Saints + Scripture

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

The Popish Plot
"Saints Cyril & Methodius"

'Tis the Memorial of Saints Cyril, Monk, & Methodius, Bishop ("Apostles to the Slavs;" circa 827-869, A.K.A. Constantine; & circa 815-885, A.K.A. Michael): Saints-link, Saint-link Charlie, Saint-link Mike, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:

They are two brothers & Byzantine Christian theologians & missionaries. Because their father was an officer in a part of Greece inhabited by many Slavs, these two Greek brothers ultimately became missionaries, teachers, & patrons of the Slavic peoples. They are credited with devising the Glagolitic alphabet, the first alphabet used to transcribe Old Church Slavoic.

Wikipedia-link Glagolitic alphabet & Wikipedia-link Old Church Slavoic

Quoth Minute Meditations from the Popes:

O Lord, Ss. Cyril & Methodius spent their lives to share the Word of God. Teach me to share that Word, especially with those who are living without hope.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Valentine, Bishop & Martyr (circa 226-269, of Rome, of Terni), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Claudius II Gothicus: Martyr-link Rome, Martyr-link Terni, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Saint Valentine's Day.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Abraham of Carrhae, Bishop & Hermit (circa 350-422; A.K.A. of Charres, of Cyrrhus, of Harran; also spelt Abraames), Bishop of Carrhae (modern Harran): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Auxentius of Bithynia, Hermit (circa 400-473), one of the fathers of the Council of Chalcedon (451, the fourth [IV] ecumenical council): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Council-link & Wikipedia-link Chalcedon.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Antoninus of Sorrento, Abbot, O.S.B. (circa 555-625, A.K.A. of Campagna), abbot of the monastery of San Agrippino: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saint John Baptist of the Conception, Priest, O.SS.T. (1561-1613, A.K.A. Juan García López-Rico): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Vicente Vilar David, Martyr (1889-1937), martyred in the reign of the Communist president Manuel Azaña: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Friday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
The First Book of Kings, chapter eleven, verses twenty-nine thru thirty-two & chapter twelve, verse nineteen;
Psalm Eighty-one (R/. eleven[a] & nine[a]), verses ten & eleven(a/b), twelve & thirteen, fourteen & fifteen;
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter seven, verses thirty-one thru thirty-seven.

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

Friends, in today’s Gospel Jesus heals a deaf man who had a speech impediment.

Mark tells us that he took him "off by himself away from the crowd." Jesus then "put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, 'Ephphatha!' (that is, ‘Be opened!’)." Looking up to his Father and inserting his fingers into the man’s ears, Jesus establishes, as it were, an electrical current, literally plugging him into the divine energy, compelling him to hear the Word.

Now for the healing’s spiritual significance. The crowd is a large part of the problem. The raucous voices of so many, the insistent bray of the advertising culture, the confusing Babel of competing spiritualities—all of it makes us deaf to God’s word. And therefore, we have to be moved to a place of silence and communion.

Jesus draws us into his space, the space of the Church. There, away from the crowd, we can immerse ourselves in the rhythm of the liturgy, listen avidly to Scripture, study the theological tradition, watch the moves of holy people, take in the beauty of sacred art and architecture. There we can hear.

Video reflection by Gloria Zapiain (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Memorial of Ss. Cyril & Methodius
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter thirteen, verses forty-six thru forty-nine;
Psalm One Hundred Seventeen, verses one(b/c) & two
(R/. the Gospel according to Mark, chapter sixteen, verse fifteen; or, "Alleluia");
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter ten, verses one thru nine.

Scripture Study—Exodus 90: Day 33
The Book of Exodus, chapter thirteen, verses one thru sixteen.

Commentary: The Ordinance of the Passover (concluded; Exodus, 13:1-2), the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exodus, 13:3-10), & the Consecration of the First-born Males (Exodus, 13:11-16).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"The person who has been evangelized goes on to evangelize others. It is unthinkable that people should accept the Word & give themselves to the Kingdom without becoming persons who bear witness to it & proclaim it in turn."
—Pope St. Paul VI (1897-1978, r. 1963-1978; feast: 29 May)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Samson, the strong man, fell in love with a woman named Delilah. And the lords of the Philistines went up to the country to see her & said, 'Coax him & find out what gives him his great strength, & how we can master him, bind him, & hold him captive.' And Delilah tried to find out what gave Samson strength, until finally he told her the secret.

"He said, 'If my head were shaved, then my strength would leave me & I should become as weak as any other man.' Delilah then told the Philistines. She lulled Samson to sleep on her knees & summoned a man, & he shaved the seven locks of Samson’s hair for her, & they made him captive. And Samson’s strength left him. But the strength was not in the hair, as is so often erroneously said. Samson had taken the Nazirite vow which committed him first to totally abstain from women & from strong wine. The growing of the hair was a symbol of that vow, so that the cutting of the hair was also the symbol of the breaking of the vow.

"And then Delilah cried, 'The Philistines are upon you, Samson.'

"He woke from his sleep & said, 'I will go out as usual & shake myself.' In other words, 'I’m as strong as I ever was.' He did not know that the Lord had left him. We’re not as strong as we were."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

Convert Quote o' the Day

"Do you ever feel lonely, unloved, unforgiven, or unworthy? Take a look at the cross. You are loved. Jesus would have done it if you were the only person, because He loves you enough to make the supreme sacrifice."
—Steve Ray (fl. 2020)