The Rebel Black Dot Exodus 90 Song o' the Day

Melbourne Ska Orchestra, "Paradiso" from Melbourne Ska Orchestra (Rude Boy St. Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"Paradiso!
It's all in the mind,
You can take a holiday any old time.
Paradiso!
It's how you perceive,
Find the best in every test and set yourself free…"

Saints + Scripture: Quadragesima — Please Stand By

Saints + Scripture: Quadragesima — Please Stand By

The Rebel Black Dot Exodus 90 Song o' the Day

Barnes & Barnes, "Fish Heads" courtesy The Watergirl (St. Mike Papa Whiskey)

Bonus! Exodus 90 Song o' the Day

Reel Big Fish, "I Know You Too Well to Like You Anymore" Candy Coated Fury (Rude Boy St. Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"You're a son of a bitch, you know that?

"I know you too well to like you anymore,
I know you too well to like you anymore,
There's a nightmare where my dream girl was!
My Prince Charming is a bore!
And I know you too well,
I don't like you.

"I know you too well to like you anymore,
I know you too well to like you anymore,
I'm stuck with someone I can't stand!
I can't stand you even more!
And I know you too well,
I don't like you.

"You're a slut!
You're a dick!
You're a whore!
You're a prick!
You make me fucking sick!
You got no tits!
Well, you're a needle dick!
I'm so sick of your shit!
Well, you're a hag!
And you're a drag!
You drive me fucking mad!
Well, I wish you'd go to hell,
But I love you, oh well…"

Saints + Scripture: Quadragesima — Please Stand By

The Rebel Black Dot Exodus 90 Song o' the Day

Lenka, "Trouble Is a Friend" from Lenka (St. Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:

"Trouble, he will find you no matter where you go, oh, oh,
No matter if you're fast, no matter if you're slow, oh, oh,
The eye of the storm or the cry in the morn, oh, oh,
You're fine for a while but you start to lose control.

"He's there in the dark,
He's there in my heart,
He waits in the wings,
He's gotta play a part,
Trouble is a friend,
Yeah, Trouble is a friend of mine.

"Trouble is a friend but Trouble is a foe, oh, oh,
And no matter what I feed him, he always seems to grow, oh, oh,
He sees what I see & he knows what I know, oh, oh,
So don't forget as you ease on down that road.

"He's there in the dark,
He's there in my heart,
He waits in the wings,
He's gotta play a part,
Trouble is a friend,
Yeah, Trouble is a friend of mine, oh, oh,
So now don't be alarmed if he takes you by the arm,
I won't let him in but I'm a sucker for his charm,
Trouble is a friend,
Yeah, Trouble is a friend of mine, oh, oh!

"How I hate the way he makes me feel,
And how I try to make him leave,
I try, oh, oh, I try!

"But he's there in the dark,
He's there in my heart,
He waits in the wings,
He's gotta play a part,
Trouble is a friend,
Yeah, Trouble is a friend of mine, oh, oh,
So now don't be alarmed if he takes you by the arm,
I won't let him in but I'm a sucker for his charm,
Trouble is a friend,
Yeah, Trouble is a friend of mine, oh, oh!"

The Queue: Lenten Special

The problems with Who Wrote the Bible? are legion. First, the title is misleading, because the book is not about who wrote the Bible, i.e., who wrote the Old Testament & the New Testament, nor even who wrote the Hebrew Bible; Who Wrote the Bible? is concerned solely with who wrote the Torah, also known as the Pentateuch or the "Five Books of Moses." Only is the Samaritan faith are those five books the whole of the "Bible." Who wrote the Torah is a fascinating question, eminently worthy of investigation, but it is not nearly the same as who wrote the Bible.

Second, Who Wrote the Bible? (copyright 1987) champions the "documentary hypothesis" of the Pentateuch's composition. There is nothing inherently wrong with a book just because it was written in the 1980s, but I mention the date of publication because of a paragraph in The Bible Is a Catholic Book critiquing the documentary hypothesis:

A theory known as the Documentary Hypothesis became popular in the nineteenth & twentieth centuries. According to his the theory, the Pentateuch is based on four documents (the Yahwist, Elohist, Priestly, & Deuteronomistic sources) that were written between the tenth & sixth centuries B.C. & later combined & published, perhaps around the fifth century B.C. In the last few decades, the Documentary Hypothesis has come under increasing criticism from both conservative & liberal scholars, & at present there is no consensus.

"The last few decades" as in the thirty-plus years since 1987. So, what Dr. Friedman asserts as the settled scholarly consensus is anything but in the year 2020.

Wikipedia-link Documentary Hypothesis & Wikipedia-link Composition of the Torah

Third, Who Wrote the Bible? is written from an atheistic perspective. It is not the Lord God who designated Saul as the first king of Israel, but the judge Samuel, acting on his own authority. This is in direct contravention of the Biblical texts. Did human authors write the books of the Bible? Of course they did! The Bible was not handed to us on golden plates as the L.D.S. Church claims the Book of Mormon was. Yes, God directly wrote on the first set of tablets containing the Ten Commandments, the tablets that Moses smashed, but it was Moses who carved the words into the second set of tablets. But God's inspiration of the sacred authors plays no part in Who Wrote the Bible?, which presumes a purely human authorship. This is then, at the very best, only an extremely partial answer to the question of who wrote the Bible, since it ignores the principle Author. The kind of scholarship that prima facie excludes the Divine from the question of biblical authorship is inherently biased—narrow-minded at best, if not outright bigoted—& thus not to be trusted.

