and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
FEBRUARY

The Holy Father’s Intentions for the Month of FEBRUARY 2023
For Parishes: We pray that parishes, placing communion at the centre, may increasingly become communities of faith, fraternity and welcome towards those most in need. (See also http://www.popesprayerusa.net/.)
VIDEO:
Fr.Joseph Whalen, M.S.World Healing Prayer – YouTube
Most Recent Article on the St. Raphael oil from the Catholic Free Press

ORDINARY TIME: February 7th
Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Other Commemorations: Blessed Pius IX, Pope (RM)
Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time, Entrance Antiphon, Ps 95 (94):6-7:
O come, let us worship God and bow low before the God who made us, for he is the Lord our God.
Alleluia Verse for Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time, Cf. Mt 4:23:
Incline my heart, O God, to your decrees; and favor me with your law.
Communion Antiphon, Cf. Ps 107 (106):8-9:
Let them thank the Lord for his mercy, his wonders for the children of men, for he satisfies the thirsty soul, and the hungry he fills with good things.
The Roman Martyrology commemorates Blessed Pius IX (1792-1878), who reigned as pope from 1846-1878. He was the last pope to hold temporal power for the Papal States, before they were reformed. He defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary on December 8, 1854 and celebrated the First Vatican Council from 1869 to 1870, which defined the dogma of papal infallibility. He was beatified by Pope St. John Paul II on September 3, 2000.
February 7-14 marks the National Marriage Week.
Meditation: The Supreme Lover
The Goodness of God means that God gives us what we need for our perfection, not what we want for our pleasure and sometimes for our destruction. As a sculptor, He sometimes applies the chisel to the marble of our imperfect selves and knocks off huge chunks of selfishness that His image may better stand revealed. Like a musician, whenever He finds the strings too loose on the violin of our personality, He tightens them even though it hurts, that we may better reveal our hidden harmonies.
As the Supreme Lover of our soul, He does care how we act and think and speak. What father does not want to be proud of his son? If the father speaks with authority now and then to his son, it is not because he is a dictator, but because he wants him to be a worthy son. Not even progressive parents, who deny discipline and restraint, are indifferent to the progress of their children. So long as there is love, there is necessarily a desire for the perfecting of the beloved.
That is precisely the way God’s goodness manifests itself to us. God really loves us and, because He loves us, He is not disinterested. He no more wants you to be unhappy than your own parents want you to be unhappy. God made you not for His happiness, but for yours, and to ask God to be satisfied with most of us as we really are, is to ask that God cease to love.
— Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
Bl. Pius IX
Bl. Pope Pius IX was born in Senigallia, Italy, on 13 May 1792, the son of Gerolamo of the Counts Mastai Ferretti, and Caterina Solazzi, of the local nobility. He was baptized on the day of his birth with the name Giovanni Maria. Of delicate physical constitution but of very lively intelligence, his childhood was marked by little voluntary mortifications and an intense religious life.
In 1809 he moved to Rome for higher studies. A disease not well diagnosed, which some called epilepsy, forced him to interrupt his studies in 1812. He was accepted into the Pontifical Noble Guard in 1815, but because of his illness, he was immediately discharged. It was at this time that St Vincent Pallotti predicted that he would become Pope and that the Virgin of Loreto would free him eventually from the disease.
After serving briefly in the Tata Giovanni Educational Institute, he participated as a catechist in 1816 in a memorable mission in Senigallia and, immediately thereafter, decided to enter the ecclesiastical state. He was ordained a priest in 1819. Conscious of his noble rank, he committed himself to avoiding a prelatial career in order to remain only at the service of the Church.
He celebrated his first Mass in the Church of St Anne of the Carpenters at the Tata Giovanni Institute, of which he was named rector, remaining there until 1823. He was immediately recognized as assiduous in prayer, in the ministry of the Word, in the celebration of the liturgy, in the confessional, and above all in his daily ministry at the service of the humblest and neediest. He admirably united the active and the contemplative life: ready for pastoral needs, but always interiorly recollected, with strong Eucharistic and Marian devotion and fidelity to daily meditation and the examination of conscience.
In 1823 he left the institute to serve the Apostolic Nuncio in Chile, Mons. Giovanni Muzi. There he remained until 1825 when he was elected President of St Michael’s Hospice, a grand but complex institution in need of effective reform. To it Mastai applied himself with more than gratifying results, but without ever neglecting his priestly duties. Two years later, at the age of 35, he was consecrated Archbishop of Spoleto. In 1831 the revolution which had begun in Parma and Modena spread to Spoleto. The Archbishop did not want the shedding of blood and repaired, as much as possible, the deleterious effects of the violence. When calm was restored, he obtained a pardon for all, even for those who did not merit it.
