TUESDAY OF THE TWENTY-THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY ~ FEAST DAY: SEPTEMBER 9, 2025

MEMORIAL OF SAINT PETER CLAVER, PRIEST; SAINT GORGONIUS, MARTYR AND SAINT KIERAN THE YOUNGER, RELIGIOUS | SEPTEMBER 9TH | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/category/saints-of-the-day

(Direct link to the detailed history of Saint Peter Claver, Saint Gorgonius, and Saint Kieran the Younger | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saints-of-the-day-feast-day-september-9th/)

MEET THE NEW SAINTS | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/canonization-of-carlo-acutis-pier-giorgio-frassati/

SAINT CARLO ACUTIS (1991–2006): a teenager from Milan, passionate about computer science, he used new media to spread the faith and love for the Eucharist. Beatified in 2020, he is a model of digital evangelization. | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saint-carlo-acutis/

PIER GIORGIO FRASSATI (1901–1925): a young man from Turin, sportsman and mountain enthusiast, he stood out for his charity towards the poor and his joyful witness to the Gospel. Beatified in 1990, he is the patron of young people and students. | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saint-pier-giorgio-frassati/

NOVENA TO OUR LADY OF SORROWS: REMINDER – The 2025 Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows is scheduled to begin on Saturday, September 6, and end on September 14 in preparation for the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows on September 15th. Novena Link | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/novena-to-our-lady-of-sorrows/

Daily Reflections with Philomena | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary | EWTN | September 9, 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-185/

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-third Week in Ordinary Time. We joyfully welcome the gift of this 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. We continue to pray for all families and for the safety and well-being of children all over the world, especially those beginning the new school year. 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 on this special Feast Day, we ask for healing for the sick and dying, especially those who are suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases, 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, through the intercession of St. Peter Claver, we humbly pray for the poor and those in need, for all those who are marginalized in our society. For those who are imprisoned, especially those who are unjustly imprisoned. We pray for those who fight for truth, peace, justice, 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 continue to 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.

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. 🙏🏽

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 🙏🏽 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

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-third Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Today’s Bible Readings: Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, Priest | September 9, 2025
Reading 1: Colossians 2:6–15
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 145:1b–2, 8–9, 10–11
Gospel: Luke 6:12–19

Gospel Reading ~ Luke 6:12–19

“Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and He spent the night in prayer to God. He chose Twelve, whom He also named Apostles.”

“Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground. A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured. Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus calls twelve from among the wider group of His disciples to be his closest companions, a kind of inner circle of disciples. The calling of this small group from among the larger group was such an important moment that, according to the Gospel reading, He spent the whole night in prayer to God. Jesus felt the need of God’s sustaining and guiding presence as He made this momentous choice. We can all feel the need to spend time with the Lord in prayer before we make an important decision. In prayer we try to open ourselves up more fully to what the Lord wants for our lives. We ask that His will be done and His kingdom come in and through the decision we make. We invite the Holy Spirit to guide and shape our discerning and decision making. Moments of decision are times when we tend to seek the Lord with greater focus and energy. Even though Jesus spent the night in prayer to God before choosing the twelve, one of them went on to betray Him. Just because we bring our decision to the Lord in prayer doesn’t mean that everything afterwards will run smoothly for us. However, in opening ourselves to the Lord in prayer at such moments of decision we are allowing him to be at the heart of our decision making and at the heart of all that follows from it, even if what follows from our decision is not what we had expected.

Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, Priest, whose life of service to the enslaved powerfully reflects the Gospel we hear. The passage from Luke reminds us that Jesus’ ministry was rooted in deep prayer. He spent the night in communion with His Father before choosing His Apostles, who would carry forward His mission. This foundation of prayer gave way to mission and service: Jesus came down from the mountain and poured out healing power on the crowds, showing God’s compassion for all who were suffering. In the same way, Saint Peter Claver spent his life rooted in prayer and poured out his life in service to those most rejected by society, the African slaves arriving in Cartagena. He greeted them with food, medicine, comfort, and above all, the dignity of being recognized as children of God. His motto, “Slave of the slaves forever,” echoes Christ’s mission to bring healing and mercy to the broken. Just as the Gospel shows Jesus’ power flowing outward to touch all, Saint Peter Claver’s life shows how God’s love continues to touch the world through those who give themselves completely to others.

