Saints + Scripture

'Tis the festival of Saint Aelia Pulcheria, Virgin (circa 399-453, also spelt Pulqueria; A.K.A. Empress Pulcheria of the Eastern Roman Empire), who sponsored the Council of Chalcedon (451): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Council-link & Wikipedia-link Council.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Finnian of Movilla, Bishop & Abbot (circa 495-589, A.K.A. Finbarr), founder of the Movilla Abbey: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Abbey.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Frithestan, Bishop (died 923, also spelt Frithustan): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Two Hundred Five Martyrs of Japan (died 1598-1632) martyred in the reigns of the warlords Tokugawa Ieyasu, Tokugawa Hidetada, & Tokugawa Iemitsu: Martyrs-link CCV & Wikipedia-link CCV.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Ambrose Barlow, Priest & Martyr, O.S.B. (1585-1641), martyred in the reign of the Anglo-Scottish king Charles I, one of the Forty Martyrs of England & Wales: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Martyrs-link XL & Wikipedia-link XL.

Scripture of This Day
Mass Readings—Monday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter five, verses one thru eight;
Psalm Five, verses five & six, seven, & twelve;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter six, verses six thru eleven.

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

Friends, in our Gospel today Jesus heals a man with a withered hand. As I’ve said many times before, we tend to domesticate Christ, reducing him to a guru or a teacher, one spiritual guide among many. But this is to do violence to the Gospel, which presents him not simply as teacher but as savior.

I realize that the culture militates against Christianity at this point, for it steadily teaches the ideology of self-esteem and self-assertion. “I’m okay and you’re okay. Who are you to tell me how to behave?”

But this sort of thing—whatever value it might have politically or psychologically—is simply inimical to a biblical Christianity. The biblical view is that we have, through the abuse of our freedom, gotten ourselves into an impossible bind. Sin has wrecked us in such a fundamental way that we have become dysfunctional. Until we truly feel what it means to be lost and helpless, we will not appreciate who Jesus is and what he means.

Jesus is someone who has rescued us, saved us, done something that we could never, even in principle, do for ourselves.

Video reflection by Msgr. James Vlaun (Telecare T.V.): United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Bible Study—Wisdom Books
The Book of Proverbs, chapter ten (verses one thru thirty-two).

Commentary: Wise Sayings of Solomon (Proverbs, 10:1-32).

Proverb o' This Day (10:2)

Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit,
but righteousness delivers from death.

Papal Quote o' This Day

"Christ is our Savior; He is the head of our immense body that is maturing: believing & redeemed humanity: the Church. It is He Who pardons us & enables us to do things greater than ourselves. He is the defender of the poor & the consoler of the suffering."
—Pope Bl. Paul VI (1897-1978, feast day: 26 September)

Little Flower Quote o' This Day

"Here is the dream of this "little grain of sand:" Love Jesus alone, & naught else beside!"
—St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church (1873-1897, feast day: 1 October)

Saint Quote o' This Day

"He who made you knows also what He wants to do with you."
—St. Augustine of Hippo, Doctor of the Church (354-430, feast day: 28 Augustine)