless the Lord! he closed his eyes to this world and opened them to the vision of God. He died on May 19,1296 and was Canonized May 5, 1313 by Pope Clement V. He’s the Patron Saint of Aquila, Italy; bookbinders; Papal resignations, Urbino, Molise, Sant’Angelo Limosano.
Saint Peter Celestine, Pope ~ Pray for us🙏
SAINT PUDENTIANA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR: St. Pudentiana of Rome was Virgin, Martyr, Friend to the Apostles. She was the sister of St. Praxedes, and daughter of Pudens a Roman senator, who was converted to the faith by the apostles SS. Peter and Paul. They cared for Christians and buried their bodies during the persecutions of Marcus Antoninus. A traditional Christian saint and martyress of the 2nd century who refused to worship the Roman Emperors Marcus Aurelius and Antoninus Pius as deities. She gave away her wealth to the poor, aided the burials of Christians, and consecrated herself wholly to Christ and died in the year 160 when she was sixteen. Her church in Rome is esteemed the most ancient that is known in the world. It was in the first ages called the church of the Pastor, and is said to have been the palace of Pudens, in which St. Peter lodged and celebrated the divine mysteries.
According to an ancient tradition, St. Peter was the guest of the senator Pudens during his stay in Rome. Pudens had two daughters, Pudentiana and Praxedes, virgins who dedicated themselves wholly to acts of charity. After the death of their parents, Pudentiana and her sister Praxedes distributed their patrimony to the poor. The fact that Puden’s entire household of some 96 persons were baptized by Pope Pius I (d. 154) is ascribed to their zealous activities. When Christian services were forbidden by the Emperor Antoninus Pius, Pius I celebrated Mass in their home. The saints were buried next to their father in the catacomb of St. Priscilla. One of Rome’s most ancient stational churches is dedicated to St. Pudentiana. Despite being in the Tridentine Missal and having a church dedicated to her in Rome, she was removed from the Roman Martyrology, 2001. Her uncertain status is the result of not being listed in the earliest martyrologies.
St. Pudentiana of Rome was Virgin, Martyr ~ Pray for us🙏
SAINT YVES OF BRITTANY, PRIEST AND LAWYER: St. Yves also known as Ives or Ivo of Kermartin (1253–1303) worked hard for justice both as a civil and canon lawyer, often working without charge for the poor. He worked to help the less fortunate, building hospitals, orphanages, and helping widows and the poor. St. Yves was born to a noble family at Kermartin, near Tréguier, Brittany, France on October 17, 1253. He was the son of Helori, lord of Kermartin, and Azo du Kenquis. The lessons his pious mother instilled in the heart of the boy through Christian training, preserved him amid the grave dangers to which he was exposed during his student years at Paris and Orleans. In 1267 at the age of 14, St. Yves was sent by his landowning father to Paris to receive a higher education, he went to the University of Paris, where he graduated in civil law. He went to Orléans in 1277 to study canon law and at the end of ten years he had gained distinction in Philosophy, Theology, and Canon Law, as well as Civil Law. He went on to practice law for many years in both the civil and ecclesiastical courts. On his return to Brittany he was appointed a diocesan judge, first to the Bishop of Rennes and later to the Bishop of Treguier. In this capacity, he carried out his duties with equity, incorruptibility, and concern for the poor and lowly. St. Yve’s fame quickly spread and he became known as “the poor man’s advocate.” He pleaded for the poor in other courts, going so far as pay their expenses and even visiting them in prison while they awaited trials; his constant concern was to obtain justice for all. Accordingly, he constantly tried to reconcile quarreling parties and have them arrive at an amicable agreement without incurring the cost of unnecessary lawsuits. St. Yves also practiced a life of asceticism; he wore a hairshirt under his clothing, fasted regularly, and became a Franciscan Tertiary. These spiritual disciplines aided him in his practice of virtue in the courtroom: he fought the State in court on behalf of the rights of the Church, and became a diocesan judge who was unable to be tempted by bribes. St. Ivo eventually resigned from practicing law and joined the priesthood.
In 1284, St. Yves became a priest and having been ordained he was appointed to the parish of Tredrez in 1285 and eight years later to Louannee, where he died. From 1287 onward he devoted himself to parish work. But he made his legal knowledge ever available to any of his parishioners who needed it. He lived frugally and unassumingly, instructed the people in both spiritual and temporal matters, and preached the Word of God with power. He is noted as being a great preacher and arbitor. He built a hospital with his own money, providing for the sick poor. He is known as a miracle worker, with an instance of feeding hundreds from a single loaf of bread. Saint Yves of Brittany’s labors and his strict life sapped all his energy. He was hardly fifty years old when he felt his end nearing. Fortified with the last sacraments, he commended his soul to the hands of his Creator and died with a smile on May 19, 1303, this “attorney who was a holy man” appeared before the Ultimate Judge to receive his reward. St. Yves died at Louannee, May 19, 1303 and was buried in Tréguier. He was canonized in 1347 by Pope Clement VI. He’s the Patron Saint of abandoned people; advocates; attorneys; bailiffs; barristers; Brittany; canon lawyers; canonists; judges; jurists; lawyers; notaries; orphans.
PRAYER: God, You taught Your Church to observe all the heavenly commandments in the love of God. Help us to practice works of charity in imitation of Your Priest, St. Yves, and merit to be numbered among the blessed in Your Kingdom. Amen🙏
DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF MAY: MONTH OF OUR LADY: In addition to the myriad feast days honoring Our Lady under her many titles and virtues, the entire month of May is especially given to her praise. In the words of Pope Paul VI, May is “a month which the piety of the faithful has long dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God … For this is the month during which Christians, in their churches and their homes, offer the Virgin Mother more fervent and loving acts of homage and veneration; and it is the month in which a greater abundance of God’s merciful gifts comes down to us from our Mother’s throne.”
THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF MAY – FOR THE FORMATION OF RELIGIOUS AND SEMINARIANS: We pray that religious women and men, and seminarians, grow in their own vocations through their human, pastoral, spiritual and community formation, leading them to be credible witnesses to the Gospel.🙏
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 been in vain. Now, Lord, come to our aid! 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 Easter season, 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 and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen🙏
Prayers for Peace | https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/prayers-for-peace/
PRAYER INTENTIONS: During this season of Easter, 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 glorious Lord, You promised to send the Holy Spirit upon us to lead us into all Truth and to reconcile us to the Father. You were faithful to that promise at Pentecost and now continuously bestow the Holy Spirit upon all who believe. Holy Spirit, please come upon me, especially by forgiving my sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and by filling me with Your sevenfold Gifts. Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I worship You and adore You with all my Heart. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏
Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Peter Celestine, Saint Pudentiana and Saint Yves of Brittany ~ 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, spirit-filled and grace-filled Pentecost Sunday and week ahead🙏
MEMORIAL OF SAINT JOHN I, POPE AND MARTYR, SAINT VENANTIUS OF CAMERINO, MARTYR AND SAINT FELIX OF CANTALICE, RELIGIOUS
NOVENA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT ~ DAY NINE: Prayed in preparation for Pentecost. Beginning, Friday, May 10-18, 2024 (link below)
Greetings beloved family and Happy Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter!
We thank God for the successful completion of the Novena to the Holy Spirit, today. We pray for God’s grace and mercy and for the gift of the Holy Spirit as we celebrate the Solemnity of Pentecost Sunday, tomorrow.
Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary | EWTN | May 18, 2024 |
Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | May 18, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | May 18, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | May 18, 2024 |
Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy | from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | May 18, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteriels VIRTUAL🌹JOYFUL🌹LUMINOUS🌹SORROWFUL🌹GLORIOUS” on YouTube |
Memorare Chaplet | Prayer in Difficult Times (Powerful Prayer) | https://youtu.be/vVc782kcDds
NOVENA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT: Prayed in preparation for Pentecost. DAY NINE – Beginning, Friday, May 10, 2024 (link below): Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven Gifts | EWTN | The novena – May 10-18, 2024 | https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/novena-to-the-holy-spirit-for-the-seven-gifts-309mm
[This Novena begins on the day after the Solemnity of the Ascension, Friday of the 6th Week of Easter, even if the Solemnity of the Ascension is transferred to the 7th Sunday of Easter and ends on Saturday of the 7th week of Easter, Vigil of Pentecost]
Today is Vigil of Pentecost, we’ve almost come to the end and conclusion of the season of Easter, with tomorrow being the Solemnity of Pentecost Sunday, the last day of the fifty glorious days of Easter. We are back to Ordinary Time on Monday. We pray for God’s grace and mercy and for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Almighty ever-living God, who willed the Paschal Mystery to be encompassed as a sign in fifty days, grant that from out of the scattered nations the confusion of many tongues may be gathered by heavenly grace into one great confession of your name. 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🙏
NOVENA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
Prayed in preparation for Pentecost
DAY NINE: May 18, 2024, Saturday, 7th Week of Easter, Vigil of Pentecost
Thou, on those who evermore Thee confess and Thee Adore, in Thy sevenfold gift, Descend; Give Them Comfort when they die; Give them Life with Thee on high; Give them joys which never end. Amen🙏
THE FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: The gifts of the Holy Spirit perfect the supernatural virtues by enabling us to practice them with greater docility to divine inspiration. As we grow in the knowledge and love of God under the direction of the Holy Spirit, our service becomes more sincere and generous, the practice of virtue more perfect. Such acts of virtue leave the heart filled with joy and consolation and are known as Fruits of the Holy Spirit. These Fruits in turn render the practice of virtue more attractive and become a powerful incentive for still greater efforts in the service of God, to serve Whom is to reign.
PRAYER: Come, O Divine Spirit, fill my heart with Thy heavenly fruits, Thy charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, faith, mildness, and temperance, that I may never weary in the service of God, but by continued faithful submission to Thy inspiration may merit to be united eternally with Thee in the love of the Father and the Son. Amen🙏
Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE; Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES
ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT: On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses, I offer myself, soul and body to You, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of Your purity, the unerring keenness of Your justice, and the might of Your love. You are the Strength and Light of my soul. In You I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve You by unfaithfulness to grace and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against You. Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Your light, and listen to Your voice, and follow Your gracious inspirations. I cling to You and give myself to You and ask You, by Your compassion to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus and looking at His Five Wounds, and trusting in His Precious Blood and adoring His opened Side and stricken Heart, I implore You, Adorable Spirit, Helper of my infirmity, to keep me in Your grace that I may never sin against You. Give me grace, O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son to say to You always and everywhere, ‘Speak Lord for Your servant heareth.’ Amen🙏
PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: O Lord Jesus Christ, Who, before ascending into heaven, did promise to send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul, the work of Your grace and Your love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal, the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Your divine truth, the Spirit of Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining heaven, the Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with You and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation, the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints, the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable, and the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Your true disciples and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen🙏
PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT: Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and kindle in them the fire of Thy love. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Let us pray: O God, Who did instruct the hearts of Thy faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us in the same Spirit to be truly wise, and ever to rejoice in His consolation, through Christ, our Lord. Amen🙏
Novena to the Holy Spirit: Prayed in preparation for Pentecost (link below) Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven Gifts | EWTN: https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/novena-to-the-holy-spirit-for-the-seven-gifts-309
SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT JOHN I, POPE AND MARTYR, SAINT VENANTIUS OF CAMERINO, MARTYR AND SAINT FELIX OF CANTALICE, RELIGIOUS ~ MAY 18TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint John I, Pope and Martyr, Saint Venantius of Camerino, Martyr and Saint Felix of Cantalice, 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 suffering from terminal diseases. We also pray for the safety and well-being of the poor and the needy all over the world. We continue to pray for for the Church, the Clergy, for persecuted christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world 🙏
SAINT JOHN I, POPE AND MARTYR: Pope John I (died May 18, 526) was the bishop of Rome from August 13, 523 to his death. St. John I was a martyr for the faith, imprisoned and starved to death by a heretical Germanic king during the sixth century. He was a friend of the renowned Christian philosopher Boethius, who died in a similar manner. He was a native of Siena (or the “Castello di Serena”, near Chiusdino), in Italy. The future Pope John I was born in Tuscany, and served as an archdeacon in the Church for several years. He was chosen to become the Bishop of Rome in 523, succeeding Pope St. Hormisdas. He was sent on a diplomatic mission to Constantinople by the Ostrogoth King Theoderic to negotiate better treatment for Arians. Although St. John was relatively successful, upon his return to Ravenna, Theoderic had him imprisoned for allegedly conspiring with Constantinople. The frail pope died of neglect and ill-treatment.
During his papal reign Italy was ruled by the Ostrogothic King Theodoric. Like many of his fellow tribesmen, the king adhered to the Arian heresy, holding that Christ was a created being rather than the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. Arianism had originated in the Eastern half of the Roman Empire during the fourth century, and subsequently spread among the Western Goths. By the sixth century the heresy was weak in the East, but not dead. In 523, the Byzantine Emperor Justin I ordered Arian clergy to surrender their churches into orthodox Catholic hands. In the West, meanwhile, Theodoric was angered by the emperor’s move, and responded by trying to use the Pope’s authority for his own ends. Pope John was thus placed in an extremely awkward position. Despite the Pope’s own solid orthodoxy, the Arian king seems to have expected him to intercede with the Eastern emperor on behalf of the heretics. St. John’s refusal to satisfy King Theodoric would eventually lead to his martyrdom.
St. John did travel to Constantinople, where he was honored as St. Peter’s successor by the people, the Byzantine Emperor, and the Church’s legitimate Eastern patriarchs. (The Church of Alexandria had already separated by this point.) The Pope crowned the emperor, and celebrated the Easter liturgy at the Hagia Sophia Church in April of 526. But while St. John could urge Justin to treat the Arians somewhat more mercifully, he could not make the kind of demands on their behalf that Theodoric expected. The gothic king, who had recently killed St. John’s intellectually accomplished friend Boethius (honored by the Church as St. Severinus Boethius, on Oct. 23), was furious with the Pope when he learned of his refusal to support the Arians in Constantinople. Already exhausted by his travels, the Pope was imprisoned in Ravenna and deprived of food. The death of St. John I came on or around May 18, 526 which became his feast day in the Byzantine Catholic tradition and in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite. In the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, he is celebrated on May 27, the date on which his exhumed body was returned to Rome for veneration in St. Peter’s Basilica.
