MEMORIAL OF SAINT JULIUS I, POPE AND SAINT TERESA OF JESUS OF LOS ANDES, RELIGIOUS – FEAST DAY: APRIL 12TH 2026

SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER | YEAR A | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/second-sunday-of-easter-year-a/

DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/divine-mercy-novena/

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary | EWTN | April 12, 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-april-12-2026/

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/

SAINTS OF THE DAY | APRIL 12, 2026 | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saints-of-the-day-feast-day-april-12th/

MEMORIAL OF SAINT JULIUS I, POPE AND SAINT TERESA OF JESUS OF LOS ANDES, RELIGIOUS

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

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Greetings and blessings, beloved family.

Alleluia! My Lord and my God!

Today is the Second Sunday of Easter, the glorious feast of Divine Mercy. We have reached the glorious conclusion of the Octave, a day where the floodgates of Heaven are opened wide. In the Gospel, we find the disciples behind locked doors, paralyzed by fear, until the Risen Lord passes through those barriers to breathe Peace upon them. We witness the journey of Thomas, who moved from doubt to the profound confession: “My Lord and my God!” In this second week of April, the First Reading shows us the fruit of this mercy in the early Church, where believers were of one heart, devoted to the communal life and the breaking of bread. The Second Reading anchors us in a living hope, an inheritance that is imperishable and unfading, even when we are tested by fire. We are joined today by Saint Julius I, the Pope who guarded the apostolic faith, and Saint Teresa of Jesus of Los Andes, the young Carmelite who lived a life of exultation and sincerity of heart. Like the disciples in the Upper Room, we are invited to touch and see that God’s mercy is our strength and our eternal reward. Amen. 🙏🏽

DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY: THE FEAST OF MERCY: Today is the eighth and final day of the Octave of Easter. On this day, the Octave of Easter, we celebrate the Feast of Mercy. From ancient times the Easter octave, culminating on the 8th day, has been centered on the theme of God’s mercy and forgiveness. The final day of the octave celebration of Easter is meant to be a day of thanksgiving to God for His goodness to mankind through the Paschal mystery, that is, the Passion, death, and Resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ. The Second Sunday of Easter was named Divine Mercy Sunday by Pope St. John Paul II. On May 5, 2000, Pope Saint John Paul II decreed that the Second Sunday of Easter, the Octave of Easter, would be known as Divine Mercy Sunday following a request from Our Lord in His private revelations to St. Faustina Kowalska in Vilnius Lithuania. [Full article visit – https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/divine-mercy-novena/]

Divine Mercy Sunday — HONORING THE LEGACY OF SERVICE: The 11th Memorial Anniversary Remembrance of Late Noble (Sir) Gabriel Louis Ihieje Opiepe (KSJI) | April 12, 2026 | https://gliopiepehe.org/posts/celebrating-the-11th-memorial-anniversary-of-late-sir-gabriel-louis-ihieje-opiepe-ksji

On this sacred feast of Divine Mercy Sunday, during the celebration of Mass, please let us continue to keep in our thoughts and prayers our beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, father-in-law, a loving husband, uncle, and friend, Late Sir Gabriel Louis Ihieje Opiepe, KSJI, as we commemorate the 11th anniversary of his passing to eternal glory.

May the infinite mercy of God cleanse, purify, and welcome his gentle soul into the fullness of eternal peace. May his gentle soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 🙏🏽

Jesus, I trust in You. 🕊️💖

BIBLE READINGS FOR TODAY’S HOLY MASS:

Second Week of Easter | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

Today’s Bible Readings: Divine Mercy Sunday | April 12, 2026
Reading I: Acts 2:42–47
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 118:2–4, 13–15, 22–24
Reading II: 1 Peter 1:3–9
Gospel: John 20:19–31

Gospel Reading ~ John 20:19–31

“Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ …Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands… and do not be unbelieving, but believe.’”

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS

In the Gospel, we witness the transition from locked doors to open hearts. The disciples are paralyzed by fear, yet no physical barrier can keep the Risen Christ away. His first words are a gift: “Peace be with you.” He does not come with a rebuke for their abandonment during the Passion, but with the authority to forgive, breathing the Holy Spirit upon them to establish the Sacrament of Reconciliation—the ultimate channel of His Divine Mercy. This encounter reminds us that the Resurrection is the power that penetrates our darkest anxieties and restores our mission, sending us out just as the Father sent the Son.

