Saints + Scripture

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

'Tis the Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot, O.S.B. (circa 480-547, of Nursia), founder of the Abbey of Saint Scholastica (A.K.A. Subiaco Abbey) & the Abbey of Monte Cassino (529), author of the Rule of Saint Benedict, & one of the six Patrons of Europe: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, Saint-link trēs, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Subiaco, Abbey-link Monte Cassino, & Wikipedia-link Monte Cassino; Rule-link, Wikipedia-link Rule, & Wikipedia-link Ora et labora; & Wikipedia-link Patrons.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Brother of St. Scholastica [10 January].

Quoth Minute Meditations from the Popes:

O Lord, St. Benedict taught that "to work is to pray." Help me to discern Your Presence in my workplace & bear witness to Your love to my coworkers.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Pius I, Pope (circa 81-155), tenth (X) Bishop of Rome (140-155): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Pontifex-link & Wikipedia-link Pontifex.

Commentary: Brother of Hermas, author of The Shepherd of Hermas: Wikipedia-link Hermas & Wikipedia-link The Shepherd.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Olga of Kyiv (879-969; also spelt Helga, A.K.A. Helena), Queen consort & Regent of Kievan Rus': Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Grandmother of St. Vladimir [15 July] & great-grandmother of Ss. Boris & Gleb [24 July].

'Tis also the festival of Saint Thurketyl, Abbot, O.S.B. (887-975), first abbot of the restored Crowland Abbey (948-975) & abbot of Bedford Abbey: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Abbey-link Crowland, Wikipedia-link Crowland, Wikipedia-link Abbots, & Wikipedia-link Bedford.

'Tis also the festival of Blesseds Thomas Hunt & Thomas Sprott, Priests & Martyrs (died 1600), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth I, two of the Eighty-five Martyrs of England & Wales: Martyr-link Tango Hotel, Martyr-link Tango Sierra, & Wikipedia-link; Martyrs-link England & Wales & Wikipedia-link England & Wales.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Valeriu Traian Frențiu, Bishop & Martyr (1875-1952), Bishop of Oradea Mare (1922-1948), Bishop of Lugoj (1912-1922), martyred in the reign of the Communist dictator Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej: Matryr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Oradea Mare.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Saturday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Isaiah, chapter six, verses one thru eight;
Psalm Ninety-three (R/. one[a]), verses one(a/b), one(c/d) & two, & five;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter ten, verses twenty-four thru thirty-three.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples not to fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Through the power of his being, he has linked us to the creative source of all existence. And in that “place,” loved in the Spirit by the Father and the Son, we are safe—even from those who would kill the body.

But this means that our perspective can and must change. Most of us spend most of our lives defending ourselves against assaults on the “body”—keen, almost every waking moment, to protect our psyches, our emotions, our fortunes, our health, our reputations.

When we do that, we warp ourselves, turning our lives defensively inward, living in a very small spiritual space. But when we live out of the divine center, we breathe the air of real spiritual freedom. No longer cramped fearfully around the “body,” we can move into the wide expanse of the divine will, following God however he prompts us. And this state of affairs, this great soul, is simultaneously alluring in its beauty and terrifying in its demand.

Video reflection by Harry Dudley, D.Min. (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

Mass Readings—Memorial of St. Benedict
The Book of Proverbs, chapter two, verses one thru nine;
Psalm Thirty-four (R/. two or nine), verses two & three, four & five, six & seven, eight & nine, & ten & eleven;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter nineteen, verses twenty-seven, twenty-eight, & twenty-nine.

Scripture Study—Day 91: Contentness Plateau, Day 20
The Second Book of Samuel, chapter six, verses eight, nine, & ten.

Commentary: David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem (cont'd; 2 Samuel, 6:8-10).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Work is a fundamental part of our earthly life. It often involves heavy fatigue & even suffering, but it can also forge strong character & vigorous personality. It can be the means by which we build up the world according to the values in which we believe."
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, r. 1978-2005; feast: 22 October)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"What, dear brothers, is more delightful than the voice of the Lord calling to us?"
—St. Benedict of Nursia, O.S.B. (480-543, feast: 11 July)

Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day

"A high-ranking government official once said to me, 'You are doing social work & we also do the same. But we are doing it for something & you are doing it for somebody.' To do our work we have to be in love with God."
—St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day

"Someday we will thank God, not only for what He gave us, but also for that which He refused."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

Saints + Scripture — Please Stand By

'Tis the Saturday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time.

Saints + Scripture

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

'Tis the festival of Saints Victoria & Anatolia, Virgins; & Audax; Martyrs (died circa 250), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Decius, victims of the Decian Persecution (250-251): Martyr-link Victor, Martyr-link Alpha-November, Martyr-link Alpha-Uniform, & Wikipedia-link; Persecutions-link & Wikipedia-link Persecution.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Ss. Victoria & Anatolia were sisters; St. Audax was one of their persecutors who, as happens, was converted by their piety & courage in the face of injustice & death.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Amalberga of Maubeuge, Religious, O.S.B. (died circa 690): Saint-link ūna, Saint-link duae, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Kinswoman of St. Pepin of Landen [21 February]; mother of Ss. Gudula of Brussels [8 January], Emebert of Cambrai [15 January], Reineldis of Saintes [16 July], & Pharaildis [4 January].

'Tis also the festival of Saint Amalberga of Temse, Virgin (circa 741-772): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saints Lantfrid, Waltram, & Elilantus, Abbots, O.S.B. (eighth century), founders & first, second, & third abbots of the Benediktbeuern Abbey: Saint-link Lima, Saint-link Whiskey, Saint-link Echo, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Benediktbeuern.

