Theology Thursday: "The Holy Spirit Is Not…"
'Tis the festival of Saints Donatian & Rogatian, Martyrs (died 299, of Nantes), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperors Diocletian & Maximian, victims of the Great Persecution: Martyr-link Delta, Martyr-link Romeo, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Persecution.
Commentary: Wayback Machine.
'Tis also the festival of Saint Simeon Stylites the Younger, Priest (circa 521-597): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.
Commentary: Son of St. Martha [4 July]. Called "the Younger" to distinguish him from St. Simeon Stylites the Elder [5 January].
'Tis also the festival of Saint David of Scotland, Confessor (circa 1084-1153, King David I): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.
Commentary: Son of St. Margaret of Scotland [16 November].
'Tis also the festival of Blesseds Mario Vergara, Priest (P.I.M.E.), & Isidore Ngei Lo Kat, Martyrs (died 1950), martyred by Burmese Baptist guerillas: Martyr-link Mike Victor & Wikipedia-link Mike Victor, Martyr-link India November Lima Kilo & Wikipedia-link India November Lima Kilo; Martyrs-link Beatification.
Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Thursday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
The Letter of James, chapter five, verses one thru six;
Psalm Forty-nine, verses fourteen & fifteen(a/b), fifteen(c/d) & sixteen, seventeen & eighteen, & nineteen & twenty;
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter nine, verses forty-one thru fifty.
Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, in our Gospel, Jesus speaks, with incredible bluntness, about cutting off one’s hand and foot and plucking out one’s own eye. If these things are a block to your salvation, get rid of them, for it is better to enter life maimed than to enter Gehenna with all of your limbs and members.Video reflection by Fr. Roger Lopez, O.F.M. (Franciscan Media): U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The hand is the organ by which we reach out and grasp things. The soul is meant for union with God, but instead we have reached out to creatures, grasping at finite things with all of our energies.
The Lord also speaks of the foot. The foot is the organ by which we set ourselves on a definite path. We are meant to walk on the path which is Christ. Do we? Or have we set out down a hundred errant paths, leading to glory, honor, power, or pleasure?
We are designed to seek after and look for God. Have we spent much of our lives looking in all the wrong places, beguiled by the beauties and enticements of this world? And are we willing to pluck out our eye spiritually, to abandon many of the preoccupations that have given us pleasure?
Papal Quote o' the Day
"And this is the job of the catechist: constantly to go forth to others out of love to bear witness & to talk about Jesus & to proclaim Jesus. This is important because the Lord does it; it is the Lord that impels us to go forth."Little Flower Quote o' the Day
—Pope Francis (born 1936, reigning since 2013)
"He is compassionate & filled with gentleness, slow to punish, & abundant in mercy, for He knows our frailty, He remembers we are only dust."Saint Quote o' the Day
—St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church (1873-1897, feast day: 1 October)
"O Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart. Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling & scatter there Thy cheerful beams."
—St. Augustine of Hippo, Doctor of the Church (354-430, feast day: 28 August)
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