In today’s first reading from Colossians, St. Paul calls on us to be ‘rooted in’ Christ and to be ‘built on Him’. He uses two images, one which is more rural, ‘rooted in’ and the other more urban, ‘built on’. Both images equally express the centrality and intimacy of our relationship with Christ. He is the soil in which we are rooted; He is the foundation on which we build our lives. He is to be the centre of our lives. St. Paul also declares in that reading why Christ is worthy to be the centre of our lives. It is because in Him alone lives the fullness of divinity and in Him we find our own fulfilment. He reveals God fully to us and, therefore, He can satisfy and fulfil the deepest longings of our heart. If Jesus, God incarnate, is to be the centre of our lives, God the Father was the centre of His life. His relationship with God was the primary relationship of His life, the root and foundation of all He said and did. The first reading today reminds us of the reason for such confidence: in Christ, we are rooted, built up, and made alive. We were once bound by sin, but through the Cross, Jesus triumphed over every power and principality. Saint Peter Claver’s courage came from this truth no worldly power or human cruelty could undo the freedom given in Christ. He recognized that even the enslaved, despised in human eyes, carried the divine dignity of being alive in Christ.

The Psalm today reminds us that God is both King and Father worthy of endless praise because His mercy never runs dry. Day after day, He pours out His kindness, slow to anger and rich in compassion, embracing every creature He has made. His goodness extends to all people, and all creation is called to give Him thanks. The faithful are invited to proclaim the glory of His Kingdom, to speak of His mighty works, and to live in gratitude for the Lord who is near, tender, and compassionate toward all His works.

As we reflect on today’s readings, we are invited to examine our own faith and discipleship. Do I allow prayer, as Jesus did before choosing His Apostles, to guide the important decisions in my life, or do I often rely only on my own strength and wisdom? Like the crowds who sought Christ with faith, do I approach the Lord with openness, trusting Him to heal my wounds and transform my heart? Saint Paul reminds us that in baptism we were buried and raised with Christ—am I living each day as one made alive in Him, walking in freedom from sin and fear? Finally, like Saint Peter Claver, am I willing to recognize Christ in the poor, the marginalized, and the forgotten, and to serve them with humility, compassion, and love? We are called to be steadfast in prayer because our relationship with Jesus is the central relationship in our lives, we will want and need to spend time with Him in prayer. From that prayerful communion will flow our way of being in the world, our way of relating to others, especially those in greatest need. 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. 🙏🏽

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the gift of Christ, in whom we are rooted, built up, and made alive. Teach us to follow the example of Jesus, who prayed deeply and then poured Himself out in service to the world. Lord, fill us with Your Spirit so that our prayer may give birth to action, our faith to mercy, and our love to healing. Help us, like Saint Peter Claver, to see Your face in the poor, the rejected, and the forgotten. Strengthen us to choose compassion over indifference and service over selfishness. May Your power flow through us so that others may experience Your love and grace. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 🙏🏽

MEMORIAL OF SAINT PETER CLAVER, PRIEST; SAINT GORGONIUS, MARTYR AND SAINT KIERAN THE YOUNGER, RELIGIOUS ~ FEAST DAY: SEPTEMBER 9TH: Today, the Church honors three holy witnesses of Christ: Saint Peter Claver, Priest (patron of slaves, African missions, and race relations), Saint Gorgonius, Martyr (a faithful servant of the imperial household martyred under Diocletian), and Saint Kieran the Younger, Religious (one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland and founder of Clonmacnoise Abbey). Through their intercession, we pray for victims of human trafficking and modern slavery, for justice and dignity for all peoples, for healing of the sick and comfort for the dying, and for peace in our families and world. We also pray for the Church, for vocations to priesthood and religious life, and for persecuted Christians everywhere. May these saints inspire us to live with courage, compassion, and fidelity to Christ. 🙏🏾

Saint(s) of the Day with Daily Reflections | September 9th | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com

(Direct link to the detailed history of Saint Peter Claver, Saint Gorgonius, and Saint Kieran the Younger | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saints-of-the-day-feast-day-september-9th/)

SAINT PETER CLAVER, PRIEST (1580–1654): Born in Verdu, Catalonia, Spain, St. Peter Claver became a Jesuit priest and missionary in Cartagena, Colombia. Influenced by his mentor St. Alphonsus Rodriguez, he dedicated his life to ministering to African slaves arriving in the Americas. Declaring himself the “slave of the Negroes forever,” he tirelessly served the sick and dying, brought food and medicine, and baptized over 300,000 slaves during his 40 years of ministry. Despite opposition and poor health, he embodied Christ’s love with humility and sacrifice, often saying: “We must speak to them with our hands, before we try to speak to them with our lips.”