PRAYER: God, the rewarder of those faithful to You, on this day You consecrated the martyrdom of Pope St. John. Hear the prayers of Your people and grant that we who venerate his merits may imitate the constancy of his Faith… Amen🙏
SAINT VENANTIUS OF CAMERINO, MARTYR: Saint Venantius was a 15-year old who was tortured, and martyred by decapitation at Camerino during the persecutions of Decius. Martyred with him were 10 other Christians, including the priest Porphyrius, Venantius’ tutor; and Leontius, bishop of Camerino. St. Venantius (died in 250) was born at Camerino in Italy, during the persecution of Decius. He was taken into custody at the age of fifteen years as a Christian who was preaching Christ to others. His history is one of the most miraculous in the annals of the early martyrs. Having learned that he was about to be arrested, he presented himself to the governor of Camerino, Antiochus, at the city gates, and said to him that the lives of the gods were filled with every kind of crime, that there was only one God, whose unique Son had become a man to deliver his fellow humans from the tyranny of sin. When it was found impossible to shake his constancy either by threats or promises, he was condemned to be scourged, but was miraculously saved by an Angel. He was then burnt with torches and suspended over a low fire that he might be suffocated by the smoke. The judge’s secretary, while admiring the steadfastness of the Saint, saw an Angel robed in white, who stamped out the fire and again set free the youthful martyr. This man proclaimed his faith in Christ and was baptized with his whole family. Shortly afterwards he won the martyr’s crown. Venantius was summoned to appear before Antiochus. Unable to make him renounce his faith, the governor cast him into prison with an apostate soldier, who strove in vain to tempt him. Antiochus, furious, then ordered his teeth and jaws to be broken and had him thrown into a furnace, from which the Angel once more delivered him. The Saint was sent to a city magistrate to be condemned, but this judge after hearing his defense of Christianity, fell headlong from his seat and expired, saying, The God of Venantius is the true God; let us destroy our idols.
When this circumstance was told to Antiochus, he ordered Venantius to be thrown to the lions. These brutes, however, forgetting their natural ferocity, crouched at the feet of the Saint. Then, by order of the tyrant, the young martyr was dragged through a heap of brambles and thorns and retired half-dead, but the next day he was cured; God had manifested the glory of His servant once more. On behalf of soldiers who had dragged him outside the city over stones and rocks, and were suffering from thirst, the Saint knelt on a rock and signed it with a cross; immediately a jet of clear, cool water welled up from the spot. This miracle converted many of those who beheld it. The rock remained imprinted by his knees and was placed in a church in Camerino, where it still remains. The governor finally had Venantius and his converts beheaded on the same day, in the year 250. The bodies of these martyrs are kept in the same church at Camerino. The Acts of Saint Venantius’ martyrdom have been carefully studied and declared authentic by the Church
Saint Venantius of Camerino, Martyr ~ Pray for us🙏
SAINT FELIX OF CANTALICE, RELIGIOUS: St. Felix (May 18, 1515 – May 18, 1587) was an Italian Capuchin friar of the 16th century. He was the first Capuchin friar to be named a saint. St. Felix was the third of four sons born in Italy in a small village at the foot of Mount Appenine named Cantalice, to a pious but poor parents , whose names were Santi and Sainta Porri. It was not long before the little boy, when he approached the other children, was hailed by them: Here comes Felix, the Saint! He showed a predilection for solitary prayer from his earliest youth, and as a little shepherd used to retire to a quiet place to kneel there and meditate on the Passion of Jesus. At about the age of ten, St. Felix was hired out first as a shepherd to a family at Cittàducale, where he later worked as a farm hand. Until the age of twenty-eight he worked as a farm laborer and shepherd. He developed the habit of praying while he worked. Toward the end of autumn 1543, Felix entered the newly founded Capuchin friars as a lay brother at the Citta Ducale friary in the municipality of Anticoli Corrado and pronounced his vows in 1545. It is said that he was well noted for his piety. In 1547 he was sent to Rome as quaestor of the Capuchin Friary of St. Bonaventure, where he spent his remaining 40 years begging alms for the community to help in the friars’ work of aiding the sick and the poor. His characteristic words to his companion were: Let us go, my Brother, with rosary in hand, our eyes to the ground and our spirit in heaven. He was of an exquisite politeness, extreme gentleness and great simplicity. The sick persons he visited at night became attached to him, and for his part, he sought them out everywhere in Rome, insofar as obedience permitted.
One day on the street he met two duelists with sword in hand. He begged them to repeat after him, Deo gratias! which finally they did, and after taking him as arbiter of their quarrel, they separated as good friends. Saint Felix met Saint Philip Neri in Rome, and they became friends who wished one another all possible torments for the love of Jesus Christ. They sometimes remained together without speaking for considerable periods, seemingly transported with joy. Saint Felix had a great devotion to the most Blessed Virgin, reciting Her rosary with such tenderness that he could not continue at times. He loved the Holy Name of Jesus, and invited the children he would meet to say it with him. He slept only for about two hours, going afterwards to the church and remaining there in prayer until the office of Prime; then he would serve the first Mass and receive Communion every day.
When he was sick and was given the last Sacraments, he saw the Blessed Virgin and a beautiful troop of Angels coming to fortify him in this last journey. He cried out in joy, and gave up his soul peacefully to his Creator in 1587. Saint Felix died in Rome, Italy on May 18, 1587 on his 72nd birthday and was buried in the crypt of the Church of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini. He was canonized by Pope Clement XI in 1712. His body is in the Capuchin Church of Rome; a plenary indulgence is granted to those who, fulfilling the ordinary conditions, visit a church of his Order on his feast day, May 18th.
Saint Felix of Cantalice, Religious ~ Pray for us🙏
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:
Bible Readings for today, Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter – Mass in the Morning | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Gospel Reading ~ John 21:20-25
“This is the disciple who has written these things and his testimony is true”
“Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved, the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper and had said, “Master, who is the one who will betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus said to him, “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow me.” So the word spread among the brothers that that disciple would not die. But Jesus had not told him that he would not die, just “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours?” It is this disciple who testifies to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true. There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written.”
Our Gospel reading today is the conclusion of John’s Gospel, from which we have been reading since Easter Sunday. We heard of the Lord speaking to His disciples after He had risen from the dead and just before He was about to ascend into Heaven in glory. He spoke to them regarding what was to come and what they ought to expect. There are three characters in today’s Gospel reading, Jesus, St. Peter and the beloved disciple. Jesus had just given St. Peter an important role in the church, ‘Feed my lambs, feed my sheep’. St. Peter then asks Jesus about the beloved disciple, ‘What about him, Lord?’ he said. In reply Jesus seems to say, ‘Look I have other plans for him. You follow me, in keeping with the role I have just given you’. St. Peter and the beloved disciple each had their own particular calling, and they were quite different. St. Peter was the chief shepherd of the church who gave his life for Jesus in the city of Rome where he was martyred. The beloved disciple inspired the writing of the fourth Gospel, the Gospel of John and seems to have lived to an old age. The Lord had a different calling for each of them, just as his call to each of us is unique to each of us. There is something each of us can do for the Lord that no one else can do. Rather than looking over our shoulders at others, as St. Peter was inclined to do in today’s Gospel reading, we have to try and discern the particular calling the Lord has given us and then be as faithful and as generous in our response to that call as we can. We cannot be someone else; we can only be ourselves. The Lord wants us to be ourselves because He has a unique role in His work for each one of us. There is some task that we alone can do for the Lord that no one else can. We all have a part to play in that work of the Lord, in accordance with our gifts and our abilities. To each of us, Jesus says what He said to St. Peter in today’s Gospel reading, ‘You are to follow me’.
Our first reading today is the conclusion of the Acts of the Apostles from which we have been reading since Easter Sunday. It speaks of the arrival of St. Paul the Apostle in Rome as a prisoner of the Roman authorities. St. Paul went to Rome and continued his ministry even as he was waiting for his appeal to the Roman Emperor for his case. Yet, even while under house arrest, Luke describes him as continuing to do what he had been doing since his meeting with the risen Lord on the road to Damascus, ‘proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ’. He was free to go anywhere and in that way, he ministered to the faithful Christians in Rome, and the Jewish people as well as the Gentiles there who were interested to know more about the Lord Jesus and His teachings and truth. St. Paul continued to work there until he was martyred during the Great Fire of Rome and the intense persecution of Christians after that. In our first reading today, the Lord is calling us all to follow Him, to do the same as His disciples had done all those years ago.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are reminded that the works of the Lord and His Apostles are far from being completed, and in fact they are still being done and continuing even to this day, and even beyond to the future. The mission that the Lord has entrusted to each and every one of us still continues through us, the same mission that God told His disciples, to go forth to all the peoples of all the nations, and baptise them in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Let us all therefore commit ourselves to a new life inspired and strengthened by the Holy Spirit, and as we commemorate Pentecost tomorrow, let us all ask for the Holy Spirit to continue to guide us and our path, and give us the courage to step forward and commit ourselves for the benefit and good of all, in obeying the laws and commandments of God, and in being truly faithful and worthy sons and daughters of God, all of us who call ourselves as Christians, who through our common baptism share in the same mission to evangelise the whole world. May the Risen Lord be with us and His Church always, and may the Holy Spirit continue to guide and strengthen us, inflame and encourage us that we may always be firm in our faith and actions, and do our best to reach out to others with exemplary and shining faith in God. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and bless us and may the Holy Spirit lead us and help us to serve God ever more courageously and may all of us be strengthened in all things, now and always, forevermore. Come, Holy Spirit and renew the face of the Earth, and come to bless and strengthen us, give us the courage and desire to continue to do God’s will, at all times. Amen🙏
DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF MAY: MONTH OF OUR LADY: In addition to the myriad feast days honoring Our Lady under her many titles and virtues, the entire month of May is especially given to her praise. In the words of Pope Paul VI, May is “a month which the piety of the faithful has long dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God … For this is the month during which Christians, in their churches and their homes, offer the Virgin Mother more fervent and loving acts of homage and veneration; and it is the month in which a greater abundance of God’s merciful gifts comes down to us from our Mother’s throne.”
THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF MAY – FOR THE FORMATION OF RELIGIOUS AND SEMINARIANS: We pray that religious women and men, and seminarians, grow in their own vocations through their human, pastoral, spiritual and community formation, leading them to be credible witnesses to the Gospel.🙏
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 been in vain. Now, Lord, come to our aid! 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 Easter season, 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 and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen🙏
Prayers for Peace | https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/prayers-for-peace/
PRAYER INTENTIONS: During this season of Easter, 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:
Jesus, Messiah, You are truly beyond comprehension in Your beauty, glory and holiness. You are God from God and Light from Light. You are the Great I AM, and all the books in the world could not properly describe the depth of Your greatness. Fill my mind and heart with the gift of deep spiritual insight so that I, like Saint John the Evangelist, will be continually drawn into a holy awe of You. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏
Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint John I, Pope and Martyr, Saint Venantius of Camerino, Martyr and Saint Felix of Cantalice, Religious ~ Pray for us🙏
Thanking God for the gift of this day and praying for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and our world and for God’s Divine Mercy and Grace upon us all and for vocations to priesthood and consecrated life. Have a blessed, safe, relaxing weekend and grace-filled Seventh Week of Easter!🙏
NOVENA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT: Prayed in preparation for Pentecost. DAY SEVEN – Beginning, Friday, May 10, 2024 (link below): Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven Gifts | EWTN | The novena – May 10-18, 2024 | https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/novena-to-the-holy-spirit-for-the-seven-gifts-309
[This Novena begins on the day after the Solemnity of the Ascension, Friday of the 6th Week of Easter, even if the Solemnity of the Ascension is transferred to the 7th Sunday of Easter]
NOVENA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
Prayed in preparation for Pentecost
DAY SEVEN: May 16, 2024, Thursday, 7th Week of Easter
Heal our wounds–our strength renews; On our dryness pour Thy dew, Wash the stains of guilt away.
THE GIFT OF COUNSEL: The gift of Counsel endows the soul with supernatural prudence, enabling it to judge promptly and rightly what must done, especially in difficult circumstances. Counsel applies the principles furnished by Knowledge and Understanding to the innumerable concrete cases that confront us in the course of our daily duty as parents, teachers, public servants, and Christian citizens. Counsel is supernatural common sense, a priceless treasure in the quest of salvation. ‘Above all these things, pray to the Most High, that He may direct thy way in truth.’
PRAYER: Come, O Spirit of Counsel, help and guide me in all my ways, that I may always do Thy holy will. Incline my heart to that which is good; turn it away from all that is evil, and direct me by the straight path of Thy commandments to that goal of eternal life for which I long.🙏
Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE; Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES
ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT: On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses, I offer myself, soul and body to You, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of Your purity, the unerring keenness of Your justice, and the might of Your love. You are the Strength and Light of my soul. In You I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve You by unfaithfulness to grace and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against You. Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Your light, and listen to Your voice, and follow Your gracious inspirations. I cling to You and give myself to You and ask You, by Your compassion to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus and looking at His Five Wounds, and trusting in His Precious Blood and adoring His opened Side and stricken Heart, I implore You, Adorable Spirit, Helper of my infirmity, to keep me in Your grace that I may never sin against You. Give me grace, O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son to say to You always and everywhere, ‘Speak Lord for Your servant heareth.’ Amen🙏
PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: O Lord Jesus Christ, Who, before ascending into heaven, did promise to send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul, the work of Your grace and Your love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal, the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Your divine truth, the Spirit of Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining heaven, the Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with You and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation, the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints, the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable, and the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Your true disciples and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen🙏
PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT: Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and kindle in them the fire of Thy love. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Let us pray: O God, Who did instruct the hearts of Thy faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us in the same Spirit to be truly wise, and ever to rejoice in His consolation, through Christ, our Lord. Amen🙏
Novena to the Holy Spirit: Prayed in preparation for Pentecost (link below) Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven Gifts | EWTN: https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/novena-to-the-holy-spirit-for-the-seven-gifts-309
SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT BRENDAN, ABBOT; SAINT JOHN NEPOMUCENE, PRIEST AND MARTYR; SAINT SIMON STOCK, AND SAINT UBALDUS, BISHOP OF GUBBIO ~ MAY 16TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Brendan, Abbot; Saint John Nepomucene, Priest and Martyr, Saint Simon Stock and Saint Ubaldus, Bishop of Gubbio. 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 terminal diseases. We also pray for the safety and well-being of all travelers, the poor and the needy all over the world. We continue to pray for the Church, the Clergy, for persecuted Christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world🙏
SAINT BRENDAN, ABBOT: Brendan of Clonfert (c. AD 484 – c. 577) (Brendan also spelled Brandon or Brandan, Gaelic Brénaind, also called Brendan of Clonfert, Brendan the Voyager, or Brendan the Navigator). He is one of the early Irish monastic saints and one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland. He is primarily renowned for his legendary journey to the “Isle of the Blessed”, also denominated “Saint Brendan’s Island” as described in the ninth century Voyage of St. Brendan the Navigator. St. Brendan, one of the most popular Irish Saint, was a missionary voyager who is sometimes credited with the discovery of America. He is thought to have been born in County Kerry, Ireland, about 484 and given to the care of St. Ita as an infant for five years. St. Brendan was then cared for by Bishop Erc, who eventually ordained him to the priesthood. St. Jarlath also rendered edification and counsel to the young Brendan, who went on to live as a monk in an established community.
