WEDNESDAY OF THE THIRTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
SAINTS OF THE DAY ~ FEAST DAY: JULY 2, 2025
MEMORIAL OF SAINT BERNARDINO REALINO, PRIEST; SAINTS PROCESSUS AND MARTINIAN, MARTYRS; SAINT SWITHIN (SWITHUN), BISHOP AND SAINT OTTO OF BAMBERG, BISHOP | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/category/saints-of-the-day
( Direct link to the detailed history of Saint Bernardino Realino, Saints Processus and Martinian, Saint Swithun, and Saint Otto of Bamberg | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saints-of-the-day-feast-day-july-2nd/)
Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary | EWTN | July 2, 2025 | “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | Pray “Holy Rosary Novena From Lourdes” | Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/catholic-daily-mass-116/
Greetings and blessings, beloved family and welcome to the new month of July!
Today is Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time!
We give thanks to God for the gift of life and the grace to see a new month. As we step into the month of July, may the Precious Blood of Jesus cover and protect us, heal our wounds, and strengthen our faith. 🙏🏽
We pray for all who will celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, new beginnings, and special moments this month. May God’s blessings overflow in their lives. May this month bring peace to troubled hearts, direction to the lost, comfort to the grieving, and strength to the weary. In all things, may His will be done and His name be glorified. Amen. 🙏🏽
On this special feast day, we pray for all those who are marginalized in our society, the poor and the needy. We pray for justice, peace and love in our world today. We continue to pray for all families and for the safety and well-being of our children and children all over the world. We pray for the Church, the Clergy, our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, the Cardinals, Bishops, all Priests, that they be sanctified in their ministry to God’s people. We pray for persecuted Christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world suffering from political and religious unrest. May God protect us all and keep united in peace, love and faith… Amen 🙏🏽
Through the intercession of St. Joseph, we pray for all fathers, workers and all those who labour in this world. May the Lord bless the work of their hands and may God’s grace and mercy be with us all during this season of the Ordinary Time. Wishing us all and our loved ones a joyful, peaceful, and grace-filled month of June.🙏🏽
LIST OF ALL NOVENAS | Month of July | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/list-of-all-novenas-july/
COMMON CATHOLIC PRAYERS | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/common-catholic-prayers/
Daily Reflections with Philomena | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:
Bible Readings for today’s Holy Mass, Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Today’s Bible Readings for Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time | July 2, 2025
Reading 1, Genesis 21:5, 8-20a
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 34:7-8, 10-11, 12-13
Gospel, Matthew 8:28-34
Gospel Reading ~ Matthew 8:28–34
“What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?”
“When Jesus came to the territory of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met him. They were so savage that no one could travel by that road. They cried out, “What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?” Some distance away a herd of many swine was feeding. The demons pleaded with him, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine.” And he said to them, “Go then!” They came out and entered the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea where they drowned. The swineherds ran away, and when they came to the town they reported everything, including what had happened to the demoniacs. Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.”
In today’s Gospel, Jesus comes face to face with aggression. Crossing over to the pagan side of the lake of the Sea of Galilee, He is met by two fiercely disturbed people who aggressively ask Him, ‘Why do you want with us, Son of God?’ When people are aggressive towards us we can react in a variety of ways. We can take flight and get as far away from them as possible. We can respond in kind, becoming aggressive ourselves in response to their aggression. Jesus’ response to the aggressive approach of these two people was of a different order. He stayed His ground and He calmed the disturbed aggression of these two men, just as He had earlier calmed the storm on the lake. The Gospels suggest that Jesus had a calming influence on disturbance, whether it is to be found in nature or in people. We can find ourselves very disturbed for one reason or another; a storm can be howling within us, whether it is characterized by anger or some other emotion. The Gospel reading today encourages us to come before the Lord in our disturbed state. We don’t have to wait until we are calm to pray; we can pray out of our disturbance, and the Lord of life will bring calm and peace to our disturbed spirit.
