TUESDAY OF THE TWENTY-SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
SAINTS OF THE DAY ~ FEAST DAY: SEPTEMBER 2, 2025
MEMORIAL OF SAINT INGRID OF SWEDEN, VIRGIN AND SAINT AGRICOLUS, BISHOP, SAINT BROCARD, HERMIT | SEPTEMBER 2ND | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/category/saints-of-the-day
(Direct link to the detailed history of Saint Ingrid of Sweden, Saint Agricolus, and Saint Brocard | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saints-of-the-day-feast-day-september-2nd/)
Daily Reflections with Philomena | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/
Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary | EWTN | September 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-178/
JUBILEE OF HOPE 2025: JUBILEE PRAYER | Link to the prayer of the Jubilee of Hope 2025 | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/01/08/the-jubilee-prayer/
Greetings and blessings, beloved family!
Today, Tuesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time, we joyfully welcome the gift of a new month, September! Lord Almighty, we thank You for granting us the grace to see this new beginning, and we entrust every day of this month into Your loving hands. May September be a season of renewal, hope, and abundant blessings for us and our families. Bless those who will celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, new opportunities, and milestones this month, and be near to those who carry heavy burdens in their hearts. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, we ask for healing for the sick, strength for the weary, peace in troubled homes, and provision for all in need. Guide our steps in righteousness, protect us from harm, and fill our hearts with faith, joy, and gratitude. May this month draw us closer to Your will, and may every day be a testimony of Your goodness and mercy in our lives. We begin this month with trust in Your unfailing love, Lord, and we surrender all that lies ahead into Your hands. Amen 🙏🏾
On this feast day, we humbly pray for the poor and those in need, for persecuted Christians, for those who fight for truth, peace and justice, and we continue to pray for justice, peace, love, and unity in our families and our divided and conflicted world. With special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we continue to humbly pray for the well-being and safety of all parents, grandparents and the elderly. For the sick and dying, especially those who are suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. We continue to pray for all families and for the safety and well-being of our children and children all over the world, especially those beginning the new school year. May God grant them the courage to face new challenges and wisdom to make good choices. We pray for wisdom, knowledge, and understanding and for God’s guidance and protection upon them during this school year and always. We pray for safe travels, to and from school. We also pray for all teachers, staff and parents, and guardians. May the good Lord provide for those in need. For all those who are marginalized in our society, the poor and the needy. 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. For those who are imprisoned, especially those who are unjustly imprisoned. We pray for those who fight for truth, peace and justice. And we continue to pray for justice, peace, love, and unity in our families and our world. May God protect us all and keep us safe and united in peace, love and faith. Amen 🙏🏽
We remember in prayer all who began this journey of life with us but are no longer here. We especially pray for our loved ones who have recently died, that the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” ~ Matthew 5:4
PRAYER FOR THE DEAD: In your hands, O Lord, we humbly entrust our brothers and sisters. In this life, you embraced them with your tender love; deliver them now from every evil, and bid them eternal rest. The old order has passed away: welcome them into paradise, where there will be no sorrow, no weeping or pain, but fullness of peace and joy with your Son & the Holy Spirit forever & ever. Amen🙏🏽
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 🙏🏽 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯
Through the intercession of St. Joseph, we pray for all fathers, mothers, workers, and all those who labor 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 Ordinary Time. Wishing us all and our loved ones a joyful, peaceful, and grace-filled month of September. 🙏🏽
LIST OF ALL NOVENAS | Month of September | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/list-of-all-novenas-september/
COMMON CATHOLIC PRAYERS | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/common-catholic-prayers/
PRAYER FOR THE BEGINNING OF A NEW SCHOOL YEAR | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/prayer-for-the-beginning-of-a-new-school-year/
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:
Bible Readings for today’s Holy Mass, Tuesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Today’s Bible Readings: Tuesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time | September 2, 2025
Reading 1: 1 Thessalonians 5:1–6, 9–11
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 27:1, 4, 13–14
Gospel: Luke 4:31–37
Gospel Reading ~ Luke 4:31–37
“I know who you are–the Holy One of God!; What is there about His word? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.”
“Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He taught them on the sabbath, and they were astonished at His teaching because He spoke with authority. In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. They were all amazed and said to one another, “What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.”
