Saints + Scripture

'Tis the Memorial of Saint John Bosco, Priest (1815-1888, "Don Bosco"), founder of the Salesians of Don Bosco (S.D.B.), A.K.A. the Salesian Society, formally the Society of Saint Francis de Sales; the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (F.M.A.), A.K.A. the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco; & the Association of Salesian Cooperators (A.S.C.); developer of the Salesian Preventive System; & publisher of the Salesian Bulletin: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link S.D.B., Wikipedia-link F.M.A., & Wikipedia-link A.S.C.; & Wikipedia-link System & Wikipedia-link Bulletin.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Son of Venerable Margherita Occhiena Bosco. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:

He was an Italian Roman Catholic priest, educator, & writer of the nineteenth century. While working in Turin, where the population suffered many of the ill-effects of industrialization & urbanization, he dedicated his life to the betterment & education of street children, juvenile delinquents, & other disadvantaged youth.

Anno domini 1888, the year St. John Bosco died, is my very favorite Roman numeral, especially when carved, as into a cornerstone or a façade: MDCCCLXXXVIII.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Marcella, Religious & Confessor (325-410): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Áedan of Ferns, Bishop (circa 550-632; also spelt Aiden, Anglicized as Hugh; Máedóc, Anglicized as Mogue; etc.): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Ludovica Albertoni, T.O.S.F. (circa 1473-1533, the "Mother of the Poor;" A.K.A. Louisa Albertoni Cetera): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary Bernini's famous funerary sculpture, Blessed Ludovica Albertoni, was carved more than a century after her death: Wikipedia-link Sculpture.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Francesco Saverio Bianchi, Priest, C.R.S.P. (1743-1815, Anglicized as Francis Xavier Bianchi): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Thursday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
The Letter to the Hebrews, chapter ten, verses nineteen thru twenty-five;
Psalm Twenty-four, verses one & two, three & four(a/b), & five & six;
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter four, verses twenty-one thru twenty-five.

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

Friends, today’s Gospel shows how the light of Christ affects our lives. Well, light is wonderful in the measure that it illumines and brightens and delights. But light can also be disconcerting. Think of how bad most of us look in direct light! I discovered this while filming the CATHOLICISM series. I much prefer the indirect light that you can produce indoors. The full glare of the sun reveals every flaw, imperfection, and peculiarity of your face.

Think of what happens when you suddenly shine a light into a dark corner in your basement or down a lonely alley. The bugs and the vermin reveal themselves. Unsavory things scurry about for cover, afraid of the light.

When you invite Jesus into your life, you are inviting the light into your life. Again, this is wonderful, but it is also frightening. Jesus will shine his light in every corner of your life, in every room of your house. Things that look okay in the dark or in the indirect light will suddenly stand out in all of their unpleasantness.

Video reflection by Monsignor James C. Vlaun: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Mass Readings—Memorial of St. John Bosco
The Letter to the Philippians, chapter four, verses four thru nine;
Psalm One Hundred Three, verses one(b/c) & two, three & four, eight & nine, thirteen & fourteen, & seventeen & eighteen;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter eighteen, verses one thru five.

Scripture Study—Exodus 90: Day 11
The Book of Exodus, chapter five, verses one thru four.

Commentary: Bricks without Straw (Exodus, 5:1-4).

The Imitation of Christ
Book I: Useful Admonitions for the Spiritual Life
Chapter 16: "On Bearing with the Defects of Others"
Chapter 17: "On the Religious Life"

Papal Quote o' the Day

"The Church is the unifying effect of the love of Christ for us. She can herself be considered a ;living sign, a Sacrament of unity & of love. To love is her mission."
—Pope St. Paul VI (1897-1978, feast day: 26 September)

Little Flower Quote o' the Day

"If heavenly grace & true charity come in, there shall be no envy or narrowness of heart, nor shall self-love keep its hold. For divine charity overcomes all, & dilates all the powers of the soul."
—St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church (1873-1897, feast day: 1 October)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"At the Vatican Council, there was the discussion about the world. I remember one of the bishops from Belgium arose & made the proper distinction between the two uses of the word 'world' in scripture. The word 'world' can mean the theater of the redemption, & in that sense it is good: 'God so loved the world.' But the world also means a spirit, an organization without God. So our Lord said, 'I have taken you out of the world. Therefore the world will hate you.' 'I pray not for the world,' He said. But there was a confusion. And the result is that today we have lost many of our faithful & our priests & our sisters, not because of Christological heresy, nor because of persecution. The Lord has been very good to us; the only test He gave us was: 'Will you become secular, will you leave?'"
—Venerable Fulton J. Sheen (1895-1979)