According to the Gospel, the two men possessed by demons that Jesus met were violent and feared by all. But the demons, not the men, immediately recognize Jesus for who He is: the Son of God. They acknowledge His power and beg not to be cast into the abyss, but into a herd of swine. Jesus grants their request, and the swine rush into the sea and drown. What’s striking is the townspeople’s reaction not awe, gratitude, or repentance but fear. They plead with Jesus to leave. This scene raises important questions: How do we respond to the power of Christ? Are we like the townspeople disturbed by the disruption He causes to our comfort? Jesus does not only come to heal individuals; He comes to confront evil and to restore lives. But that restoration often costs us something. In today’s Gospel, the people preferred the company of demons to the disruptive mercy of God. Let us not cling to our comfort zones, sins, or fears. Let us welcome the Savior, even when His presence disturbs what we’ve gotten used to. Jesus comes not just to comfort, but to confront and ultimately to set us free.
In the first reading, we witness a deeply human drama between Sarah, Abraham, Hagar, and their sons. Sarah, protecting Isaac’s inheritance, demands that Hagar and Ishmael be cast out. Abraham, torn and distressed, turns to God and God assures him that both Isaac and Ishmael are part of His plan. While Isaac is the chosen heir, Ishmael too will become a great nation. Hagar’s journey into the wilderness is painful and heartbreaking. Her water runs out, her child is dying, and she turns away in anguish. But heaven does not turn away. “God heard the boy’s cry.” An angel appears with reassurance and with provision God opens her eyes to see a well. This passage reminds us that even when we feel cast aside, even when life feels unjust or hopeless, God hears. He sees. He provides. No cry goes unheard. In the wilderness, God meets us with promises, with hope, and with a future. For the forgotten, the hurting, and the weary, God is near.
While Hagar was so distraught at having no drink to give to her child in the wilderness, she abandons her child under a bush while she herself goes and sits at a distance. She couldn’t bear to see her child die with her own eyes. It is hard to even begin to imagine how a mother feels when she realizes she has neither water not food to give her child. Yet, this is the situation in some parts of today’s world we live in. God heard the wailing and weeping of the child and opened Hagar’s eyes to see a nearby well, where she could obtain a drink for her child, and, so, they continued on their journey. Hagar’s child, Ishmael passed from death to life because God was lovingly attentive to the child and his mother. We are reminded that God, through His risen Son, are always at work among us to bring us from death to new life. God is always creating something new out of situations that seem dark and hopeless. Our calling is to align ourselves with this creative and life giving work of God among us.
The Responsorial Psalm proclaims: “The Lord hears the cry of the poor.” The psalm echoes and reinforces the themes of today’s readings. In it, we find a promise: God hears. God delivers. Those who seek the Lord lack nothing. The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him. The psalm is not simply a poetic expression, but a deep truth that Hagar, Ishmael, and even the townspeople in the Gospel needed to hear: God’s nearness is not reserved for the powerful or the holy it is promised to the poor, the fearful, and those who cry out in need. This is the heartbeat of divine mercy.
Reflecting on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are invited to look at our own willingness to follow Jesus. Where am I afraid of God disrupting my comfort? Have I invited Jesus into places I’ve kept hidden or darkened? Am I willing to be free, even if it means letting go of what’s familiar or easy? Do I trust that God hears my cry even in moments of silence or delay? Like Hagar, can I believe in a future when the present seems hopeless? Am I seeking to live in awe of the Lord like the psalmist, or am I clinging to fear like the townspeople? Do I recognize that God’s mercy extends not only to those I think are “deserving,” but to the cast out, the forgotten, the broken? Let us not be like the townspeople who sent Jesus away, but like the poor and broken who welcomed His saving presence. May we open our hearts to the One who hears every cry, confronts every darkness, and never abandons us in the wilderness. Whatever storm or silence we face, may we trust that Christ is near ready to restore, to heal, and to lead us into His peace. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and let us move forward in faith, unafraid to let Him transform our lives.
