Saints + Scripture

The Popish Plot
Summer Book Club: "Inner Artist"

'Tis the festival of Saint Giovanni Gualberto, Abbot, O.S.B. Vall. (circa 985-1073, Anglicized as John Gualbert), founder of Vallombrosa Abbey & thus the Vallumbrosan Order, a congregation of the Benedictine Confederation: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Abbey, Wikipedia-link O.S.B. Vall., & Wikipedia-link Confederation.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Saint John Jones, Priest & Martyr, O.F.M. (died 1598, A.K.A. Griffith Jones, Godfrey Maurice, et al.), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth I, one of the Forty Martyrs of England & Wales: Martyr-link ūnus, Martyr-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Martyrs-link XL & Wikipedia-link XL.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Joachim of Saint Anne, Priest & Martyr, O.F.M. (1620-1679, A.K.A. John Wall), martyred in the reign of the Anglo-Scottish king Charles II, a victim of the perjurer Titus Oates's "Popish Plot" hoax; one of the Forty Martyrs of England & Wales: Martyr-link ūnus, Martyr-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Popish Plot-link & Wikipedia-link Popish Plot; & Martyrs-link XL & Wikipedia-link XL.

'Tis also the festival of Saints Louis Martin & Marie-Azélie Guérin (1823-1894 & 1831-1877, nicknamed "Zélie"): Saint-link Lima Mike, Saint-link Mike-Alpha Golf, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Parents of the Doctor of the Church St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus & the Holy Face, A.K.A. of Lisieux, the "Little Flower of Jesus" [1 October] & the Servants of God Agnès of Jesus, Françoise-Thérèse Martin, & Geneviève of the Holy Face.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Thursday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Hosea, chapter eleven, verses one thru four, eight(e), & nine;
Psalm Eighty, verses two(a/c) & three(b), fifteen & sixteen;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter ten, verses seven thru fifteen.

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

Friends, in our Gospel today, Jesus sends the Apostles on a mission of evangelization, a mission that we continue today.

We Catholics cannot avoid the demand of evangelization, of proclaiming the faith. Vatican II couldn’t be clearer on this score, seeing the Church itself as nothing but a vehicle for evangelization. According to Vatican II, it’s not so much the case that the Church has a mission, but rather that a mission has the Church. Bringing people to Christ is not one work among many; rather, it is the central work of the Church, that around which everything else we do revolves.

Do we need evangelization? The statistics couldn’t be clearer. Did you know that the fastest-growing "religious" group in the United States is the "nones"—that is, those who claim no religious affiliation? In the latest Pew Research Center survey, fully 25 percent of the country—80 million people—say that they have no formal religion. When we focus on young people, the picture is even more bleak. Almost 40 percent of those under thirty are nones, and among Catholics in that age group, the number rises to 50 percent. Of all the Catholic children baptized or confirmed these last thirty years, half no longer participate in the life of the Church.

We need evangelization more than ever before. Will you answer the call?

Video reflection by Fr. Roger Lopez, O.F.M. (Franciscan Media): U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Sometimes, in the anxiety of our modern mentality to get things done, we are inclined to consider prayer as an obstacle to action, as if they were competing for time. In fact, action & prayer must be complementary."
—Pope Bl. Paul VI (1897-1978, feast day: 26 September)

Little Flower Quote o' the Day

"In my Little Way there are only very ordinary things."
—St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church (1873-1897, feast day: 1 October)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"So it happens that men in such matters easily persuade themselves that what they would not like to be true is false or at least doubtful."
—Pope Venerable Pius XII (1876-1958, feast day: 9 October)