Saints + Scripture: XVI Sunday in Tempus per annum

'Tis the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Tempus per annum, "time through the year"): Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Week
Mass Readings—Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Book of Wisdom, chapter twelve, verses thirteen & sixteen thru nineteen;
Psalm Eighty-six (R/. five[a]), verses five & six, nine & ten, & fifteen & sixteen;
The Letter to the Romans, chapter eight, verses twenty-six & twenty-seven;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter thirteen, verses twenty-four thru forty-three
(or, the Gospel according to Matthew, chapter thirteen, verses twenty-four thru thirty).

Commentary: Sunday Readings.

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

Friends, today’s Gospel features one of Jesus’ most beloved parables: that of the mustard seed. "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants."

How does God tend to work? What does the building up of the kingdom typically look like? From the very small to the very great—and by a slow, gradual process. God tends to operate under the radar, on the edges of things, quietly, clandestinely, not drawing attention to himself.

In the City of God, St. Augustine opined that the Church is like Noah’s ark, a small ship bouncing on the rough seas of history. As the great empires come and go, as the waves of history crash noisily against the shore, God’s kingdom is quietly advancing, unnoticed but inevitable.

One of my very favorite images from C.S. Lewis speaks to this principle. How, he asks, did God enter history? Quietly, in a forgotten corner of the Roman Empire—sneaking, as it were, behind enemy lines.

Video reflection by Father Greg Friedman, O.F.M. (U.S.C. of Catholic Bishops): Sunday Reflection.

Video reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire): Sunday Sermon.

Video reflection by Father Mike Schmitz (Ascension): Parabellum: An Enemy.

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

Commentary: Dr. Gray gives a false definition of "temerity," so his reflection ends with exact wrong lesson. I suspect he confused temerity & timorousness. Here's temerity: Wiktionary-link.

Video reflection by Jeff Cavins (Ascension): Encountering the Word.

Audio reflection by Scott Hahn, Ph.D. (St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology): Breaking the Bread.

* * * * *

Saints of the Day
Otherwise, 23 July would be the festival of Ezekiel the Prophet (sixth century B.C.), protagonist of the Book of Ezekiel: Prophet-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Ezekiel.

Commentary: Wayback Machine '21 & Wayback Machine '20.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Phocas the Gardener, Martyr (died circa 303, of Sinope), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperors Diocletian & Maximian, a victim of the Great Persecution (303-313): Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Persecutions-link & Wikipedia-link Great Persecution.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Liborius of Le Mans, Bishop (died circa 397), second (II) Bishop of Le Mans (348-397): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Le Mans.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint John Cassian, Deacon (circa 360-435, A.K.A. the Ascetic, the Roman), founder of the Abbey of Saint Victor (415): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Saint Victor.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Bridget, Religious, O.Ss.S. (circa 1303-1373, of Sweden, of Vadstena; A.K.A. Birgitta Birgersdotter), foundress of the Bridgettines (1346, O.Ss.S.), formally the Order of the Most Holy Savior; one of the six Patron Saints of Europe: Saint-link ūna, Saint-link duæ, & Wikipedia-link; Order-link O.Ss.S. & Wikipedia-link O.Ss.S.; & Wikipedia-link Europe.

Commentary: Kinswoman of St. Ingrid of Skänninge [2 September] & mother of St. Catherine of Sweden [24 March].

'Twould also be the festival of Blessed Krystyn Gondek, Priest & Martyr, O.F.M. (1909-1942, A.K.A. Wojciech Gondek), martyred in the reign of the Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, one of the One Hundred Eight Blessed Polish Martyrs: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link (List, № 47); Martyrs-link Polska & Wikipedia-link Polska.

'Twould also be the festival of Blessed Basil Hopko, Bishop & Martyr (1904-1976, also spelt Vasil'), martyred in the reign of the Communist dictator Gustáv Husák: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

NEW! — № | ūnus | duo | trēs
Papal Quote o' the Day

"In prayer we seek, find, & converse with God just as we would with an intimate friend. We can speak of our sorrows & joys, our weaknesses & problems, & our desires to be better & to help others to be better too."
—Pope Saint John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, r. 1978-2005; feast: 22 October)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Do not accept anything as the truth if it lacks love, & do not accept anything as love which lacks truth."
—Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, O.C.D. (1891-1942, feast: 9 August)

Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day

"I have never been in a war, but I have seen famine, death, & destruction. I was asking myslf the other day: What do people feel when they provoke war? I don't understand it. We are all children of God. In every war, on both sides, everyone involved, everyone affected is a child of God."
—Saint Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day

"Self-discipline brings back to us the excitement of our childhood, when our pleasures were rationed—when we got our dessert at the end of the meal & never at the start."
—Venerable Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)