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 Wednesday, December 10th, and the gospel reading is Matthew 11, 28-30, and the scripture to reflect on is Matthew 11, 28. Come to me, all of you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Advent is the season to rest.
To not be so busy and to take time for Jesus' coming, even though the Christmas season is very hectic.
Jesus isn’t saying that if we hang out with him we’ll never have to work again, but he promises us a special kind of rest.
Jesus wants us to bring our struggles, worries, and fears to him.
He won’t necessarily take the bad things out of our lives, but he will give us grace so we can handle them ourselves. Today’s Saint of the Day is Saint Barbara.
She was born in the 3rd century and her death is unknown.
She is the patron saint of artillery.
Although her biography is mostly legendary, Saint Barbara is still one of the most popular saints.
She was born in what is now Turkey.
Her father shut her up in a tower in order to protect her from the outside world.
He provided tutors for her education.
Barbara was very intelligent and realized the pagan idols were nothing.
She secretly became a Christian and was baptized one day when her father let her out of the tower.
When her father found out, however, he was enraged and turned her over to the authorities to be put to death.
Despite horrible tortures, Barbara miraculously survived.
Then her father himself beheaded her.
He was immediately struck by a thunderbolt from heaven that killed him right off the spot. God says that if we lean on him when we’re weary, or even if we’re not, Jesus will give us his peace and strength.
That is the best kind of rest that we can get. Barbara’s legend proved so popular that she was included among the 14 Holy Helpers, a group of saints invoked for their special powers of protection.
The thunderbolt is the basis for her patronage for those who work with artillery and explosives. Let’s pray.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus, help me that whenever I’m worried, to lean on you.
You are the best rest that we can get. And help us that we always turn to you, no matter any distractions.
Saint Barbara, 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!