Sunday, April 30, 2017

Project BLACK MAMBA: Eastertide, Backlog Edition

Saturday, 29 April was the Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin & Doctor of the Church, T.O.S.D. (1347-1380), stigmatic: Doctor-link ūna, Doctor-link duae, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:
Saint Catherine of Siena, T.O.S.D., was a tertiary of the Dominican Order & a Scholastic philosopher & theologian. She also worked to bring the papacy of Gregory XI back to Rome from its displacement in France & to establish peace among the Italian city-states.
Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:
St. Catherine was born at Siena in 1347. While still a young girl, she sought the way of perfection & entered the Third Order of St. Dominic. On fire with love of God & neighbor, she established peace & concord between cities, vigorously fought for the rights & freedom of the Roman Pontiff, convincing him to return to Rome from Avignon. St. Catherine received the stigmata. She also promoted renewal of religious life. She composed works of doctrine & spiritual inspiration. She died in 1380.
'Twas also the festival of Saint Díchu mac Trichim, Confessor (fourth century, A.K.A. Dictinus): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: St. Díchu was St. Patrick's (17 March) first convert in Ireland.

'Twas also the festival of Saint Hugh of Cluny, Priest & Abbot, O.S.B. (1024-1109, A.K.A. the Great, of Semur): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Easter Weekday
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter six, verses one thru seven;
Psalm Thirty-three, verses one & two, four & five, & eighteen & nineteen;
The Gospel according to John, chapter six, verses sixteen thru twenty-one.

Commentary: Easter Gospel reflection by Bishop Robert Barron:
Friends, in today's Gospel, Jesus demonstrates his authority over nature by walking on the sea. Water is, throughout the Scriptures, a symbol of danger and chaos. At the very beginning of time, when all was a formless waste, the spirit of the Lord hovered over the surface of the waters. This signals God's lordship over all of the powers of darkness and disorder. In the Old Testament the Israelites are escaping from Egypt, and they confront the waters of the Red Sea. Through the prayer of Moses, they are able to walk through the midst of the waves.

Now in the New Testament, this same symbolism can be found. In all four of the Gospels there is a version of this story of Jesus mastering the waves. The boat, with Peter and the other disciples, is evocative of the Church, the followers of Jesus. It moves through the waters, and the Church will move through time.

All types of Storms—chaos, corruption, stupidity, danger, persecution—will inevitably arise. But Jesus comes walking on the sea. This is meant to affirm his divinity: just as the spirit of God hovered over the waters at the beginning, so Jesus hovers over them now.
Mass Readings—Memorial of St. Catherine
The First Letter of John, chapter one, verse five thru chapter two, verse two;
Psalm One Hundred Three, verse one;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter eleven, verses twenty-five thru thirty.

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Also, Thursday, 6 April was the festival of Saint Peter of Verona, Priest & Martyr, O.P. (1206-1252), martyred by the Cathar heretics (A.K.A. the Albigensians): Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

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