In today’s Gospel reading, we see Jesus enter the synagogue in Capernaum and teach with an authority that astonishes the people. His words are not like those of the scribes; they carry divine power that even the unclean spirits recognize and fear. When confronted by a man possessed by a demon, Jesus rebukes the spirit, commanding it to come out, and it obeys without harming the man. The crowd is filled with awe, realizing that His word has the authority to heal, to free, and to restore. In the Gospel, the spirit of the unclean demon shouts at Jesus through the person possessed, ‘Have you come to destroy us?’ The answer to that question is ‘yes’. Jesus had come to destroy all the forces and powers that enslaved people and prevented them from becoming the full human beings that God wants them to be. We don’t always think of Jesus’ mission as having a destructive quality. Quite rightly we think of Him as a Saviour rather than as a Destroyer. Yet, He was both. For people to be saved, in the full sense of that word, certain realities have to be destroyed. Jesus was aware that he was in conflict with forces of evil, forces that had to be overcome and destroyed. The people in the synagogue recognized Jesus as a person of authority and power; His was a life-giving authority and power that worked to destroy the forces of death and destruction. That is the kind of authority and power that the risen Lord wants to share with all of us, so that we in turn can share in His life-giving work in the world, a work that continues until the end of time.
According to the Gospel, in the synagogue of Nazareth, Jesus announced that He had come to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. Jesus revealed God’s favor to someone who was deeply disturbed and troubled in the synagogue of Capernaum. The power of God’s favor at work through Jesus calmed the raging storm within this man. Someone who had initially related to Jesus in a very aggressive way was restored to God’s favor because of Jesus’ authority and power, the authority and power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God’s love. God’s favor at work through Jesus overcame the man’s hostility, aggression and resistance. As a result of the power of God’s favor working through Jesus in this dramatic way, astonishment seized all who witnessed what happened. There are times in all our lives when we find ourselves disturbed and troubled, when storms rage within us. It is above all then that we need to come before the Lord in prayer and open ourselves to the power of God’s favor that He brings to us, a favor that can bring calm where there is turmoil. As we receive the Lord’s peace and calm we can then go forth as His peacemakers, bringing the Lord’s favor to those who need it, bringing His calming and healing presence to those who are disturbed and broken. Today’s Gospel reminds us that Christ’s word is living and active, it not only instructs but also transforms. He is the Holy One of God who comes to break the chains of sin and oppression in our lives, bringing peace where there was turmoil.
In the first reading, some members of the church in Thessalonica were asking St. Paul about a precise date for the return of the Lord, the Day of the Lord. In reply, St. Paul simply says that it will come ‘like a thief in the night’; there is no point speculating about what he calls ‘times and seasons’. He also reminds them that there is a sense in which the Day of the Lord has already come with the death and resurrection of Jesus. We already live in the light of the Day of the Lord, the light of Easter. That is why St. Paul goes on to say to them in that reading, ‘you are all sons and daughters of light and sons and daughters of the day’. What is important is not idle speculation about the timing of the Day of the Lord but to live in the here and now as people who already belong to that Day. As people of the Day, we are to ‘stay wide awake’, alert to the presence of the risen Lord, responsive to His daily call, so that, as St. Paul says in the reading, ‘alive or dead, we should still live united with Him’. The Lord wants to live in us and through us in the present moment, so that He can continue to be a healing presence in the world through us, as He was a healing presence for the man in the synagogue in today’s Gospel reading. The response to the Psalm today is, ‘I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living’. As people of the Day, we are called to be the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living, in our own place and time. As St. Paul reminds the Thessalonian community, he reminds us all that we are “children of the light and children of the day.” He urges them and us all to stay alert and sober, living in the hope of salvation through Jesus Christ. God has not destined us for wrath but for life with Him, whether we are awake or asleep. This is both a call to vigilance and a word of comfort: Christ has already secured our victory, and in Him we have the assurance of eternal life. We are also reminded to build one another up, encouraging each other to remain steadfast in faith.
