Thursday, July 30, 2015

July 30: St. Olaf of Sweden

St. Olaf Statue
Photo by Wolfgang Sauber

History

As son of Eric the Conqueror, St. Olaf Skottkonung became king of Sweden when his father died. He ruled from 993-1024, which was a time when most people in Sweden still worshiped the old pagan gods and goddesses. However, St. Sigrid taught King Olaf about Jesus, and Olaf believed and was baptized. He did his best to teach the Swedish people about Jesus, too. But then the king of Norway invaded Sweden with the help of the king of Denmark. When King Olaf lost the war, the other kings told him to sacrifice to pagan idols or be killed. He refused and died as a martyr. 

Activity

Even when he had lost his kingdom and was about to lose his life, St. Olaf of Sweden treasured his faith in Christ more than anything else. Today, there are many world leaders who have faith in Christ, but some of them don't find it very easy to take a stand for Christian belief. Today, pray for all the Christian leaders in the world and make a sacrifice for their sake, such as giving up sweets or a favorite summer activity. 

St. Olaf of Sweden, pray for us! 

More reading for parents:

Catholic Online

Last year, we learned about St. Peter Chrysologus, and his love for going to Mass to receive the Holy Eucharist. 

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  2. I want to say thank you for sharing your blog with me. I appreciate the encouragement you give to children to develop virtues. I especially appreciate that you facilitated reading for parents on how to raise children with the guidance of the saints. I'm looking forward to reading more about your blog. Story eBook

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