SATURDAY OF THE SIXTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY ~ FEAST DAY: JULY 26, 2025

MEMORIAL OF SAINTS JOACHIM AND ANNE, PARENTS OF THE MOST BLESSED VIRGIN MARY (GRANDPARENTS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST) | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/category/saints-of-the-day

(Direct link to the detailed history of Saints Joachim and Anne| https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saints-of-the-day-feast-day-july-26th/ )

WORLD DAY FOR GRANDPARENTS AND THE ELDERLY [The Catholic Church celebrates the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly each year on the Sunday closest to the feast of Sts. Joachim and Anne, Jesus’ grandparents. This year it will be celebrated on Sunday, July 27, 2025]

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary | EWTN | July 26, 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-140/

Greetings and blessings, beloved family!

Today is Saturday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time! We give thanks to God for the gift of life and the grace to see this month. During this month of July, may the Precious Blood of Jesus cover and protect us, heal our wounds, and strengthen our faith. We pray for all those celebrating their birthdays, anniversaries, new beginnings, and special moments in this month of July. 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🙏🏽

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” ~ Matthew 5:4

We pray for the sick and dying. We especially pray for our loved ones who have recently died and we continue to 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 🙏🏽 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His Saints” ~ Psalm 116:15

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 🙏🏽

On this special feast day, with special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Saints, we humbly pray for the well-being and safety of all grandparents and the elderly. We pray for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and our divided and conflicted 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 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. 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 July.🙏🏽

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, Saturday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Today’s Bible Readings: Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary | July 26, 2025
Reading 1: Exodus 24:3–8
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 50:1b-2, 5-6, 14-15
Gospel: Matthew 13:24–30

Gospel Reading: Matthew 13:24–30

“Let them grow together until harvest.”

“Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds. “The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well. The slaves of the householder came to him and said, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ His slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus told a parable about a farmer who sowed wheat seed in a field and the reaction of his servants when weeds started to appear among the wheat. The instinct of the servants was to dig up the weeds so as to have a field of pure wheat. The farmer’s instinct was different. He was more tolerant of the weeds. He suggested letting both wheat and weeds grow together until the harvest time, and then they can be separated. He was a patient man; he knew he would get his wheat without the weeds eventually. However, in the meantime, he could live with the weeds. He didn’t have the zeal of his servants to purify his field immediately, without waiting. Jesus in today’s parable was warning us against a premature separation of wheat from weed, of the good from the bad. He was saying that this kind of separation is really God’s work, not our work, and that it will happen at the end of time rather than in the course of time. Just as the servants in the parable would have been unable to distinguish the wheat from the weeds if they had been let loose, we do not always have the necessary insight to distinguish who is good and who is evil. We can get it terribly wrong; we only have to think of those innocent people who have been wrongly imprisoned. How often in our own personal lives have we judged someone harshly only to discover in time that we were very wide of the mark. The church itself has not always heeded the warning of Jesus about the dangers of premature separation. The inquisition was not in the spirit of the parable that Jesus speaks in today’s Gospel reading. Too great a zeal to purify the wheat field risks doing more harm than good. A weed-free garden may be highly desirable, but the Gospel today suggests that we may have to learn to live with weeds. We need to be patient with imperfection, in ourselves and in others. As individual disciples we too will remain a mixture of light and shade until we are fully conformed to the image of God’s Son in the next life. We are all the time trying to grow more fully into God’s Son. Yet, we have to accept that sin will always be part of our lives, this side of eternity. Like the farmer in the parable, the Lord is patient with us. We need to be patient with ourselves and with each other. This is not complacency; it is simply the realistic recognition that we are all a work in progress. God has begun a good work in our lives, and even if will never be completed in this life, God will bring that good work to completion in eternity. In the meantime, we try to create a space for God to work in our own lives and in the lives of others. As we know only too well, life is not tidy. It is not like a well-manicured garden, in which order and harmony prevail. Each of us is a mixture of wheat and weed; we are each tainted by sin and yet touched by grace. Our calling is to grow in grace before God and others, as Jesus did. We look to Him to help us to keep on turning from sin and growing in grace.

