Simon Stock was born in England in 1165 to a well-known Christian family. He was very religious even as a child. As a teenager, he became a hermit, and after living for 8 years in a hollowed out tree. He felt called to join a community after his years as a hermit and joined the Carmelite order. He finished his studies in Oxford and became the vicar general of the Carmelite order.
He worked tirelessly to spread the Carmelite Order throughout Europe, founding many communities in university towns. He was responsible for the revision of the Rules of the Carmelite order, leading the community from lives as hermits to those of mendicant brothers. He had a deep devotion to the Blessed Mother. She appeared to him with the brown scapular, which has become a very popular devotion which has extended beyond the Carmelite order. He died in 1265 at the age of 100 after having served as Superior General of the Carmelites for many years. We honor Simon Stock on his feast day today.
As we continue to hear about the missionary efforts of the Early Church in our readings from Acts, we hear about Paul’s difficulties as he is ordered to stand before the chief priests and the Sanhedrin to give testimony. Rather than trying to help Paul and encourage him, the Jewish authorities are plotting to kill him and destroy him, a reminder of what Jesus went through during his journey to the cross. Paul is cunning and intelligent as he traps the Sadducees and Pharisees, getting them in an argument that he knows that will keep them preoccupied, since these two groups do not agree in the belief in the resurrection.
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