Saints + Scripture: Eastertide — Better Late than Never

'Tis the festival of Saint Perfectus of Córdoba, Priest & Martyr (died 850), martyred in the reign of the Andalusian emir Abd ar-Rahman II, one of the forty-eight Martyrs of Córdoba: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Giacomo Oldo, Priest, T.O.S.F. (1364-1404, Anglicized as James Oldo): Blessed-link ūnus & Blessed-link duo.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Marie of the Incarnation, Religious, O.C.D. (1566-1618; A.K.A. Barbara Avrillot, Barbara Acarie): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Marie-Anne Blondin, S.S.A. (1809-1890, A.K.A. Esther Blondin), foundress of the Sisters of Saint Anne: Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link S.S.A.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Easter Weekday
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter eight, verses one(b) thru eight;
Psalm Sixty-six, verses one, two, & three(a); four & five; & six & seven(a);
The Gospel according to John, chapter six, verses thirty-five thru forty.

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

Friends, Joseph Ratzinger said that the soul corresponds to our capacity for relationship to God. We have a whole range of intellectual and relational powers, but beyond them all, we have the capacity to know and love God. And since God is eternal, this power links us to eternity, proving that we are not simply limited to space and time. To say that we are nothing but “bodies” which flourish briefly and then fade away is to miss this dimension of our existence. Instead, we speak of souls and of the enduring existence of those who have gone before us into death.

This is why Jesus speaks so readily of eternal life in today’s Gospel: “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.” There was a great debate in Jesus’ time within Judaism in regard to this question. Many, including the Sadducees, denied the idea of life after death; but others, including the Pharisees, affirmed it.

Jesus clearly sides with those who affirm it, and his own resurrection from the dead demonstrated this belief as emphatically as possible.

Video reflection by Jem Sullivan, Ph.D.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"In vast areas of the earth the faith risks being extinguished, like a flame without fuel. We are facing a profound crisis of faith, a loss of a religious sense which represents one of the greatest challenges for the Church today… The renewed faith must, then, be a priority for the entire Church in our time."
—Pope Benedict XVI (born 1927, reigned 2005-2013)

Little Flower Quote o' the Day

"O Jesus, I know it, love is repaid by love alone, & so I searched & I found the way to solace my heart by giving you Love for Love."
—St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church (1873-1897, feast day: 1 October)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"We belong to the Church Militant; & she is militant because on earth the powers of darkness are ever restless to encompass her destruction."
—Pope Venerable Pius XII (1876-1958, feast day: 9 October)