Friday, July 5, 2019

Saints + Scripture

'Tis the Optional Memorial of Saint Anthony Zaccaria, Priest, C.R.S.P. (1502-1539), founder of the Barnabites, formally the Clerics Regular of Saint Paul (C.R.S.P.); the Angelic Sisters of Saint Paul (A.S.P.); & the Oblates of Saint Paul; & promoter of the Forty Hours' Devotion: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Order-link C.R.S.P., Wikipedia-link C.R.S.P., & Wikipedia-link A.S.P.; & Devotion-link Forty Hours & Wikipedia-link Forty Hours.


Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:
St. Anthony was an early leader of the Counter-Reformation; the founder of religious orders (Barnabites); & a promoter of devotion to the Passion of Christ, the Eucharist, & the renewal of the religious life among the lay people.
Wikipedia-link Catholic Reformation


'Tis also the Optional Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Portugal, T.O.S.F. (1271-1336, "the Peacemaker;" A.K.A. Isabel, of Aragon), Queen of Portugal: Saint-link ūna, Saint-link duæ, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Grand-niece of St. Elizabeth of Hungary [17 November].

Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:
Elizabeth showed an early enthusiasm for her faith. She said the full Divine Office daily, fasted & did other penance, as well as attended twice-daily choral Masses. She continued her regular practices of faith after her marriage & eventually, her prayer & patience succeeded in converting her husband, who had been leading a sinful life.
'Tis also the festival of Blesseds Patrick Cavanaugh, Edward Cheevers, Matthew Lambert, Robert Myler, John O'Lahy, & an unnamed companion, Martyrs (died 1581, A.K.A. the Wexford Martyrs), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth I, six of the Irish Martyrs: Martyr-link Papa Charlie, Martyr-link Echo Charlie, Martyr-link Mike Lima, Martyr-link Romeo Mike, & Wikipedia-link Wexford; Martyr-link Éire & Wikipedia-link Éire.

'Tis also the festival of Blesseds Thomas Belson; Humphrey Pritchard; George Nichols, Priest; & Richard Yaxley, Priest; Martyrs (died 1589), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth I, four of the Eighty-five Martyrs of England & Wales: Martyr-link Tango Bravo & Wikipedia-link Tango Bravo, Martyr-link Hotel Papa, Martyr-link Golf November & Wikipedia-link Golf November, & Martyr-link Romeo Yankee; Martyrs-link England & Wales & Wikipedia-link England & Wales.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Joseph Boissel, Priest & Martyr, O.M.I. (1909-1969), martyred by Pathet Lao Communists, one of the seventeen Martyrs of Laos: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link (List); Wikipedia-link Laos.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Genesis, chapter twenty-three, verses one thru four & nineteen & chapter twenty-four, verses one thru eight & sixty-two thru sixty-seven;
Psalm One Hundred Six, verses one(b) & two, three & four(a), & four(b) & five;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter nine, verses nine thru thirteen.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, our Gospel for today is the simple but magnificent story of the conversion of Matthew. I urge you to read it and meditate upon it this week, for it’s about you. The Bible says that Jesus told Matthew, “Follow me.” The call of Jesus is meant to get into your mind, and then past your mind into your body, and then through your body into your life, into your most practical decisions.

And then we hear that Matthew “got up and followed him.” The verb used here in the Greek is the same verb used to describe the resurrection of Jesus from the dead: Matthew rose. Conversion means a transition into a higher life, arising from a preoccupation with the goods of the world and a reorientation to the things of God.

Then we hear what happened after Matthew’s conversion: “And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples.” This deeply annoys the Pharisees, who ask of Jesus’ disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” The answer is that Jesus loves sinners, and he doesn’t require perfection before he approaches them.
Video reflection by Jem Sullivan, Ph.D.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.


Mass Readings—Optional Memorial of St. Anthony Zaccaria
The Second Letter to Timothy, chapter one, verses thirteen & fourteen & chapter two, verses one, two, & three;
Psalm One, verses one & two, three, & four & six;
or, Psalm Forty, verse five(a);
or, Psalm Ninety-two, verses thirteen & fourteen;
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter Y, verses Z.

Mass Readings—Optional Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Portugal
The First Letter of John, chapter three, verses fourteen thru eighteen;
Psalm One Hundred Twelve, verses one & two, three & four, five & six, seven & eight, & nine;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twenty-five, verses thirty-one thru forty-six
(or, the Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twenty-five, verses thirty-one thru forty).

Scripture Study—Day 91: Covenant Crag, Day 19
The Book of Genesis, chapter fourteen, verses eight thru sixteen.

Commentary: Lot's Captivity & Rescue (Genesis, 14:8-16).

Papal Quote o' the Day
"A man & a woman who love each other, the smile of a child, peace in the home: a sermon without words, but so wonderfully convincing. In them everyone can glimpse, as through a transparency, the reflection of another love & its infinite call."
—Pope St. Paul VI (1897-1978, feast day: 29 May)
Little Flower Quote o' the Day
"You, Lord will descend to my nothingness & transform that nothingness into living fire."
—St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church (1873-1897, feast day: 1 October)
Saint Quote o' the Day
"What does the Spirit do to us? It unifies our lives. The Spirit takes possession of the intellect so that we possess the truth of Christ, of the will, so that we have His power, which is grace, & of the body so that it becomes the temple of God. It unifies all our activity. Without the Spirit, we are disjointed, disunited. The best psychological explanation of man that was ever given is in the seventh chapter of Romans. Could it have been an autobiography of Paul? We do not know. But this is man without the Holy Spirit. The words I, me, my, myself are used at least thirty times in chapter seven of Romans. 'We know that the law is spiritual, but I am not. I am unspiritual. I do not even acknowledge my actions as mine. For what I do is not what I want to do but what I detest. But if what I do is against my will,' & so forth. I, I, I. Me, me, my. Myself. Utter confusion. Then he ends the chapter by the invocation of the Spirit. In chapter eight, which is about the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, the personal pronouns are used only about three or four times. The I disappears. The psychic, neurotic difficulties of our modern age are due to the effects of the Satanic & the demonic, the disruption of pattern & form. Those who are at peace are so because the Spirit is drawing all the parts of humanity together."
—Venerable Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

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