Project BLACK MAMBA: Eastertide

'Tis the Optional Memorial of Saint Joseph the Worker (first century B.C. & A.D.): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:

Father of Jesus Christ, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Prince & Patron of the Universal Church. This feast day reflects Joseph's status as what many Catholics & other Christians consider the "patron of workers" & "model of workers." Catholic & other Christian teachings & stories… [relate] to Joseph & the Holy Family.

Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:

"May Day" has long been dedicated to labor & the working man. This feast in honor of St. Joseph the Worker was instituted by Pope (Venerable) Pius XII in 1955. The pope expressed the hope that this feast would accentuate the dignity of labor & would bring a spiritual dimension to labor unions. It is very fitting that St. Joseph (also 19 March), a working man who became the foster-father of Christ & patron of the universal Church, should be honored on this day.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Marcouf, Priest & Abbot (died 558, also spelt Marculf, et al.): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Peregrine Laziosi, Priest, O.S.M. (circa 1260-1345): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Some days seems to have a preponderance of martyrs. Betwixt Ss. Marcouf & Peregrine, today seems to be a day for miraculous healing.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Easter Weekday
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter six, verses eight thru fifteen;
Psalm One Hundred Nineteen, verses twenty-three & twenty-four, twenty-six & twenty-seven, & twenty-nine & thirty;
The Gospel according to John, chapter six, verses twenty-two thru twenty-nine.

Commentary: Easter Gospel reflection by Bishop Robert Barron:

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the crowd, that he just fed, to believe in him and relate to him personally. Why is this so hard? Well, it is intellectually counter-intuitive. Why would this one figure, this Jesus, be the one and only? Why should I choose to relate to him and not the numerous other religious leaders and philosophers? Are all other religious people just lost or misguided? Wouldn’t it just be easier to relate to Jesus’ ideas and principles, to imitate his style of life? Yes, indeed it would, but that’s not what he says.

Perhaps we could look at it from Jesus’ side. Jesus wants to be friends: “‘I no longer call you servants, but friends,’ says the Lord.” What if there were someone who wanted to be friends with you, and you were to say, “Oh sure! I admire you and would like to imitate your form of life, but I don’t want to spend a lot of time with you.” How would that strike your prospective friend?

What is unique to Christianity is that God is offering us friendship. You don’t mess around with friendship; you don’t turn it into something abstract; you don’t compromise with it. You enter into it fully.

Mass Readings—Optional Memorial of St. Joseph
The Book of Genesis, chapter one, verse twenty-six thru chapter two, verse three;
or, the Letter to the Colossians, chapter three, verses fourteen, fifteen, seventeen, twenty-three, & twenty-four;
Psalm Ninety, verses two, three & four, twelve & thirteen, & fourteen & sixteen;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter thirteen, verses fifty-four thru fifty-eight.

Bible Study
The Letter to the Hebrews, chapter eleven (verses one thru forty);
Psalm Fifty-one (verses one thru twenty-one);
Psalm One Hundred Thirty-nine (verses one thru twenty-four).

Commentary: V. Examples, Discipline, Disobedience: Faith of the Ancients (Hebrews, 11 inclusive); the Miserere: Prayer of Repentance (Psalm 51) & the All-knowing & Ever-present God (Psalm 139).