MONDAY OF THE THIRTIETH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME | OCTOBER 26, 2026

MONDAY OF THE THIRTIETH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME | OCTOBER 26, 2026 | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/monday-of-the-thirtieth-week-in-ordinary-time-october-26-2026/

SAINTS OF THE DAY | OCTOBER 26, 2026 | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saints-of-the-day-feast-day-october-26th/

MEMORIAL OF SAINT EVARISTUS, POPE AND MARTYR AND SAINT RUSTICUS, BISHOP OF NARBONNE

HISTORY OF THE SAINTS SERIES ON YOUTUBE CHANNEL | https://www.youtube.com/@dailyreflectionswithphilomena

NOVENA TO SAINT JUDE: REMINDER – The Novena to Saint Jude is scheduled to begins October 19th, and end on October 27th in preparation for his Feast day on October 28th. Novena to Saint Jude is prayed for Desperate Situations and Desperate Cases—especially for an end to war and terrorism. Prayed anytime of year, especially October 19–27th | Novena link below | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/novena-to-saint-jude/

👉🏾 Watch the YouTube Video of Saint Evaristus, and Saint Rusticus of Narbonne Here |

History of the Saints | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/category/saints-of-the-day

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary | EWTN | October 26, 2026 | “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-october-26-2026/

🎀 OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH 🎀

🎥 Watch the full Breast Cancer Awareness video:
https://youtu.be/h4qd-vY6Q0s?si=DogHjMVK682d1uxz

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Greetings and blessings, beloved family!

Today, the Church commemorates Pope Saint Evaristus, Martyr, alongside Saint Rusticus, Bishop of Narbonne. Pope Saint Evaristus organized the early Church in Rome, appointing deacons and establishing parishes to ensure the flock was set free from error and nourished by truth. Saint Rusticus, facing Gothic invasions and heresy, persevered through trial to heal and restore his diocese. Their pastoral leadership and steadfast mercy reflect today’s Gospel, where Jesus heals a woman bound for eighteen years, untying her heavy burdens on the Sabbath and inviting her to stand tall in God’s glory. As Saint Paul urges us in the First Reading to be kind, compassionate, and forgiving—living as children of light—let us seek Christ’s liberating grace to untie every burden in our lives.

BIBLE READINGS FOR TODAY’S HOLY MASS:

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Monday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time | Monday, October 26, 2026
Reading 1: Ephesians 4:32–5:8
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4, 6
Gospel: Luke 13:10-17

Gospel Reading ~ Luke 13:10-17

“Woman, you are set free of your infirmity.”

“Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath. And a woman was there who for eighteen years had been crippled by a spirit; she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect. When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said, ‘Woman, you are set free of your infirmity.’ He laid his hands on her, and she at once stood up straight and glorified God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath, said to the crowd in reply, ‘There are six days when work should be done. Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day.’ The Lord said to him in reply, ‘Hypocrites! Does not each one of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger and lead it out for watering? This daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now, ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day from this bondage?’ When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated; and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.”

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS

Today’s readings call us to experience the liberating power of God’s compassion and to walk transformed as children of light. In the Gospel, Jesus encounters a woman who had been crippled and bent over for eighteen long years. Moved by divine mercy, Jesus calls her forward, lays His hands upon her, and heals her immediately. When rigid legalism causes the synagogue leader to complain about healing on the Sabbath, Jesus exposes the hypocrisy of elevating legalistic ritual over human dignity and mercy. He reminds us that God’s heart seeks to untie our burdens and set us free so that we may stand tall and glorify Him.

This miracle of healing and liberation reflects our identity as redeemed believers. In the First Reading, Saint Paul urges us to live in a manner consistent with our calling: “Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.” We are called to imitate God as beloved children, walking in love and casting off all darkness, impurity, and greed. Having been brought out of darkness into the Lord’s light, our lives should bear the fruitful fruits of goodness and truth. As the Responsorial Psalm promises: “He is like a tree planted near running water, that yields its fruit in due season… For the LORD watches over the way of the just.”

Today, let us reflect on the areas where we may feel “bent over” by sin, bitterness, or legalistic judgment. Are we allowing Jesus to lay His healing hands upon us, and are we extending that same liberating kindness and forgiveness to others? How can you walk as a child of light today by offering Christlike compassion or forgiveness to someone carrying a heavy burden?

Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your endless mercy and for freeing us from the bonds of sin through Christ Jesus. Forgive us for the times we have allowed rigid judgment, unforgiveness, or spiritual blindness to cloud our compassion for others. Lay Your healing hands upon our hearts, untie every heavy burden, and enable us to stand straight in Your grace. Help us to walk as beloved children of light, bringing Your peace and joy into the world. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 🙏🏽

SAINTS OF THE DAY | OCTOBER 26TH:

Direct link to the detailed history of Saint Evaristus, and Saint Rusticus of Narbonne | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saints-of-the-day-feast-day-october-26th/

SAINT EVARISTUS, POPE AND MARTYR: Pope St. Evaristus (c. 99–107 A.D.) was the fifth Bishop of Rome, succeeding St. Clement I during the reign of Emperor Trajan. Born to a Greek-Jewish family from Bethlehem, he is credited with dividing Rome into parishes, assigning specific titles to priests, and ordaining deacons to support the bishop’s ministry and ensure sound doctrine. In his writings, he beautifully compared the sacred bond between a bishop and his diocese to that of a husband and wife. According to Church tradition, St. Evaristus suffered martyrdom under Trajan around 107 A.D. and was buried on Vatican Hill near St. Peter. His feast day is October 26th.

