Saints + Scripture: VI Sunday of Easter

'Tis the Sixth Sunday of Easter: Wikipedia-link Eastertide.

Scripture of the Week
Mass Readings—Sixth Sunday of Easter
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter ten, verses twenty-five, twenty-six, thirty-four, thirty-five, & forty-four thru forty-eight;
Psalm Ninety-eight, verses one, two & three, & three & four;
The First Letter of John, chapter four, verses seven thru ten;
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 instructs us in the way of loving others with God’s love: "Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love."

Much hinges on that little word "remain"—menein in the Greek—which John uses frequently in his Gospel. God’s love is given unconditionally as a grace, but remaining in that love is indeed a matter of keeping certain commandments.

Here is how it works: God’s love can truly dwell in us and become our "possession" only in the measure that we give it away. If we resist it or try to cling to it, it will never work its way into our own hearts, bodies, and minds. But if we give it away as an act of love, then we get more of it, entering into a delightful stream of grace. If you give away the divine love, then it "remains" in you.

This is the great Catholic doctrine of grace and the cooperation with grace. We don’t drive a great wedge between law and grace, as some of the Reformers did. Rather, we say that law and commandment allow us to participate in the love that God is. It’s a play, if you want, of both conditional and unconditional love. And it’s precisely why we can grow in love.

Video reflection by Father Greg Friedman, O.F.M.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Video reflection by Jeff Cavins: Encountering the Word.

Audio reflection by Scott Hahn, Ph.D.: Breaking the Bread.

Mass Journal: Week Nineteen
Reflection by Matthew Kelly, founder of the Dynamic Catholic Institute:

How I wish that when people discovered you or I are Catholic, they could immediately conclude that we are honest, hardworking, generous, loving, joyful, compassionate, temperate, humble, disciplined, prayerful, & generally in love with life. You wouldn't need too many people like this to develop a positive reputation for Catholicism in a local community. I pray that God raises them up. I pray that God will transform you & me into Catholics of that caliber. All it will take to alter radically the way Catholics are perceived in society today is for you & me to become… honest, hardworking, generous, loving, joyful, compassionate, temperate, humble, disciplined, prayerful, & generally in love with life.

†

Otherwise, 6 May would be the festival of Saints Marianus of Lambesa, Lector & James of Numidia, Deacon, Martyrs (died 259), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Valerian, in the empire-wide Valerian persecution (257-260): Martyrs-link, Martyr-link Mike, & Martyr-link Juliett; Wikipedia-link Persecution ūnus & Wikipedia-link Persecution duo.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint François de Laval, Bishop, M.E.P. (1623-1708): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

'Twould also be the festival of Blessed Kazimierz Gostyński, Priest & Martyr (1884-1942), martyred in the reign of the Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, one of the One Hundred Eight Blessed Polish Martyrs: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link (List, № 44); Martyrs-link CVIII & Wikipedia-link CVIII.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"We must restore hope to young people, help the old, be open to the future, spread love. Be poor among the poor. We need to include the excluded & preach peace."
—Pope Francis (born 1936, reigning since 2013)

Little Flower Quote o' the Day

"To live by love is to go through life sowing peace & joy in hearts!"
—St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church (1873-1897, feast day: 1 October)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Always stay close to this Heavenly Mother because she is the sea to be crossed to reach the shores of eternal splendor."
—St. Pius of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio, 1887-1968; feast day: 26 September)