Recently
Matthew Kelly, Rediscover the Saints: Twenty-five Questions That Will Change Your Life
Pope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation Christus Vivit! (Christ Is Alive!)
Richard Elliott Friedman, Who Wrote the Bible? ***abandoned***

Currently
Jimmy Akin, The Bible Is a Catholic Book

Devotionally
Theresa Aletheia Noble, F.S.P., Remember Your Death: Memento Mori Lenten Devotional
Edward Sri, No Greater Love: A Biblical Walk through Christ's Passion

Presently
Flannery O'Connor, Flannery O'Connor Collection (Word on Fire Classics)
Fulton J. Sheen, Life of Christ (Word on Fire Classics)
Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard, Spiritual Handbook for Catholic Evangelists: How to Win Souls without Losing Your Own

Saints + Scripture: Quadragesima — Ash Wednesday

The Popish Plot
"Ash Wednesday"

'Tis Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent (meaning "Spring;" the Latin name is Quadragesima, meaning "fortieth"): Ash Wednesday-link, Ash Wednesday-link U.S.C.C.B., Wikipedia-link Ash Wednesday, & Wikipedia-link Quadragesima.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Ash Wednesday
The Book of Joel, chapter two, verses twelve thru eighteen;
Psalm Fifty-one (R/. see: three[a]), verses three & four, five & six, twelve & thirteen, & fourteen & seventeen;
The Second Letter to the Corinthians, chapter five, verse twenty thru chapter six, verse two;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter six, verses one thru six, sixteen, seventeen, & eighteen.

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

Friends, in today’s Gospel, the Lord prescribes prayer, fasting, and almsgiving as our Lenten disciplines.

The Church traditionally says there are three things we ought to do during Lent, and I put stress on the word do. In recent years we’ve emphasized the interior dimensions a little too much—that Lent is primarily about attitudes, about ideas and intentions. In the traditional practice of the Church, Lent is about doing things, things that involve the body as much as the mind, that involve the exterior of your life as much as the interior.

The three great practices of Lent—prayer, fasting, and almsgiving—are three things you do. This is going to sound a little bit strange, but my recommendation for this Lent is, in a certain way, to forget about your spiritual life—by which I mean forget about looking inside at how you’re progressing spiritually. Follow the Church’s recommendations and do three things: pray, fast, and give alms. And as you do, pray to draw closer to the Lord as the center of your life—and the reason you do everything.

You also have to pray with persistence. One reason that we don't receive what we want through prayer is that we give up too easily. Augustine said that God sometimes delays in giving us what we want because he wants our hearts to expand.

Finally, we have to pray in Jesus' name. In doing so we are relying on his influence with the Father, trusting that the Father will listen to him.

Reflect: How do you think the practices of Lent, specifically prayer, almsgiving, and fasting, can lead us to a deeper relationship with Christ?

Video reflection by Jem Sullivan, Ph.D. (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

Scripture Study—Exodus 90: Day 45
The Book of Exodus, chapter nineteen, verses one thru fifteen.

Commentary: The Israelites Reach Mount Sinai (Exodus, 19:1-15).

Scripture Study—The 3:16 Project
The Book of Numbers, chapter chapter three, verse sixteen.

So Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded.

†

Otherwise, 26 February would be the festival of Saint Porphyry of Gaza, Bishop (circa 347-420), Bishop of Gaza (396-420): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Gaza.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Agricola of Nevers, Bishop (died 594), Bishop of Nevers (580-594): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Nevers.

'Twould also be the festival of Blesseds Adalbert of Tegernsee, Abbot, & Ottokar of Tegernsee, Religious, O.S.B. (fl. 765), founders of the Tegernsee Abbey (circa 765): Blessed-link Alpha, Blessed-link Oscar, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Tegernsee.

'Twould also be the festival of Blessed Robert Drury, Priest & Martyr, Obl.S.B. (circa 1567-1607, also spelt Drewrie), 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.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Paula of Saint Joseph Calasanz, Religious (1799-1889, A.K.A. Paula Montal Fornés), foundress of the Sisters of the Pious Schools: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Twould also be the festival of Blessed Piedad of the Cross, Religious (1842-1916, A.K.A. Tomasa Ortiz Real), foundress of the Congregation of Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus: Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Let us not allow this season of grace to pass us in vain! Let us ask God to help us set out on a path of true conversion."
—Pope Francis (b. 1936, r. 2013-present)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks."
—St. Ambrose of Milan, Doctor of the Church (340-397, feast: 7 December)

Chesterton Quote o' the Day

"Bowing down one's head in the dust is a very good thing, the humble beginning of all happiness. When we have bowed our heads in the dust for a little time, the happiness comes; & then (leaving our heads in the humble & reverent position) we kick up our heels behind in the air. That is the true origin of standing on one's head; & the ultimate defence of paradox."
—G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936)

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Exodus 90, Day 45

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 344.8 lbs
This weigh-in: 340.2 lbs.
Difference: -4.6 lbs.

Bonus! Lied von ÖSTERREICH
Jim Gaffigan, "Belt" from Cinco (Mike Papa Watercress)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' Ash Wednesday

Melanie Rea & Daniel Schmit, "Come Ye Sinners" from It Is Well (St. Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Rebel Black Dot Exodus 90 Song o' the Day

Albert King, "Born Under a Bad Sign" from The Very Best of Albert King (St. Mike Papa Whiskey)

Saints + Scripture

The Popish Plot
"Fat Tuesday"

'Tis the festival of Saint Nestor of Magydos, Bishop & Martyr (died 250, A.K.A. of Side, of Perge), Bishop of Magydos, martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Decius, a victim of the Decian Persecution (250-251): Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Magydos, & Persecutions-link & Wikipedia-link Decian Persecution.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Riginos, Bishop & Martyr (died 362, also spelt Reginos), Bishop of Skopelos, martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Julian the Apostate: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Skopelos.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Walpurga, Abbess, O.S.B. (circa 710-779; also spelt Walburga, Valderburg, etc.; A.K.A. Guibor), abbess of the double monastery at Heidenheim am Hahnenkamm (751-779): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Heidenheim am Hahnenkamm.

Commentary: Daughter of St. Richard the Pilgrim [7 February], niece of St. Boniface [5 June], & sister of Ss. Willibald [7 June] & Winebald [18 December].

'Tis also the festival of Saint Gerland of Agrigento, Bishop (died circa 1104, A.K.A. of Besançon; also spelt Giullannu), Bishop of Agrigento (1093-1104): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Diocese-link Agrigento & Wikipedia-link Agrigento.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Sebastian of Aparicio, Religious, O.F.M. (1502-1600, the "Angel of Mexico"): Blessed-link ūnus, Blessed-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saints Luigi Versiglia, Bishop, & Callistus Caravario, Priest, Martyrs, S.D.B. (died 1930), martyred defending girls from Bolshevik slavers, the last two of the one hundred twenty Martyr Saints of China, A.K.A. Saint Augustine Zhao Rong & Companions: Martyr-link Lima Victor, Martyr-link Charlie Charlie, & Wikipedia-link (List, № 115 & № 116); Martyrs-link China & Wikipedia-link China.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Tuesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
The Letter of James, chapter four, verses one thru ten;
Psalm Fifty-five (R/. twenty-three[a]), verses seven & eight, nine & ten[a], ten[b] & eleven, & twenty-three;
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter nine, verses thirty thru thirty-seven.