Another turbulent see awaited Mastai in Imola, where he was transferred in 1832. He remained an eloquent preacher, prompt in charity toward everyone, zealous for the supernatural as well as the material well-being of his Diocese, devoted to his clergy and seminarians, a promoter of education for the young, sensitive to the needs of the contemplative life, devoted to the Sacred Heart and to Our Lady, benevolent towards all but firm in his principles. In 1840 he received the Cardinal’s hat at the age of 48.
Despite having shunned honors, on the evening of 16 June 1846, Mastai found himself burdened with the greatest of them: he was elected Pope and took the name Pius IX.
He had a difficult pontificate, but precisely because of that he was a great Pope, certainly one of the greatest. Thoroughly aware of being the “Vicar of Christ” and responsible for the rights of God and of the Church, he was clear, simple consistent. He combined firmness and understanding, fidelity and openness.
He began with an act of generosity and Christian sensitivity: amnesty for political crimes. His first Encyclical was a programmatic vision, but anticipated the “Syllabus”: in it, he condemned secret societies, freemasonry, and communism. In 1847 he promulgated a decree granting extensive freedom of the press and instituted a civil guard, the municipal and communal council, the Council of State, and the Council of Ministers. From then on his interventions as Father of all nations and temporal Prince continued unabated.
The question of Italian independence, which he sympathized with, did not set the Prince against the Pope, a fact that alienated the most intransigent liberals. The situation came to a head on 15 November when Pellegrino Rossi, the head of government, was killed and Pius IX had to take refuge in Gaeta.
After the proclamation of the Roman Republic (9 February 1849), he moved to Portici and later returned to Rome (12 April 1850). He reorganized the Council of State, established the Council for Finances, granted a new amnesty, and re-established the Catholic hierarchy in England and in Holland.
In 1853 he condemned Gallican doctrines and founded the well-known “Seminario Pio”. He established the Commission on Christian Archaeology, defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception on 8 December 1854, and blessed the rebuilt St Paul’s Basilica which had been destroyed by fire in 1823.
In 1856 he approved the plan for railways in the Papal States and on 24 April 1859 inaugurated the first section between Rome and Civitavecchia. In 1857 he visited the Papal States and was welcomed everywhere with rejoicing. He sent missionaries to the North Pole, India, Burma, China, and Japan.
Meanwhile, dark clouds gathered over him with the Italian “Risorgimento”, the Piedmontese annexations that were dismantling the Papal States, and the expropriation of the Legations. Suffering but undaunted, he continued to show his charity and concern for all. In 1862 he established a dicastery to deal with the concerns of Eastern-rite Catholics; in 1864 he published his Syllabus condemning modern errors; in 1867 he celebrated the 18th centenary of the martyrdom of Peter and Paul; in 1869 he received the homage of the entire world for the golden jubilee of his priestly ordination. Later that year he opened the First Vatican Ecumenical Council, the pearl of his pontificate, and closed it on 18 July 1870.
With the fall of Rome (20 September 1870) and of the temporal power, the saddened Pontiff considered himself a prisoner of the Vatican, resisting the “Laws of Guarantees”, but approving the “Work of Congresses”. He consecrated the Church to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, disciplined the participation of Catholics in political life with the Non expedite and restored the Catholic hierarchy of Scotland. Suffering from poor health, he gave his last address to the parish priests of Rome on 2 February 1878. On 7 February the longest pontificate in history ended with his holy death.
—Excerpted from the Vatican Website
Patronage: Bavarian Congregation
Highlights and Things to Do:
- Read more about Bl. Pius IX:
- See the Vatican for Pius IX’s list of writings.
- Watch this brief video about Bl. Pius IX.
- Blessed Pius IX is buried in the Basilica of St. Lawrence Outside the Walls (Basilica di San Lorenzo fuori le mura). His body is said to be incorrupt.