Commentary: Brothers.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Canute, Martyr (circa 1042-1086, King Canute IV of Denmark; A.K.A. the Holy, also spelt Knud): Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Uncle of the fellow martyr St. Canute Lavard [7 January].

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Friday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Hosea, chapter fourteen, verses two thru ten;
Psalm Fifty-one (R/. seventeen[b]), verses three & four, eight & nine, twelve & thirteen, & fourteen & seventeen;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter ten, verses sixteen thru twenty-three.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus predicts the persecution of his followers. A vast army of martyrs have in the course of Christian history given their lives for the sake of Christ and his Gospel. They are from every culture, country, language, and background.

This is the army that stands opposed to worldly armies that do their work through violence, threats, and oppression. They witness to the power and authority of the risen Lord and therefore they are fighters—but they do not fight with the weapons of the world.

One might think of St. Peter himself, crucified upside down; or Felicity and Perpetua, thrown to wild animals; or of Thomas Becket, who resisted King Henry II’s attempts to manipulate the Church and was butchered by his henchmen; or Thomas More, who resisted another King Henry and paid for it with his head.

One might think of Paul Miki, the Japanese Jesuit, who was crucified for announcing the Christian faith; or Miguel Pro, who was shot to death for defying a repressive Mexican government, shouting as he was martyred, “Viva Cristo Rey!”

Video reflection by Paula Trigo-Galan (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: Contentness Plateau, Day 19
The Second Book of Samuel, chapter six, verses six & seven.

Commentary: David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem (cont'd; 2 Samuel, 6:6-7).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"There can be no outward peace unless it reflects & is ruled by that interior peace without which the affairs of human beings shake, totter, & fall. Only God's holy religion can foster, strengthen, & maintain such peace."
—Pope St. John XXIII (1881-1963, r. 1958-1963; feast: 11 October)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"One word or a pleasing smile is often enough to raise up a saddened & wounded soul."
—St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Doctor of the Church (1873-1897, feast: 1 October)

Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day

"Once we take our eyes away from ourselves, from our interests, from our own rights, privileges, ambitions—then they will become clear to see Jesus around us."
—St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day

"One day a woman came to me & told me that she could never love her husband again. I told her to try & think back to how much she loved him the day of their marriage, as they stood side by side at the altar. For that is the way he really was. What the woman had to do was to see, beneath the distorted image, the real person to whom she committed her life. This is precisely what our Lord does in coming to this earth. Even when men raged & stormed beneath His cross, He saw them as homeless & unhappy children of the Father in heaven. For them He grieved & for them He died. This is the vision our Lord has of humanity."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

Saints + Scripture — Please Stand By

'Tis the Friday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time.

The Rebel Black Dot Heat Wave Song o' the Day

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, "Summertime" from Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Are a Drag (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Saints + Scripture

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

'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: Martyr-link Alpha Zulu Romeo ūnus, Martyr-link Alpha Zulu Romeo duo, & Wikipedia-link Alpha Zulu Romeo (List, № 8); Martyr-link Golf Golf ūnus, Martyr-link Golf Golf duo, & Wikipedia-link Golf Golf; & Martyrs-link China ūnus, Martyr-link China duo, & Wikipedia-link China.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá (painted 1560, A.K.A. La Chinita): Madonna-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Giovanna Scopelli, Religious, O.Carm. (1428-1491, of Reggio; Anglicized as Jane Scopelli) founding prioress of the Priory of Santa Maria del Popolo (1480): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

'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: Martyr-link November Papa & Wikipedia-link November Papa, Martyr-link Juliett Charlie & Wikipedia-link Juliett Charlie, Martyr-link Golf Mike & Wikipedia-link Golf Mike, & Martyr-link Alpha Whiskey & Wikipedia-link Alpha Whiskey; Martyrs-link Gorkum & Wikipedia-link Gorkum.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Veronica Giuliani, Abbess, O.S.C. Cap. (1660-1727, A.K.A. Orsola Giuliani), stigmatic: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duae, & Wikipedia-link; Stigmata-link & Wikipedia-link Stigmata.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Marija of the Crucified Jesus, Religious (1892-1966, A.K.A. Marija Petković), foundress of the Congregation of the Daughters of Mercy (1920): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Thursday of the Fourteenth 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: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus sent 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 Father Roger Lopez, O.F.M. (U.S.C. of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

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

Mass Readings—Optional Memorial of St. 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/d) & three, four & five, & six;
The Gospel according to John, chapter twelve, verses twenty-four, twenty-five, & twenty-six.

Scripture Study—Day 91: Contentness Plateau, Day 18
The Second Book of Samuel, chapter six, verses one thru five.

