Archive for November 1, 2023

Hallowed Night

Posted: November 1, 2023 by CatholicJules in Testimonies
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What a grace filled evening this hallowed All Saints Day. We had a simple, nice dinner before attending mass and we were still about an hour early. My wife was proclaiming tonight and so she needed to be there slightly early to do a sound check. We sat right in front, close to the altar. I then took my kindle out to continue reading the book by Fr Acklin and Fr Boniface Hicks.

Suddenly I heard someone either laughing or crying but could not be sure. I turned to my daughter to ask if she heard it too but she said she didn’t. Then it got a little louder, still she did not hear anything. Third time I asked her and she finally said there was a lady seated six rows back who was crying. I was hesitant at first but felt that the Lord had opened my ears to hear His child in distress and I needed to respond. The lady was a total stranger to me as I did not recognize her. I went and sat beside her and asked if she was ok. She just sobbed louder with her eyes closed and tears streaming down her face. I asked if I could pray for her and she nodded her head vigorously. So I prayed aloud for her, for Jesus’s peace to flow into her troubled heart and went on with whatever the Holy Spirit led me to pray. I ended with asking our Blessed Mother to come sit with and comfort her as I prayed a Hail Mary. I then gave her a pat on her shoulder to reassure her of our Lord’s loving presence and returned to my seat. She stopped crying two minutes later.

Then to our great and pleasant surprise, we were approached and asked if we would like to be the offertory couple for this solemnity. What a Blessing!

The consolations that came during mass was a little overwhelming. Felt the love of God poured into our hearts! Don’t know about my wife but I teared a little.

When mass ended I wanted to share the Blessings and so prayed for healing for an elderly sister in Christ who still had pains from her knee surgery done not too long ago. Then a prayer of Blessing for the sister in Christ who had approached us earlier to be the offertory couple.

Jesus you’re so good! We love You. Amen

On Today’s Gospel

Posted: November 1, 2023 by CatholicJules in Personal Thoughts & Reflections
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What a privellege to honour and celebrate the lives of the Saints who are now in Heaven interceding for us.

These are men and women who lived the beatitudes in their life. They were far from perfect, yet strived all their lives for perfection through Jesus Christ our Lord. To be Holy as our Heavenly Father is Holy.

So then how much closer are we to becoming Saints as we are called to be. We entered into Holiness and became children of God our Heavenly Father. How then are we living as children of the light?

Let us not be discouraged but turn to the Holy Spirit who is with us to strengthen, counsel and guide us. And we have the Saints to call upon to aid us.

All you Saints and Angels in Heaven pray for us…  



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First reading
Apocalypse 7:2-4,9-14 ·


I saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language

I, John, saw another angel rising where the sun rises, carrying the seal of the living God; he called in a powerful voice to the four angels whose duty was to devastate land and sea, ‘Wait before you do any damage on land or at sea or to the trees, until we have put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.’ Then I heard how many were sealed: a hundred and forty-four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel.
    After that I saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. They shouted aloud, ‘Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ And all the angels who were standing in a circle round the throne, surrounding the elders and the four animals, prostrated themselves before the throne, and touched the ground with their foreheads, worshipping God with these words, ‘Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and strength to our God for ever and ever. Amen.’
    One of the elders then spoke, and asked me, ‘Do you know who these people are, dressed in white robes, and where they have come from?’ I answered him, ‘You can tell me, my lord.’ Then he said, ‘These are the people who have been through the great persecution, and they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb.’

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Second reading
1 John 3:1-3 ·


We shall be like God because we shall see him as he really is


Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us, by letting us be called God’s children; and that is what we are.
Because the world refused to acknowledge him, therefore it does not acknowledge us.
My dear people, we are already the children of God but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed; all we know is, that when it is revealed we shall be like him
because we shall see him as he really is.
Surely everyone who entertains this4 hope must purify himself, must try to be as pure as Christ.

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Gospel
Matthew 5:1-12a


How happy are the poor in spirit

Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:

‘How happy are the poor in spirit;
    theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Happy the gentle: they shall have the earth for their heritage.
Happy those who mourn:
    they shall be comforted.
Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right:
    they shall be satisfied.
Happy the merciful:
    they shall have mercy shown them.
Happy the pure in heart:
    they shall see God.
Happy the peacemakers:
    they shall be called sons of God.
Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right:
    theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

‘Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.’