Saints + Scripture: Octave of Christmas

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

The Popish Plot
"Bonus: We Can't Use Any of This"

'Tis the Sixth Day in the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord, within the Christmastide: Wikipedia-link Octave, Wikipedia-link Christmastide, & Wikipedia-link Twelve Days of Christmas.

Commentary: Video reflection by Bishop Earl Boyea: "Bishop Boyea & the Seven Feast Days after Christmas: 30 December: The Holy Family."

The Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus. Mary, & Joseph is a moveable feast, celebrated on the Sunday after Christmas Day, this year falling on 27 December, overriding the Feast of Saint John, Apostle & Evangelist. If Christmas Day itself falls on a Sunday, then the following Sunday is 1 January, the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God; in that case, the Feast of the Holy Family is then celebrated on 30 December, the nearest day without another feast it would displace.

Saints of the Day
'Tis the festival of Saint Felix I, Pope (died 274), twenty-sixth (XXVI) Bishop of Rome (269-274): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Pontifex-link & Wikipedia-link Pontifex.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Anysia of Salonika, Martyr (284-304), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperors Diocletian & Maximian, a victim of the Diocletianic Persecution (303-313): Martyr-link ūna, Martyr-link duæ, & Wikipedia-link; Persecutions-link, Wikipedia-link Diocletian ūnus, Wikipedia-link Diocletian duo, & Wikipedia-link Diocletian trēs.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Anysius of Thessalonica, Bishop (died circa 410), Bishop of Thessalonica (383-410): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Egwin of Evesham, Bishop, O.S.B. (died 717, A.K.A. of Worcester; also spelt Ecgwine, etc.), third (III) Bishop of Worcester (693-717), founder of the Abbey of Evesham (701): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Worcester, & Abbey-link & Wikipedia-link Evesham.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Raoul of Vaucelles, Abbot, O.Cist. (died 1152; A.K.A. Radolph, Rodulphe), founding abbot of Vaucelles Abbey (1132-1152): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Margherita Colonna, Abbess, O.S.C. (circa 1255-1284), founding superioress of a convent at Palestrina: Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Eugenia Maria Ravasco, Religious (1845-1900), foundress of the Ravasco Institute, formally the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus & Mary: Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas
The First Letter of John, chapter two, verses twelve thru seventeen;
Psalm Ninety-six (R/. eleven [a]), verses seven & eight(a), eight(b) & nine, & ten;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter two, verses thirty-six thru forty.

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

Friends, today’s Gospel concludes Luke’s account of the Presentation of the infant Jesus in the temple.

The Presentation of the Lord goes on now in our churches, in our temples, at the Mass. We say that the Mass is the source and summit of the Christian life, for it effects even now, applies even now, the salvific power of the cross.

And at the heart of the Mass, of course, is the Eucharist, which means thanksgiving. Listen to what Luke says about the prophetess Anna, who was a temple person through and through. Upon seeing the Christ child, "she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem."

That’s our task and our privilege even now.

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.

Scripture Study—Bishop's Year of the Bible: Day 32
The Gospel according Matthew, chapter twenty-one (verses one thru forty-six);

Commentary: Jesus' Entry into Jerusalem (Matthew, 21:1-11), Jesus Cleanses the Temple (Matthew, 21:12-17), Jesus Curses the Fig Tree (Matthew, 21:18-22), the Authority of Jesus Questioned (Matthew, 21:23-27), the Parable of the Two Sons (Matthew, 21:28-32), the Parable of the Wicked Tenants (Matthew, 21:33-41), & the Stone Which the Builders Rejected (Matthew, 21:42-46).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"No human riches could offer a fitting setting for the human birth of the eternal Son of God. Only that poverty, that abandonment, that crib, that night at Bethlehem cold provide it. It was fitting that He would not find lodging in that town."
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, r. 1978-2005; feast: 22 October)

Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day

"The first requirement of prayer is silence. People of prayer are people of silence."
—St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day

"I cannot see why a Christian should be in the least bit troubled about the virgin birth, because there's a virgin birth in us all. Everyone who becomes a Christian has Christ in him. Christ is born & conceived in everyone by baptism. There is first of all the renewal crisis in the intellect so that, Paul says, we 'put on the mind of Christ.' He is in the will, as grace & power. And He is in our body, because our body, becomes the temple of God. The convert (it's easy to understand in a convert because one can always distinguish the before & after state) can often say: 'Oh, yes, at this precise date I heard the word of God. And the word was born in me so that I have His truth & His grace, & He's living inside of my body.' There is conception by perception, conception by the hearing of the word of God."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)