Saturday, January 27, 2018

Saints + Scripture

'Tis the Optional Memorial of Saint Angela Merici, Virgin, C.S.U. (1474-1540), foundress of the Angelines, formally the Secular Institute of Saint Angela Merici (historically, the Company of Saint Ursula), out of which grew the Ursulines, formally the Order of Saint Ursula: Saint-link ūna, Saint-link duæ, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link C.S.U. & Wikipedia-link O.S.U.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:
She founded the Company of Saint Ursula in 1535 in Brescia, in which women dedicated their lives to the service of the Church through the education of girls.
'Tis also the festival of Saint Julian of Le Mans, Bishop (floruit third century): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Natalis of Ulster, Abbot (died 564; A.K.A. Naile, Naal): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Vitalian, Pope (died 672), seventy-sixth (LXXVI) Bishop of Rome: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Pontiff.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Paul Joseph Nardini, Priest, T.O.S.F. (1821-1862), founder of the Nardini Sisters, formally the Poor Franciscan Sisters of the Holy Family: Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Sisters.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Feria
The Second Book of Samuel, chapter twelve, verses one thru seven(a) & ten thru seventeen;
Psalm Fifty-one, verses twelve & thirteen, fourteen & fifteen, & sixteen & seventeen;
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter four, verses verses thirty-five thru forty-one.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, the story at the heart of our Gospel for today is the storm at sea. Karl Barth said that the stormy waters in all of these cases stands for das Nichtige, the nothing, that which stands opposed to God’s creative intentions, difficulties both interior and exterior, difficulties physical, psychological, and spiritual.

The disciples in the boat are, as I’ve often said, evocative of the Church, making its way through time and space. And those waters are symbolic of everything that besets the members of the Church. To stay within the emotional space of the story, this must have been a terrible storm, to have terrified experienced sailors. This is no small problem, no minor difficulty.

Do you know the
de profundis prayer? It comes from Psalm 130: "Out of the depths, I have cried to you, O Lord. O Lord, be attentive to the voice of my pleading." It is the prayer we should offer at the darkest times of life, when we find ourselves lost and in the shadow of death, when, in our desperation, we feel utterly incapable of helping ourselves.
Video reflection by Harry Dudley, D.Min.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Mass Readings—Optional Memorial of St. Angela Merici
The First Letter of Peter, chapter four, verses seven(b) thru eleven;
Confer Psalm One Hundred Forty-eight, verses twelve(a) & thirteen(a);
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter nine, verses thirty-four(b) thru thirty-seven.

Saint Quote o' the Day
"Disorder in society is the result of disorder in the family."
—St. Angela Merici (1471-1540, feast day: 27 January)


Code Name: CHAOS
At the beginning of the week now ending, we debuted the new title of the daily post dedicated to the saints of the day & Scripture of the day, both the daily Mass readings & my personal Bible study—"Saints + Scripture." "Saints + Scripture" replaces the title "Project BLACK MAMBA," though the endeavor's code name remains Project BLACK MAMBA. Why the change? First, it must be noted that I love code names. Life is simply more fun when things are given code names. I've long held to that view & I still do. That said, the purpose of Project BLACK MAMBA is twofold, to grow closer to Christ myself & to assist others in growing closer to Christ. I grew concerned that the title BLACK MAMBA was working at cross-purposes with the project itself. Sure, I understand what BLACK MAMBA means, but do others? Is the BLACK MAMBA code name likely to yield greater internet search results for The Secret Base? (This blog is, from time to time, bigger—more popular—in France than it is here in these Unites States. Merci, mes amis!) Code names exist to obscure or otherwise disguise a venture's purpose or goal, & I became convinced that this was essentially contrary to BLACK MAMBA's purpose.

So, why "Saints + Scripture"? My thought was simply to call these posts what they are, a daily exploration of the lives of the saints—our sisters & brothers in Christ who faced all the same temptations as we do & many other difficulties peculiar to their own times & places, who competed well for the faith, who fought the good fight, who finished the race, who kept the faith, & who have now won the prize we all seek—& the Word of God in the sacred Scriptures. Saints & Scripture. I initially preferred "Saints & Scripture," & that is how "Saints + Scripture" is meant to be read, "saints & scripture," not "saints plus scripture." But the plus sign is not just a plus sign, it also resembles a Greek cross, & that aesthetic appeal ultimately won me over. Yes, I prized form over strict function; sue me. (I also experimented with the Latin cross variant, "Saints † Scripture," but as you've seen the Greek cross carried the day.)

My fervent hope is that Project BLACK MAMBA continues to a help to you as "Saints + Scripture."

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