FRIDAY OF THE TWENTIETH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

SAINTS OF THE DAY ~ FEAST DAY: AUGUST 22, 2025

MEMORIAL OF THE QUEENSHIP OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY AND SAINTS TIMOTHY, HIPPOLYTUS AND SYMPHORIAN, MARTYRS AND SAINT JOHN KEMBLE, PRIEST | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/category/saints-of-the-day

(Direct link to the detailed history of Our Lady, Queen of Heaven, Saints Timothy, Hippolytus, Symphorian, and John Kemble | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saints-of-the-day-feast-day-august-22nd/)

NOVENA TO SAINT MONICA: The 2025 Novena to Saint Monica is scheduled to begin on Monday, August 18 and end on August 26 in preparation for the Feast of Saint Monica on August 27th. The novena is especially prayed for wayward children.

NOVENA TO SAINT MONICA | AUGUST 18-26TH | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/novena-to-saint-monica/

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary | EWTN | August 22, 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-167/

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

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, Friday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time, we thank the good Lord for the gift of this day! During this month of August, we entrust our lives, our plans, our fears, and our dreams into God’s loving hands. We pray that this month will be filled with divine blessings, new opportunities, and the strength to overcome every challenge that may come our way.

We pray and celebrate with those marking birthdays, anniversaries, new jobs, weddings, and other joyful milestones this August. With special intention through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, we pray for all those experiencing challenges in their marriages, may God grant them healing, strength, peace and love. May this be a month of peace for the anxious, healing for the sick, comfort for the brokenhearted, and provision for the needy. As we walk through the days ahead, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ go before us, the love of God surround us, and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit guide every decision we make. May this month bring us closer to holiness, deeper in faith, and stronger in hope. In all things, may God’s name be paised. Amen🙏🏽

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

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.

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 🙏🏽 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯

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. 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 August.🙏🏽

LIST OF ALL NOVENAS | Month of August | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/list-of-all-novenas-august/

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

Reflections on the Mass Readings for the Feast of Our Lady, Mother and Queen (Inc Luke 1:26-38)

Today’s Bible Readings: Friday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time | August 22, 2025
Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Reading 1: Ruth 1:1, 3–6, 14b–16, 22
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 146:5–6ab, 6c–7, 8–9a, 9bc–10
Gospel: Matthew 22:34–40

Gospel Reading: Matthew 22:34–40

“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself”

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a scholar of the law, tested him by asking, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

In today’s Gospel, a scholar of the law tests Jesus by asking Him which commandment is the greatest. Jesus answers with clarity and power: the entire law and the prophets are summed up in two commandments to love God completely and to love our neighbor as ourselves. These are not two separate duties, but two inseparable dimensions of one call. Love of God must overflow into love of neighbor, and love of neighbor finds its source in love of God. This teaching challenges us to examine the quality of our love. Do we love God only with words and rituals, or with the fullness of our heart, soul, and mind? Do we extend that love to others, especially those who are difficult to love, those who differ from us, or those in need? Jesus reminds us that authentic discipleship is not measured by external observance alone but by the depth of love that shapes our choices and relationships.

In the first reading, Ruth offers a beautiful example of covenantal love. She refuses to abandon Naomi, her mother-in-law, declaring, “Wherever you go, I will go… your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” Ruth’s fidelity, selflessness, and courage reflect the same love Jesus speaks of a love that sacrifices comfort and security for the sake of another. Her steadfast loyalty became part of God’s plan, for Ruth would later become an ancestor of King David and ultimately of Jesus Christ.

The responsorial psalm echoes this theme, proclaiming God’s faithfulness: He secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry, sets captives free, and sustains the widow and orphan. Just as God defends the vulnerable, we too are called to mirror His love through justice, compassion, and mercy.

Reflections on the Mass Readings for the Feast of Our Lady, Mother and Queen (Inc Luke 1:26-38)

Gospel Reading ~ Luke 1:26-38

“You will conceive in your womb and bear a son; Let what you have said be done to me”

“The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.”

