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, June 11th, and the Gospel reading is Matthew 5, 17-19, and the scripture to reflect on is Matthew 5, 17.
Do not think that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets.
I have come not to abolish them, but to fulfill them.
My family loves the game Monopoly.
I mean like everyone in my family.
Not just me and my brother, my mom and my dad, but even my grandma and my grandpa.
There is a version of this game that we bought for my grandma for her birthday.
It’s called the Cheaters Version.
We got it for her as a joke because she always sneaks money from the bank when people aren’t looking.
So, this new Monopoly game.
The Cheaters Version puts you in handcuffs.
If you’re cheating, there is definitely still rules.
You have to follow, but it puts a fun twist on the game, especially if you catch my sneaky grandma taking extra leads off cash.
Jesus talks about the Ten Commandments and to think of them like a set of rules, even though you don’t know what Jesus is the new law.
He didn’t come to say that the Ten Commandment rules are gone, but to show how to play the game and bring more joy that is more fun.
Rules are important.
The Ten Commandments are important because they help us know the right way to live and bring God, like the rules of the Monopoly bring fun to my family.
Today’s Saint of the Day is Saint Barnabas for the Apostle.
His life was in the first century and he’s the patron saint of peacemakers in the town of Cyprus.
Saint Barnabas was not one of the original twelve disciples, but he’s still referred to as an apostle because he was a great missionary that carried out the work of the early church.
Barnabas loved to encourage people.
He saw the goodness in Saint Paul before the others did.
When Saint Paul arrived in Jerusalem after he converted, Barnabas introduced Paul to the other apostles and he asked Paul to come with him to Antioch to preach the gospel.
You can find the story in the book of Acts.
Paul and Barnabas brought the gospel to many people.
Even after they went their separate ways, Barnabas continued missionary work.
He was stoned by death in the country men in Cyprus.
If you follow the law and show others how to follow it too, you’re helping everyone to have a better time playing God’s game.
If you will have a joyful life following the will of God.
Saint Barnabas is described as a good man full of the Holy Spirit and faith.
Barnabas has love for God and for others and was passionate about preaching the gospel.
When you say he was good at following the rules set before him, I think so.
Let’s pray.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Dear God, help me to follow the Ten Commandments that were given to us to the new land that Jesus preached about and gave to us to follow.
And help us to be aware of how we can encourage those to have faith in the gospel.
Saint Barnabas, 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!