PRAYER: Almighty God, who called Pope Saint Evaristus to shepherd Your early Church with wisdom and seal his witness with martyrdom, grant us through his intercession a steadfast devotion to Your truth and unity. Amen. 🙏🏽

SAINT RUSTICUS, BISHOP OF NARBONNE: St. Rusticus of Narbonne (d. 461 A.D.) was a monk of Lérins Abbey and Bishop of Narbonne in Gaul. Consecrated in 430, he served during a turbulent era marked by Gothic invasions and the spread of Arianism. When overwhelming dissension caused him to request resignation, Pope St. Leo the Great encouraged him to persevere. Rusticus remained at his post, rebuilt his cathedral, defended orthodox faith against Nestorianism, and faithfully shepherded his people until his death in 461.

PRAYER: Almighty God, You made St. Rusticus a leader of the Church to inspire Your people by his teaching and example. Through his intercession, grant that we may experience the sweetness of Your mercy and persevere in every trial. Amen. 🙏🏽

Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Evaristus, and Saint Rusticus of Narbonne ~ Pray for us. 🙏🏾

HONORING THE SAINTS OF THE DAY:
Alongside Saint Evaristus and Saint Rusticus of Narbonne, we also honor: SAINT ALBINUS, SAINT ALFRED THE GREAT, SAINT BEAN, SAINT BERNAT CALBÓ, SAINT CEDD, SAINT CUTHBERT OF CANTERBURY, SAINT DEMETRIUS OF THESSALONIKI, SAINT EADFRID, SAINT EATA, SAINT FELICISSIMUS, SAINT FULK OF PAVIA, SAINT GIBITRUDIS, SAINT LUCIAN, SAINT QUADRAGESIMUS, SAINT QUODVULTDEUS, SAINT ROGATIAN, AND SAINT SEKTAR. May their faithful lives inspire our own journey today.

PRAYER INTENTION: FOR CHURCH LEADERSHIP, PARISH COMMUNITIES, DEACONS, AND FREEDOM FROM SPIRITUAL BONDAGE

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the shepherd’s heart shown in Pope Saint Evaristus and Saint Rusticus. Through the intercession of Pope St. Evaristus, we pray for our Holy Father, bishops, priests, deacons, and all parish communities, that they may be guided by Your Spirit to lead Your people in truth, unity, and order. Through Saint Rusticus, grant perseverance and courage to all bishops and church leaders facing trial or discouragement in their ministry. Lord Jesus, touch our lives today as You touched the crippled woman in the Gospel; free us from spiritual bondage, heal our infirmities, and grant us grace to live as children of light, bearing witness to Your liberating mercy. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 🙏🏽

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Evaristus, Saint Rusticus of Narbonne, and all the Saints we celebrate today ~ Pray for us. 🙏🏾

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2026: FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER: For mental health ministry. Let us pray that the mental health ministry be established throughout the Church, helping to overcome the stigma and discrimination of persons with mental illnesses.

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

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF OCTOBER | MONTH OF THE HOLY ROSARY: October is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary, a powerful prayer that draws us into the heart of the Gospel through the eyes of Mary. The Rosary is more than repetition, it is a meditation on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, united with the loving presence of His Blessed Mother. As Pope St. John Paul II reminded us, the Rosary is “a compendium of the Gospel,” helping us to contemplate Christ’s face with Mary.

The twenty mysteries of the Rosary, Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, and Luminous, invite us to journey with Christ from His Incarnation to His Passion and His triumph over death. Each mystery opens us to God’s saving love, strengthens our faith, and leads us to imitate the virtues of Jesus and Mary in our daily lives. This month, the Church invites us to renew our devotion to the Rosary by praying it daily, whether alone, in families, or in community. Through it, we find peace in times of trial, strength against temptation, and deeper trust in God’s providence. Mary, Queen of the Holy Rosary, intercedes for us and leads us always to her Son.

“O Mary, our Blessed Mother and Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, teach us to pray with a pure heart and a steadfast spirit. As we meditate on the mysteries of Christ, help us to grow in faith, hope, and love. Intercede for us before your Son, that our families, our Church, and our world may be filled with peace and the light of the Gospel. Amen.” 🙏🏽

https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/month.cfm?y=2026&m=10

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you. Jesus, I trust in you! Immaculate Heart of Mary, Pray for us. Amen 🙏🏾

Blessings and Love always, Philomena 💖

DEVOTIONAL RESOURCES

A Guide to Catholic Prayer & Faith Resources: Prayers, Devotions, Teachings, and the Liturgical Year | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/catholic-prayer-faith-resources/

Catholic Mission & Witness: Foundations, Media Features, Global Outreach and Podcast Interview | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/catholic-mission-witness-foundations-media-features-and-global-outreach/

DAILY PRAYERS: St. Michael the Archangel Prayer; Angelus Prayer; and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy Prayer | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/st-michael-the-archangel-prayer-angelus-prayer-and-the-chaplet-of-divine-mercy-prayer-2/

THE HOLY ROSARY: WHAT IS THE HOLY ROSARY AND WHY DO WE PRAY THE HOLY ROSARY? | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/the-holy-rosary-what-is-the-holy-rosary-and-why-do-we-pray-the-holy-rosary/

Sir G.L.I Opiepe’s Health and Education Foundation | https://gliopiepehe.org/

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