We see this mercy personified in the encounter with Thomas. Jesus doesn’t cast Thomas out for his doubt or his demand for physical proof; instead, He returns a week later specifically to meet Thomas in his struggle. By inviting Thomas to touch the very wounds that saved the world, Jesus transforms a skeptic into a witness who utters the most profound confession of the New Testament: “My Lord and my God!” This moment teaches us that our faith is not based on a distant idea, but on a living hope found in a Person who invites us to touch and see His enduring love, blessing all of us who believe even without seeing.

The First Reading shows us the fruit of this Resurrection faith. The early Christian community is not just a group of individuals, but a family devoted to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life. Their exultation and sincerity of heart manifest in their radical generosity, ensuring no one among them was in need. This is Divine Mercy in action not just a spiritual feeling, but a social reality where the wonders and signs of the Apostles are matched by the love of the people. It reminds us that when we truly believe, we cannot help but hold all things in common.

The Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 118) is the eternal cry of the redeemed: “Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, his love is everlasting.” It acknowledges that while we were hard pressed and falling, the Lord helped us. The stone rejected by the builders—the Christ who was crucified—has become the Cornerstone of our joy. This is the day the Lord has made, the feast day of Mercy, where we acknowledge that His love truly endures forever.

The Second Reading (1 Peter) anchors us in a living hope. Peter reminds us that through the Resurrection, we have been given a new birth to an inheritance that is imperishable and unfading. Even when we suffer through various trials, our faith is being refined like gold in the furnace. This tested faith leads to an indescribable and glorious joy. It explains why we can rejoice even when we do not see Him, because we have attained the goal of our faith: the salvation of our souls.

As we celebrate this Divine Mercy Sunday, let us reflect on the locked doors of our own lives. What fears are keeping you from the peace of Christ? Reflect today: Are you like Thomas, waiting for a sign, or can you recognize the Lord’s hand in the breaking of the bread and the love of your community? This is the day to cry out, “My Lord and my God!” and trust that His mercy is greater than any sin or doubt.

Let us pray: O God of everlasting mercy, who in the very recurrence of the paschal feast kindle the faith of the people You have made Your own, increase the grace You have bestowed. Help us to grasp and rightly understand in what font we have been washed, by whose Spirit we have been reborn, and by whose Blood we have been redeemed. May we, like Thomas, find our way to Your wounds, and like the early Church, find our way to one another in love. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 🙏🏽

SAINTS OF THE DAY | APRIL 12TH:

Link to Saints of the Day with Daily Reflections| April 12th https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com

Direct link to the detailed history of Saint Julius I, and Saint Teresa of the Andes | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saints-of-the-day-feast-day-april-12th/

SAINT JULIUS I, POPE: Saint Julius I (d. 352) was a guardian of the cornerstone who reigned during a time of great trial for the Church. Much like Peter in the early community, he stood as a pillar of unity, asserting the divinity of Christ against those who sought to reject the truth. He is famously remembered for fixing the celebration of Christmas on December 25th, ensuring that the world would forever honor the new birth of the Savior. By defending Saint Athanasius and upholding apostolic traditions, Julius proved that the teaching of the Apostles is the foundation upon which the Church is built, ensuring that the joyful shout of victory would continue to echo through the centuries.

PRAYER: God, Light and Shepherd of souls, You established Saint Julius as Pope to feed Your flock by his word and form it by his example. Through his intercession, help us to keep the Faith he taught and follow the way of unity he showed, always recognizing Jesus as our Lord and our God. Amen. 🙏🏽

SAINT TERESA OF JESUS OF LOS ANDES, RELIGIOUS: Saint Teresa (1900–1920) was a hidden spring of Divine Mercy who, like Thomas, desired to touch and see the Lord through a life of total consecration. A daughter of Chile and the first Discalced Carmelite saint from the Andes, she transformed her stubborn nature into a vessel of exultation and sincerity of heart. Though she was tested by fire through a brief life and a terminal battle with typhoid fever, she rejoiced with an indescribable joy, professing her vows on her deathbed. She reminds us that even when we are hard pressed, the Lord is our strength and our savior, making our short time on earth a gateway to eternity.

