 |
| Saint Pope Callistus I at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Marne, France |
History
Callistus had a very hard life. He
was born at the end of the second century, and he was a slave. His master put
him in charge of a bank, and the bank failed. So, he tried to run away, but he
was caught and sentenced to hard labor. The pope took pity on him and released
him. And then the next pope after that called on Callistus to help him figure
out theology. When that pope died, Callistus was named pope instead of another
option, Saint Hippolytus. After that, Hippolytus was very critical of
Callistus, because he thought that Callistus showed too much mercy to sinners. Maybe
Callistus understood the need for mercy because he knew how much he needed it
when he was younger. Eventually, Callistus was martyred, probably during a riot
in the year 222.
Activity
Our current Holy Father, Pope
Francis, is a leader after Callistus’ own heart. He is full of mercy for
sinners, and he has asked all of us to be merciful to others as well. Today,
pray that God will give you a merciful heart. Throughout the day, do your best
to show mercy to everyone you meet.
No comments:
Post a Comment