Saints + Scripture — Please Stand By

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAugust

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "Riot on Broad Street" from Pay Attention (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: The titular "Riot on Broad Street" occurred on 11 June 1837, between nativist Yankee firefighters & immigrant Irish mourners: Wikipedia-link. At its best, ska has always had a social conscience, urging in particular non-violence & racial harmony. Ska can also be educational.

I thank ye for accompanying me this SKAugust. The highlight was seeing The Bosstones on stage in Royal Oak, but I enjoyed the whole journey most thoroughly. There will be plenty more ska throughout the year, & without taking the present for granted I'm already looking forward to SKApril 2020, should the world perdure.

Saints + Scripture — Please Stand By

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAugust

The Interrupters, "Haven't Seen the Last of Me" from The Interrupters (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"…They say you'll never make it out,
'Cause you're different now,
You better fit into the mainstream!
But that's not like me,
Yeah, I'm breaking free,
Don't worry, just wait and see!

Na na na na na na na na na,
You haven't seen the last of me!
Na na na na na na na na na,
You haven't seen the last of me!…

"Yeah back, in the beginning,
It was misfit living,
Now our lifestyle's gone Wall Street!
All the girls and the boys,
We're just making noise,
Trying to wake up the elite!…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAugust

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "The Route That I Took" from Pin Points and Gin Joints (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"Without really knowing I took all the wrong routes,
The misguided monster in the Doc Marten boots,
In the wrong directions, against all of the grains,
Got off at all the wrong stops, back onto all the wrong trains…

"Without a drop of the sense that God had gave to a stone,
But in my own self defense, well, I was not all alone:
I had the partners and colleagues and the cohorts in crime,
Heaven sent to me, hell bent to be one hell of a time!…"

Without suggesting to you the routes I took were never wrong,
I took a look and still I took and somehow I stayed strong,
And I just stayed on the course with very few deviations,
One of two situations, some other odd altercations,
And when my days were to dark well I had something to sell,
I am the carnival barker with some stories to tell,
There'll be apologies made at every fork and each bend
And I'm so that I stayed and I will—

Stay till the end,
Stay till the end,
Glad I took a good look at the route that I took
Stay till the end,
Stay till the end,
Glad I took a good look at the route that I took."

Saints + Scripture

The Popish Plot
"Welcome to Year 3"

'Tis the Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist (circa 1 B.C.-A.D. 30), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Tiberius by the client Galilean "king" Herod Antipas: Baptist-link ūnus, Baptist-link duo, Wikipedia-link Forerunner, & Wikipedia-link Passion.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Son of Ss. Zechariah & Elizabeth [23 September].

Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:

The day commemorates the martydom by beheading of Saint John the Baptist [also 24 June] on the orders of Herod Antipas through the vengeful request of his step-daughter Salome & her mother Herodias. It is John the Baptist who has pointed the way to Christ. John's life & death were a giving over of self for God & other people.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Sabina of Rome, Martyr (died circa 126), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Hadrian, atop whose house now sits the Basilica of Saint Sabina: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Basilica.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Eadwold of Cerne, Hermit (died circa 900, also spelt Edwold): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Brother of St. Edmund the Martyr [20 November].

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Richard Herst, Martyr (died 1628; also spelt Hurst, Hayhurst): Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Dominik Jędrzejewski, Priest & Martyr (1886-1942), martyred in the reign of the Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, one of the One Hundred Eight Blessed Polish Martyrs (A.K.A. the One Hundred Eight Martyrs of World War II): Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Martyrs-link Polska & Wikipedia-link Polska.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Thursday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
The First Letter to the Thessalonians, chapter three, verses seven thru thirteen;
Psalm Ninety, verses three, four, & five(a); twelve & thirteen; & fourteen & seventeen;
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter six, verses seven thru twenty-nine.

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

Friends, today’s Gospel tells of the death of John the Baptist. Herod had arrested John, from whom Jesus had sought baptism, and put him to death. The arrest and death of John the Baptist were signals for Jesus.

Immediately after the arrest, Jesus withdraws to Galilee and commences his own ministry of preaching and healing. Are these two events just coincidentally related? Hardly. Jesus read the arrest of John as a kind of signal that he was to begin.

We must remember that Jesus, like any Jew of his time, would have read the world through the lens of the Sacred Scriptures. They were the interpretive framework for everything. It was a commonplace of the prophets and the Psalms and parts of the Torah that the era of the Messiah would be preceded by a time of tribulation, when the opponents of God would rise up to counter God’s purposes.

Jesus saw this in the arrest of John. This great national figure, this prophet to Israel, was arrested and eventually killed by the enemies of God—and he took it as a signal that his own Messianic work should begin.

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

Mass Readings—Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist
The Book of Jeremiah, chapter one, verses seventeen, eighteen, & nineteen;
Psalm Seventy-one, verses one & two, three & four(a), five & six(a/b), & fifteen(a/b) & seventeen;
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter six, verses seven thru twenty-nine.

Scripture Study—Day 91: Progeny Point, Day 32
The Book of Genesis, chapter forty-five, verses sixteen thru twenty.

Commentary: Joseph Makes Himself Known to His Brothers (Genesis, 45:16-20).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"This is the flame that Jesus wanted to bring down upon the earth, the one He ardently desired to see enkindled: the fire of His charity, of the justice that He taught & sanctified, of His love for all."
—Pope St. John XXIII (1881-1963, feast day: 11 October)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Every moment comes to you pregnant with a divine purpose; time being so precious that God deals it out only second by second. Once it leaves your hands & your power to do with it as you please, it plunges into eternity, to remain forever whatever you made it."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

The Explorers' Club, № DCCV

The Convair XFY-1 "Pogo"—An experimental 1950s Vertical Take-off & Landing (V.T.O.L.) aeroplane, propelled by a turboprop engine driving contra-rotating propellers; the Pogo was designed to provide almost any ship or convoy with combat air patrol protection, to be housed on-deck under a conical cover; three prototypes were manufactured, but only one flew before the project was cancelled.

Saints + Scripture

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

The Popish Plot
"Year 2 in Review"

'Tis the Memorial of Saint Augustine, Bishop & Doctor of the Church (354-430, of Hippo), fifth (V) Bishop of Hippo Regius, also a Father of the Church: Doctor-link ūnus, Doctor-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Hippo Regius; Doctors-link & Wikipedia-link Doctors; & Fathers-link & Wikipedia-link Fathers.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Son of St. Monica [27 August].

Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:

Believing that the grace of Christ was indispensable to human freedom, he helped formulate the doctrine of original sin & made seminal contributions to the development of just war theory. The segment of the Church that adhered to the concept of the Trinity as defined by the Council of Nicaea & the Council of Constantinople closely identified with Augustine's On the Trinity (De Trinitate).

Wikipedia-link Just War Theory & Wikipedia-link De Trinitate

Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, on this feast day of St. Augustine, we reflect on the development of Catholic teaching. In one very real sense, the Father speaks all he can possibly speak in his Son, rightly called the Logos. There is no more to be revealed, no more to be said, than what is expressed in Jesus. Nevertheless, the fullness of that revelation unfolds only over space and time, much the way that a seed unfolds very gradually into a mighty oak.

A lively mind takes an idea, turns it over, considers it, looks at it from various viewpoints, questions it. Then, in lively conversation, that mind throws the idea to another mind, who performs a similar set of operations.

This "play of lively minds" goes on over the centuries. St. John threw the idea of the Incarnation to St. Polycarp, who threw it to St. Irenaeus, who threw it to Origen, who threw it to Augustine, who passed it to Thomas Aquinas, who shared it with Robert Bellarmine, who spoke it to John Henry Newman and others, who have given it to us.

Now, who guarantees that this process moves forward? The answer is the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promised to the Church.

Quoth Minute Meditations from the Popes:

Almighty God, St. Augustine taught that we should love You & do what we will. Let my love be real & profound so that whatever I do may truly be good & holy.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Moses the Black, Priest & Martyr (330-405, of Skete [or Scetis]; A.K.A. the Robber), martyred by pagan Berbers, one of the Desert Fathers: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Desert Fathers.

'Tis also the festival of Blesseds James Claxton, William Dean, Thomas Felton (O.F.M.), William Gunter, Hugh More, & Robert Morton, Priests; & Henry Webley, Martyrs (died 1588), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth I, Bl. Henry one of the Eighty-five Martyrs of England & Wales, Bls. James & Hugh two of the one hundred sixty Martyrs of Douai: Martyr-link Juliett Charlie, Martyr-link Whiskey Delta & Wikipedia-link Whiskey Delta, Martyr-link Tango Foxtrot & Wikipedia-link Tango Foxtrot, Martyr-link Whiskey Golf, Martyr-link Hotel Mike, Martyr-link Romeo Mike, & Martyr-link Hotel Whiskey; Martyrs-link England & Wales LXXXV & Wikipedia-link England & Wales LXXXV; & Martyrs-link Douai & Wikipedia-link Douai.

Commentary: Bl. Thomas is a son of the martyr Bl. John Felton [8 August].

'Tis also the festival of Saint Edmund Arrowsmith, Priest & Martyr, S.J. (1585-1628; A.K.A. Brian Arrowsmith, Edmund Bradshaw, Edmund Rigby), martyred in the reign of the Anglo-Scottish king Charles I, one of the Forty Martyrs of England & Wales: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Martyrs-link England & Wales XL & Wikipedia-link England & Wales XL.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Wednesday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
The First Letter to the Thessalonians, chapter two, verses nine thru thirteen;
Psalm One Hundred Thirty-nine, verses seven & eight, nine & ten, & eleven & twelve(a/b);
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twenty-three, verses twenty-seven thru thirty-two.

Commentary: Video reflection by Jem Sullivan, Ph.D.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Mass Readings—Memorial of St. Augustine
The First Letter of John, chapter four, verses seven thru sixteen;
Psalm One Hundred Nineteen, verses nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, & fourteen;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twenty-three, verses eight thru twelve.

Scripture Study—Day 91: Progeny Point, Day 31
The Book of Genesis, chapter forty-three, verses eleven, thirteen, fourteen, & fifteen & chapter forty-five, verses one thru eight.

Commentary: Joseph Makes Himself Known to His Brothers (Genesis, 43:11, 13-15 & 45:1-8).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"We have our individual personal duty to be good. That does not mean to be weak. It means to be capable of breaking the sad logical chain of evil by patience & forgiveness.It means to love, that is, to be Christians."
—Pope St. Paul VI (1897-1978, feast day: 29 May)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels."
—St. Augustine of Hippo, Doctor of the Church (354-430, feast day: 28 August)

Bonus! Song o' Project BLACK MAMBA
Matt Maher, "Alive Again" from Alive Again (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: The lyrics of "Alive Again" are based on writings of St. Augustine's.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAugust

The Interrupters, "Easy on You" from The Interrupters (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"…Left town on the Greyhound,
'Cause there's no love where you grew up,
They always told you you were never good enough.

"But why, oh why are you making it,
Are you making it so hard?

"Be easy on yourself,
Be easy on yourself,
Be easy on yourself,
'Cause nobody's been easy on you!…"

Operation ÖSTERREICH

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 325.2 lbs
This weigh-in: 326.2 lbs.
Difference: +1.0 lbs.

"If—"
by Rudyard Kipling
(excerpt)

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same…

Bonus! Lied von ÖSTERREICH
"Weird Al" Yankovic, "Taco Grande" from Off the Deep End (The Last Angry Impostor)

Bonus! Songs o' the Day | Operation AXIOM

Martin Luther King Jr., "'I Have a Dream' Excerpt" from Plea for Peace (Mike Papa Whiskey)
&
Matt Maher, "Sons and Daughters" from Saints and Sinners (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:

"How free is anyone if some are still in chains?…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAugust

Catch 22, "Keasbey Nights" from Keasbey Nights (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey*)

Skammentary: I'm feeling neither particularly paranoid nor persecuted, neither threatened nor threatening, yet "Keasbey Nights" is the song merrily bouncing through my head.

"When they come for me I'll be sitting at my desk,
With a gun in my hand wearing a bulletproof vest,
Singing, 'My, my, my, how the time does fly
'When you know you're gonna die by the end of the night!'…"

*Code Name: CHAOS
Over the years, my code name/pseudonym has gone back & forth between my nickname, The Last Angry Man, & the N.A.T.O. phonetic alphabet code words for my initials, Mike Papa Whiskey. In this present moment, our society appears to be descending into a bottomless maelstrom of anger; our culture is degenerating into coarseness & vulgarity under this torrent of angry mercilessness. Our often aimless anger is making it harder & harder for us to forgive one another. I'm not so deluded with grandeur that I think calling myself "The Last Angry Man" contributes much to this poisonous cultural atmosphere, yet at the same time in said atmosphere it seems imprudent to be calling myself "The Last Angry Man." I cannot say with any accuracy how long I'll prefer "Mike Papa Whiskey," but for the time being I do prefer it.

