Today's saint, St. Lydia Purpuraria, was the first Christian convert in Europe, a businesswoman who dealt in luxury goods. She is the patron saint of cloth dyers. Saint Lydia was born during the first century in Thyatira, a town famous for its dye works in Asia Minor, famous for its dye works, (hence, her name which means purple seller). She was a seller of purple dye and was St. Paul's first convert at Philippi. The following is from the Acts of the Apostles: And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one that worshipped God, did hear: whose heart the Lord opened to attend to those things which were said by Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying: If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us. ~Acts 16:14-15 She was baptized with her household. Thereafter, Paul made his home with her while in Philippi. Lydia was a woman of hospital...
Canadian author Mike Mason wrote a book loosly based on the famous book by Brother Lawrence called Practicing The Presence of God; Practicing The Presence of People. It is one of a short list of books from my Protestant collection that I have kept because I have never loved others with the presence of Christ as I should not even as a minister did I love people except in my professional capacity which is really no love at all is it? Your link has caused me to pull this book of the shelf and to read it as I prepare for my first confession, my first time to experience the rite of reconciliation sometime in the New Year before I am my family are welcomed home to a Catholic faith.
ReplyDeleteDear Owen,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this. It touched my heart. Welcome Home! I will be lifting you up in prayer as you prepare for your first Confession.
In the love of Jesus & Mary,
Jean