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 Wednesday, June 17th, and for the summer weeks we are doing the ABCs of our Catholic faith and saints.
Today is the letter H for homily, and the scripture to reflect on is Luke 24, 27.
And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
At any mass, a priest gives a homily immediately following the gospel.
What does the homily even mean?
Homily comes from the Greek word homoleia, which refers to an interaction among people.
It means communication, but also means communion.
The homily that comes after the gospel reading is like what other churches call a sermon.
Most homilies are explanation from the things a priest or deacon about what we just heard in the readings.
My dad usually asks us at lunch, what is one thing we remember from the homily?
Today’s saint of the day is H, Saint Helen.
She was born 246 and died 328.
She is the patron saint of archaeologists.
Helen was a British princess.
She became a Christian late in life.
Her faith and purity had a good influence on her son, Constantine, the first Christian emperor.
She used her wealth for charity and building churches.
When the emperor planned to build a church on Mount Calvary, Helen at the age of 80 began a journey to Jerusalem hoping to find the Holy Cross.
After many labors, these three crosses were found on Mount Calvary.
Together with the nails on the inspections, the three crosses were brought before the women who was afflicted with a terrible disease.
When the third cross touched her, she was completely cured.
With great joy and pious empress went about building a glorious church on Mount Calvary when she spent a praise in the precious relic of the true cross.
She sent pieces of it to Rome and Constantinople.
Here’s a good question for you.
Have you been at mass and the homily is going but your mind starts to wander?
You might start to think what’s for lunch or maybe you notice a spider web in the corner.
Before you know it, you’ve zoned out.
How do you stop this?
You should do what me and my dad do.
Find one thing that you can focus on to remember for lunchtime discussion.
And you could even start a game with your family and go around the table and ask each person what they remember.
There’s always something good when you’re putting words into the gospel readings.
In the year 312, Constantine obtained a great victory through the power of the cross.
Shortly after, Helen returned to Rome where she died in the year 328.
Let’s pray in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Dear God, thank you for your word and help us to find ways to learn from it.
And thank you that you died on the cross for us.
St.
Helen, 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!