Saints + Scripture: XXXI Sunday in Tempus per annum

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

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Book of Wisdom, chapter eleven, verse twenty-two thru chapter twelve, verse two;
Psalm One Hundred Forty-five (R/. cf. one), verses one & two, eight & nine, ten & eleven, & thirteen & fourteen;
The Second Letter to the Thessalonians, chapter one, verse eleven thru chapter two, verse two;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter nineteen, verses one thru ten.

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

Friends, today’s Gospel declares in the story of Zacchaeus how quickly God responds to any sign of faith. Zacchaeus’ climbing the sycamore tree shows he had more than a passing interest in seeing Jesus. He had a deep hunger of the spirit. His principal virtue was his willingness to go to great extremes. But this is what we do when we know that something of great moment is at stake. When our health is endangered, we move, we act; when our job is threatened, we go to almost any extreme to keep it.

When Jesus spotted him, he said, "Zacchaeus, hurry down. I mean to stay at your house today." Christians, God responds to us readily when we show the least interest in him. He doesn’t play hard to get; he is not coy with us. When we seek him, he responds, because loving us is his entire game.

Notice how Jesus tells Zacchaeus to hurry. Don’t wait, don’t hesitate. Seize the moment of conversion when it comes.

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 91: Decision Dome, Day 42
The Book of Joshua, chapter twenty-four, verses sixteen thru thirty-three.

Commentary: The Tribes Renew the Covenant (concluded; Joshua, 24:16-28) & the Death of Joshua & Eleazar (Joshua, 24:29-33).

Mass Journal: Week 49
Reflection by Matthew Kelly, founder of the Dynamic Catholic Institute:

There is genius in Catholicism. The human heart years for happiness, & God wants us to be happy. We only experience this happiness, & the fulfillment that accompanies it, when we are changing, growing, becoming more like Jesus Christ & through Him becoming the-best-version-of-ourselves. Catholicism is the dynamic lifestyle & learning system divinely designed to assist us in this transformation. I love the Church. To me, Catholicism is a gift that can never be fully appreciated, described, or understood. But in order to even begin to appreciate Catholicism in all its beauty we must experience it. My travels have affirmed that people love the Church. The press may attack the Church, fallen-away Catholics may ridicule it, & even practicing Catholics may criticize it, but I firmly believe these are curious expressions of love. At the very least, they are expressions of a desire for the Church to be the beacon of light it should be in the world. Sometimes love goes sour, as it has for many modern Catholics in their relationship with the Church. When love goes sour, it is usually for one of four reasons: misunderstanding, indifference, selfishness, or the pride that makes a person unwilling to apologize or forgive. Sometimes it is a combination, & usually both parties are at fault to some extent.

†

Otherwise, 3 November would be the festival of Saint Gwenhael, Abbot (died circa 550, also spelt Guénaël), second (II) abbot of the Abbey of Landévennec: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Landévennec.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Rumwold of Buckingham (662, also spelt Rumbold): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Hubertus of Liège, Bishop, O.S.B. (circa 656-727, the "Apostle of the Ardennes;" also spelt Hubert), inaugural Bishop of Liège after being Bishop of Maastricht, namesake of the traditional rabies cure Saint Hubert's Key: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Liège & Wikipedia-link Maastricht; & Wikipedia-link St. Hubert's Key.

Commentary: Father of the bishop St. Floribert of Liège [27 April].

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Malachy of Armagh, Bishop (1094-1148; A.K.A. Máel Máedóc Ua Morgair, Anglicized as Malachy O'More), second (II) Archbishop of Armagh, third (III) Bishop of Down, second (II) Bishop of Connor, & abbot of Bangor Abbey; definitely not the author of the Prophecy of the Popes: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Diocese-link Armagh & Wikipedia-link Armagh; Wikipedia-link Down, Wikipedia-link Connor, & Wikipedia-link Down & Connor; Abbey-link Bangor & Wikipedia-link Bangor; & Wikipedia-link Prophecy of the Popes.

Commentary: Brother of the bishop St. Christian of Clogher [12 June].

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Martin de Porres, Religious, O.P. (1579-1639, the "Saint of the Broom"): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Quoth Minute Meditations from the Popes:

O Lord, may I learn from the example of St. Martin de Porres & develop a balanced spirituality. Let me not run away from those aspects of the spiritual life that I find difficult.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Brother Martin has three loves: Christ crucified, Our Lady of the Rosary, & St. Dominic. He also had three passions: charity, especially toward the poor & the sick; a very vigorous penance that he regarded as 'the price of love;' & nourishing those virtues, humility."
—Pope St. Paul VI (1897-1978, feast day: 29 May)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"In order to bear our afflictions with patience, it is very useful to read the lives & legends of the saints who endured great torments for Jesus Christ."
—St. Teresa of Ávila, Doctor of the Church (1515-1582, feast day: 15 October)

Chesterton Quote o' the Day

"Man must have just enough faith in himself to have adventures, & just enough doubt of himself to enjoy them."
—G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936)