TWENTY-SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
SAINTS OF THE DAY: FEAST DAY ~ OCTOBER 10, 2024
MEMORIAL OF SAINT PAULINUS OF YORK, BISHOP AND SAINT FRANCIS BORGIA, GENERAL OF THE JESUITS
Greetings beloved family. Happy Thursday of the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time!
Today is World Homeless Day! It is a day recognized internationally to raise awareness of the needs of people experiencing homelessness and promote work in local communities to alleviate suffering and prevent death. Homelessness is one of the most pressing social issues in our world today. Let us pray for the poor and those in need, especially those who are homeless in our communities and around the world.
Today, on this Feast day, through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary with all the Angels and Saints of God in Heaven, may we be comforted as we continue to pray for the gentle repose of the souls of our loved ones who recently passed away. We pray for the repose of the souls of all those who will die today, asking God to have mercy on their souls and to lead them into Eternal Life. And we continue to pray for the repose of 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 and souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ… Amen 🙏 ✝️🕯✝️🕯✝️🕯
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 and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen🙏
On this feast day, we continue to pray for the sick and dying, especially those who are mentally, physically and critically ill and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. We pray for our children and children all over the world, for students, for those seeking for the fruit of the womb, for the poor and needy, we pray for difficult marriages, for peace, love, and unity in our marriages, our families and our world. Amen 🙏
Watch “Holy Mass and Holy Rosary on EWTN on YouTube” | October 10, 2024 |
Watch “Holy Mass from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy” | October 10, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary for Peace with Pope Francis” | LIVE Basilica of St. Mary Major | October 6, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary from Lourdes France” | October 10, 2024 |
Pray “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song”| October 10, 2024 |
Pray “Holy Rosary ALL 20 Mysteries VIRTUAL🌹JOYFUL🌹LUMINOUS🌹SORROWFUL🌹GLORIOUS” oùn YouTube |
Memorare Chaplet | Prayer in Difficult Times (Powerful Prayer) |
Today’s Bible Reading: Thursday, October 10, 2024
Reading 1, Galatians 3:1-5
Responsorial Psalm, Luke 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75
Gospel, Luke 11:5-13
WORLD HOMELESS DAY ~ OCTOBER 10TH: Today, October 10th is World Homeless Day! A day recognized internationally to raise awareness of the needs of people experiencing homelessness and promote work in local communities to alleviate suffering and prevent death.
The aim and slogan of the day is ‘locals act locally on a global day’. World Homeless Day emerged in 2011 from discussions between groups working to help homelessness from various parts of the world. This day is observed on every continent except Antarctica.
Homelessness is a critical problem in our communities and one of the most pressing social issues today. According to statistics, there are currently a staggering 150 million + people who are homeless and a whopping 1.6 billion living in inadequate shelters worldwide. This number has definitely increased with a lot more due to the recent COVID pandemic.
Homelessness is not limited to rough sleepers sleeping in the streets. Anyone who doesn’t have a home, is considered homeless. This can be anybody couch surfing, sleeping in hostels, or overcrowded dwellings.
Homelessness is not inevitable but sadly it is true for many going through traumatic experiences. There are many causes why someone may become homeless such as, lack of affordable housing, poverty, loss of employment, health reasons including mental health issues and/or substance abuse, family breakdowns and violence, and limited housing/rental crisis.
The struggle to end homelessness and alleviate its consequences takes many forms, including efforts to ensure adequate housing, health care, and access to meaningful work. Gifting someone money on the street is helpful in the moment, and provides temporary relief, but a donation to an organisation means your money goes further into supporting the most vulnerable people in our communities. Homelessness is unacceptable. Every person has the right to adequate food, housing, clothing, and health care. Let us consider helping those in need in our communities.
