Saints + Scripture

Better Late than Never, Simplex Complex Edition | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

'Tis the Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, Priest, S.J. (circa 1581-1654, the "Slave of the Slaves" & "Apostle of Cartagena"): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, Saint-link trēs, & Wikipedia-link.

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

O Lord, St. Peter Claver reached out in a truly heroic manner to those who were of a different race & religion from him. May my love be as fruitful & as color blind.

Video reflection by Father John M. McKenzie (U.S.C. of Catholic Bishops): Saintly Reflection.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Audomar, Bishop, O.S.B. (circa 595-670, also spelt Omer), inaugural Bishop of Thérouanne (637-670), founder of the Abbey of Saint Bertin (originally Saint Peter's), namesake of Saint-Omer: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Thérouanne, Wikipedia-link Saint Bertin, & Wikipedia-link Saint-Omer.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Wulfhilda of Barking, Abbess, O.S.B. (circa 940-1000, A.K.A. Wulfreda), abbess of Barking Abbey (970-1000): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Barking.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed George Douglas, Priest & Martyr (circa 1540-1587), 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 Blessed Frédéric Ozanam (1813-1853), co-founder of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (1833, S.S.V.P.): Blessed-link ūnus, Blessed-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link S.S.V.P.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Jacques-Désiré Laval, Priest, C.S.Sp. (1803-1864, the "Apostle of Mauritius"): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Wednesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter seven, verses twenty-five thru thirty-one;
Psalm Forty-five (R/. eleven), verses eleven & twelve, fourteen & fifteen, & sixteen & seventeen;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter six, verses twenty thru twenty-six.

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

Friends, today’s Gospel is Luke’s pithy version of the beatitudes. First we are told, “Blessed are you who are poor.”

We notice that there is none of the softening offered by Matthew (“poor in spirit”), but a simple and straightforward statement of the blessedness of being poor. How do we interpret what seems prima facie to be a glorification of economic poverty? Let me propose the following reading:

“How lucky you are if you are not addicted to material things.” One of the classic substitutes for God is material wealth, the accumulating of “things.”

The freedom and fullness of detachment is probably no better expressed than in John of the Cross’ beautiful mantra: “To reach satisfaction in all, desire satisfaction in nothing; to come to the knowledge of all, desire the knowledge of nothing; to come to possess all, desire the possession of nothing; to arrive at being all, desire to be nothing.”

This fourfold nada is not a negation but the deepest affirmation. It is finally to see the world as it is, and not through the distorting lens of cupidity and egotism.

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

Video reflection by Doctor John Bergsma (St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology): Daily Reflection.

Mass Readings—Memorial of St. Peter Claver
The Book of Isaiah, chapter fifty-eight, verses six thru eleven;
Psalm One, verses one & two, three, & four & six
(R/. Psalm Forty, verse five[a]; or, Psalm One, verse two[a]; or, Psalm Ninety-two, verses thirteen & fourteen);
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twenty-five, verses thirty-one thru forty.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Love is characterized by a deep respect for all people, regardless of their race, belief, or whatever makes them different from ourselves. Love responds generously to the needs of the poor, & it is marked by compassion for those in sorrow."
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, r. 1978-2005; feast: 22 October)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"We must speak to them with our hands before we try to speak to them with our lips."
—St. Peter Claver, S.J. (1581-1654, feast: 9 September)

Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day

"At the very beginning, after leaving my convent at Loreto, when I arrived in Calcutta I was alone. I had only a box & five rupees. A man from Air India wanted to give me a nice suitcase to carry the few things I had with me. I said to him, 'There is no shame in carrying a cardboard box.' But there is no shame in asking when we need guidance or help."
—St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day

"The reception of the grace that is in the sacraments is very effective in our soul because it is Christ Who confers the grace. By the mere fact, for example, that we turn on the faucet, water comes out. The water does not come because we subjectively believe that water will come forth. The divine life of Christ is poured into our soul by the mere fact that we receive the sacrament. Of course, we must not put an obstacle in the way of receiving the sacraments. But it is Christ Who baptizes; it is Christ Who forgives sins. There are ministers, of course, & there are bishops & priests, but we loan Christ our eyes & our hands & our limbs. It is He who gives the grace. That, incidentally, is why, even though you received the sacrament from an unworthy priest, it would still be a sacrament. Sanctification does not depend upon the priest. Because sunlight comes through a dirty window, sunlight is not polluted. A messenger may be very ragged, but he can still bear the message of a king."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)