Saints + Scripture — Saturday, 27 October

The Longest Road Back, Part XIV of XX | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

Saturday, 27 October was the festival of Saint Abraham the Poor, Hermit (died 372; A.K.A. the Child, the Simple): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Twas also the festival of Saint Frumentius of Ethiopia, Bishop (died circa 383, the "Apostle of Ethiopia;" A.K.A. Aba Salama), first Abun of Ethiopian Orthodoxy: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Abun.

'Twas also the festival of Saint Odran of Iona, Bishop & Abbot (died circa 563; A.K.A. of Waterford; also spelt Oran, Otteran, etc.), monk at Iona Abbey: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Abbey-link & Wikipedia-link Abbey.

'Twas also the festival of Saint Abbán of Magh-Armuidhe (circa 570-620; A.K.A. Abbán moccu Corbmaic, Eibbán, Moabba): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Nephew of St. Ibar of Meath [23 April].

'Twas also the festival of Blessed Bartholomew of Vincenza, Bishop, O.P. (circa 1200-1271, A.K.A. of Braganca): Blessed-link ūnus, Blessed-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of That Day
Mass Readings—Saturday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
The Letter to the Ephesians, chapter four, verses seven thru sixteen;
Psalm One Hundred Twenty-two, verses one & two, three & four(a.b), & four(c/d) & five;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter thirteen, verses one thru nine.

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

Friends, today’s Gospel includes the parable of a fig tree that bears no fruit.

This is a standard trope in the theological literature of Israel: the tree that bears no fruit is evocative of the moral person who bears no spiritual fruit. Every single person has a mission: to be a conduit of the divine grace into the world. Planted in God—think of Jesus’ image of the vine and the branches—they are meant to bring forth the fruits of love, peace, compassion, justice, nonviolence.

And notice that this should be effortless. The closer God gets, the more alive we become. But the mystery of sin is that we resist the invasion of God; we prefer to go our own way; we cling to our own prerogatives and our own narrow freedom. And the result is lifelessness. It feels like depression, like your life is going nowhere—in Dante’s language, like being "lost in a dark wood."

In Jesus’ parable, the one caring for the tree begs the owner for one more chance to manure the tree and to hoe around it, hoping to bring it back to life. But if no life comes, the tree will be cut down. This is the note of urgency that is struck over and again in the Bible. We can run out of time. We can become so resistant to God’s grace that our leaves dry up. This is not divine vengeance; it is spiritual physics.

So don’t be afraid of God! Surrender to him.

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

Papal Quote o' That Day

"Sing with your voices, sing with your hearts! Make people understand how beautiful it is to pray singing, as you do, with the Church & for the Church. Spread joy, spread goodness, spread light."
—Pope St. Paul VI (1897-1978, feast day: 26 September)

Little Flower Quote o' That Day

"Let us give pleasure to Jesus; let us save souls for Him by our sacrifices."
—St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church (1873-1897, feast day: 1 October)

Quasi Catholic Quote o' That Day

"The love of God passes by radiantly, the Holy Spirit goes through every person in his night like a lightning bolt. In this passing the Risen Lord lays hold of you, He burdens Himself with everything that is unbearable & takes it all upon Himself. Only afterward, often much, much later, do you realize: Christ passed by & bestowed grace out of His superabundance."
—Brother Roger Schutz (1915-2005)