Monday, September 14, 2020

Saints + Scripture: The Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Simplex Complex Edition | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

The Popish Plot
"Lessons from the Prophets & a Love Song"

'Tis the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross: Holy Cross-link ūnus, Holy Cross-link duo, Holy Cross-link trēs, Wikipedia-link True Cross, & Wikipedia-link Feast.


Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth Minutes Meditations from the Popes:
O Lord, grant me the courage to take up my cross & follow You. Make me understand that it is through the Cross that I learn how to die with You, so that I may also rise with You.
Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
The Book of Numbers, chapter twenty-one, verses four(b) thru nine;
Psalm Seventy-eight (R/. cf. seven[b]), verses one(b/c) & two, thirty-four & thirty-five, thirty-six & thirty-seven, & thirty-eight;
The Letter to the Philippians, chapter two, verses six thru eleven;
The Gospel according to John, chapter three, verses thirteen thru seventeen.

Commentary: Gospel reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus and he tells him, “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

Why does the Son come? Is it because God is angry? Because God wants to lord it over us? Because God needs something? No, he comes purely out of love, out of God’s desire that we flourish: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.”

It is not in order to work out his anger issues that the Father sends the Son, but that the justice of the world might be restored. Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s salvific intent, displayed throughout the Old Testament. He wanted to bring the divine life even into the darkest places. He wanted to hunt us down.

The Father, in short, sent the Son all the way into time, history, and the human condition. But then the Father sent him further, into our sin and dysfunction, and finally all the way down into hatred, violence, rejection, and death itself.
Video reflection by Monsignor James Vlaun (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

Video reflection by Curtis Mitch (St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology): Daily Reflection.



'Tis also the festival of Saint Crescentius of Rome, Martyr (circa 292-303), 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.

Commentary: Son of St. Euthymius of Rome [?].

'Tis also the festival of Saint Cormac of Cashel, Bishop (836-908, A.K.A. Cormac mac Cuilennáin), King of Munster (902-908), inaugural Bishop of Cashel, author of the Sanas Cormaic & the lost Psalter of Cashel: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Cashel & Wikipedia-link Sanas Cormaic.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Pierre of Tarentaise, Bishop & Abbot, O.Cist. (1102-1174), Archbishop of Tarentaise (1141-1174), inaugural abbot of Tamié Abbey (1132-1141): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Tarentaise & Wikipedia-link Tamié.

Commentary: Not to be confused with Pope Bl. Innocent V (22 June, A.K.A. Pierre of Tarentaise).

'Tis also the festival of Saint Notburga of Rattenburg (circa 1265-1313; A.K.A. of Tyrol, of Eben): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Louis Gabriel Taurin Dufresse, Bishop & Martyr, M.E.P. (1750-1815, A.K.A. Jean-Gabriel-Taurin Dufresse), Vicar Apostolic of Sichuan (1801-1815), martyred in the reign of the Chinese Qing dynasty's Jiaqing Emperor, one of the one hundred twenty Martyr Saints of China (A.K.A. St. Augustine Zhao Rong & His One Hundred Nineteen Companions): Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Sichuan & Wikipedia-link Chengdu, & Wikipedia-link China.

Papal Quote o' the Day
"On this day when Catholics around the world celebrate the Triumph of the Cross, the Church invites us to look again at the meaning of Christian discipleship. She invites us to understand the sacrifices it involves & place all our hope in our Crucified & Risen Savior."
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, r. 1978-2005; feast: 22 October)
Saint Quote o' the Day
"Do not be so given to the activity of Martha as to forget the silence of Mary. May the Virgin who so well reconciled the one with the other be your sweet model & inspiration."
—St. Pius of Pietrelcina, O.F.M. Cap. (1887-1968, feast: 23 September)
Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day
"If you find serenity & happiness, they may be jealous of you: Be happy anyway."
—St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

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