Saint Polycarp
Born 69 AD Smyrna, a Greek city (now in Turkey) Polycarp is one of the Fathers of the early Church, and his letter to the Philippians is one of the early pieces of Christian writing in existence today. A disciple of the apostle John, he was a leader of the second generation of Christians, the first Christians who were not eyewitnesses to the death and resurrection of Our Lord. Extremely influential in the catechesis and initiation of new Christians, he was named bishop of Smyrna, located in modern-day Turkey. Polycarp was martyred for his faith on 23 February 155 in Smyrna at the age of 86. He is a patron of those suffering from earaches.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18
To let love in, we must be prepared to get our hearts broken. When we choose to love, we have signed up for the whole package; we have chosen the cross. We must carry that cross with every breath we take, knowing fully that the Lord is not just by our side, but also bearing the weight on our behalf. The Lord is never far away from those who need him the most. When people we love die and we are devastated, the Lord will sit by our side and cry with us. When we lose everything we have worked for, the Lord will provide exactly what we need. When sickness steals time from us, and we feel hopeless and lonely, the Lord will be our companion and give us strength. The Lord is drawn to us when our hearts are broken because we are closest to his heart.
POSITIVE LIVING 