Saints + Scripture

The Popish Plot
Theology Thursday: "The Book of Mormon (Not the Musical), Part 2"

'Tis the festival of Our Lady of Beauraing (apparitions 29 November 1932-3 January 1933, A.K.A. the Virgin of the Golden Heart): Madonna-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Brendan of Birr, Abbot (died circa 572, A.K.A. the Elder), one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Ireland.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Edward Burden, Priest & Martyr (circa 1540-1588), 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.

'Tis also the festival of Blesseds Denis of the Nativity, Priest, & Redemptorus of the Cross, Religious; Martyrs, O.C.D. (died 1638, A.K.A. Pierre Berthelot & Tomás Rodrigues da Cunha), martyred in the reign of the Acehnese sultan Iskandar Thani at the instigation of the Protestant Dutch East India Company: Martyr-link Delta November & Wikipedia-link Delta November, Martyr-link Romeo Charlie & Wikipedia-link Romeo Charlie.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Francesco Antonio Fasani, Priest, O.F.M. Conv. (1681-1742): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Thursday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Revelation, chapter eighteen, verses one, two, twenty-one, twenty-two, & twenty-three, & chapter nineteen, verses one, two, three, & nine(a);
Psalm One Hundred, verses one(b) & two, three, four, & five;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter twenty-one, verses twenty thru twenty-eight.

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

Friends, in today’s Gospel Jesus uses apocalyptic language from the prophet Daniel: “On earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”

I realize how strange and distant all of this can sound, but there is a spiritual point of enormous significance behind all of it: we should not trust in any of the powers of the world to give us security and peace. Such peace will come only with the arrival of God’s kingdom.

One of the most enduring convictions of human beings—you can see it up and down the centuries and across the cultures—is that we can make things right if only we find the correct political, economic, or cultural configuration. But you should never put your ultimate faith in any of the kingdoms, social arrangements, or political programs of the world. They are all, in one way or another, attractive, and they are all destined to fall. They all lead to tribulations.

What you should look to is the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven. Now, is this meant in an ultimate sense? Yes, the second coming signals the end of the world as we know it. But the Son of Man is coming on the clouds of heaven even now in the life of the Church. Think of the clouds of incense that accompany the manifestations of Christ in the high liturgy. Even now the true king, the successor of David, is in our midst.

Video reflection by Father Roger Lopez, O.F.M.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"All of us who have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ know that our death will not be totally different from the rest of our earthly journey. It too will be God's love coming upon us, but God's love in its transforming fullness."
—Pope John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, feast day: 22 October)

Little Flower Quote o' the Day

"All my strength lies in prayer & sacrifice. They are my invincible weapons, & I know, by experience, that they can soften the heart much better than words."
—St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church (1873-1897, feast day: 1 October)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"I love You, Lord, & the only grace I ask is to love You eternally… My God, if my tongue cannot say in every moment that I love You, I want my heart to repeat it to You as often as I draw breath."
—St. John Mary Vianney (1786-1859, feast day: 4 August)

Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day

"The love called agape is sacrificial love. This is the love that we preach and we try to inculcate, not eros or just philia alone, because the philia love will come out of this divine love.

Here is an example of how it was practiced. The wife of a friend of mine was one night called downstairs. Her husband was talking to a Nazi. They were Jews who became Christians, Lutherans. And the husband said to the Nazi, 'How many Jews have you killed in the last six weeks?'

'About 25,000,' he replied.

'In what places?' He mentioned the name of cities. 'In this particular village, how many Jews did you kill?'

'I killed all the Jews,' he replied.

'Do you feel any remorse?’

'No.'

'Do you ever think of asking God for pardon?'

'There isn't any such thing in all the world as forgiveness. There isn't any such thing as God.'

My friend said: 'Let us see. My wife is asleep upstairs. She has not heard this conversation. I shall call her down.' She dressed and came down and he said: 'Sabina, this is the man who killed your father and your mother and your three brothers and two sisters.'

She looked at him and then threw her arms around his neck and kissed him and said: 'God forgives you. I forgive you.' And the Nazi threw himself on his knees before the husband and asked him to pray to God for forgiveness. This was the divine forgiving love."
—Venerable Fulton J. Sheen (1895-1979)