Monday, September 9, 2019

Saints + Scripture

The Popish Plot
"Catholic T-shirt Club Unboxing: St. Gianna Molla"

'Tis the Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, Priest, S.J. (circa 1580-1654, the "Slave of the Slaves" & "Apostle of Cartagena"): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.


Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:
He labored unceasingly for the salvation of the African slaves & the abolition of the Negro slave trade. Through his efforts three hundred thousand souls entered the Church. Furthermore, he did not lose sight of his converts when they left the ships, but followed them to the plantations to which they were sent, encouraged them to live as Christians, & prevailed on their masters to treat them humanely.
Quoth
Minute Meditations from the Popes:
O Lord, St. Peter Claver reached out in a truly heroic manner to those who were of a different race & religion from him. May my love be as fruitful & as color blind.
'Tis also the festival of Saint Audomar, Bishop, O.S.B. (circa 595-670, also spelt Omer), Bishop of Thérouanne, founder of the Abbey of Saint Bertin, around which arose the town of Saint-Omer: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Thérouanne, Wikipedia-link Abbey, & Wikipedia-link Saint-Omer.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed George Douglas, Priest & Martyr (circa 1540-1587), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth I, one of the Eighty-five Martyrs of England & Wales: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Martyr-link England & Wales & Wikipedia-link England & Wales.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Frédéric Ozanam (1818-1853, A.K.A. Antoine-Frédéric Ozanam), co-founder of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (S.S.V.P.): Blessed-link ūnus, Blessed-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link S.S.V.P.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Jacques-Désiré Laval, Priest, C.S.Sp. (1803-1864): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Monday of the Twenty-third Week in Tempus per annum
The Letter to the Colossians, chapter one, verse twenty-four thru chapter two, verse three;
Psalm Sixty-two, verses six & seven, & nine;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter six, verses six thru eleven.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, in our Gospel today Jesus heals a man with a withered hand. As I’ve said many times before, we tend to domesticate Christ, reducing him to a guru or a teacher, one spiritual guide among many. But this is to do violence to the Gospel, which presents him not simply as teacher but as Savior.

I realize that the culture militates against Christianity at this point, for it steadily teaches the ideology of self-esteem and self-assertion. "I’m okay and you’re okay." "Who are you to tell me how to behave?"

But this sort of thing—whatever value it might have politically or psychologically—is simply inimical to a biblical Christianity. The biblical view is that we have, through the abuse of our freedom, gotten ourselves into an impossible bind. Sin has wrecked us in such a fundamental way that we have become dysfunctional. Until we truly feel what it means to be lost and helpless, we will not appreciate who Jesus is and what he means.

Jesus is someone who has rescued us, saved us, done something that we could never, even in principle, do for ourselves.
Video reflection by Monsignor James Vlaun: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.


Mass Readings—Memorial of St. Peter Claver
The Book of Isaiah, chapter fifty-eight, verses six thru eleven;
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 Matthew, chapter twenty-five, verses thirty-one thru forty.

Papal Quote o' the Day
"Love is characterized by a deep respect for all people, regardless of their race, belief, or whatever makes them different from ourselves. Love responds generously to the needs of the poor, & it is marked by compassion for those in sorrow."
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, feast day: 22 October)
Saint Quote o' the Day
"Remember that you have been created for greater things. Never stoop lower than that ideal. Let nothing satisfy you but God."
—St. Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997, feast day: 5 September)

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