'Tis the Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent: Advent-link & Wikipedia-link.
Saints of the Day
'Tis the festival of Saint Albina of Caesarea, Martyr (died circa 250), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Decius, a victim of the Decian Persecution (250-251): Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Persecutions-link, Wikipedia-link Decius ūnus, & Wikipedia-link Decius duo.
Commentary: Wayback Machine.
'Tis also the festival of Saint Ado of Vienne, Bishop, O.S.B. (died circa 875), Archbishop of Vienne (859-875): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Diocese-link & Wikipedia-link Vienne.
'Tis also the festival of Saint Nicholas Chrysoberges, Bishop (died circa 996, A.K.A. Nicholas II of Constantinople) ninety-seventh (XCVII) Patriarch of Constantinople (984-996): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Constantinople.
'Tis also the festival of Saint Adelaide of Italy (circa 931-999, A.K.A. of Burgundy), Holy Roman Empress: Saint-link ūna, Saint-link duæ, & Wikipedia-link.
'Tis also the festival of Blessed Sebastian Maggi, Priest, O.P. (1414-1496): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.
'Tis also the festival of Blessed Maria of the Angels, Abbess, O.C.D. (1661-1717, A.K.A. Marianna Fontanella), founding prioress of a convent at Moncalieri (1703-1717): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.
'Tis also the festival of Blessed Honorat of Biała, Priest, O.F.M. Cap. (1829-1916, A.K.A. Florentyn Wacław Koźmiński): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.
Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Wednesday of the Third Week in Advent
The Book of Isaiah, chapter forty-five, verses six(c), seven, eight, eighteen, & twenty-one(c) thru twenty-five;
Psalm Eighty-five, verses nine(a/b) & ten, eleven & twelve, & thirteen & fourteen
(R/. the Book of Isaiah, chapter forty-five, verse eight);
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter seven, verses eighteen(b) thru twenty-three.
Commentary: Gospel reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, in today’s Gospel, John the Baptist summons two of his disciples to ask if Jesus is "the one… or should we look for another?" When this inquiry is conveyed to Jesus, the Lord does not respond theoretically, but rather by pointing to things that are happening."Ephphatha!" (Be opened!). We hear of Lazarus and the daughter of Jairus and the son of the widow of Naim.
"Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them."
Was Jesus doing all of this in the literal sense? Yes! That he was a miracle worker and a healer was one of the most fundamental perceptions regarding Jesus. When God came among us in Christ, he effected the work of repairing his broken and hurting creation. He is not interested simply in souls but in bodies as well.
And so we hear indeed of the man born blind, of Bartimaeus, of the paralyzed man lowered down through the roof to Jesus, of the woman with the flow of blood, of the man who is deaf and dumb to whom Jesus says
Reflect: What does this Gospel say about the importance of the physical as well as the spiritual in God’s eyes?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.
The Gospel according Matthew, chapter seven (verses one thru twenty-nine);
Commentary: Judging Others (Matthew, 7:1-5); Profaning the Holy (Matthew, 7:6); Ask, Seek, Knock (Matthew, 7:7-12); the Narrow Gate (Matthew, 7:13-14); False Prophets (Matthew, 7:15-20); Concerning Self-Deception (Matthew, 7:21-23); & Hearers & Doers (Matthew, 7:24-29).
Papal Quote o' the Day
"O Eternal Word of the Father, Son of God & of Mary, renew in our hearts the miracle of Your birth. Clothe again with immortality the children You have redeemed, enkindle our love, bind all in Your Mystical Body."Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day
—Pope St. John XXIII (1881-1963, r. 1958-1963; feast: 11 October)
"Holiness grows fast where there is kindness. I have never heard of kind souls going astray. The world is lost for want of sweetness & kindness."Saint Quote o' the Day
—St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)
"O Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart. Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling & scatter there Thy cheerful beams."Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day
—St. Augustine of Hippo, Doctor of the Church (354-430, feast: 28 August)
"Let's go back & think of all the repercussions of the sin of Adam. There isn't an Arab; there isn't an American; there isn't a European; there isn't an Asiatic in the world who does not feel within himself something of the complexes, the contradictions, the contrarieties, the civil wars, the rebellions inside of his human nature which he has inherited from Adam. We all struggle against temptation. Why? Simply because our human nature was disordered in the beginning. There is a terrific monotony about human nature. You must not think that you are the only one in the world who has a tortured soul. Now if the sin of Adam had so many repercussions in every human being that has ever lived, shall we deny that incarnation of our blessed Lord has had a greater repercussion? Can it be that the sin of one man can have greater effects & disorder in human nature than the incarnation of the Son of God has in ordering all humanity? That is why I say that everybody in the world [is] implicitly Christian. They may not become Christians, but that is not the fault of Christ. He took their humanity upon himself."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)
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