Saints + Scripture

'Tis the Memorial of Saint Monica (circa 322-387, of Hippo): Saint-link ūna, Saint-link duæ, Saint-link Array of Hope, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:

Saint Monica, also known as Monica of Hippo, is Saint Augustine of Hippo's mother [Doctor of the Church, 28 August]. Saint Ambrose [Doctor of the Church, 7 December] became Monica's spiritual director, along with Augustine's. She accepted his advice in everything & had the humility to give up some practices that had become second nature to her. Monica became a leader of the devout women in Milan as she had been in Tagaste.

Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, on this day we remember St. Monica, who prayed persistently for the conversion of her son, St. Augustine of Hippo.

Even though petitionary prayer—asking God for something—seems simpler and more basic than contemplation, it’s more difficult to make sense of theologically. If God is omniscient, what is the point of telling him what you need? And if God cannot change, what is the point of asking him for anything?

The prayer for the liturgy of St. Monica sheds some light on these questions. The text begins as follows: "Lord, you graciously received the tears of Monica for the conversion of her son Augustine." Mind you, it does not say that the tears of Monica moved God to act or compelled him somehow to change the structure of his providence. But it does say that God accepted those tears in coordination with granting the grace of conversion to her son, implying that God himself was effectively crying through the tears of Monica.

God indeed knows everything about everything, so he is aware of what we need before we ask; but like a good parent, he delights in receiving our tearful requests—even if, like a good parent, he does not always respond the way we would like him to. And God, as the unmoved mover, can never be changed by our prayer; but through whatever is good and right and true in our prayer, God is already praying through us.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Cæsarius of Arles, Bishop (circa 468-543, A.K.A. of Chalon), fifteenth (XV) Archbishop of Arles, who presided over the Council of Agde (506) & the Second Council of Orange (529): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Arles, Wikipedia-link Agde, & Wikipedia-link Orange.

Commentary: Brother of the abbess St. Cæsaria of Arles [12 January].

'Tis also the festival of Saint Decuman, Hermit & Martyr (died circa 706), martyred by a pagan Celt, a cephalophore: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Cephalophore.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Roger Cadwallador, Priest & Martyr (circa 1566-1610), martyred in the reign of the Anglo-Scottish king James VI & I, one of the Eighty-five Martyrs of England & Wales: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Martyrs-link England & Wales & Wikipedia-link England & Wales.

'Tis also the festival of Saint David Lewis, Priest & Martyr, S.J. (1616-1679, A.K.A. Charles Baker), martyred in the reign of the Anglo-Scottish king Charles II, a victim of the perjurer Titus Oates's "Popish Plot" hoax; one of the Forty Martyrs of England & Wales: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Popish Plot-link & Wikipedia-link Popish Plot, Martyrs-link England & Wales & Wikipedia-link England & Wales.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Tuesday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
The First Letter to the Thessalonians, chapter two, verses one thru eight;
Psalm One Hundred Thirty-nine, verses one, two, & three & four, five, & six;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twenty-three, verses twenty-three thru twenty-six.

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

Mass Readings—Memorial of St. Monica
The Book of Sirach, chapter twenty-six, verses one thru four & thirteen thru sixteen;
Psalm One Hundred Thirty-one, verses one(b/c/d/e), two, & three;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter seven, verses eleven thru seventeen.

Scripture Study—Day 91: Progeny Point, Day 30
The Book of Genesis, chapter forty-two, verses fifteen thru twenty-four.

Commentary: Joseph's Brothers Go to Egypt (cont'd; Genesis, 42:15-24).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"I look to all of you, brothers & sisters of every state of life—to you, Christian families, to you, the sick & elderly, & to you, young people: Confidently take up the Rosary once again. Rediscover the Rosary in light of Scripture, in harmony with the Liturgy, & in the context of your daily lives. May this appeal of mine not go unheard!"
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, feast day: 22 October)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Our Lord was hopeful about humanity. He always saw men the way he originally designed them. He saw through the surface, the grime & the dirt, the real man underneath. He never identified a person with sin. He saw sin as something alien & foreign, something that did not belong to a man, something that mastered him but from which he could be freed in order to be his real self. Just as every mother sees her own image & likeness beneath the dirt on the face of her child, so God always saw the divine image & likeness beneath our sin. He looked on us much the same way a bride looks on a bridegroom the day of marriage, & as a bridegroom looks on a bride: each to the other looks the best."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAugust

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "Unified" from While We're at It (The Last Angry Rude Boy)

Skammentary:

"We're not here to misinform you,
We are only trying to warn you.

"We are with you, not against you,
We only hope you got the common sense to
Realize we're unified,
And realize we're here to back you,
And not let anybody else attack you,
So you know, we're on your side,
We're unified,
We're unified…

"It's not something you signed on for,
What you were build for or designed for…"

Saints + Scripture

'Tis the festival of Our Lady of Częstochowa (A.K.A. the Black Madonna of Częstochowa), housed at the Jasna Góra Monastery: Madonna-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Jasna Góra.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Melchizedek, Priest (second millennium B.C.), king of Salem: Patriach-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Alexander of Bergamo, Martyr (died circa 303), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperors Diocletian & Maximian, a victim of the Great Persecution: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Persecutions-link & Wikipedia-link Great Persecution.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Bregowine of Canterbury, Bishop (died 764, also spelt Bregwin), thirteenth (XIII) Archbishop of Canterbury: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Diocese-link Canterbury, Wikipedia-link Canterbury, & Wikipedia-link Archbishops.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Mary of Jesus Crucified, Virgin, O.C.D. (1846-1878, A.K.A. Mariam of Bethlehem, Mariam Baouardy), stigmatic: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Stigmata-link & Wikipedia-link Stigmata.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Religious, H.A.D. (1843-1897, A.K.A. Teresa Jornet Ibars), foundress of the Little Sisters of the Abandoned Elderly (H.A.D.): Saint-link, Wikipedia-link ūna, & Wikipedia-link duæ; Wikipedia-link H.A.D.

Commentary: Grand-niece of Bl. Francisco Palau [7 November].

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Monday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
The First Letter to the Thessalonians, chapter one, verses one thru five, eight(b), nine, & ten;
Psalm One Hundred Forty-nine, verses one(b) & two; three & four; five, six(a), & nine(b);
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twenty-three, verses thirteen thru twenty-two.

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

Friends, in today’s Gospel Jesus launches a blistering attack on the scribes and Pharisees.

