"The future starts today, not tomorrow."
—Pope St. John Paul II (the Great, 1920-2005; feast day: 22 October)
'Tis the festival of Our Lady of Good Counsel: Madonna-link & Wikipedia-link.
Commentary: Wayback Machine.
'Tis also the festival of Saint Cletus, Pope & Martyr (circa 25-89, A.K.A. Anacletus), third (III) Bishop of Rome, martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Domitian: Martyr-link ūnus, Martyr-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Pontiff.
'Tis also the festival of Saint Marcellinus, Pope & Martyr (died circa 304), twenty-ninth (XXIX) Bishop of Rome, martyred in the reign of the Roman emperors Diocletian & Maximian, a victim of the Great Persecution: Martyr-link ūnus, Martyr-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Pontiff & Wikipedia-link Persecution.
'Tis also the festival of Saint Paschasius Radbertus, Abbot, O.S.B. (circa 785-865), founding abbot of Corbie Abbey: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Abbey.
'Tis also the festival of Saint Stephen of Perm, Bishop (1340-1396): Wikipedia-link, Saint-link ūnus, & Saint-link duo.
Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Easter Weekday
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter thirteen, verses thirteen thru twenty-five;
Psalm Eighty-nine, verses two & three, twenty-one & twenty-two, & twenty-five & twenty-seven;
The Gospel according to John, chapter thirteen, verses sixteen thru twenty.
Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, in today’s Gospel passage, Jesus pointedly calls us to humble behavior. “Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.”Video reflection by Fr. Roger Lopez, O.F.M. (Franciscan Media): U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
St. Catherine of Siena once heard the Lord say to her, “Remember that I am and you are not.” And St. Paul said, “What do you have that you have not received? So why do you boast?”
To believe in God is to know these truths. To live them out is to live in the attitude of humility. Thomas Aquinas said that humility is truth. It is living out the deepest truth of things: God is God, and we are not.
Now all of this sounds very clear when it’s stated in this abstract manner, but we know how hard it is to live out! In our fallen world, we forget so readily that we are creatures, that we have been made from nothing. Then our egos begin to inflate: “I am. I want. I expect. I demand.” The ego becomes a massive monkey on our backs, and it has to be fed and pampered constantly.
That’s why today’s Gospel is so important. We are only messengers, not greater than the Master.
Papal Quote o' the Day
"Whenever we do something together, something good, something beautiful, everyone changes. All of us change in some way & this does us good."Little Flower Quote o' the Day
—Pope Francis (born 1936, incumbent since 2013)
"You are wrong to find fault with this thing & with that, or to try & make everyone see things as you see them. We desire to be as little children & little children do not know what is best: to them all seems right."
—St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church (1873-1897, feast day: 1 October)
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