Liturgical Calendar

Saint of the day

Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez (1533-1617)

Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez was born in Segovia, Spain. He was the son of a wool merchant who died when Alphonsus was young, leaving the business to him. He married and had three children. Not long after, he found himself a widower with only one surviving child. On the death of his third child, his thoughts turned to religious life. After some setbacks, he joined the Society of Jesus on January 31, 1571, at the age of 40. After six months, he was sent to the college in Majorca, where he was assigned the humble position of a porter. He exercised a wonderful influence on the sanctification of the members of the household, as well as many people who came to the porter's house for advice and guidance. One of the notable Jesuits that Alphonsus influenced was Saint Peter Claver, who lived for some time at Majorca. Saint Alphonsus died on October 31, 1617, and was canonized in 1888.

Reflection

Great good can come from tragedy, even when a situation seems hopeless. Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez lost many important people in his life whom he loved very much, but ended up touching the lives and hearts of many when he joined the Society of Jesus. If you have experienced a tragedy in your life, ask God for help in dealing with any feelings of hurt, grief, or anger that you have.

Prayer

I believe that you sent your Son into the world for us, God. Help me to draw strength from your presence, even when all I feel is despair. (Taken from "Good News Day by Day: Bible Reflections for Teens.")

Meditations

Meditation for Gospel

Jesus used many images to help people understand what the Kingdom of God was all about. All the images were dynamic and pointed toward growth. The mustard seed is tiny, but it will produce a tree. Many of the great movements in the Church started that way: someone's idea about how to serve God took off and grew and grew. Think of the Franciscans, the Dominicans, Teens Encounter Christ, Marriage Encounter, and many others. Perhaps you will have the opportunity to be part of some Christian movement that started small and grew to become a powerful force for God. (Taken from “Take Ten – Daily Bible Reflections for Teens”)