Saints + Scripture

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

'Tis the Thursday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time (Tempus per annum, "time through the year"): Wikipedia-link.

Saints of the Day
'Tis the optional Memorial of Saint Augustine Zhao Rong, Priest, & Companions, Martyrs (died 1648-1930, A.K.A. the one hundred twenty Martyr Saints of China), martyred under the Qing dynasty, various warlords, & the Republic of China.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Nicolaas Pieck, Priest (O.F.M.), & Companions, Martyrs (died 1572, A.K.A. the nineteen Martyrs of Gorkum), martyred by Calvinist heretics.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Thursday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Hosea, chapter eleven, verses one thru four, eight(e), & nine;
Psalm Eighty (R/. four[b]), verses two(a/c) & three(b), fifteen & sixteen;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter ten, verses seven thru fifteen.

Commentary: Daily Readings.

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

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus sends the Twelve to evangelize the countryside. To evangelize is to proclaim Jesus Christ crucified and risen from the dead. When this kerygma, this paschal mystery, is not at the heart of the project, Christian evangelization effectively disappears, devolving into a summons to bland religiosity or generic spirituality.

When Jesus crucified and risen is not proclaimed, a beige and unthreatening Catholicism emerges, a thought system that is, at best, an echo of the environing culture. Peter Maurin, one of the founders of the Catholic Worker movement, said that the Church has taken its own dynamite and placed it in hermetically sealed containers and sat on the lid.

In a similar vein, Protestant theologian Stanley Hauerwas commented that the problem with Christianity is not that it is socially conservative or politically liberal but that “it is just too damned dull”! For both Maurin and Hauerwas, what leads to this attenuation is a refusal to preach the dangerous and unnerving news concerning Jesus risen from the dead.

Video reflection by Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers (U.S.C.C.B.): Daily Reflection.

Mass Readings—Memorial of Saint Augustine Zhao Rong & Companions
The First Letter of John, chapter five, verses one thru five;
Psalm One Hundred Twenty-six (R/. five), verses one & two(a/b), two(c) & three, four & five, & six;
The Gospel according to John, chapter twelve, verses twenty-four, twenty-five, & twenty-six.

Commentary: Memorial Readings.

Saints + Scripture

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

The Popish Plot
"Bad Evangelization: Cherry-picking the Bible"

Saints of the Day
'Tis the Optional Memorial of Saint Augustine Zhao Rong, Priest, & Companions, Martyrs (died 1648-1930, A.K.A. the one hundred twenty Martyr Saints of China), martyred under the Qing dynasty, various warlords, & the Republic of China.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Nicolaas Pieck, Priest (O.F.M.), & Companions, Martyrs (died 1572, A.K.A. the nineteen Martyrs of Gorkum), martyred by Calvinist heretics.

'Tis the Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Tempus per annum, "time through the year"): Wikipedia-link.

Saints + Scripture: Adventus

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

'Tis the Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent: Advent-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Video reflection by Bishop Earl Boyea: "Bishop Boyea on the Seven 'O Antiphons' of Advent, Part 7: O Emmanuel (O God with Us)"

Saints of the Day
'Tis the Optional Memorial of Saint John of Kanty, Priest (1390-1473, also spelt John Cantius): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Dagobert, Martyr (circa 650-679, King Dagobert II of Austrasia), martyred by his godson John: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Father of Ss. Irmina of Oeren & Adela of Pfalzel [24 December].

'Tis also the festival of Saint Frithubeorht of Hexham, Bishop (died 766, also spelt Frithbert), eighth (VIII) Bishop of Hexham (734-766): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Diocese-link & Wikipedia-link Hexham.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Hartmann of Brixen, Bishop (circa 1090-1164; A.K.A. Armand, Artmanno), Bishop of Brixen (1140-1164): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Brixen.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Thorlack of Iceland, Bishop, O.S.A. (1133-1193, A.K.A. Thorlak Thorhallsson), sixth (VI) Bishop of Skálholt (1178-1193): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Skálholt.

'Tis also the festival of Saint John Stone, Religious & Martyr, O.S.A. (died circa 1539), martyred in the reign of the English king Henry VIII, during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, one of the Forty Martyrs of England & Wales: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Dissolution of the Monasteries, & Martyrs-link England & Wales & Wikipedia-link England & Wales.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Anthony of Saint Ann, Priest, O.F.M. (1739-1822, "Frei Galvão;" A.K.A. Antônio Galvão de Franca), co-founder of the monastery of Our Lady of the Conception of Divine Providence: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Final Advent Days (23 December)
The Book of Malachi, chapter three, verses one thru four, twenty-three, & twenty-four;
Psalm Twenty-five, verses four & five(a/b), eight & nine, & ten & fourteen
(R/. cf. the Gospel according to Luke, chapter twenty-one, verse twenty-eight);
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter one, verses fifty-seven thru sixty-six.

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

Friends, today’s Gospel tells the story of the birth and naming of John the Baptist.

This story brings John’s parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth, into focus. Both are strongly priestly personages. Elizabeth is a descendant of the family of Aaron, the first priest of Israel, and Zechariah was a practicing temple priest.

What’s important for our purposes is that John was of very priestly stock. He grew up in and around the temple, acquainted with its rituals. So why, when we first hear of him in his adult life, is he out in the desert and not in the temple?

The temple had been renovated, largely rebuilt, by Herod the Great. But Herod was a wicked man, as we know from the Gospels themselves and from lots of other ancient sources. He had effectively declared himself the Messiah of Israel.

John saw how corrupt all of this was, and he sensed that the true Messiah was on the horizon. So he went away from the old temple, and he continued to act as a priest, but as priest of a new Temple: Jesus himself, the new Holy of Holies.

Reflect: What does it mean to say that Jesus himself is the new Temple?

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—Optional Memorial of St. John of Kanty
The Letter of James, chapter two, verses fourteen thru seventeen;
Psalm One Hundred Twelve (R/. one; or, "Alleluia"), verses one(b/c) & two, three & four, five & seven, six & eight, & nine;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter six, verses twenty-seven thru thirty-eight.

