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 Tuesday, November 4th, and the gospel reading is Luke 14, 15-24, and the scripture to reflect on is Luke 14, 18.
But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves.
Think about a time you had a party, like a really awesome party.
You planned it for a few weeks, you got all the decorations, you planned out invitations to give all your friends, you picked out the perfect outfit, and you could hardly wait for the special day.
But then, nobody showed up.
You put in all that time and effort for nobody to show up.
How do you feel?
Well, that stinks.
Jesus told a story about a man who was having a great party.
He got everything ready, and it was going to be the best party ever, but all the people thought that they had better things to do.
Today’s saint of the day is Saint Charles Bormeo.
He was born October 2nd, 1538, and died November 3rd, 1584.
He is the patron saint of apple orchards and catechists.
One of six children, Charles was born in a castle in northern Italy.
His father was a count and his mother died when he was only nine years old.
As a child, Charles developed a speech impediment, which caused people around him to assume he was unintelligent.
However, Charles loved to study, and by the time he was 21, he had obtained a doctorate in civil and canon law.
Despite pressure from his family to get married, Charles decided to become a priest.
He was ordained when he was 25 years old, and soon became Bishop of Milan.
Charles was instrumental in helping his uncle, Pope Pius IV, to create the Council of Trent, which led to important reforms in the church.
After the Council of Trent, Charles began working tirelessly to reform his own diocese of Milan.
He also worked to ensure that the poor were well cared and personally nursed victims when Milan was struck by the plague when he was only 46 years old.
This zealous bishop fell ill and died.
He was canonized only 26 years after the death by Pope Pius V.
Jesus was using this story about the best party ever that will happen in heaven.
Jesus says that we are all invited.
He loves you so much that he invites you to his joyous feast of his kingdom.
Will you be there?
Charles Borromeo easily could have chosen to live a very comfortable life.
He was intelligent, likable, and born into a wealthy family.
Instead, he chose a life of simplicity and humility, focusing above all on the material needs and others of their spiritual good.
Let’s pray.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Dear God, thank you that you have a party in heaven, and it will be the best one ever.
I want to be there.
Help me not to be too busy or distracted.
And help me that I may love the church with all my heart.
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!