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

Friends, in today’s Gospel Jesus presents a child as an archetype to his disciples who were arguing about who was the greatest.

How so? Children don’t know how to hide the truth of their reactions. They haven’t learned yet how to impress others. In this, they are like stars or flowers or animals, things that are what they are, unambiguously. They are in accord with God’s deepest intentions for them.

Children haven’t yet learned how to look at themselves. Why can a child immerse himself so eagerly and thoroughly in what he is doing? Because he can lose himself; because he is not looking at himself, conscious of the reactions, expectations, and approval of those around him.

The problem is that, from a very early age, we learn not to be ourselves, and this is a function of the sinful human construct of the ego. We convince ourselves that joy will come only when we become like someone else, only when we receive the applause of the crowd, only when we live up to the expectations of our group, family, or society. This causes that terrible cramping of the soul which is pride, the deadliest of the deadly sins.

Video reflection by Sister Sharon Erickson, R.S.M. (U.S. Conf. of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

Scripture Study—Exodus 90: Day 44
The Book of Exodus, chapter eighteen (verses one thru twenty-seven).

Commentary: Jethro's Counsel to Moses (Exodus, 18).

Scripture Study—The 3:16 Project
The Book of Leviticus, chapter chapter three, verse sixteen.

"And the priest shall burn them on the altar as food offered by fire for a pleasing odor. All fat is the LORD's."

Papal Quote o' the Day

"The meek endure conflict & jealousy, rivalries that arise within families & among neighbors. They do not, however, passively accept situations of injustice. They are anything but indifferent, but they do not respond to violence with violence, to hatred with hatred."
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, r. 1978-2005; feast: 22 October)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Now we come to what our Lord said about heaven. It was the night of the Last Supper. Jesus gathered about Him all His apostles—poor, weak, frail men. He washed their feet. He was facing the agony in the garden, & that terrible betraying kiss of Judas, & even the denial of Peter himself. One would think that all the talk would be about Himself. Certainly, when we have trials, that is what we think about. But our Lord thought about the apostles. He saw the sadness in their faces, & He said, 'Be not troubled, do not be sad, I go to prepare a place for you. In My Father's house there are many mansions.' How did He know about the Father's house? He came from there. That was His home. Now preparing to go back home, He tells them about the Father's house & He says, 'I go to prepare a place for you.' God never does anything for us without great preparation. He made a garden for Adam, as only God knows how to make a garden beautiful. Then, when the Jews came into the promised land, He prepared the land for them. He said He would give them houses full of good things, houses which they never built. He said that He would give [them] vineyards & olive trees which they never planted. Just so, He goes to prepare a place for us. Why? Simply because we were not made for heaven; we were made for earth. Man, by sin, spoiled the earth, & God came down from heaven in order to help us remake it. After having redeemed us, He said that He would now give us heaven, so we got all this; the earth, & heaven too."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

Catholic Quote o' the Day

"Christians gathered together for worship may find themselves praising God like the blind men exploring the elephant. One person is touched by God’s tenderness, another by His majesty, another by His beauty, still another by His simplicity. In our shared, varied worship, we are a little like a living psalmody, sounding the range of loves we creatures offer in response to the one, perfect love our Creator offers us."
—Leah Libresco Sargeant (fl. 2020)

The Explorers' Club, № DCCXXXIV

Operation AXIOM: After the World War—The German Revolution, Part IX
24 February 1920: The National Socialist Program—Adolf Hitler introduced the "25-point Plan" calling for repudiation of the treaties of Versailles & Saint-Germain, an Austro-German union, anti-Semitism, & full employment; the German Workers' Party (D.A.P.) changed its name to the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, N.S.D.A.P.—the Nazi Party).

Lest we forget.

Saints + Scripture

The Popish Plot
"Meatless Meal Collaboration"

'Tis the festival of Saint Liudhard, Bishop (died circa 600, A.K.A. Letard), who helped establish Saint Martin's Church, the oldest church in the Anglosphere: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Saint Martin's.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Chaplain to the Christian queen St. Bertha [1 May], who was married to the pagan king Æthelberht of Kent [see below]. St. Æthelberht was eventually converted to the Faith, by St. Augustine of Canterbury [27 May].

'Tis also the festival of Saint Æthelberht of Kent (circa 550-616; also spelt Ethelbert, Ædilberct, etc.), King of Kent: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Husband of St. Bertha [1 May] & father of St. Æthelburh [8 September].

'Tis also the festival of Saint Cumméne Find, Abbot (died 669, of Iona; A.K.A. Cumméne the White), seventh (VII) abbot of Iona Abbey (657-669): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Abbey-link Iona & Wikipedia-link Iona.

Commentary: Brother of St. Comman of Iona [18 March].

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Tommaso Maria Fusco, Priest (1831-1891), founder of the Priestly Society of the Catholic Apostolate & the Daughters of Charity of the Most Precious Blood: Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Josefa Naval Girbés, Virgin, O.C.D.S. (1820-1893): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Josef Mayr-Nusser, Martyr (1910-1945, the "Martyr of the First Commandment"), martyred in the reign of the Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Monday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
The Letter of James, chapter three, verses thirteen thru eighteen;
Psalm Nineteen (R/. nine[a]), verses eight, nine, ten, & fifteen;
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter nine, verses fourteen thru twenty-nine.

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

Friends, in today’s Gospel Jesus drives a demon from a deaf and mute child and heals him.

The account demonstrates the role of faith in divine healing. Jesus describes his disciples who could not heal the boy as a "faithless generation." And when the child’s father wonders if Jesus can heal his son, he says, "Everything is possible to one who has faith." Then he heals the child by driving out the deaf and mute spirit.

We have an adventurous God, and faith is the proper response to such a God. Don’t think of faith so much first in propositional form—the things that I believe—but rather in psychological or spiritual form.

