Saints + Scripture — Saturday, 7 July

The Long Road Back, Part I of V | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

Saturday, 7 July was the festival of Saint Prosper of Aquitaine (circa 390-455): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Twas also the festival of Saint Boswell, Abbot (died circa 661, A.K.A. Boisil): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Twas also the festival of Blessed Benedict XI, Pope, O.P. (1240-1304, A.K.A. Nicola Boccasini, Niccolò of Treviso), one hundred ninety-fourth (CXCIV) Bishop of Rome, eighth (VIII) Master of the Order of Preachers: Blessed-link ūnus, Blessed-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Pontiff & Wikipedia-link Master.

Scripture of That Day
Mass Readings—Saturday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Amos, chapter nine, verses eleven thru fifteen;
Psalm Eighty-five, verses nine(a/b) & ten, eleven & twelve, & thirteen & fourteen;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter nine, verses fourteen thru seventeen.

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

Friends, in today’s Gospel, people ask Jesus why he and his disciples do not fast when John and his disciples do. Jesus’ answer is wonderful: “How can the guests at a wedding fast while the groom is still with them?” Could you imagine people fasting at a wedding banquet? It would be ridiculous!

Jesus later says, “No one pours new wine into old wineskins.” The new wine is the Gospel. The receptacle for this wine must be conformed to it, not the other way around.

To take in the Good News, we can’t be living in the cramped space of our sinful souls. We can’t have an “expect the worst” attitude. Instead we repent, or change the minds that we have. Another way to get at this is to say that like is known by like. If God is love, then only a soul that is on fire with love will properly take him in.

Video reflection by Harry Dudley, D.Min.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Papal Quote o' That Day

"Liberty & authority are not opposing terms, but values that complement each other. Their mutual cooperation fosters growth of the community & of those capacities for initiative & enrichment of individual values."
—Pope Bl. Paul VI (1897-1978, feast day: 26 September)

Little Flower Quote o' That Day

"May all moments of our life be for Him alone."
—St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church (1873-1897, feast day: 1 October)

Catholic Quote o' That Day

"Something incomprehensible is not for that reason less real."
—Blaise Pascal (1588-1651)