The Son teaches, heals, preaches to, and forgives those who feel far from the mercy of God. He is the hand that the Father stretches out to sinners and to those who are lost. And by the same token, he is the judge of a sinful world. When the light of God’s forgiving love appears, the shadows of sin become all the deeper and more obvious. In light of him, there is nowhere to hide. And Jesus, the Word of the Father, gives voice to this judgment: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. . . ."

The Son names all those powers that are opposed to the creative and loving intentions of his Father. He speaks a word of judgment on a world grown cozy with sin. He "channels" all of the feelings of the Father toward the world: intense, forgiving love to those who are lost, and equally intense hatred for the structures of darkness

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

Scripture Study—Wisdom Books
The Book of Sirach, chapter twelve (verses one thru eighteen);
The Book of Sirach, chapter thirteen (verses one thru twenty-six);
The Book of Sirach, chapter fourteen (verses one thru twenty-seven).

Commentary: Friends & Enemies (Sirach, 12:1-18) & Responsible Use of Riches (13:1-14:27).

Scripture Study—Day 91: Progeny Point, Day 29
The Book of Genesis, chapter forty-two, verses eight thru fourteen.

Commentary: Joseph's Brothers Go to Egypt (cont'd; Genesis, 42:8-14).

Proverb o' the Day (Sirach, 12:13-14)

Who will pity a snake charmer bitten by a serpent,
or any who go near wild beasts?
So no one will pity a man who associates with a sinner
and becomes involved in his sins.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Just as two friends, frequently in each other's company, tend to develop similar habits, so too, by holding familiar converse with Jesus & the Blessed Virgin, by meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary & by living the same life in Holy Communion, we can become, to the extent of our lowliness, similar to them & can learn from these supreme models a life of humility, poverty, hiddenness, patience, & perfection."
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, feast day: 22 October)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Just suppose that there were a great plague which affected a wide area of the world. Then some doctor in his laboratory found the remedy for this plague & made it available to everyone. There would be some who would seek the remedy. There would be others who would not. They might say, 'How do I know he has the remedy? Why should I bother? I will cure myself.' Are they not all potentially saved? It is certainly not the fault of the scientist that they are not cured. It is the fault of people themselves. So it is with the Person of Christ. He brought salvation to all men. It is up to us to find that salvation in Him."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

The Explorers' Club, № DCCIV

Operation AXIOM: After the World War—The Russian Civil War, Part VI
18 August 1919: British Royal Navy Coastal Motor Boats based in the Björkö Islands in the Gulf of Finland & aeroplanes from the aircraft carrier H.M.S. Vindictive—part of the halfhearted Entente intervention against the Reds—raided the Soviet naval base at Kronstadt, which guarded the approach to Petrograd; the Soviet battleships Petropavlovsk & Andrei Pervozvanny were damaged.

Lest we forget.

Saints + Scripture: XXI Sunday in Tempus per annum

'Tis the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time (Tempus per annum, "time during the year"): Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Week
Mass Readings—Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Book of Isaiah, chapter sixty-six, verses eighteen thru twenty-one;
Psalm One Hundred Seventeen, verses one & two (& the Gospel according to Mark, chapter sixteen, verse fifteen);
The Letter to the Hebrews, chapter twelve, verses five, six, seven, eleven, twelve, & thirteen;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter thirteen, verses twenty-two thru thirty.

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

Friends, our Gospel for today features a question that people have been asking from time immemorial and that they still ask today: “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” Heaven, hell, salvation, damnation, who will be in and who will be out? We have remained fascinated with these questions for a long time.

Here’s how I would recommend we approach this issue. The doctrine concerning hell is a corollary of two more fundamental truths—namely, that God is love and that we are free. Love (willing the good of the other) is all that God is. He doesn’t go in and out of love; he doesn’t change his mind; he’s not loving to some and not to others. He is indeed like the sun that shines on the good and bad alike, in the words of Jesus.

No act of ours can possibly make him stop loving us. In this regard, he is like the best of parents. However, we are free. We are not God’s marionettes, and hence we can say yes or we can say no to his love. If we turn toward it, we open like a sunflower; if we turn from it, we get burned.

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

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

Scripture Study—Day 91: Progeny Point, Day 28
The Book of Genesis, chapter forty-two, verses one thru six.

Commentary: Joseph's Brothers Go to Egypt (Genesis, 42:1-6).

Mass Journal: Week 39
Reflection by Matthew Kelly, founder of the Dynamic Catholic Institute:

My favorite passage from the Catechism of the Catholic Church appears as the first line of the first chapter, & it reads, "The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God & for God; & God never ceases to draw man to Jimself. Only in God will he find the truth & happiness he never stops searching for."

†

Otherwise, 25 August would be the festival of Saint Gregory of Utrecht, Abbot, O.S.B. (circa 700-776, A.K.A. of Pfalzel), abbot of the Abbey of St. Martin & apostolic administrator of Utrecht: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Diocese-link Utrecht & Wikipedia-link Utrecht.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Louis (1214-1270, A.K.A. King Louis IX of France), who led the Seventh Crusade (1248-1254) & the Eighth Crusade (1270), & who built the Sainte-Chapelle: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Crusade-link VII & Wikipedia-link Crusade VII, Crusade-link VIII & Wikipedia-link Crusade VIII, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth Minute Meditations from the Popes:

O Lord, grant me the generosity of spirit of St. Louis the King. He served his country all his life; calling his fellow citizens to build a society based on Christ's teachings. Help me to do the same.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Thomas de Cantilupe, Bishop (circa 1218-1282), Bishop of Hereford, who attended the Second Council of Lyons (the fourteenth ecumenical council, 1272-1274): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Diocese-link Hereford, Wikipedia-link Hereford, & Wikipedia-link Council.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Joseph Calasanz, Priest, Sch.P. (circa 1556-1648, A.K.A. Josephus a Mater Dei), founder of the Piarists (Sch.P.), formally the Order of Poor Clerics Regular of the Mother of God of the Pious Schools, A.K.A. the Scolopi: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Order-link Sch.P. & Wikipedia-link Sch.P..

