Liturgical Calendar

Saint of the day

Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne (d.651)

Saint Aidan was born in Ireland. It is said that he may have been a student of Saint Senan before dedicating himself to monastic life. At the request of the king of Northumbria, Aidan became the bishop of Lindisfarne. He was known by those he served as having an extensive knowledge of the Bible, stirring preaching, aversion to pomp, great holiness, and the ability to perform miracles. Aidan founded a monastery while in Lindisfarne that became well known throughout England as a center of learning and missionary work. Saint Aiden died in 651.

Reflection

Saint Aidan devoted considerable energy to expanding his understanding of Christianity. He wanted to understand God fully. In what areas of Christianity do you lack knowledge? How could you learn more?

Prayer

Dear Jesus, please teach me as much as possible about yourself and the life to which you have called me.

Meditations

Meditation for Reading 1

To some people, Christianity makes no sense: God became a human and died on a cross? Sounds pretty crazy. In the first reading, we find out that the early Christians took pride in the apparent absurdity of their beliefs. You might meet people - your classmates, co-workers, or even family - who think that following Jesus is a crazy, senseless thing to do. They might be looking for something that they can "prove" - either through science or with the sure sign of a miracle. Having faith that Jesus loves you and died on a cross for you can be hard when other people think it's silly - but faith is that much more powerful and impressive if it doesn't need "proof." Instead, ask God to deepen the knowledge and faith you have that He is the Savior of the world; your "proof" will be the deeper faith you receive when He answers your prayer.