St. Brendan made a sea voyage to the Scottish Isles and even to Wales. He is thought to have visited St. Gildas in Britain and performed some miracles there. St. Brendan founded numerous monastic communities, including the one at Clonfert in 559, which grew to hold some 3000 monks. He also produced a Rule that was said to have been dictated by an Angel. Worn out by a life of accomplishments for God, Brendan died about 577/583 while visiting his sister Brig, who was the Abbess of a community of nuns at Enach Duin. In legend, this Saint is known as Brendan the Navigator, who once made a seven-year voyage in search of fabled paradise (“The Land of Promise”), which is recounted in an epic saga known as The Voyage of St. Brendan the Abbot. In this journey, Brendan is said to have started off with sixty companions in a kind of floating monastery and made his way to the Canary Islands and then to the coast of Greenland. He’s the Patron Saint ofboatmen; divers; mariners; sailors; watermen; travellers; whales; portaging canoes; Diocese of Clonfert; Diocese of Kerry.
PRAYER: Lord, amid the things of this world, let us be wholeheartedly committed to heavenly things in imitation of the example of evangelical perfection You have given us in St. Brendan the Abbot. Amen🙏
SAINT JOHN NEPOMUCENE, PRIEST AND MARTYR: St. John Nepomucene (1345-1393) also known as St. John of Nepomuk was a Saint of Bohemia born John Wölflein or Welflin, in Nepomuk, Bohemia, in 1345, Saint John used the name of his native town for his surname instead of his family name. In his early childhood, John Nepomucene was cured of a disease through the prayers of his good parents. In thanksgiving, they consecrated him to the service of God. He studied theology and law at the University of Prague and was eventually ordained a priest. After John was ordained, he was sent to a parish in the city of Prague. He became a great preacher, and thousands of those listened to him changed their way of life. In time, he became vicar general of Archbishop John of Genzenstein at Prague.
In 1393, King Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia, wishing to found a new bishopric for one of his favorites, ordered that at the death of the present abbot of Kladrau Abbey, no new abbot should be elected and that the abbey church should be turned into a cathedral. The archbishop and John thwarted the king’s plan by approving the election of a new abbot immediately on the death of the old one. Upon hearing this, Wenceslaus fell into a violent rage and had the vicar-general and several cathedral officials thrown into prison. John was tortured by having his sides burnt with torches, but even this could not move him. An additional reason for John’s violent death may be because of the tale that is traditionally told about him: Father John was invited to the court of Wenceslaus IV. He settled arguments and did many kind deeds for the needy people of the city. He also became the Queen’s confessor. When the King was cruel to the Queen, Father John taught her to bear her cross patiently. One day, the King asked the Saint to tell what the Queen had said in confession. When he refused, he was thrown into prison. A second time, Father John was asked to reveal the Queen’s confession. “If you do not tell me,” said the King, “you shall die. But if you obey my command, riches and honors will be yours.” Again Father John vehemently refused to break the seal of the confessional. He was tortured. Finally, on March 20, 1393, the king ordered him to be put in chains and led through the city with a block of wood in his mouth. His martyrdom was complete when he was then thrown from a bridge into the Moldau River at Prague. A strange brightness is said to have appeared above the spot where he drowned; because of this St. John of Nepomucene is often portrayed in art with seven stars above his head. For this reason, St. John is also called the “Martyr of the Confessional” and is sometimes pictured with his finger to his lips. He was canonized in 1729 by Pope Benedict XIII and is honored as a Patron Saint of Bohemia and of confessors, Czechoslovakia, Bohemia, confessors, bridges, floods, against slander, silence. (Refer to March 20th Saint post, the date of his death)
PRAYER: God, we praise You for the grace You granted to St. John to offer his life in defense of the seal of confession. Grant that, through his prayers, we may use the Sacrament of Penance often and with profit. Amen. Almighty and merciful God, who brought your Martyr blessed John Nepomucene to overcome the torments of his passion, grant that we, who celebrate the day of his triumph, may remain invincible under your protection against the snares of the enemy. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen🙏
SAINT SIMON STOCK, PRIEST: St. Simon Stock (1165-1265) was hermit who became a member of the Carmelite order. He received a vision of the Blessed Mother promising salvation to all those who wore the brown scapular which she showed him — a vision that led to the widespread devotion to Mary over the next centuries of wearing this scapular in her honor. St. Simon Stock born in Kent, England in 1165. He was strongly drawn to God as a child, and at the age of twelve he began to live as a hermit in the hollow of an oak tree. After two decades of this solitary and penitential life, he entered the world again to study theology and become a priest. His studies complete, he then returned to his hermitage. At this time the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to him, instructing him to join the Carmelite Order that was just entering England. St. Simon became a Carmelite in 1212. By 1215 he became the order’s leader and worked to establish it across Europe, especially at the great universities. He also traveled to Rome and Mt. Carmel in the Holy Land, and revised the Carmelite Rule to make them mendicant friars instead of hermits.
Tradition holds that the Virgin Mary appeared to him again and presented him with a brown scapular, the habit of his order, promising that those who wore it would not be eternally lost in hell. This apparition is known as Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and her “scapular promise” is that she will intercede with her Son to ensure that the wearer of the scapular obtains the grace of final perseverance, that is, of dying in a state of grace. This is the origin of the Brown Scapular devotion which soon spread to the laity to obtain the graces promised by Our Lady, a devotion later encouraged by many popes. St. Simon Stock’s feast day is May 16th.
Saint Simon Stock, Priest ~ Pray for us🙏
SAINT UBALDUS, BISHOP OF GUBBIO: St. Ubaldus, Bishop of Gubbio was born in Gubbio, Italy to Rivaldo Baldassini. When he was only a child, this son of a noble Italian family became an orphan. His uncle, a bishop, took charge of him and gave him a good education. When he finished his schooling, Ubaldus had the chance to marry any one of a number of lovely noblewomen, but he wanted to dedicate his life to God. He became a priest, and made a canon. Since his virtue was outstanding against his own wishes but upon the request of Pope Honorius II, he became the bishop of his native city in 1128. In this capacity he was a model of apostolic simplicity, pastoral zeal, and personal holiness. He is remembered in central Italy as a Bishop who was entirely devoted to the duties of his office. He led a life of exceptional austerity. He belonged to the Order of Canons Regular of St. Augustine. His aid is popularly invoked against evil spirits. To this day his body remains incorrupt. St. Ubaldus was so mild and patient that he did not seem to mind any insult. Once a workman repairing the city wall damaged his vineyard very much. The Saint gently pointed it out to him. The workman, who probably did not recognize the bishop, shoved him so hard that he fell into a pile of wet cement and got up all covered with it. Yet he said not one word of complaint and went into his house. The city officials were going to punish the man, but Ubald wanted him to be set free and he himself gave him the kiss of peace. The holy Bishop did indeed love peace, and he had the courage it takes to keep it. Once, when the people of Gubbio were fighting in the streets, he threw himself between the two angry crowds. He seemed unafraid of the swords clashing and the rocks flying. Suddenly he fell to the ground. The people stopped fighting at once, for they thought the Saint had been killed. But he got up and showed them that he was not even hurt. Then all together, the people thanked God for having stopped them from doing each other more harm. Another time, when the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa was going to attack the city, St. Ubald went out on the road to talk to him, and he convinced this bold emperor to leave Gubbio alone.
The Saint also had much to suffer from sicknesses. Yet he never spoke about his pains, and if someone tried to show sorrow over them, he would change the subject at once. Even in his last sickness, he managed to get up to say Mass and give the people his blessing. The power St. Ubaldus possessed against evil spirits was evident. The Church moves in a spirit world–good angels are all about, while constant vigilance is exercised against Satan and his devils. The liturgy contains a considerable number of exorcisms and adjurations. Then there are a series of sacramentals directed against the power of evil spirits; for example, holy water, palms, candles. Hold these sacramentals in highest esteem. He died on May 16, 1160 at Gubbio, Italy. Canonized 4 March 1192 by Pope Celestine III. He’s the Patron Saint of Gubbio, Migraine, Neuralgia, Autistic Spectrum Disorders.
Let us learn from St. Ubald never to give in to anger, and to forgive those who may hurt us in any way. Saint Ubaldus, Bishop of Gubbio ~ Pray for us🙏
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:
Bible Readings for today, Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter | USCCB| https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/051624.cfm
Gospel Reading ~ John 17: 20 – 26
“May they all be one”
“Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying: “I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me. Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me. I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them.”
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus prays for His disciples, and for all those who will believe in Him through their words, which includes all of us. Today’s Gospel reading is the last section of the prayer of Jesus for His disciples on the night before He was crucified. At the conclusion of that reading Jesus expresses His hope that the love with which God the Father loves Him would be in His disciples, in us, and that He, Jesus, would be in His disciples. The love with which the Father loves the Son is to be in all of us, and if that love is in us then Jesus Himself will be in us. It is clear that Jesus wants to have a very close relationship with us; He wants to live out His life of love in us; He wants to express His love in and through us. If that were to happen, then the prayer of Jesus towards the beginning of our Gospel reading would come to pass, His prayers looks ahead to our ultimate destiny beyond this earthly life. He prays that we may be with Him where He is in heaven, so that we may see His glory. The goal of our earthly pilgrimage is to see the Lord face to face and to be caught up in His glory. He said, ‘May they all be one’. We will all be one to the extent that Jesus lives out His life of love in and through us. Jesus wants to live in us in this life as a preparation for our living with Him in the next life. The second prayer of Jesus for His disciples in the Gospel reading relates to that eternal destiny and our present, earthly, life. He prays that the love with which God has loved Him may be in us. He wants us to remain in His love as He remains in God His Father’s love, and then to share that love with others, to love one another as He has loved us. He prays that we would be where He now is, so as to see the glory God has given Him. His communion with us in this life, and our communion with each other arising from that, is an anticipation of the deeper communion with Him and with each other that is our ultimate destiny. When that happens, He Himself will be truly alive in us, ‘so that I may be in them’. If we remain in the Lord’s love for us and share that love with one another, then another of Jesus’ prayers for us in that reading will come to pass, ‘May they all be one, as we are one’. When the Lord’s love comes alive in all of us, then we will all be one in love, as Jesus and God, His Father, are one in love. How we pray can often reveal a great deal about ourselves. Jesus’ prayer reveals His vision for our present life in the here and now, and our future life in the kingdom of heaven. In response to Jesus’ prayer for us, perhaps the best prayer we can pray is, ‘Lord, may your prayer for our present life and our ultimate destiny come to pass. Help us to be open to your wonderful vision for our lives’.
Our first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles reminds us that in the time of Jesus and the early church, there were strong differences of opinion among leading Jews regarding matters of faith. St. Paul reached Jerusalem and caused a great uproar there as the members of the Sanhedrin, or the Jewish High Council and their supporters, both from the party of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, had gathered to persecute St. Paul and to condemn him. However, they could not agree on how they were to handle him. St. Paul knew that they would do whatever they could to persecute him and even condemn him to death, but that was not what the Holy Spirit had guided him to do. He still had one last mission to do, to evangelise to the people in the city of Rome, the capital and centre of the Roman Empire. Hence, it was not yet time for St. Paul to be persecuted to his death. And that was why he incited the two opposing groups, the Pharisees and the Sadducees to a near riot simply because he said that he was a Pharisee, and it was his belief in what the Pharisees believed that led him to be put on trial there. St. Paul as Saul was indeed a Pharisee and a zealous one at that, before he was called by God and was redeemed, turning over a new leaf and embracing a new path in life as God’s servant. The Pharisees and the Sadducees were often at loggerheads as they were diametrically opposite in their beliefs, with the Pharisees believing firmly in the spiritual and immaterial world, the resurrection of the dead, the presence of spirits and Angels, while the Sadducees represent the secular party, those who firmly reject all those, and particularly oppose the notion of life after death and the resurrection. That declaration by St. Paul was enough to drive the assembly into a frenzy, each group defending their own viewpoints and attacking the other, to the point that some of those same Pharisees even defended St. Paul and said before the assembly how he was innocent and not to be punished, totally contradicting their own stance earlier on. It was also proof that whatever false charges and accusations they wanted to impose on St. Paul was not valid and right in the first place. Nonetheless, St. Paul allowed the Holy Spirit to guide his path, and he was rescued by the guards who led him to the Roman governor, before whom the Apostle would claim trial and appeal before the Emperor himself, paving for his final missionary journey to Rome.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are reminded to remain steadfast and not to give in to the pressure and temptations of the world, to conform to the path of sin and abandoning our faith. May the Lord continue to guide each and every one of us that we may be always ever faithful to Him and strong in our convictions to walk in His path, despite the persecutions and oppositions, rejections and hardships that we may have to endure. And may all of us remain resolute in living our lives with faith to the fullest, respecting one another while at the same time, standing up courageously for our faith in God, so that each and every one of us may inspire each other in faith, that in all the things we say and do, we will help our fellow brothers and sisters to remain firm in their own faith and life. Let us all be good role models and sources of inspiration for each other, in how we lead our lives and carry out our every actions, even in the smallest and seemingly least significant of actions and interactions with others around us. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and may the Lord continue to guide us in all things and help us to remain ever firmly faithful in Him, now and always, forevermore. Amen🙏
DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF MAY: MONTH OF OUR LADY: In addition to the myriad feast days honoring Our Lady under her many titles and virtues, the entire month of May is especially given to her praise. In the words of Pope Paul VI, May is “a month which the piety of the faithful has long dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God … For this is the month during which Christians, in their churches and their homes, offer the Virgin Mother more fervent and loving acts of homage and veneration; and it is the month in which a greater abundance of God’s merciful gifts comes down to us from our Mother’s throne.”
THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF MAY – FOR THE FORMATION OF RELIGIOUS AND SEMINARIANS: We pray that religious women and men, and seminarians, grow in their own vocations through their human, pastoral, spiritual and community formation, leading them to be credible witnesses to the Gospel.🙏
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 been in vain. Now, Lord, come to our aid! 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 Easter season, 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 and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen🙏
Prayers for Peace | https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/prayers-for-peace/
PRAYER INTENTIONS: During this season of Easter, 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 most holy Father in Heaven, I do join Your Son, Jesus, in lifting my eyes, my heart and my whole life to You in honor, love and respect. May I always be attentive to You and always show You the devotion due Your greatness. My dear Jesus, thank You for Your love of the Father in Heaven. Give me the grace I need to imitate You and Your perfect love in my life. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏
Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Brendan, Saint John Nepomucene, Saint Simon Stock and Saint Ubaldus ~ Pray for us🙏
Thanking God for the gift of this day and praying for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and our world and for God’s Divine Mercy and Grace upon us all and for vocations to priesthood and consecrated life. Have a blessed, safe, grace-filled and fruitful Seventh Week of Easter!🙏
Philomena – means “daughter of light”. St. Philomena (291- 304) Wonder Worker, Virgin and Martyr is a fascinating saint. “To Philomena, nothing is refused .”
