At an art show I worked at this weekend, I met a young girl who said she was a Roman Catholic, but didn't practice it. It's not that I have conversations with people about religion every day. She just happened to notice the pink tank tops that were for sale with "A Sinner's Guide to the Saints" printed on them.
I explained it's my blog and I write it help people, spiritual or otherwise. The teen said she was interested in knowing more and would definitely check it out. So, I handed her a tank top as a gift which she gladly accepted.
Since I started promoting Roman Catholic saint through this blog back in January, I've gotten a tremendous, positive response from the people who are reading it. They have no idea who I am, yet they've sent me comments thanking me for inspiring them.
In my own life, I've had trouble "obeying," so I've been told. And it just happens to coincide with the feast day of St. John the Dwarf (Oct. 17) who is recognized for his obedience and humility.
He was born in Basta, Egypt in c.339 and as a young boy moved to the desert of Scetes. St. John the Dwarf was a disciple of St. Pambo who one day told him to plant a stick in the ground and water it each day.
St. John the Dwarf did not question it and for the next three years watered the stick twice a day. It involved walking 24 miles each day to get the water.
Then, one day. the stick sprouted into a bountiful fruit tree. St. Pambo distributed the fruit to the older monks preaching, "take, eat from the fruit of obedience."
The tree, known as the "Tree of Obedience," is said to still exist today in the deserted St. John the Dwarf monastery in the Nitrian Desert.
Before his death in c.405, St. John the Dwarf moved to Mount Colzim, Egypt.
(St. Andre Bessette was canonized today at St. Peter's Square, the Vatican. Please read the blog entry I wrote on Feb. 19, 2010, when the announcement was made that Blessed Brother Andre would be declared a saint, by clicking on his name in blue lettering.)
No comments:
Post a Comment