SAINTS OF THE DAY: MEMORIAL OF SAINT PAULINUS OF YORK, BISHOP AND SAINT FRANCIS BORGIA, GENERAL OF THE JESUITS – FEAST DAY ~ OCTOBER 10TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Paulinus of York, Bishop and Saint Francis Borgia, General of the Jesuits. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for God’s Divine Grace and Mercy upon us all. We pray for the poor, the needy and the most vulnerable. We pray for the sick and dying, especially those who are mentally and physically ill and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the souls of the faithful departed. We pray for all widows and widowers. We pray for peace, love, and unity in our marriages, our families and our world. And we continue to pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Bishops, the Clergy, for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, for the Church, for persecuted christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world…. Amen🙏
SAINT PAULINUS OF YORK, BISHOP: St. Paulinus (c 584-644) was born in 584 in Rome, Italy. He was a Roman missionary and the first Bishop of York. A member of the Gregorian mission sent in 601 by Pope Gregory I to Christianize the Anglo-Saxons from their native Anglo-Saxon paganism, Paulinus arrived in England by 604 with the second missionary group. He evangelized in Kent for 24 years, worked in the Kentish Kingdom until 625 and little is known of Paulinus’s activities in the following two decades. At that time, King Edwin of Northumbria, who was a pagan, requested permission to marry Ethelburga, the Christian sister of King Edbald of Kent. Edwin indicated that he was willing to give Ethelburga complete freedom of conscience and might even become a convert himself. Therefore, St. Paulinus was consecrated Bishop of York and accompanied Ethelburga as her chaplain, on her journey to Northumbria to marry King Edwin of Northumbria. St. Paulinus was holding the hope that he could convert the pagan King as well as the Northumbrian people. Eventually, the Bishop’s hope came true and he succeeded in converting Edwin to Christianity in 627. He baptized Edwin and his infant daughter at Easter in a wooden church at York, which led the way to many nobles and others seeking Baptism. St. Paulinus also converted many of Edwin’s subjects and built some churches. One of the women Paulinus baptised was a future Saint, Hilda of Whitby. St. Paulinus also built a church of stone at Lincoln where he consecrated Honorius, Archbishop of Canterbury, in 628. He thus came to be known as the first Christian missionary to labor in Northumbria.
In 633, King Edwin was slain in the battle of Hadfield Chase, and all missionary action had to be suspended. Following Edwin’s death, St. Paulinus and Æthelburg fled Northumbria, leaving behind a member of St. Paulinus’s clergy, James the Deacon. St. Paulinus returned to Kent and took Queen Ethelburga and her two children back to Kent. He was then made Bishop of Rochester, comforting the people with his venerable and awe-inspiring presence for the rest of his days. He received a pallium from the pope, symbolizing his appointment as Archbishop of York, but too late to be effective. St. Paulinus died on October 10, 644 at Rochester, Kent, England of natural causes and interred in Rochester cathedral. After his death in 644, St. Paulinus was canonized as a saint. He’s the Patron Saint of Rochester, England and Rochester Diocese.
PRAYER: Lord, through St. Paulinus, Your Bishop, You brought those who had no faith out of darkness into the light of truth. By his intercession, keep us strong in our faith and steadfast in the hope of the Gospel he preached. Amen 🙏
SAINT FRANCIS BORGIA, GENERAL OF THE JESUITS: St. Francis Borgia (1510-1572) was born on October 28, 1510, in Gandia, Valencia, Spain. He was born to a noble family, the son of a Duke of Gandia, the great grandson of Pope Alexander VI, one of the notorious “Borgia Popes,” on his father’s side, and of King Ferdinand of Aragon on his mother’s side. St. Francis’ grandmother and mother lived with a convent of Poor Clares, and led the court of the Borgia in piety, restoring some of the scandalous lineage of the Borgia family. Francis grew in faith, and became a favorite at the court of Charles V. One day, St. Francis was traveling through Alcala, when he saw a man being escorted to prison by the Inquisition. That man was St. Ignatius of Loyola, who would have a profound impact on St. Francis’ life. St. Francis joined the Spanish court of King Charles V at the age of 18, married, and had 10 children. In 1539, St. Francis was made the Viceroy of Catalonia, and then became Duke of Gandia after his father’s death four years later. St. Francis experienced a profound religious conversion which caused him to renounce the pomp of the royal court, yet he continued his life of public service as the Viceroy of Catalonia. He built a university, became a Doctor in theology, and invited the Jesuits to his duchy. After his wife died in 1546, St. Francis entered the Society of Jesus, but the Pope ordered him to stay in the world, until he had taken care of his 10 children and his duchy. Two years later, after providing for his children, St. Francis left Gandia and he joined the Jesuits in Rome and was given a prominent position in the order by St. Ignatius of Loyola. He convinced Ignatius to found the Roman College, and then went to Spain, where he was known for his preaching and his holy example.