Scripture Study—Bishop's Year of the Bible: Day 25
The Gospel according Matthew, chapter fourteen (verses one thru thirty-six);

Commentary: The Death of John the Baptist (Matthew, 14:1-12), Feeding the Five Thousand (Matthew, 14:13-21), Jesus Walks on the Sea (Matthew, 14:22-33), & Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret (Matthew, 14:34-36).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"All of us must be believers in peace, for ourselves & for the world, the peace that begins in our own hearts when we renounce hatred & evil & seek to overcome evil with good. When it comes to peace we must be true believers; we must not lose hope in the message of Christmas."
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, r. 1978-2005; feast: 22 October)

Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day

"In God we live & move & have our being. It is God Who gives life to all, Who gives power & being to all that exists. But for His sustaining presence, all things would cease to be & fall back into nothingness. Consider that you are in God, surrounded & encompassed by God, swimming in God."
—St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"May the Child Jesus be the star that guides you through the desert of your present life."
—St. Pius of Pietrelcina, O.F.M. Cap. ("Padre Pio," 1887-1968, feast: 23 September)

Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day

"When we say that God became man, we do not mean to say that heaven was empty. That would be to think of heaven as a kind of space, like a room that was twenty by thirty feet. When God came to this world, He did not leave heaven empty. When He came to this world, He was not shaved down, whittled down to human proportions. Rather, Christ was the life of God dwelling in human flesh. Saint Thomas Aquinas includes a very beautiful description of this in one of his hymns. He said, 'The heavenly word proceeding forth, yet leaving not the Father's side.'"
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

Saints + Scripture: Adventus

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

Saints of the Day
'Tis the Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Loreto (translations 1291-1294): Madonna-link, Holy House-link ūnus, Holy House-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

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

Lord Jesus, let me mediate upon how Mary & Joseph spoke to You of God's love, how You learned to work, & how You learned to surrender Your life in love.

NEW! — № | ūnus | duo | trēs
'Tis also the festival of Saint Miltiades, Pope (died 314, A.K.A. Melchiades the African), thirty-second (XXXII) Bishop of Rome (311-314), a foe of the Donatist heresy: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Pontifex-link & Wikipedia-link Pontifex; & Heresy-link & Wikipedia-link Donatism.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Gregory III, Pope (died 741), ninetieth (XC) Bishop of Rome (731-741), a foe of the Byzantine iconoclastic heresy: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Pontifex-link & Wikipedia-link Pontifex; & Heresy-link & Wikipedia-link Iconoclasm.

'Tis also the festival of Saints Edmund Gennings, Polydore Plasden, & Eustace White, Priests; & Swithun Wells, Martyrs (died 1591), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth I, four of the Forty Martyrs of England & Wales: Martyr-link Echo Golf & Wikipedia-link Echo Golf, Martyr-link Papa Papa & Wikipedia-link Papa Papa, Martyr-link Echo Whiskey & Wikipedia-link Echo Whiskey, & Martyr-link Sierra Whiskey & Wikipedia-link Sierra Whiskey; Martyrs-link England & Wales & Wikipedia-link England & Wales.

'Tis also the festival of Blesseds Sidney Hodgson, Brian Lacey, & John Mason, Martyrs (died 1591), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth I: Martyr-link Sierra Hotel & Wikipedia-link Sierra Hotel, Martyr-link Bravo Lima, Martyr-link Juliett Mike, & Wikipedia-link Trio.

'Tis also the festival of Saint John Roberts, Priest & Martyr, O.S.B. (1577-1610), martyred in the reign of the Anglo-Scottish king James VI & I, one of the Forty Martyrs of England & Wales; & founder of the Benedictines that eventually founded the Basilica of Saint Gregory the Great, A.K.A. Downside Abbey: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Martyrs-link England & Wales & Wikipedia-link England & Wales, & Wikipedia-link Downside.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Thomas Somers, Priest & Martyr (died 1610, A.K.A. Thomas Wilson), martyred in the reign of the Anglo-Scottish king James VI & I, one of the one hundred fifty-eight Martyrs of Douai: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Martyrs-link Douai & Wikipedia-link Douai.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Isaiah, chapter forty-one, verses thirteen thru twenty;
Psalm One Hundred Forty-five (R/. eight), verses one & nine, ten & eleven, & twelve & thirteen(a/b);
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter eleven, verses eleven thru fifteen.

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

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus says to the crowds, “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it by force.” The title for Flannery O’Connor’s irresistibly powerful second and final novel, The Violent Bear It Away, is taken from the Douay-Rheims translation of this last phrase.

This famously ambiguous passage has given rise to a variety of interpretations over the centuries. Many have taken it to mean that the kingdom of God is attacked by violent people (such as those who killed John the Baptist) and that they threaten to take it away. But others have interpreted it in the opposite direction, as a word of praise to the spiritually violent who manage to get into the kingdom. Flannery O’Connor herself sides with this latter group.

The “violent,” on this reading, are those spiritually heroic types who resist the promptings and tendencies of our fallen nature and seek to discipline it in various ways in order to enter into the kingdom of God.

Reflect: In what way can you be “spiritually violent,” disciplining your own ego and tendency to sin in a heroic way?

Video reflection by Deacon Clarence McDavid (U.S. Conf. of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

Mass Readings—Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Loreto
The Book of Isaiah, chapter seven, verses ten thru fourteen & chapter eight, verse ten;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter one, verses forty-six & forty-seven, forty-eight & forty-nine, fifty & fifty-one, fity-two & fifty-three, & fifty-four & fifty-five;
(R/. verse forty-nine; or, "O Blessed Virgin Mary, you carried the Son of the eternal Father.")
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter one, verses twenty-six thru thrity-eight.

Video reflection by Becket Ghioto (St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology): Daily Reflection.

Scripture Study—Bishop's Year of the Bible: Day 12
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter one (verses one thru twenty-five);

Commentary: The Genealogy of Jesus Christ (Matthew, 1:1-17) & the Birth of Jesus Christ (Matthew, 1:18-25).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Saint Joseph reminds us that those who appear hidden or in the shadows can play an incomparable rôle in the history of salvation."
—Pope Francis, S.J. (b. 1936, r. 2013-present)

Bonus! Papal Quote o' the Day

"Narazeth is the school in which one can begin to understand the life of Jesus: the school of the Gospel. Here one learns to watch, to listen, to meditate, & to penetrate the most profound & mysterious meaning of this manifestation of the Sonf of God."
—Pope St. John XXIII (1881-1963, r. 1958-1963; feast: 11 October)

Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day

"I can understand the greatness of God, but I cannot understand His humility. It becomes so clear in Him being in love with each of us separately & completely. It is as if there is no one but me in the world. He loves me so much. Each one of us can say this with great conviction."
—St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Thou alone & Thy Mother are in all things fair; there is no flaw in Thee & no satain in Thy Mother."
—St. Ephraim the Syrian, Doctor of the Church (306-373, feast: 9 June)

Saints + Scripture

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

Saints of the Day
'Tis the Optional Memorial of Saint Margaret of Scotland (circa 1045-1093, "the Pearl of Scotland;" A.K.A. of Wessex), Queen of Scots: Saint-link ūna, Saint-link duæ, Saint-link tria, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine '18. Great-niece of St. Stephen of Hungary [16 August], niece of St. Edward the Confessor [13 October], & mother of St. David of Scotland [24 May] & Bl. Edmund of Scotland [3 October].