'Twould also be the festival of Blessed Luigi of the Consolata, Priest (1922-1977, A.K.A. Andrea Bordino): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Twould also be the festival of Blessed Alessandro Dordi, Priest & Martyr (1931-1991), martyred by the Shining Path Communists, one of the Three Martyrs of Chimbote: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Chimbote.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Christians should conscientiously take up their civic duties in a spirit of disinterested service. This will lead them to renounce seeking their personal gain, power, or prestige, it it is harmful to others."
—Pope St. Paul VI (1897-1978, feast day: 29 May)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"The choice before God in creating the world lay between creating a purely mechanical universe, peopled by mere automatons, or creating a spiritual universe in which there would be a choice of good & evil. What was the condition then of such a universe? He had to endow us with the power to say yes & no and to be captains of our own fate & destiny. Morality implies responsibility & duty, but these can exist only on the condition of freedom. Stones have no morals because they are not free. We do not condemn ice because it is melted by heat. Praise & blame can be bestowed only on those who are masters of their own will. It is only because you have the possibility of saying no, that there’s so much charm in your character when you say “yes.” Take the quality of freedom away from anyone, & it is no more possible for him to be virtuous than it is for the blade of grass which he treads beneath his feet to be virtuous. Take freedom away from life, & there would be no more reason to honor the fortitude of martyrs than there would be to honor the flames which kindle their stakes. Is it therefore any impeachment of God that He chose not to reign over an empire of chemicals? If God has deliberately chosen a kind of empire to be ruled by freedom rather than by force, & if we find that His subjects are able to act against His will, as stars & atoms cannot, does this not prove that He has given to those human beings the chance of breaking allegiance so that there might be meaning & purpose in that allegiance when they freely chose it? Here we have a mere suggestion about the possibility of evil."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Lord's Day: XXI

Aimee Allen, "God Talks" from A Little Happiness (The Last Angry Man)

Commentary:

"And God talks to me,
Yeah, God walks with me,
And God talks to me,
But I don't think you understand.

"Nothing ever happens here,
I'm down on my knees,
Mother Mary, come to me,
Please, please, please,
No, I'm no devil,
But depends on who you ask,
But I been down that road
And I'm never coming back.

"'Cause God talks to me,
Yeah, God walks me,
And God talks to me,
And I don't think they understand.

"Nothing ever happens here,
It's no big surprise,
I pull out my hair
And I cry out my eyes,
But all that matters
Is that I want to live…"

Bonus! Song o' the Day: SKAugust

Reel Big Fish, "I'd Rather Get It Wrong" from Life Sucks… Let's Dance! (The Last Angry Rude Boy)

Skammentary: It's often been said among men when we discuss marriage, that in marriage you face a binary choice: you can be right or you can be happy. Among the many reasons I'm not married, the consistent reason I'm simply not suited to marriage, is that I'd rather be right than happy.

"I'd rather get it wrong with you,
Than right with anyone else,
I'd rather sing along with you, out of tune,
Than sing it all by myself.

"And you sure drive me crazy,
But at least we're on this road together, baby,
And I'd rather get it wrong with you,
Than right with anybody else…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' Today: SKAugust

Samstag, 24. August
Reel Big Fish, "Ska Show" from Life Sucks… Let's Dance! (The Last Angry Rude Boy)

Skammentary: Last Saturday, I saw The Mighty Mighty Bosstones live @ the Royal Oak Music Theatre. I went by myself because no one I invited was interested &/or available, & that was genuinely O.K. by me; even at the height of the Blue Tree Whacking golden age, when we all went to shows together, nobody else liked The Mighty Mighty Bosstones as much as I did. For their part, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are as phenomenal live as when I first saw them on stage twenty years ago. When I mentioned how much I enjoyed the show, even though I'm too old for such nonsense to Miss Mozart, my last ex-girlfriend, she replied that I'm not too old, pointing out that Dicky Barrett is fifty-five. I'm forty! Yet my brother Knights of Columbus still call me "young man" & Miss Mozart insists I'm not too old for ska shows. For Geritol's sake, when do I get to be middle age?

"Hey, everybody, let's go
Downtown to the ska show,
There's a ska show, come on, let's go!
Let's go!

"We want to dance and sing
And forget about everything
We don't want to fight, or cry,
Just have some fun before we die.

"And there's never any doubt,
That's what it's all about!

"Hey, everybody, let's go
Downtown to the ska show,
There's a ska show, come on, let's go!
Let's go!

"This invitation is for all,
It doesn't matter who you are,
It doesn't matter where you're from
'Cause everybody is welcome.

"And there's never any doubt,
That's what it's all about!

"Hey, everybody, let's go
Downtown to the ska show,
There's a ska show, come on, let's go!
Hey, everybody, let's go
Downtown to the ska show,
There's a ska show, come on, let's go!…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' Yesterday: SKAugust

Freitag, 23. August
The Interrupters, "Judge Not" from The Interrupters (The Last Angry Rude Boy)

Skammentary:

"Don't you look at me so smug
And say I'm going bad,
Who are you to judge me
And the life that I live?
I know that I'm not perfect
And that I don't claim to be,
So before you point your fingers,
Make sure your hands are clean!

Judge not!
Before you judge yourself,
Judge not!
If you're not ready for Judgment!

"The road of life is rocky
And you may stumble, too,
So while you talk about me
Someone else is judging you!…"

Saints + Scripture: Feast of Saint Bartholomew

The Popish Plot
"Bible Bites for 24 August 2019: Feast of St. Nathanael"

'Tis the Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle (first century, A.K.A. Nathanael): Apostle-link ūnus, Apostle-link duo, Apostle-link Array of Hope, Wikipedia-link Bravo, & Wikipedia-link November; Apostles-link & Wikipedia-link Apostles.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:

Bartholomew is one of the Twelve Apostles. The moment Jesus saw Bartholomew, He praised him, saying that He could see there was no dishonesty in his heart. Bartholomew immediately began to believe in Jesus. Jesus told Bartholomew that he would see great things because of his faith.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Feast of St. Bartholomew
The Book of Revelation, chapter twenty-one, verses nine(b) thru fourteen;
Psalm One Hundred Forty-five, verses ten & eleven, twelve & thirteen, & seventeen & eighteen;
The Gospel according to John, chapter one, verses forty-five thru fifty.

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

Friends, in today’s Gospel Nathaniel declares to Jesus, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." Nathaniel is also called Bartholomew, whose feast day we are celebrating.

Anglican Scripture scholar N.T. Wright has told us that when a first-century Jew spoke of the arrival of God’s kingdom, he was taken to mean something very specific. He was announcing that the temple was going to be restored; that the proper worship of Yahweh would obtain; that the enemies of Israel would be dealt with; and that, above all, the tribes of the Lord—and through them, the tribes of the world—would be gathered.

This is why Jesus chose twelve disciples, evocative of the twelve tribes. They would be the prototype and the catalyst for the gathering of Israel and hence the gathering of everyone. They would be the fundamental community and sign of unity.