In today’s parable of the wheat and the weeds, Jesus reveals a profound truth about the Kingdom of God: good and evil coexist for a time, but there will come a day of separation and judgment. The temptation to uproot the “weeds” prematurely is strong just as we may wish for a quick end to injustice, sin, or suffering. But Jesus cautions against rash judgment. Pulling up weeds too soon may damage the wheat. God, in His wisdom, allows both to grow until the appointed time, for He alone sees the full picture and knows what each soul can become. This message challenges our tendency to judge others too quickly or to despair at the presence of evil in the world or in ourselves. The parable teaches patience, humility, and trust in God’s timing. God is not indifferent to evil, but merciful and just. In our journey of faith, we are called to endure, grow in grace, and trust that the harvest will come that justice and mercy will have the final word.

Reflecting on the first reading, Moses seals the covenant between God and Israel with blood signifying the deep, sacred bond that unites them. The people respond wholeheartedly, “We will do everything the LORD has told us.” This solemn moment prefigures the New Covenant in Christ’s blood, which we share in the Eucharist. It reminds us that our relationship with God is not casual; it is rooted in sacrifice, fidelity, and reverence. Like the Israelites, we are invited to respond to God’s Word not just with our lips, but with our lives.

Reflecting on the Responsorial Psalm, “Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.” Today’s psalm calls us to worship not just through ritual, but with sincere hearts. Praise, thanksgiving, and trust in times of trouble become offerings pleasing to God. When we are faithful to our vows and call upon Him in distress, He promises to answer. This is not a passive faith it is an active covenant relationship built on love, commitment, and praise.

Reflecting on today’s readings, we are challenged to ask: Do I sometimes rush to judge others or assume I know God’s timing? Am I growing in patience with myself, others, and God’s process? Do I take the Word of God seriously responding with obedience and love? How do I offer “a sacrifice of praise” in my daily life, especially in difficulty? Let us walk in the assurance that God sees every effort, every act of faith, and every seed sown in love. Even when the world seems overrun by weeds, the wheat is still growing. Be patient. Be faithful. Let grace do its work, and trust that God will bring forth a bountiful harvest in His perfect time.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, on this great feast of St. Joachim and St. Anne, who were remembered as loving parents who loved their daughter Mary and who taught her well in obeying God and in the ways of the world. They were Mary’s role models in life, and they should be ours too. It was because of Sts. Joachim and Anne’s own faith that Mary was able to make her great response of faith to God’s call to her through the angel Gabriel. The parents of Mary,  grandparents of Jesus helped to create that environment of faith in which He would grow in wisdom and in stature before others and God. Today’s feast encourages us to remember the people of faith who supported us on our own faith journey. We might remember especially our own parents and grandparents and the faith by which they lived and which helped to light the flame of faith in our own lives. We are reminded today to be appreciative and grateful for our grandparents and our elders who have shown us their love, care and concern. In our world today, due to changing nature of the family and relationships, many families tend to neglect their elders and forget about them, and many people do not even live with their own grandparents and the elders anymore, and this led to many of the latter facing hardships, challenges and loneliness in the conduct of their daily living and actions. We must not forget all the love that they had shown to us, much as how the Lord our God Himself has loved us all patiently. Our elderly and grandparents often made many sacrifices and went the extra mile for us without us realising it, and we often realised it only when it is already too late for us to do so, when they are no longer by our side. Today therefore as we have been reminded to develop that strong and genuine relationship with God, let us also remember those around us especially our elders and grandparents, all those who have loved us and are now living through their twilight years. We should continue to love them all and develop a strong, genuine and loving relationship with our elders and grandparents, in all that we do in our lives. Let our love for our elders and grandparents be good examples and inspirations for everyone that more and more people will continue to grow in love for their family members particularly their elders, and grow ever stronger in their faith in God. Let us all therefore seek the Lord with renewed faith and commitment, and do our best to live our lives in a true Christian manner, distancing ourselves from sin and wickedness, and being faithful in all things that we may become inspiration and role models for one another. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace and may St. Joachim and St. Anne, their faith and dedication to God, their love for their daughter Mary, the Mother of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, continue to inspire us always. May God bless each and every one of us, now and always. Amen.🙏🏽

Heavenly Father, You are patient and just, slow to anger and rich in mercy. Teach us to trust in Your timing and to grow with perseverance, even when evil seems to prevail. Purify our hearts from the weeds of judgment, pride, and despair. Help us to be faithful to Your covenant, to live out Your Word in both word and deed, and to offer You the true sacrifice of praise from sincere hearts. May we remain rooted in Your love until the day of harvest, when You gather Your people into eternal joy. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.🙏🏾

MEMORIAL OF SAINTS JOACHIM AND ANNE, PARENTS OF THE MOST BLESSED VIRGIN MARY (GRANDPARENTS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST) ~ FEAST DAY: JULY 26TH: Today, we honor Saints Joachim and Anne, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandparents of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though the Scriptures do not record their lives in detail, tradition and early Christian writings venerate them as holy, faithful, and chosen by God to prepare the way for the coming of Christ. They are celebrated as patrons of grandparents, married couples, parents, expectant mothers, and childless couples. On this special feast, we ask for their intercession for all seeking the gift of children, for safe deliveries, for our grandparents and elders, for families in distress, and for peace and unity in the world and the Church.

