Saints + Scripture

The Popish Plot
"Catholic T-shirt Club Unboxing: Saint Christopher"

'Tis the festival of Saint Felix of Nola, Priest & Confessor (died circa 255): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Confessor of the Faith.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Macrina the Elder (circa 270-340, A.K.A. of Caesarea): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Mother & mother-in-law, respectively, of Ss. Basil the Elder & Emmelia [30 May] & grandmother of Ss. Basil the Great [2 January], Peter of Sebaste [9 January], Gregory of Nyssa [10 January], Macrina the Younger [19 July], & Naucratius [?].

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Odo of Novara, Priest, O.Cart. (circa 1105-1200, also spelt Odon): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Petrus Donders, Priest, C.Ss.R. (1809-1887; A.K.A. Peerke Donders, Anglicized as Peter Donders): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Alfonsa Clerici, Religious, S.P.S. (1860-1930): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
The First Book of Samuel, chapter one, verses nine thru twenty;
The First Book of Samuel, chapter two (R/. see: one), verses one, four & five, six & seven, & eight(a/b/c/d);
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter one, verses twenty-one thru twenty-eight.

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

Friends, in today’s Gospel Jesus drives out an unclean spirit from a man in the Capernaum synagogue. And he wants to perform the same cleansing operation in our lives.

What God intended from the beginning is that our hearts be temples of his presence. So Christ comes into our world. What does he find? He finds that the temple of our heart is filled up with all sorts of things that are not the divine power. Money, worldly success, the esteem of others, sex—whatever it is, it has now taken the place that rightfully belongs to God. Therefore, when Christ comes into your life, he will always have a cleansing role to play.

Fulton J. Sheen once talked about the "expulsive power" of Christ. When you place him in the center of your soul, he will expel all those things that don't belong in that center and make them find their proper place.
And so Jesus the nonviolent warrior, Jesus the judge, God's own mind, now comes into our hearts when we invite him through conversion. He will have this cleansing authority and cleansing power.

Video reflection by Father Seán Paul Fleming (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

Commentary on the commentary: Fr. Fleming must be referring to the traditional calendar, wherein the Christmastide could be construed as lasting all the way 'til 2 February, the Presentation of the Lord or "Candlemas." But the reading he references are most definitely those of the first week in Ordinary Time.

Scripture Study—Exodus 90, Day 2
The Book of Exodus, chapter one, verses eight thru fourteen.

Commentary: The Israelites Are Oppressed by the Egyptians (Exodus, 1:8-14).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Whoever really loves his partner loves not only for what he receives, but loves that partner for the partner's own sake, content to be able to enrich the other with the gift of himself."
—Pope St. Paul VI (1897-1978, reigned 1963-1978, feast day: 29 May)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Reconciliation is inseparable from the death of Christ. That is important to understand. In other words, we never have reconciliation without the passion, death, & resurrection of our Lord. For example, Romans 5:10: 'For if we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son.'

"Again, 2 Corinthians 5:14: 'For the love of Christ leaves us no choice, when once we have reached the conclusion that one man died for all & therefore mankind has died. His purpose in dying for us was that all men, while still in life, should cease to live for themselves, & should live for Him who for their sake died & was raised to life.'

"Then again in Colossians 1:22: 'But now by Christ's death in his body of flesh and blood God has reconciled you to himself so that he may present you before himself as dedicated men without blemish and innocent in his sight.' Reconciliation therefore comes through redemption."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)