Saints + Scripture

Better Late than Never | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

'Tis the festival of Saint Priscilla of Rome, Martyr (died circa 95), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Domitian, foundress & namesake of the Catacomb of Priscilla: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Catacombs.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Marcellus I, Pope & Martyr (255-309), thirtieth (XXX) Bishop of Rome (308-309), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperors Maxentius & Maximinus II, a victim of the Great Persecution; buried in the Catacomb of Priscilla: Martyr-link ūnus, Martyr-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Pontifex-link & Wikipedia-link Pontifex; Persecutions-link & Wikipedia-link Great Persecution; & Wikipedia-link Catacombs.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Honoratus of Arles, Bishop & Abbot (circa 350-430), Bishop of Arles (427-430), founding abbot of Lérins Abbey (410-427): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Diocese-link Arles & Wikipedia-link Arles, & Abbey-link Lérins & Wikipedia-link Lérins.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Berard of Cabrio, Priest, & Companions, Martyrs, O.F.M. (died 1220), protomartyrs of the Franciscan Order, martyred personally by the Moroccan king Yusuf II: Protomartyrs-link, Martyr-link Bravo, Martyr-link Alpha-Charlie, Martyr-link Alpha-Delta, Martyr-link Oscar, Martyr-link Papa, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Protomartyrs.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Joseph Vaz, Priest, C.O. (1651-1711, the "Apostle of Ceylon" [A.K.A. Sri Lanka], a "slave of Mary"): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Louis-Antoine-Rose Ormières Lacase, Priest (1809-1890), of the Sisters of the Guardian Angel: Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
The First Book of Samuel, chapter four, verses one thru eleven;
Psalm Forty-four (R/. twenty-seven[b]), verses ten & eleven, fourteen & fifteen, & twenty-four & twenty-five;
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter one, verses forty thru forty-five.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, our Gospel today gives us one of the great scenes of Jesus healing a leper. And as is usually the case, it becomes an icon of the spiritual life in general.

Once in the Lord’s presence, the leper knelt down and begged him. The suffering man realizes who Jesus is: not one prophet among many but the incarnation of the God of Israel, the only one before whom worship is the appropriate attitude.

In our sickness, our weakness, our shame, our sin, our oddness—lots of us feel like this leper. We feel as though we’re just not worthy. Whatever trouble we are in, we have to come to Jesus in the attitude of worship. He is the Lord and we’re not. This is the key step in getting our lives in order: right praise.

Consider the leper’s beautiful plea, essential in any act of petitionary prayer: "If you wish, you can make me clean." He is not demanding; he is acknowledging the lordship of Jesus, his sovereignty. "Thy will be done" is always the right attitude in any prayer.

Video reflection by Monsignor James Vlaun (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

Scripture Study—Wisdom Books (Penance)
The Book of the Psalms, psalm twenty-seven (verses one thru fourteen).

Commentary: Triumphant Song of Confidence (Psalm 27).

Scripture Study—Exodus 90: Day 4
The Book of Exodus, chapter two, verses one thru ten.

Commentary: Birth & Youth of Moses (Exodus, 2:1-10).

Proverb o' the Day (Psalm 27:1)

The LORD is my light & my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

Papal Quote o' the Day

"What warmth of charity, nay, what 'an abundant outpouring of love'—which came forth from him in the few days of his ministry."
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, reigned 1978-2005, feast day: 22 October) on Pope Servant of God John Paul I (1912-1978, reigned September 1978)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"In a certain sense the human nature of our blessed Lord was unlimited. It could embrace within itself all the human natures of the world. In other words, that human nature of Christ represented to a great extent the human nature of every single person who has ever lived. You read His genealogy in Matthew & in Luke, & you will find saints, but you will also find sinners. There was a bend sinister in His pedigree. We find Gentile women like Ruth; we find a public sinner like Rehab. These were typical of the humanity that Christ assumed into Himself when He became incarnate. Every human being that would ever be born until the end of time was incorporated into this humanity. Hence there's not a Buddhist, not a Confucianist, not a Communist, not a sinner, not a saint who is not in someway part of this human nature of Christ. You are in it. Your next–door neighbor is in it. Every persecutor of the church is in it. When, therefore, we are puzzled about how other people are saved, we need only realize that here is implicitly all salvation, all men in Christ."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)