In 1565, St. Francis was elected as general, and initiated many projects with great zeal even though he was in ill health. He is known for so many reforms and projects. Under St. Francis’ leadership and reforms, the Jesuits advanced to such a great extent that he is considered to be their second founder. In the years following Ignatius’ death, St. Francis became head of the order and established Jesuit missions in multiple countries. He also counseled his missionaries in both practical strategies as well as spiritual discipline. St. Francis of Borgia was a celebrated preacher and a key figure in the Counter-Reformation movement. St. Francis died in Rome on September 30, 1572, in Ferrara, Spain, two days after returning from an apostolic journey to Spain. Saint Francis Borgia is one of the great saints of the Catholic Reformation, and was cannonized by Pope Clement X in 1670. St. Francis Borgia is the Patron Saint against earth quakes; Portugal, and Rota, Marianas. His feast day is October 10th.
QUOTES OF SAINT FRANCIS BORGIA
“Who could ever soften this heart of mine but YOU alone O Lord!”
“We must make our way towards eternity, never regarding what men think of us, or of our actions, studying only to please God.”
“We must perform all our works in God and refer them to His glory, so that they will be permanent and stable. Everyone—whether kings, nobles, tradesmen or peasants— must do all things for the glory of God and under the inspiration of Christ’s example. . . . ”
Saint Francis Borgia, General of the Jesuits ~ Pray for us 🙏
SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS:
Bible Readings for today, Thursday of the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB | https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Gospel Reading ~ Luke 11:5-13
“Ask and you will receive”
“Jesus said to his disciples: “Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,’ and he says in reply from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.’ I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence. “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus encourages us to pray the prayer of petition, to petition God, ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; search and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you’, literally, ‘Keep on asking… keep on searching… keep on knocking’. Any father will give only good things to his children even if they ask for something harmful to them. Jesus concludes from this human experience that our heavenly Father will certainly give good things to us when we petition God in prayer. Jesus seems to be suggesting that the prayer of petition opens us up to the good things that God wants to give us. What does God want to give us? At the end of the Gospel reading, Jesus identifies the good that God wants to give us with the Holy Spirit. ‘How much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?’ Even if our prayer of petition is not answered in the way we would like, such prayer will always open us up to God’s gift of the Holy Spirit and this is a greater gift than anything else we could ask for. Pentecost is not just a once off event at the beginning of the church’s life. It is a daily event for those who persevere with the prayer of petition, those who come before God in their need and open their hearts to God’s gift. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is described as ‘filled with joy by the Holy Spirit’. The same Holy Spirit that filled the life of Jesus will be given to us if we keep asking God for it. In the Acts of the Apostles, the Holy Spirit comes down upon the first followers of Jesus, in response to their prayer. The words of Jesus in today’s Gospel reading suggest that each of us can have our own Pentecost experience if we ask for it and seek it. Indeed, we need such a Pentecost experience, not just once but throughout our lives. That is why Jesus calls on us to keep on asking for the gift of the Holy Spirit. This is a prayer that God will certainly answer because we need the Holy Spirit if God’s purpose for our lives is to come to pass. It is the Spirit who unites us to Jesus and to God the Father and, thereby, empowers us to live as God desires us to live and to love others as God loves us.