MASS READINGS
February 07, 2023 (Readings on USCCB website)
COLLECT PRAYER
Fifth Week in Ordinary Time: Keep your family safe, O Lord, with unfailing care, that, relying solely on the hope of heavenly grace, they may be defended always by your protection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2023-02-07&
Daily Meditation: Mark 7:1-13
You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition. (Mark 7:13)
In today’s Gospel, some Pharisees and scribes ask what appears to be an innocent question: why did Jesus’ disciples eat with unclean hands? After all, Jewish tradition was clear about the importance of washing hands as part of ritual purification. But Jesus’ rebuke is clear: traditions were meant to be at the service of God’s commandments, not the other way around. They should never undermine the commandments or give us the excuse to ignore them (Mark 7:9).
So how can we ensure that we are not “nullify[ing] the word of God” in favor of something less important (Mark 7:13)? Let’s reflect on some of the Beatitudes, which are among Jesus’ most important teachings, to see if we can find some helpful answers.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” Jesus teaches (Matthew 5:3). He invites us to let go of our attachment to material things and to trust in God’s provision for us instead. Often the “smart” thing seems to be to amass and hold tightly to our resources. But can you count yourself “blessed” even when your resources are limited or when you feel prompted to give generously?
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matthew 5:7). Jesus calls us to forgive those who have hurt us, but some of our family or cultural traditions might tell us that it’s acceptable to hold a grudge or a judgment, especially against someone who doesn’t acknowledge their role in hurting us. Are you willing to let go of these judgments and trust that God’s mercy is as much for those who might have hurt you as it is for you?
“Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10). It’s hardly considered a blessing to be persecuted! In fact, people might consider us forsaken by God while we endure various trials. But Jesus asks us to consider ourselves blessed, and even to rejoice when we experience opposition or misunderstandings—because we’re becoming more like him!
Allow God’s word, and not human traditions, to shape your perspective today. Let it help you leave behind any ways that keep you from following him with your whole heart.
“Lord, I want to trust you and rely on your ways.”
Genesis 1:20–2:4
Psalm 8:4-9
7TH FEBRUARY 2023
▪Dear friend, when we understand that we are all created in the image and likeness of God, those who oppress others will desist from it, defrauding others will be a thing of the past, we will feel the pains of others no matter the distance. Why are we divided by politics, religion, color, beliefs, or races? It is because we do not remember that all are made in the image and likeness of God. May we not allow any selfish or personal interest to darken our humanity.


Miraculous Rosary: FAMOUS ROSARY MIRACLES
For Meditation: to Jesus thru Mary
4th sorrowful mystery in the Domincan rosary Mary meets Jesus carrying the cross.
4th sorrow on the Servite Rosary Mary meets Jesus carrying the cross.
4th Station of the Cross: Jesus meets Mary
Why pray the Rosary today? Certainly, to grow in holiness and in one’s prayer life. The following are a few others reasons why the rosary should be prayed often, even daily:
“Among all the devotions approved by the Church none has been so favored by so many miracles as the devotion of the Most Holy Rosary” (Pope Pius IX).
“Say the Rosary every day to obtain peace for the world” (Our Lady of Fátima).
“There is no surer means of calling down God’s blessings upon the family . . . than the daily recitation of the Rosary” (Pope Pius XII).
“We do not hesitate to affirm again publicly that we put great confidence in the Holy Rosary for the healing of evils of our times” (Pope Pius XII).
“No one can live continually in sin and continue to say the Rosary: either they will give up sin or they will give up the Rosary” (Bishop Hugh Doyle).
“The Rosary is a magnificent and universal prayer for the needs of the Church, the nations and the entire world” (Pope John XXIII).
“The Rosary is the compendium of the entire Gospel” (Pope Paul VI quoting Pope Pius XII).
“Meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary . . . can be an excellent preparation for the celebration of those same mysteries in the liturgical actions [i.e. the Mass] and can also become a continuing echo thereof” (Pope Paul VI).
“My impression is that the Rosary is of the greatest value not only according to the words of Our Lady at Fátima, but according to the effects of the Rosary one sees throughout history. My impression is that Our Lady wanted to give ordinary people, who might not know how to pray, this simple method of getting closer to God” (Sister Lucia, one of the seers of Fátima).
“How beautiful is the family that recites the Rosary every evening” (Pope John Paul II).
Pope John Paul II has called the Rosary his “favorite prayer,” after the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours.
St. Louis de Montfort warns us against both the ignorant and scholars who regard the Rosary as something of little importance…”the Rosary is a priceless treasure inspired by God.”
Pray for us, O’ Holy Mother of God. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
+ + + +
- Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
- Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
- Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
- Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
- Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
- Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
- Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.”
