Deepertruth: You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace

Today is First Saturday after Epiphany 1/7/2023,               The Feast Saint Raymond of Penafort 

Gracious and loving God, You call us to be stewards of Your abundance, the caretakers of all you have entrusted to us. Help us to always use Your gifts wisely and teach us to share them generously. Send the Holy Spirit to work through us, bringing Your message to those we serve.

Stewards of God's grace have unlimited resources to manage on behalf of  Jesus Christ. Like Paul and Stephen, when full of grace we are in a better position to allocate its riches. God gives His children grace to dispense to needy hearts.

Though retired into the remote parts of a desert, S. Anthony of the desert often experienced the fiercest attacks of the devils: they would appear to him under a thousand frightful forms. The Saint laughed at their impotence, and to put them to flight, simply contented himself with making the Sign of the Cross, saying to his disciples: "Believe me, Satan fears prayer and humility and the love of Jesus Christ: the mere Sign of the Cross suffices to banish him."

St. Patrick and his companions appeared to walk through bolted doors to see the Pagan King.

Invited to sit down and parley, the Pagan priest, offered St. Patrick a drink laced with poison. Knowing this, St. Patrick did the Sign of the Cross over the cup and immediately the drink went from being hot to ice except the poison. Dumping out the poison,

St. Patrick again blessed the cup and the drink returned to normal. With everyone watching, the Pagan King Laoghaire was converted.

Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.