'Tis also the Optional Memorial of Saint Gertrude, Virgin, O.S.B. (1256-1302, of Helfta; A.K.A. the Great): Saint-link ūna, Saint-link duæ, Saint-link tria, & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Africus of Comminges, Bishop (floruit seventh century), Bishop of Comminges: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Comminges.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Othmar of Saint Gall, Priest & Abbot, O.S.B. (circa 689-759, also spelt Audemar), founding abbot of the Abbey of Saint Gall (719-759): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Saint Gall.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Edmund of Abingdon, Bishop (circa 1174-1240; A.K.A. of Canterbury, Edmund Rich), Archbishop of Canterbury (1234-1240), a preacher of the Sixth Crusade (1228-1229): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Diocese-link, Wikipedia-link Canterbury, & Wikipedia-link Bishops; & Wikipedia-link Crusade.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Edward Osbaldeston, Priest & Martyr (circa 1560-1594), 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 Saint Giuseppe Moscati (1880-1927, the "Doctor of the Poor"): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Monday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Revelation, chapter one, verses one thru four & chapter two, verses one thru five;
Psalm One, verses one & two, three, & four & six
(R/. the Book of Revelation, chapter two, verse seventeen);
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter eighteen, verses thirty-five thru forty-three.

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

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus heals a blind man. The Lord asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” He replied, “Lord, please let me see.” Jesus told him, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.”

Taking this story as their inspiration, many of the Fathers of the Church said that it is through Christ’s power and presence that we are able to see the world aright. The problem is that we pretend we are not sinners, we become blind to our blindness. Often the most important step in one’s spiritual development is an awakening to just how lost one is.

Dante’s Divine Comedy opens with the line: “Midway on the journey of our life I awoke to find myself alone and lost in a dark wood, having wandered from the straight path.” Dante’s adventure of the spirit, which will take him from hell to purgatory to heaven, can begin only when he wakes from a slumber of complacency and self-righteousness, only when he comes to the painful realization that he stands in need of grace.

The breakthrough of God’s grace is sometimes a harsh and dreadful thing, especially when it cracks open the defensive shell of our self-righteousness.

Video reflection by Monsignor James Vlaun (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

Video reflection by Becket Ghioto (St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology): Daily Reflection.

Mass Readings—Optional Memorial of St. Margaret of Scotland
The Book of Isaiah, chapter fifty-eight, verses six thru eleven;
Psalm One Hundred Twelve (R/. one; or, "Alleluia"), verses one & two, three & four, five & six, seven & eight, & nine;
The Gospel according to John, chapter fifteen, verses nine thru seventeen.

Mass Readings—Optional Memorial of St. Gertrude
The Letter to the Ephesians, chapter three, verses fourteen thru nineteen;
Psalm Twenty-three (R/. one), verses one(b), two, & three(a); four; five; & six;
The Gospel according to John, chapter fifteen, verses one thru eight.

Scripture Study—Day 91: Moor Uncomfortable, Day 9
The Song of Songs, chapter two, verses eight thru eleven.

Commentary: A Springtime Canticle (cont'd; Song, 2:8-11).

Scripture Study—Pierced Hands Bible Reading Plan: Day 65
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter one (of sixteen; verses one thru thirty-one);
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter two (verses one thru sixteen);
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter three (verses one thru twenty-three);
The Book of the Psalms, psalm sixty-five (verses one thru thirteen);
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter three, verses one thru nineteen.

Commentary: Salutation (1 Corinthians, 1:1-9), Dissension in the Church (1 Corinthians, 1:10-17), Christ the Power & Wisdom of God (1 Corinthians, 1:18-31), Proclaiming Christ Crucified (1 Corinthians, 2:1-5), the True Wisdom of God (1 Corinthians, 2:6-16), & On Dissension in the Corinthian Church (1 Corinthians, 3:1-23); Thanksgiving for Earth's Bounty (Psalm 65); & the Man with a Withered Hand (Mark, 3:1-6), a Multitude by the Sea (Mark, 3:7-12), & Jesus Appoints the Twelve (Mark, 3:13-19).

Scripture Study—Pierced Hands Bible Reading Plan: Day 66
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter four (verses one thru twenty-one);
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter five (verses one thru thirteen);
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter six (verses one thru twenty);
The Book of the Psalms, psalm sixty-six (verses one thru twenty);
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter three, verses twenty thru thirty-five.

Commentary: The Ministry of the Apostles (1 Corinthians, 4:1-13), Fatherly Admonition (1 Corinthians, 4:14-21), Sexual Immorality Defiles the Church (1 Corinthians, 5:1-8), Immorality & Judgment (1 Corinthians, 5:9-13), Lawsuits among Believers (1 Corinthians, 6:1-11), & Glorifying God in the Body (1 Corinthians, 6:12-20); Praise for God's Goodness to Israel (Psalm 66); & Jesus & Beelzebul (Mark, 3:20-30) & the True Kindred of Jesus (Mark, 3:31-35).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Genuine happiness of the home is based on love that gives itself & sacrifices itself simply & perseveringly. This love can be sustained only with the food of faith, & faith is a gift of God that is nourished in prayer & the Sacraments."
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, r. 1978-2005; feast: 22 October)

Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day

"Poverty makes us free. We need to experience the joy of poverty. We choose poverty, we choose not to have things, unlike the poorest of the poor who are forced to be poor. If we do not have something, it is because we choose not to have it. In this, we are free because nothing belongs to us. Our poverty means that we do not have the kind of shoes we may want or the house we may want. We cannot keep things or give anything away or lend anything of value. We have nothing. We own nothing. This is the experience of poverty."
—St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"If I had to advise parents, I should tell them to take great care about the people with whom their children associate… Much harm may result from bad company, & we are inclined by nature to follow what is worse than what is better."
—St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, S.C. (1774-1821, feast: 4 January)

Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day

"The peaceful soul does not seek, now, to live morally, but to live for God; morality is only a by-product of the union with Him."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

Saints + Scripture: Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

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

'Tis the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica (324; formally, the Cathedral of the Most Holy Savior & of Saints John the Baptist & the Evangelist in the Lateran, A.K.A. the Papal Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran): Lateran-link ūnus, Lateran-link duo, Lateran-link trēs, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine '18.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica
The Book of Ezekiel, chapter forty-seven, verses one, two, eight, nine, & twelve;
Psalm Forty-six (R/. five), verses two & three, five & six, & eight & nine;
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter three, verses nine(c), ten, eleven, sixteen, & seventeen;
The Gospel according to John, chapter two, verses thirteen thru twenty-two.

