'Tis the Optional Memorial of Saint Sylvester I, Pope (died 335), thirty-third (XXXIII) Bishop of Rome: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, Saint-link trēs, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Pontiff & Wikipedia-link Saint Sylvester's Day.
Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:
During his pontificate, the great churches founded at Rome by Constantine,e.g. the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, [&] Old Saint Peter's Basilica were built, & several cemeterial churches were built over the graves of martyrs.Wikipedia-link Lateran, Wikipedia-link Holy Cross, & Wikipedia-link Old Saint Peter's
'Tis also the festival of Saint Savinian and Potentian of Sens, Martyrs & Bishops (died circa 390, also spelt Sabinian), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Theodosius I the Great: Martyr-link Sierra, Martyr-link Papa, & Wikipedia-link.
'Tis also the festival of Saints Melania the Younger & Pinian, Religious (circa 383-439 & 381-438, A.K.A. Valerius Pinianus): Saint-link Mike & Wikipedia-link Mike, Saint-link Papa & Wikipedia-link Papa.
Commentary: St. Melania the Younger is the granddaughter St. Melania the Elder [8 June].
'Tis also the festival of Saint Jean-François Régis, Priest, S.J. (1597-1640, Anglicized as John Francis Regis): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.
Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Seventh Day within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord
The First Letter of John, chapter two, verses eighteen thru twenty-one;
Psalm Ninety-six, verses one & two, eleven & twelve, & thirteen;
The Gospel according to John, chapter one, verses one thru eighteen.
Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, today we reprise the prologue of St. John’s Gospel, which we read on Christmas. The Word became flesh "and we saw his glory." All the ways that the Old Testament spoke of God’s involvement with the world come together in this description of Jesus Christ. He is the powerful Word that will not return without accomplishing his purpose.Video reflection by Monsignor James Vlaun: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Now what is his purpose? Look to the prophet Isaiah. "The Lord has bared his holy arm in the sight of all the nations. All the ends of the earth will behold the salvation of our God." Saying that Yahweh has bared his holy arm means that Yahweh is rolling up his sleeves to get on with the work.
Now take a look… at the manger at Bethlehem. Perhaps we see a tiny arm reaching out at random from the manger. "The Lord has made bare his holy arm." And this anticipates another baring of that holy arm, when it is stretched out on the wood of the cross, revealed to all nations, just as Isaiah said. God’s power would be revealed in the powerlessness of love unto death. This is what became flesh on Christmas day.
Papal Quote o' the Day
"Time is precious, it passes quickly. Time is a phase during which we make choices for our decisive & definitive state. Our fidelity to our duties decides our future & eternal fate. Time is a gift from God."Little Flower Quote o' the Day
—Pope St. Paul VI (1897-1978, feast day: 26 September)
"Time is but a shadow, a dream; already God sees us in glory & takes joy in our eternal beatitude. How this thought helps my soul! I understand then why He lets us suffer…"Saint Quote o' the Day
—St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church (1873-1897, feast day: 1 October)
"There was a young doctor in the southern part of the United States who took care of poor Mexican mothers and children. One day he became engaged. The young woman prepared a pre-engagement party, but the night of the party the doctor was called to care for a Mexican woman who was dying in childbirth. He did not go to the party; he saved the mother, & he also saved the child. The girl broke off the engagement. The doctor had his office above a grocery store, with a sign down below telling that his office was on the second floor. When he died after living in poverty, people wondered how he could ever be repaid for what he had done. Finally, they took the sign from the grocery store at the foot of the stairs, & they put it on his coffin. Everyone who saw his nameplate understood what his life of pain had brought him to:
'Doctor Updike, upstairs.'"
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)
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