The responsorial psalm echoes this hope: “I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.” The psalmist proclaims God as his light and salvation, a source of confidence against fear. Even when surrounded by trials, he trusts in the Lord’s presence and patiently waits for His deliverance. This is a beautiful reminder that our faith is not just about endurance, but about hopeful expectation of God’s goodness.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are invited to place our confidence in the power of Christ’s word, which has authority over every darkness, and to live as children of light, encouraging one another in faith. They remind us that fear and despair have no power over those who belong to Jesus. The Lord is our light, our salvation, and our refuge. His word still speaks with authority today healing, freeing, and guiding those who open their hearts to Him. Reflecting on the Scriptures, we are invited to ask: Do I trust in the authority of Christ’s word to transform my life and free me from fear or sin? Am I living as a child of the light, alert and faithful in my daily choices? Do I encourage and build up others in their journey of faith? May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace as we remain steadfast in faith and continue to serve Him in spirit and in truth. 🙏🏽
Lord Jesus, You are the Holy One of God whose word brings life, healing, and freedom. Drive out the darkness of fear and sin from my heart, and teach me to live as a child of the light. May I trust always in Your saving power, encourage others in faith, and wait with courage for the day when I will see Your goodness in the land of the living. Amen. 🙏🏾
MEMORIAL OF SAINT INGRID OF SWEDEN, VIRGIN AND SAINT AGRICOLUS, BISHOP, SAINT BROCARD, HERMIT ~ FEAST DAY: SEPTEMBER 2ND: Today, the Church honors three holy witnesses of faith: Saint Ingrid of Sweden, Virgin (the first Dominican nun in Sweden and founder of the Dominican convent at Skänninge), Saint Agricolus, Bishop of Avignon (patron invoked against plague, misfortune, and for good harvests), and Saint Brocard, Hermit (one of the earliest leaders of the Carmelite Order). Through the intercession of Our Blessed Mother Mary and these saints, we pray today for the sick and dying, especially those battling cancer and terminal illness. We lift up the souls of the faithful departed and all who mourn. We pray for widows, widowers, the poor, and the neglected. We ask for peace and unity in our families, for our Holy Father and bishops, for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, for the persecuted Church, and for the conversion of sinners everywhere. 🙏🏾
Saint(s) of the Day with Daily Reflections | September 2nd | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com
(Direct link to the detailed history of Saint Ingrid of Sweden, Saint Agricolus, and Saint Brocard | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saints-of-the-day-feast-day-september-2nd/)
SAINT INGRID OF SWEDEN, VIRGIN (d. 1282): Saint Ingrid, also known as Ingrid Elofsdotter of Skänninge, was born in 13th-century Sweden and is remembered as the sister (or relative) of Saint Bridget of Sweden. Guided spiritually by the Dominican priest Peter of Dacia, Ingrid became the first Dominican nun in her country. In 1281, she founded the first Dominican convent in Sweden at Skänninge, known as Saint Martin’s Convent. She lived a life of deep prayer, austerity, and devotion, drawing many women to religious life. Ingrid died in 1282 with a reputation for holiness, and miracles were reported at her intercession. Though never formally canonized, she was venerated locally as a saint, and her relics were honored until they were destroyed during the Protestant Reformation.
PRAYER: Lord God, You adorned Saint Ingrid with holiness and love for Your Church. Through her intercession, grant us purity of heart and the courage to remain steadfast in prayer and service. Amen. 🙏🏾
SAINT AGRICOLUS, BISHOP (c. 630–c. 700): Saint Agricolus was born in Avignon, France, the son of Magnus, a senator who later became bishop. At just 14, Agricolus entered monastic life, cultivating deep piety and learning. Ordained a priest, he became coadjutor bishop to his father and succeeded him around 660 as Bishop of Avignon. Agricolus was known for his charity to the poor, his tireless care for the sick, and his powerful preaching. He built churches and a convent for Benedictine nuns, and devotion to him spread quickly. Tradition also associates him with miracles, including the protection of Avignon from plagues and misfortune. Depicted with a dragon, he is remembered as one who fought the power of evil through prayer, fasting, and the Cross. Declared patron saint of Avignon in 1647, he is invoked against plague, illness, natural disasters, and for good harvests.
