Project BLACK MAMBA

'Tis the Optional Memorial of Saint Norbert, Bishop, O.Praem. (circa 1080-1134, of Xanten, of Magdeburg), founder of the Premonstratensians (A.K.A. the Norbertines), formally the Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link O.Praem.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:

St. Norbert was born in the ducky of Cleves around the year 1080. A canon of the church of Xanten, he was converted from a worldly life after a close brush with death during a violent thunderstorm. He was ordained to the priesthood in 115. Undertaking the apostolic life, he accepted the duty of preaching, particularly throughout France & Germany. Gathering together some companions, he laid the foundations of the Premonstratensian Order, for which he also founded monasteries. Elected Archbishop of Magdeburg in 1126, he reformed the Christian life & spread faith to nearby pagan nations. St. Norbert died in 1134.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Ceratus of Grenoble, Bishop (circa 400-450): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Gudwal, Bishop (sixth century): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Weekday
The Book of Tobit, chapter two, verses nine thru fourteen;
Psalm One Hundred Twelve, verses one & two, seven & eight, & nine;
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter twelve, verses thirteen thru seventeen.

Commentary: Gospel reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus escapes from a trap with one of his most famous one-liners: “Render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” We should not read this as though there is a clearly-demarcated political realm that belongs to the Caesars of the world, and a clearly-demarcated spiritual realm that belongs to God. And we certainly shouldn’t read it in the modern mode—that the public arena belongs to politics, while religion is relegated to the private dimension.

No, this won’t do, precisely because God is God. He’s not a being in or above the world, nor one reality among many. God is the sheer act of being itself, which necessarily pervades, influences, grounds, and has to do with everything, even as he transcends everything in creation.

God is the deepest source for everything in life from sports to law to the arts to science and to medicine. What has seized the lawyer (at his best) is a deep passion for justice, and God is justice itself; what has seized the doctor (at his best) is a deep passion for alleviating suffering, and God is love itself. Everything comes from God and returns to God.

Mass Readings—Optional Memorial of St. Norbert
The Book of Ezekiel, chapter thirty-four, verses eleven thru sixteen;
Psalm Twenty-three, verse one;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter fourteen, verses twenty-five thru thirty-three.