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

Friends, in our Gospel, Jesus performs the dramatic gesture of cleansing the temple. His prophetic vocation will manifest itself in all of his speech, gestures, and actions. Jesus’ confrontation with fallen powers and dysfunctional traditions will be highly focused, intense, and disruptive.

Standing at the heart of the holy city of Jerusalem, the temple was the political, economic, cultural, and religious center of the nation. Turning over the tables of the money-changers, driving out the merchants, shouting in high dudgeon, and upsetting the order of that place was striking at the most sacred institution of the culture, the unassailable embodiment of the tradition.

It was to show oneself as a critic in the most radical and surprising sense possible. That this act of Jesus the warrior flowed from the depth of his prophetic identity is witnessed to by the author of John’s Gospel: “His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’” Many of the historical critics of the New Testament hold that this event—shocking, unprecedented, perverse—is what finally persuaded the leaders that Jesus merited execution.

Video reflection by Monsignor James Vlaun (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

Video reflection by Curtis Mitch (St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology): Daily Reflection.

Scripture Study—Day 91: Moor Uncomfortable, Day 2
The Song of Songs, chapter one, verses two, three, & four.

Commentary: Song of the Bride & Her Companions (cont'd; Song, 1:2-4).

Saints of the Day
'Tis also the festival of Saint Ursinus of Bourges, Bishop (floruit third century), inaugural Bishop of Bourges: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Diocese-link & Wikipedia-link Bourges.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Benignus of Armagh, Bishop & Abbot (died 467, "Saint Patrick's psalm-singer;" also spelt Benen), second (II) Bishop of Armagh (457-467), founding abbot of Kilbennen: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Armagh & Wikipedia-link Kilbennen.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Pabo, Religious (died 510, A.K.A. "Pabo Post Prydain" [Pabo the Pillar of Britain]), founder of Saint Pabo's Church (460) & the village of Llanbabo ("Church of Pabo"): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link St. Pabo's & Wikipedia-link Llanbabo.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Gabriel Ferretti, Priest, O.F.M. (circa 1385-1456): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Distant kinsman of Pope Bl. Pius IX [7 February].

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Ludovico of Bologna (1433-1485, A.K.A. Ludovico Morbioli): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed George Napper, Priest & Martyr (1550-1610, also spelt Napier), martyred in the reign of the Anglo-Scottish king James VI & I, one of the one hundred fifty-eight Martyrs of Douai: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Martyrs-link Douai & Wikipedia-link Douai.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Sainthood is not a privilege for the few, but a vocation for everyone."
—Pope Francis (b. 1936, r. 2013-present)

Bonus! Papal Quote o' the Day

"A Christian who is really Catholic must be an apostle: with prayer, with example, with oblation, with suffering, with activity, with disciline, with organization. A widespread effort of faith is the duty of this hour for every member of the Mystical Body of Christ."
—Pope St. Paul VI (1897-1978, r. 1963-1978; feast: 29 May)

Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day

"Each one of us is here today because we have been loved by God Who created us, & by our paretns who cared enough to give us life. Life is the most beautiful gift of God. That is why it is so painful to see wht is happening today in so many places around the world; life being deliberately destroyed by war & every type of violence."
—St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"If we get in front of the sun, we get sun tans. But when we get in front of Jesus in the Eucharist, we become saints."
—Bl. Carlo Acutis (1991-2006, feast: 12 October)

Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day

"America, it is said, if suffering from intolerance. It is not. It is suffering from tolerance: tolerance of right & wrong, truth & error, virtue & evil, Christ & chaos."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

Saints + Scripture

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

Saints of the Day
'Tis the festival of Saint Marcellus of Tangier, Martyr (died circa 298, A.K.A. the Centurion), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperors Diocletian & Maximian: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Asterius of Amasea, Bishop (circa 350-410), Bishop of Amasea (380-410): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Amasea.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Talarican of Sodor, Bishop (floruit 720, A.K.A. Tarkin), Bishop of the Isles (A.K.A. Sodor): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Isles & Wikipedia-link Bishops.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Gerard of Potenza, Bishop (died 1119, A.K.A. Gerard La Porta), Bishop of Potenza (1111-1119), patron of Potenza's Cathedral of San Gerardo: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Potenza & Wikipedia-link San Gerardo.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Benvenuta Bojani, Virgin, T.O.S.D. (1254-1292): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blesseds John Bodey & John Slade, Martyrs (died 1583), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth I, two of the one hundred fifty-eight Martyrs of Douai: Martyr-link Juliett Bravo & Wikipedia-link Juliett Bravo, Martyr-link Juliett Sierra & Wikipedia-link Juliett Sierra; Martyrs-link Douai & Wikipedia-link Douai.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Terence Albert O'Brien, Bishop & Martyr, O.P. (1600-1651), Bishop of Emly (1647-1651), martyred in the reign of the English warlord Oliver Cromwell, one of the Irish Martyrs: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Emly, & Martyrs-link Éire & Wikipedia-link Éire.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Friday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
The Letter to the Philippians, chapter one, verses one thru eleven;
Psalm One Hundred Eleven (R/. two; or, "Alleluia"), verses one & two, three & four, & five & six;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter fourteen, verses one thru six.

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

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus heals a man on the sabbath, thus demonstrating his authority over the Law. The Jesus portrayed in the Gospels consistently speaks and acts in the very person of [YHWH], the God of Israel.

On another occasion, defending his disciples against the charge of picking grain on the sabbath, Jesus reminds his interlocutors that priests serving in the temple can, under certain circumstances, violate the sabbath and still remain innocent; then he adds with breathtaking laconicism, "I say to you, something greater than the temple is here." The only one who could reasonably claim to be "greater" than the temple would be the one who was worshiped in the temple.