Faith is an attitude of trust in the God who is always holding out new possibilities to us. When our lives and hearts are aligned to the God who creates the universe, when our wills are directed according to his purposes, we become the conduits of enormous power.

Video reflection by Monsignor James Vlaun (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

Scripture Study—Exodus 90: Day 43
The Book of Exodus, chapter seventeen, verses eight thru sixteen.

Commentary: Amalek Attacks Israel & Is Defeated (Exodus, 17:8-16).

Scripture Study—The 3:16 Project
The Book of Exodus, chapter chapter three, verse sixteen.

"Go & gather the elders of Israel together, & say to them, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, & of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, "I have observed you & what has been done to you in Egypt…" ' "

Papal Quote o' the Day

"The new evangelization depends largely on the Domestic Church. In our time, as in times past, the eclipse of God, the spread of ideologies contrary to the family & the degradation of sexual ethics are connected. And just as the eclipse of God & the crisis of the family are linked, so the new evangelization is inseparable from the Christian family. The family is indeed the way of the Church because it is the 'human space' of our encounter with Christ."
—Pope Benedict XVI (b. 1927, r. 2005-2013)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Heaven is social; it is a fellowship. In some places, heaven is called a country, to indicate its vastness. It is called a city, to suggest the number of its inhabitants. It is called a kingdom, to suggest order & harmony. It is called a paradise in order to tell of its delights. And it is called the Father's house in order to indicate its eternity & its permanence of love & peace. In order to be perfectly happy after the end of the world, we will have to have our body with us because our body has done a great deal for the salvation of our souls. There we will meet, in the fullness of the communion of saints, all those who were our friends on earth. Husbands who have been grieved in time by the loss of a wife, will find a wife."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

The Rebel Black Dot Exodus 90 Song o' the Day

Eric Christian Olsen, "Some Worries" from Community: Music from the Original Television Series (Rude Boy St. Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"I got some worries,
Some worries,
I got some worries,
Some worries.

"Take 'em to church, Pierce. Pierce on keyboard; let him know your love!…"

Saints + Scripture: VII Sunday in Tempus per annum

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

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

Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that, always pondering spiritual things,
we may carry out in both word & deed
that which is pleasing to you.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
Who lives & reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever & ever.
—Collect, Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Book of Leviticus, chapter nineteen, verses one, two, seventeen, & eighteen;
Psalm One Hundred Three (R/. eight[a]), verses one & two, three & four, eight & ten, & twelve & thirteen;
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter three, verses sixteen thru twenty-three;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter five, verses thirty-eight thru forty-eight.

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

Friends, in today’s Gospel Jesus commands us to love our enemies.

And Jesus showed us how to do it. Immediately after being fixed to the cross, he said, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." One of the most important elements of Jesus’ kingdom ethic was, accordingly, the praxis of forgiveness: "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."

As Walter Wink has pointed out, these recommendations have nothing to do with passivity in the face of evil. Rather, they embody a provocative but nonviolent manner of confronting evil and conquering it through a practice of coinherent love. By forgiving those putting him to death, Jesus is awakening them to the truth in which they already stand: their connectedness to him and to each other in God.

Video reflection by Father Greg Friedman, O.F.M. (U.S. Confer. of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

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 42
The Book of Exodus, chapter seventeen, verses one thru seven.

Commentary: Water from the Rock (Exodus, 17:1-7).

Scripture Study—The 3:16 Project
The Book of Genesis, chapter chapter three, verse sixteen.

To the woman He said,
"I will greatly multiply your pain in childbearing;
in pain you shall bring forth children,
Yet your desire shall be for your husband,
& he shall rule over you."

Commentary: "John 3:16" signs are common sights at sporting events. With today's Second Reading beginning with 1 Corinthians, 3:16, on this week's podcast The Lanky Guys jested about 3:16. Thus, the 3:16 Project. We'll see how this goes. This might be a terrible idea.

†

Otherwise, 23 February would be the festival of Saint Polycarp, Bishop & Martyr (circa 69-155, of Smyrna), Bishop of Smyrna, author of a Letter to the Philippians, one of the Apostolic Fathers; martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Antoninus Pius, as attested in the Martyrdom of Polycarp: Martyr-link ūnus, Martyr-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Diocese-link Smyrna & Wikipedia-link Smyrna; Wikipedia-link Letter to the Philippians, Apostolic Fathers-link, & Wikipedia-link Apostolic Fathers; & Wikipedia-link Martyrdom of Polycarp.

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

St. Polycarp was so in love with You, Lord Jesus, that nothing else was important to him, not even his life, for he died a Martyr. Grant me the same single-mindedness & that same courage.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Serenus the Gardner, Martyr (died circa 305, of Billom; A.K.A. Sirenatus, Cerneuf, etc.), 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.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Willigis of Mainz, Bishop (circa 940-1011), Archbishop of Mainz (975-1011): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Mainz & Wikipedia-link Archbishops.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Giuseppina Vannini, Religious, F.S.C. (1859-1911, A.K.A. Giuditta Vannini), co-foundress of the Daughters of Saint Camillus (F.S.C.): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link F.S.C.

Commentary: St. Giuseppina Vannini was canonized on 13 October 2019, to little fanfare alongside the more celebrated, at least in American Catholic circles, St. John Henry Newman [9 October].

'Twould also be the festival of Blessed Ludwik Mzyk, Priest & Martyr, S.V.D. (1905-1940, also spelt Ludvig), 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.