St. Philomena, Powerful with God! St. Philomena was a Greek Princess who lived on the Island of Corfu during the third to fourth century. St. Philomena would have been forgotten to history if not for a miraculous vision that identified her with a tomb discovered over 1,500 years later. This and other extraordinary events surrounding St. Philomena have given her a particular reputation for miracles. In fact, the Blessed Virgin Mary reportedly said in a vision, “To Philomena, nothing is refused.” St. Philomena was the daughter of a king in Greece who, with his wife, had converted to Christianity. St. Philomena was born on January 10, 291 at Corfu, Greece and died on August 10, 304 at the age of 13 in Rome, Italy. At the age of about 13 she took a vow of consecrated virginity. When the Emperor Diocletian threatened to make war on her father, he went with his family to Rome to ask for peace.
The Emperor fell in love with the young Philomena and, when she refused to be his wife, he subjected her to a series of torments: scourging, from whose effects two angels cured her; drowning with an anchor attached to her, but two angels cut the rope and raised her to the river bank; being shot with arrows, but on the first occasion her wounds were healed, on the second the arrows turned aside, and on the third, they returned and killed six of the archers, and several of the others became Christians. Finally the Emperor had her decapitated, which occurred on a Friday at three in the afternoon, as with the death of Jesus. The two anchors, three arrows, the palm and the ivy leaf on the tiles found in the tomb were interpreted as symbols of her martyrdom. Saint Philomena’s remains were discovered on May 24-25 1802, during the quest for the graves of Roman martyrs in the Catacomb of Priscilla, a tomb was discovered and opened; as it contained a glass vessel it was assumed to be the grave of a martyr. The view, then erroneously entertained in Rome, that the presence of such vessels (supposed to have contained the martyr’s blood) in a grave was a symbol of martyrdom, has been rejected in practice since the investigations of De Rossi (cf. Leclercq in “Dict. d.archéol. chrét. et de liturg.”, s.v. Ampoules de sang). The remains found in the above-mentioned tomb were shown to be those of a young maiden, and, as the name Filumena was discovered on the earthenware slabs closing the grave, it was assumed that they were those of a virgin martyr named Philumena.
On 8 June, 1805, the relics were translated to the church of Mungano, Diocese of Nola (near Naples), and enshrined under one of its altars. In 1827 Leo XII presented the church with the three earthenware tiles, with the inscription, which may be seen in the church even today. On the basis of alleged revelations to a nun in Naples, and of an entirely fanciful and indefensible explanation of the allegorical paintings, which were found on the slabs beside the inscription, a canon of the church in Mugnano, named Di Lucia, composed a purely fictitious and romantic account of the supposed martyrdom of St. Philomena, who is not mentioned in any of the ancient sources. In consequence of the wonderful favours received in answer to prayer before the relics of the Saint at Mugnano, devotion to them spread rapidly, and, after instituting investigations into the question, Gregory XVI appointed a special feast to be held on 9 September, “in honorem s. Philumenae virginis et martyris” (cf. the lessons of this feast in the Roman Breviary). The earthenware plates were fixed in front of the grave as follows: PAX TECUM FILUMENA. These tiles enclosing the tomb bore an inscription, Pax Tecum Filumena, which is, “Peace be with you, Philomena”. The plates were evidently inserted in the wrong order, and the inscription should doubtless read PAX TECUM FILUMENA. The letters are painted on the plates with red paint, and the inscription belongs to the primitive class of epigraphical memorials in the Catacomb of Priscilla, thus, dating from about the middle or second half of the second century. The disarrangement of the inscription proves that it must have been completed before the plates were put into position, although in the numerous other examples of this kind in the same catacomb the inscription was added only after the grave had been closed. Consequently, since the disarrangement of the plates can scarcely be explained as arising from an error, Marucchi seems justified in concluding that the inscription and plates originally belonged to an earlier grave, and were later employed (now in the wrong order) to close another. Apart from the letters, the plates contain three arrows, either as adecoration or a punctuation, a leaf as decoration, two anchors, and a palm as the well-known Christian symbols. Neither these signs nor the glass vessel discovered in the grave can be regarded as a proof of martyrdom. St. Philomena was Canonized on January 30, 1837, liturically canonized in an act of the ordinary Papal Magisterium, Vatican City by Pope Gregory XVI.
“God will never refuse her anything that she asks for us ” ~ St. John Vianney. St. John Vianney, a holy priest of the 19th century, developed a personal relationship with St. Philomena and frequently invoked her miraculous intercession. Whenever he needed something done, he turned to St. Philomena to intercede for him. Out of this relationship St. Vianney composed his own litany of St. Philomena that he prayed and encouraged others to do so as well. While no one is ever guaranteed a miracle, St. Philomena will certainly intercede for that person and make God’s will known to them, sometimes in a miraculous fashion. As with all prayer, the key is to trust in God and his divine providence.May our efforts to retrace some of the glories which surround the name of the youthful martyr of the Catacombs increase the fervor of those devoted to her. May they urge others to spread wider still veneration for her virtues of constancy and heroism, by which she obtained such favor with God, and merited so many benedictions for those who invoke her! St. Philomena! Pray for us. St. Philomena is the Patron Saint of children, babies, infants, youth, students, test takers, priests, lost causes, againt infertility, sterility, virgins, desperate causes, impossible causes, forgotten causes, orphans, the poor, prisoners, the sick, mental illness, against barrenness, against bodily ills, Children of Mary, The Universal Living Rosary Association, Sibonga, Cebu, Pulupandan, Negros Occidental.
PRAYER TO SAINT PHILOMENA FOR A FAVOR (KNOWN TO BE A VERY POWERFUL PRAYER): O faithful virgin and glorious martyr, Saint Philomena, who works so many miracles on behalf of the poor and sorrowful, have pity on me. Thou knowest the multitude and diversity of my needs. Behold me at thy feet, full of misery, but full of hope. I entreat thy charity O great Saint. Graciously hear me and obtain from God a favourable answer to the request which I now humbly lay before you (here specify your petition). I am firmly conviced that through the merits, through the scorn, the sufferings and the death thou didst endure, united to the merits of the Passion and Death of Jesus thy Spouse, I shall obtain what I ask of thee and the joy of my heart I will bless God, who is admirable in His saints. Amen 🙏
St. Philomena, powerful with God, pray for us!🙏
ST. PHILOMENA CHAPLET: This chaplet consists of 3 white beads and 13 red beads. On the medal say the Apostles Creed to ask for the grace of faith.
On each of the white beads say an Our Father in honor of the 3 Divine Persons of the Blessed Trinity in thanksgiving for all favors obtained through her intercession.
On each of the red beads, which are 13 in number to represent the 13 years that St. Philomena spent on earth, say the following prayer:
PRAYER: Hail, O holy St. Philomena, whom I acknowledge, after Mary, as my advocate with the Divine Spouse, intercede for me now and at the hour of my death. St, Philomena, beloved daughter of Jesus and Mary, pray for us who have recourse to thee. Amen 🙏
Concluding Prayer: Hail, O illustrious St. Philomena, who shed so courageously your blood for Christ! I bless the Lord for all the graces He has bestowed upon thee during thy life, and especially at thy death. I praise and glorify Him for the honor and power with which He has crowned thee, and I beg thee to obtain for me from God the graces I ask through thy intercession. Amen.
Saint Philomena, beloved daughter of Jesus and Mary, pray for us who have recourse to you! Amen🙏
MEMORIAL OF SAINT ISIDORE, THE FARMER AND SAINTS PETER, ANDREW, PAUL AND DENISE (DIONYSIA), MARTYRS
NOVENA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT ~ DAY SIX: Prayed in preparation for Pentecost. Beginning, Friday, May 10-18, 2024 (link below)
Greetings beloved family. Happy Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter!
Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary | EWTN | May 15, 2024 |
Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | May 15, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | May 15, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | May 15, 2024 |
Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy | from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | May 15, 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: Wednesday, May 15, 2024 Reading 1, Acts 20:28-38 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 68:29-30, 33-35, 35-36 Gospel, John 17:11-19
NOVENA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT: Prayed in preparation for Pentecost. DAY SIX – Beginning, Friday, May 10, 2024 (link below): Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven Gifts | EWTN | The novena – May 10-18, 2024 | https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/novena-to-the-holy-spirit-for-the-seven-gifts-309
[This Novena begins on the day after the Solemnity of the Ascension, Friday of the 6th Week of Easter, even if the Solemnity of the Ascension is transferred to the 7th Sunday of Easter]
NOVENA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
Prayed in preparation for Pentecost
DAY SIX: May 15, 2024, Wednesday, 7th Week of Easter
If Thou take Thy grace away, nothing pure in man will stay, All his good is turn’d to ill.
THE GIFT OF UNDERSTANDING: Understanding, as a gift of the Holy Spirit, helps us to grasp the meaning of the truths of our holy religion. By faith we know them, but by Understanding we learn to appreciate and relish them. It enables us to penetrate the inner meaning of revealed truths and through them to be quickened to newness of life. Our faith ceases to be sterile and inactive, but inspires a mode of life that bears eloquent testimony to the faith that is in us; we begin to ‘walk worthy of God in all things pleasing, and increasing in the knowledge of God.’
PRAYER: Come, O Spirit of Understanding, and enlighten our minds, that we may know and believe all the mysteries of salvation; and may merit at last to see the eternal light in Thy Light; and in the light of glory to have a clear vision of Thee and the Father and the Son. Amen🙏
Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE; Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES
ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT: On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses, I offer myself, soul and body to You, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of Your purity, the unerring keenness of Your justice, and the might of Your love. You are the Strength and Light of my soul. In You I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve You by unfaithfulness to grace and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against You. Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Your light, and listen to Your voice, and follow Your gracious inspirations. I cling to You and give myself to You and ask You, by Your compassion to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus and looking at His Five Wounds, and trusting in His Precious Blood and adoring His opened Side and stricken Heart, I implore You, Adorable Spirit, Helper of my infirmity, to keep me in Your grace that I may never sin against You. Give me grace, O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son to say to You always and everywhere, ‘Speak Lord for Your servant heareth.’ Amen🙏
PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: O Lord Jesus Christ, Who, before ascending into heaven, did promise to send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul, the work of Your grace and Your love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal, the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Your divine truth, the Spirit of Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining heaven, the Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with You and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation, the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints, the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable, and the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Your true disciples and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen🙏
PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT: Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and kindle in them the fire of Thy love. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Let us pray: O God, Who did instruct the hearts of Thy faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us in the same Spirit to be truly wise, and ever to rejoice in His consolation, through Christ, our Lord. Amen🙏
Novena to the Holy Spirit: Prayed in preparation for Pentecost (link below) Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven Gifts | EWTN: https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/novena-to-the-holy-spirit-for-the-seven-gifts-309
MEMORIAL OF SAINT ISIDORE, THE FARMER AND SAINTS PETER, ANDREW, PAUL AND DENISE (DIONYSIA), MARTYRS ~ FEAST DAY: MAY 15TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Isidore, the Farmer and Saints Peter, Andrew, Paul and Denise (Dionysia), Martyrs. 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 terminal diseases and those with cancer. We also pray for the safety and well-being of all farmers, the poor and the needy all over the world. We continue to pray for peace in our families and throughout our world, for the Church, the Clergy, for persecuted christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world🙏
SAINT ISIDORE, THE FARMER: St. Isidore (c. 1070 – May 15, 1130), also known as Isidore the Farm Laborer; Saint Isidore of Madrid or Saint Isidore the Farmer, a perennially popular Saint in Spain was born Isidro de Merlo y Quintana near Madrid of very poor but very Christian parents, who early inspired in him love for God and horror of sin. He was christened Isidore from the name of their patron, St. Isidore of Seville. His education was accomplished entirely by the Holy Spirit who taught him, without books, the science of salvation. Isidore spent his life as a hired hand in the service of the wealthy Madrilenian landowner Juan de Vargas on a farm in the city’s vicinity. He shared what he had, even his meals, with the poor. Juan de Vargas would later make him bailiff of his entire estate of Lower Caramanca. St. Isidore married a wife rich in virtue, Maria Torribia, known as Santa María de la Cabeza in Spain (she has never been canonized, pending confirmation by Pope Francis. There is currently in process the cause for her sainthood within the Congregation for the Causes of Saints). St. Isidore and his wife were always willing to help their neighbors and worked with the poor in the city slums. God blessed them with a son whom they brought up in the sentiments of their own piety. On one occasion, their son fell into a deep well and, at the prayers of his parents, the water of the well is said to have risen miraculously to the level of the ground, bringing the child with it full of life and good health. In thanksgiving Isidore and Maria then vowed sexual abstinence and lived in separate houses in perpetual continence. Their son later died in his youth. Saint Isidore’s wife became a hermit like himself; Maria, too, performed miracles and merited after her death the name of Santa Maria de la Cabeza, meaning Head, because her head, conserved in a reliquary and carried in procession, has often brought down rain from heaven for the afflicted countryside. Her remains are honored by all of Spain by pilgrimages and processions at Torrelaguna, where they were transferred in 1615. Saint Isidore himself was a day-laborer on a farm near Madrid, but every day found him at Mass in one of the churches of the city before he set out for his daily task. His employer desired to verify whether he was wasting time during his work, and one day saw two mysterious personages helping the holy worker to guide his plow; Isidore himself told him they were Angels. Afterwards the wealthy owner became still more convinced that piety was useful in all occupations. For not only did his worker bring back to life one of his horses, which he very much needed; when his daughter, too, died, she was resurrected by the Saint. A fountain of water which the Saint caused to surge up by striking the ground still exists.
Saint Isidore, though poor, shared all he had with the poor; and one day, when no provisions were left, his cupboard was found well furnished when still another beggar arrived. Saint Isidore died some time after his wife; he died on May 15, 1130, at his birthplace close to Madrid, although the only official source places his death in the year 1172. The number of miracles attributed to him has been counted as 438. The only original source of hagiography on him is a fourteenth century codex called Códice de Juan Diácono which relates five of his miracles: The pigeons and the grain; The angels ploughing; The saving of his donkey, through prayer, from a wolf attack; The account of his wife’s pot of food and A similar account of his feeding the brotherhood. The codex also attests to the incorruptible state of his body, stating it was exhumed 40 years after his death, his relics were taken into the Church of Saint Andrew and re-interred there; miracles have been countless, and celestial music has often been heard at his tomb. He has protected the city of Seville, making himself visible occasionally; and the kings of Spain themselves urged his canonization. St. Isidore was beatified in Rome on May 2, 1619, by Pope Paul V. He was canonized nearly three years later by Pope Gregory XV, along with Saints Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier, Teresa of Ávila and Philip Neri, on March 12, 1622. He is an example of a laborer who values both prayer and work. In 1947, he was proclaimed the patron of the National Rural Conference in the United States. He’s the Patron Saint of Farmers; farm workers; ranchers; rural communities; Madrid, Spain; National Catholic Rural Life Conference in the United States; death of children; for rain; livestock. His feast day is May 15th.
