Saturday, 14 April was the festival of Saint Abundius the Sacristan (died circa 564; also spelt Abonde, Acontius): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.
'Twas also the festival of Saint Bénézet the Bridge Builder (circa 1163-1184, also spelt Benoît, etc.), founder of the Bridge-building Brotherhood, who began construction of the original Pont Saint-Bénézet: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Brotherhood-link & Wikipedia-link Brotherhood; Wikipedia-link Bridge.
Commentary: Wayback Machine. Above: The remains of the Pont Saint-Bénézet.
'Twas also the festival of Blessed Peter González, Priest, O.P. (1190-1246, A.K.A. "Saint Elmo" for unsatisfying reasons): Blessed-link ūnus, Blessed-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.
'Twas also the festival of Saints Anthony, Eustace, & John, Martyrs (died circa 1347, of Vilnius), martyred in the reign of the Lithuanian duke Algirdas: Martyr-link Alpha, Martyr-link Echo, Martyr-link Juliett, & Wikipedia-link.
Scripture of That Day
Mass Readings—Easter Weekday
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter six, verses one thru seven;
Psalm Thirty-three, verses one & two, four & five, & eighteen & nineteen;
The Gospel according to John, chapter six, verses sixteen thru twenty-one.
Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus demonstrates his authority over nature by walking on the sea. Water is, throughout the Scriptures, a symbol of danger and chaos. At the very beginning of time, when all was a formless waste, the spirit of the Lord hovered over the surface of the waters. This signals God’s lordship over all of the powers of darkness and disorder.Video reflection by Deacon Bernard Nojadera: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
In the Old Testament the Israelites are escaping from Egypt, and they confront the waters of the Red Sea. Through the prayer of Moses, they are able to walk through the midst of the waves.
Now in the New Testament, this same symbolism can be found. In all four of the Gospels, there is a version of this story of Jesus mastering the waves. The boat, with Peter and the other disciples, is evocative of the Church, the followers of Jesus. It moves through the waters, as the Church will move through time.
All types of storms—chaos, corruption, stupidity, danger, persecution—will inevitably arise. But Jesus comes walking on the sea. This is meant to affirm his divinity: just as the spirit of God hovered over the waters at the beginning, so Jesus hovers over them now.
Papal Quote o' That Day
"Holiness has its deepest roots in the grace of baptism, in being grafted on to the Paschal Mystery of Christ, by which His Spirit is communicated to us, His very life as the Risen One."Little Flower Quote o' That Day
—Pope Benedict XVI (born 1927, reigned 2005-2013)
"I know that Jesus is in me—it is He who does everything in me: I do nothing."Saint Quote o' That Day
—St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church (1873-1897, feast day: 1 October)
"As a man must be born before he can begin to lead his physical life, so must he be born to lead a Divine Life. That birth occurs in the Sacrament of Baptism. To survive, he must be nourished by Divine Life; that is done in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist."
—Venerable Fulton J. Sheen (1896-1979)
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