'Tis the festival of Saints Hyacinth & Protus, Martyrs (died circa 257), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Valerian, victims of his persecution: Martyr-link Hotel, Martyr-link Papa, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Persecution ūnus & Wikipedia-link Persecution duo.
Commentary: Wayback Machine.
'Tis also the festival of Saints Exuperantius, Felix, & Regula of Zurich, Martyrs (died 286), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperors Diocletian & Maximian, cephalophores: Martyr-link Echo, Martyr-link Foxtrot, Martyr-link Romeo, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Cephalophore.
'Tis also the festival of Saint Paphnutius of Thebes, Bishop (floruit 325; A.K.A. the Confessor, of Egypt), who attended the First Council of Nicaea (325), a foe of the Arian heresy: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Council, Heresy-link Arianism, & Wikipedia-link Arianism.
'Tis also the festival of Blessed Carlo Spinola, Priest & Martyr, S.J. (circa 1564-1622, Anglicized as Charles Spinola), martyred in the reign of the Japanese warlord Tokugawa Hidetada: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.
'Tis also the festival of Blesseds John Bathe (S.J.), Thomas Bathe, & Richard Overton (O.P.), Priests & Martyrs (died 1649), martyred in the reign of the English warlord Oliver Cromwell, three of the Irish Martyrs: Martyr-link Juliett Bravo & Wikipedia-link Juliett Bravo, Martyr-link Tango Bravo, & Martyr-link Romeo Oscar; Martyrs-link Éire & Wikipedia-link Éire.
'Tis also the festival of Saint Jean-Gabriel Perboyre, Priest & Martyr, C.M. (1802-1840), martyred in the reign of the Daoguang Emperor of the Qing Dynasty: Martyr-link ūnus, Martyr-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.
Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Wednesday of the Twenty-third Week in Tempus per annum
The Letter to the Colossians, chapter three, verses one thru eleven;
Psalm One Hundred Forty-five, verses two & three, ten & eleven, & twelve & thirteen(a/b);
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter six, verses twenty thru twenty-six.
Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, our Gospel for today is Luke’s version of the Beatitudes, less well-known than Matthew’s but actually punchier, more to the point. It all hinges on detachment, that decisively important spiritual attitude—apatheia in the Greek fathers, indifferencia in Ignatius of Loyola. Spiritual detachment means that I am unattached to worldly values that become a substitute for the ultimate good of God.
How bluntly Luke’s account puts things! Look at Luke’s first beatitude, a model for the rest: "Blessed are you poor; the reign of God is yours." What if we translated this as, "How lucky you are if you are not addicted to material things." When we place material things in the center of our concerns, we find ourselves caught in an addictive pattern.
Because material goods don’t satisfy the hunger in my soul, I convince myself that I need more of them to gain contentment. So I strive and work to get more nice things—cars, homes, TVs, clothes—and then I find that those don’t satisfy me. So I strive and strive, and the rhythm continues.
Therefore, how lucky I would be if I were poor, unattached to material goods, finally indifferent to them.Video reflection by Jem Sullivan, Ph.D.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Papal Quote o' the Day
"Faith humiliates our pride of imagined self-sufficiency & at the same time opens our hearts to the immense & exalting proportions of the revealing Word of God. On the threshold of the crib, of the Gospel, of salvation stands faith."Saint Quote o' the Day
—Pope St. Paul VI (1897-1978, feast day: 29 May)
"An understanding love—a love that sees the good in others—will be our goal."
—St. Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997, feast day: 5 September)
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