PRAYER: O Lord, all creation is Yours, and You call us to serve You by caring for the gifts that surround us. May the example of St. Isidore urge us to share our food with the hungry and to work for the salvation of mankind. God, through the intercession of St. Isidore, the holy Farmer, grant that we may overcome all feelings of pride. May we always serve You with that humility which pleases You, through his merits and example ~ Amen🙏
SAINTS PETER, ANDREW, PAUL AND DENISE (DIONYSIA), MARTYRS: Sts. Peter, Andrew, Paul, and Denise (Dionisia, Dionysia) are venerated as martyrs by the Orthodox and Catholic Churches. They were killed in the 3rd century at Lampsacus, Mysia (in present-day Turkey) on the Hellespont, under the Emperor Decius (~ A.D. 250). They seem to have been stoned by the heathen rabble, with the consent of the magistrates, before whom they had bravely confessed their Faith in Christ.
According to tradition, Denise was martyred during the persecution of Christians by the Emperor Decius, along with three men named Andrew, Paul, and Nichomachus. Nichomachus, “presumptuous and over-confident”, denied that he was a Christian after he was tortured and was asked to perform a sacrifice to the Roman gods. However, as he was about to perform this task, he suffered a convulsion and fell dead. Andrew and Paul refused to apostatize and were tortured on the rack and then imprisoned. Denise was a sixteen-year-old Christian girl who vocalized her unhappiness regarding Nichomachus’ apostasy. She was brought before the proconsul Optimus, and refused to abjure her faith. Optimus condemned her to be raped by several soldiers; however, according to tradition, she was “subjected to the approaches of three libertines, but was protected by an angel.” Paul and Andrew were finally led to their execution, and were stoned to death in the local arena. Denise managed to escape from prison and locate the bodies of the two men. She publicly expressed her desire to share their martyrdom, was carried away by force, and was promptly ordered to be beheaded by Optimus.
The relics attributed to Denise were brought to the Abbey of Flône in Belgium in 1922, and placed within a statue of wax; the relics included a vase associated that contains her crystallized blood. A second vase contains earth said to have been drenched with the blood of Christian martyrs. On the sarcophagus is embedded a marble tablet said to come from Roman catacombs; it carries the inscription: DIONISE, V.M..I.IN.P VIX. AN. XXIX. (“Denise, celebrated virgin martyr rests in peace. She lived 29 years”). The relics are visible through small openings. Saint Denise is invoked for the protection against bicycle and motorcycle accidents and headaches.
Saints Peter, Andrew, Paul, and Denise, Martyrs ~ Pray for us🙏
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:
Bible Readings for today, Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Gospel Reading ~ John 17:11b-19
“May they be one just as we are one”
“Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed, saying: “Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one. When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me, and I guarded them, and none of them was lost except the son of destruction, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you. I speak this in the world so that they may share my joy completely. I gave them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the Evil One. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth.”
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus prays for His disciples on the night before He died. This prayer really transcends that particular moment in time. It is also the prayer of the risen Lord for His disciples today, for all of us. What is Jesus’ prayer on our behalf? In the words of the Gospel reading, He prays that we may be true to God’s name and that God would protect us from the evil one. This prayer of Jesus for us reflects one of the petitions in the prayer that Jesus asked us to pray for ourselves, the prayer that has become known as the Lord’s Prayer. In that prayer we pray, ‘Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil’. This must be a prayer that is very close to the heart of Jesus if He prays it for us and asks us to pray it for ourselves, the prayer that we be delivered from, protected from, the evil one, the prayer that we remain true or faithful to God’s name, to who God is and what God desires for us. Jesus prays this prayer in the knowledge that our faithfulness will be put to the test by what the Gospel reading calls the ‘world’. The Gospel reading today assures us that in such testing times the Lord is praying for us, and His prayer combined with our own prayer will ultimately keep us faithful to Him and to His Father.
In our first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles, St. Paul gave a farewell message to the assembled faithful in Ephesus, before he was to embark on his final journey, his final mission by heading willingly to Jerusalem. St. Paul knew, by the wisdom and knowledge given to him from the Holy Spirit, that this trip to Jerusalem would be the beginning of his final mission, as he would be arrested and tried by the forces of the Sanhedrin, or the Jewish High Council, and set off the chain of events that would lead to his martyrdom in Rome. St. Paul was not deterred by the challenges, trials and sufferings that he might have to face. He has suffered quite a few times earlier on as he faced rejection and opposition by quite a few of those who refused to believe in God, the Jewish authorities and their supporters as one of the many examples. Of course he also encountered a lot of successes as well, that due to his tireless works and ministry, he had managed to spread the word of God, His Good News and truth, to more and more people, establishing firm foundations of the Church and faith in numerous places, including that of Ephesus, which we heard of today.
As we reflect on the words of the Lord in the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded that we must always live our lives well and worthily as God’s holy and chosen people, as Christians, those whom God had blessed and embraced to be His own adopted children. This is because all of us are ourselves expected to be good and worthy role models for everyone around us, through our exemplary lives, actions and deeds. We must be always genuine in our every actions, words and deeds, living our whole existence to glorify the Lord and to proclaim His truth and love at all times. We must strive to be full of God’s love and truth, to abandon all sorts of wickedness and evils in our hearts and minds, so that we may truly serve Him wholeheartedly as His disciples and followers in our world today. Let us all continue to strive to keep the focus of our lives and existence in the Lord, to put Him at the very heart and the forefront of our daily living and actions, in all of the words and deeds we commit, and in every interactions we made so that by our exemplary living and our good and worthy actions, words and deeds, we will be good and shining role models of our Christian life and faith for everyone around us. Each and every one of us must always bear witness to the Lord and to His truth, teachings and love, or else, we may in fact even scandalise Him and His Holy Name if in case our actions, words and deeds are contrary to what we believe in and what the Lord Himself had taught us. Then in that case, we will be held fully accountable for our actions, just as those heretics and false leaders likely had faced their just consequences from God. Let us all henceforth renew our commitment to live our lives ever more faithfully to the Lord, to listen to Him and to obey His will at all times, and to become ever closer and more connected to Him through our prayerful life and through our greater love, commitment and devotion to Him. Let us all continue to glorify Him by our exemplary lives and be the good and worthy role models and inspirations for one another, both for our fellow Christians and also for all those others who have not yet known the Lord and His salvation, His truth and love, that through us, they may come to know Him and believe in Him as well. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and may He be with us always and bless us in our every good endeavours, now and forevermore. Amen🙏
DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF MAY: MONTH OF OUR LADY: In addition to the myriad feast days honoring Our Lady under her many titles and virtues, the entire month of May is especially given to her praise. In the words of Pope Paul VI, May is “a month which the piety of the faithful has long dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God … For this is the month during which Christians, in their churches and their homes, offer the Virgin Mother more fervent and loving acts of homage and veneration; and it is the month in which a greater abundance of God’s merciful gifts comes down to us from our Mother’s throne.”
THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF MAY – FOR THE FORMATION OF RELIGIOUS AND SEMINARIANS: We pray that religious women and men, and seminarians, grow in their own vocations through their human, pastoral, spiritual and community formation, leading them to be credible witnesses to the Gospel.🙏
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 been in vain. Now, Lord, come to our aid! 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 Easter season, 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 and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen🙏
Prayers for Peace | https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/prayers-for-peace/
PRAYER INTENTIONS: During this season of Easter, 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 all-powerful Lord, You have conquered the evil one and provide all the grace I need to overcome his lies and deceptions. Open my mind to discern Your voice and give clarity to the voice of the evil one so that I may choose You with my whole heart and reject all that the evil one tries to say to me. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen🙏
Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Isidore, the Farmer and Saints Peter, Andrew, Paul and Denise (Dionysia), Martyrs ~ Pray for us🙏
Thanking God for the gift of this day and praying for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and our world and for God’s Divine Mercy and Grace upon us all and for vocations to priesthood and consecrated life. Have a blessed, safe, grace-filled and fruitful Seventh Week of Easter!🙏
[This Novena begins on the day after the Solemnity of the Ascension, Friday of the 6th Week of Easter, even if the Solemnity of the Ascension is transferred to the 7th Sunday of Easter]
NOVENA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
Prayed in preparation for Pentecost
DAY SIX: May 15, 2024, Wednesday, 7th Week of Easter
If Thou take Thy grace away, nothing pure in man will stay, All his good is turn’d to ill.
THE GIFT OF UNDERSTANDING: Understanding, as a gift of the Holy Spirit, helps us to grasp the meaning of the truths of our holy religion. By faith we know them, but by Understanding we learn to appreciate and relish them. It enables us to penetrate the inner meaning of revealed truths and through them to be quickened to newness of life. Our faith ceases to be sterile and inactive, but inspires a mode of life that bears eloquent testimony to the faith that is in us; we begin to ‘walk worthy of God in all things pleasing, and increasing in the knowledge of God.’
PRAYER: Come, O Spirit of Understanding, and enlighten our minds, that we may know and believe all the mysteries of salvation; and may merit at last to see the eternal light in Thy Light; and in the light of glory to have a clear vision of Thee and the Father and the Son. Amen🙏
Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE; Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES
ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT: On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses, I offer myself, soul and body to You, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of Your purity, the unerring keenness of Your justice, and the might of Your love. You are the Strength and Light of my soul. In You I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve You by unfaithfulness to grace and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against You. Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Your light, and listen to Your voice, and follow Your gracious inspirations. I cling to You and give myself to You and ask You, by Your compassion to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus and looking at His Five Wounds, and trusting in His Precious Blood and adoring His opened Side and stricken Heart, I implore You, Adorable Spirit, Helper of my infirmity, to keep me in Your grace that I may never sin against You. Give me grace, O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son to say to You always and everywhere, ‘Speak Lord for Your servant heareth.’ Amen🙏
PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: O Lord Jesus Christ, Who, before ascending into heaven, did promise to send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul, the work of Your grace and Your love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal, the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Your divine truth, the Spirit of Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining heaven, the Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with You and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation, the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints, the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable, and the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Your true disciples and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen🙏
PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT: Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and kindle in them the fire of Thy love. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Let us pray: O God, Who did instruct the hearts of Thy faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us in the same Spirit to be truly wise, and ever to rejoice in His consolation, through Christ, our Lord. Amen🙏
MEMORIAL OF SAINT ISIDORE, THE FARMER AND SAINTS PETER, ANDREW, PAUL AND DENISE (DIONYSIA), MARTYRS ~ FEAST DAY: MAY 15TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Isidore, the Farmer and Saints Peter, Andrew, Paul and Denise (Dionysia), Martyrs. 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 terminal diseases and those with cancer. We also pray for the safety and well-being of all farmers, the poor and the needy all over the world. We continue to pray for peace in our families and throughout our world, for the Church, the Clergy, for persecuted christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world🙏
SAINT ISIDORE, THE FARMER: St. Isidore (c. 1070 – May 15, 1130), also known as Isidore the Farm Laborer; Saint Isidore of Madrid or Saint Isidore the Farmer, a perennially popular Saint in Spain was born Isidro de Merlo y Quintana near Madrid of very poor but very Christian parents, who early inspired in him love for God and horror of sin. He was christened Isidore from the name of their patron, St. Isidore of Seville. His education was accomplished entirely by the Holy Spirit who taught him, without books, the science of salvation. Isidore spent his life as a hired hand in the service of the wealthy Madrilenian landowner Juan de Vargas on a farm in the city’s vicinity. He shared what he had, even his meals, with the poor. Juan de Vargas would later make him bailiff of his entire estate of Lower Caramanca. St. Isidore married a wife rich in virtue, Maria Torribia, known as Santa María de la Cabeza in Spain (she has never been canonized, pending confirmation by Pope Francis. There is currently in process the cause for her sainthood within the Congregation for the Causes of Saints). St. Isidore and his wife were always willing to help their neighbors and worked with the poor in the city slums. God blessed them with a son whom they brought up in the sentiments of their own piety. On one occasion, their son fell into a deep well and, at the prayers of his parents, the water of the well is said to have risen miraculously to the level of the ground, bringing the child with it full of life and good health. In thanksgiving Isidore and Maria then vowed sexual abstinence and lived in separate houses in perpetual continence. Their son later died in his youth. Saint Isidore’s wife became a hermit like himself; Maria, too, performed miracles and merited after her death the name of Santa Maria de la Cabeza, meaning Head, because her head, conserved in a reliquary and carried in procession, has often brought down rain from heaven for the afflicted countryside. Her remains are honored by all of Spain by pilgrimages and processions at Torrelaguna, where they were transferred in 1615. Saint Isidore himself was a day-laborer on a farm near Madrid, but every day found him at Mass in one of the churches of the city before he set out for his daily task. His employer desired to verify whether he was wasting time during his work, and one day saw two mysterious personages helping the holy worker to guide his plow; Isidore himself told him they were Angels. Afterwards the wealthy owner became still more convinced that piety was useful in all occupations. For not only did his worker bring back to life one of his horses, which he very much needed; when his daughter, too, died, she was resurrected by the Saint. A fountain of water which the Saint caused to surge up by striking the ground still exists.
Saint Isidore, though poor, shared all he had with the poor; and one day, when no provisions were left, his cupboard was found well furnished when still another beggar arrived. Saint Isidore died some time after his wife; he died on May 15, 1130, at his birthplace close to Madrid, although the only official source places his death in the year 1172. The number of miracles attributed to him has been counted as 438. The only original source of hagiography on him is a fourteenth century codex called Códice de Juan Diácono which relates five of his miracles: The pigeons and the grain; The angels ploughing; The saving of his donkey, through prayer, from a wolf attack; The account of his wife’s pot of food and A similar account of his feeding the brotherhood. The codex also attests to the incorruptible state of his body, stating it was exhumed 40 years after his death, his relics were taken into the Church of Saint Andrew and re-interred there; miracles have been countless, and celestial music has often been heard at his tomb. He has protected the city of Seville, making himself visible occasionally; and the kings of Spain themselves urged his canonization. St. Isidore was beatified in Rome on May 2, 1619, by Pope Paul V. He was canonized nearly three years later by Pope Gregory XV, along with Saints Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier, Teresa of Ávila and Philip Neri, on March 12, 1622. He is an example of a laborer who values both prayer and work. In 1947, he was proclaimed the patron of the National Rural Conference in the United States. He’s the Patron Saint of Farmers; farm workers; ranchers; rural communities; Madrid, Spain; National Catholic Rural Life Conference in the United States; death of children; for rain; livestock. His feast day is May 15th.
