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, July 14th, and the Gospel reading is Matthew 10, 34 through 11, 1, and the scripture to reflect on is Matthew 10, 40.
He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me.When we care about other people, we show we care for Jesus.
We can also receive blessings by being kind and caring for those around us.
What if we choose to see Jesus rather than a homeless person?
Or we saw Jesus in our sibling when they were being super annoying?
Or we see a picture of Jesus in that angry person at the store by welcoming others?
We welcome Jesus into the world around us.Today’s Saint of the Day is St.
Kateri Tekawitha.
She was born in the year 1656 and died in 1680.
She is a patron saint of ecology and the environment.
St.
Kateri Tekawitha was born into a Mohawk village in the upstate New York.
She is the daughter of a Mohawk chief.
When she was only four years old, the village was struck with smallpox and many died including her parents and older brother.
She got many scars on her face and bad eyesight from the disease.
She was baptized at the age of 19 and took the name Kateri, which means Catherine.
In the Mohawk language, when she converted, the Mohawk village was very upset with her and even accused her of practicing sorcery.
So she fled into Montreal, Canada.
According to legend, Kateri was very devout and would put thorns on her sleeping mat.
She often played for the conversing of fellow Mohawks.
Sadly, she died at 24 years old.
The last words she uttered were, Jesus, I love you.
She is the first Native American to be canonized as a saint.
Jesus welcomed all people.
It didn’t matter what background they came from.
He died for everyone.
We should share that good news with others, no matter who they might be, even if people are different from us.
We are all part of God’s family.
St.
Kateri was called Mystic of the Wilderness.
She was loved by her people.
She liked to go alone in the woods to pray, and she made a chapel by carving a cross into a tree trunk.
People were amazed at her strong faith when they met her.
We can learn from St.
Kateri Tekawetha how to live a simple and pure life by making prayer the center of our day.
Let’s pray.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Dear God, help us to be welcoming and accepting of everyone, and to help others by teaching them how much you care for them.
And help us to take inspiration from St.
Kateri Tekawetha to make prayer most important every day.
St.
Kateri Tekawetha, 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!