'Tis the festival of Our Lady of Częstochowa (A.K.A. the Black Madonna of Częstochowa), housed at the Jasna Góra Monastery: Madonna-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Jasna Góra.
Commentary: Wayback Machine.
'Tis also the festival of Melchizedek, Priest (second millennium B.C.), king of Salem: Patriarch-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Salem.
'Tis also the festival of Saint Alexander of Bergamo, Martyr (died circa 303), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperors Diocletian & Maximian, a victim of the Great Persecution (303-313): Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Persecutions-link & Wikipedia-link Great Persecution.
'Tis also the festival of Saint Bregowine of Canterbury, Bishop (died 764, also spelt Bregwin), thirteenth (XIII) Archbishop of Canterbury (760-764): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Diocese-link, Wikipedia-link Canterbury, & Wikipedia-link Archbishops.
'Tis also the festival of Saint Joan Elizabeth Bichier des Âges, Religious, F.C. (1773-1838), co-foundress of the Sisters of the Cross, Sisters of Saint Andrew (1807, F.C.): Saint-link ūna, Saint-link duae, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link F.C.
'Tis also the festival of Saint Mary of Jesus Crucified, Virgin, O.C.D. (1846-1878, A.K.A. Mariam of Bethlehem, Mariam Baouardy), stigmatic: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Stigmata-link & Wikipedia-link Stigmata.
'Tis also the festival of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Religious, H.A.D. (1843-1897, A.K.A. Teresa Jornet Ibars), foundress of the Little Sisters of the Abandoned Elderly (1872, H.A.D.): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link H.A.D.
Commentary: Grand-niece of Bl. Francisco Palau [7 November].
Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Wednesday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
The Second Letter to the Thessalonians, chapter three, verses six thru ten, sixteen, seventeen, & eighteen;
Psalm One Hundred Twenty-eight (R/. one), verses one & two, & four & five;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twenty-three, verses twenty-seven thru thirty-two.
Commentary: Gospel reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus judges the Pharisees for their hypocrisy. He says, “On the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing.”Video reflection by Jem Sullivan, Ph.D. (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.
One of the greatest dangers in the spiritual life is to fall into the trap of auto-salvation, the conviction that one can save oneself through heroic moral effort. The principal problem with such a strategy is that it results in the strengthening of the very egotism that one hopes to overcome.
What Jesus so vehemently critiqued in the Pharisees was just this kind of egotism: “You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones.” Sin is not a weakness that we can overcome but a condition from which we have to be saved.
This insight should allow us, at an elemental psychological and spiritual level, to relax and to surrender. What happens often in the hearts of sinners is a kind of tightening of the spirit as the mind and will strive to break out of the prison of fear. All of this stretching and straining serves only to throw the ego back on itself in a misery of failure and self-reproach.
Video reflection by Doctor John Bergsma (St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology): Daily Reflection.
Scripture Study—Day 91: Decapitation Rock, Day 24
The Second Book of Samuel, chapter nineteen, verses twenty-four thru thirty.
Commentary: David & Mephibosheth Meet (2 Samuel, 19:24-30).
Scripture Study—Pierced Hands Bible Reading Plan: Day 23
The Book of Genesis, chapter forty-four (verses one thru thirty-four);
The Book of Genesis, chapter forty-five (verses one thru twenty-eight);
The Book of the Psalms, psalm twenty-three (verses one thru six);
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter eleven, verses twenty thru thirty.
Commentary: Joseph Detains Benjamin (Genesis, 44:1-17), Judah Pleads for Benjamin's Release (Genesis, 44:18-34), & Joseph Makes Himself Known to His Brothers (Genesis, 45:1-28); the Divine Shepherd (Psalm 23); & Jesus Upbraids the Unrepentant Cities (Matthew, 11:20-24) & Jesus Thanks His Father (Matthew, 11:25-30).
Papal Quote o' the Day
"Hope, which is the gaze of the Church turned toward the future, fills her heart, & tells us how it is throbbing in new & loving expectation. The Church is not old, she is ancient. Time does not subdue her; it rejuvenates her."Saint Quote o' the Day
—Pope St. Paul VI (1897-1978, r. 1963-1978; feast: 29 May)
"Be careful to be gentle, lest in removing the rust, you break the whole instrument."Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day
—St. Benedict of Nursia, O.S.B. (480-543, feast: 11 July)
"Each one of us is merely a small instrument. All of us, after accomplishing our mission, will disappear. The only question is: Will you collaborate with God so He can use you to do His work here on earth?"Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day
—St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)
"Early Saturday morning, therefore, the chief priests & the Pharisees broke the Sabbath & presented themselves to Pilate saying, 'This deceiver while yet alive said, "I am to rise again after three days." Give orders then that his tomb shall be securely guarded until the third day, or perhaps his disciples will come & steal him away. And they could then say to the people, "He has risen from the dead." This last deceit would be more dangerous than the others.' But Pilate was in no mood to see this group. He had made his own official investigation. Christ was dead. He would not submit to the absurdity of using Caesar’s armies to guard a dead Jew.
"Pilate therefore said to them, 'You have guards, away with you. Make it as secure as best you know how.' There must be a seal, & the enemies would seal it. There must be a watch, & the enemies must keep it. The certificates of the death & Resurrection must be signed by the enemies themselves. The Gentiles were satisfied through nature that Christ was dead, & the Jews were satisfied through the law that he was dead. As the Gospel of Matthew puts it, 'And they went & made the tomb secure, putting a seal on the stone & setting a guard over it.' The king lay in state with His guard about Him. And the most astounding fact about this spectacle of vigilance over the dead is that the enemies of Christ expected the Resurrection, but His friends did not. It was the believers who were the skeptics. It was the unbelievers who were credulous."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)
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