Saints + Scripture

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

The Popish Plot
"(Our Lady of) La Salette"

'Tis the Optional Memorial of Saint Januarius, Bishop & Martyr (died circa 305, of Naples), inaugural Bishop of Benevento (305), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperors Diocletian & Maximian, a victim of the Diocletianic Persecution (303-313); whose relics are subject to a recurring blood miracle: Martyr-link ūnus, Martyr-link duo, Wikipedia-link, & Wikipedia-link Feast of San Gennaro; Wikipedia-link Benevento; Persecutions-link, Wikipedia-link Diocletian ūnus, & Wikipedia-link Diocletian duo; & Wikipedia-link Blood Miracle.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Our Lady of La Salette (apparition 19 September 1846): Madonna-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saints Constantia & Felix of Nocera, Martyrs (died 68) martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Nero, victims of the Neronian Persecution (64-68): Martyr-link Charlie, Martyr-link Foxtrot, & Wikipedia-link; Persecution-link, Wikipedia-link Nero ūnus, & Wikipedia-link Nero duo.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Theodore of Canterbury, Bishop (602-690, the "Second Founder of Canterbury;" A.K.A. of Tarsus), seventh (VII) Archbishop of Canterbury (668-690), who convened the Council of Hereford (672): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Diocese-link, Wikipedia-link Canterbury, & Wikipedia-link Archbishops; & Wikipedia-link Hereford.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Maria de Cervellione, Religious (1230-1290, "Maria of Help"), founding superior of the Third Order (1265) of the Mercedarians (O. de M.), formally the Royal, Celestial, & Military Order of Our Lady of Mercy & the Redemption of the Captives: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Third Order, Order-link O. de M. & Wikipedia-linkO. de M.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Émilie de Rodat, Religious, S.F. (1787-1852, A.K.A. Marie Guillemette Emilie de Rodat), foundress of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Villefranche (1815, S.F.): Saint-link ūna, Saint-link duæ, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link S.F.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Saturday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter fifteen, verses thirty-five, thirty-six, thirty-seven, & forty-two thru forty-nine;
Psalm Fifty-six (R/. fourteen), verses ten(c), eleven, & twelve; thirteen & fourteen;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter eight, verses four thru fifteen.

Commentary: Gospel reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus explains the purpose of the parables: “Knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you; but to the rest, they are made known through parables so that they may look but not see, and hear but not understand.”

The use of the word “para” in the New Testament signals the failures to see at various levels. The great metaphor here is the blindness of the Jews, a blindness which is identified with disobedience.

The parables of Christ are meant to highlight and point out this blindness, this willful refusal to see. They themselves, in their peculiar form, are judgments on those who cannot see in them signs of salvation.

The parables are often exercises whose purpose is to confuse and confound the hearer, overturning her expectations and upsetting her theological convictions. A parable does its work by turning our ordinary conception of the spiritual world upside-down. And we would be greatly remiss if we did not attend to the instruction that emerges from those startling, funny, off-putting, and strangely enlightening stories that Jesus loved to tell.

Video reflection by Father Pierre Toussaint Guiteau, C.F.R. (U. S. C. of C. Bishops): Daily Reflection.

Mass Readings—Optional Memorial of St. Januarius
The Letter to the Hebrews, chapter ten, verses thirty-two thru thirty-six;
Psalm One Hundred Twenty-six (R/. five), verses one(b/c) & two(a/b), two(c/d) & three, four & five, & six;
The Gospel according to John, chapter twelve, verses twenty-four, twenty-five, & twenty-six.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Humankind has more than the right to peace. It has also the right that all should pledge themselves to get rid of the causes that foment conflicts within a nation & between nations."
—Pope St. Paul VI (1897-1978, r. 1963-1978; feast: 29 May)

Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day

"What are you hiding? What do you do in secret? Doing things in secret, hiding, these things are the beginning of lying."
—St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"How did I come to this state? What are my claims? What are my merits? Only the mercy & love of God can explain them."
—Bl. Miguel Pro, S.J. (1891-1927, feast: 23 November)