Video reflection by Marc DelMonico, Ph.D.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Scripture Study—Day 91: Progeny Point, Day 27
The Book of Genesis, chapter forty-one, verses fifty-three thru fifty-seven.

Commentary: Joseph's Rise to Power in Egypt (concluded; Genesis, 41:53-57).

'Tis also the festival of Saint Audoin of Rouen, Bishop (circa 605-686; also spelt Ouen, Aldwin, etc.; A.K.A. Dado), Bishop of Rouen: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Diocese-link Rouen & Wikipedia-link Rouen.

Commentary: Son of St. Authaire of La-Ferté [24 April].

'Tis also the festival of Saint Émilie de Vialar, Virgin, S.J.A. (1797-1856), foundress of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Apparition (S.J.A.): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Order-link S.J.A. & Wikipedia-link S.J.A.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Edward Kaźmierski, Martyr (1919-1942), martyred in the reign of the Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, one of the One Hundred Eight Blessed Polish Martyrs: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Martyrs-link Polska & Wikipedia-link Polska.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Veronica Antal, Virgin & Martyr, T.O.S.F. (1935-1958), martyred by her attempted rapist, Pavel Mocanu: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"When faith becomes the force that supports a person & the person relies entirely on God, then faith automatically becomes love. The great figures of faith—from Paul via Francis of Assisi down to Maximilian Kolbe & Mother Teresa—show us this. Where faith deteriorates, love also grows cold & selfishness increases."
—Pope Benedict XVI (born 1927, reigned 2005-2013)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Pain without Christ is suffering. Pain with Christ is sacrifice."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' Thursday: SKAugust

Donnerstag, 22. August
Death of Guitar Pop, "You'll Be Fine Sunshine" from the You'll Be Fine Sunshine single (The Last Angry Rude Boy)

Skammentary: The song ought to be titled "You'll Be Fine, Sunshine;" the comma is no more optional than is the apostrophe in "you'll," which you'll note Death of Guitar Pop deigned to include.

"Dance the rhythm of life,
Be thankful for each second you're alive,
Dance the rhythm of life,
Be thankful for each second you're alive,
And you'll be fine, Sunshine…"

Saints + Scripture

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

The Popish Plot
"Bible Bites for 23 August 2019"

'Tis the Optional Memorial of Saint Rose of Lima, Virgin, T.O.S.D. (1586-1617), invisible stigmatic: Saint-link ūna, Saint-link duæ, & Wikipedia-link; Stigmata-link & Wikipedia-link Stigmata.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:

She chose not to marry, joined the Dominican Third Order & modeled herself on Saint Catherine of Siena [Doctor of the Church, 29 April]. A recluse & mystic, noted for her radiant love of God & for the severe penance & hardships she endured during serious illness. The first saint of the Americas to be canonized.

Wikipedia-link T.O.S.D.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Tydfil, Martyr (died circa 480, also spelt Tudfil), martyred by pagan marauders (variously given as Picts, Welsh, or Saxons): Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Daughter of St. Brychan of Brycheiniog [6 April].

'Tis also the festival of Saint Victor of Vita, Bishop (circa 487-535), Bishop of Vita: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Vita.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Éogan of Ardstraw, Bishop & Abbot (died circa 618, also spelt Éoghan), abbot of the Abbey of Kilnamanagh, inaugural (I) Bishop of Ardstraw: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Ardstraw.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Filippo Benizzi, Priest, O.S.M. (1233-1285, Anglicized as Philip Benitius), Superior General of the Servite Order (O.S.M.), who attended the Second Council of Lyons (the fourteenth [XIV] ecumenical council, 1272-1274): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Council.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Juan María de la Cruz, Priest & Martyr, S.C.I. (1891-1936, A.K.A. Mariano García Méndez), martyred by Spanish Communist "Republicans" (Rojos), one of the Two Hundred Thirty-three Spanish Martyrs (A.K.A. the Martyrs of Valencia): Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Martyrs-link España & Wikipedia-link España.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Friday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Ruth, chapter one, verses one, three thru six, fourteen(b), fifteen, sixteen, & twenty-two;
Psalm One Hundred Forty-six, verses five & six(a/b), six(c) & seven, eight & nine(a), & nine (b/c) & ten;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twenty-two, verses thirty-four thru forty.

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

Friends, in today’s Gospel some Pharisees challenge Jesus to answer which commandment of the Law is the greatest. Jesus responds that every power, every capacity in us must be given over to the love of God. But what exactly does it mean to love God?

St. Bernard of Clairvaux is helpful here. He said that the goal of the spiritual life is to love God alone, for the sake of God alone. Obviously, there are many things that compete for the love of God alone—money, sex, power, pleasure. But what Bernard saw is that even if God alone is the center of my life, I still might not be truly loving him for his sake alone. I might be using him.

He makes a helpful little distinction. He says that a slave has a kind of love for his master, but it is not truly love, for it is much more like fear. This can be very helpfully applied to the spiritual life. Many people who claim they love God really fear him. What might he do to me? If I don’t do the right things, I will be punished. Such attitudes are a long way from love.

Video reflection by Jem Sullivan, Ph.D.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Mass Readings—Optional Memorial of St. Rose of Lima
The Second Letter to the Corinthians, chapter ten, verse seventeen(b) thru chapter eleven, verse two;
Psalm One Hundred Forty-eight, verses one(b/c) & two, eleven & thirteen(a), & thirteen(c) & fourteen;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter thirteen, verses forty-four, forty-five, & forty-six.

Scripture Study—Day 91: Progeny Point, Day 26
The Book of Genesis, chapter forty-one, verses thirty-eight thru forty-five, fifty, fifty-one, & fifty-two.

Commentary: Joseph's Rise to Power in Egypt (Genesis, 41:38-45, 50-52).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Evil is not the only thing that is contagious; goodwill is as well. It is necessary that, at this favorable hour, goodness increasingly abound in us! Let us succumb to the contagion of goodness!"
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, feast day: 22 October)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Apart from the cross there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven."
—St. Rose of Lima (1586-1617, feast day: 23 August)

Saints + Scripture

'Tis the Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Madonna-link ūnus, Madonna-link duo, Wikipedia-link Regina Caeli, & Wikipedia-link Coronation.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:

This feast of Mary recognizes her rôle in the Kingdom of her Son, Jesus. The feast is a logical follow-up to the Assumption, & is now celebrated on the octave day of that feast.

