Saints + Scripture: XIII Sunday in Ordinary Time

'Tis the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of This Week
Mass Readings—Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Book of Wisdom, chapter one, verses thirteen, fourteen, & fifteen & chapter two, verses twenty-three & twenty-four;
Psalm Thirty, verses two & four; five & six; & eleven, twelve, & thirteen;
The Second Letter to the Corinthians, chapter eight, verses seven, nine, thirteen, fourteen, & fifteen;
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter five, verses twenty-one thru forty-three
(or, the Gospel according to Mark, chapter five, verses twenty-one thru twenty-four & thirty-five(b) thru forty-three).

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

Friends, the centerpiece of today’s Gospel is Jesus healing the hemorrhaging woman. Having a flow of blood for twelve years meant that anyone with whom she came in contact would be considered unclean. She couldn’t, in any meaningful sense, participate in the ordinary life of her society.

The woman touches Jesus—and how radical and dangerous an act this was, since it should have rendered him unclean. But so great is her faith that her touch, instead, renders her clean. Jesus effectively restores her to full participation in her community.

But what is perhaps most important is this: Jesus implicitly puts an end to the ritual code of the book of Leviticus. What he implies is that the identity of the new Israel, the Church, would not be through ritual behaviors but through imitation of him. Notice please how central this is in the New Testament. We hear elsewhere in the Gospels that Jesus declares all foods clean, and throughout the letters of Paul we hear a steady polemic against the Law. All of this is meant to show that Jesus is at the center of the new community.

Video reflection by Father Greg Friedman: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Video reflection by Father Claude Burns (uCatholic): Weekend Reflection with Father Pontifex.

Video reflection by Jeff Cavins (Ascension Presents): Encountering the Word.

Audio reflection by Scott Hahn, Ph.D. (St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology): Breaking the Bread.

Mass Journal: Week Twenty-seven
Reflection by Matthew Kelly, founder of the Dynamic Catholic Institute:

God calls each of us to live an authentic life. He has designed this life to perfectly integrate our legitimate needs, our deepest desires, & our unique talents. The more intimately & harmoniously these three are related, the more you become truly yourself.

†

Otherwise, 1 July would be the festival of Blessed George Beesley, Priest & Martyr (circa 1562-1591, also spelt Bisley), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth I, one of the Eighty-five Martyrs of England & Wales: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Martyrs-link LXXXV & Wikipedia-link LXXXV.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Oliver Plunkett, Bishop & Martyr (circa 1625-1681, also spelt Oilibhéar Pluincéid), martyred in the reign of the Anglo-Scottish king Charles II, the last victim of the perjurer Titus Oates's "Popish Plot" hoax; one of the Irish Martyrs: Martyr-link ūnus, Martyr-link duo, YouTube-link The True Enlightenment!, & Wikipedia-link; Plot-link & Wikipedia-link Plot; & Martyrs-link Irish & Wikipedia-link Irish.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Junípero Serra, Priest, O.F.M. (1713-1784, the "Apostle of California;" A.K.A. Miguel José Serra): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Papal Quote o' This Day

"God always forgives, we men forgive sometimes, but nature never forgives. If you give her a slap, she will give you one. I believe that we have exploited nature too much."
—Pope X (-, feast day:)

Little Flower Quote o' This Day

"Everything that I do, my actions, my looks, everything is done through love."
—St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church (1873-1897, feast day: 1 October)

Saint Quote o' This Day

"Always go forward & never turn back."
—St. Junípero Serra (1713-1784, feast day: 1 July)