Saints + Scripture: Paschaltide

Better Late than Never | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

'Tis the Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter: Wikipedia-link.

'Tis the festival of Blessed Lanfranc of Canterbury, Bishop, O.S.B. (circa 1005-1089, A.K.A. of Pavia, of Bec), prior of the Abbey of Bec, abbot of the Abbey of Saint Stephen (Saint-Étienne), & Archbishop of Canterbury: Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Bec & Wikipedia-link Saint-Étienne; & Diocese-link Canterbury & Wikipedia-link Canterbury.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Ubaldesca Taccini, Religious (circa 1136-1206): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Margaret Pole, Martyr (1473-1541, née Plantagenet; Countess of Salisbury), martyred in the reign of the English king Henry VIII: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blesseds Thomas Ford, Robert Johnson, & John Shert, Priests & Martyrs (died 1582), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth I for being conspirators of the non-existent "Rome & Rheims Plot," three of the Martyrs of Douai: Martyr-link Tango Foxtrot & Wikipedia-link Tango Foxtrot, Martyr-link Romeo Juliett & Wikipedia-link Romeo Juliett; & Martyr-link Juliett Sierra & Wikipedia-link Juliett Sierra; Martyrs-link Douai & Wikipedia-link Douai.

We also commemorate Venerable Pierre Toussaint (1776-1853): Venerable-link ūnus, Venerable-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter sixteen, verses twenty-two thru thirty-four;
Psalm One Hundred Thirty-eight, verses one & two(a/b), two(c/d/e) & three, & seven(c) & eight;
The Gospel according to John, chapter sixteen, verses five thru eleven.

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

Friends, once again in today’s Gospel Jesus promises to send us the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the fuel of the Church, the energy and life force of the Body of Christ. And we can’t get him through heroic effort. We can only get him by asking for him. That’s why, for the past two thousand years, the Church has begged for this power from on high.

Jesus told us that the Father would never refuse someone who asked for the Holy Spirit. So ask! And ask again! Realize that every liturgy is a begging for the Holy Spirit. Fr. Hesburgh of Notre Dame once commented that the one prayer that is always appropriate—whether one is experiencing success or failure, whether one is confident or afraid, whether one is young or old— is "Come, Holy Spirit!"

He’s right, for this is the fundamental prayer of the Church. Mind you, we pray it, as the first Apostles did, in the presence of Mary and with her support. In the Hail Mary, we say, "Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death." What are we asking her to pray for but the Holy Spirit?

Video reflection by Father Daniel Ogbeifun: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"No matter how much we try, only through Jesus Christ shall we succeed in calling people back to the Majesty & Kingdom of God. 'No one,' the Apostle admonishes us, 'can lay a foundation other than the one that has been laid, namely Jesus Christ.'"
—Pope St. Pius X (1835-1914, feast day: 21 August)

Little Flower Quote o' the Day

"Let us not grow tired of prayer: confidence works miracles."
—St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church (1873-1897, feast day: 1 October)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"What is really important is what happens within us, not outside us."
—Venerable Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)