Wikipedia-link Gebirah

Quoth Minute Meditations from the Popes:

May, Mother of God, you are the Queen of the World & the Queen of Angels & Saints. Pray for me before the throne of your Son that I may remains close to Him in life & join Him in death.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Andrew the Scot, Priest (died circa 877, A.K.A. of Fiesole, of Tuscany): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Brother of St. Bridget the Younger [1 February].

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Thomas Percy, Martyr (1528-1572), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth I, a leader of the Rising of the North: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Rising.

'Tis also the festival of Blesseds Richard Kirkman & William Lacy, Priests & Martyrs (died 1582), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth I, two of the one hundred sixty Martyrs of Douai: Martyr-link Romeo Kilo, Martyr-link Whiskey Lima, & Wikipedia-link; Martyrs-link Douai & Wikipedia-link Douai.

'Tis also the festival of Saint John Kemble, Priest & Martyr (1599-1679), martyred in the reign of the Anglo-Scottish king Charles II, a victim of the perjurer Titus Oates's "Popish Plot" hoax, one of the Forty Martyrs of England & Wales: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Popish Plot-link & Wikipedia-link Popish Plot, & Martyrs-link England & Wales & Wikipedia-link England & Wales.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Thursday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Judges, chapter eleven, verses twenty-nine thru thirty-nine(a);
Psalm Forty, verses five, seven & eight(a), eight(b) & nine, & ten;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twenty-two, verses one thru fourteen.

Mass Readings—Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Book of Isaiah, chapter nine, verses one thru six;
Psalm One Hundred Thirteen, verses one & two, three & four, five & six, & seven & eight;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter one, verses twenty-six thru thirty-eight.

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

Friends, today we celebrate Mary’s Queenship. Mary was the definitive bearer of the divine presence, the Ark of the Covenant par excellence. When she visited her cousin Elizabeth, the infant John the Baptist leapt in his mother’s womb, doing his own version of David’s dance before the Ark.

The Queen Mother—like all of the monarchs of Israel—is a fighter. Israel frequently brought the Ark into battle with them. Most famously, the priests paraded around the city of Jericho bearing the Ark, just before the walls came tumbling down.

The Queenship of Mary is not a sentimental feast. Whenever biblical people spoke of kings or queens, they were speaking of warriors. The question for us is: Which side are we on? Those trained in the Jesuit spiritual tradition know of the “two standards” meditation, which compels us to make the simple choice: In which army do you serve?

We fight, of course, not with the puny weapons of the world, but with the weapons of the Spirit; by God we fight. So don’t just honor and acknowledge the Queenship of Mary; get in her army.

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

Scripture Study—Day 91: Progeny Point, Day 25
The Book of Genesis, chapter forty-one, verses nine thru thirty-three.

Commentary: Joseph Interprets Pharaoh's Dream (Genesis, 41:9-33).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Right from the first moment of her Divine Motherhood, of her union with the Son Whom the Father sent into the world, that the world might be saved through Him, Mary takes her place within Christ's Messianic service."
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, feast day: 22 October)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"No one has access to the Almighty, as His mother has—none has merit such as hers. Her Son will deny her nothing that she asks & herein lies her power. While she defends the Church, neither height nor depth, neither men nor evil spirits, neither great monarchs, nor craft of man, nor popular violence, can avail to harm us—for human life is short but Mary reigns above, a Queen forever.”
—Bl. John Henry Newman (1801-1890, feast day: 9 October)

Saints + Scripture

'Tis the Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope (1835-1914, the "Pope of the Blessed Sacrament;" A.K.A. Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto), two hundred fifty-seventh (CCLVII) Bishop of Rome, previously Bishop of Mantua & Patriarch of Venice: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, Saint-link trēs, & Wikipedia-link; Pontiffs-link & Wikipedia-link Pontiff; & Wikipedia-link Mantua & Wikipedia-link Venice.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:

[St.] Pius X is known for vigorously opposing modernist interpretations of Catholic doctrine, promoting liturgical reforms & orthodox theology.

Quoth Minute Meditations from the Popes:

Lord Jesus, increase my love for the Church & the Eucharist after the example of pope St. Pius X. May it lead me to the sanctity we see in him.

'Tis also the festival of Our Lady of Knock (apparition 21 August 1879): Madonna-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Abraham of Smolensk, Priest & Abbot (circa 1172-1222): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Victoire Rasoamanarivo (1848-1894): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Brunon Zembol, Religious & Martyr, O.F.M. (1905-1942, A.K.A. Jan Zembol), martyred in the reign of the Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, one of the One Hundred Eight Blessed Polish Martyrs: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link (List, № 1); Martyrs-link Polska & Wikipedia-link Polska.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Wednesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Judges, chapter nine, verses six thru fifteen;
Psalm Twenty-one, verses two & three, four & five, & six & seven;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twenty, verses one thru sixteen.

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

Friends, in today’s Gospel, we hear of a landowner who goes out to hire workers for his field, hiring some the first thing in the morning and then others at different times during the day. Then he pays each the same wage. Why should those who have worked only an hour be paid the same as those who have slaved in the hot sun all day? Is the landowner really being unfair?

Perhaps he saw something that the first workers didn’t see. Perhaps he saw, in his compassion, that their day spent waiting for work to feed their families was a terrible one, marked by anxiety and a sense of failure. Or perhaps he knew that they were poorer, more desperate, less gifted. Maybe he knew they needed a bit more encouragement.

Here’s a second perspective on this mysterious story. We sinners are very susceptible to a reward-centered understanding of our relationship to God. Tit for tat; I do this, then you better do that. But this is very juvenile.

We’ve been invited to work in the vineyard of the Lord. That is the greatest privilege imaginable, to participate in the Lord’s work of saving the world. Why are we fussing about rewards? And how liberating this is! I don’t have to spend my life fussing and spying and worrying and comparing. I can live.

Video reflection by Jem Sullivan, Ph.D.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Mass Readings—Memorial of St. Pius X
The First Letter to the Thessalonians, chapter two, verses two(b) thru eight;
Psalm Eighty-nine, verses two & three, four & five, twenty-one & twenty-two, & twenty-five & twenty-seven;
The Gospel according to John, chapter twenty-one, verses fifteen, sixteen, & seventeen.

Scripture Study—Historical Books
The Book of Judges, chapter eight, verses twenty-two thru thirty-five;
The Book of Judges, chapter nine (verses one thru fifty-seven).