Commentary: David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem (2 Samuel, 6:1-5).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"God is present, no matter how often humanity may forget God. Christianity has the living & modern spiritual energy, ready to confront the negations of a materialistic world."
—Pope St. John XXIII (1881-1963, r. 1958-1963; feast: 11 October)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Remember when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received only what you have given: a heart enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice, & courage."
—St. Francis of Assisi, O.F.M. (1181-1226, feast: 4 October)

Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day

"One by one, my former students began to arrive. They wanted to give everything to God. With what joy they put away their colorful saris in order to put on our poor cotton one."
—St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day

"Our Lord was hopeful about humanity. He always saw men the way He originally designed them. He saw through the surface, the grime & the dirt, the real man underneath. He never identified a person with sin. He saw sin as something alien & foreign, something that did not belong to a man, something that mastered him but from which he could be freed in order to be his real self. Just as every mother sees her own image & likeness beneath the dirt on the face of her child, so God always saw the divine image & likeness beneath our sin. He looked on us much the same way a bride looks on a bridegroom the day of marriage, & as a bridegroom looks on a bride: each to the other looks the best."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

The Rebel Black Dot Heat Wave Song o' the Day

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, "Fire and Rain" from Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Have a Ball (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: The day started off hot & then grew hotter. The interior of the Malibu Stacey was hot as an oven. Then the rain fell, at first a deluge that soaked my clothes on the brief trek from the driveway to the house. We very much need the rain; several times I choked on the dust whilst mowing the lawn yesterday.

Operation ÖSTERREICH

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 365.0 lbs
This weigh-in: 362.0 lbs.
Difference: -3.0 lbs.

'Twas possible to lose more weight this week, perhaps even advisable given that these pounds are the long-hanging fruit, but our goal is two pounds per week (2 lbs./week) & that goal was achieved. Take the win.

Bonus! Lied von ÖSTERREICH
Jim Gaffigan, "Spray Cheese" from Beyond the Pale (Mike Papa Watercress)

Saints + Scripture

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

'Tis the festival of Saints Priscilla & Aquila, Martyrs (died circa 64, A.K.A. Prisca), wife & husband, martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Nero: Martyr-link Papa, Martyr-link Alpha, Martyrs-link, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Morwenna, Hermitess (sixth century): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Sister of St. Nectan of Hartland [17 June].

'Tis also the festival of Saint Adrian III, Pope (circa 830-885, also spelt Hadrian; A.K.A. Agapitus), one hundred ninth (CIX) Bishop of Rome (884-885): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Pontifex-link & Wikipedia-link Pontifex.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Raymond of Toulouse, Priest (died 1118, A.K.A. Raymond Gayrard): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Eugene III, Pope, O.Cist. (circa 1080-1153; A.K.A. Bernardo Pignatelli, Paganelli; of Pisa), one hundred sixty-seventh (CLXVII) Bishop of Rome (1145-1153), who proclaimed the Second Crusade (1147-1150); abbot of the abbey of Ss. Vincent & Anastasius at Tre Fontane (1140-1145): Blessed-link ūnus, Blessed-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Pontifex-link & Wikipedia-link Pontifex; & Second Crusade-link & Wikipedia-link Second Crusade.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Hosea, chapter ten, verses one, two, three, seven, eight, & twelve;
Psalm One Hundred Five (R/. four[b]), verses two & three, four & five, & six & seven;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter ten, verses one thru seven.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus summoned apostles whom he shaped and sent on mission. Priests, through the centuries—from Augustine and Aquinas, to Francis Xavier and John Henry Newman, to John Paul II—are the descendants of those first friends and apprentices of the Lord. They have been needed in every age, and they are needed today, for the kingdom of heaven must be proclaimed, the poor must be served, God must be worshiped, and the sacraments must be administered.

Spiritual fathers are required especially in our time, when a rising tide of secularism threatens to overwhelm the religious impulse. We are wired for God; we will never satisfy the deepest longing of our heart apart from God.

The secularist ideology teaches that sufficient amounts of wealth, pleasure, power, or honor will make us happy. Who will counter this? Who will speak to this culture of the beauty of God? Who will remind us that our lives are not about us? Who will break open the words of the Gospel and spread out the banquet table of Christ’s Body and Blood? This is why we need priests.

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—Day 91: Contentness Plateau, Day 17
The Second Book of Samuel, chapter five, verses six thru ten.

Commentary: Jerusalem Is Made Capital of the Kingdom (2 Samuel, 5:6-10).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Charity! Charity! Is this your hour? Let us all try to be worthy of her & prepare her ways. Let us pray, let us love, let us work so that our charity may be in our hearts & may be able to work the wonder of her triumph."
—Pope St. Paul VI (1897-1978, r. 1963-1978; feast: 29 May)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Do not pray for easy lives… pray to be stronger people."
—Bl. Solanus Casey, O.F.M. Cap. (1870-1957, feast: 30 July)

Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day

"On my first trip along the streets of Calcutta, a priest came up to me. He asked me to give a contribution to a collection for the Catholic press. I had left with five rupees, & I had already given four of them to the poor. I hesitated, then gave the priest the one that remained. That afternoon, the same priest came to see me & brought an envelope. He told me that a man had given him the envelope because he had heard about my projects & wanted to help me. There were fifty rupees in that envelope. I had the feeling, at that moment, that God has begun to bless the work & would never abandon me."
—St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day

"Just suppose that there were a great plague which affected a wide area of the world. Then some doctor in his laboratory found the remedy for this plague & made it available to everyone. There would be some who would seek the remedy. There would be others who would not. They might say, 'How do I know he has the remedy? Why should I bother? I will cure myself.' Are they not all potentially saved? It is certainly not the fault of the scientist that they are not cured. It is the fault of people themselves. So it is with the Person of Christ. He brought salvation to all men. It is up to us to find that salvation in Him."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

The Explorers' Club, № DCCLVIII

Operation AXIOM: After the World War—The Polish-Soviet War, Part I
4-7 July 1920: The Red Army broke through the Polish lines in what is today Belarus, advancing into the Polish heartland; on 30 May, Tsarist general Aleksei Brusilov urged all Whites to be reconciled to the victorious Bolsheviks, swelling the Red Army's ranks & initiating a vital reorganization; Lenin & the Bolshevik leadership publicly lauded the conquest of Poland as the gateway to the rest of Europe.

