Commentary: Wayback Machine.
'Tis also the festival of Saint Alexius of Rome (fifth century, the "Man of God;" A.K.A. the Beggar, of Edessa; also spelt Alexis): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.
'Tis also the festival of Saint Leo IV, Pope (790-855), one hundred third (CIII) Bishop of Rome (847-855), who commissioned the walls that protect Rome's Leonine City: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, Saint-link trēs, & Wikipedia-link; Pontifex-link & Wikipedia-link Pontifex; & Leonine City-link & Wikipedia-link Leonine City.
'Tis also the festival of Saint Andrew Zorard, Religious, O.S.B. (circa 980-1010): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.
'Tis also the festival of Saint Nerses of Lambron, Bishop (1153-1198), Archbishop of Tarsus: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.
Commentary: Nephew of St. Nerses the Graceful [13 August].
'Tis also the festival of Saint Hedwig of Poland (circa 1373-1399, A.K.A. Jadwiga, of Anjou), Queen of Poland & Grand Duchess of Lithuania: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.
Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Friday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Isaiah, chapter thirty-eight, verses one thru six, twenty-one & twenty-two, & seven & eight;
The Book of Isaiah, chapter thirty-eight (R/. see: seventeen[b]), verses ten, eleven twelve(a/b/c/d/), & sixteen;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twelve, verses one thru eight.
Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus corrects the Pharisees with this theme of his ministry: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”Video reflection by Jem Sullivan, Ph.D. (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.
Every saint had a past, and every sinner has a future. That is key to Catholic spirituality. In the lives of every one of these heroes of the faith, there is some conversion. And every sinner—every one of us—has a future. That is why we soak in the mercy of God.
There is a beautiful reference in the Psalms to oil running down upon your beard, upon the collar of your robe. The divine mercy is like that: poured out upon us, poured out without reservation—and not because it’s earned, because it can’t be earned.
God doesn’t love us because we’re worthy. We’re worthy because he loves us. We don’t deserve his mercy, but we soak it in and thereby are transformed.
Video reflection by Doctor John Bergsma (St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology): Daily Reflection.
Scripture Study—Day 91: Contentness Plateau, Day 26
The Second Book of Samuel, chapter nine, verses one thru seven.
Commentary: David's Kindness to Mephibosheth (2 Samuel, 9:1-7).
Papal Quote o' the Day
"Be the defenders of human life, whenever it is threatened. Be such particularly of those who are helpless, or when recourse to war does not seem justified by an absolute necessity of justice."Saint Quote o' the Day
—Pope St. Paul VI (1897-1978, r. 1963-1978; feast: 29 May)
"I want to become a saint; it will not be easy at all. I have a lot of wood to chop, & it is as hard as stone. I should have started sooner, while it was not so difficult; but, in any case; 'Better late then never.'"
—St. Zélie Martin (1831-1877, feast: 12 July)
Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day
"Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person. Today."Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day
—St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)
"What do you want most? First, life. Honor, ambition, power, what good are these without life? At night we put out our hand instinctively in the dark ready to lose that member rather than lose that which we treasure most, our life. Then, as we continue, we find that there is something else that we want in life, & that is truth. One of the first questions we ask coming into the world is 'Why?' We tore apart our toys to find out what made the wheels go round. Later on we tear apart the very wheels of the universe to find out what makes its wheels go round. We are bent on knowing causes. That is why we hate to have secrets hidden from us. We were made to know. But there's still something else we want besides life & truth. We want love. Every child instinctively presses himself to his mother's breast in token of affection. He goes to his mother to have his play wounds bound. Then later on, he seeks a companion like himself with whom he can share his heart. So the quest for love continues from the cradle to the grave. And yet, though we want these things, do we find them here? Do we find life here in its fullness? Certainly not."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)
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