Hello everyone! Heyo! Welcome back to Scattering Flowers with Elyse! And Miles! A podcast where you read the daily Gospels and the Saint of the Day! Let’s get started! Today is Tuesday, November 25th, and the Gospel reading is Luke 21, 5-11, and the scripture to reflect on is Luke 21, 6.
As for these things which you see, the days will come when there shall not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.
Have you ever played the board game Jenga?
When I was little, I hated playing Jenga because I got scared when it would fall over.
I used to cry and pluck my ears.
The Jenga tower isn’t very solid or strong, just like the temple in today’s reading.
Jesus and his disciples were in Jerusalem, and the disciples were excited about seeing the temple.
They think the temple is a really amazing building.
But then Jesus says that the temple would just destroy and fall over, just like the Jenga tower.
Today’s Saint of the Day is St.
Columban.
He was born 543 and died 615.
He is the patron saint of Ireland and France.
Columban fled from Ireland, away from distractions, and toured life as a monk.
His mother, who didn’t want him to leave, tried to block his way by lying down in front of their door.
But Columban just stepped over her and began his journey.
In England, he focused on his studies and gathered many other monks to take to the sea and go to France.
There, God would use Columban to restore his church.
French churches and cities were in total disorganization.
Columban began to restore the church in France, taking all kinds of people into their monasteries or houses, where people worked and worshipped.
Soon, so many worshippers lived at a monastery that anybody walking by could always hear singing, no matter if it was day or night.
The church was even better than it had been before.
One of the ways that Jesus tells his disciples how God is always with us is by giving us words to share with others and wisdom about how to respond.
Even in really scary situations when it feels like everything is falling apart, Jesus reminds his disciples and us that God is always with us.
A legend tells that St.
Columban was once surrounded by a pack of hungry wolves.
He quietly asked God for help.
The wolves smelled him and walked away without attacking.
Let’s pray, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Dear God, thank you that in a world where things don’t last forever, you are always with us.
And thank you that you can restore anything.
St.
Columban, 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!