In a number of places in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus states, "You have heard it said… but I say…" This almost casual dismissal of the Torah, the revelation given by [YHWH] to Moses himself and hence the court of final appeal to any pious Jew, would have overwhelmed any first-century Jew. Once more, the only one who could legitimately overrule the Torah with such insouciance would be the one who was himself the author of the Torah.

Video reflection by Father Praveen Lakkisetti (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

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

Scripture Study—Day 91: Havel Highlands, Day 40
The Book of Ecclesiastes, chapter eleven, verses seven thru ten.

Commentary: Youth & Old Age (Ecclesiastes, 11:7-10).

Scripture Study—Pierced Hands Bible Reading Plan: Day 57
The Book of Leviticus, chapter eleven (verses one thru forty-seven);
The Book of Leviticus, chapter twelve (verses one thru eight);
The Book of Leviticus, chapter thirteen (verses one thru fifty-nine);
The Book of the Psalms, psalm fifty-seven (verses one thru eleven);
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twenty-seven, verses one thru twenty-six.

Commentary: Clean & Unclean Foods (Leviticus, 11:1-12), Unclean Creatures (Leviticus, 11:13-47), Purification of Women (Leviticus, 12:1-8), & Skin Diseases (Leviticus, 13:1-59); Praise & Assurance under Persecution (Psalm 57); & Jesus Brought before Pilate (Matthew, 27:1-2), Judas Hangs Himself (Matthew, 27:3-10), Pilate Questions Jesus (Matthew, 27:11-14), Barabbas or Jesus? (Matthew, 27:15-23), & Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified (Matthew, 27:24-26).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"A new era is unfolding of faithfulness to the Holy Spirit, of love of the crucified Christ, of dedication to one's brothers & sisters, of the building up of a more human & just society. We do not want to lag behind. Forward, in the Name of the Lord."
—Pope St. Paul VI (1897-1978, r. 1963-1978; feast: 29 May)

Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day

"When I pick up a hungry person from the street, I give him a plate of rice, a piece of bread. But a person who is shut out, who feels unwanted, unloved, terrified, the person who has been thrown out of society—that spiritual poverty is much harder to overcome."
—St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"God would not make me wish for something impossible, & so, in spite of my littleness, I can aim at being a saint."
—St. Thérèse of Lisieux, O.C.D., Doctor of the Church (1873-1897, feast: 1 October)

Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day

"I had been preaching on Good Friday at St. Patrick's one year, a woman came back to the main altar, her hair disheveled, a haunted look on her face, & cursed me violently. I said, 'Why did you come in here?' She said, 'To steal purses.' I said, 'Did you get any?' 'No,' she said, 'that second word of yours got me—the word to the good thief.' Then she said, 'Why am I talking to you, you blankety-blank? You'll just tell the cops.' I said, 'Why do the cops want you?' She pulled out clippings from the Los Angeles Times & FBI folders. Three of her confreres were in San Quentin, & the FBI was looking for her. I asked her if she had ever been a Catholic, & she said yes, she had, up until the age of fourteen. So I heard her confession, & she became a daily communicant. But she was unable to work. I supported her for about twenty years until she died. Well, I was harboring a criminal, so after some time I said to her, 'I must make known to the FBI that I know about you.' She agreed, & I told the FBI. I said, 'You're looking for this woman.' 'Do we want her badly?' they said. I said, 'Oh, yes. Her name is so-and-so. She's a daily communicant at St. Patrick's.' They said, 'You have done far more for her than we or the prisons could have done, so we're letting her go.' So this chance incident of coming in to a church on Good Friday to steal purses made all the difference."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

Saints + Scripture

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

Saints of the Day
'Tis the Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop & Martyr (died circa 107, A.K.A. Ignatius Theophorus [the "God-bearing"], Ignatius Nurono [the "fire-bearer"]), third (III) Patriarch of Antioch (70-107), one of the Apostolic Fathers, martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Trajan, in his persecution (98-117): Martyr-link ūnus, Martyr-link duo, Martyr-link trēs, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Antioch & Wikipedia-link Patriarchs; Apostolic Fathers-link & Wikipedia-link Apostolic Fathers; & Persecutions-link & Wikipedia-link Trajan.

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

O Lord, Saint Ignatius of Antioch cared for his flock & bore witness to the Faith. May our bishop Earl hold firm to the Faith with courage & lead his flock with gentleness.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Heron of Antioch, Bishop & Martyr (died circa 127, A.K.A. Herodian), fourth (IV) Patriarch of Antioch (107-127), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Hadrian, in his persecution (117-138): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Antioch & Wikipedia-link Patriarchs; & Wikipedia-link Hadrian.

'Tis also the festival of Saint John the Dwarf, Priest & Abbot (circa 339-405, A.K.A. John Kolobos), one of the Desert Fathers: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Desert Fathers.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Anstrudis of Laon, Abbess (died 688), second (II) abbess of the Abbey of Saint John (670-688; originally, of Our Lady): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Saint John.

Commentary: Daughter of Ss. Blandinus [?] & Sadalberga [22 September], niece of St. Bodo [11 September], & sister of St. Baldwin [16 October].

'Tis also the festival of Saint Nothhelm of Canterbury, Bishop (died 739), tenth (X) Archbishop of Canterbury (735-739): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Diocese-link, Wikipedia-link Canterbury, & Wikipedia-link Bishops.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Baldassare Ravaschieri, Priest, O.F.M. (1420-1492, of Chiavari; also spelt Balthassar): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Richard Gwyn, Martyr (circa 1537-1584, A.K.A. Richard White), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth I, one of the Forty Martyrs of England & Wales: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Martyrs-link England & Wales & Wikipedia-link England & Wales.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Saturday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
The Letter to the Ephesians, chapter one, verses fifteen thru twenty-three;
Psalm Eight (R/.), verses two & three(a/b), four & five, & six & seven;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter twelve, verses eight thru twelve.

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

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus promises that divine aid will assist us in defense of persecution. From the earliest centuries into modern times, the Church, especially when it shows itself clearly, has been persecuted.

Do you know the principle that says if someone brings bad news people say, “Kill the messenger”? In some ways, that’s why the Church is persecuted. We bear the message of a new world. And the old world never likes that message, which threatens it. Therefore, the instinct to kill the messenger kicks in. The Church will be persecuted as long as it speaks the words—the liberating words—of Jesus Christ.

So, what shall we do? How should we live during this period? Listen to the Lord: “When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what your defense will be . . . . For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.” We have a simple job during the in-between times. We announce the Gospel with courage. Why? Because we’re speaking with the authority of the Lord. And the power of the old world cannot overcome us.