In our Gospel reading today, we celebrate the memorial of the Queenship of Mary. Pope Pius XII proclaimed the Queenship of Mary as a feast of the universal church at the close of the Marian Year of 1955. The feast is placed on this date, August 22, to stress its connection with the feast of the Assumption, exactly a week earlier. We find this link expressed in the joyful mysteries of the rosary, with the fourth mystery being the Assumption and the fifth mystery being the Coronation of Mary as Queen of heaven. Today’s Gospel reading, the Annunciation to Mary, is the first joyful mystery. That first joyful mystery in Mary’s life underpins the fifth joyful of her life. If she reigns with her Son in heaven it is because she first shared in His complete surrender to God’s purpose for His life. As Jesus said in the Garden of Gethsemane, ‘not my will but yours be done’, Mary said in Nazareth, ‘let what you have said be done to me’. That surrender to God’s purpose did not come easy to Jesus in the garden; He had first prayed ‘Take this cup from me’. It did not come easy to Mary either. According to today’s Gospel reading, she was initially deeply disturbed and full of questions. Today’s feast invites us to share in Mary’s willingness to both seek out God’s purpose for our lives and to surrender to it. This surrender won’t always come easy to us, no more than it came easy to Mary. Our own small purposes can get in the way of God’s greater purpose for our lives. Yet, Mary can help us to be as open and responsive to God’s will for our lives as she was, which is why we need to pray, ‘Mary, pray for us, sinners, now, and at the hour of our death’.

Today, as we honor the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we see in her the perfect disciple who lived out these commandments. Mary loved God with all her being, surrendering her will completely to His, and she loved others with maternal care, interceding at Cana, standing at the foot of the Cross, and continuing to pray for us as Queen of Heaven. Her queenship is not one of worldly power, but of humble service and maternal love. She shows us that to reign with Christ is to serve in love. In our readings today, both Ruth and Mary remind us that holiness is found in fidelity, humility, and love that costs something. The Gospel then becomes an invitation: to place love at the center of our lives, above all else.

As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we might ask ourselves: Do I love God with my whole heart, or only with part of myself? Do I let my love for God overflow into love for those around me, especially the most vulnerable? Am I willing to love with fidelity and sacrifice, as Ruth and Mary did? May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us His grace as we remain faithful and continue to serve Him in spirit and in truth. 🙏🏽

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the gift of Your Word that teaches us faithfulness, love, and obedience. Just as Ruth clung to Naomi and chose loyalty over comfort, may we remain steadfast in our commitment to You and to those entrusted to our care. Help us to love You with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves, as Your Son commands. Through the intercession of Mary, our Queen and Mother, may we grow in humble service, pure devotion, and a heart that delights in doing Your will. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.🙏🏽

MEMORIAL OF THE QUEENSHIP OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, AND SAINTS TIMOTHY, HIPPOLYTUS AND SYMPHORIAN, MARTYRS AND SAINT JOHN KEMBLE, PRIEST ~ FEAST DAY – AUGUST 22ND: Today, the Church celebrates the Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary and honors the heroic witness of Saints Timothy, Hippolytus, and Symphorian, Martyrs, together with Saint John Kemble, Priest and Martyr. This day unites the joy of Our Lady’s heavenly crown with the courage of those who laid down their lives rather than forsake Christ. From Mary, exalted as Queen of Heaven and Earth, to the martyrs of ancient Rome and Gaul, to a humble English priest in the 17th century, we are reminded that every age and nation has borne witness to the triumph of faith, love, and fidelity to God. Through their intercession, we pray for deeper love of the Eucharist, for courage in times of trial, for the persecuted Church, and for steadfast hope that leads us to the eternal Kingdom where Mary reigns with her Son. 🙏🏾

Saint(s) of the Day with Daily Reflections | August 22nd | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com

(Direct link to the detailed history of Our Lady, Queen of Heaven, Saints Timothy, Hippolytus, Symphorian, and John Kemble | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saints-of-the-day-feast-day-august-22nd/)

THE QUEENSHIP OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY: On August 22nd, the Church celebrates Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth. This feast flows naturally from the Solemnity of the Assumption, celebrated a week earlier, affirming that the one who bore the King of Kings shares in His glory and reigns at His side. In Israel’s tradition, the mother of the king was honored as queen mother, a role fulfilled perfectly by Mary in the Kingdom of her Son.

Pope Pius XII, in his 1954 encyclical Ad Caeli Reginam, officially instituted this feast for the universal Church, affirming that the faithful had long honored Mary’s royal dignity. Her queenship is not of earthly power but of maternal intercession, spiritual authority, and tender love. Mary is Queen because she uniquely shared in Christ’s work of redemption by giving Him flesh, by uniting her will to His sacrifice, and by leading all her children to the throne of grace.

PRAYER: O God, who crowned the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth, grant that through her intercession we may serve Christ faithfully in this life and share in His glory for all eternity. Amen. 🙏🏾

SAINTS TIMOTHY, HIPPOLYTUS, AND SYMPHORIAN, MARTYRS: Though unrelated in life, these three martyrs share a common feast on August 22nd, each bearing witness to Christ in different times and places.

