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, April 3rd, and the Gospel reading is John 18, 1 through John 19, 42.
And the scripture to reflect on is John 19, 30.
It is finished.
When we hear these words at church today, we get down on our knees.
Everything goes quiet so that we can spend a few moments thinking and praying about what has happened to our Lord when he dies.
Whether you go to church today or you are someplace else, spend some quiet time thinking of Jesus on the cross.
Today’s Saint of the Day is Saint Benedict the African.
He was born in 1526 and died 1589.
He is a patron saint of Africa.
Benedict didn’t need to be in charge.
Benedict didn’t even want to be in charge, but the people who lived with him recognized that Benedict was such a good leader, he should probably be in charge anyway.
Benedict’s parents had been slaves, and he was a slave too when he was a child, but he was freed and we was turned 18.
Then he spent many years as a hermit, living alone in silence and prayer.
A few other hermits lived in the same area as Benedict.
They recognized Benedict’s gentleness and asked him for leadership.
Benedict eventually said yes after they asked many times.
Benedict was the servant of those he led, and he often asked them for help and forgiveness.
I imagine that Mary Magdalene, Peter, James, and John and the other disciples didn’t sleep much on the long terrible nights after Jesus died on the cross.
I imagine them tossing and turning, staring into the darkness and weeping for their friend, and for themselves too.
How would they ever get over this awful ache in their hearts?
The disciples would see Jesus again, and guess what?
We get to see Jesus one day too! Saint Benedict the African never used the word mine.
He replaced it with ours instead.
Why?
Because everything, including God, wasn’t just his.
Everything, including God, is everybody’s.
Let’s pray.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Dear God, thank you for your Son, Jesus.
And help me to love and serve the people around me, just as Saint Benedict the African did.
Saint Benedict the African, pray for us.
Amen.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Happy Easter! Christ is risen! We’ll be back next week, scattering more flowers.
See ya!