The Popish Plot
"Vendetta"
'Tis still Christmas: Wikipedia-link Christmastide & Wikipedia-link Epiphanytide. Merry Christmas!
'Tis the festival of Saint Gregory of Nyssa, Bishop (circa 333-398, the "Father of the Fathers"), Bishop of Nyssa (372-376 & 378-398), one of the three Cappadocian Fathers, who attended the First Council of Constantinople (381, the second [II] ecumenical council) which amended & reaffirmed the Nicene Creed: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Nyssa, Wikipedia-link Cappadocian Fathers, Councils-link Constantinople & Wikipedia-link Constantinople, & Wikipedia-link Creed.
Commentary: Wayback Machine. Grandson of St. Macrina the Elder [14 January], son of Ss. Basil the Elder & Emmelia [30 May], & brother of Ss. Macrina the Younger [19 July], Naucratius [?], Basil the Great [2 January], & Peter of Sebaste [9 January].
'Tis also the festival of Saint Agatho, Pope, O.S.B. (died 681), seventy-ninth (LXXIX) Bishop of Rome (678-681), who assented to the Third Council of Constantinople (680-681, the sixth [VI] ecumenical council): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Pontifex-link & Wikipedia-link Pontifex, & Council-link Constantinople & Wikipedia-link Constantinople.
'Tis also the festival of Blessed Gregory X, Pope, T.O.S.F. (circa 1210-1276, A.K.A. Teobaldo Visconti), one hundred eighty-fourth (CLXXXIV) Bishop of Rome (1271-1276), who convoked the Second Council of Lyon (1274, the fourteenth [XIV] ecumenical council): Blessed-link ūnus, Blessed-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Pontifex-link & Wikipedia-link Pontifex, & Wikipedia-link Lyon.
'Tis also the festival of Blessed Marie of the Conception, Religious, F.M.I. (1789-1828, A.K.A. Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon), co-foundress & first superior of the Marianist Sisters, formally the Daughters of Mary Immaculate (F.M.I.): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Marianist Family.
We also remember Servant of God Vico Necchi, T.O.S.F. (1876-1930): Servant-link & Wikipedia-link.
Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Friday after Epiphany
The First Letter of John, chapter five, verses five thru thirteen;
Psalm One Hundred Forty-seven (R/. twelve[a]; or, "Alleluia"), verses twelve & thirteen, fourteen & fifteen, & nineteen & twenty;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter five, verses twelve thru sixteen.
Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, in today’s Gospel Jesus heals a leper who prostrated himself before him.Video reflection by Susan Timoney, S.T.D. (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.
For biblical Jews, leprosy was especially frightening. According to Leviticus the leper was expelled from the community, compelled to shout "Unclean, unclean!" to warn others away from him. The social ostracization was probably more severe than any physical suffering prompted by the disease—especially at a time when one depended so intimately on the support of others in order to survive.
Now, without denying for a moment this more "external" reading, I would like to follow the Church Fathers in proposing another sort of interpretation, this one more "interior." What in you has become leprous? What in you is being called back to intimacy with Christ?
Notice the dynamics of the cure in this story. The leprous man comes to Jesus and prostrates himself and asks to be healed. There is no example of healing in the New Testament that does not involve some sort of synergy between Jesus and the one to be cured.
That in you which needs healing must come and prostrate itself before Christ and ask to be received. And of course he wants to heal. That is why he has come.
Papal Quote o' the Day
"Be happy, rejoice in Christ's love, & live from His strength. True, you cannot always be healthy or succesful. However, you can always be with Christ & find strength at His side."Saint Quote o' the Day
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, reigned 1978-2005, feast day: 22 Oct.)
"Faith is not a wish to believe or a will to believe something contrary to reason. Faith is not living as if something were true. Faith is the acceptance of a truth based on the authority of God's revelation, as manifested in the Church & in scripture. God alone causes faith in the believer, & faith is not the acceptance of abstract ideas. It is so often said, 'Oh, by faith you have to accept a number of dogmas.' Faith is participation in the life of God. In faith, two persons meet: God & ourselves. Our affirmation of faith does not come because we see a truth very clearly. But it comes from the vision of Him who reveals that truth—and we know that He cannot deceive nor be deceived."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)
No comments:
Post a Comment