US Bishops pushing for legislative changes
Plus: The first chaplain for the 49ers
Good morning and happy Saturday. Today is the memorial of St. Scholastica. She is the twin of St. Benedict of Nursia and both of them established religious communities not too far from each other.
According to the Dialogues of St. Gregory the Great, St. Benedict was with his sister on the day she sensed she was going to die. She asked St. Benedict to remain with him, but he refused since remaining outside of his monastery at night would break his own Rule.
St. Scholastica prayed that her brother might remain and a thunderstorm broke out forcing Benedict to stay. Benedict asked her what it was she had done and she replied, “I asked a favor of you and you refused. I asked it of God and he granted it.”
Here is a calendar for the upcoming week:
Sunday is the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time and the readings at Mass are Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46; Psalm 32:1-2, 5, 11; 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1; and Mark 1:40-45.
In the Liturgy of the Hours, we are beginning Psalter Week II and we will be reading from Proverbs in the Office of Readings from Sunday through Tuesday. We will read from Isaiah on Ash Wednesday and Exodus from Thursday through Saturday.
Remember to switch to Volume II of the Liturgy of the Hours on Wednesday. On Wednesday, we also will switch to Psalter Week IV, however, for Ash Wednesday it is permissible to use the Psalms from Friday of Week III in Morning Prayer.
Wednesday, February 14th - Ash Wednesday, the Beginning of Lent
Note that Ash Wednesday is not a Holy Day of Obligation so please (I’m begging you), do not call your parish’s sacramental emergency number late on Wednesday night because you didn’t receive ashes. If I hadn’t heard from priests and deacons who testify that this has happened, I wouldn’t have to say anything.
A great prophet has arisen in our midst,
God has visited his people.
Luke 7:16
In the news:
The United States
US Bishops urge passage of anti-human trafficking bill - Crux
The Vatican
Pope Francis welcomes pilgrims from Argentina for the canonization of Mama Antula - Vatican News
The World
Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández (head of Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith) says he bought a few copies of his weirdly sexual book, Mystical Passion, and destroyed them - OSV News
Catholics join pro-democracy protests in Senegal as elections are delayed - Crux
Catholic Relief Services says cholera epidemic in Africa may be worse than initial thought - Crux
Basra marathon in Iraq bans women - UCA News
Catholic Bishops Conference of India: “Attacks on Christians [are] now common” - The Pillar
Spanish painter explains why he is becoming a Trappist monk - Catholic News Agency
If you are watching the Super Bowl this weekend, you might want to read about the first chaplain for the 49ers. No, Archbishop J.S. Alemany was not a chaplain for the football team, but he was the first Archbishop of San Francisco and ministered to the gold miners who found themselves in California during the gold rush of the 1800s.
Have a good weekend,
Matthew