MEMORIAL OF SAINTS SOTER AND CAIUS, POPES AND MARTYRS; SAINT LEONIDES, MARTYR AND SAINTS EPIPODIUS AND ALEXANDER, MARTYRS ~ FEAST DAY: APRIL 22ND 2026

WEDNESDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF EASTER | YEAR A | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/wednesday-of-the-third-week-of-easter-year-a/

SAINTS OF THE DAY | APRIL 22, 2026 | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saints-of-the-day-feast-day-april-22nd/

MEMORIAL OF SAINTS SOTER AND CAIUS, POPES AND MARTYRS; SAINT LEONIDES, MARTYR AND SAINTS EPIPODIUS AND ALEXANDER, MARTYRS

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

Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary | EWTN | April 22 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-22-2026/

LIVE UPDATES: Pope Leo XIV’s Historic Apostolic Journey to Africa | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/live-updates-pope-leo-xivs-historic-apostolic-journey-to-africa/

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/

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Greetings and blessings, beloved family.

Alleluia! Let all the earth cry out to God with joy! Today is Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter, a day that reveals how God transforms the night of persecution into the morning of missionary joy. In the Gospel, Jesus continues His Bread of Life discourse, making a promise of absolute security: “I will not reject anyone who comes to me.” He reveals that the Father’s will is for our salvation and resurrection, offering us a life that satisfies every hunger and a hope that looks toward the last day. The First Reading shows the early Church scattered by the severe persecution following Saint Stephen’s death. Yet, what Saul intended for destruction, the Holy Spirit used for expansion. As the faithful fled Jerusalem, they carried the Word to Samaria, where Philip worked signs that brought “great joy” to the city. We are joined today by a company of steadfast witnesses: Saints Soter and Caius, Popes who guarded the flock in times of trial; Saint Leonides, the philosopher-father who saw his children as temples of the Spirit; and Saints Epipodius and Alexander, young friends whose loyalty to Christ outshone the cruelty of their captors. Like the early Christians, let us rejoice in the tremendous deeds of God, knowing that He rules by His might forever. Amen. 🙏🏽

BIBLE READINGS FOR TODAY’S HOLY MASS:

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

Today’s Bible Readings: Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter | April 22, 2026
Reading I: Acts 8:1b–8
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 66:1–3a, 4–5, 6–7a
Gospel: John 6:35–40

Gospel Reading ~ John 6:35–40

“For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.”

Jesus said to the crowds, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. But I told you that although you have seen me, you do not believe. Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.”

SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS

In the Gospel, Jesus defines His mission with profound clarity: He is the Bread of Life sent to fulfill the Father’s will. This will is not a complex set of rules, but a desire for inclusion and preservation. Jesus promises that He will not reject anyone who comes to Him and will not lose anything of what the Father has given Him. This is the ultimate comfort for the weary soul, that our salvation rests on the fidelity of Christ. While the crowds in the passage struggled to believe despite seeing Him, we are invited to look with the eyes of faith and see the Son, trusting that in Him, our spiritual hunger is permanently satisfied.

The promise of being raised on the last day shifts our perspective from temporary trials to eternal glory. Jesus emphasizes that His authority comes from His obedience to the Father’s will. By coming down from heaven, He bridges the gap between our perishable and eternal life. To see the Son and believe in Him is to accept that we are chosen, kept, and destined for resurrection. In a world that often rejects and discards, Jesus stands as the one who gathers and holds fast, ensuring that nothing and no one given to Him by the Father is ever lost.

The First Reading illustrates how this faith survives and thrives even under pressure. Following the burial of Stephen, a severe persecution breaks out, led by Saul. However, the scattering of the Church acts like the sowing of seeds. Philip goes down to Samaria, a place often avoided by his peers, and finds a harvest of great joy. The signs he performs, curing the paralyzed and casting out spirits, are physical proof of the Bread of Life’s power. It shows us that God’s Word cannot be imprisoned; it travels with the persecuted, turning places of sorrow into cities of joy.

The Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 66) captures this spirit of victory: “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.” It invites us to come and see the works of God, reminding us that He who changed the sea into dry land still rules by His might forever. The tremendous deeds of God are not just events of the past; they are occurring now as the Church grows through trial. When we rejoice in Him, we proclaim that no persecution and no Saul can withstand the glorious praise of His name.

