Wednesday, December 17, 2014

December 17: Saint Olympias

Statue of Saint Olympias
at St. Peter Square, Vatican City
Photo by Alfvan Beem


History

Olympias came from a rich family and married a rich man. When her husband died, many other men wanted to marry her, but she turned them all down. Instead, she and some other ladies started a religious community. Olympias had a lot of money to give to the poor. In fact, she gave so much money away, her friend Saint John Chrysostom told her she might want to slow down a little. She built a hospital and an orphanage and provided shelter for some monks who were kicked out of their country.

Activity

There’s an old saying, “No matter how much you give, you can’t out-give God.” Saint Olympias knew this, and we should know it, too. How much can you give today? If you don’t have money, think about giving away something you own to somebody who needs it.

Saint Olympias, pray for us!


More reading for parents:


SPECIAL NOTE: Today is the birthday of our Holy Father, Pope Francis! You can wish him a happy birthday via Twitter (@Pontifex). You can also honor his request that we all work together to end world hunger by making a donation to a local food bank or soup kitchen in Pope Francis' name, or by contributing to an on-line effort to buy food for hungry children over seas at Catholic Team Global.

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