Lest we forget.

Saints + Scripture

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

'Tis the festival of Saint Prosper of Aquitaine (circa 390-455): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Boswell, Abbot (died circa 661, A.K.A. Boisil), second (II) abbot of Melrose Abbey (651-661): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Abbey-link & Wikipedia-link Melrose.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Benedict XI, Pope, O.P. (1240-1304, A.K.A. Nicola Boccasini, Niccolò of Treviso), one hundred ninety-fourth (CXCIV) Bishop of Rome (1303-1304), Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia (1300-1303), ninth (IX) Master of the Order of Preachers (1296-1298): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, Saint-link trēs, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Ostia; Wikipedia-link Master; & Pontifex-link & Wikipedia-link Pontifex.

'Tis also the festival of Blesseds Roger Dicconson, Priest, & Ralph Milner, Martyrs (died 1591, also spelt Dickenson), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth I: Martyr-link Romeo Delta, Martyr-link Romeo Mike, & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Blessed María Romero Meneses, Religious, F.M.A. (1902-1977, the "Social Apostle of Costa Rica"): Blessed-link ūna, Blessed-link duae, & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Hosea, chapter eight, verses four thru seven, eleven, twelve, & thirteen;
Psalm One Hundred Fifteen (R/. nine[a]), verses three & four, five & six, seven(a/b) & eight, & nine & ten;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter nine, verses thirty-two thru thirty-eight.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, today the Lord directs his disciples to ask the Father to send laborers for the work of evangelization. The Christian life is lived in between these two imperatives: conversion and mission.

Having been seized by the beauty of revelation, our only proper response is a change of life and a commitment to become a missionary on behalf of what we have seen. In the scriptural tradition, no vision or experience of God is ever given simply for the edification of the visionary; rather, it is given for the sake of mission. No biblical figure is ever given an experience of God without receiving a commission.

Moses spies the burning bush, hears the sacred name of Yahweh, and is then told to go back to Egypt to liberate his people; Isaiah enjoys a mystical encounter with God amidst the splendor of the temple liturgy and is then sent to preach; Saul is overwhelmed by the luminosity of the risen Jesus and is subsequently called to apostleship. As theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar says, "The beautiful stops the viewer in his tracks and then plants within him a desire to speak to others of what he has seen."

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

Scripture Study—Day 91: Contentness Plateau, Day 16
The Second Book of Samuel, chapter five, verses one thru five.

Commentary: David Anointed King of All Israel (2 Samuel, 5:1-5).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Liberty & authority are not opposing terms, but values that complement each other. Their mutual cooperation fosters growth of the community & of capacities for initiative & enrichment of individual values."
—Pope St. Paul VI (1897-1978, r. 1963-1978; feast: 29 May)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Acquire the habit of speaking to God as if you were alone with Him, familiarly & with confidence & love, as to the dearest & most loving of friends."
—St. Alphonsus Ligouri, C.Ss.R., Doctor of the Church (1696-1787, feast: 1 August)

Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day

"One of the most beautiful gifts that God has given me is to serve & put my love for Jesus in living action as I serve the poorest of the poor… in giving tender love & care to the poor, to the dying, to the crippled,to the unwanted, to the unloved, to the lepers, & so bring new life & new joy into their lives."
—St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day

"Let America love its stars & stripes! But let it also realize that America will conquer by other stars & other stripes than those on our flag, namely, by the stars & stripes of Christ, by Whose stars we are illumined & by Whose stripes we are healed. We pray, too, that His Mother, who stood at the foot of the Cross, may intercede to her Divine Son, that our world may receive Him before it lies in ruins. ‘If God is with us, who can be against us?’"
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

Saints + Scripture — Please Stand By

'Tis the Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

The Rebel Black Dot Heat Wave Song o' the Day

Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" from Motown 1's (Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Rebel Black Dot Heat Wave Song o' Today

Montag, 6. Juli
The Lovin' Spoonful, "Summer in the City" from Platinum & Gold Collection: The Lovin' Spoonful (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:

"Hot town, summer in the city,
Back of neck gettin' dirt and gritty,
Bend down, isn't it a pity?
Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city,
All around people lookin' half-dead,
Walkin' on the sidewalk, hotter than a matchhead.

"But at night it's a different world,
Go out and find a girl,
Come on, come on, and dance all night,
Despite the heat it'll be all right!…"

Saints + Scripture

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

'Tis the Optional Memorial of Saint Maria Goretti, Virgin & Martyr (1890-1902), martyred by her attempted rapist, Alessandro Serenelli, who repented & testified during her cause for canonization: Martyr-link ūna, Martyr-link duae, & Wikipedia-link.

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

Lord Jesus, in a world obsessed with sex, it is easy to lose perspective. Give me the courage to live a life that is chaste, after the example of St. Maria Goretti.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Goar of Aquitaine, Priest & Hermit (circa 575-649): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Sexburga of Ely, Abbess (circa 635-699; also spelt Seaxburh, Saxburgh), Queen of Kent, abbess at Ely (679-699) & foundress of abbeys at Milton Regis & Minster-in-Sheppey: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Milton Regis, Wikipedia-link Minster-in-Sheppey, & Wikipedia-link Ely.

Commentary: Sister of Ss. Æthelburh of Faremoutiers [7 July], Sæthryth [7 January], Etheldreda [23 June], & Withburga [8 July]; & mother of Ss. Ermenilda of Ely [13 February] & Ercongotha [23 February].

