Saints + Scripture: Feast of St. Matthias

Eastertide

'Tis the Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle (died circa 80): Apostle-link ūnus, Apostle-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Apostles.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:

The apostle chosen by lot to replace Judas Iscariot following Judas's betrayal of Jesus & his subsequent death.

Scripture of This Day
Mass Readings—Feast of St. Matthias
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter one, verses fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, & twenty thru twenty-six;
Psalm One Hundred Thirteen, verses one & two, three & four, five & six, & seven & eight;
The Gospel according to John, chapter fifteen, verses nine thru seventeen.

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

Friends, in today’s Gospel Jesus announces to his disciples: “I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.”

Many mysticisms and philosophies of the ancient world—Platonism and Gnosticism come readily to mind—spoke of God or the sacred, but they spoke of it as a force or a value or an ontological source. It was impersonal and at an infinite remove from the world of ordinary experience. These ancient schools find an echo in many modern and contemporary theologies. Think of deism, which was so influential on the founders of the United States, or even the New Age philosophy of our time. These speak of a “divine” principle or power, but one would never dream of addressing such a force as “thou” or of engaging with it in intimate conversation.

Then there is the Bible. The Scriptures obviously present God as the overwhelming, transcendent, uncontrollable, inscrutable Creator of the heavens and the earth, but they insist that this sublime and frightening power is a person who deigns to speak to us, to guide us, and to invite us into his life.

In making that utterance—“I no longer call you slaves, but friends”—Jesus turned all of religious philosophy and mysticism on its head.

Video reflection by Msgr. James Vlaun (Telecare T.V.): United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Dyfan, Martyr (died circa 180), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Commodus: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Érembert of Toulouse, Bishop, O.S.B. (610-672, A.K.A. of Fontenelle, of Wocourt): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Papal Quote o' This Day

"Today the Church is alive. Despite all contrary appearances, the Church is united. The Church is & remains the yeast in the dough, the signal among the nations."
—Pope Bl. Paul VI (1897-1978, feast day: 26 September)

Little Flower Quote o' This Day

"Our mission as Carmelites is to form evangelical workers who will save thousands of souls."
—St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church (1873-1897, feast day: 1 October)

Saint Quote o' This Day

"This is my last hour of life, listen to me attentively: if I have held communication with foreigners, it has been for my religion & for my God. It is for Him that I die. My immortal life is on the point of beginning. Become Christians if you wish to be happy after death, because God has eternal chastisements in store for those who have refused to know Him!"
—St. Andrew Kim Taegon (1821-1846, feast day: 20 September)