Lord Jesus, open my eyes to see You at work even in the places I fear or try to avoid. Drive out every darkness within me, even if it shakes my comfort or routine. Like Hagar, help me trust that You hear my cries, and like the psalmist, teach me to seek You with a reverent heart. May I not turn away from Your presence, but welcome You fully knowing You come to restore, redeem, and save. Amen. 🙏🏽
MEMORIAL OF SAINT BERNARDINO REALINO, PRIEST; SAINTS PROCESSUS AND MARTINIAN, MARTYRS; SAINT SWITHIN (SWITHUN), BISHOP AND SAINT OTTO OF BAMBERG, BISHOP ~ FEAST DAY: JULY 2ND: Today, the Church commemorates holy men who lived with unwavering faith and bore witness to Christ in different lands and centuries: Saint Bernardino Realino, Priest (Patron of Lecce and Jesuit novices); Saints Processus and Martinian, Martyrs (first-century Roman guards turned witnesses of Christ); Saint Swithin (Swithun), Bishop (Patron of drought relief and weather); and Saint Otto of Bamberg, Bishop (Apostle of Pomerania and tireless missionary). May their prayers, united with those of Our Blessed Mother Mary, intercede for us and for the world. We lift up to God the sick and suffering, especially those with terminal illnesses. We pray for the poor, the homeless, and those who feel forgotten. May peace reign in troubled lands, and may Christians everywhere draw courage from the heroic witness of the saints. Amen. 🙏🏽
Saint(s) of the Day with Daily Reflections | July 2nd https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/
(Direct link to the detailed history of Saint Bernardino Realino, Saints Processus and Martinian, Saint Swithun, and Saint Otto of Bamberg | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saints-of-the-day-feast-day-july-2nd/)
SAINT BERNARDINO REALINO, PRIEST: Born in 1530 in Capri, Italy, to a noble family, Saint Bernardino Realino was a brilliant scholar who initially pursued medicine, then law, rising quickly as a successful attorney, judge, and mayor. But at age 34, during an eight-day Jesuit retreat, he experienced a profound conversion and entered the Society of Jesus. Ordained in 1567, he served the people of Naples and Lecce with tireless love preaching, teaching, and caring for the poor and sick. Known for his holiness and miracles, he became affectionately called the “Apostle of Lecce.” His death in 1616 was marked by peace and devotion, with the names of Jesus and Mary on his lips. After his passing, vials of his blood were preserved and reportedly liquefied miraculously.
PRAYER: Saint Bernardino, teach us to place our talents at the service of God. May we live with compassion and serve others joyfully, trusting always in the mercy of Christ. Amen. 🙏🏽
SAINTS PROCESSUS AND MARTINIAN, MARTYRS: Once imperial Roman guards and pagans, Sts. Processus and Martinian were assigned to guard Saints Peter and Paul in the Mamertine prison. But through the witness and miraculous baptismal waters provided by Saint Peter, they embraced Christ and were baptized. Refusing to renounce the faith, they endured severe torture and were ultimately beheaded under Nero. They were buried by a Christian woman named Lucina, and their remains now rest in Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome, where devotion to them continues.
Reflection: Even in the darkest prisons, the light of Christ can shine. These martyrs remind us that no place is beyond God’s reach and no heart is too hard for His grace.
PRAYER: Saints Processus and Martinian, help us to be bold in faith and unwavering in love, even in times of trial. Pray for those imprisoned unjustly and for all who seek the truth. Amen. 🙏🏽
SAINT SWITHIN (SWITHUN), BISHOP: Saint Swithin, Bishop of Winchester in 9th-century England, was known for his humility, simplicity, and generosity to the poor. Though he advised kings and was instrumental in shaping religious life at court, he requested to be buried where people could walk over his grave and the rain could fall upon it. A hundred years after his death, his relics were moved indoors, and tradition holds that it rained for forty days leading to his association as a “weather saint.” His memory invites us to embrace a faith grounded not in prestige but in humble service.
PRAYER: Saint Swithun, intercede for us in our times of spiritual drought. Teach us to welcome God’s will rain or shine with humility and trust. Amen. 🙏🏽
SAINT OTTO OF BAMBERG, BISHOP: Born in 1060, Saint Otto of Bamberg was a German bishop, papal legate, and tireless missionary who converted over 22,000 people in Pomerania to Christianity. Known as the “Apostle of Pomerania,” Otto founded monasteries, reformed the clergy, and preached with holiness and wisdom. His kindness and humility won over many hearts. Even as a nobleman, he lived simply and served the Church with zeal. He died in 1139 and was canonized fifty years later.
PRAYER: Saint Otto, may your missionary courage inspire us to bring the Gospel to every corner of our lives. May your gentle strength guide those who evangelize in our time. Amen. 🙏🏽
Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Bernardino Realino, Saints Processus and Martinian, Saint Swithun, and Saint Otto of Bamberg ~ Pray for us. 🙏🏽
GENERAL PRAYERS AND INTENTIONS | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/general-prayers-and-intentions/
Please find below links to the websites for Daily Reflections, Foundation and interesting topics and articles about our Catholic faith and doctrines | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/01/30/daily-reflections-and-prayer-links/
THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2025: FOR THE MONTH OF JULY: For formation in discernment. Let us pray that we might again learn how to discern, to know how to choose paths of life and reject everything that leads us away from Christ and the Gospel.