'Tis also the festival of Blessed Thomas Aufield, Priest & Martyr (1552-1585; also spelt Alfield, etc.), 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 Maria Teresa Ledóchowska, Religious, S.S.P.C. (1863-1922, the "Mother of the African Missions"), foundress of the Missionary Sisters of Saint Peter Claver (1894, S.S.P.C.): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link S.S.P.C..

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Hosea, chapter two, verses sixteen, seventeen(c), eighteen, twenty-one, & twenty-two;
Psalm One Hundred Forty-five (R/. eight[a]), verses two & three, four & five, six & seven, & eight & nine;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter nine, verses eighteen thru twenty-six.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus demonstrates his miraculous power to heal the sick and raise the dead. He cured a woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years who came up behind him and touched the tassel on his cloak. And he took the hand of the official’s daughter and raised her from the sleep of death.

Christianity is, first and foremost, a religion of the concrete and not the abstract. It takes its power not from a general religious consciousness, not from an ethical conviction, not from a comfortable abstraction, but from the person of Jesus Christ.

It is Christ—in his uncompromising call to repentance, his unforgettable gestures of healing, his unique and disturbing praxis of forgiveness, his provocative nonviolence, and especially his movement from godforsaken death to shalom-radiating Resurrection—that moves the believer to change of life and gift of self.

And it is the unique Christ—depicted vividly in the poetry of Dante, the frescoes of Michelangelo, the sermons of Augustine, the stained-glass windows of the Sainte-Chapelle, and the sacred ballet of the liturgy—who speaks transformatively to hearts and souls across the Christian centuries.

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.

Mass Readings—Optional Memorial of St. Maria Goretti
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter six, verses thirteen(c), fourteen, fifteen(a), & seventeen thru twenty;
Psalm Thirty-one (R/. six), verses three(c/d) & four, six & eight(a/b), & sixteen(b/c) & seventeen;
The Gospel according to John, chapter twelve, verses twenty-four, twenty-five, & twenty-six.

Scripture Study—Day 91: Contentness Plateau, Day 15
The Second Book of Samuel, chapter four, verses five thru twelve.

Commentary: Ish-bosheth Is Assassinated (2 Samuel, 4:5-12).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"One of the underlying problems today is a loss of appreciation of the virtue of chastity. How important it is to recover this virtue in our own time! Chastity helps us to harmonize all the dimensions of our sexuality & thus to live joyfully accordance with God's will."
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, r. 1978-2005; feast: 22 October)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"No one in the world can change truth. What we can do & should do is to seek truth & serve it when we have found it."
—St. Maximilian Kolbe O.F.M. Conv. (1894-1941, feast: 14 August)

Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day

"Don't be afraid to be small. Numbers are not what make a difference, but—are we really His?"
—St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day

"Have you ever taken a rose petal into your fingers & pressed & squeezed it? Did you notice whether you could ever restore its tint? You could not. Lift a dewdrop from a leaf; you can never replace it. Evil in like manner is just too deep seated to be righted by a little bit of kindness & a little reason & a little tolerance. You might just as well tell a man who is suffering from consumption that all he need do is play six sets of tennis. The clock with a broken mainspring cannot repair itself. Salvation, therefore, has to come from without. Our human will is too weak to conquer its own evil. Just as the sick need medicine outside of themselves, we need a teacher for our minds, a physician for our bodies, & a redeemer for our souls. We need a redeemer from outside humanity, with all its weakness, its sin, & its rebellion. Now let’s take the other side. We said that if the mainspring is broken, a new mainspring has to be supplied from without, but it must be put inside of the clock. So too, salvation must come from without humanity, but it has to be done in some way within humanity. So God had to become man in order that man would be redeemed from within."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

Saints + Scripture — Please Stand By

'Tis the Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time.

Bonus! Song o' America o' Yesterday

Sonntagg, 5. Juli
The University of Michigan Marching Band, "The Star-Spangled Banner" from Hurrah for the Yellow and Blue (Mike Papa Wolverine)

Saints + Scripture: XIV Sunday in O.T. — Stand By

'Tis the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Lord's Day: XIV

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Cowboy Junkies, "Working On a Building" from The Trinity Session (St. Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:

"Working on a building,
It's a Holy Ghost building,
O my Lord, yes, O my Lord!…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' Independence Day

Rob Carriker, "Battle Cry of Freedom" from Over There!: Songs from America's Wars (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:

"Yes, we'll rally 'round the flag, boys, rally once again,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!
We will rally from the hillside, we'll gather from the plain,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!

"The Union forever, hurrah, boys, hurrah!
Down with the traitor, up with the star!
While we rally 'round the flag, boys, rally once again,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!

"We are springing to the call of our brothers gone before,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!
And we'll fill the vacant ranks with a million freemen more,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!

"The Union forever, hurrah, boys, hurrah!
Down with the traitor, up with the star!
While we rally 'round the flag, boys, rally once again,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!

"We will welcome to our numbers the loyal, true, and brave,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!
And although they may be poor, not a man shall be a slave,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!

"The Union forever, hurrah, boys, hurrah!
Down with the traitor, up with the star!
While we rally 'round the flag, boys, rally once again,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!

"So we're springing to the call from the east and from the west,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!
And we'l hurl the rebel crew from this land we love the best,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!

"The Union forever, hurrah, boys, hurrah!
Down with the traitor, up with the star!
While we rally 'round the flag, boys, rally once again,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!"

