Better Late than Never |
Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!
'Tis the
Optional Memorial of the First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church (died 64), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Nero:
Martyrs-link ūnus,
Martyrs-link duo, &
Wikipedia-link.
Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth Minute Meditations from the Popes
:O Lord, the First Martyrs of Rome were not rich or wise, but You filled them with Your riches, Your wisdom. Fill me, too, with Your gifts, for without You I can do nothing.
'Tis also the festival of
Saint Bertrand of Le Mans, Bishop (circa 553-623, A.K.A. Bertechramnus),
Bishop of Le Mans (587-623):
Saint-link &
Wikipedia-link;
Wikipedia-link Le Mans.
'Tis also the festival of
Blessed Ramon Llull, Martyr, T.O.S.F. (circa 1232-1316, the
Doctor Illuminatus ["Enlightened Doctor"], Anglicized as Raymond Lull), martyred by a mob in the reign of the Marinid sultan Abu Sa'id Uthman II:
Martyr-link ūnus,
Martyr-link duo, &
Wikipedia-link.
'Tis also the festival of
Blessed Philip Powell, Priest & Martyr, O.S.B. (1594-1646; A.K.A. Philip Morgan, Philip Prosser), martyred in the reign of the Anglo-Scottish king Charles I:
Saint-link &
Wikipedia-link.
'Tis also the festival of
Blessed Zynoviy Kovalyk, Priest & Martyr, C.Ss.R. (1903-1941; also transliterated Zenon, Zenobius), martyred in the reign of the Communist dictator Joseph Stalin, one of the
Martyrs Killed under Communist Regimes in Eastern Europe:
Martyr-link &
Wikipedia-link;
Martyrs-link Eastern Europe.
Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Tuesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Amos, chapter three, verses one thru eight & chapter four, verses eleven & twelve;
Psalm Five (R/. nine[a]), verses four(b), five, & six(a); six(b) & seven; & eight;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter eight, verses twenty-three thru twenty-seven.
Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):Friends, in this wonderful story of the calming of the storm at sea, we witness some of the spiritual dynamics of fear and trust. The disciples stand symbolically for all of us journeying through life within the narrow confines of the fearful ego.
When they confront the storm and the mighty waves, they are immediately filled with terror. Similarly, when the trials and anxieties of life confront the ego, the first reaction is fear, since there is no power beyond itself upon which it can rely. In the midst of this terrible storm, this inner and outer tension, Jesus symbolizes that divine energy that remains unaffected by the fear-storms generated by the grasping ego.
Continuing to read the story at a spiritual level, we see that it is none other than this divine power that successfully calms the waves: he “rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm.” This beautiful narrative seems to suggest that if we but awaken to the presence of God within us, if we learn to live and to see at a deeper level, if we live in basic trust rather than fear, then we can withstand even the most frightening storms.
Video reflection by the Reverend Daniel Merz (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.
Video reflection by Rob Corzine (St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology): Daily Reflection.
Mass Readings—Optional Memorial of the First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church
The Letter to the Romans, chapter eight, verses thirty-one(b) thru thirty-nine;
Psalm One Hundred Twenty-four (R/. seven), verses two & three, four & five, & seven(b) & eight;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twenty-four, verses four thru thirteen.
Scripture Study—Day 91: Contentness Plateau, Day 9
The Second Book of Samuel, chapter two, verses twenty-two & twenty-three.
Commentary: The Battle of Gibeon (cont'd; 2 Samuel, 2:22-23).
Papal Quote o' the Day"Remember how the first Christians, most of them simple & humble people, suffered the most cruel persecutions, were successful in spreading Christ's message to all parts of the empire. Their only weapons were prayer, the Gospel, & the Cross."
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, r. 1978-2005; feast: 22 October)
Saint Quote o' the Day"If only the suffering soul knew how it is loved by God."
—St. Maria Faustyna of the Blessed Sacrament (1905-1938, feast: 5 October)
Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day"To leave Loreto was my greatest sacrifice, the most difficult thing I have ever done. It was much more difficult than to leave my family & my country. In Loreto I have received my spiritual training."
—St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)
Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day"God knows all things, but He still leaves us with freedom. How can God influence you & still leave you free? Well, consider various kinds of influences. First, turn a key in the door. There is the impact of something material on something material & the result is the opening of a door. That is one kind of influence; the influence of a material thing on another material thing. But there is still another kind of influence. In the springtime you plant a seed in the garden. The sun, the moisture, the atmosphere, the chemicals in the earth all begin to influence that seed. It certainly is not the same kind of action as turning a piece of steel in a lock. There are tremendous capacities for growth in that seed, & what most awakens the seed to growth is something invisible, namely, the rays of the sun. Now go a stage higher. Consider the case of a father talking to his son, trying to influence him, for example, to become a doctor. What actually influences the son is some invisible truth, as well as the deep love of the father for the son & the son for the father. Love brings out in the son a free act. The son is not obliged to do exactly what his father wants; he is free to do the contrary. But truth & love have so moved him that he regards what he does as the very perfection of his personality. Later on he may say, 'I owe everything I have to that conversation I had with my father. I really began to discover my true self.'"
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)