'Twould also be the festival of Blessed Stefan Wincenty Frelichowski, Priest & Martyr (1913-1945), martyred in the reign of the Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"It is He, it is only He Who can quench the deep & mysterious thirst of your spirits. Jesus, Jesus; He is the light & salvation of the world & of each of us."
—Pope St. Paul VI (1897-1978, r. 1963-1978; feast: 22 October)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Here we come to a lesson that God teaches us concerning our treasure. The treasure we hold in our earthen pot is grace. We turn here to the prophet Jeremiah in the forty-eighth chapter: 'All his life long, Moab has lain undisturbed, like wine settled on its lees, not emptied from vessel to vessel; he has not gone into exile. Therefore the taste of him is unaltered, & the flavor stays unchanged.' Jeremiah is here describing the way the Jews made wine. They would pour the grape wine into a vessel, allow it to settle, & when the lees (the dregs) began to form, then the wine would be poured into another vessel. After the dregs had settled there, it would be poured into still another, & still another, & another, until it was perfect wine. God says here of Moab, the people that did not allow the Israelites to pass through their land, 'Moab has settled on its lees.' Moab never went into exile. There was no pouring out of a vessel, no change, no taking on of a new challenge, & for that reason it lost its taste. This is the reason we should make a daily holy hour, so that we'll not settle on our lees. The rest of our life we'll consider as dregs. Now we'll begin to be poured from vessel to vessel in order to be enriched with grace."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

Saints + Scripture: VII Sunday — Please Stand By

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

Audrey Assad, "Love Is Moving" from the Death, Be Not Proud E.P. (St. Mike Papa Whiskey)

Bonus! Exodus 90 Song o' the Day

They Might Be Giants, "Kitten Intro" from Then: The Earlier Years (Disc 2) (St. Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: Cat food continues to be eaten, droppings have been deposited in the litter box, Mom & Dad reported close encounters with one of the kittens on the first floor, & I even spied one of the cats with my own two eyes in the basement—Autumn or Scrapper I cannot say without having seen them together.

Saints + Scripture: The Chair of Saint Peter the Apostle

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

'Tis the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter the Apostle: Apostle-link ūnus, Apostle-link duo, Apostle-link trēs, Wikipedia-link Cathedra Petri, & Wikipedia-link Feast.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:

[The Chair of Saint Peter] is a relic conserved in Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the sovereign enclave of the Pope inside Rome. The relic is a wooden throne that tradition claims the Apostle Saint Peter, the leader of the early Christians in Rome & the first Pope, used as Bishop of Rome.

Wikipedia-link Saint Peter's Basilica & Wikipedia-link Vatican City

Quoth Minute Meditations from the Popes:

O Lord, protect & guide those who have been given authority in the Church, especially Pope Francis & our Bishop Earl Boyea. Make them generous & courageous in the exercise of their ministry.

Wikipedia-link Pope Francis & Wikipedia-link Earl Boyea

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Feast of the Chair of St. Peter the Apostle
The First Letter of Peter, chapter five, verses one thru four;
Psalm Twenty-three (R/. one), verses one, two, & three(a); four; five; & six;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter sixteen, verses thirteen thru nineteen.

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

Friends, in today’s Gospel Jesus declares that Peter is the rock upon which he will build his Church.

The Church is built not on a worldly foundation but on a mystical foundation, born of Peter’s faith in the revealing God. The Church is neither democratic nor aristocratic—it is charismatic. And this is where its power comes from.

How has the Church managed to survive over the centuries? It is the oldest institution in the West, by far. Nations, empires, and institutions have come and gone, but the Church remains. And the Church, founded on the rock of Peter, is strangely there. Well, we have it from Jesus himself: "The gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it."

Jesus then gives to Peter keys as a sign of his authority: "I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven." Chesterton commented on the keys, saying that they are strangely shaped and they are hard. The Church’s creed, elaborating upon the confession of Peter, is a strange and complex business; it is not something that would be contrived by the mind of human beings. And it is hard, unbending, unchanging—for its purpose is to open a very definite door.

Video reflection by Marc DelMonico, Ph.D. (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

Scripture Study—Exodus 90: Day 41
The Book of Exodus, chapter sixteen, verses twenty-two thru thirty-six.

Commentary: Manna from Heaven (concluded; Exodus, 16:22-36).

'Tis also the festival of Saint Limnaeus, Hermit (fifth century): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link (List).

'Tis also the festival of Saint Maximianus of Ravenna, Bishop (499-556), first (I) Archbishop of Ravenna (546-556), for whom was carved the magnificent Throne of Maximian: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Diocese-link Ravenna & Wikipedia-link Ravenna, Wikipedia-link Cathedra.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Margaret of Cortona, Religious, T.O.S.F. (1247-1297): Saint-link ūna, Saint-link duæ, & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Marie of Jesus, Religious, S.M.R. (1818-1878, A.K.A. Émilie d'Oultremont), foundress of the Sisters of Mary Reparatrix (S.M.R.): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link S.M.R.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Richard Henkes, Priest & Martyr, S.A.C. (1900-1945), martyred in the reign of the Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Bl. Richard was beatified on 15 September 2019.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Authority is a duty,a burden, a debt, a ministry to others, to lead them to the life of God It is a channel, an obligatory, necessary, but saving channel, & it is called the care of souls. This is the pastoral function."
—Pope St. Paul VI (1897-1978, r. 1963-1978; feast: 29 May)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"The world in which we live is the battleground of the Church. I believe that we are now living at the end of Christendom. It is the end of Christendom, but not the end of Christianity. What is Christendom? Christendom is the political, economic, moral, social, legal life of a nation as inspired by the gospel ethic. That is finished. Abortion, the breakdown of family life, dishonesty, even the natural virtues upon which the supernatural virtues were based, are being discredited. Christianity is not at the end. But we are at the end of Christendom. And I believe that the sooner we face up to this fact, the sooner we will be able to solve many of our problems."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

Saints + Scripture — Please Stand By

The Rebel Black Dot! Exodus 90 Song o' the Day!

The Aquabats!, "Cat with 2 Heads!" (live!) from The Fury of the Aquabats! Live at the Fonda! (St. Captain Thumbs Up!)

Commentary!: Yesterday, after months of discerning whether the time was right to get a new cat—if enough time had passed since Diva's death—my parents brought home not a cat, but two cats, a brother & sister named Scrapper & Autumn. This is splendid news & I look forward to getting to know both Autumn & Scrapper, but I've not yet seen either cat. So far, there are only rumors of cats.

Bonus! Exodus 90 Song o' Today

Freitag, 21. Februar
They Might Be Giants, "Escape from the Planet of the Apes" (live) from Severe Tire Damage (St. Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: Fraternity is one of the pillars of Exodus 90. Last year, we went bowling. When my fraternity discussed options of a fraternal activity, I suggested axe throwing; another brother suggested an escape room game. This evening, my fraternity played an escape room game. I look forward to the next time I go axe throwing; I'll never again play an escape room game.