PRAYER: O Lord, all creation is Yours, and You call us to serve You by caring for the gifts that surround us. May the example of St. Isidore urge us to share our food with the hungry and to work for the salvation of mankind. God, through the intercession of St. Isidore, the holy Farmer, grant that we may overcome all feelings of pride. May we always serve You with that humility which pleases You, through his merits and example ~ Amen🙏
SAINTS PETER, ANDREW, PAUL AND DENISE (DIONYSIA), MARTYRS: Sts. Peter, Andrew, Paul, and Denise (Dionisia, Dionysia) are venerated as martyrs by the Orthodox and Catholic Churches. They were killed in the 3rd century at Lampsacus, Mysia (in present-day Turkey) on the Hellespont, under the Emperor Decius (~ A.D. 250). They seem to have been stoned by the heathen rabble, with the consent of the magistrates, before whom they had bravely confessed their Faith in Christ.
According to tradition, Denise was martyred during the persecution of Christians by the Emperor Decius, along with three men named Andrew, Paul, and Nichomachus. Nichomachus, “presumptuous and over-confident”, denied that he was a Christian after he was tortured and was asked to perform a sacrifice to the Roman gods. However, as he was about to perform this task, he suffered a convulsion and fell dead. Andrew and Paul refused to apostatize and were tortured on the rack and then imprisoned. Denise was a sixteen-year-old Christian girl who vocalized her unhappiness regarding Nichomachus’ apostasy. She was brought before the proconsul Optimus, and refused to abjure her faith. Optimus condemned her to be raped by several soldiers; however, according to tradition, she was “subjected to the approaches of three libertines, but was protected by an angel.” Paul and Andrew were finally led to their execution, and were stoned to death in the local arena. Denise managed to escape from prison and locate the bodies of the two men. She publicly expressed her desire to share their martyrdom, was carried away by force, and was promptly ordered to be beheaded by Optimus.
The relics attributed to Denise were brought to the Abbey of Flône in Belgium in 1922, and placed within a statue of wax; the relics included a vase associated that contains her crystallized blood. A second vase contains earth said to have been drenched with the blood of Christian martyrs. On the sarcophagus is embedded a marble tablet said to come from Roman catacombs; it carries the inscription: DIONISE, V.M..I.IN.P VIX. AN. XXIX. (“Denise, celebrated virgin martyr rests in peace. She lived 29 years”). The relics are visible through small openings. Saint Denise is invoked for the protection against bicycle and motorcycle accidents and headaches.
Saints Peter, Andrew, Paul, and Denise, Martyrs ~ Pray for us🙏
“Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed, saying: “Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one. When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me, and I guarded them, and none of them was lost except the son of destruction, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you. I speak this in the world so that they may share my joy completely. I gave them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the Evil One. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth.”
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus prays for His disciples on the night before He died. This prayer really transcends that particular moment in time. It is also the prayer of the risen Lord for His disciples today, for all of us. What is Jesus’ prayer on our behalf? In the words of the Gospel reading, He prays that we may be true to God’s name and that God would protect us from the evil one. This prayer of Jesus for us reflects one of the petitions in the prayer that Jesus asked us to pray for ourselves, the prayer that has become known as the Lord’s Prayer. In that prayer we pray, ‘Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil’. This must be a prayer that is very close to the heart of Jesus if He prays it for us and asks us to pray it for ourselves, the prayer that we be delivered from, protected from, the evil one, the prayer that we remain true or faithful to God’s name, to who God is and what God desires for us. Jesus prays this prayer in the knowledge that our faithfulness will be put to the test by what the Gospel reading calls the ‘world’. The Gospel reading today assures us that in such testing times the Lord is praying for us, and His prayer combined with our own prayer will ultimately keep us faithful to Him and to His Father.
In our first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles, St. Paul gave a farewell message to the assembled faithful in Ephesus, before he was to embark on his final journey, his final mission by heading willingly to Jerusalem. St. Paul knew, by the wisdom and knowledge given to him from the Holy Spirit, that this trip to Jerusalem would be the beginning of his final mission, as he would be arrested and tried by the forces of the Sanhedrin, or the Jewish High Council, and set off the chain of events that would lead to his martyrdom in Rome. St. Paul was not deterred by the challenges, trials and sufferings that he might have to face. He has suffered quite a few times earlier on as he faced rejection and opposition by quite a few of those who refused to believe in God, the Jewish authorities and their supporters as one of the many examples. Of course he also encountered a lot of successes as well, that due to his tireless works and ministry, he had managed to spread the word of God, His Good News and truth, to more and more people, establishing firm foundations of the Church and faith in numerous places, including that of Ephesus, which we heard of today.
As we reflect on the words of the Lord in the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded that we must always live our lives well and worthily as God’s holy and chosen people, as Christians, those whom God had blessed and embraced to be His own adopted children. This is because all of us are ourselves expected to be good and worthy role models for everyone around us, through our exemplary lives, actions and deeds. We must be always genuine in our every actions, words and deeds, living our whole existence to glorify the Lord and to proclaim His truth and love at all times. We must strive to be full of God’s love and truth, to abandon all sorts of wickedness and evils in our hearts and minds, so that we may truly serve Him wholeheartedly as His disciples and followers in our world today. Let us all continue to strive to keep the focus of our lives and existence in the Lord, to put Him at the very heart and the forefront of our daily living and actions, in all of the words and deeds we commit, and in every interactions we made so that by our exemplary living and our good and worthy actions, words and deeds, we will be good and shining role models of our Christian life and faith for everyone around us. Each and every one of us must always bear witness to the Lord and to His truth, teachings and love, or else, we may in fact even scandalise Him and His Holy Name if in case our actions, words and deeds are contrary to what we believe in and what the Lord Himself had taught us. Then in that case, we will be held fully accountable for our actions, just as those heretics and false leaders likely had faced their just consequences from God. Let us all henceforth renew our commitment to live our lives ever more faithfully to the Lord, to listen to Him and to obey His will at all times, and to become ever closer and more connected to Him through our prayerful life and through our greater love, commitment and devotion to Him. Let us all continue to glorify Him by our exemplary lives and be the good and worthy role models and inspirations for one another, both for our fellow Christians and also for all those others who have not yet known the Lord and His salvation, His truth and love, that through us, they may come to know Him and believe in Him as well. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and may He be with us always and bless us in our every good endeavours, now and forevermore. Amen🙏
DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF MAY: MONTH OF OUR LADY: In addition to the myriad feast days honoring Our Lady under her many titles and virtues, the entire month of May is especially given to her praise. In the words of Pope Paul VI, May is “a month which the piety of the faithful has long dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God … For this is the month during which Christians, in their churches and their homes, offer the Virgin Mother more fervent and loving acts of homage and veneration; and it is the month in which a greater abundance of God’s merciful gifts comes down to us from our Mother’s throne.”
THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF MAY – FOR THE FORMATION OF RELIGIOUS AND SEMINARIANS: We pray that religious women and men, and seminarians, grow in their own vocations through their human, pastoral, spiritual and community formation, leading them to be credible witnesses to the Gospel.🙏
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 been in vain. Now, Lord, come to our aid! 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 Easter season, 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 and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen🙏
PRAYER INTENTIONS: During this season of Easter, 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 all-powerful Lord, You have conquered the evil one and provide all the grace I need to overcome his lies and deceptions. Open my mind to discern Your voice and give clarity to the voice of the evil one so that I may choose You with my whole heart and reject all that the evil one tries to say to me. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen🙏
Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Isidore, the Farmer and Saints Peter, Andrew, Paul and Denise (Dionysia), Martyrs ~ Pray for us🙏
Thanking God for the gift of this day and praying for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and our world and for God’s Divine Mercy and Grace upon us all and for vocations to priesthood and consecrated life. Have a blessed, safe, grace-filled and fruitful Seventh Week of Easter!🙏
NOVENA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT: Prayed in preparation for Pentecost. DAY FIVE – Beginning, Friday, May 10, 2024 (link below): Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven Gifts | EWTN | The novena – May 10-18, 2024 | https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/novena-to-the-holy-spirit-for-the-seven-gifts-309
[This Novena begins on the day after the Solemnity of the Ascension, Friday of the 6th Week of Easter, even if the Solemnity of the Ascension is transferred to the 7th Sunday of Easter]
NOVENA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
Prayed in preparation for Pentecost
DAY FIVE: May 14, 2024, Tuesday, 7th Week of Easter
Light immortal! Light Divine! Visit Thou these hearts of Thine, And our inmost being fill!
THE GIFT OF KNOWLEDGE: The gift of Knowledge enables the soul to evaluate created things at their true worth–in their relation to God. Knowledge unmasks the pretense of creatures, reveals their emptiness, and points out their only true purpose as instruments in the service of God. It shows us the loving care of God even in adversity, and directs us to glorify Him in every circumstance of life. Guided by its light, we put first things first, and prize the friendship of God beyond all else. ‘Knowledge is a fountain of life to him that possesseth it.’
PRAYER: Come, O Blessed Spirit of Knowledge, and grant that I may perceive the will of the Father; show me the nothingness of earthly things, that I may realize their vanity and use them only for Thy glory and my own salvation, looking ever beyond them to Thee, and Thy eternal rewards. Amen🙏
Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE; Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES
ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT: On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses, I offer myself, soul and body to You, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of Your purity, the unerring keenness of Your justice, and the might of Your love. You are the Strength and Light of my soul. In You I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve You by unfaithfulness to grace and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against You. Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Your light, and listen to Your voice, and follow Your gracious inspirations. I cling to You and give myself to You and ask You, by Your compassion to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus and looking at His Five Wounds, and trusting in His Precious Blood and adoring His opened Side and stricken Heart, I implore You, Adorable Spirit, Helper of my infirmity, to keep me in Your grace that I may never sin against You. Give me grace, O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son to say to You always and everywhere, ‘Speak Lord for Your servant heareth.’ Amen🙏
PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: O Lord Jesus Christ, Who, before ascending into heaven, did promise to send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul, the work of Your grace and Your love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal, the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Your divine truth, the Spirit of Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining heaven, the Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with You and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation, the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints, the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable, and the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Your true disciples and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen🙏
PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT: Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and kindle in them the fire of Thy love. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Let us pray: O God, Who did instruct the hearts of Thy faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us in the same Spirit to be truly wise, and ever to rejoice in His consolation, through Christ, our Lord. Amen🙏
Novena to the Holy Spirit: Prayed in preparation for Pentecost (link below) Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven Gifts | EWTN: https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/novena-to-the-holy-spirit-for-the-seven-gifts-309
SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST OF SAINT MATTHIAS, APOSTLE AND MARYR AND SAINT MICHAEL GARICOITS, PRIEST ~ MAY 14TH: Today, we celebrate the Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle and Martyr and Saint Michael Garicoits, Priest. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for the sick and dying, we particularly pray for those suffering from terminal diseases. On this feast day we pray for the repose of the souls of the faithful departed. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May the gentle souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen🙏
SAINT MATTHIAS, APOSTLE AND MARTYR: St. Matthias the Apostle (1st c.) whose name means “gift of God”, followed Jesus during His entire earthly ministry and was one of His 72 disciples sent out to preach the good news. St. Matthias was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot after his betrayal of Christ and subsequent suicide. For when there was question of electing an Apostle to take the place of the apostate Judas, St. Peter spoke: “Of these men who have been in our company all the time that the Lord Jesus moved among us, from John’s baptism until the day that He was taken up from us, one must become a witness with us of His Resurrection” (Acts 1:21). Two men were proposed: Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus and Matthias, and the latter was chosen by lot. About one hundred and twenty persons were present at this election. According to an ancient tradition handed down by Clement of Alexandria and confirmed by Eusebius and St. Jerome, St. Matthias was one of the seventy-two disciples of our Lord. It was after this occurrence that the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles, among whom St. Matthias was then numbered.
St. Matthias was with the Lord since His Baptism by John the Baptist, and was “a witness to Christ’s Resurrection,” according to St. Peter in Acts. He remained with Jesus until His Ascension. After Christ’s Ascension into heaven, St. Matthias devoted himself to preaching Christianity among the pagans, some of them barbarians and cannibals, all over Judea, Cappadocia, Jerusalem, the shores of the Caspian Sea (in modern day Turkey) and Ethiopia for over 30 years. Many miracles are ascribed to him as the pagans sought to kill him: that he was unharmed after being forced to drink poison, that he once hid by becoming invisible, and that the earth opened up and swallowed his attackers. St. Matthias also preached the need for mortification of the flesh as an aid to growth in holiness. Clement of Alexandria writes that St. Matthias was remarkable for inculcating the necessity of mortifying the flesh with its irregular passions and desires. Eventually, at God’s appointed time, he was martyred for the cause of Christ, though there are conflicting traditions as to exactly where and how. He is said to have met his death by crucifixion in Colchis or by stoning in Jerusalem. St. Matthias is the Patron Saint of carpenters, tailors, and reformed alcoholics, invoked for assistance against Alcoholism, smallpox, diocese of Gary; Indiana; diocese of Great Falls-Billings, Montana.
PRAYER: O God, who assigned Saint Matthias a place in the college of Apostles, grant us, through his intercession, that, rejoicing at how your love has been allotted to us, we may merit to be numbered among the elect. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever… Amen🙏
SAINT MICHAEL GARICOITS, PRIEST: St. Michael Garicoïts (1797- 1863), an Apostle of the Love of God” Priest was a French Basque Roman Catholic priest and the founder of the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Bétharram. He combated Jansenism in his parish due to the threat that it posed to the faith. Defender of the Faith, Confessor, Teacher, Preacher, ardent devotee of the Holy Eucharist and the Sacred Heart. St. Michael was born on April 15, 1797 in Saint Just- Ibarre, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France and the eldest son of Arnold and Gratianne Garicoits. They were poor and Michael was hired out as a shepherd boy to a farmer. His desire to become a priest always met with “No, we are too poor” by his parents, but his grandmother talked the matter over with the parish priest. Through his efforts St. Michael earned his expenses for college by working after school hours for the clergy and in the bishop’s kitchen. In December of 1823 he was ordained a Priest in Bayonne Cathedral by Bishop d’Astros. Fr. Michael’s first assignment was at Cambo where he remained two years. He did much to revive religion there, combat Jansenism by the custom of frequent communion as well as by introducing Sacred Heart devotions.