PRAYER: Lord God, You enkindled in the heart of Saint Teresa of the Andes a burning love for Jesus and Mary. Through her intercession, grant healing to the ill, protect our young people, and help us to offer our daily trials as a sacrifice of praise for the salvation of souls. Amen. 🙏🏽

Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Julius I, and Saint Teresa of the Andes — pray for us. 🙏🏽

PRAYER INTENTION: FOR THE CHURCH, THE INFIRM, AND THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED

On this Feast of Divine Mercy, we entrust all our petitions to the living hope that flows from the heart of the Risen Christ. Lord, we pray for the Holy Father, the Clergy, and the unity of the Church; through the intercession of Saint Julius I (Guardian of Orthodoxy), grant us a spirit of communal life and the courage to defend the Truth in every nation. We pray for young people and those suffering from infectious diseases or terminal illness; through the prayers of Saint Teresa of the Andes (Patron of ill people, young people, and Los Andes), grant them the peace that surpasses understanding and a miraculous restoration of health. Finally, we pray for the souls of the faithful departed, especially those who died with no one to pray for them; through Your infinite mercy, open to them the gates of justice and grant them eternal rest in the light of Your face. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 🙏🏽

PRAYER FOR PEACE | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/a-prayer-for-peace/

THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2026: FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL: For Priests Crisis. Let us pray for priests going through moments of crisis in their vocation, that they may find the accompaniment they need and that communities may support them with understanding and prayer.

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

DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF APRIL | MONTH OF HOLY EUCHARIST: April is dedicated to the Holy Eucharist, the greatest gift of Christ to His Church. In the Eucharist, Jesus is truly present Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity offering Himself as the Bread of Life. This month invites us to deepen our love and reverence for the Eucharist, especially as we approach Holy Week and Easter, celebrating the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of our Lord. The Eucharist was instituted by Jesus at the Last Supper when He said, “Take and eat; this is My Body… Drink from it, all of you, for this is My Blood of the Covenant” (Matthew 26:26-28). In receiving the Eucharist, we are united with Christ and His Church. It is the source of our strength and the culmination of our salvation, as Christ Himself said in John 6:51, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever.” As we journey through Lent, we are called to renew our reverence for the Eucharist. During Holy Week, we remember that Christ instituted this sacrament on Holy Thursday, offering us a way to remain in union with Him. Let us take this opportunity to attend Mass regularly, spend time in Eucharistic adoration, and reflect on the mystery of Christ’s presence in the Blessed Sacrament.

In this season of penance and reflection, may our devotion to the Eucharist strengthen our commitment to living as true disciples of Christ, leading us to the joy of Easter and the Resurrection.

O Sacrament Most Holy, O Sacrament Divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine! Lord Jesus, You have given Yourself to us in the Eucharist. May we receive You with reverence and love, and let Your grace transform us always. Amen 🙏🏽

https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/month.cfm?y=2026&m=4

PRAYER FOR THE DEAD
We pray for the repose of the gentle souls of our loved ones and souls of all the faithful departed. 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 🙏🏽

Thanking God for His love and the gift of this glorious day, we offer Him a prayer of gratitude for the graces of the past month and entrust the remainder of April to His loving providence. We pray for God’s grace and mercy as we continue this season of Easter joy. May the Resurrection of Your Son help us to seek You in every moment of our lives. May the peace, hope, and steady guidance that flow from the empty tomb shape our steps, inform our decisions, and strengthen our resolve to live each day in the light of the Risen Christ. As we journey onward into this month, may God bless our families and loved ones, and may His light continue to shine brightly in every home. Let us draw closer to God and be renewed through the joy of the Gospel and generosity to the poor. May God keep us all safe and well during these challenging times. Wishing us all a spiritually enriching, most blessed, and grace-filled Easter Season. Amen. 🙏🏽

Save Us, Savior of the World. Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Julius I, and Saint Teresa of the Andes ~ Pray for us 🙏🏾

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