Hello everyone! Heyo! Welcome back to Scattering Flowers with Elise and Miles, a podcast where we read the daily gospels and the saint of the day.
Let’s get started! Today is Wednesday, June 24th, and for the summer weeks we are going to do the ABCs of our Catholic faith and saints.
Today is the letter M for martyr, and the scripture to reflect on is Matthew 5, 10.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
A martyr is someone who chooses to suffer or give up their life for their beliefs, rather than giving up on what they know is right.
The word comes from an ancient Greek word that means witness.
By standing strong, they show the world how important their faith or values are.
These are men and women who have great courage and hold on to their beliefs unto death, and making the choice that Jesus is their choice.
He is worth it.
Some great stories you can read about a couple martyrs are St.
Stephen.
He is one of the first people who was killed for standing up for his faith and teaching about Jesus.
Or St.
Cecilia and St.
Joan of Arc, St.
Lawrence and St.
Maximilian Colbert.
The Catholic faith honors thousands of martyrs as saints because their sacrifices serve as an ultimate witness to their faith.
Today, Saint of the Day is M.
St.
Moses the Black.
He was born 330 and died 405.
He is the patron saint of Africa.
Born a slave in Alexandria, Egypt, little is known about Moses' early life.
He was a strong and intimidating man with very black skin.
Moses escaped slavery and fled into the wilderness.
There he formed a band of robbers who looted and murdered.
One day, while being chased by rival robbers, Moses hid in a monastery.
While there, Moses confronted the darkness of his own soul.
Terrified, he begged to be admitted to the monastery where he was healed and forgiven.
Moses became an example of mercy.
When you might feel confused or unsure about something, you can rely on your faith and the Catholic Church.
Try to remember those who were martyred for their faith, the men and women who came before us who had to do the same.
They make us not feel alone.
We have people to turn to for prayer when we are in a tough situation.
Even though being martyred might be sad, I think they were so brave to stand up for what was right, fair, and true.
The four robbers broke into the monastery and Moses rushed in and grabbed the bandits, carrying them to the chapel where he begged that their lives be spared.
Shocked, the robbers realized that this huge black monk was their former leader.
They repented and gave their lives to Jesus.
Let’s pray.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Dear God, give me the courage to stand up for what’s right, just like the martyrs.
And have mercy on me, a sinner.
St.
Moses the Black, 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!