As we go through this Wednesday, let us reflect on the areas of our lives where we feel scattered or under pressure. Reflect today: Are you afraid of being rejected or lost in the chaos of your trials? This is the day to rest in Jesus’ promise. He will not reject you. He will not lose you. Like the people of Samaria who paid attention to Philip with one accord, let us listen to the Word and allow the joy of the Resurrection to heal our paralysis and fear. Trust that the Father’s will for you is life, and that last day glory is already beginning in your heart today.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, You are the Bread of Life who never rejects those who come to You. We thank You for the great joy that Your Gospel brings even in times of persecution. Forgive us for the times our faith has been small when facing the Sauls of our lives. Fill us with the Holy Spirit as You filled Philip, that we may carry Your Word wherever we are scattered. May we see You and believe in You more deeply today, trusting that You will hold us fast and raise us up on the last day. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 🙏🏽

SAINTS OF THE DAY | APRIL 22ND:

Link to Saints of the Day with Daily Reflections| April 22nd https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com

Direct link to the detailed history of Saint Soter, Saint Caius, Saint Leonides, Saint Epipodius, and Saint Alexander | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saints-of-the-day-feast-day-april-22nd/

SAINTS SOTER AND CAIUS, POPES AND MARTYRS: Saint Soter (d. 175) and Saint Caius (d. 296) were Vicars of Christ who understood that the Father’s will is to not lose anything of His flock. Soter, a father to the afflicted, regulated the sacrament of marriage and established the annual joy of Easter, ensuring the Church never hungered for the True Bread. Caius, a relative of the very emperor who persecuted him, taught that faith has two degrees, confession and martyrdom, encouraging the fearful to preserve grace. Both now rest in the peace of Christ, having ruled by His might through the darkest nights of the early Church.

PRAYER: O God, who filled the Bishops Saint Soter and Saint Caius with a spirit of truth and love to pasture Your people, grant that we may benefit by imitating them. Through their intercession, give us relief in our trials and the courage to profess Your name until the last day. Amen. 🙏🏽

SAINT LEONIDES, MARTYR: Saint Leonides (d. 202) was a philosopher and father who saw his own children as temples of the Holy Spirit. When severe persecution broke out in Alexandria, he did not work for the food that perishes, but for the crown of eternal life. Even when his son Origen pleaded to join him in death, Leonides stood firm, refusing to change his mind for earthly sake. He proves that the tremendous deeds of God are perfected in fathers who lead their families toward the heavens, choosing the way of truth over the way of safety.

PRAYER: Lord, You gave Saint Leonides the strength to offer his life as a witness to his children and his city. Through his intercession, bless all fathers and large families, that they may meditate on Your statutes and find great joy in serving Your kingdom. Amen. 🙏🏽

SAINTS EPIPODIUS AND ALEXANDER, MARTYRS: Saint Epipodius and Saint Alexander (d. 178) were two young friends in Lyon who were scattered from their homes but remained anchored in the Bread of Life. Despite betrayal and unmerciful scourging, they paid attention to the Word rather than the threats of the governor. Epipodius, the bachelor, and Alexander, the physician, were one with the Lord in their suffering, passing through the river of death as if on dry land. They remind us that for those who believe in the Son, even the rack and the cross are paths to the eternal shore.

PRAYER: May the prayers of Saints Epipodius and Alexander make us pleasing to You, Lord. Strengthen us in professing Your truth and grant comfort to all who feel the coldness of betrayal or the pain of torture. Amen. 🙏🏽

Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Soter, Saint Caius, Saint Leonides, Saint Epipodius, and Saint Alexander — pray for us. 🙏🏽

PRAYER INTENTION: FOR THE PERSECUTED, LARGE FAMILIES, AND VICTIMS OF BETRAYAL

As we celebrate the Bread of Life who will raise us on the last day, let us bring our petitions to the Father through the intercession of the saints who died for His name. Lord, we pray for the Church, the Clergy, and all Christians who are scattered by persecution today; through the intercession of Saint Soter and Saint Caius (Popes and Martyrs), grant them the spirit of truth and the protection of Your presence in the caverns and cemeteries of modern trials. We pray for fathers, large families, and the sacredness of the domestic church; through the prayers of Saint Leonides (Patron of large families), help parents to raise their children as temples of the Holy Spirit, never sacrificing eternal hope for earthly security. We pray for bachelors, the lonely, and those who are suffering from the coldness of betrayal or the scars of torture; through the merits of Saint Epipodius (Patron of bachelors and victims of betrayal) and Saint Alexander, grant them divine healing and the great joy of knowing they are never rejected by the One who sent them. 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 during 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 Soter, Saint Caius, Saint Leonides, Saint Epipodius, and Saint Alexander ~ 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/