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

Mass Readings—Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch
The Letter to the Philippians, chapter three, verse seventeen thru chapter four, verse one;
Psalm Thirty-four (R/. five), verses Y;
The Gospel according to John, chapter twelve, verses twenty-four, twenty-five, & twenty-six.

Scripture Study—Day 91: Havel Highlands, Day 27
The Book of Ecclesiastes, chapter seven, verse fourteen.

Commentary: Wisdom & Folly Compared (cont'd; Ecclesiastes, 7:14).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"In order to continue & grow the Gospel life-style as the early Christians did, you must be united among yourselves & with your bishops. You must persevere in the liturgical & sacramental life & meditate on the truth of the Faith within your heart."
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, r. 1978-2005; feast: 22 October)

Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day

"When we realize that we are all sinners needing forgiveness, it will be easier for us to forgive others. We have to be forgiven in order to be able to forgive. If I do not understand this, it will be very hard for me to say, 'I forgive you' to anyone."
—St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"I am God's wheat & I shall be ground by the teeth of beasts, that I may become the pure bread of Christ."
—St. Ignatius of Antioch (35-107, feast: 17 October)

Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day

"In the last few years we have had the idea that children should not be taught about sin & that confession should not be required before communion because it would give children a wrong sense of guilt. However, every child three years of age & older understands the meaning of a broken relationship, which is the essence of sin. Just let a mother tell a young child, 'Mommy no longer loves you', & you will see the disturbance caused by a broken relationship."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

Saints + Scripture

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

'Tis the festival of Our Lady of the Pillar (apparition circa 40), the image is housed in Zaragoza's Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar: Madonna-link ūna, Madonna-link duæ, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Cathedral-Basilica & Wikipedia-link Fiestas del Pilar.

Commentary: Wayback Machine '18.

'Tis also the festival of Our Lady Aparecida (statue recovered 1717; A.K.A. Our Lady Revealed, Our Lady of the Conception Appeared): Madonna-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Edwin of Northumbria, Martyr (circa 585-633; also spelt Eadwine, Æduinus), King of Deria & Bernicia (616-633), martyred by the pagan king Penda of Mercia: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Husband of St. Æthelburh of Kent [8 September], father of St. Eanflæd of Whitby [24 November], & great uncle of St. Hilda of Whitby [17 November].

'Tis also the festival of Saint Wilfrid of York, Bishop, O.S.B. (circa 633-710, the "Apostle of Sussex;" A.K.A. of Ripon, of Hexham; also spelt Wilfrith), sixth (VI) Bishop of Hexham (706-710), second (II) Bishop of Leicester (692-705), inaugural Bishop of Selsey (681-685), third (III) Bishop of York (664-678), inaugural abbot at Ripon (658-663); a father of the Synod of Whitby (664); subject of the Vita Sancti Wilfithi: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Diocese-link Hexham & Wikipedia-link Hexham, Wikipedia-link Leicester, Wikipedia-link Selsey, Diocese-link York & Wikipedia-link York, & Wikipedia-link Ripon; Wikipedia-link Whitby; & Wikipedia-link Vita Sancti Wilfithi.

Commentary: Not to be confused with a later Bishop of York, St. Wilfrid II the Younger [29 April].

'Tis also the festival of Saint Serafino of Montegranaro, Religious, O.F.M. Cap. (1540-1604; A.K.A. of Ascoli Piceno, Felice Rapagnano): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed John Baptist, Priest & Martyr, O.F.M. (1603-1642, A.K.A. Thomas Bullaker), martyred in the reign of the Anglo-Scottish king Charles I, one of the Eighty-five Martyrs of England & Wales (martyred 1584-1679): Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Martyrs-link England & Wales & Wikipedia-link England & Wales.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Carlo Acutis (1991-2006): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Monday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
The Letter to the Galatians, chapter four, verses twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-six, twenty-seven, & thirty-one, & chapter five, verse one;
Psalm One HUndred Thirteen (R/. cf. two; or, "Alleluia, Alleluia"), verses one(b) & two; three & four; & five(a), six, & seven;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter eleven, verses twenty-nine thru thirty-two.

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

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the crowd that no sign will be given except the sign of Jonah, a vague hint of his Resurrection. The Resurrection means that Jesus of Nazareth, who claimed throughout his public life to be speaking and acting in the very person of God, and who was brutally put to death by Roman executioners, rose bodily from the dead.

One implication of the Resurrection is that we have a real advocate in heaven. The biblical imagination on this score is not Greek—that is to say, not marked by sharp dualisms of matter and spirit. The great hope of Israel is not a jailbreak, not an escape from this world, but precisely the coming together of heaven and earth.

The bodily Resurrection of Jesus—as the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep—is the great sign that the two orders are coming together. A body that can be touched and that can consume baked fish has found its way into the realm of heaven. And thus bodies are not finally alien to God. We have indeed an Advocate in the heavenly places.

Video reflection by Monsignor James Vlaun (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

Video reflection by Curtis Mitch (St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology): Daily Reflection.

Scripture Study—Day 91: Havel Highlands, Day 22
The Book of Ecclesiastes, chapter six, verses seven thru twelve.

Commentary: Frustration of Desires (cont'd; Ecclesiastes, 6:7-12).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Unborn children are always to be welcomed; life is always to be protected & loved, from conception to its natural end."
—Pope Francis (b. 1936, r. 2013-present)

Bonus! Papal Quote o' the Day

"Certainly, you are not unaware of how much the path of love can cost. Christ Himself reminds you of it from atop the Cross."
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, r. 1978-2005; feast: 22 October)

Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day

"The constitutions of our religious order state: 'We & our poor will rely entirely on Divine Providence. We are not ashamed to beg from door to door as members of Christ, Who Himself lived on alms during His public life & Whom we serve in the sick & poor.'"
—St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"To always be close to Jesus, that's my life plan."
—Bl. Carlo Acutis (1991-2006, feast: 12 October)

Commentary: Beatified on Saturday, 10 October 2020.

Saints + Scripture

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

'Tis the Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin & Doctor of the Church, O.C.D. (1873-1897, "the Little Flower of Jesus;" A.K.A. of Lisieux, Marie Françoise-Thérèse Martin): Doctor-link ūna, Doctor-link duæ, Doctor-link tria, Doctor-link Array of Hope, & Wikipedia-link; Doctors-link & Wikipedia-link Doctors.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Daughter of Ss. Louis & Zélie Martin [12 July] & sister of Servants of God Agnes of Jesus, O.C.D.; Françoise-Thérèse, V.H.M.; & Geneviève of the Holy Face, O.C.D.

Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, today is the Memorial of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus. The best introduction to Thérèse’s spirituality is a text that she wrote at the behest of Sr. Marie of the Sacred Heart, a sort of memoir of the retreat that she made in September 1896, just a year before her death.

What she offers is a “science of love,” a way of knowing and acting that is utterly conditioned by the love that Jesus has placed in her heart: “Jesus deigned to show me the road that leads to this Divine Furnace, and this road is the surrender of the little child who sleeps without fear in its Father’s arms.”

God, Thérèse concluded, is pleased to work with those who have become utterly docile to His direction, who have acknowledged their total dependence upon Him, their readiness to receive gifts. Any sense that God’s love must be earned or that a relationship with Him is a product of economic calculation is repugnant to a healthy spirituality: “Jesus does not demand great actions from us but simply surrender and gratitude.”

When this attitude is in place, anything and everything is possible. Following Thérèse, we can be pleasing to God and valuable to the Church in the humblest places and through the simplest acts. All we need to do is surrender, like a little child asleep in its Father’s arms.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Bavo of Ghent, Religious (circa 622-659; also spelt Bavon, Baaf; A.K.A. Allowin), founder of St. Bavo's Abbey (originally, St. Peter's): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Son of St. Itta of Metz [8 May], brother of Ss. Begga [17 December] & Gertrude of Nivelles [17 March].

'Tis also the festival of Blessed John Robinson, Priest & Martyr (circa 1530-1588), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth I, one of the one hundred fifty-eight Martyrs of Douai: Martyr-link; Martyrs-link Douai & Wikipedia-link Douai.

'Tis also the festival of Blesseds Ralph Crockett & Edward James, Priests & Martyrs (1522-1588 & circa 1557-1588), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth I, two of the one hundred fifty-eight Martyrs of Douai: Martyr-link Romeo Charlie & Wikipedia-link Romeo Charlie, & Martyr-link Echo Juliett & Wikipedia-link Echo Juliett; Martyrs-link Douai & Wikipedia-link Douai.

'Tis also the festival of Blesseds Christopher Buxton, Edward Campion, & Robert Wilcox, Priests; & Robert Widmerpool; Martyrs (died 1588), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth I, the four Oaten Hill Martyrs (A.K.A. the Canterbury Martyrs): Martyr-link Charlie Bravo, Martyr-link Echo Charlie, Martyr-link Romeo W-I-L, Martyr-link Romeo W-I-D, & Wikipedia-link Oaten Hill.

Commentary: Bls. Christopher Buxton & Robert Wilcox are two more of the 158 Martyrs of Douai.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Luigi Maria Monti, Religious (1825-1900, also spelt Aloysius), founder of the Congregation of the Sons of the Immaculate Conception (1857): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Thursday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Job, chapter nineteen, verses twenty-one thru twenty-seven;
Psalm Twenty-seven (R/. thirteen), verses seven & eight(a), eight(b) & nine(a/b/c), & thirteen & fourteen;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter ten, verses one thru twelve.

Commentary: Video reflection by Monsignor James Vlaun (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

Video reflection by Becket Ghioto (St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology): Daily Reflection.

Mass Readings—Memorial of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus
The Book of Isaiah, chapter sixty-six, verses ten thru fourteen(c);
Psalm One Hundred Thirty-one (R/. "In you, Lord, I have found my peace"), verses one(b/c/d/e), two, & three;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter eighteen, verses one thru four.

Scripture Study—Day 91: Havel Highlands, Day 11
The Book of Ecclesiastes, chapter three, verses nine, ten, & eleven.

Commentary: Everything Has a Season (cont'd; Ecclesiastes, 3:9) & God-given Tasks (Ecclesiastes, 3:10-11).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"In order that your life may retain a taste of the feast, be dynamic & joyful in the service of others. Seek to carry out what Christ asks of you; answer what Mary's 'fiat': 'I am the servant of the Lord' (Luke, 1:38)."
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, r. 1978-2005; feast: 22 October)

Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day

"Living a Christian life provides for the growth of faith. There have been many saints who have gone before to guide us, but I like thge one who are simple, like St. Thérèse of Lisieux. I chose her as my namesake because she did ordinary things with extraordinary love."
—St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"I will seek out a means of getting to Heaven by a little way."
—St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Doctor of the Church (1873-1897, feast: 1 October)

Mass Matters
Through 1 October 2020, I've heard the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass one hundred ninety-nine times (CXCIX) seventy-four fewer than by this point in 2019 (& eighty fewer than by this point in 2018), but comparisons are of limited validity given the interdict against the lay faithful from 18 March-18 May 2020.

Saints + Scripture

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

The Popish Plot
"Catholic T-shirt Club Unboxing: St. Thérèse of Lisieux"

'Tis the festival of Our Lady of Walsingham (apparition 1061, A.K.A. the Virgin by the Sea): Madonna-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Our Lady of Mercy (apparition 1 August 1218, A.K.A. Our Lady of Ransom) patroness of the Mercedarians (O. de M.), formally the Royal, Celestial, & Military Order of Our Lady of Mercy & the Redemption of the Captives: Madonna-link, Wikipedia-link Mercy, & Wikipedia-link Ransom; Order-link & Wikipedia-link O. de M.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Anathalon of Milan, Bishop (floruit second century), second (II) Bishop of Milan: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Diocese-link & Wikipedia-link Milan.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Terence of Pesaro, Bishop & Martyr (circa 210-251), Bishop of Pesaro (?-251), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Decius, a victim of the Decian Persecution (250-251): Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Pesaro; Persecutions-link, Wikipedia-link Decius ūnus, Wikipedia-link Decius duo, & Wikipedia-link Decius trēs.

'Tis also the festival of Blesseds William Spenser, Priest, & Robert Hardesty, Martyrs (died 1589), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth I, two of the Eighty-five Martyrs of England & Wales: Martyr-link Whiskey Sierra, Martyr-link Romeo Hotel, & Wikipedia-link; Martyrs-link England & Wales & Wikipedia-link England & Wales.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Pacificus of San Severino, Priest, O.F.M. (1653-1721, A.K.A. Carlo Antonio Divini): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Anton Martin Slomšek, Bishop (1800-1862), Bishop of Lavant (1846-1862): Blessed-link ūnus, Blessed-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Lavant.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Francesco Spoto, Priest & Martyr, M.S.P.T.M. (1924-1964), superior general of the Missionary Servants of the Poor (1959-1964, M.S.P.T.M.), martyred by Communist Simba rebels in Congo-Kinshasa: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Thursday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Ecclesiastes, chapter one, verses two thru eleven;
Psalm Ninety (R/. one), verses three & four, five & six, twelve & thirteen, & fourteen & seventeen(b/c);
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter nine, verses seven, eight, & nine.

