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 Thursday, April 16th, and the Gospel reading is John 3, 31-36, and the scripture to reflect on is Psalm 34, 19.
The Lord is close with the brokenhearted.
I thought I’d read you guys the Psalms from today’s daily reading, just to serve us as a reminder.
What do you do when you’re really, really sad?
Maybe a friend moves away, or a pet or someone close to you dies.
Maybe a sibling’s feelings are crushed, or your best friend is brokenhearted.
Remember right there in those moments of ache and loss, the Lord is so close to you.
So close, it’s like you could reach out and touch Him.
Lean to Him, for He will help you when you are in need.
Today’s Saint of the Day is Saint Benedict Joseph L’Abre.
He was born 1748 and died 1783.
He is the patron saint of homeless and mentally ill.
Although each saint’s life is unique, the life of this saint is quite unusual.
Born in northern France and the eldest of 15 children, Benedict had good educational opportunities.
But from a young age, he showed himself to be only interested in learning about God.
He was unusually attracted to solitude and penance.
When Benedict was 16, he began to attempt to enter the monastery.
Benedict longed to tell the world that Jesus is everything.
He thought about becoming a priest or a monk.
He thought about living in several different churches, but none of his plans worked.
God was calling him to be a completely different way of life.
He wasn’t supposed to stay in one church or even one city.
Benedict would travel the world and he would point everyone he came across to Jesus.
Sometimes we can forget that Jesus is always near to us.
It’s easy to think that because we are feeling down or upset that we need to figure things out, just so he will listen to our prayers.
But it’s the exact opposite.
He wants to listen to us when things are good or bad.
Benedict baked his way shine to shine to Europe.
He prayed in churches, gave away any money that was given to him, and lived on the streets poorly.
He even slept on the ground outside.
He visited different beautiful and holy places, praying all the way, witnessing to all he met.
Why don’t you need beautiful things or warm clothes?
You don’t even have a house, people would say to him.
Well, Benedict would reply, smiling, I don’t need those things.
Jesus is everything.
He stayed on the move for 13 years.
Let’s pray.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Dear God, help me to remember that you are always with me, and I’m never alone.
Help me to turn to you when I’m sad or happy, and help me to believe that you are everything.
Saint Benedict Joseph LaBray, 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! What?