V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace,
The Lord is with Thee;
Blessed art thou among women,
And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners,
Now and at the hour of our death. Amen
V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
R. Be it done unto me according to thy word.
Hail Mary, etc.
V. And the Word was made Flesh.
R. And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary, etc.
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
LET US PRAY
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.
May the Divine assistance remain always with us and may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
When prayed in a group setting a leader recites the verses and everyone recites both the responses and the Hail Mary’s in between each verse, as shown above.
Although the Angelus has been traditionally said three times daily, at 6 am, noon and 6 pm, you can pray it at anytime especially at NOON. It is still accompanied by the ringing of a bell (the Angelus bell) in some places such as Vatican City and parts of Germany and Ireland.
Blessed be God.
Blessed be His Holy Name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
Blessed be the name of Jesus.
Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the paraclete.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in His angels and in His Saints.
May the heart of Jesus, in the Most Blessed Sacrament, be praised, adored, and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. Amen
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PRAYER TO THE INFANT OF PRAGUEO Infant of Prague, who said, “The more you honor me, the more I will bless you,” give us the strength to bear the burden of daily life in this sinful world. Give us a firm purpose of amendment and a resolve to lead a better life. Help us endure our afflictions and sorrows with patience and courage. Finally, O beloved Infant King if it be your will grant my petition (mention petition here). But whatever you choose, give me the strength to submit to your will in all things. Amen.HEALING PRAYERLORD, JESUS CHRIST, I AM DEEPLY SORRY FOR MY SINS. HAVE MERCY ON ME. In Your name, JESUS, I ask You for the grace to forgive myself. I ask your forgiveness for hurting others. I ask for the grace to forgive all those who have hurt me in this life, and especially the one person who has hurt me the most. I renounce forever Satan, ALL the evil spirits and all their works. I give you my entire self Lord JESUS, now and forever, you are my Lord, God, SAVIOR AND REDEEMER. Please heal me, change me, strengthen me in body, mind and spirit for my greater service in Your Kingdom. Allow me to lead other souls to You through my good example. JESUS I trust in you! Come Lord JESUS, cover me with Your most precious blood, and fill me with Your Holy Spirit, I praise You, I thank You, I glorify Your name, JESUS. I love You JESUS WITH MY WHOLE HEART, SOUL, MIND, BODY AND MY WHOLE BEING. O’ Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with Holy Raphael the Archangel and all the holy Angels and Saints, pray for us! Amen
Holy Raphael says in Chapter 12 in the
BOOK OF TOBIT 12:7-10
7 A king’s secret it is prudent to keep, but the works of God are to be declared and made known. Praise them with due honor. Do good, and evil will not find its way to you.
8 Prayer and fasting are good, but better than either is almsgiving accompanied by righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than abundance with wickedness. It is better to give alms than to store up gold;
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We must work in the Vineyard and
not return to GOD with empty hands!
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THE CORPORAL ACTS
- To feed the hungry;
- To give drink to the thirsty;
- To clothe the naked;
- To visit the imprisoned;
- To visit the sick;
- To shelter the homeless;
- To bury the dead.
- To instruct the ignorant;
- To counsel the doubtful;
- To admonish the sinner;
- To bear wrongs patiently;
- To forgive offences willingly;
- To comfort the sorrowful;
- To pray for the living and the dead.
