Hello everyone! Heyo! Welcome back to Scattering Flowers with Elise and Myles, a podcast where you read the daily Gospels and the Saint of the Day.
Let’s get started! Today is Tuesday, February 24th, and the Gospel reading is Matthew 6, 7-13, and the script to reflect on is Matthew 6, 7.
And in praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.
Being Christian doesn’t prevent us from sometimes saying empty words, and when it is to God we are speaking, let’s be careful not to recite words without thinking about them.
The prayer of the Our Father is a great example.
We know it by heart, that’s true, but when we say it, we are really praying with the immense confidence and express the wonder at the greatness of God, this deep desire to do His will.
Today’s Saint of the Day is Saint Ethelbert.
He was born 552 and died 616.
He is a patron saint of England.
Ethelbert wasn’t too sure about his wife’s new faith.
Ethelbert was used to the way his people worshipped, but he was unfamiliar with the way his wife would go into her room by herself and pray and worship her God.
Why did she have a God whom she couldn’t see?
Ethelbert had always worshipped idols in the temples.
One day, another Christian named Augustine came to his court.
Augustine answered Ethelbert’s questions.
Ethelbert decided to become a Christian too.
He helped his country.
Ethelbert converted to Christianity as a nation.
Ethelbert got rid of all the idols and he turned the temples into churches.
Today, find a quiet moment to pray through the Our Father very slowly.
Observe a moment of silence every time you breathe between two lines to reflect on the words that you have just said.
Saint Ethelbert was the first king of England who was a Christian.
How cool is that?
Saint Ethelbert always chose God even when times were hard.
He was probably the greatest Christian king.
Let’s pray.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Dear God, help us to find time today to reflect on your words in every prayer.
And help my faith to be an example to others.
Saint Ethelbert, 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!