This is the last weekday mass of the Easter season, as we commemorate the end of Easter tomorrow with Pentecost. Next week, we return to ordinary time. We have been hearing about the development of the early Church from Acts during the Easter season, telling us how the Church spread throughout the ancient Mediterranean world, even making its way to Rome. Today, we hear about a Jew named Apollos who converts to the way of Jesus and then becomes a missionary and evangelizer himself. We might think of our own evangelization efforts as we hear about the evangelization efforts of St Paul in the Early Church.
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, living for 8 years in a hollowed out tree. He felt called to join a community after his years as a hermit, joining the Carmelite order. He finished his studies in Oxford and became the superior general of the Carmelites. 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 Carmelites, 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.
No comments:
Post a Comment