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!Woohoo!Today is Wednesday, February 4th, and the Gospel reading is Mark 6, 1-6, and the scripture to reflect on is Psalm 32, 7. You are a hiding place for me.
You preserve me from trouble.
You surround me with deliverance. Do you have anything you like to sleep with at night?
A snuggly blanket makes me feel calm because when I hold it, it makes me think of God being with me all the time.
Our parish had a knitting prayer blanket ministry.
One year for Christmas, we got one to give away to our great-grandma who was moving into a new home.
The prayer blankets were blessed by our priest, and we knew that the blanket could give our grandma a sense of God’s special peace to her when she was hurting or sick or needed to feel God’s love.
And that love God promises us, he promises to give it to us over and over again. Today’s saint of the day is Saint Joseph of Lamosa.
He was born in 1556 and died 1612.
He is the patron saint of Lamosa, Italy. Joseph was used to giving things up.
No, he didn’t give up when his work became difficult.
Joseph practiced fasting.
He gave up things like delicious food or comforts so that he could focus on prayer, on God, or doing things for others.
He once fasted for an entire year.
Fasting works like this.
A person could give up all of her desserts for a week.
Each time she wanted to have a dessert, she would remember that she’d given them up, and then she would pray instead of having dessert.
These reminders or fasting help Christians remember to pray.
It worked for Joseph.
Saint Joseph of Lamosa grew fresh vegetables in his garden so that he could give them away to the poor. David sounded happy in today’s psalm, but he was talking about his sin.
So why was he happy?
It’s because of what God did with his sin.
Because he was sorry, he asked for God’s help.
God forgave his sin, and that produces joy.
Just like a warm blanket to snuggle up makes us feel happy or safer or loved like it did for my great-grandma, so can forgiveness from God feel the same. As a priest, Saint Joseph preached throughout the region, always holding a crucifix.
His words were so interesting, he once converted a gang of 50 highway bandits who came to listen to his homilies out of curiosity.
In his 50s, he was struck with cancer.
He underwent several painful operations.
Without anesthesia, in an attempt to remove the disease, he was asked if he wanted to be bound, but he pointed to his crucifix and replied, This is the strongest bond.
This will hold me better than any ropes could. Let’s pray.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Dear God, when we feel sad or scared, help us to rely on you because you’re always there for us.
And help us to grow my relationship with you by fasting in Lent this year.
Saint Joseph of La Mesa, 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!