PRAYER: Almighty God, You raised up Saint Agricolus as a shepherd full of compassion for his flock. Grant that through his intercession we may be protected from all harm and strengthened in faith and charity. Amen. 🙏🏾
SAINT BROCARD, HERMIT (d. 1231): Saint Brocard was among the early hermits on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land, drawn to a life of prayer and solitude in the tradition of the prophet Elijah. Following the death of Saint Berthold of Calabria, he became the leader of the Carmelite hermits. Desiring a clear rule of life, Brocard sought guidance from Saint Albert, Patriarch of Jerusalem, who composed the Rule of Saint Albert that became the foundation of the Carmelite Order. Under Brocard’s wise and holy leadership, the community grew in number and sanctity. He is remembered as a man of deep prayer, courage, and discernment during a time of uncertainty for the early Carmelites. His legacy endures in the Carmelite Order’s devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and its emphasis on contemplation.
PRAYER: Lord, through the holy example of Saint Brocard, help us to embrace prayer, simplicity, and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, so that we may remain faithful to Your will. Amen. 🙏🏾
Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Ingrid of Sweden, Saint Agricolus, and Saint Brocard ~ 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 SEPTEMBER: For our relationship with all of creation. Let us pray that, inspired by Saint Francis, we might experience our interdependence with all creatures who are loved by God and worthy of love and respect.
(https://popesprayerusa.net/popes-intentions/)
DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER | MONTH OF OUR LADY OF SORROWS: September is dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, inviting us to unite our hearts with Mary in her profound sharing of Christ’s Passion. As Simeon foretold, “a sword will pierce your own soul too” (Luke 2:35), and throughout her life Mary endured deep sorrows that culminated at Calvary. In her silent strength and unwavering faith, she became the compassionate Mother of all Christians, offering her suffering with Christ for the salvation of the world.
This month, the Church calls us to meditate on the Seven Sorrows of Mary: Simeon’s prophecy, the Flight into Egypt, the loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple, meeting Jesus on the way to Calvary, standing at the foot of the Cross, receiving His lifeless Body, and placing Him in the tomb. By reflecting on these sorrows, we learn patience in trials, compassion for the suffering, and a deeper love for Jesus who suffered for us.
Prayers such as the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows, the Rosary of Our Lady of Sorrows, and the Litany of Our Lady of Sorrows help us to walk with Mary in her suffering and to discover hope and consolation in her maternal heart.
“Most Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, teach us to stand with you at the Cross, sharing in Christ’s love and redemptive sacrifice.”
Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us. Amen 🙏🏾
https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=12540
PRAYER INTENTIONS: Today, as we reflect on the readings of the day and the lives of Saint Ingrid of Sweden, Saint Agricolus, and Saint Brocard, we lift our hearts in prayer to God. We pray for the Church, that all baptized may remain vigilant and steadfast in faith, walking always as children of light. We pray for the sick, the suffering, and those facing trials, especially those battling terminal illness, that they may encounter Christ’s healing and comfort. We pray for widows, widowers, and all who mourn, asking for God’s peace and consolation. We entrust our families, marriages, and communities to His loving care, seeking unity, love, and protection. We pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, for our Holy Father, bishops, priests, and all religious, and for the persecuted Church throughout the world. May the intercession of Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Ingrid, Saint Agricolus, and Saint Brocard inspire us to lives of prayer, courage, and service, always ready to encourage and build up one another. 🙏🏾
LET US PRAY:
My most powerful Lord, You and You alone are able to take authority over my life and bring order and peace. Please remove any doubt and stubbornness from my heart so that I can open myself to You and Your grace. Take authority of my life, dear Lord, and lead me into Your most holy will. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen 🙏🏽
Lord Jesus, You call us to remain awake, alert, and vigilant in faith, guiding us as children of light in a world often shadowed by darkness. Through the example of Saint Ingrid’s prayerful devotion, Saint Agricolus’s pastoral care, and Saint Brocard’s steadfast leadership, teach us to serve You faithfully in our daily lives. Strengthen our hearts to console the sorrowful, aid the suffering, and bring hope to the broken. May Your Spirit fill us with courage, wisdom, and love, that we may live in holiness, rejoice in Your justice, and proclaim Your Good News to all we encounter. We ask this through Your Holy Name. Amen. 🙏🏾
Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Ingrid of Sweden, Saint Agricolus, and Saint Brocard ~ Pray for us 🙏🏽
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you. Immaculate Heart of Mary, Pray for us. Amen 🙏🏽
Thanking God for the precious gift of this new day, and during this 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, grace-filled and fruitful week and a fulfilling month of September🙏🏽
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 Missions Now Awards | https://youtu.be/gB31nuOFx0A?si=mSoZs-wiByhGs
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