Saints + Scripture: Legal Protection of Unborn Children

'Tis the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children: U.S.C.C.B.-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:

As individuals, we are called to observe this day through the penitential practices of prayer, fasting, &/or giving alms. Another way to take part is through participating in special events to observe the anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

Quoth the missalette:

The Bishops of the United States have designated today as a day of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life & of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion.

9 Days for Life: Days One thru Five
Day Five: May each person suffering from the loss of a child through abortion find hope & healing in Christ.
Day Four: May all people embrace the truth that every life is a good & perfect gift, & is worth living.
Day Three: For victims & survivors of human trafficking.
Day Two: For the end to abortion.
Day One: May a culture of life grow ever stronger in our communities.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Bertwald of Ramsbury, Bishop, O.S.B. (died 1045; also spelt Brithwald, etc.; A.K.A. of Glastonbury, of Sarum): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed William Patenson, Priest & Martyr (died 1591), martyred in the reign of the queen Elizabeth I: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Feria
The Second Book of Samuel, chapter five, verses one thru seven & ten;
Psalm Eighty-nine, verses twenty, twenty-one & twenty-two, & twenty-five & twenty-six;
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter three, verses twenty-two thru thirty.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, today’s Gospel speaks plainly of Satan and sin. And in light of today’s anniversary of the infamous Roe v. Wade decision, we still feel the echoes. When we look realistically at the society around us, we can become pretty discouraged. The conservative estimate regarding the number of abortions since Roe v. Wade is 58,000,000. That’s almost ten times Hitler’s holocaust. Assisted suicide is now legal in a half dozen states, including California, and the death penalty remains a blight on a half dozen others. And most people in our culture now feel that these states of affairs are simply a fact of life. The culture of death, as St. John Paul II called it so bluntly, seems to be on the march.

But I want everyone to attend to what the prophet Habakkuk tells us: "Write down the vision clearly on the tablets…for the vision…will not disappoint." What is he talking about? He’s describing the arrival of salvation to a people who had grown weary and desperate, convinced that God had abandoned them. And he is urging them to have faith, to trust.

And so on this somber anniversary, we continue to raise our voices and to walk according to faith. Our vision will not disappoint.

Video reflection by Msgr. James Vlaun (Telecare T.V.): United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Quoth the missalette:

The following readings are suggested from among the many options.

Mass Readings—Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children
The Book of Isaiah, chapter thirty-two, verses fifteen thru eighteen;
Confer Psalm Seventy-two, verse seven;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter five, verses one thru twelve(a).

†

Bible Study—Wisdom Books
The Book of Wisdom, chapter seventeen (verses one thru twenty-one);
The Book of Wisdom, chapter eighteen (verses one thru twenty-five);
The Book of Wisdom, chapter nineteen (of nineteen; verses one thru twenty-two).

Commentary: Fourth Example: Darkness Afflicts the Egyptians, While the Israelites Have Light (Wisdom, 17:1-18:4) & Fifth Example: Death of the Egyptian First-born; the Israelites Are Spared (18:5-19:22).

Bible Study—Pauline Letters
The Letter to the Romans, chapter fifteen (verses one thru thirty-three);
The Letter to the Romans, chapter sixteen (of sixteen; verses one thru twenty-seven).

Commentary: Please Others, Not Yourselves (Romans, 15:1-6); the Gospel for Jews & Gentiles Alike (15:7-13); Paul's Reasons for Writing So Boldly (15:14-21); Paul's Plan to Visit Rome (15:22-33); Personal Greetings (16:1-16); Final Instructions (16:18-23); & Final Doxology (16:25-27).

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Priests have received from God a power that He has given neither to angels nor to archangels. …God above confirms what priests do here below."
—St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church (circa 349-407, feast day: 13 September)