Saturday, 11 August was the Memorial of Saint Clare, Virgin, O.S.C. (1194-1253, of Assisi; A.K.A. Chiara Offreduccio), foundress of the Poor Clares, formally the Order of Saint Clare (A.K.A. the Second Order of Saint Francis), & founding abbess of the San Damiano convent: Saint-link ūna, Saint-link duæ, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link O.S.C. & Wikipedia-link San Damiano.
Commentary: Wayback Machine. Daughter of Bl. Ortolana of Assisi [?] & sister of St. Agnes of Assisi [16 November], both of whom followed her into San Damiano.
Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:
St. Clare of Assisi was the first woman to practice the life of entire poverty as taught by St. Francis [4 October]. Placed by him at the head of a few companions in the small convent of San Damiano, she governed her community for forty-two years thus founding at the gates of Assisi the Order of Poor Clares.'Twas also the festival of Saint Alexander the Charcoal Burner, Bishop & Martyr (died circa 251, of Comana), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Decius, a victim of the Decian persecution: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Persecution.
'Twas also the festival of Blessed John Sandys, Priest & Martyr (circa 1552-1586), 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.
'Twas also the festival of Blessed William Lampley, Martyr (died 1588), 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.
Scripture of That Day
Mass Readings—Saturday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Habakkuk, chapter one, verse twelve thru chapter two, verse four;
Psalm Nine, verses eight & nine, ten & eleven, & twelve & thirteen;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter seventeen, verses fourteen thru twenty.
Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, today in our Gospel we meet a boy driven mad by a demon whom the disciples could not heal. They asked Jesus why they had failed, and he said, "Because of your little faith. Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."Video reflection by Deacon Bernard Nojadera: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
In all circumstances, you have to pray with faith. Have you noticed how Jesus, time and again, says to people before working a miracle, "Do you believe I can do this?" Once, Matthew tells us, Jesus was unable to perform many miracles because he met with so little faith among the people.
Lots of people today, especially in the healing ministry, seem able to reproduce what Jesus did, precisely because of the purity of their faith. Is part of our problem simply a lack of faith? Perhaps. We allow our skepticism to get the better of us. We’re just a little embarrassed by asking God for things, or we’re convinced that he is a distant power only vaguely connected to our lives. But God is far greater than that.
Video reflection by Jem Sullivan, Ph.D.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Mass Readings—Memorial of St. Clare
The Letter to the Philippians, chapter three, verses eight thru fourteen;
Confer Psalm Sixteen, verse five(a);
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter nineteen, verses twenty-seven, twenty-eight, & twenty-nine.
Bible Study—Deacon's Challenge
The Gospel according to John, chapter five, verses forty-one thru forty-seven;
The Gospel according to John, chapter six (verses one thru seventy-one).
Commentary: Unbelief of Jesus's Hearers (John, 5:41-47), Multiplication of the Loaves (6:1-15), Walking on the Water (6:16-21), the Bread of Life Discourse (6:22-59), & the Words of Eternal Life (6:60-71).
Bible Study—Wisdom Books
The Book of Sirach, chapter three, verses twenty-nine & thirty;
The Book of Sirach, chapter four (verses one thru thirty-one);
The Book of Sirach, chapter five (verses one thru seventeen);
The Book of Sirach, chapter six, verses one thru four.
Commentary: Alms for the Poor (Sirach, 3:29-4:10), the Rewards of Wisdom (4:11-19), Sincerity & Justice (4:20-31), Against Presumption (5:1-10), & Sincerity of Speech (5:11-6:4).
Proverb o' the Day (Sirach, 6:2-4)
Fall not into the grip of desire,Papal Quote o' That Day
lest, like fire, it consume your strength;
Your leaves it will eat, your fruits destroy,
and you will be left a dry tree,
For contumacious desire destroys its owner
and makes him the sport of his enemies.
"In humanity beauty produces love; in Christ love precedes & produces the beauty of the Church, that is, the beauty of humanity loved & redeemed by Christ, & thus brought back to its original perfection. The Church, ablaze with Christ's Spirit, is like a bright lamp."Little Flower Quote o' That Day
—Pope Bl. Paul VI (1897-1978, feast day: 26 September)
"Remember that this sweet Jesus is there in the Tabernacle expressly for you & you alone. Remember that He burns with the desire to enter your heart. Do not listen to Satan. Laugh him to scorn, & go without fear to receive Jesus."Saint Quote o' That Day
—St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church (1873-1897, feast day: 1 October)
"Gaze upon Him, consider Him, contemplate Him, as you desire to imitate Him."
—St. Clare of Assisi (1194-1253, feast day: 11 August)
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