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, December 9th, and the Gospel reading is Matthew 18, 12-14, and the scripture to reflect on is Matthew 18, 13.
And if he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray.
In the story of a shepherd who has a hundred sheep, one of them goes missing.
He leaves the ninety-nine and goes in search of the one that is astray.
Sheep have a habit of wandering off.
That’s why they either need pens or must be under the constant watch of an alert shepherd.
Sheep can be trained to hear the shepherd’s voice, but even still some wander off.
Sheep are basically defenseless.
They are easy prey for nearly any predator.
Were it not for careful of a skillful shepherd, sheep would be a tasty meal for a bear, pack of wolves, lion, or coyotes.
And like a gazelle, they cannot flee fast or far in the face of danger.
Today saying to the day is St.
Juan Diego.
He was born 1474 and died 1548.
He’s a patron saint of Mexico.
Today’s saint grew up in what is now Mexico City.
He was known as the talking eagle for most of his life.
When he was about 50 years old, he converted to Christianity and was baptized, taking the name Juan Diego.
From that time on, he walked more than nine miles to attend mass a few times each week.
During one of the walks, the mother of God appeared to him on the hill known as Tepeyac on December 9th, 1531.
She instructed him to tell the bishop to have a church built on the location.
However, the bishop didn’t believe the story.
On December 12th, Mary appeared to Juan Diego again.
This time he showed him rose bushes flowering in the dead of winter.
He collected the roses in his garment known as a tilma and took them to the bishop.
When Juan Diego opened his tilma, the roses fell out and revealed the image of the blessed mother known as Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Juan Diego lived as a hermit from then on, protecting the tilma and welcoming pilgrims who came to see the miraculous image.
Less than seven years following Our Lady of Guadalupe, some eight million Mexicans accepted the Christian faith.
God cares about you more than you can imagine.
When you mess up or feel far from God, he takes time to find you and is happy when you return to him.
Just like the shepherd finding his lost sheep.
When Mary appeared to Juan Diego, she called out to him saying, Juanito, Juan de Guito.
This would be like calling a young child sweet little Johnny.
She also reassured him, am I not who am your mother?
We can be more aware of how we love Jesus and his blessed mother.
Let’s pray.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Dear God, please help me to stay close to your side and for me to never wander off.
And help me that my daily routine always will leave room for you.
St.
Juan Diego, 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.