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, September 17th, and the Gospel reading is Luke 7, 31-35, and the scripture to reflect on is Luke 7, 32.
They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, we pip to you and you did not dance, we wailed and you did not weep.
One time, my friend came over to my house to play.
We were trying to decide what to play.
She wanted to play restaurant and I wanted to play dolls.
We had a hard time deciding what to play first.
We finally settled on dolls.
She seemed a little mopey and upset.
I asked her if she was okay and I could tell that she was still upset about not playing restaurant.
She ended up leaving to walk home.
I was upset too.
We didn’t play with each other for a long time.
My mom helped me understand the story when she reminded me about what happened with me and my friend.
Jesus told this parable using the example of children.
They were playing, but not all the children wanted to play that way, so they tried another way and they didn’t want to play that way either.
No matter what game was suggested, the children would not do anything.
These children were Jesus' illustration of the religious people.
They were acting like friends that can’t get along and stop playing with each other.
Today’s saint of the day is Saint Robert Bellarmine.
He was born October 4, 1542 and died September 17, 1621.
He is the patron saint of catechists.
Robert was an excellent student and his father hoped that he would choose a career that would help poor families receiving schooling.
Instead, he became a Jesuit at the age of 18.
Robert was almost 20 years as a professor and spiritual director, and he helped clarify theological questions arising from the Protestant Reformation.
Bellarmine was an excellent writer.
He wrote books explaining the role and rights of the Pope, the mythical body of Christ, and many of the Church traditions.
His writings showed his intense love for Jesus and profound conviction of God’s love.
The point of Jesus using children playing as an example is you shouldn’t get so caught up in what we assume or expect from others.
We need to live out our lives with Christ’s love.
In his public life and role as Cardinal, St.
Robert Bellarmine always stressed that personal prayer and conversation were important to your spiritual work.
He was an extremely busy man, but made time to help others understand the Church’s teaching and responsibility.
None of this would make it possible unless he was faithful to the life of prayer.
How can you give more time each day to spend time in prayer?
Let’s pray.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Dear God, thank you for being our friend and an example of how to live our lives out in truth.
And help me to spend more time in prayer with you, thanking you for all your blessings, and asking you for help, thanking you for your love, and sitting in quiet to hear your voice.
St.
Robert Bellarmine, 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!