Saints + Scripture — Tuesday, 20 November

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

Tuesday, 20 November was the festival of Saints Edmund the Martyr & Humbert of Elmham, Bishop; Martyrs (died 869, A.K.A. King Edmund of the East Angles), martyred at the hands of the Great Heathen Army: Martyr-link Echo & Wikipedia-link Echo, Martyr-link Hotel & Wikipedia-link Hotel; Wikipedia-link Heathens.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Twas also the festival of Saint Gregory Dekapolites, Religious (797-842), who worked against the Byzantine iconoclasm: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Iconoclasm.

'Twas also the festival of Saint Bernward of Hildesheim, Bishop (circa 960-1022): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Twas also the festival of Blessed Maria Fortunata Viti, Religious, O.S.B. (1827-1922, A.K.A. Anna Felicia Viti): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of That Day
Mass Readings—Tuesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Revelation, chapter three, verses one thru six & fourteen through twenty-two;
Psalm Fifteen, verses two & three(a), three(b/c) & four(a/b), & five;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter nineteen, verses one thru ten.

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

Friends, today’s Gospel declares in the story of Zacchaeus how quickly God responds to any sign of faith. Zacchaeus’ climbing the sycamore tree shows he had more than a passing interest in seeing Jesus. He had a deep hunger of the spirit. His principal virtue was his willingness to go to great extremes. But this is what we do when we know that something of great moment is at stake. When our health is endangered, we move, we act; when our job is threatened, we go to almost any extreme to keep it.

When Jesus spotted him he said, "Zacchaeus, hurry down. I mean to stay at your house today." Christians, God responds to us readily when we show the least interest in him. He doesn’t play hard to get; he is not coy with us. When we seek him, he responds, because loving us is his entire game.

Notice how Jesus tells Zacchaeus to hurry. Don’t wait, don’t hesitate. Seize the moment of conversion when it comes.

Video reflection by Father Kevin Creagh, C.M.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Papal Quote o' That Day

"It is in our power to correspond with continuing increase in grace that God wishes to grant us. He does so to help us advance, without hesitation or stumbling, toward His Kingdom."
—Pope St. John Paul Ii the Great (1920-2005, feast day: 22 October)

Little Flower Quote o' That Day

"On Nov 20th, we had a papal audience. Our emotion was profound when we saw Pope Leo XIII enter the chapel to celebrate Holy Mass. After blessing the numerous pilgrims gathered around him, he climbed the steps of the altar & showed us through his piety, worthy of the Vicar of Jesus, that he was truly the Holy Father."
—St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church (1873-1897, feast day: 1 October)

Saint Quote o' That Day

"And even the demons did not crucify Him, but you, together with them, have crucified Him & are still crucifying Him by delighting in vices & sins."
—St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226, feast day: 4 October)