Today, we commemorate St Petroc, who was born in Wales in the 6th century. He is said to have been the son of a Welsh chieftain. He studied in Ireland and established a monastery in England, ministering to the people of Cornwall, Devon, and Wales, establishing many different churches in those areas. He was known for his virtue of humility. Many legends and stories are told of his humility. He became an important saint in England in the medieval period, with many people visiting the shrine dedicated to him. One legend is told of him arrogantly thinking he could predict the weather. In penance for his arrogance, it is told that he went to Rome and Jerusalem on pilgrimage, then went to India, where he lived on an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean for 7 years, and then returned to Britain with a wolf as a pet that he got in India.
Today, from the second letter of Timothy, Paul speaks about the sufferings he endures, that he sees these sufferings as down the same path of sufferings that Christ endured. Paul knows that persevering and enduring these sufferings for the sake of the Gospel is part of the life of a disciple of Christ. In our sufferings, we are to see these sufferings as united with Christ’s sufferings. We should see our life of discipleship as a part of the enduring mission of the Church that is a continuation of Christ’s mission. There is so much we can learn from Paul about how he approached his life of discipleship in the midst of many sufferings and challenges and hardships, but in the midst of all those things, joys and blessings as well.
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