Saints + Scripture

'Tis the festival of Saint Theophilus of Antioch, Bishop (died circa 184): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Benedict of Cupra, Martyr (died circa 304, A.K.A. of Tronto), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperors Diocletian & Maximian, a victim of the Great Persecution: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Persecution.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Edward the Confessor (1003-1066), King of England: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Daniel & Companions, Religious & Martyrs, O.F.M. (died 1227, A.K.A. the Martyrs of Cueta, the Martyrs of Morocco), martyred in the reign of the Almohad caliph Yahya al-Mu'tasim: Martyrs-link Cueta ūnus, Martyrs-link Cueta duo, & Wikipedia-link; Martyr-link Alpha, Martyr-link D-A-N, Martyr-link D-O-N, Martyr-link Hotel, Martyr-link Lima, Martyr-link November, & Martyr-link Sierra.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun, A.K.A. the Miracle of Fátima, the final & crowning apparition of Our Lady of Fátima (apparitions 13 May-13 October 1917): Wikipedia-link Miracle; Madonna-link & Wikipedia-link Fátima.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Saturday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
The Letter to the Galatians, chapter three, verses twenty-two thru twenty-nine;
Psalm One Hundred Five, verses two & three, four & five, & six & seven;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter eleven, verses twenty-seven & twenty-eight.

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

Friends, our Gospel blesses those who hear the word of God and observe it. In this regard, I would like to speak about the response of the Polish people to the word proclaimed by St. John Paul II. The power of the Polish Communist state, and behind that the power of the Soviet Union, is what John Paul faced at the beginning of the 1980s. But he was practiced in the art of facing down oppressive political forces, having grown up under Nazism and Communism.

He spoke of God, of human rights, of the dignity of the individual—frightening at every turn, his handlers worried about diplomatic repercussions. As he spoke, the crowds got bigger and more enthusiastic. This went beyond mere Polish nationalism. At one gathering, the millions of people began to chant "We want God! We want God!" over and over for fifteen minutes.

There was no controlling this power, born of the confidence that God’s love is more powerful than any of the weapons of the empires of the world, from crosses to nuclear bombs. This is, of course, why Communist officialdom tried vehemently to stop John Paul II. But there is no chaining the Word of God!

Video reflection by Marc DelMonico, Ph.D.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"We have a responsibility regarding the light that has been passed to us. We cannot enclose it within the four walls of our 'I.' We must also communicate it to others. We must shine with it before all."
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, feast day: 22 October)

Little Flower Quote o' the Day

"I made a resolution never to wander far away from the glance of Jesus in order to travel peacefully toward the eternal shore!"
—St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church (1873-1897, feast day: 1 October)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"When Christ's hands were nailed to the Cross, He also nailed our sins to the Cross."
—St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Doctor of the Church (1090-1153, feast day: 20 August)