Saints + Scripture: IV Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Long Road Back, Part II of IV | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

Sunday 3 February was the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of That Week
Mass Readings—Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Book of Jeremiah, chapter one, verses four, five, seventeen, eighteen, & nineteen;
Psalm Seventy-one, verses one & two, three & four, five & six, & fifteen & seventeen;
The Letter to the Corinthians, chapter twelve, verse thirty-one thru chapter thirteen, verse thirteen
(or, the Letter to the Corinthians, chapter thirteen, verses four thru thirteen);
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter four, verses twenty-one thru thirty.

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

Friends, today’s Gospel develops a theme that is uncomfortable. It tells how the people of Nazareth rejected Jesus. Authentically religious people, authentically spiritual people, will almost always be opposed. The logic behind this is simple and unanswerable: we live in a world gone wrong, a world turned upside down; therefore, when someone comes speaking the truth to us, we will think that they are crazy and dangerous.

Think for just a moment what would happen to you if you consistently and publicly spoke the word of God to our culture. If you spoke out against abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, human trafficking, rampant materialism, and ideological secularism, what would happen to you? If you presented, in a full-throated way, the full range of Catholic social and moral and spiritual teaching, what would they do to you? Trust me, they would throw you in a version of Jeremiah’s cistern.

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

Video reflection by Father Claude Burns (uCatholic): Weekend Reflection with Father Pontifex.

Audio reflection by Scott Hahn, Ph.D. (St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology): Breaking the Bread.

Scripture Study—Exodus 90: Day 14
The Book of Exodus, chapter six, verses fourteen thru twenty-seven.

Commentary: The Genealogy of Moses & Aaron (Exodus, 6:14-27).

Mass Journal: Week Ten
Reflection by Matthew Kelly, founder of the Dynamic Catholic Institute:

Before Christmas last year, I saw a Jewish scholar interviewed on television. The topic of discussion was the influence Jesus has exerted on human history. In summary, the scholar concluded, "The impact this man has had on human history is undeniable. Because of this man we call Jesus,the world will never again be the same. Because of Jesus, men & women will never think the same. Regardless of whether or not we believe he was the Son of God, because of this man who walked the earth two thousand years ago, men & women will never live the same, will never be the same."

†

Otherwise, 3 February would have been the festival of Saint Blaise, Bishop & Martyr (died circa 316, also spelt Blase), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Licinius; one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, known especially for the Blessing of the Throats: Martyr-link ūnus, Martyr-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Helpers-link XIV, Wikipedia-link XIV, & Wikipedia-link Blessing.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Twould also have been the festival of Saint Berlinda of Meerbeke, Religious, O.S.B. (died 702; also spelt Berlindis, Berelenda; A.K.A. Bellaude): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Niece of St. Amand of Maastricht [6 February]

'Twould also have been the festival of Saint Ansgar, Bishop, O.S.B. (801-865, the "Apostle of the North;" also spelt Anskar, Anschar), who founded the abbey school at the Abbey of Corvey: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Abbey.

'Twould also have been the festival of Saint Margaret of England, Religious, O.Cist. (died 1192): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Kinswoman of the martyr St. Thomas Becket [29 December].

'Twould also have been the festival of Blessed John Nelson, Priest & Martyr, S.J. (circa 1534-1578), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth I, one of the Martyrs of Douai: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Martyrs-link Douai & Wikipedia-link Douai.

'Twould also have been the festival of Blessed Maria Virgo, Religious, S.Sp.S. (1852-1900, A.K.A. Helena Stollenwerk), co-foundress of the Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters & the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters: Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link S.Sp.S. & Wikipedia-link S.Sp.S.A.P.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Grace builds upon nature. The Gospel does not make inhuman demands on us. It enlightens, elevates, & perfects what is human through the power of God's grace."
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, feast day: 22 October)

Little Flower Quote o' the Day

"Jesus offers you the cross, a very heavy cross, and you are afraid of not being able to carry it without giving way. Why? Our Beloved Himself fell three times on the way to Calvary, and why should we not imitate Him?"
—St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church (1873-1897, feast day: 1 October)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"There is no Saint without a past, no sinner without a future."
—St. Augustine of Hippo, Doctor of the Church (354-430, feast day: 28 August)