44 Messianic Prophecies of Jesus | |||
Prophecies of Jesus | Old Testament Scripture |
New Testament Fulfillment |
|
1 | Messiah would be born of a woman. | Genesis 3:15 | Matthew 1:20 Galatians 4:4 |
2 | Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. | Micah 5:2 | Matthew 2:1 Luke 2:4-6 |
3 | Messiah would be born of a virgin. | Isaiah 7:14 | Matthew 1:22-23 Luke 1:26-31 |
4 | Messiah would come from the line ofAbraham. | Genesis 12:3 Genesis 22:18 |
Matthew 1:1 Romans 9:5 |
5 | Messiah would be a descendant of Isaac. | Genesis 17:19 Genesis 21:12 |
Luke 3:34 |
6 | Messiah would be a descendant of Jacob. | Numbers 24:17 | Matthew 1:2 |
7 | Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah. | Genesis 49:10 | Luke 3:33 Hebrews 7:14 |
8 | Messiah would be heir to King David’s throne. | 2 Samuel 7:12-13 Isaiah 9:7 |
Luke 1:32-33 Romans 1:3 |
9 | Messiah’s throne will be anointed and eternal. | Psalm 45:6-7 Daniel 2:44 |
Luke 1:33 Hebrews 1:8-12 |
10 | Messiah would be called Immanuel. | Isaiah 7:14 | Matthew 1:23 |
11 | Messiah would spend a season in Egypt. | Hosea 11:1 | Matthew 2:14-15 |
12 | A massacre of children would happen at Messiah’s birthplace. | Jeremiah 31:15 | Matthew 2:16-18 |
13 | A messenger would prepare the way for Messiah | Isaiah 40:3-5 | Luke 3:3-6 |
14 | Messiah would be rejected by his own people. | Psalm 69:8 Isaiah 53:3 |
John 1:11 John 7:5 |
15 | Messiah would be a prophet. | Deuteronomy 18:15 | Acts 3:20-22 |
16 | Messiah would be preceded by Elijah. | Malachi 4:5-6 | Matthew 11:13-14 |
17 | Messiah would be declared the Son of God. | Psalm 2:7 | Matthew 3:16-17 |
18 | Messiah would be called a Nazarene. | Isaiah 11:1 | Matthew 2:23 |
19 | Messiah would bring light to Galilee. | Isaiah 9:1-2 | Matthew 4:13-16 |
20 | Messiah would speak in parables. | Psalm 78:2-4 Isaiah 6:9-10 |
Matthew 13:10-15, 34-35 |
21 | Messiah would be sent to heal the brokenhearted. | Isaiah 61:1-2 | Luke 4:18-19 |
22 | Messiah would be a priest after the order of Melchizedek. | Psalm 110:4 | Hebrews 5:5-6 |
23 | Messiah would be called King. | Psalm 2:6 Zechariah 9:9 |
Matthew 27:37 Mark 11:7-11 |
24 | Messiah would be praised by little children. | Psalm 8:2 | Matthew 21:16 |
25 | Messiah would be betrayed. | Psalm 41:9 Zechariah 11:12-13 |
Luke 22:47-48 Matthew 26:14-16 |
26 | Messiah’s price money would be used to buy a potter’s field. | Zechariah 11:12-13 | Matthew 27:9-10 |
27 | Messiah would be falsely accused. | Psalm 35:11 | Mark 14:57-58 |
28 | Messiah would be silent before his accusers. | Isaiah 53:7 | Mark 15:4-5 |
29 | Messiah would be spat upon and struck. | Isaiah 50:6 | Matthew 26:67 |
30 | Messiah would be hated without cause. | Psalm 35:19 Psalm 69:4 |
John 15:24-25 |
31 | Messiah would be crucified with criminals. | Isaiah 53:12 | Matthew 27:38 Mark 15:27-28 |
32 | Messiah would be given vinegar to drink. | Psalm 69:21 | Matthew 27:34 John 19:28-30 |
33 | Messiah’s hands and feet would be pierced. | Psalm 22:16 Zechariah 12:10 |
John 20:25-27 |
34 | Messiah would be mocked and ridiculed. | Psalm 22:7-8 | Luke 23:35 |
35 | Soldiers would gamble for Messiah’s garments. | Psalm 22:18 | Luke 23:34 Matthew 27:35-36 |
36 | Messiah’s bones would not be broken. | Exodus 12:46 Psalm 34:20 |
John 19:33-36 |
37 | Messiah would be forsaken by God. | Psalm 22:1 | Matthew 27:46 |
38 | Messiah would pray for his enemies. | Psalm 109:4 | Luke 23:34 |
39 | Soldiers would pierce Messiah’s side. | Zechariah 12:10 | John 19:34 |
40 | Messiah would be buried with the rich. | Isaiah 53:9 | Matthew 27:57-60 |
41 | Messiah would resurrect from the dead. | Psalm 16:10 Psalm 49:15 |
Matthew 28:2-7 Acts 2:22-32 |
42 | Messiah would ascend to heaven. | Psalm 24:7-10 | Mark 16:19 Luke 24:51 |
43 | Messiah would be seated at God’s right hand. | Psalm 68:18 Psalm 110:1 |
Mark 16:19 Matthew 22:44 |
44 | Messiah would be a sacrifice for sin. | Isaiah 53:5-12 | Romans 5:6-8 |
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https://www.thoughtco.com/prophecies-of-jesus-fulfilled-700159
MIRACLES OF JESUS CHRIST
Healing Miracles
Other Miracles
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