Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:
While no contemporary sources on his life are preserved, later sources & legends claim that he died during the Great Persecution, which ended with Diocletian's retirement in 305. Januarius is the patron saint of Naples, where the faithful gather three times a year in Naples cathedral to witness the liquefaction of what is claimed to be a sample of his blood kept in a sealed glass ampoule.Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:
Little is known about Januarius except that he was a bishop of Benevento (near Naples, Italy) & was probably martyred during the persecutions under Emperor Diocletian around 305. According to legends about Januarius, he went to visit Christians who had been imprisoned. He was then arrested & condemned to death for being a Christian. Januarius & his companions were thrown to wild beasts in an amphitheater, but the wild animals refused to harm them. The Christians were beheaded instead, & the blood & body of Januarius were brought back to Naples. Januarius is regarded as the patron saint of Naples, & his protection is sought when there is the danger of volcanic eruption.'Tis also the festival of Saint Theodore of Canterbury, Bishop (circa 602-690, A.K.A. of Tarsus), who convened the Council of Hereford in 673: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Council.
'Tis also the festival of Our Lady of La Salette (apparition 1846): Madonna-link & Wikipedia-link.
Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Feria
The First Letter to Timothy, chapter three, verses one thru thirteen;
Psalm One Hundred One, verses one(b) & two(a,b), two(c,d) & three (a,b), five, & six;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter seven, verses eleven thru seventeen.
Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, our Gospel today gives us Jesus’ raising of the son of the widow of Nain. This is a prime exemplification of the key Gospel truth that everything Jesus said and did, in one way or another, is an anticipation of his resurrection. The God of Israel, the God of Jesus Christ, is a God of life, a God of the living. He hates death and the ways of death.Video reflection by Father David Baker: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The death in today’s Gospel goes beyond the tragic loss of a loved one, as awful as that is. In the context of Jesus’ time and place this is a disaster for the widow. There is no social safety-net, no insurance, no guaranteed income. Unless she finds kindly neighbors who can support her, she is lost without her husband and, importantly, her “only son”. This is why the heart of Jesus is especially moved with pity.
Notice please that the reaction of the bystanders is fear. This is the fear that comes from the turning upside down of a world. This is the reaction of the women at the tomb on Easter Sunday morning. An evangelization that isn’t a little scary is an inadequate evangelization.
Mass Readings—Optional Memorial of St. Januarius
The Letter to the Hebrews, chapter ten, verses thirty-two thru thirty-six;
Psalm One Hundred Twenty-six, verse five;
The Gospel according to John, chapter twelve, verses twenty-four, twenty-five, & twenty-six.
Bible Study—Proverbs in a Month
The Book of Proverbs, chapter nineteen (verses one thru twenty-nine).
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