'Tis the festival of Saint Germanicus of Smyrna, Martyr (died circa 156), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Antoninus Pius: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.
Commentary: Wayback Machine.
'Tis also the festival of Saint Pontianus of Spoleto, Martyr (circa 156-175), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, buried beneath & namesake of the Basilica of San Ponziano: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Basilica.
'Tis also the festival of Saint Bassianus of Lodi, Bishop (circa 320-413), participant at the Council of Aquileia (381) & the Synod of Milan (389), buried within the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Council & Wikipedia-link Synod; & Wikipedia-link Cathedral Basilica.
'Tis also the festival of Saint Arsenius of Corfu, Bishop (died 959): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.
Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Saturday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
The Letter to the Hebrews, chapter four, verses twelve thru sixteen;
Psalm Nineteen, verses eight, nine, ten, & fifteen;
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter two, verses thirteen thru seventeen.
Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, today’s Gospel recounts Jesus’ banqueting with Matthew and his friends after he calls him to be a disciple. The very first thing that Jesus does is to invite Matthew into intimacy with him, reclining around a table for a meal with friends.Video reflection by Harry Dudley, D.Min.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
In this account, the Pharisees see Matthew’s intimacy with Jesus and they comment, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" Notice that it never occurs to them that the influence might move from Jesus to the sinners rather than from the sinners to Jesus.
And then Jesus’ wonderful comment: "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners." He is admitting that Matthew and his fellows are sinners. He is not in the least "soft" on sin. But he has come to bring precisely such people into intimacy with him.
Papal Quote o' the Day
"We strongly deny the assertion that there is no obligation for us to put the message of Christ at the disposal of all. Indeed, we claim with full conviction that it is our right & our duty to do no less."Little Flower Quote o' the Day
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, feast day: 22 October)
"O most blessed grace, which makest the poor in spirit rich in virtues and renderest him who is rich in many good things, humble of heart."Saint Quote o' the Day
—St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church (1873-1897, feast day: 1 October)
"Guilt will always come out; one can see it when one knows souls well. I was once instructing a young woman who had finished about fifteen hours of teachings on tape & records. After the first instruction on confession she said to my secretary, 'I'm finished. No more lessons. I do not want to hear anything about the Catholic Church from now on.' My secretary phoned me & I said,
'Ask her to finish the other three on the subject of confession, & then I will see her.' I saw her at the end of these three, & she was in a veritable crisis. She was screaming, shrieking,
'Let me out of here! Let me out of here! I never want to hear anything again about the Church after hearing this talk on confession.'
Well, it took about five minutes to calm her down & I said, 'Listen, my good girl. There is absolutely no proportion between what you have heard & the way you are acting. So there has to be something else. Do you know what I think is wrong? I think you have had an abortion.'
She said, 'Yes'—so happy that it was out. Now see how that bad conscience came out? She made an attack upon confession, the truth, the faith—but that was not the problem."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)
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