Saint (s) of the Day with Daily Reflections | July 26th | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/

(Direct link to the detailed history of Saints Joachim and Anne| https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saints-of-the-day-feast-day-july-26th/ )

SAINTS JOACHIM AND ANNE: Saints Joachim and Anne (1st century B.C.), members of the tribe of Judah and descendants of King David, are revered as the holy parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. According to tradition, they lived in a time when barrenness was seen as a curse. Childless and advanced in age, they turned to God with fervent prayers and fasting, seeking His mercy. Their faithful perseverance was rewarded when angels appeared separately to each of them, announcing that they would bear a child destined to be honored through all generations.

This child was Mary, the Immaculate Conception, the one chosen to become the Mother of God. Their moment of joy and reunion is often depicted in sacred art as their embrace at Jerusalem’s Golden Gate. In gratitude, they dedicated Mary to God and, when she was three years old, presented her to live in the Temple a sign of their deep faith and trust in God’s plan.

St. Anne is often portrayed teaching young Mary the Scriptures, embodying maternal wisdom, gentleness, and virtue. She is the patron of mothers, grandmothers, women in labor, and childless couples. Many women seeking a spouse or a healthy pregnancy invoke her aid. St. Joachim, though less prominently featured in tradition, is honored as the patron of fathers, grandfathers, and grandparents. His quiet strength and steadfastness mirror that of so many unsung spiritual heads of families.

Their veneration began in the early Church, with St. Anne especially honored in the East. Churches were erected in their memory, and their feast was widely celebrated by the 6th century. Though liturgical calendars shifted their memorials over the centuries, they are now jointly celebrated on July 26. They remind us of the dignity of marriage, the sacred role of parenting, and the quiet faithfulness that lays the foundation for God’s work in the world.

Let us look to Saints Joachim and Anne as models of hope, faith, and steadfast love saints who trusted God even in times of great sorrow and were rewarded with joy that echoed into eternity.

PRAYER: O Lord our God, You gave Saints Joachim and Anne the grace to be the parents of the Immaculate Virgin Mary and the grandparents of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Through their intercession, we pray for grandparents and the elderly, for childless couples, expectant mothers, and families struggling in faith. Grant us the grace to follow their example of faith, perseverance, and holiness, so that we too may prepare a place for Christ in our lives. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 🙏🏾

Our Blessed Mother Mary, and Saints Joachim and Anne ~ 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 special day, we entrust our prayers to Saints Joachim and Anne, asking their intercession for all grandparents, parents, and families. We pray for those who quietly nurture faith within their homes, and for married couples longing for the gift of children. May the elderly be cherished and supported, and may every generation be united in love and fidelity to God. As we reflect on today’s Gospel, we ask for the wisdom to recognize good seed from evil, and the patience to trust God’s timing in all things. We pray for perseverance in our spiritual journey, and for peace in our homes, the Church, and the world.

LET US PRAY

Most holy Word of God, You are the living Word who sows seed upon the fertile ground of our Hearts. You plant Yourself in the hearts of those who believe so that Your life can bear good fruit in the faithful. Please sow the seed of Your Word in my own heart, dear Lord, and protect me from the deceptions of the evil one. As You do, I pray that You bring forth an abundance of good fruit through me. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen 🙏🏽

Heavenly Father, you chose Saints Joachim and Anne to raise the Blessed Virgin Mary and form her in holiness. As we honor their memory today, we ask that you help all families become faithful stewards of your covenant, just as Moses called the people to obedience in your Word. Help us to offer true sacrifices of thanksgiving, as the Psalmist declares, and to call upon you with confidence in times of trouble. Like the patient landowner in the Gospel, teach us to trust in your divine wisdom and timing when good and evil grow side by side. May we never grow weary of sowing goodness, even in a broken world. Through the intercession of Saints Joachim and Anne, guide us to nurture faith in the next generation and prepare our hearts to be fruitful soil for your Word. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 🙏🏽

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary, and Saints Joachim and Anne ~ 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 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, grace-filled Saturday and relaxing weekend 🙏🏽

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖

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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