He died in Cartagena on September 8, 1654, and was canonized by Pope Leo XIII in 1888, who proclaimed him patron of missions to African peoples and a protector of racial justice.

PRAYER: God of mercy and love, through the example of St. Peter Claver, help us to overcome prejudice and division, and to see in every person the dignity of a child of God. Amen. 🙏🏾

SAINT GORGONIUS, MARTYR (d. 303): St. Gorgonius was a Roman officer in the court of Emperor Diocletian who secretly embraced the Christian faith. Along with companions Dorotheus and others, he was arrested for refusing to renounce Christ. They were brutally tortured with scourging and salt, roasted on a gridiron, and strangled to death in Nicomedia.

Though Diocletian ordered their bodies to be cast into the sea, Christians recovered Gorgonius’s remains and enshrined them in Rome. His relics were later venerated in Metz, France, and he is remembered for his steadfast witness during one of the fiercest persecutions of the early Church.

PRAYER: Saint Gorgonius, courageous martyr, intercede for us that we may hold fast to Christ with unwavering faith. Amen. 🙏🏾

SAINT KIERAN THE YOUNGER, RELIGIOUS (512–546): St. Kieran, also called St. Ciaran of Clonmacnoise, was born in Connacht, Ireland, the son of a carpenter. After studying under St. Finnian of Clonard, he became one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland and was admired for his learning, humility, and miracles. He later founded the great monastery of Clonmacnoise, which became a center of faith and scholarship for centuries, attracting students from across Europe.

Though he died at only 33 years old, his influence shaped the future of the Irish Church. He is venerated as the first Irish-born saint and a model of youthful holiness and wisdom.

PRAYER: Saint Kieran, humble servant of God, inspire us to seek wisdom, holiness, and fidelity in our daily lives. Amen. 🙏🏾

Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Peter Claver, Saint Gorgonius, and Saint Kieran the Younger ~ 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: On this Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, Priest, together with Saints Gorgonius and Kieran the Younger, we lift our prayers to God with hopeful hearts. We pray for the grace to remain rooted in Christ, as St. Paul reminds us in Colossians, that our lives may overflow with thanksgiving and bear witness to the Gospel. We remember all victims of human trafficking, slavery, and oppression, asking through the intercession of St. Peter Claver that they may find freedom, dignity, and healing. We pray for all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, that God’s compassion may restore them. We remember the Church, especially our Holy Father, bishops, priests, and religious, that they may be strengthened in holiness and service, as Christ once strengthened His apostles in prayer. We pray for peace in our families, justice in our world, and for the conversion of sinners, that the light of Christ may shine in every nation. Through the intercession of Our Blessed Mother Mary and the saints we honor today, may we learn to live with courage, humility, and charity.

LET US PRAY:

My miraculous Lord, please draw me to Yourself, teaching in the wilderness of my interior life of silence and solitude. Help me to seek You out so that I can hear Your Word, spoken to me to give me new life. May I always listen to You so that Your holy Word will transform me more fully, making me into the new creation You desire me to be. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen 🙏🏽

Lord God, You call us to remain firmly rooted in Christ, the source of our life and salvation. Through the intercession of Saint Peter Claver, Saint Gorgonius, and Saint Kieran the Younger, grant us the grace to love with generous hearts, to serve the poor and oppressed with compassion, and to bear witness to Your mercy in a world so in need of healing. Strengthen our faith, guide our steps, and make us instruments of peace, unity, and love. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 🙏🏾

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Peter Claver, Saint Gorgonius, and Saint Kieran the Younger ~ 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 and grace-filled Tuesday 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