(https://popesprayerusa.net/popes-intentions/)
DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF JULY | MONTH OF THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD OF JESUS: July is dedicated to the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ a profound devotion that honors the redeeming power of Christ’s Blood shed for our salvation. Flowing from His Sacred Heart, this Blood is the price of our redemption, the source of grace in the sacraments, and the seal of the New Covenant. It reminds us that salvation was not won lightly, but through the ultimate sacrifice of love. This month, the Church invites us to meditate on the infinite value of Christ’s Blood poured out during His Passion from Gethsemane to Calvary and in every celebration of the Holy Eucharist. We are called to offer acts of reparation for the sins of the world and to intercede for the conversion of souls. Devotions such as the Litany of the Precious Blood, the Chaplet of the Precious Blood, and daily consecration to the Precious Blood help deepen our union with Christ crucified.
As Saint John Chrysostom once said, “The Precious Blood is the salvation of souls; it purifies, sanctifies, and strengthens.” In our trials, let us take refuge beneath the cross, trusting in the Blood that speaks of mercy, victory, and eternal life.
“Precious Blood of Jesus, save us and the whole world.”
O Most Precious Blood of Jesus, fountain of salvation, we adore You. Wash us clean of sin, protect us from evil, and draw us into deeper love and union with You. Amen. 🙏🏽
https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=12540
PRAYER INTENTIONS: On this day, we lift our hearts in prayer to the God who hears the cry of the poor and sees those wandering in the wilderness of fear, doubt, and despair. We pray for those who, like Hagar, feel cast aside or abandoned may they encounter the God who provides water in the desert and comfort in their distress. We remember all struggling with spiritual oppression, mental health challenges, and emotional storms may Christ drive away all that torments and restore peace to their hearts. Through the intercession of Saint Bernardino Realino, may all clergy and those in public service live lives of integrity and compassion. Through Saints Processus and Martinian, may those imprisoned or persecuted for their faith remain courageous and steadfast. May Saint Swithun intercede for those facing drought, natural disasters, or environmental crises, and through Saint Otto of Bamberg, we pray for all missionaries, evangelists, and those spreading the Gospel in difficult territories. May the mercy of God embrace the sick, the suffering, and the dying, and may He grant healing, strength, and enduring hope to all who seek Him.
LET US PRAY
My all-powerful Lord, You overcame the power of the evil one and cast demons from these two men who suffered through this oppression for many years. Give me the eyes I need to see You at work in our world and to joyfully bear witness to Your transforming action in the lives of others. May I always humble myself before Your saving actions and learn to express true gratitude for all that You do. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen 🙏🏽
God of compassion and power, You heard the cry of Ishmael and came to Hagar in her sorrow. You delivered the demoniacs and brought peace to a tormented land. Hear our prayers today for all who wander in fear, thirsting for hope and struggling to see the way forward. Calm every storm within us and silence the voices that keep us from trusting You. Through the witness of the saints we celebrate today holy priests, martyrs, bishops, and missionaries grant us the courage to live boldly and serve humbly. May Your grace sustain the weak, Your justice defend the oppressed, and Your mercy transform every heart. We entrust our lives and our world to Your care, trusting that You are always near, always faithful. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 🙏🏽
Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Bernardino Realino, Saints Processus and Martinian, Saint Swithun, and Saint Otto of Bamberg ~ Pray for us🙏🏽
Thanking God for the precious gift of this new day, and as we now enter the gentle rhythm of Ordinary Time, may our hearts remain open to the quiet working of the Holy Spirit who continues to guide, renew, and strengthen us each day. May this new month be filled with blessings, safety, and the quiet joy that comes from knowing that Christ walks with us always. Alleluia! Have a blessed, safe, and grace-filled Wednesday and fruitful week🙏🏽
Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖
Daily Reflections with Philomena | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/
Sir G.L.I Opiepe’s Health and Education Foundation | https://gliopiepehe.org
Sir G.L.I Opiepe’s Health and Education Foundation | Global Missons Now Awards |
North Texas Catholic Magazine | Dr. Philomena Ikowe – Life on Purpose (pages 44-45) | https://www.flipsnack.com/A9DFE877C6F/north-texas-catholic-magazine-mar-apr-issue-2025/full-view.html