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 Thursday, October 30th, and the gospel reading is Luke 13, 31-35, and the scripture to reflect on is Luke 13, 35. Behold, your house is forsaken, and I tell you, you will not see me until you say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. When the holidays roll around, like Christmas or Thanksgiving, we like to be with our family.
We like to get together and talk about our fun memories, eat food that we’ve cooked together, and spend time playing games and having a good time together. Some years have passed, and we haven’t been able to make it work with all the different schedules, but the years that we do get together, let me tell you, my grandma overdoes it.
She puts cookies out and has so much food that you’re going to be stuffed, and she always has to get a big family photo.
My grandma loves all of her children and grandchildren, just like Jesus loves all of his children. Today’s saint of the day, St.
Alphonsus Rodriguez.
He was born 1533 and died 1617.
He is a patron saint of receptionists and phone operators.
He was born in Spain and was the son of a wool merchant.
His father once gave hospitality to a visiting Jesuit, St.
Peter Faber, who helped Alphonsus prepare for his first Holy Communion.
Alphonsus worked in the family business and married, but tragedy struck.
His wife and his two free children died by the time he was 31.
When his remaining son died a few years later, Alphonsus decided to enter religious life. After some setbacks, he succeeded in becoming a Jesuit brother.
Alphonsus spent more than 46 years at the doorkeeper as the Jesuit college.
He became a saint in a humble, hidden way.
When answering the door, Alphonsus would often say, I’m coming, Lord, to remind himself that Jesus was waiting for him in that person.
Everyone who met him went away happier.
Alphonsus often befriended the young Jesuits and encouraged them to their vocations.
In fact, he told a future St.
Peter Claver that he should ask to go to the missions in South America.
After a life of humility and life, Alphonsus died at the age of 84, and his last words were, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Just like families have a lot of love for each other, Jesus has a lot of love for you.
His children.
The Bible teaches us that Jesus loves his children so much that he won’t stop calling until all of his children come back. During his life, Alphonsus crossed paths with many holy people, including at least two would-be canonized saints.
But no matter who he had met, he has always spread the love and goodness to all. Let’s pray.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, dear God, thank you for being our family and for loving us so much that you keep calling us back to you. And help us that we will give glory to you and all that we do.
St.
Alphonsus Rodriguez, 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!