Saints + Scripture — Please Stand By

'Tis the Saturday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time.

The Explorers' Club, № DCCLVII

Operation AXIOM: Destination Moon—The 51st Anniversary of the N1-5L Debacle
3 July 1969: Thirteen days before the triumphant launch of Apollo 11, the second test launch of the Soviet N1 rocket—their analog of the Saturn V—from the Kazakh S.S.R.'s Baikonur Cosmodrome ended in disaster; engine cut off occurred just after the rocket cleared the tower, causing it to fall back to earth & explode, destroying launch pad 110 East; unburnt rocket fuel fell like rain for half an hour.

Commentary: Unlike the highly publicized American Apollo program, the Soviet lunar programs were conducted under extreme secrecy, not being publicly acknowledged 'til 1990, under glasnost in the waning days of the Soviet Union. The aftermath of the dramatic failure of the N1-5L was photographed by American spy satellites, confirming that the Soviets were indeed attempting their own moonshot.

Bonus! Destination Moon Song o' the Day: N1-5L
Matt Munro, "From Russia with Love" from Best of Bond… James Bond: 50th Anniversary Collection (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

Semper Exploro.

Saints + Scripture: Feast of Saint Thomas

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

'Tis the Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle (died circa 72, the "Apostle of India;" A.K.A. Didymus ["twin"]), who evangelized the Saint Thomas Christians: Apostle-link ūnus, Apostle-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Apostles-link & Wikipedia-link Apostles; & Wikipedia-link Saint Thomas Christians.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Feast of St. Thomas
The Letter to the Ephesians, chapter two, verses nineteen thru twenty-two;
Psalm One Hundred Seventeen, verses one(b/c), two
(R/. the Gospel according to Mark, chapter sixteen, verse fifteen);
The Gospel according to John, chapter twenty, verses twenty-four thru twenty-nine.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, today’s Gospel tells of Thomas’s doubting the Resurrection. Indeed, Catholicism has a rich tradition of questioning, seeking understanding. Aquinas, another great St. Thomas, spent much of his life asking and answering hard questions about the faith.

Do you remember Hamlet’s great line, “There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in your philosophy, Horatio”? If we stubbornly say—even in the area of science—that we will accept only what we can clearly see and touch and control, we wouldn’t know much about reality.

There is, in most areas of life, a play between knowing and believing. It is not unique to the religious sphere of life. Blaise Pascal summed it up: “The heart has its reasons that reason knows not.”

It is not that we who have not seen and have believed are settling for a poor substitute for vision. No, we are being described as blessed, more blessed than Thomas. God is doing all sorts of things that we cannot see, measure, control, fully understand. But it is an informed faith that allows one to fall in love with such a God.

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

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

Scripture Study—Day 91: Contentness Plateau, Day 12
The Second Book of Samuel, chapter three, verses twelve thru sixteen.

Commentary: Abner Defects to David (cont'd; 2 Samuel, 3:12-16).

'Tis also the festival of Saint Hyacinth of Caesarea, Martyr (circa 96-108), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Trajan: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Anatolius of Laodicea, Bishop (died 283, A.K.A. of Alexandria), Bishop of Laodicea (268-283): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Laodicea.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Anatolius of Constantinople, Bishop (died 458), forty-fifth (XLV) bishop & first (I) Patriarch of Constantinople (449-458): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Constantinople.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Leo II, Pope (611-683), eightieth (LXXX) Bishop of Rome (682-683), one of the Byzantine Popes, who clarified & confirmed the acts of the Third Council of Constantinople (680-681, the sixth [VI] ecumenical council): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Pontifex-link & Wikipedia-link Pontifex, Wikipedia-link Byzantine Papacy, & Council-link & Wikipedia-link Constantinople.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Christ belongs to you! Do not be afraid anymore—not even of the Cross, His cross that He will share with you. The royal triumph of Jesus leads to the Cross. But, we repeat, do not be afraid: in this way life, true life will be assured for you tomorrow."
—Pope St. Paul VI (1897-1978, r. 1963-1978; feast: 29 May)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Act as if every day were the last day of your life, & each action the last you perform."
—St. Francis de Sales, Doctor of the Church (1567-1622, feast: 24 January)

Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day

"What is prayer? Prayer is oneness with God."
—St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day

"What purpose did God have in mind in making this world? The answer is that God intended to build a moral universe. He willed from all eternity to build a stage on which characters would emerge. He might have made a world without morality, without virtue, without character. He might have made a world in which each of us would have sprouted goodness with the same necessity, for example, as that of the sun rising in the east & setting in the west. But He chose not to make that kind of a world, not to make a world in which we would be good, as fire is hot & ice is cold. He willed to make a moral universe so that by the right use of the gift of freedom characters might emerge. What does God care for in things tiled into an infinity of space even though they be diamonds? For if all the orbits of heaven were so many jewels, glittering as the sun, what would their external but undisturbed balance mean to Him in comparison with the single character which could take hold of the tangled skein of a seemingly wrecked & ruined life & weave out of them the beautiful tapestry of saintliness & holiness?"
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' America o' the Day

James Brown, "Living in America" from Rocky IV: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:

"Super highways, coast to coast, easy to get anywhere,
On the transcontinental overload,
Just climb behind the wheel, how does it feel?
(When there's no destination) that's too far
Somewhere on the way, you might find out who you are…"

Bonus! Song o' the Day

"Weird Al" Yankovic, "The Saga Begins" from Running with Scissors (The Cupcake)

Saints + Scripture

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

The Pope Video
"July 2020: Our Families"

