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, December 26th, and the gospel reading is Matthew 10, 17 through 22.
And the scripture to reflect on is Matthew 10, 22.
And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake, but he who endures till the end will be saved.
It’s the day after Christmas! Did you have a good holiday?
My family sure did.
I hope that you’re not already back to work.
I hope that you can get a few days off.
But God’s work is good work that we do every day of our lives.
God’s work can be small things like a quick prayer you say at the beginning of the day, or it can just be big things like the wonders that Saint Stephen worked in Jesus’s name.
Today’s saint of the day is Saint Stephen.
He was born in 34 AD and his death is unknown.
He’s the patron saint of deacons and horses.
As the first Christian martyr, Stephen holds a special place in early Christian history.
His story is found in the Acts of the Apostles.
He is probably a Jew since his name is Greek, and he is one of the most appointed as deacons to serve as the Hellionist widows.
Full of zeal, Stephen publicly proclaimed Jesus and even disputed with people about the truth of the gospel.
Angered at Stephen’s boldness and effectiveness in preaching the gospel, his opponents dragged him before the Sanhedrin.
Stephen then gave a very long speech recounting the history of Israel and accused his fellow Jews of not keeping the law when they failed to recognize Jesus as the Messiah.
Enraged, his persecutors stoned him to death.
As he died, he prayed, Lord, do not hold this sin against them.
Saint Augustine recounts many miracles that occurred when Saint Stephen’s relics were brought to North Africa, including the conversion of an unbeliever.
Whether you’re resting with your family, playing with your friends, or doing whatever you want, you can still do God’s work by loving others, sharing, praying, and living the life God wants you to live.
Enjoy this work! Make it fun! Once Stephen was being stoned, the witnesses laid their coats as the feet of a young man named Saul, and Saul approved of their killing him.
Saul became Saint Paul.
While we don’t know about the secrets of how God distributes graces, perhaps Paul was converted through Stephen’s intercession.
We belong to the communion of saints, that mysterious union of the church on earth with this church of heaven.
When we offer our prayers and sacrifices to God, he can use them to bring graces to others.
Let’s pray.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Dear God, help me to do your work every day.
And help us to be courageous witnesses of the gospel in our day, so that others will come to believe in Jesus.
Saint Stephen, 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, scattering more flowers.
See ya!