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, August 25th, and the gospel reading is Matthew 23, 13 through 22.
And the scripture to reflect on is Matthew 23, 13.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men, for you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.
I am going to give you some letters that are all scrambled, and maybe you can write them down, unscramble them, and figure out what the word is.
Ready?
S-N-L-E-I-T Did you get the word listen?
Today’s scripture helps us to remember to listen to God instead of following others.
The reading today, Jesus judged the Pharisees for not practicing what they preached.
Did you ever hear the phrase practice what you preach or actions speak louder than words?
Jesus was warning people not to follow the ways of the hypocrite leaders.
Some people in his time were talking about obeying God, but not really living out what they said others should do.
The important to put listen to God and put him first in our lives.
When we focus on loving God and loving his people, other things will fall into place.
When we try to put our own interests as the main focus, we usually fail.
Today’s saint of the day is St.
Louis IX, the king of France.
He was born 1214 and died 1270.
He is the patron saint of kings.
St.
Louis was born into a loving family who gave him a great love for God at a very young age.
His father died when he was 12 and his mother acting as a regent until her son was old enough to rule as king in 1234.
He married and had a lovely marriage and raised 11 children.
St.
Louis ruled over the Christian principles.
He helped the poor and built homes for the blind and deaf.
He also built a Sistine Chapel in Paris during his region.
He also built several colleges.
The king led to crusades and they failed.
He died in North Africa and Pope Boniface VIII canonized him in 1297.
Jesus wants us to remember he lived as a servant to let us know how we should live, put our faith in God and listen to what he wants from us.
St.
Louis lifted his life and focused on other people to his example.
And this reminds us that we need to bring faith into our daily lives as citizens.
We can help the poor and suffering and those too have known to speak to them by building a civilization of love.
How we can do this today?
Let’s pray in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Dear God, help us to do what is right and when we struggle to lean on you for help, thank you for being our servant.
And help us to care for the poor and all that we are able to do for them.
St.
Louis IX, 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!