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 Friday, November 28th, and the Gospel reading is Luke 21, 29-33, and the scripture to reflect on is Luke 21, 31.
So also when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
There are signs all around us.
You probably see signs on the road telling you important instructions like stop or one way.
There are often signs on buildings or in public places that might tell you things like the store hours or where the restrooms are.
Then there are other kinds of signs, not like things written necessarily, but things that something is to come.
If there’s been a long cold winter, you can’t wait for spring.
You’ll look for signs that warmer weather is on the way.
Maybe like a flower peeking through the snow gives you that sign.
Or we often see signs of holiday seasons.
Lights and decorations would tell us that Christmas is on the way.
You might be seeing some of those signs lately, because we’re entering the season of Christmas and Advent.
Advent means coming, and during Advent we celebrate how Jesus comes to earth to live and die for us.
We also know that Jesus will come again someday.
We don’t know when this will be, but it gives us hope to know what God will keep his promise to return to us.
People have wondered throughout time when that return will be.
In fact, while Jesus was on earth, people asked him for signs of the end time.
Today’s Saint of the Day is Saint Christopher.
His birth is unknown, but he died in 251.
He is the patron saint of travelers.
Little is known of Saint Christopher, except that he was an early martyr who likely died in the 3rd century under the persecution of Emperor Diocesis, and churches were named for him within a century of his death and devotion to the saint soon sprang up, along with numerous legends surrounding the details of his life.
The most popular legend written in the Middle Ages relates of how Christopher always sought to serve the strongest master he could find.
After several long leads, he met a hermit who instructed him in the Catholic Christian faith.
Christopher is baptized and determined to follow Christ.
Christopher wanted to live a holy life, so he decided to help those who were weaker to cross a dangerous river.
One day, he carried a small child across the river.
The child was heavy that Christopher could hardly lift him.
Upon reaching the other side, the boy told Christopher that he carried the weight of the world and the God who created it.
The child whom Christopher has carried was Christ himself.
Christopher then shared this encounter with everyone he met, and many hearts were converted.
Legends also has it that when Saint Christopher was martyred, Diocesis got his blood on him, and he had leprosy.
And then the next morning when he woke up, his leprosy was cured.
We can be on the lookout for signs of God’s love.
He has promised to be with us always.
We don’t quite see him with our eyes, but we can see signs of his care.
These signs can be simple everyday things.
Sometimes we see signs of him in nature, like the beauty of sunset or flower.
And we remember God’s faithfulness when we read his word.
The Bible gives us many signs of God’s love.
The name Christopher means Christ-bearer.
We are called to bear Christ in our hearts and on our tongues, loving the Lord and speaking the good news to others and helping people.
Let’s pray.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
God, give us signs of your love every day, so if we look at them, you give us hope, and it encourages us to give us something to look forward to.
And help us to carry you in all that we say and do.
Saint Christopher, 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 next week.
Scatter even more flowers.
See ya!