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 Monday, January 26th, and the Gospel reading is Mark 3, 22-30, and the scripture to reflect on is Mark 3, 25. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. Have you ever been on a team before?
There are all kinds of teams you can be a part of, like maybe a sports team like soccer or basketball, or a music team like band, or a school team for a group project. Even when people grow up, they are still doing things as a team, like when your mom and dad have a team at work with their co-workers, and they are on a team at home as parents. We all work together in teams at some point in our life, and the most important part of working as a team is working together instead of on our own or against each other. Now, I have an interesting question for you.
Can you be on a team by yourself?
Is that even possible? Do you sometimes do bad things even though we don’t want to do them? That is one way to be on a team by yourself, only thinking about yourself, doing things to puff yourself up. Jesus spoke about this once, and he described it as being a house that is divided. When we work together as a team, all four walls work together for your house to keep standing strong. Today’s Saints of the Day is Saint Timothy and Titus. They were born in the first century.
They are the patron saints of stomach and United States Army. God gave Paul a huge task.
He sent Paul to share the news about Jesus with the Gentiles. That is, anyone who wasn’t Jewish. Paul couldn’t do it alone.
Timothy and Titus, both of whom Gentiles, became two of Paul’s trustworthy companions. In Paul’s letters, he wrote about Timothy and Titus thanking God for them and putting whole churches in their care. Timothy and Titus visited and encouraged churches, even though they weren’t threatened by people who hated Jesus. Together, Timothy and Titus and Paul spread the word about Jesus around the world. The New Testament books 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus were letters written from Saint Paul to Saint Timothy and Titus, respectively. They contain valuable guidance for the church’s pastors. God tells us to listen to the Spirit.
If we do what is right and what the Spirit says we should do, our house can stand strong. But if we don’t listen and just do whatever we want to, our house will fall. This is what Jesus is saying when he talked about the house divided. I want to live in a strong house where I know I am safe.
I want to be on the winning team, the team that succeeds. So, if we do what is right, keep our house strong, then we will please God. Timothy and Titus are wonderful examples of how to carry out the church’s mission in collaboration with others. Like Paul, their goal is not to glorify themselves, but to bring the truth of the gospel to everyone. Let’s pray.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Dear God, help us to listen to your example so we are not a house divided. And help me when I feel discouraged.
Help me to keep on going. Saint Timothy and Titus, 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!