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, November 27th.
Happy Thanksgiving! And the Gospel reading is Luke 21, 20-28.
And the scripture to reflect on is Luke 21, 20.
But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.
Both of my dad’s grandparents served in World War II.
I knew my great-grandpa Sandno, Papa Joe.
He was awesome.
He loved Snickers bars, ice cream, and Jesus.
And he didn’t like to be cold, miss his nap time, or really talk about his time at war.
A lot of his memories were hard to talk about.
In today’s scripture reading, Jesus said that there would be war, people being scared, and natural disasters.
He also said that Jerusalem would be destroyed.
And it really happened a few years later.
Sometimes in life, we will see bad stuff.
Stuff that bugs us to talk about or experience it.
It might make us afraid, but Jesus tells his followers never to be scared.
Jesus tells us to lift our heads up.
Today’s Saint of the Day, Saint Francisco Antonio Fasini.
He was born in 1681 and died in 1742.
He’s the patron saint of Italy.
When he became a priest, Francisco promised that he would spend his life helping people draw closer to God.
When he chose to follow the example of two priests who had lived before him, Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Anthony, these great men led many of their followers to repentance, which means that they were able to help people turn to God, follow him, and know his love.
Francisco knew that God didn’t want people wallowing into sadness, putting themselves down, and feeling discouraged.
God wanted people to know that he had called them by name.
God wanted people to seek their faith.
Francisco gently encouraged people who had fallen away to come back to God who had loved them.
Lifting up your head is a sign of hope.
It means that even when things are really hard, the end of the story is always a happy one.
Jesus is coming back to make everything right again.
But a way we can stay hopeful is by praying.
Jesus also told people, and for us, to stay alert and pray while we wait for him.
Saint Francisco’s mission kept him close to his home.
He even became a pastor in his hometown church.
And he promised his life helping people draw closer to God.
Let’s pray.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Dear God, help us to never be afraid when bad stuff happens.
And help us to always rely on you.
And tell me that when you call my name, I can return and always repent to you.
Saint Francisco Antonio Francini, 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!