Saints + Scripture

The Popish Plot
Random Catholic Thoughts YouTube Collaboration: "8 Amazing Pilgrimages, Part 4"

'Tis the festival of Saint Romanus of Condat, Priest & Abbot (circa 390-465), founder of the Condat Abbey & the Romainmôtier Priory, et al.: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Abbey & Wikipedia-link Priory.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Brother of the abbot St. Lupicinus [21 March].

'Tis also the festival of Saint Hilarius, Pope (died 468, also spelt Hilary), forty-sixth (XLVI) Bishop of Rome: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Pontiff.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Sillan, Abbot, O.S.B. (died circa 610, A.K.A. Síoláin), third or fourth (III or IV) abbot of Bangor Abbey: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Abbey-link & Wikipedia-link Abbey.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Oswald of Worchester, Bishop, O.S.B. (died 992): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Both Ss. Hilarius & Oswald died on 29 February, in 468 & 992 respectively. The most common practice is for saints' festivals to observed on the date of their death, or birth into eternal life. As not all years have a 29 February, their festivals are observed on the last day of this month, 29 February in leap years & 28 February in non-leap years.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Daniel Brottier, Priest, C.S.Sp. (1876-1936): Blessed-link ūnus, Blessed-link duo & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Thursday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Sirach, chapter five, verses one thru eight;
Psalm One, verses one & two, three, & four & six;
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter nine, verses forty-one thru fifty.

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

Friends, in our Gospel, Jesus speaks, with incredible bluntness, about cutting off one’s hand and foot and plucking out one’s own eye. If these things are a block to your salvation, get rid of them, for it is better to enter life maimed than to enter Gehenna with all of your limbs and members.

The hand is the organ by which we reach out and grasp things. The soul is meant for union with God, but instead we have reached out to creatures, grasping at finite things with all of our energies.

The Lord also speaks of the foot. The foot is the organ by which we set ourselves on a definite path. We are meant to walk on the path which is Christ. Do we? Or have we set out down a hundred errant paths, leading to glory, honor, power, or pleasure?

We are designed to seek after and look for God. Have we spent much of our lives looking in all the wrong places, beguiled by the beauties and enticements of this world? And are we willing to pluck out our eye spiritually, to abandon many of the preoccupations that have given us pleasure?

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

Scripture Study—Exodus 90: Day 39
The Book of Exodus, chapter sixteen, verses one, two, & three.

Commentary: Manna from Heaven (Exodus, 16:1-3).

Proverb o' the Day (Sirach, 5:7)

Do not delay to turn to the LORD,
nor postpone it from day to day;
for suddenly the wrath of the LORD will go forth,
and at the time of punishment you will perish.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"The temptation today is to try to build a world for oneself, forgetting the Creator & His design & loving Providence. But sooner or later we must come to grips with this: that to forget God, to feign the death of God, is to promote the death of humankind & of all civilization."
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, feast day: 22 October)

Little Flower Quote o' the Day

"O my God, my eternal Love, my whole Good, and never-ending Happiness, I desire to reserve nothing to myself, but freely and most willingly to sacrifice myself and all that is mine to Thee."
—St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church (1873-1897, feast day: 1 October)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Bodily renunciation & removal from Egypt, as it were, will be of no value to us… if we have been unable to obtain at the same time the renunciation of heart which is more sublime & more beneficial."
—St. John Cassian (360-435, feast day: 23 July)