The Rebel Black Dot Exodus 90 Song o' Today

Freitag, 21. Februar
The Fratellis, "Jesus Stole My Baby" from Here We Stand (St. Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: "Jesus Stole My Baby" chronicles the protagonist's lament at his girlflesh's conversion to Christianity. Of course, as the detestable lyrics make clear, he only appreciates his girlflesh for her flesh, as a sexual plaything—not even a playmate, just a plaything. 'Tis a genuinely disgusting song. Why is such a genuinely disgusting song the R.B.D.S.O.T.D.? I woke up with "Jesus Stole My Baby" running through my brain & I long-ago learned to trust the muse. I do not claim to understand the mysterious mechanism of the muse's inspiration (the Holy Ghost directly? my guardian angel as a mouthpiece?), but I know that the system works.

Why "Jesus Stole My Baby"? Probably because this afternoon I was smitten with the stunning beauty sent to inspect & reactivate the fire suppression system in the K. of C. fish fry trailer. Those blue eyes! That red hair! Those freckles! I was slack-jawed. "Jesus Stole My Baby" was a timely reminder not to objectify her, not to let sinful lust jam a foot in the door leading to my heart.

The Rebel Black Dot Exodus 90 Song o' Yesterday

Donnerstag, 20 Februar
Public Service Broadcasting, "The Race for Space" from The Race for Space (Space Cadet St. Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: "The Race for Space" features an extended excerpt from President John Kennedy's "Address at Rice University on the Nation's Space Effort," commonly known as the "We choose to go to the Moon" speech. The speech was given seven months after John Glenn's mission aboard the Friendship 7.

Saints + Scripture

Simplex Complex Edition | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

'Tis the Optional Memorial of Saint Peter Damian, Bishop & Doctor of the Church, O.S.B. (circa 988-1072), Bishop of Ostia (1057-1067) & Bishop of Gubbio (1060-1066); prior of Fonte Avellana (1043-1072), formally the Verenable Hermitage of the Holy Cross; author of the Liber Gomorrhianus ("Book of Gomorrah"), a treatise against the clerical abuses of the day: Doctor-link ūnus, Doctor-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Doctors-link & Wikipedia-link Doctors; Wikipedia-link Ostia & Wikipedia-link Gubbio; Wikipedia-link Fonte Avellana; & Wikipedia-link Liber Gomorrhianus.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:

He gave up his secular calling &, avoiding the compromised luxury of Cluniac monasteries, entered the isolated hermitage of Fonte Avellana, near Gubbio. Both as novice & as monk, his fervor was remarkable but led him to such extremes of self-mortification in penance that his health was affected, & he developed severe insomnia. On his recovery, he was appointed to lecture to his fellow monks. A zealot for monastic & clerical reform, he introduced a more-severe discipline, including the practice of flagellation ("the disciplina") into the house, which, under his rule, quickly attained celebrity, & became a model for other foundations, even the great abbey of Monte Cassino.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Pepin of Landen (circa 575-646, also spelt Pippin, etc.; A.K.A. the Elder, the Old), Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia, Duke of Brabant: Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Husband of St. Itta of Metz, O.S.B. [8 May]; father of Ss. Begga, O.S.B. [17 December]; Bavo of Ghent [1 October]; & Gertrude of Nivelles, O.S.B. [17 March]; & ancestor of Bl. Charlemagne [28 January].

'Tis also the festival of Saint Germanus of Granfelden, Priest & Martyr (circa 612-677), first (I) abbot of Moutier-Grandval Abbey (640-677), martyred by order of the Alsatian duke Adalrich: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Moutier-Grandval.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Thomas Pormont, Priest & Martyr (circa 1559-1592, A.K.A. Thomas Whitgift), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth 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 Robert Southwell, Priest & Martyr, S.J. (circa 1561-1595), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth I, one of the Forty Martyrs of England & Wales: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Martyrs-link England & Wales & Wikipedia-link England & Wales.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Noël Pinot, Priest & Martyr (1747-1794, A.K.A. Natale Pinot), martyred in the reign of the French National Convention for refusing an oath to the Civil Constitution of the Clergy: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Civil Constitution of the Clergy.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Friday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
The Letter of James, chapter two, verses fourteen thru twenty-four & twenty-six;
Psalm One Hundred Twelve (R/. one[b]), verses one & two, three & four, & five & six;
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter eight, verse thirty-four thru chapter nine, verse one.

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

Friends, in today’s Gospel Jesus lays down the conditions of discipleship.

A few verses before our reading Jesus predicted his Passion for the first time. He will sacrifice himself in love for the other—and in this, he will come to deeper life and become a source of life to others. Ronald Knox talked about the sign of the cross this way: the first two gestures form the letter "I," and the next two cross it out. That’s what the cross of Jesus meant and means.

In this scene, he gathered the crowd with his disciples and pronounced the formula for following him. We ought to be listening too with great attention: "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." The path of discipleship is the path of self-sacrificing love, and that means the path of suffering.

Then the great paradox: "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the Gospel will save it." Put that over your door, on the refrigerator, on your screensaver. There is no better one-line guide to the happy life.

Video reflection by Alejandro Orbezo-Elizaga (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

Mass Readings—Optional Memorial of St. Peter Damian
The Second Letter to Timothy, chapter four, verses one thru five;
Psalm Sixteen (R/. five[a]), verses one, two, & five; seven & eight; & eleven;
The Gospel according to John, chapter fifteen, verses one thru eight.

Scripture Study—Exodus 90: Day 40
The Book of Exodus, chapter sixteen, verses four thru twenty-one.

Commentary: (Exodus, 16:4-21).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Christ's love for us: behold the Eucharist! Love that gives itself, love that remains, love that communicates itself, love that multiplies itself, love that sacrifices itself. The Eucharist is the love that unites us & the love that saves us."
—Pope St. Paul VI (1897-1978, r. 1963-1978; feast: 29 May)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Tell everybody that God grants us graces through the Immaculate Heart of Mary; that people are to ask her for them; & that the Heart of Jesus wants the Immaculate Heart of Mary to be venerated at His side."
—St. Jacinta Marto (1910-1920, feast: 20 February)

The Explorers' Club, № DCCXXXIII

Operation AXIOM: The Space Race—The 58th Anniversary of Mercury-Atlas 6
20 February 1962: Aboard the Mercury capsule Friendship 7, John Glenn (1921-2016), U.S.M.C., became the third American in space &, famously, the first American to orbit the Earth, completing three orbits; a warning light before re-entry was later found to be the result of a faulty sensor; after splashdown & recovery, Glenn embarked on a global publicity tour nicknamed the "Fourth Orbit."