Commentary: Gideon's Ephod Becomes a Snare (Judges, 8:22-28); the Death of Gideon (8:29-35); Abimelech Tries to Establish a Monarchy (9:1-6); Jotham's Parable of the Trees, Vine, & Bramble (9:7-21); & the Downfall of Abimelech (9:22-57).

Scripture Study—Day 91: Progeny Point, Day 24
The Book of Genesis, chapter thirty-nine, verses nineteen thru twenty-three.

Commentary: Joseph & Potiphar's Wife (concluded; Genesis, 39:19-23).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Pius X knew no other road than the Eucharist by which he cold arrive at heroism in his love of God. He knew no other road by which he could return to the Redeemer of the world, Who by means of the Eucharist poured out the wealth of His Divine love on humans."
—Pope Ven. Pius XII (1876-1958)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"I was born poor, I lived poor, & I wish to die poor."
—Pope St. Pius X (1835-1914, feast day: 21 August)

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Five Weeks Later

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 320.4 lbs. (Wednesday, 17 July)
This weigh-in: 325.2 lbs.
Difference: +4.8 lbs.

Just shy of five pounds (4.8 lbs.) in five weeks. The self-reproach & the spiraling shame, while understandable & certainly well deserved, are simply not productive. The way forward is to begin again.

Bonus! Lied von ÖSTERREICH
"Weird Al" Yankovic, "Inactive" from Mandatory Fun (The Last Angry Chunk)

Commentary:

"I'm waking up to Cheeto dust,
My belly's covered with pizza crust…
I'm out of shape, fattening up,
I'm sipping Coke from a Solo cup,
Doughnuts crumbs are upon my lips…

"My NordicTrack's collecting dust,
And my StairMaster's a pile of rust,
This is it: the inertia…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' Today: SKAugust

Mittwoch, 21. August
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "The Mad Dash" from While We're at It (The Last Angry Rude Boy)

Skammentary:

"Slap the slogans on the t-shirts, watch them fly out of the shops,
I don't like what I've been thinking and I think it's time it stops,
Mad dash to be the first one and I pray that it's not true
Are you trying to shift the spotlight so the spotlight shines on you?

"This might be of little interest, it could come as no surprise,
The level of the interest I possess,
I listen to the outrage while something inside me dies,
The more I hear, the more I could care less.

"It is stale and it is stagnant,
Every fiber, every fragment,
Every second we waste on it is a shame!
Grab your coat, now you'll be leaving,
Hope that you had a nice evening,
We thank you for your contribution and we're glad you came!

"The cars came off the causeway with a healthy head of steam,
Benefits, fundraisers, and events,
I want to find out that this nightmare here is only a bad dream,
Wake up and the world makes perfect sense…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' Yesterday: SKAugust

Dienstag, 20. August
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "She Just Happened" from Pay Attention (The Last Angry Rude Boy)

Skammentary: She is preposterously, achingly beautiful; I thank heaven she has never shown the slightest interest in me, lest I prove powerless to resist.

"What just happened?
She just happened,
She just happened to cross my mind,
Without warning she crossed my mind,
What just happened to me?…"

Saints + Scripture

'Tis the Memorial of Saint Bernard, Abbot & Doctor of the Church, O.Cist. (1090-1153, of Clairvaux, the Doctor Mellifluus), who attended the Second Lateran Council (1139) & preached the Second Crusade (1147-1149): Doctor-link ūnus, Doctor-link duo, Doctor-link Aletheia, & Wikipedia-link; Doctors-link & Wikipedia-link Doctors; Wikipedia-link Council, Crusade-link, & Wikipedia-link Crusade.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Brother of Bl. Humbeline of Jully [21 August].

Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:

Bernard of Clairvaux, O.Cist., was a French abbot & a major leader in the reform of Benedictine monasticism that caused the formation of the Cistercian order.

Order-link O.Cist. & Wikipedia-link O.Cist.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Zacchaeus the Publican (first century): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Publican.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Ronald of Orkney, Martyr (circa 1103-1158, A.K.A. Rögnvald Kali Kolsson), Earl of Orkney, martyred by the Viking outlaw Thorbjorn Klerk, who build Saint Magnus Cathedral: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Cathedral.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Georg Häfner, Priest & Martyr (1900-1942), martyred in the reign of the Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Władysław Mączkowski, Priest & Martyr (1911-1942, also spelt Ladislaus Maczkowski), martyred in the reign of the Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, one of the One Hundred Eight Blessed Polish Martyrs: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link (List, № 74); Martyrs-link Polska & Wikipedia-link Polska.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Tuesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Judges, chapter six, verses eleven thru twenty-four(a);
Psalm Eighty-five, verses nine, eleven & twelve, & thirteen & fourteen;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter nineteen, verses twenty-three thru thirty.

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

Friends, in today’s Gospel Jesus says to his disciples: "Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven." When the disciples express their astonishment at this—"Who then can be saved?"—Jesus replies, "For men this is impossible, but for God all things are possible."

When we fail on the spiritual path, we must become, like Bartimaeus, beggars. When we stumble in our attempts to follow the law or to set out on the high adventure of discipleship, we must not fall into discouragement or self-reproach. We must once again cry out, "Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison," relying not on our own powers but on God.

Thérèse of Lisieux commented that, amidst the many spiritual athletes and strivers around her, she felt like a little helpless child, lifting her arms up and begging to be carried. The heavenly Father, like any good parent, could hardly resist such a sight, and thus she found herself lifted higher than the spiritual "giants."

With us, it is finally impossible; but with God, all things—including the making of saints—are possible.

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

Mass Readings—Memorial of Saint Bernard
The Book of Sirach, chapter fifteen, verses one thru six;
Psalm One Hundred Nineteen, verses nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, & fourteen;
The Gospel according to John, chapter seventeen, verses twenty thru twenty-six.

Scripture Study—Day 91: Progeny Point, Day 23
The Book of Genesis, chapter thirty-nine, verses eight thru twelve.

Commentary: Joseph & Potiphar's Wife (cont'd; Genesis, 39:8-12).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Nowadays we would like to make Christianity exclusively a matter of head knowledge. But a Christianity that is merely discussion, organization, & a bit of morality does not support us; we cannot grow fond of it; it does not provide joy & strength for our life. In order for the faith to support us & not to be a burden, it has to touch the heart, we must be able to grow fond of God."
—Pope Benedict XVI (born 1927, reigned 2005-2013)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"(Jesus) desires that whatever is in Him may live & rule in you: His Breath in your breath, His Heart in your heart, all the faculties of His Soul in the faculties of your soul."
—St. John Eudes (1601-1680, feast day: 19 August)