Fr. Michael Garicoits’ next call was to a professorship in the senior seminary for priests at Betharram, and then to be superior. In 1838, Father Garicoits drew up a constitution largely based on that of the sons of St. Ignatius. Like them, his missionaries were to take life vows and to spread far and wide. Associates gathered round him at Betharram, and all seemed promising, when the bishop disapproved of his idea of founding a new congregation. Not till 1852 was the community allowed to choose its own superior, and even then it was tied down by regulations which hampered its activity. Father Garicoits submitted, but with a heavy heart. He died on Ascension day, May 14, 1863 in Lestelle-Bétharram, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France. Fourteen years later the Society of Priests of the Sacred Heart of Betharram was approved by the Holy See on the lines the founder had laid down. St. Michael Garicoits, who was at one time spiritual director of the Basque house of the Daughters of the Cross at Igon, received much encouragement in his foundation from St. Elizabeth Bichier des Ages, and he was all his life a close friend of her congregation in the Basque country. Both of them were canonized in the year 1947. St. Michael was Canonized on July 6, 1947, Saint Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City by Pope Pius XII. He’s Patron Saint of the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Bétharram and Teachers. His feast day is May 14th.
Saint Michael Garicoits, Priest ~ Pray for us🙏
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:
Bible Readings for today, Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle, Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Easter | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Gospel Reading ~ John 15:9-17
“It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you”
“Jesus said to His disciples: “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. “I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name He may give you. This I command you: love one another.”
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus is speaking to His disciples, who, in John’s Gospel, represent disciples of every generation. He says to them, ‘You did not choose me; no, I chose you’. The Lord’s choice of us is prior to our choice of Him. To put that in other terms, the Lord loves us before we love Him. The Lord loves us first. His love for us is a given, as He says at the beginning of the Gospel reading, ‘As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you’. The Lord’s love for us is a constant and our task, according to the Gospel reading, is to remain in the Lord’s love. The Lord’s love for us remains, endures, and it falls to us to remain in His enduring love. According to Jesus in the Gospel reading, we remain in His love by living His one commandment to love one another as He has loved us. Jesus says, ‘you remain in my love by loving one another as I have loved you’. The Lord’s love for us is to empower us to love one another with His love. This is our fundamental baptismal calling. According to Jesus in the Gospel reading, when we love one another as the Lord loves us we will enter into the Lord’s own joy, which is the completion of every human joy. We don’t find happiness by seeking happiness directly but by opening ourselves to the Lord’s love for us and then by seeking to share that love with each other. The Lord’s love for us is primary; we are to remain in that love, receiving it, welcoming it. This is the movement of prayer. Having remained in the Lord’s love for us, we then go out and bear fruit that will last, by loving one another as the Lord has loved us. Our prayerful openness to the Lord’s love is the foundation for the work of loving others as the Lord has loved us.
In our first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles, after Judas’ betrayal of Jesus and his subsequent suicide, the early church wanted to find a replacement for Judas so as to restore the group of the twelve to its full complement. A certain amount of human effort was put into finding such a person. First of all, Peter addressed the community of faith about the need to choose a replacement for Judas. Then the community had to discern who might be the best candidates and two suitable candidates were put forward, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. Having decided on these two candidates, they bring both to the Lord in prayer, and they invite the Lord to show them which of the two He has chosen. As a result, Matthias came to replace Judas. The discernment process involved both work and prayer. The members of the early church in making this important decision didn’t leave everything to the Lord and, at the same time, they didn’t take the whole process upon themselves alone. Their efforts to find a replacement for Judas were important, but the fruit of those efforts needed to be brought to prayer so that the Lord could have the final and most important say. Saint Augustine once wrote, ‘pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you’.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, as Christians, we are all reminded and called to follow in the footsteps of the Apostles and disciples of the Lord, those holy predecessors of ours who have gone before us, and have dedicated themselves and their lives to God in all various manners and ways. Yet, they all proclaim the Lord and showed everyone what it truly means for us to become disciples and followers of God by living the message of the Gospel of Christ, according to today’s Gospel passage. The Lord told all His disciples and us all to love one another just as He has loved all of us, and how the Father has loved all, because the way and the path of the Lord is truly that one of Love and compassion. Let us all therefore walk faithfully in the footsteps of the Holy Apostles, committing ourselves thoroughly and doing our very best so that in everything that we do, we will always glorify God and be good role models and examples for one another. Let us all be the great inspiration for our brothers and sisters so that through us, more and more may come to know the Lord, and more may be willing to walk in the path of the Lord. May we be inspired by the examples of St. Matthias and all the other holy men and women of God, that we too may become the bearers and beacons of God’s light to the people still living in the darkness of this world, in ignorance of God and His truth. May St. Matthias, Holy Apostle and good servant of the Lord continue to intercede for us sinners, and help us in our journey and path towards God, inspiring us all to be more like Him in all of our actions, words and deeds, now and always. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and strengthen us as we do our best and strive to be courageous and good Christians in all of our actions and works, so that through us and our works, we may endeavour to bring many more souls to the salvation and eternal life in God. St. Matthias, Holy Apostle of Our Lord, pray for us all sinners. Amen🙏
DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF MAY: MONTH OF OUR LADY: In addition to the myriad feast days honoring Our Lady under her many titles and virtues, the entire month of May is especially given to her praise. In the words of Pope Paul VI, May is “a month which the piety of the faithful has long dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God … For this is the month during which Christians, in their churches and their homes, offer the Virgin Mother more fervent and loving acts of homage and veneration; and it is the month in which a greater abundance of God’s merciful gifts comes down to us from our Mother’s throne.”
THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF MAY – FOR THE FORMATION OF RELIGIOUS AND SEMINARIANS: We pray that religious women and men, and seminarians, grow in their own vocations through their human, pastoral, spiritual and community formation, leading them to be credible witnesses to the Gospel.🙏
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 been in vain. Now, Lord, come to our aid! 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 Easter season, 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 and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen🙏
Prayers for Peace | https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/prayers-for-peace/
Let us pray:
Lord Jesus, You have perfectly fulfilled the will of the Father in all things, and You have chosen me and appointed me to share in Your divine mission. Help me to open my mind and will to all that You call me to do, so that I, too, may be an instrument of the Kingdom of Your Father in Heaven. I make this prayer in Your most holy name. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏
Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Matthias the Apostle and Saint Michael Garicoïts ~ Pray for us🙏
Thanking God for the gift of this day and praying for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and our world and for God’s Divine Mercy and Grace upon us all and for vocations to priesthood and consecrated life. Have a blessed, safe, grace-filled and fruitful Seventh Week of Easter!🙏
FEAST OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA AND FEAST OF OUR LADY OF THE MOST BLESSED SACRAMENT
MEMORIAL OF SAINT JOHN THE SILENT, BISHOP; SAINT ANDREW HUBERT FOURNET, PRIEST AND SAINT JULIANA OF NORWICH, RELIGIOUS
NOVENA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT ~ DAY FOUR: Prayed in preparation for Pentecost. Beginning, Friday, May 10-18, 2024 (link below)
Greetings beloved family! Happy Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter!
Watch “Holy Mass in Honor of Our Lady of Fatima on the Anniversary of Her Apparition 2024 | EWTN | 05/13/2024 |
Watch “Holy Rosary and Candlelight Procession from the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima | Glorious Mysteries | 05/12/2024 |
Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | May 13, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes, France” | May 13, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | May 13, 2024 |
Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy | from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | May 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: Monday, May 13, 2024 Reading 1, Acts 19:1-8 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 68:2-3, 4-5, 6-7 Gospel, John 16:29-33
NOVENA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT: Prayed in preparation for Pentecost. Beginning, Friday, May 10, 2024 (link below): Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven Gifts | EWTN | The novena – May 10-18, 2024 | https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/novena-to-the-holy-spirit-for-the-seven-gifts-309
[This Novena begins on the day after the Solemnity of the Ascension, Friday of the 6th Week of Easter, even if the Solemnity of the Ascension is transferred to the 7th Sunday.]
NOVENA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
Prayed in preparation for Pentecost
DAY FOUR: May 13, 2024, Monday, 7th Week of Easter
Thou in toil art comfort sweet, Pleasant coolness in the heat, solace in the midst of woe.
THE GIFT OF FORTITUDE: The Gift of Fortitude. By the gift of Fortitude the soul is strengthened against natural fear, and supported to the end in the performance of duty. Fortitude imparts to the will an impulse and energy which move it to under take without hesitancy the most arduous tasks, to face dangers, to trample under foot human respect, and to endure without complaint the slow martyrdom of even lifelong tribulation. ‘He that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved.’
PRAYER: Come, O Blessed Spirit of Fortitude, uphold my soul in time of trouble and adversity, sustain my efforts after holiness, strengthen my weakness, give me courage against all the assaults of my enemies, that I may never be overcome and separated from Thee, my God and greatest Good. Amen🙏
Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE; Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES
ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT: On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses, I offer myself, soul and body to You, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of Your purity, the unerring keenness of Your justice, and the might of Your love. You are the Strength and Light of my soul. In You I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve You by unfaithfulness to grace and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against You. Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Your light, and listen to Your voice, and follow Your gracious inspirations. I cling to You and give myself to You and ask You, by Your compassion to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus and looking at His Five Wounds, and trusting in His Precious Blood and adoring His opened Side and stricken Heart, I implore You, Adorable Spirit, Helper of my infirmity, to keep me in Your grace that I may never sin against You. Give me grace, O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son to say to You always and everywhere, ‘Speak Lord for Your servant heareth.’ Amen🙏
PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: O Lord Jesus Christ, Who, before ascending into heaven, did promise to send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul, the work of Your grace and Your love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal, the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Your divine truth, the Spirit of Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining heaven, the Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with You and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation, the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints, the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable, and the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Your true disciples and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen🙏
PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT: Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and kindle in them the fire of Thy love. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Let us pray: O God, Who did instruct the hearts of Thy faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us in the same Spirit to be truly wise, and ever to rejoice in His consolation,through Christ, our Lord. Amen🙏
Novena to the Holy Spirit: Prayed in preparation for Pentecost (link below) Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven Gifts | EWTN: https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/novena-to-the-holy-spirit-for-the-seven-gifts-309
DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF MAY: MONTH OF OUR LADY: In addition to the myriad feast days honoring Our Lady under her many titles and virtues, the entire month of May is especially given to her praise. In the words of Pope Paul VI, May is “a month which the piety of the faithful has long dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God … For this is the month during which Christians, in their churches and their homes, offer the Virgin Mother more fervent and loving acts of homage and veneration; and it is the month in which a greater abundance of God’s merciful gifts comes down to us from our Mother’s throne.”
THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF MAY – FOR THE FORMATION OF RELIGIOUS AND SEMINARIANS: We pray that religious women and men, and seminarians, grow in their own vocations through their human, pastoral, spiritual and community formation, leading them to be credible witnesses to the Gospel.🙏
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 been in vain. Now, Lord, come to our aid! 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 Easter season, 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 and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen🙏
Prayers for Peace | https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/prayers-for-peace/
SAINTS OF THE DAY: Today, we celebrate the Feast of our Lady of Fatima and the 107th Anniversary of the first Apparition of Our Lady to three shepherd children at the Cova da Iria, a small village of Fatima in Portugal on May 13, 1917. We also celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament; Memorial of Saint John the Silent, Bishop; Saint Andrew Hubert Fournet, Priest and Saint Juliana of Norwich, Religious. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for peace in our world. We continue to pray for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and our world, torn apart by war, terrorism, and countless other acts of violence against human life🙏
FEAST OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA: The feast of our Lady of Fatima was formally known as Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of Fatima. The Blessed Virgin Mary is venerated under this title Our Lady of Fatima following apparitions to three shepherd children. May 13th is the anniversary of the apparition of Our Lady to the three shepherd children at the Cova da Iria in the small village of Fatima in Portugal in 1917 and today marks the 107th Anniversary of the apparition. Our Blessed Mother Mary appeared six times to Lucia, 9, and her cousins Francisco Marto, 8, and his sister Jacinta Marto, 6, between May 13, 1917 and October 13, 1917. The first apparition of Our Lady to Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco took place on May 13, 1917. The message of Fatima includes a call to conversion of heart, repentance from sin and a dedication to the Blessed Virgin Mary, especially through praying the Rosary. The Blessed Virgin Mary asked the children: “Pray the Rosary every day to ask for peace for the world”.
The story of Fatima begins in 1916, when, against the backdrop of the First World War which had introduced Europe to the most horrific and powerful forms of warfare yet seen, and a year before the Communist revolution would plunge Russia and later Eastern Europe into six decades of oppression under militant atheistic governments, a resplendent figure appeared to the three children who were in the field tending the family sheep. “I am the Angel of Peace,” said the figure, who appeared to them two more times that year exhorting them to accept the sufferings that the Lord allowed them to undergo as an act of reparation for the sins which offend Him, and to pray constantly for the conversion of sinners. Beginning in the spring of 1916, the three shepherd children, Lúcia dos Santos, Francisco and Jacinta Marto reported three apparitions of an Angel in Valinhos. Then between May 13, 1917 and October 13, 1917, in Cova da Iria, six apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary were reported. On Sunday, May 13, 1917, toward noon, a flash of lightning drew the attention of the children, and they saw a brilliant figure appearing over the trees of the Cova da Iria. The children described her as “a Lady more brilliant than the Sun”. The “Lady” asked them to pray for the conversion of sinners and an end to the war, and to come back every month, on the 13th. Further apparitions took place on June 13 and July 13. On August 13 the children were prevented by local authorities from going to the Cova da Iria, but they saw the apparition on the 19th. On September 13 the Lady requested recitation of the Rosary for an end to the war. Finally, on October 13, the “Lady” identified herself as “Our Lady of the Rosary” and again called for prayer and penitence. The children’s reported prophecy that prayer would lead to an end to the Great War, and that on October 13th that year the Lady would reveal her identity and perform a miracle “so that all may believe.” came to pass. On the last appearance to the Shepherd children on October 13th the Blessed Virgin Mary revealed that she was Our Lady of the Rosary. The Blessed Virgin Mary asked for frequent recitation of the Rosary, penance, greater devotion to her Immaculate Heart, prayers for the conversion of Russia, and a church building in her honor. On the climax of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s appearances on October 13th about 30,000 to 50,000 people witnessed a miracle of the sun sinning as if out of control, a celestial phenomenon took place, the sun seemed to tumble from the sky and crash toward earth. The children had been forewarned of it as early as May 13th, the first apparition. The large crowd that had gathered around the children saw the phenomenon and came away astounded.