'Tis the festival of Saints Martinian & Processus, Martyrs (died circa 67, of Rome), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Nero: Martyr-link Mike, Martyr-link Papa, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Swithun of Winchester, Bishop (circa 800-863, also spelt Swithin), eighteenth (XVIII) Bishop of Winchester (852-863): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Diocese-link & Wikipedia-link Winchester.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Otto of Bamberg, Bishop (circa 1060-1139, "Apostle of Pomerania"), eighth (VIII) Bishop of Bamberg (1102-1139): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Diocese-link & Wikipedia-link Bamberg.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Bernardino Realino, Priest, S.J. (1530-1616, the "Apostle of Lecce"): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Jacques Frémin, Priest, S.J. (1628-1691): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Amos, chapter seven, verses ten thru seventeen;
Psalm Nineteen (R/. ten[c/d]), verses eight, nine, ten, & eleven;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter nine, verses one thru eight.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, in today’s Gospel, the Lord heals a paralytic after first forgiving his sins. Jesus’ initial words to this paralyzed man are, “Your sins are forgiven.” Why does God forgive our sins? Because he wants us alive, he wants us moving, he wants us in action, realizing what we can be.

Jesus comes to liberate us for deeper life, to open a new future to us. Sin is a refusal to live according to God’s purposes and desires. Our obsession with past sins paralyzes us. God is opposed to this obsession with the past, because it renders us unable to move.

I can brood over my past sins to such a degree that I become finally paralyzed, unable to move. “Your sins are forgiven” is another way of saying, “Don’t be paralyzed by sins that you undoubtedly worry about far more than God does.”

After saying your sins are forgiven, Jesus says, “Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.” That’s the way it works: First comes the forgiveness of sins, and that is a liberating power in us. Now I can live for the future.

Video reflection by Father Roger Lopez, O.F.M. (U.S.C. of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

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

Scripture Study—Day 91: Contentness Plateau, Day 11
The Second Book of Samuel, chapter three, verses six thru eleven.

Commentary: Abner defects to David (cont'd; 2 Samuel, 3:6-11).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Friends, do not be afraid of silence or stillness. Listen to God. Adore Him in the Eucharist."
—Pope Benedict XVI (b. 1927, r. 2005-2013)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Let no one be under any delusion. Christ is demanding. Christ's life is the narrow way. To be worthy of Him, we must take up our cross. It is not enough to be religious; it is necessary to carry out the Divine Will in actual fact."
—Pope St. Paul VI (1897-1978, r. 1963-1978; feast: 29 May)

Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day

"God created the whole world, but He is our Father. The Father loves me, & you. The tenderness of God's love—no one can love as God. He made us. He is our Father."
—St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day

"God works upon your soul. He does not work like a key in a lock; He works less visibly than a father on a son, but His love speaks to our freedom in the same mysterious words, I & you: as one heart to another. Because God is the very embodiment of love, His love inspires you to be what you are meant to be: a free person in the highest sense of the word. The more you are led by God’s love, the more you become yourself, & it is all done without ever losing your freedom."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' America o' the Day

Golem, "Citizen Boris" from Citizen Boris (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: I fear we have lost sight of two important truths: One, we are blessed to be Americans; yes, our nation is deeply flawed, but so is each one of us, & throwing up our hands & denouncing the whole mess as irredeemable isn't helpful. Two, how much our forebears sacrificed to come to this country, in some cases while it was still a collection of British colonies, & how much today's immigrants are sacrificing to build a better life here for their children & their children's children. I still believe in the American dream, not the crass commercial dream of a sterile McMansion with two Teslas in the driveway, but the immigrant's dream of a new land, a new life where a man's destiny is not dictated by the circumstances of his birth. I was born an American. My parents were born Americans. My paternal grandfather & both maternal grandparents were born Americans; true, my paternal grandmother was born in British India, but even her father was a native-born American living as an expatriate. I do not know what it is like to be an emigrant nor an immigrant. But I acknowledge with humble gratitude that this life I am so blessed to lead is a gift not only from the Lord God but also from my forefathers who emigrated from their homelands & immigrated to this New World.

"…Goodbye, my old passport,
I now renounce you…"

Saints + Scripture

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

'Tis the Optional Memorial of Saint Junípero Serra, Priest, O.F.M. (1713-1784, the "Apostle of California;" A.K.A. Miquel Josep Serra i Ferrer, Miguel José Serra Ferrer): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis the festival of Blesseds George Beesley & Montford Scott, Priests & Martyr (died 1591, also spelt Bisley), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth I, two of the Eighty-five Martyrs of England & Wales: Martyr-link Golf Bravo & Wikipedia-link Golf Bravo, Martyr-link Mike Sierra & Wikipedia-link Mike Sierra; Martyrs-link England & Wales & Wikipedia-link England & Wales.

'Tis the festival of Blessed Thomas Maxfield, Priest & Martyr (circa 1590-1616, also spelt Macclesfield), martyred in the reign of the Anglo-Scottish king James VI & I, one of the one hundred sixty Martyrs of Douai: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Martyrs-link Douai & Wikipedia-link Douai.

