Saints + Scripture

Simplex Edition | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

Saint of the Day
'Tis the Optional Memorial of Saint Lawrence of Brindisi, Priest & Doctor of the Church, O.F.M. Cap. (1559-1619, A.K.A. Giulio Cesare Russo), Vicar General of the Capuchins (1602-1605, O.F.M. Cap.), formally the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Doctor-link ūnus, Doctor-link duo, Doctor-link trēs & Wikipedia-link; Doctors-link & Wikipedia-link Doctors; & Order-link & Wikipedia-link O.F.M. Cap.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Wednesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Exodus, chapter sixteen, verses oen thru five & nine thru fifteen;
Psalm Seventy-eight (R/. twenty-four[b]), verses eighteen & nineteen, twenty-three & twenty-four, twenty-five & twenty-six, & twenty-seven & twenty-eight;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter thirteen, verses one thru nine.

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

Friends, our Gospel for today is the parable of the sower and the seed. It has to do with the growth and development of the kingdom of God. We hear that Jesus "went out of the house and sat down by the sea" and that large crowds gathered around him. This is Jesus speaking to the whole world.

Sitting down, he is, again, in the attitude of the ancient teacher and judge, and he speaks the parable of the sower. The sower sows far and wide, some of the seed landing on the path, where the birds eat it up; some falling on rocky ground, where it is scorched in the sun; some sown among thorns, where the life is choked off; and some sown on rich soil, where it bears thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold.

Keep in mind that Jesus himself, in person, is the seed sown. Jesus is the Logos that wants to take root in us. This seed is sown far and wide, through all sorts of means, but in you, let the seed be sown deep, where it can’t be stolen, scorched, or choked.

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

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

Video reflection by Doctor Tim Gray (Augustine Institute/Formed.org): Daily Reflection.

Mass Readings—Optional Memorial of Saint Lawrence of Brindisi
The Second Letter to the Corinthians, chapter four, verses one, two, five, six, & seven;
Psalm Forty (R/. eight[a] & nine[a]), verses two & four(a/b), seven & eight(a), eight(b) & nine, ten, & eleven;
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter four, verses one thru ten & thirteen thru twenty
(or, the Gospel according to Mark, chapter four, verses one thru nine).

Scripture Study—Day 91: False Peak, Day 38
The Book of Jeremiah, chapter thirty-four, verses eight thru twenty-two.

Commentary: Treatment of Hebrew Slaves (Jeremiah, 34:8-22).

Scripture Study—Bishop's Year of the Bible
The Book of Exodus, chapter one (verses one thru twenty-two);

Commentary: The Sons of Israel (Exodus, 1:1-7) & the Israelites Are Oppressed by the Egyptians (Exodus, 1:8-22).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Christians must restore their spirtual & moral unity. It is not enough to say we are Christians. We must live as Christians. Genuine Christians derive the rule, style, & strength of their life from the Faith."
—Pope Saint Paul VI (1897-1978, r. 1963-1978; feast: 29 May)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Never give up prayer; & should you find dryness & difficulty, persevere in it for this very reason. God often desires to see what love your soul has, & love is not tried by ease & satisfaction."
—St. John of the Cross, O.C.D., Doctor of the Church (1542-1591, feast: 14 December)

Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day

"I have met many famous people, successful people, wealthy people, & powerful people. None of us—not you, or me, or them—ever do great things. But we can all do small things with great love, & together we can do something wonderful."
—Saint Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day

"You want perfect life, & perfect truth, & perfect love. Nothing short of the Infinite satisfies you, & to ask you to be satisfied with less would be to destroy your nature… Why do you want Life, Truth, & Love unless you were made for them? How could you enjoy the fractions unless there were a whole?"
—Venerable Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

Bonus! Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day

"In Russia there was a play called Christ in the Morning Coat. On the stage was a simulated altar filled with vodka bottles, with drunken priests & drunken nuns about it. An actor, whose name was Rostovich, came out to ridicule the beatitudes. He began reading, 'Blessed are the poor, blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy, blessed are the clean of heart for they shall see God.' And he read on & on in the Gospel of Matthew. At the end he said, 'I believe.' It was the end of the show, & they never played it again. No one knows what has happened to Rostovich. There are holes in the head of each & every one of us, & God's grace can get inside."
—Venerable Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)