Saints + Scripture

The Popish Plot
"Book Review: The Divine Symphony"

'Tis the festival of Saint Evaristus, Pope (died circa 107, also spelt Aristus), fifth (V) Bishop of Rome: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Pontiffs-link & Wikipedia-link Pontiff.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Cedd, Bishop & Abbot (circa 620-664), Bishop of London, inaugural abbot of the monastery of Lastingham, who participated at the Synod of Whitby (664): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link London, Wikipedia-link Lastingham, & Wikipedia-link Whitby.

Commentary: Brother of Ss. Chad & Cynibild of Laestingaeu [both 2 March].

'Tis also the festival of Saint Eata of Hexham, Bishop (died circa 686), inaugural Bishop of Hexham, fifth (V) Bishop of Lindifarne (later, Durham), founding abbot of Melrose Abbey & Ripon Abbey: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Hexham, Diocese-link Lindisfarne, & Wikipedia-link Lindisfarne; & Abbey-link Melrose & Wikipedia-link Melrose.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Cuthbert of Canterbury, Bishop & Abbot (died circa 760), eleventh (XI) Archbishop of Canterbury, abbot of Lyminge Abbey: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Diocese-link Canterbury & Wikipedia-link Canterbury, & Wikipedia-link Lyminge.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Fulk of Pavia, Bishop (1164-1229, A.K.A. of Piacenza), Bishop of Pavia, briefly Bishop of Piacenza: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Diocese-link Pavia & Wikipedia-link Pavia, Diocese-link Piacenza & Wikipedia-link Piacenza.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Celine Rozalia Leonarda Chludzińska Borzęcka, Religious, C.R. (1833-1913), co-foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ (C.R.): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link C.R..

Commentary: Bl. Celine's co-foundress was her own biological daughter, Venerable Jadwiga Borzęcka (1863-1906).

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Saturday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
The Letter to the Romans, chapter eight, verses one thru eleven;
Psalm Twenty-four (R/. confer six), verses one(b) & two, three & four(a/b), & five & six;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter thirteen, verses one thru nine.

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

Friends, today’s Gospel includes the parable of a fig tree that bears no fruit.

This is a standard trope in the theological literature of Israel: the tree that bears no fruit is evocative of the moral person who bears no spiritual fruit. Every single person has a mission: to be a conduit of the divine grace into the world. Planted in God—think of Jesus’ image of the vine and the branches—they are meant to bring forth the fruits of love, peace, compassion, justice, nonviolence.

And notice that this should be effortless. The closer God gets, the more alive we become. But the mystery of sin is that we resist the invasion of God; we prefer to go our own way; we cling to our own prerogatives and our own narrow freedom. And the result is lifelessness. It feels like depression, like your life is going nowhere—in Dante’s language, like being "lost in a dark wood."

In Jesus’ parable, the one caring for the tree begs the owner for one more chance to manure the tree and to hoe around it, hoping to bring it back to life. But if no life comes, the tree will be cut down. This is the note of urgency that is struck over and again in the Bible. We can run out of time. We can become so resistant to God’s grace that our leaves dry up. This is not divine vengeance; it is spiritual physics.

So don’t be afraid of God! Surrender to him.

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

Mass Readings—Requiem for Tango Bravo November
The Book of Ecclesiastes, chapter three, verses one thru eleven;
Psalm Fifty-one (R/. the Gospel according to Luke, chapter fifteen, verse eighteen);
The Book of Wisdom, chapter four, verses seven thru fifteen;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter eleven, verses twenty-five thru thirty.

Commentary: Requiescat in pace, my friend.

Scripture Study—Wisdom Books
The Book of Sirach, chapter twenty (verses one thru thirty-one).

Commentary: On Silence & Speech (Sirach, 20:1-31).

Scripture Study—Exodus 90: Day 91: Decision Dome, Day 34
The Book of Joshua, chapter nineteen, verses forty thru forty-eight.

Commentary: The Territory of Dan (Joshua, 19:40-48).

Proverb o' the Day (Sirach, 20:7)

A wise man will be silent until the right moment,
but a braggart & fool goes beyond the right moment.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"The Church gives thanks for all the manifestations of the feminine genius."
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, feast day: 22 October)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Love your children. In them you can see Baby Jesus. Pray for them a lot & every day put them under Holy Mary's protection."
—St. Gianna Molla (1922-1962, feast day: 28 April)

Chesterton Quote o' the Day

"We are now nearer pagan slavery than we have ever been since the Church undermined it in the early Middle Ages."
—G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936)