Project BLACK MAMBA: Late Edition

'Tis the festival of Saint Genebald, Bishop (died circa 555, of Laon): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Anseric, Bishop (died circa 652, of Soissons; also spelt Ansery, Anscher): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link (list).

'Tis also the festival of Saint Bertin the Great, Abbot, O.S.B. (circa 615-709), founder of the Abbey of Saint Bertin: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Abbey.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Teresa of Calcutta, Religious, M.C. (1910-1997, A.K.A. Mother Teresa), foundress of the Missionaries of Charity: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duae, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link M.C.

Commentary: St. Teresa was canonized on 4 September 2016.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Feria
The First Letter to the Thessalonians, chapter five, verses one thru six, nine, ten, & eleven;
Psalm Twenty-seven, verses one, four, & thirteen & fourteen;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter four, verses thirty-one thru thirty-seven.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, in today's Gospel Jesus teaches in the synagogue at Capernaum. One of the things that he comes to do is to teach, for at the root of our troubles and our suffering is a powerful clouding of the mind. What is it like to be in the same room with Jesus? "The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes."

"Astonished" is a pretty strong word. But we have to understand the tenor of the time. When a Jewish rabbi would speak, he would reference his teacher—another rabbi—who in turn had learned from another rabbi and he by another and so on. Finally, appeal would be made, implicitly or otherwise, to Moses, who had received the word and commandments of God on Mt. Sinai.

What makes Jesus' teaching so striking—apart from the content, which is striking enough—is his manner of teaching. He doesn't appeal to Rabbi "so and so" and finally back to Moses. He teaches on his own authority. The Greek word here is instructive (exousia), meaning "from his own being". He moves through his public life, Chesterton said, like a lightning bolt.

Video reflection by Sister Peggy Gorman, R.S.M.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.