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

Friends, in today’s Gospel we see Herod interested in and perplexed by Jesus.

Political rulers don’t come across well in the New Testament. In Luke’s Christmas account, Caesar Augustus is compared very unfavorably to the Christ child. And in Matthew’s account that child is hunted down by the desperate Herod. Later, Herod’s son persecutes John the Baptist and Jesus himself. More to it, the Jewish authorities are seen in all of the Gospels as corrupt.

And Pontius Pilate is a typical Roman governor: efficient, concerned for order, brutal. Like the other rulers of the time, he perceives Jesus, quite correctly, as a threat. “So you are a king?” Pilate asks. Jesus says, “My kingdom does not belong to this world.”

This does not mean that Jesus is unconcerned for the realities of politics, with the very “this-worldly” concerns of justice, peace, and right order. When he speaks of his kingdom not belonging to the “world,” he shades the negative side of that term. The “world” is the realm of sin, selfishness, hatred, violence. What he is saying is that his way of ordering things is not typical of worldly powers like Pilate, Caesar, and Herod.

Video reflection by Deacon Clarence McDavid (U. S. Conf. of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

Video reflection by Becket Ghioto (St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology): Daily Reflection.

Scripture Study—Day 91: Havel Highlands, Day 4
The Book of Ecclesiastes, chapter two, verses one, two, & three.

Commentary: Vanity in Self-Indulgence (Ecclesiastes, 2:1-3).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"We need a docile heart in order to build an exemplary Christian community. We need a spirit that is strong in the Faith in order to proclaim the love of God that conquers sin & saves in Christ Who died & is risen."
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, r. 1978-2005; feast: 22 October)

Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day

"Many people who have many possessions, who have many goods & riches, are obsessed with them. They think that the only thing that counts is possessing wealth. That is why it is so difficult for them to walk each moment of each day with God. Too many of their moments are spent preoccupied with money & things."
—St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

Bonus! Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day

"Give Jesus not only your hands to serve, but your heart to love. Pray with absolute trust in God’s loving care for you. Let Him use you without consulting you. Let Jesus fill you with joy that you may preach without preaching."
—St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

Saints + Scripture

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

'Tis the Memorial of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest, O.F.M. Cap. (1887-1968, "Padre Pio;" A.K.A. Francesco Forgione), stigmatic (1918-1968): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, Saint-link trēs, Saint-link Ascension Presents, Saint-link Array of Hope, & Wikipedia-link; Stigmata-link & Wikipedia-link Stigmata.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Linus, Pope & Martyr (died 76), second (II) Bishop of Rome (67-76), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Vespasian: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Pontifex-link & Wikipedia-link Pontifex.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Adomnán of Iona, Abbot (circa 624-704, also spelt Adamnán), ninth (IX) abbot of Iona Abbey (679-704), who convoked the Synod of Birr (697) & promulgated the Cáin Adomnáin (the "Law of Adomnán"): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Abbey-link, Wikipedia-link Iona, & Wikipedia-link Abbots; & Wikipedia-link Birr & Wikipedia-link Cáin Adomnáin.

Commentary: The Cáin Adomnáin is also known as the Lex Innocentium (the "Law of Innocents").

'Tis also the festival of Blessed William Way, Priest & Martyr (died 1588, A.K.A. William May, William Flower), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth I, one of the one hundred fifty-eight Martyrs of Douai: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Martyrs-link Douai & Wikipedia-link Douai.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Bernardyna Maria Jabłońska, Religious (1878-1940), superior general of the Albertine Sisters (1902-1940, C.S.A.P.I.), formally the Congregation of Albertine Sisters Serving the Poor: Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link C.S.A.P.I.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Jozef Stanek, Priest & Martyr, S.A.C. (1916-1944), martyred in the reign of the Nazi dictator Adolf Hiter, one of the One Hundred Eight Blessed Polish Martyrs: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link (List, № 41); Martyrs-link Polska & Wikipedia-link Polska.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Wednesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Proverbs, chapter thirty, verses five thru nine;
Psalm One Hundred Nineteen (R/. one hundred five), verses twenty-nine, seventy-two, eighty-nine, one hundred one, one hundred four, & one hundred sixty-three;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter nine, verses one thru six.

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

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus sends his disciples on mission: He summoned the Twelve… and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” As members of the Mystical Body, we share the mission of evangelization.

In accord with the subjectivism of our culture, many Christians think of their spiritual lives in an individualist way, as the cultivation of their personal friendship with God. But this overlooks something that the New Testament authors took for granted—namely, that Christians exist not for themselves but for the world.

Jesus compared his followers to salt, which is designed to preserve and enhance something other than itself, and to light, whose purpose is to be set on a stand in order to illumine what is around it. Pope St. Paul VI articulated the same truth as follows: the Church doesn’t have a mission; the Church is a mission.

We go forth, therefore, with God’s authority and empowered for his work. When we stand before the judgment seat of Christ he will ask whether we have taught the world how to praise, how to reverence the truth, how to go out vigorously on campaign to extend the kingdom of God.

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. Pius of Pietrelcina
The Letter to the Galatians, chapter two, verses nineteen & twenty;
Psalm One Hundred Twenty-eight (R/. one), verses one & two, three, & four & five;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter sixteen, verses twenty-four thru twenty-seven.

Scripture Study—Day 91: Havel Highlands, Day 3
The Book of Ecclesiastes, chapter one, verses twelve thru eighteen.

Commentary: Vanity in Seeking Wisdom (Ecclesiastes, 1:12-18).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Every burden is light when we are united to Christ, when it is He Who gives us the strength & breath to go on walking. On the other hand, how heavy the burden is when it is carried without Christ!"
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, r. 1978-2005; feast: 22 October)

Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day

"Money? I never give it a thought. It always comes. We work for Jesus. It is His work & He will provide. He has always taken care of us. If He wants something to be done, He will give us the means. If He does not provide us with the means, then it shows that He doesn't want that particular work. So, I forget about it."
—St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"The Earth could exist more easily without the Sun than without the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass."
—St. Pius of Pietrelcina, O.F.M. Cap. (1887-1968, feast: 23 September)