In our first reading today from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful people of God in Galatia in part of what is now present day Turkey where the Apostle continued to speak to the people regarding the matters of how they ought to be truly be faithful and obedient to God, not by following the false leads and guidance from those who did not follow the Lord in the right manner, referring indirectly to the ways, beliefs and practices of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who often enforced a very rigid and legalistic way of observing and practicing the Law of God. But those people spent a lot of time, focus and emphasis on how the details and the various fine procedures on how the Law was to be practiced, yet, they failed to truly understand and appreciate the true meaning, intention and purpose of the Law. Therefore, St. Paul was reminding the people of God that to be truly faithful to the Lord, they must always remember to truly understand the Lord’s Law, commandments, His will and teaching, the spirit of the Law rather than just the letter of the Law. Many of the people like the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law focused so much on the letter of the Law, on external appearances and details that they had neglected what was truly important in following God, that is obedience and the willingness to listen to the Lord, Who has shown them the way and revealed to them the truth through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. But those people refused to believe in the truth and persisted in their erroneous and incorrect ways because they were too full of pride and ego, ambition and desires in life, that they could not detach themselves from those temptations and fell ever deeper into the path of disobedience against God.
As we reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded of the love of God that has been presented and made manifest to us through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Each and every one of us as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people have all received the assurance of the Lord for His kindness, compassion and generosity. Each and every one of us as God’s beloved people have the privilege of being called as God’s own beloved children, as those whom He has chosen to be His own and to receive the wonders of His blessings and graces. We should be thankful and appreciative of everything that we had been blessed with by the Lord and strive to live our lives worthily of Him, while asking Him for help and guidance whenever we have need of them. Let us all therefore do our best in our everyday life and at each and every moments and opportunities provided to us so that we may continue to be good role models and inspiration for everyone around us and that our lives and actions may truly reflect who we are as Christians, as God’s holy and worthy people, those whom He had called and chosen to be His own. Let us all continue to devote our time, effort and attention to do what God has asked us to do, and at the same time, we ourselves should continue to deepen our relationship with God, to get to know Him better and to be more prayerful in our lives. Let every moment of our lives be attuned closely to God by our efforts to constantly communicate with the Lord our God, so that we may truly know what He wants us to do, and how we should go forward and reach Him. May the Lord, our ever loving God and compassionate Master continue to love us all most generously, and may He continue to strengthen and empower us all in our respective journey in life. We are called to emulate the Saints, Holy men and women, especially the Saints we celebrate today, Saint Paulinus of York and Saint Francis Borgia. May the Lord bless our every works, efforts and endeavours, our every good attempts and all the things we say and do, in our interactions with one another, so that through these exemplary and inspirational deeds, we may lead ever more and more people towards the Lord and His salvation. May we grow ever more faithful and courageous in proclaiming the Good News of God in all of every moments of our lives, now and always. May the good Lord bless us all and may He help us in our path and journey, all throughout our lives. May God in His infinite grace and mercy, grant us the grace and the eyes to see the many signs of the Lord’s presence in our day to day lives. Amen🙏
DEVOTION OF THE MONTH OF OCTOBER:
MONTH OF THE HOLY ROSARY: The Catholic Church designates and dedicate October as the Month of the Holy Rosary. During this month the faithful venerate the Blessed Virgin Mary especially under her title of Our Lady of the Rosary, and make special effort to honor the Holy Rosary with group recitations and rosary processions. The Lady of the Rosary honors a large battle between the Catholic Church and the Muslim caliphate of the Ottoman Empire. This battle, in the Gulf of Patras, near Greece, took place in the 16th century, on October 7, 1571. St. Dominic de Guzman, the founder of the Order of Preachers, is the Saint to whom Our Lady famously appeared and gave the prayers of the Holy Rosary to assist him as a spiritual weapon in combating heresy and leading souls back to the one, true Catholic faith. Our Blessed Mother Mary ~ Pray for us 🙏
THE MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY: Until about the 15th century hundreds of mysteries were part of the Rosary devotion then the 15 mysteries that we know today were definitively fixed as “the Mysteries of the Rosary.” Pope John Paul II, in his encyclical, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, in 2002 added the five Luminous Mysteries.
