Hello everyone! Heyo! Welcome back to Scattering Flowers with Elise and Miles, a podcast where you read the daily gospels and the saint of the day.
Let’s get started! Today is Wednesday, May 21st, and the gospel reading is John 15, 1-8.
And the scripture to reflect on is John 15, 4.
Abide in me, and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.
Do you like fruit?
What is your favorite kind of fruit?
I love fruit, and my favorite is grapes, especially green ones.
Do you know that grapes grow in bunches on vines?
The vines come out of the ground and provide the nutrition and things that are needed to produce the fruit.
Grapes have to stay close to the branches and vines for them to keep giving fruit.
What did Jesus mean when he said that he was the vine and that we were the branches?
He was explaining how important it is for us to stay connected to him.
Just as the vine provides nutrition that helps fruit grow on a plant, Jesus gives us all that we need to grow in our faith.
Today’s saint of the day is Saint Christopher Magallanus and Companions.
He was born July 30, 1869, and died May 25, 1927.
He’s the patron saint of Mexico.
Saint Christopher was a Catholic priest in Mexico.
He lived during a time when the government was against the church.
He did not give up his faith even when it was dangerous.
He is remembered with a group called Christopher Magallanus and Companions.
These companions were other priests and lay people.
They were also killed for their faith.
Together they are remembered as martyrs.
They died because they followed Jesus and would not stop being Catholic.
They kept preaching and serving the church.
They knew it would cost them their lives, but they stayed faithful.
The branch on a grapevine have to stay connected to the vine so that they can produce delicious fruit.
And we need to stay connected to the vine of Jesus.
We should trust and rely on him for all things.
Otherwise, they’ll dry up and wither into sad little raisins.
If we walk away from Jesus, we’ll shrivel up too.
The church honors Saint Christopher Magallanus and his companions for their courage and faith.
They show us how to stay strong when our faith is tested.
They remind us that Jesus is worth everything.
Maybe sometimes when you are feeling pressured at school or in public to not act like you are a Christian, maybe you could say a prayer to Saint Christopher and his companions to give you courage.
We could pray and ask God to help our friends see the faith and want to know more about him.
Let’s pray.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Dear God, help us to walk in the truth of you and not to shy away from your love so we don’t shrivel up or forget why we believe in you.
And help us to have courage to always stand up to be strong in our faith in you.
Saint Christopher Magallanus and companions, pray for us.
Amen.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Thank you so much for listening.
We’ll be back tomorrow scattering more flowers.
See ya!