Commentary: In the far-famed words of Scott Carpenter, Mercury-Atlas 6 capsule communicator (CAPCOM) & Mercury-Atlas 7 astronaut, "Godspeed, John Glenn."

I made a mess of commemorating the Apollo Program, not recalling, 'til I commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of Apollo 11 that I'd failed to commemorate the gold anniversaries of Apollo 7, Apollo 8, Apollo 9, & Apollo 10. I've subsequently marked the fifty-first anniversary of Apollo 8 & plan to catch each Apollo mission as it comes around, fiftieth, fifty-first, fifty-second, whatever. I am undecided what to do about the Mercury & Gemini programs. Ought I mark those dates as they come up, even if they aren't on a "round number" anniversary, as I'm doing today with the fifty-eighth anniversary of John Glenn & Friendship 7 (Mercury 6)? Or ought I wait &, heaven permitting, mark the sixtieth (diamond) anniversaries in 2021-2026? I've made my choice for today, but consistency has never been my strong suit.

Bonus! Space Race Song o' Mercury-Atlas 6
Billy Joel, "We Didn't Start the Fire" from Storm Front (Space Cadet St. Mike Papa Whiskey)

Saints + Scripture

The Popish Plot
"Fish Fry"

'Tis the festival of Saint Olcán of Derken, Bishop (died circa 480, also spelt Bolcan), Bishop of Armoy (474-480): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Armoy.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Leo of Catania, Bishop, O.S.B. (703-789, A.K.A. the Thaumaturgus ["Wonder-worker"]), fifteenth (XV) Bishop of Catania (778-789), who opposed the first bout of the Byzantine Iconoclastic heresy: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Catania, & Heresy-link & Wikipedia-link Iconoclasm.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Wulfric of Haselbury, Priest & Hermit (circa 1080-1154, also spelt Ulfrick, etc.): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Amata of Assisi, Religious, O.S.C. (died circa 1250): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Niece of St. Clare of Assisi [11 August], foundress of the Poor Clares (O.S.C.).

'Tis also the festival of Saints Francisco Marto & Jacinta Marto (1908-1919 & 1910-1920), two of the three visionaries to whom were revealed the apparitions of Our Lady of Fátima (13 May-13 October 1917): Saints-link, Saint-link Foxtrot, Saint-link Juliett, Saints-link Array of Hope, & Wikipedia-link; Madonna-link & Wikipedia-link Fátima.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Maria Julia Rodzińska, Religious & Martyr, O.P. (1899-1945, A.K.A. Stanislawa Rodzińska), martyred in the reign of the Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, one of the One Hundred Eight Blessed Polish Martyrs: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link (List, № 3); Martyrs-link Polska & Wikipedia-link Polska.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Thursday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
The Letter of James, chapter two, verses one thru nine;
Psalm Thirty-four (R/. seven[a]), verses two & three, four & five, & six & seven;
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter eight, verses twenty-seven thru thirty-three.

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

Friends, in today’s Gospel Jesus asks his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?"

No other religious figure or founder would ask such a question. This is the primordial and peculiar question of the Christian faith. It has to do with him and who he is. And so the Church, for the first several centuries, fought intellectually over precisely this odd question.

The first group that "responds" is the general public, giving a range of opinion—and all of it wrong. And if we were to take a public opinion poll today, we would hear "teacher, prophet, guru, madman…"

Then that devastating question: "But who do you say that I am?" You who are closest to me, surely you have a clearer grasp than the common run of people. But the disciples don’t speak. Are they afraid? Perhaps. Are they ignorant? Probably.

Finally, Simon Peter speaks: "You are the Messiah." In Matthew’s version of the scene, Peter says, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." This is the mystical faith that stands at the heart of Christianity. To hold this Petrine faith is to be a Christian; to deny it is not to be a Christian

Video reflection by Father Don Miller, O.F.M. (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

Scripture Study—Exodus 90: Day 39
The Book of Exodus, chapter sixteen, verses one, two, & three.

Commentary: Manna from Heaven (Exodus, 16:1-3).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"In a world that often reduces sex to the pursuit of pleasure, & in some cases to domination, the Church has a special mission. She is to place sex in the context of conjugal love & of generous & responsible openness to parenthood."
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, r. 1978-2005; feast: 22 October)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Thirty or forty years ago it was easy to be a Christian. The very air we breathed was Christian. Bicycles could be left on front lawns; doors could be left unlocked. Suddenly all this has changed; now we have to affirm our faith. We live in a world that challenges us. And many fall away. Dead bodies float downstream; it takes live bodies to resist the current. And this is our summons. We will have to begin to be a different church. We are for a moment on the trapeze. We are in between the death of an old civilization and culture and the swing to the beginning of the new. These are the times in which we live. They are therefore wonderful days, marvelous, we should thank God that we live in times like this."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

The Queue

I had not even finished one Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Christus Vivit!, when His Holiness Pope Francis published another Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Querida Amazonia, last week. He needs to slow down or I need to speed up, or both. I'm not going to dive into Querida Amazonia ("Beloved Amazon") before the summer at the earliest.

Who Wrote the Bible? was lent me by my buddy Santa Claus, a fellow possessed of some, shall me say, unorthodox ideas—not full-blown heterodox, but unorthodox—so, I cannot help but regard the book with some suspicion. He refers to it frequently as "my Bible book," as opposed to his other frequent mention, "my Jesuit book," & I once remarked that I might like to read it one day; a fortnight hence, he presented it to me to read. Out of courtesy, it has climb the queue. I have more reliably orthodox books about the Bible, including Jimmy Akin's The Bible Is a Catholic Book, in the "Eventually" tranche &, depending on how orthodox or unorthodox Who Wrote the Bible? proves, The Bible Is a Catholic Book might rocket to the "Presently" tranche, or even to "Currently."