'Tis the festival of Saint Oliver Plunkett, Bishop & Martyr (circa 1625-1681, also spelt Oilibhéar Pluincéid), Archbishop of Armagh (1669-1681); martyred in the reign of the Anglo-Scottish king Charles II, the last victim of the perjurer Titus Oates's "Popish Plot" hoax; one of the Irish Martyrs: Martyr-link ūnus, Martyr-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Diocese-link & Wikipedia-link Armagh, Popish Plot-link & Wikipedia-link Popish Plot, & Martyrs-link Éire & Wikipedia-link Éire.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Amos, chapter five, verses fourteen, fifteen, & twenty-one thru twenty-four;
Psalm Fifty (R/. twenty-three[b]), verses seven, eight & nine, ten & eleven, twelve & thirteen, & sixteen(b/c) & seventeen;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter eight, verses twenty-eight thru thirty-four.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus drove demons out of two possessed persons. Notice that the demons always know who Jesus is. The demonic voice stands for the sinful structure of consciousness; it is the mouthpiece for a soul dominated by the fearful ego.

When the New Being appears, when the new consciousness emerges in the person of Jesus, it is precisely this demonic power that most clearly recognizes it, just as a threatened animal is most acutely aware of the approach of the predator. The ego-dominated psyche knows intuitively what the onset of Jesus means: "What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?"

What is important for us spiritually is to listen with great attentiveness to these inner voices of protest, to these demons within us, for they will, paradoxically, facilitate the assimilation of the Christ, showing us clearly where we have to be changed.

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. Junípero Serra
The Book of Isaiah, chapter fifty-two, verses seven thru ten;
Psalm One Hundred Ten (R/. four[b]);
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter sixteen, verses fifteen thru twenty.

Scripture Study—Day 91: Contentness Plateau, Day 10
The Second Book of Samuel, chapter three, verse one.

Commentary: Abner Defects to David (2 Samuel, 3:1).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Do not remain passive when the dignity & honor of the human person are threatened. This threat is due to violence, economic exploitation, & the decay of morals, of which our permissive society too often gives a sorry display."
—Pope St. Paul VI (1897-1978, r. 1963-1978; feast: 29 May)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Always go forward & never turn back."
—St. Junípero Serra (1713-1784, feast: 1 July)

Commentary: Of course, the very statue of St. Junípero shown above was recently pulled down by riotous vandals—ignorant, deeply hateful individuals. How can I say that without knowing specifically whom those vandals are? Padre Serra was a champion of the natives' rights, a tireless defender of their dignity; to pull down his statue based on claims of racism is to act out of hateful ignorance or hateful dishonesty.

Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day

"Do not let the past disturb you, just leave everything in the Sacred Heart & begin again with joy."
—St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

Commentary: I am humbled & grateful for these words on the day of such an unfavorable Operation ÖSTERREICH Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in.

Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day

"How does God know? God does not know the way we know. We know by looking at things. God knows by looking at Himself. We can get a faint idea of God's knowledge from an architect. Before an architect puts up a building, he can tell you the size of the building, its dimensions, the location of each room, its height, the number of elevators it will have, & so forth. How does he know all of this before the building is built? Because he is the designer of the building. Now God is a designer too, but God is not just a designer of the human universe. He's the cause of the very being of the universe. And just as an architect need only look into his own mind to understand the nature of his building & as a poet knows his verses in his own mind, so God knows all things by looking at Himself. He does not need to wait for you to turn a corner before He knows that you are doing so. He does not see little boys putting their fingers into the cookie jar & conclude they are stealing. Everything is naked & open to the eyes of God."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

Mass Matters
Through yesterday, 30 June, I heard Mass one hundred four times (CIV) in 2020. I am only counting Masses @ which I was physically present, even if I did not receive the Eucharist, not live-streamed nor televised Masses. The count is down from the previous few years, due principally to the suspension of public Mass due to the COVID-19 pandemic & the attendant panic.

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Nunc Coepi

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 350.4* lbs. (Wednesday, 10 June 2020)
This weigh-in: 365.0 lbs.
Difference: +14.6 lbs.

I rue the quarantine gluttony, but not as much as I rue the post-quarantine pity party. What's done is done, what's past is past. My goal is to loss one hundred pounds (100 lbs.) by this time next year, the Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in nearest to 1 July 2021, should the world perdure. That's not a moonshot, but an entirely manageable average of a modest two pounds/week; I've done that before & I can do that on a sustained basis.

*I do not trust that number, for two reasons: One, only one week later, the scale was bouncing around all over the place; so, this number might have been the first sign of the digital scale malfunctioning. Two, it seems highly suspect to me, based on the fit of my clothes, that I gained ten pounds (10 lbs.) in the nine weeks preceding 10 June & then fifteen pounds (15 lbs.) in the three weeks preceding 1 July. I'll belief a twenty-five-pound weight gain (25 lbs.) in the twelve weeks taken altogether, but the distribution seems off to me. Why do I have more confidence in my new mechanical scale than in the old digital scale? I enjoy the benefits of technology—I'm a lifelong fan of Star Trek & have maintained this blog, a digital undertaking, for eighteen years—but at heart your humble narrator is an analog boy. Plus, the mechanical scale has a zeroing-out feature, which helps to inspire confidence. For the purposes of ÖSTERREICH, accuracy (recording my actual weight) is less important than precision (repeatability of results).

Bonus! Lied von ÖSTERREICH
Bill Conti, "Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky)" from Rocky: Original Motion Picture Score—30th Anniversary Edition (Mike Papa Wimp)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' Canada Day, Eh

Blues Traveler, "Canadian Rose" from Straight On till Morning (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary, eh:

"And she called me her ugly American,
And I would call her my Canadian flower,
And I don't think that we'll ever get there again,
We had such power!
And she would call me her ugly American,
And I'll remember my Canadian rose,
Especially when the fall comes to Burlington,
We were in so close…"