Through the meditations of the complete Rosary one recalls and has impressed on his mind, the Popes tell us, “the chief mysteries of the Christian religion,” “the mysteries of our Redemption,” “the great mysteries of Jesus and His Mother united in joys, sorrows, and triumphs.” The twenty mysteries are divided into four equal groups, known as “The Joyful,” “The Sorrowful,” “The Glorious,” and “The Luminous Mysteries.”
PRAYER OF ST. LOUISE DE MONTFORT: O Jesus living in Mary, come and live in Your servants, in the spirit of Your holiness, in the fullness of Your might, in the perfection of Your ways, in the truth of Your virtues, in the communion of Your mysteries. Subdue every hostile power, the devil, the world and the flesh, in the strength of Your Spirit, for the glory of Your Father, Amen 🙏🏽
https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/overviews/months/10_1.cfm
THE POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS FOR 2024: FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER – FOR A SHARED MISSION: We pray that the Church continue to sustain in all ways a Synodal lifestyle, as a sign of co-responsibility, promoting the participation, the communion and the mission shared among priests, religious and lay people.
https://www.usccb.org/prayers/popes-monthly-intentions-2024
PRAYER FOR PEACE ~ POPE FRANCIS:
Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!
We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced; how much blood has been shed; how many lives have been shattered; how many hopes have been buried… But our efforts have been in vain. Now, Lord, come to our aid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: “Never again war!”; “With war everything is lost”. Instill in our hearts courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace. Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarreling into forgiveness. Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words “division”, “hatred” and “war” be banished from the heart of every man and woman. Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands. Renew our hearts and minds so that the word which always brings us together will be “brother”, and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam! Amen 🙏🏾
During this Ordinary Time, please let us all continue to pray for peace all over the world, particularly in Africa, Nigeria, the Middle East, for an end to the current war in Israel-Palestine, and the Ukraine-Russia conflicts and for peace in our families and throughout our divided and conflicted World. Amen 🙏🏾
Prayers for Peace | https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/prayers-for-peace/
PRAYER INTENTIONS: During this season of the Ordinary Time, through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for our children and children all over the world, we pray for their health, safety and well-being, we particularly pray for those who have no one to care for them and those who are terminally ill, we pray for God’s Divine healing upon them. We pray for all mothers, wives, those going through challenges in their marriages, Victims of verbal and spousal abuse, and we pray for peace, love and unity in our families and our world. Every life is a gift. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the gentle soul of our beloved family members who recently passed away and the souls of all the faithful departed, may the Lord receive them into the light of Eternal Kingdom. For all widows and widowers. And we continue to pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Bishops, the Clergy, and all those who preach the Gospel. We pray for Vocation to the Priesthood and Religious life. We particularly pray for all Youths and all Seminarians, with special intention for those Seminarians who will be ordained into Priesthood. For the Church, for persecuted Christians, for all the innocent who suffer violence due to political or religious unrest, for the conversion of sinners and Christians all over the world. Amen 🙏
Let us pray:
My perfect Lord, Your will and Your will alone is what I want and seek. I seek it with all the powers of my soul. Help me to grow in confidence in You and Your goodness. May I trust in You and believe with all my heart that You truly will bring forth Your holy will in my life if I only persist in prayer and trust. Jesus, I trust in You ~ Amen 🙏🏽
Save Us, Savior of the World. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Most Precious Blood of Jesus, have mercy on us. Our Blessed Mother Mary; Mother of Mercy; Saint Paulinus of York and Saint Francis Borgia ~ Pray ray for us 🙏
Thanking God for the gift of this day and praying for justice, peace, love and unity in our families and our world and for God’s Divine Mercy and Grace upon us all. Have a blessed, safe, grace-filled and fruitful and week and month of October 🙏🏽
Blessings and Love always, Philomena💖
Daily Reflections | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com
Foundation | https://gliopiepehe.org
Sir G.L.I Opiepe’s Health and Education Foundation |