Official recognition of the “visions” which the children had at the Cova da Iria came on October 13, 1930, when the bishop of Leiria – after long inquiry – authorized the cult of Our Lady of the Rosary at the site. The two younger children had died, Francisco and Jacinta Marto died in the global flu pandemic that began in 1918 and swept the world for two years. Francisco (who saw the apparition but did not hear the words) died at home on April 4, 1919 at the age of ten, and his sister Jacinta died at the age of nine in Queen Stephanie’s Children’s Hospital in Lisbon on February 20, 1920. Their mother Olímpia Marto said that her children predicted their deaths many times to her and to curious pilgrims in the brief period after the Marian apparitions. They are now buried at the Sanctuary of Fátima. They were beatified by Pope John Paul II on May 13, 2000 and canonized by Pope Francis on May 13, 2017. Sister Lucia died on February 13, 2005, at her Carmelite convent in Coimbra, Portugal, after a long illness. Devotion to Our Lady of Fatima was authorized by Pope Pius XI in 1930, and the request for prayers for the conversion of Russia was carried by Pope Pius XII in 1952. The feast of Our Lady of Fatima was inserted into the Roman Missal authorized by Pope John Paul II in 2002.
PRAYER: God, You established the Mother of Your Son to be also our Mother. Grant that we may persevere in penance and prayer for the salvation of the world and so more effectively promote the Kingdom of Christ. Amen🙏
OUR LADY OF THE MOST BLESSED SACRAMENT: Today is the traditional commemoration of Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament. This title was given to our Blessed Mother in May 1868 by Saint Peter Julian Eymard to honor her relationship to the Holy Eucharist and to place her before us as a model in our duties and devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. This title of our Blessed Mother Mary penetrates the mystery itself of the Eucharist, and when well understood, manifests to us the most important part granted to Mary in the economy of the Holy Eucharist. If we have thoroughly seized St. Pierre Eymard’s thought we understand that she is, first, the Mother of Jesus, giving to the Word her most pure blood, which was changed on the day of the Incarnation into His own Body, into His own Blood, in order to consecrate it later, on the night of the Last Supper, into His Sacrament of Love.
Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament is Mary receiving in quality of universal dispensatrix of grace, the full and absolute disposition of the Eucharist and the graces that It contains, because this Sacrament is the most efficacious means of salvation, the fruit par excellence of the Redemption of Jesus Christ. To her, consequently, it belongs to make Jesus in the Sacrament known and loved; to her it belongs to spread the Eucharist throughout the world, to multiply churches, to raise them in infidel lands, and to defend faith in the Eucharist against heretics and the impious; to her it belongs to prepare souls for Communion, to rouse them to make frequent visits to Jesus, and to assist zealously at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. She is the treasure-house of all the graces comprised in the Eucharist, both those that prepare the soul for It and those that flow from It.
PRAYER: Hail Mary, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death. Amen🙏
Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament ~ Pray for us🙏
SAINT JOHN THE SILENT, BISHOP: St. John (454-558) was Bishop of Colonia in Palestine and a hermit. He was born in 454 AD in Nicopolis, Armenia. He came from a family of mainly generals and governors. His parents died when he was 18 and he built a monastery where he stayed with 10 young monks. Under St. John’s direction, they led a life of hard work and devotion. St. John built a reputation for leadership and sanctity, which led the archbishop of Sebaste to consecrate him bishop of Colonia in Armenia. He was only 28 at the time and had no desire for such a role. Nevertheless, he held the post of bishop for nine years. In 490, however, St. John went to Constantinople to secure the emperor’s intervention to quell a local persecution. Having accomplished his mission, he did not return to Colonia, but seeking to return to a life of seclusion went to Jerusalem. His biographer says that while St. John was praying one night, he saw a bright cross form in the air and heard a voice say to him, “If thou desirest to be saved, follow this light.” He saw the light move and point to the monastery of St. Sabas. At 38 years old he joined the monastery, which held 150 monks. Around 494, St. Sabas let St. John have a separate hermitage for uninterrupted contemplation. For five days a week he fasted and never left his cell but on Saturdays and Sundays he went to public Mass. After three years of this he was made the steward of the monastery. St. John had never told anyone he had been bishop, so after four years St. Sabas thought St. John was worthy to become a priest and presented him to the patriarch Elias of Jerusalem. They traveled to Calvary for the ordination but upon their arrival St. John requested a private audience with the patriarch. St. John said, “Holy Father, I have something to impart to you in private; after which, if you judge me worthy, I will receive holy orders.” They spoke in private after a promise of secrecy. “Father, I have been ordained bishop; but on account of the multitude of my sins have fled, and am come into this desert to wait the visit of the Lord.” The patriarch was startled but told St. Sabas, “I desire to be excused from ordaining this man, on account of some particulars he has revealed to me.” St. Sabas was afraid St. John had committed a crime and after he prayed God revealed the truth to him. St. Sabas complained to St. John about keeping the secret from him and St. John wanted to leave the monastery. St. Sabas convinced him to stay by promising to keep his secret. St. John stayed in his cell for four years, speaking to no one except the person who brought him necessities.
In 503 AD certain turbulent disciples forced St. Sabas to leave his monastery. St. John moved to a nearby wilderness where he spent six years in silence, conversing only with God and eating only wild roots and herbs. He remained in the desert six years. When St. Sabas returned to his community, he found St. John and convinced him to move back to the monastery. St. John had become used to speaking only with God and found only bitterness and emptiness in anything else. He treasured obscurity and humility so he wanted to live unknown to men but was unable to do so. He returned with St. Sabas and lived in his cell for forty years. During this time he did not turn people away who desired his instruction. One of these people was Cyril of Scythopolis who wrote about St. John’s life. The two men first met when St. John was ninety and Cyril was sixteen. Cyril had asked him what to do with his life and St. John recommended he join the Laura of St. Euthymius but Cyril did not listen. Instead, he went to a small monastery on the bank of the River Jordan. He fell ill there and deeply regretted not listening to St. John. While there, St. John appeared to him in a dream and after scolding him for not obeying said that if he returned to St. Euthymius’ monastery, he would get well and find his salvation. The next day he did so and was well again. St. John died in 558 AD at the age of 104. He lived in solitude for 76 years, interrupted only for the 9 years he was bishop.
St. John the Silent, Bishop ~ Pray for us🙏
SAINT ANDREW HUBERT FOURNET, PRIEST: St. Andrew Hubert Fournet (1752-1834) was born into a devout and wealthy family near Poitiers, France, in 1752, St. Andrew was bored by religious and life in general throughout his early years. Undisciplined and frivolous, he got into one scrape after another as a child. Later, he ran away from school and still later dallied with the idea of becoming a soldier while he was in the process of studying law! However, with he aid of a country uncle who happened to be a priest, Andrew threw off yoke of his devilment and discovered that a vocation to the priesthood lay underneath. After his ordination, the Saint returned to his native village as the local curate but still infected with a worldliness that was recognized and mocked by his parishioners an their form of address to him. Once again Divine Providence intervened through the causal criticism of a beggar to whom Andrew had refused alms. Suddenly, he came to the realization that his way of life was not at all in accord with the spirit of the Gospel. He sold all his possessions, did away with all his petty pretensions, and lived an extremely simple life—even his manner of speech became simple.
During the French Revolution, Andrew refused to swear allegiance to the revolutionary government and ministered to the people in secret. In 1792, he was prevailed upon by his Bishop to leave for Spain, but he returned five years later and tended in secret to the people’s spiritual needs. With the coming of Napoleon to power, peace was restored and strove to rekindle the people’s faith through mission, preaching, and confessions. In 1806, with the aid of St. Elizabeth Bichier the holy priest founded the Congregation of the Daughters of the Cross, whose rule he formulated. Aimed directly at the care of the sick and the education of the young, this Congregation played a large part in the renewal of religion in France after Revolution. Though retiring from his parish in 1820, St. Andrew continued to direct the sisters till his death on May 13, 1834. More than once he miraculously multiplied food for the sisters and those in their care.
PRAYER: God, You taught Your Church to observe all the heavenly commandments in the love of God. Help us to practice works of charity in imitation of Your Priest, St. Andrew, and merit to be numbered among the blessed in Your Kingdom. Amen🙏
SAINT JULIANA OF NORWICH, RELIGIOUS: St. Juliana (1342–1416), also known as Juliana of Norwich, Dame Julian or Mother Julian, was an English anchoress of the Middle Ages, a Benedictine nun who lived as a recluse in Norwich, England. Little is known of her life with certainty before she became an anchoress. St. Julian was born around 1342 and lived as an anchoress near the Church of St. Julian in Norwich, England. At the age of 30 she was suddenly struck by a severe illness which almost took her life. During this illness she received a series of visions of Jesus Christ in sixteen separate revelations. When she recovered from her illness the visions stopped. Fifteen years later, Our Lord appeared to her to give her the meaning of her visions. St. Julian wrote her visions down in a book called Revelations of Divine Love, the earliest surviving book in the English language known to have been written by a woman. After these revelations she began to live a solitary life as an anchoress in a little cell built into the wall at the church of St. Julian in Norwich, not far from London.
During her life the Church was in schism, and England was caught in a long war with France. The book contains a message of optimism based on the certainty of being loved by God and of being protected by his Providence. She received visitors to her cell and gave them guidance on the spiritual life, becoming a spiritual mother to many. St. Julian is an important medieval mystic whose response to the problem of evil is cited in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. She is most known for her book, Revelations of Divine Love, which contains sixteen revelations she received while in an ecstatic trance, is still in print. She meditated on, spoke on, and wrote on the power of love of evil, Christ’s Passion, and the nature of the Trinity. In her early 60s she shut herself in complete seclusion at Conisford, Norwich, and never left again. St. Juliana died after 1416 in Norwich, England. Because she was never formally beatified or canonized, she is not included in the Roman Martyrology but popular piety sees her as a holy woman of God, and so often refer to her as Mother, Saint or Blessed Julian.
St.. Juliana of Norwich, Religious ~ Pray for us🙏
PRAYER INTENTIONS: During this season of Easter, 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🙏
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:
Bible Readings for today, Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Gospel Reading ~ John 16:29-33
“Take courage, I have conquered the world”
“The disciples said to Jesus, “Now you are talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech. Now we realize that you know everything and that you do not need to have anyone question you. Because of this we believe that you came from God.” Jesus answered them, “Do you believe now? Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived when each of you will be scattered to his own home and you will leave me alone. But I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.”
In today’s Gospel reading, our Lord Jesus revealed to His own disciples, more of the things that He would do before all of them, the truths and revelations that He had brought unto their midst. The Lord spoke to them at that time just before He was about to suffer and die, at the time of the Last Supper, when He revealed to them not just that He would be betrayed and abandoned by His own disciples, but that He would be handed over to His enemies and suffer a most painful and humiliating death. Jesus faces the truth about His own disciples. He says to them quite openly, ‘the time will come when you will be scattered, each going his own way and leaving me alone’. He knew that His disciples would fail; when His passion arrives, they would serve their own interests rather than serve Him. Everything would eventually come true as the Lord went on through His Passion, suffering and death on the Cross. That must have been a painful truth for Jesus to recognize and to articulate. Yet, what Jesus goes on to say in the Gospel reading implies that He will keep faith with them, nonetheless. He says, ‘I have told you all this so that you may find peace in me’. The first words of the risen Lord to His disciples, according to the Gospel were, ‘Peace be with you’. After failure, we can all find peace in Jesus because He loves us as the Father loves Him. Having told His disciples that they would find peace in Him, He goes on to warn them of another painful truth, ‘in the world you will have trouble’. They will know the world’s hostility. Yet, even in the midst of that hostility they will know the Lord’s peace, because, in the words of Saint Paul, nothing can come between them, between us, and the love of God made visible in Jesus. Like St. Paul we can all know the Lord’s peace in the midst of trouble. According to St. Paul, ‘I can do all things in Him who gives me strength’. We can all say the same when the Lord empowers us through the gift of the Holy Spirit.
In our first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles, St. Paul evangelised to the people of Ephesus, continuing his ministry to the people of God. As mentioned, it was there that St. Paul spoke and preached to some of the faithful there who had followed and learnt through St. John the Baptist, the one who heralded for the coming of the Messiah, the One true Lord and Saviour of all. St. Paul’s question to the faithful ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?’ With great honesty the faithful said, ‘No, we were never even told there was such a thing as a Holy Spirit’. St. Paul went on to give them further instruction, and then, laying his hands on them, they received the Holy Spirit. Their answer to St. Paul’s question speaks for many in our world today, perhaps even for many who have been baptized, ‘We were never even told there was such a thing as a Holy Spirit’. Those disciples in Ephesus needed instruction in the faith on this very important matter of the Holy Spirit. We all need instruction in the faith. We all have a journey to travel when it comes to understanding our faith and living out faith. St. Paul revealed more of the truth of God to them and made them true believers as well, calling on them to follow Christ, and then, they received the Holy Spirit, beginning to proclaim God’s truth on their own. May the Spirit of God the Father and of Jesus guide us as we travel on our journey of faith, we are called to open ourselves more fully to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, as we celebrate the occasion of the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, let us all therefore be inspired by the good examples of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, Our Lady of Fatima, and the faith that she had, the obedience that she had in her life, the dedication and commitment that she had towards everything that the Lord had entrusted to her. Let us all today as one whole Universal Church all entrust ourselves anew to our blessed Mother, Our Lady of Fatima and ask her for her ever generous intercession and help, and guidance so that we may be able to find our way in life, towards her Son, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, heeding her call for us to repent and turn away from our many sins and wickedness. Let us all hence listen to our Mother and strive to live our lives ever more worthily from now on, as Christians, that is as all those whom God had called and chosen. May our Blessed Mother Mary, Our Lady of Fatima, the Holy Mother of God, continue to pray for us all sinners, and may she continue to inspire us and lead us down the path towards salvation in her Son. May all of us continue to be encouraged and strengthened, so that in all of our actions and way of life, we will always be filled with zeal and faith, the desire to serve God and to do what is right with our lives, as according to what God Himself has revealed and taught to us. Let us do our best to commit ourselves to the Lord’s mission, and may all of us be encouraged and strengthened at all times. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and bless each one of us in our every endeavours and good works and may He be with His Church, now and always. Blessed Mary, Mother of God, Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us all sinners too. Amen🙏
Let us pray:
Lord of all peace, You have called us out of the world so that Your peace will abide within us, sustaining us, giving us courage, wisdom and strength. I open my life to You, dear Lord, and pray that the many distractions and commotions imposed upon me by the world will begin to cease. May I always hear Your gentle voice and follow You to the place of silent repose found only in You. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏
Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary, Our Lady of Fatima and Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament; Saint John the Silent; Saint Andrew Hubert Fournet and Saint Juliana of Norwich ~ Pray for us🙏
Thanking God for the gift of this day and praying for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and our world and for God’s Divine Mercy and Grace upon us all and for vocations to priesthood and consecrated life. Have a blessed, safe, grace-filled and fruitful Seventh Week of Easter!🙏
