Project BLACK MAMBA

'Tis the Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest & Doctor of the Church, O.F.M. (1195-1231): Doctor-link ūnus, Doctor-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin (about danged time!):

Noted by his contemporaries for his forceful preaching, expert knowledge of scripture, & undying love & devotion to the poor & the sick, he was one of the most-quickly canonized saints in church history. He is also the patron saint of lost things.

Quoth Joyfully Living the Gospel Day by Day (noteworthy because the daily reflections rarely mention the saints' feast days):

St. Anthony of Padua (whom we celebrate today) was a lover of God's Will & a man of peace. He was a priest & a Doctor of the Church, as well as a miracle worker. He was also a man of deep prayer.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Marianna Biernacka, Martyr (1888-1943), martyred in the reign of the Führer Adolf Hitler, one of the One Hundred Eight Martyrs of World War II: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link CVIII.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Weekday
The Second Letter to the Corinthians, chapter one, verses eighteen thru twenty-two;
Psalm One Hundred Nineteen, verses one hundred twenty-nine, one hundred thirty thru one hundred thirty-three, & one hundred thirty-five;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter five, verses thirteen thru sixteen.

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

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus compares his disciples to salt and light. Notice, please, that these exist not for themselves, but for something else. In Jesus’ time, salt was not valued for itself, but for the way it preserved meat and enhanced the flavor of other foods. Similarly, light isn’t meant for itself; rather, we see things by it.

In our rather privatized culture, we tend to think of religion as something for ourselves, but on the Biblical reading, religiosity is like salt and light: it is meant not for oneself, but for others. Perhaps we can bring these two images together by saying we find salvation for ourselves precisely in the measure that we bring God’s life to others. We followers of Jesus are meant to be salt, which effectively preserves what is best in the society around us.

We are also light by which people around us come to see what is worth seeing. By the very quality and integrity of our lives, we shed light, illumining what is beautiful and revealing what is ugly. The implication is that, without vibrant Christians, the world is a much worse place.

Mass Readings—Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua
The Book of Isaiah, chapter sixty-one, verses one, two, & three(a,b,c,d);
Psalm Eighty-nine, verse two;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter ten, verses one thru nine.