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 Monday, June 30th, and the Gospel reading is Matthew 8, 18-21, and the scripture to reflect on is Matthew 8, 20. And Jesus said to him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. Do you know what this verse means?
I thought it was a little confusing at first, but then kind of figured out what Jesus was trying to say.
If you look up in the dictionary what the word disciple means, it is defined as one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another. Jesus is saying something to follow him can be uncomfortable, but in the end it will be worth it.
Unlike foxes and birds, Jesus has no place to call his own, nowhere to sleep.
That’s his.
Following Jesus may mean we need to sacrifice things we enjoy.
Maybe it’s certain media things, ways of speaking, and friendships. Today’s Saint of the Day is Saint Tarsicius.
He lived during the 3rd century and is the patron saint of first communicants and altar servers.
Most of the information we know about Saint Tarsicius comes from the carvings on his grave done by Pope Damasus I.
Saint Tarsicius was very young, but he asked to bring the Holy Communion to imprisoned Christians waiting to be martyred.
While walking alongside a road, a crowd of non-believers stopped the young boy and the bomb demanded to see what he was carrying.
He refused to surrender the precious Eucharist.
This made them angry and they circled around him and beat him to death with clubs and stones.
Records say that every trace of the Blessed Sacrament vanished when Tarsicius' lifeless body was searched.
It says that the consecrated host became part of his own body as he offered up his life for Christ. Disciples of Jesus, even us, may sometimes have to give up things that give us comfort.
In many parts of the world, following Jesus can be given up safety and even life itself. Even though the details of Saint Tarsicius are uncertain, we know that the real presence of Jesus is in the Holy Eucharist.
Even though he was young, he convinced beyond a doubt that the Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus.
We should use this as truth to know how much we need Jesus in our lives. Let’s pray.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Dear God, help us to have courage to live for you even if it becomes difficult and we might need to give up things to do good for you.
And help us to never take the gift of the Holy Eucharist for granted and to receive Jesus with our whole heart.
Saint Tarsicius, 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! Bye!