This very evening, another parishioner mentioned Thomas Merton's The Seven Storey Mountain &, unbidden, said he'd lend me the book once he's finished. Bishop Barron speaks highly of Merton; so, I'm more than willing to read The Seven Storey Mountain. Given my druthers, I'd be left to chip away at the queue as it already stands, but the world is altogether more dynamic than that.

Recently
Christopher Carstens, A Devotional Journey into the Mass: How Mass Can Become a Time of Grace, Nourishment, and Devotion
Matthew Kelly, Rediscover the Saints: Twenty-five Questions That Will Change Your Life
Pope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation Christus Vivit! (Christ Is Alive!)

Currently
Richard Elliott Friedman, Who Wrote the Bible?

Presently
Flannery O'Connor, Flannery O'Connor Collection (Word on Fire Classics)
Fulton J. Sheen, Life of Christ (Word on Fire Classics)
Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard, Spiritual Handbook for Catholic Evangelists: How to Win Souls without Losing Your Own

Saints + Scripture

'Tis the festival of Saint Odran, Martyr (died circa 452), martyred defending Saint Patrick [17 March], whom he served as charioteer, from pagans: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Boniface of Brussels, Bishop, O.Cist. (1183-1260, A.K.A. of Lausanne), Bishop of Lausanne (1231-1239), a father of the First Council of Lyon (1245, the thirteenth [XIII] ecumenical council): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Lausanne & Wikipedia-link Lyon.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Conrad of Piacenza, Hermit, T.O.S.F. (circa 1284-1351; A.K.A. Corrado Confalonieri, of Noto): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Álvaro of Córdoba, Priest, O.P. (circa 1350-1430, also spelt Alvarez, Albaro): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Elisabetta of Mantua, O.S.M. (1428-1468, A.K.A. Elisabetta Batholomea Picenardi): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed John Sullivan, Priest, S.J. (1861-1933): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Wednesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
The Letter of James, chapter one, verses nineteen thru twenty-seven;
Psalm Fifteen (R/. one[b]), verses two & three(a), three(b/c) & four(a/b), & five;
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter eight, verses twenty-two thru twenty-six.

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

Friends, after Jesus heals the blind man in today’s Gospel, he tells him, "Do not even go into the village."

Now, blindness is a biblical image for lack of spiritual sight, the inability to see things as they are. One of the effects of the fall was a loss of holiness—seeing with the eyes of Christ, appreciating the world as a participation in the creative energy of God. All of us sinners, to varying degrees, are blind to this metaphysics of creation and tend to see the world from the standpoint of the self-elevating ego.

One of the origins of this spiritual debility is too much time in the village. Jesus the healer and judge has to lead us blind people out of the city and give us sight—and then strictly enjoin us not to return to the blinding ways of the village.

We unfortunate village dwellers must, through the power of Christ, put on the mind of Christ. And then we must live in a new town, the community of love and justice that is the Church. It is this city of vision that effectively challenges (and judges) the enduring power of the blinding society.

Video reflection by Jem Sullivan, Ph.D. (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

Scripture Study—Exodus 90: Day 38
The Book of Exodus, chapter fifteen, verses twenty-two thru twenty-seven.

Commentary: Bitter Water Is Made Sweet (Exodus, 15:22-27).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"There is a higher wisdom: a wisdom that reveals the true meaning of our human weakness & our pain. That wisdom is revealed in Christ. He knows what it is to suffer; He experienced it on the road to Calvary."
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, r. 1978-2005; feast: 22 October)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"At the [Second] Vatican Council, there was the discussion about the world. I remember one of the bishops from Belgium arose & made the proper distinction between the two uses of the word 'world' in scripture. The word 'world' can mean the theater of the redemption, & in that sense it is good: 'God so loved the world.' But the world also means a spirit, an organization without God. So our Lord said, 'I have taken you out of the world. Therefore the world will hate you.' 'I pray not for the world,' He said. But there was a confusion. And the result is that today we have lost many of our faithful & our priests & our sisters, not because of Christological heresy, nor because of persecution. The Lord has been very good to us; the only test He gave us was: 'Will you become secular, will you leave?"
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

Catholic Quote o' the Day

"Jesus often expressed deep emotion, compassion, sorrow, frustration, & even righteous anger. So we should never be afraid to reveal our true feelings to Him. He understands human emotions, because He experienced them."
—Matthew Arnold (fl. 2020)

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Exodus 90, Day 38

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 342.6 lbs
This weigh-in: 344.8 lbs.
Difference: +2.2 lbs.

I gained as much weight in the last week—two & one-fifth pounds (2.2 lbs.)—as I lost in the week before—two & one-fifth pounds (2.2 lbs.). I freely admit my frustration: I'm disgruntled, discouraged, & demoralized. But that's more than enough whining. Back to the grindstone.

Bonus! Lied von ÖSTERREICH
Jim Gaffigan, "Box of Donuts" from Cinco (Mike Papa Waffle)

The Rebel Black Dot Exodus 90 Song o' the Day

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "Bronzing the Garbage" from Question the Answers (Rude Boy St. Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Rebel Black Dot Exodus 90 Song o' Today

Dienstag, 18. Februar
The Interrupters, "The Prosecutor" from Say It Out Loud (Rude Boy St. Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Rebel Black Dot Exodus 90 Song o' Yesterday

Montag, 17. Februar
Magic!, "One Woman One Man" from Don't Kill the Magic! (St. Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:

"I am a loser,
I only confuse her,
She is the same no matter where go,
Tradition in her veins, passed down,
The way I live is foreign to her now,
Oh, I wish it wasn't so!
(Lord, I wish it wasn't so!)

"I know that she cries
By the red in her eyes,
She's been waiting for signs that never come,
All she every really wanted was—

"One woman, one man,
That's all that she asks,
No other demands,
One woman, one man…"

Bonus! Exodus 90 Song o' Sunday

Sonntag, 16. Februar
Dashboard Confessional, "Screaming Infidelities" via the YouTubes (St. Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: For no reason I've been able to identify, on Sunday I couldn't get the end of "Screaming Infidelities" out of my head.

"Your hair, it's everywhere,
Screaming infidelities
And taking it to wear…"

Music Video-link.