Saint Timothy of Antioch (d. 311): Preached the Gospel in Rome during a time of fierce persecution. After imprisonment, torture, and cruel beatings, he was executed by beheading. His steadfastness encouraged many Christians, and his name endures in the earliest martyrologies.

Saint Hippolytus of Ostia (d. 225): A bishop and faithful shepherd, he was drowned for his faith, winning the crown of martyrdom under Roman authority.

Saint Symphorian of Autun (d. 178): A young man executed for refusing to worship pagan idols during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. His mother, Blessed Augusta, famously encouraged him as he went to his death: “My son, remember eternal life; life is not taken from you, but exchanged for a better one.” His cult spread widely in Gaul, inspiring generations of Christians.

PRAYER: Grant us, O Lord, through the prayers of Your holy martyrs Timothy, Hippolytus, and Symphorian, the courage to endure suffering for the sake of Your name and the grace to remain faithful until the end. Amen. 🙏🏾

SAINT JOHN KEMBLE, PRIEST (1599–1679): Born in Herefordshire, England, John Kemble was ordained a priest in 1625 and ministered faithfully for over fifty years in a time when Catholicism was outlawed. Despite the danger, he quietly served his flock with pastoral care, bringing the sacraments to those in need.

In 1679, during the hysteria of the Popish Plot, he was arrested at the age of eighty. Though innocent of treason, he was condemned simply for being a Catholic priest. Offered chances to escape, he refused, saying: “It will be an advantage to suffer for my religion, and therefore I will not abscond.” On August 22, 1679, he was hanged, drawn, and quartered, joyfully accepting death as a witness to Christ. Canonized in 1970 as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales, Saint John Kemble reminds us that fidelity to Christ is worth more than life itself.

PRAYER: Lord, You gave Saint John Kemble the courage to shepherd Your flock in times of persecution and to face death with steadfast faith. Through his intercession, strengthen us in our witness to the Gospel, and grant peace to all who suffer for their faith today. Amen. 🙏🏾

Our Lady, Queen of Heaven, Saints Timothy, Hippolytus, Symphorian, and John Kemble ~ 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 AUGUST: For mutual coexistence. Let us pray that societies where coexistence seems more difficult might not succumb to the temptation of confrontation for ethnic, political, religious or ideological reasons.

(https://popesprayerusa.net/popes-intentions/)

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF AUGUST | MONTH OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY: August is dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, inviting us to reflect on her pure love, deep sorrow, and unwavering obedience to God. Her heart, aflame with charity and pierced by suffering, mirrors the life of Christ and calls us to follow Him more closely through her example. This month, the Church encourages us to console her sorrowful heart and grow in holiness through prayers like the Rosary, the Litany of the Immaculate Heart, and the First Saturday Devotion. Through Mary’s heart, we are led ever closer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

“O Immaculate Heart of Mary, be our refuge and the way that leads us to God.”

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us and draw us into deeper love and trust in your Son. Amen🙏🏽

https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=12540

PRAYER INTENTIONS: We pray for the Church, that she may always be guided by the law of love, placing God above all things and serving others with compassion. Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth, may we learn to follow Christ with humility, trust, and fidelity. We remember all who are struggling with loss, like Naomi and Ruth, that they may discover hope and strength in God’s providence. We pray for those who defend the faith in hostile environments, inspired by the courage of Saints Timothy, Hippolytus, Symphorian, and John Kemble, that we too may remain steadfast in truth and charity even when tested. May God raise up leaders of justice, heal the brokenhearted, and bring comfort to all who suffer, so that His kingdom of love may flourish on earth.

LET US PRAY:

My loving Lord, You love all people with a perfect love, and You call us all to love You with our whole heart, soul and mind. And You call us to love others with the love You have for them. Fill my heart with love of You and all people, especially those who are most difficult to love. Give me wisdom, dear Lord, to know how to love others in You so that they will experience Your perfect love in their lives. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen 🙏🏽

O God, You who are Love itself, teach us to love You above all things and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Through the maternal intercession of Mary, Queen of Heaven, and the example of the martyrs and confessors we honor today, strengthen our faith, deepen our charity, and guide our steps in holiness. Grant that, like Ruth, we may choose fidelity over fear and walk with You wherever You lead. May our lives become a witness to Your Kingdom of mercy and peace. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.🙏🏽

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary, Our Lady, Queen of Heaven, Saints Timothy, Hippolytus, Symphorian, and John Kemble ~ 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 Friday and a fulfilling 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 Missions 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