Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Project BLACK MAMBA

'Tis the Memorial of Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop & Doctor of the Church (circa 347-407): Doctor-link ūnus, Doctor-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. The annual reminder: "Chrysostom" is an epithet, neither St. John's given nor family name. Meaning "golden-mouthed" to describe the eloquence & authority of his preaching, it also explains why St. John Chrysostom is the patron saint of preachers.

Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:
Archbishop of Constantinople, & was an important early Church Father. He is known for his preaching & public speaking, his denunciation of abuse of authority by ecclesiastical & political leaders.
'Tis also the festival of Saint Venerius the Hermit, Abbot (circa 560-630, of Tino): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Gertrude Prosperi, Virgin & Abbess (1799-1847, A.K.A. Maria Luisa Angelica): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Feria
The Letter to the Colossians, chapter three, verses one thru eleven;
Psalm One Hundred Forty-five, verses two & three, ten & eleven, & twelve & thirteen(a,b);
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter six, verses twenty thru twenty-six.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, our Gospel for today is St. Luke's version of the beatitudes, less well-known than Matthew's but actually punchier, more to the point. It all hinges on detachment, that decisively important spiritual attitude. Apatheia in the Greek fathers; indifferencia in Ignatius of Loyola. Spiritual detachment means that I am unattached to worldly values that become a substitute for the ultimate good of God.

How bluntly Luke's account puts things! Look at Luke's first beatitude, a model for the rest: "Blessed are you poor; the reign of God is yours." What if we translated this as "how lucky you are if you are not addicted to material things." When we place material things in the center of our concerns, we find ourselves caught in an addictive pattern.

Because material goods don't satisfy the hunger in my soul, I convince myself that I need more of them to gain contentment. So I strive and work to get more nice things—cars, homes, T.V's., clothes—and then I find that those don't satisfy me. So I strive and strive, and the rhythm continues.

Therefore, how lucky I would be if I were poor, unattached to material goods, finally indifferent to them.
Video reflection by Jem Sullivan, Ph.D.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Mass Readings—Memorial of St. John Chrysostom
The Letter to the Ephesians, chapter four, verses one thru seven, eleven, twelve, & thirteen;
Psalm Forty, verses eight(a) & nine(a);
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter four, verses one thru ten & thirteen thru twenty
(or, the Gospel according to Mark, chapter four, verses one thru nine).

Bible Study—Proverbs in a Month
The Book of Proverbs, chapter thirteen (verses one thru twenty-five).

Bible Study—The Bible Timeline: Divided Kingdom, Part 2 of 2
The Book of Isaiah, chapter five (verses one thru thirty);
The Book of Isaiah, chapter six (verses one thru thirteen);
The Book of Isaiah, chapter twenty-two, verses fifteen thru twenty-five;
The Book of Micah, chapter six (verses one thru sixteen).

Commentary: The Vinyard Song (Isaiah, 5:1-7), Doom of the Unjust (5:8-25), Invasion (5:26-30), II. Immanuel Prophecies: Call of Isaiah (6:1-13), & Shebna & Eliakim (22:15-25); & III. Admonition: Accusation & Answer (Micah, 6:1-16).

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