Monday, July 8, 2019

Saints + Scripture

'Tis the festival of Saints Priscilla & Aquila, Martyrs (died circa 64, A.K.A. Prisca), wife & husband, martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Nero: Martyr-link Papa, Martyr-link Alpha, Martyrs-link, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Morwenna, Hermit (sixth century): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Adrian III, Pope (circa 830-885, also spelt Hadrian; A.K.A. Agapitus), one hundred ninth (CIX) Bishop of Rome: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Pontiffs-link & Wikipedia-link Pontiff.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Eugene III, Pope, O.Cist. (circa 1080-1153, A.K.A. Bernardo Pignatelli, of Pisa), one hundred sixty-seventh (CLXVII) Bishop of Rome, who called the Second Crusade: Blessed-link ūnus, Blessed-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Pontiffs-link & Wikipedia-link Pontiff; & Crusade-link & Wikipedia-link Crusade.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Genesis, chapter twenty-eight, verses ten thru twenty-two(a);
Psalm Ninety-one, verses one & two, three & four, & fourteen & fifteen(a/b);
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter nine, verses eighteen thru twenty-six.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, the centerpiece of our Gospel today is the story of the hemorrhaging woman. To get at the power of the Gospel, we have to reacquaint ourselves with the Jewish attitudes regarding the clean and the unclean. In the book of Leviticus we find carefully laid out prescriptions dealing with animals, plants, foods, and situations that are unclean. These prescriptions were meant to identify the Jewish people as a people. But they had a rather severe downside, since they placed certain people in extremely difficult situations.

Having a flow of blood for twelve years meant that for that entire period the woman in our Gospel was a virtual pariah. Anyone with whom she came in contact would be considered unclean. She couldn’t participate in the ordinary life of her society.

She touches Jesus and should have rendered him unclean. But so great is her faith that her touch, instead, renders her clean. Jesus effectively restores her to full participation in her community.

The most important outcome is this: Jesus implicitly puts an end to the ritual code of Leviticus. The identity of the new Israel, the Church, would not be through ritual behaviors but through imitation of him.
Video reflection by Monsignor James Vlaun: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.


Scripture Study—Day 91: Covenant Crag, Day 22
The Book of Genesis, chapter fifteen, verses seven thru fourteen & seventeen thru twenty.

Commentary: The Covenant with Abram (concluded; Genesis, 15:7-14, 17-20).

Papal Quote o' the Day
"Charity! Charity! Is this your hour? Let us all try to be worthy of her & prepare her ways. Let us pray, let us love, let us work so that our charity may be in our hearts & may be able to work the wonder of her triumph."
—Pope St. Paul VI (1897-1978, feast day: 29 May)
Saint Quote o' the Day
"I do not care very much what men say of me, provided that God approves of me."
—St. Thomas More (1478-1535, feast day: 22 June)

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