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July 28 | From Head to Heart
A.D. 485–565
Saint Samson had a brilliant mind. But it wasn’t his mind he became known for—it was his heart. And it was his heart that made him one of the most successful missionaries in Catholic history.
Samson was born in Wales in the late 5th century, and at a young age he was invited to be a pupil under the one of the most distinguished Catholic intellects of the time: Saint Illtud.
It was in the monastery with Illtud that Samson delved deeply into theology, scripture, and philosophy, gaining a reputation for his intellectual prowess. His writing and speaking abilities were so promising that it was possible he could become a Doctor of the Church one day.
But then something happened. Samson suddenly felt God pull not just on his mind, but on his heart. He felt God calling him not just to thought, but to action. He felt called to become a missionary.
Samson followed the call to the pagan region of Brittany in northeastern France to evangelize the people there. He traveled to Paris to meet with other bishops (he was by now himself a bishop). He sailed to as many islands as he could find between France, England, and Ireland. He eventually died away from home, in a French town called Dol.
After leaving the monastery at a young age, Saint Samson spent much of his life on missionary journeys. But the most important journey, the one that made all others possible, was his journey from the head to the heart.
The Sioux people believed that the longest journey we can make in this life is from the head to the heart. This is also the longest spiritual journey we can make; it is the pilgrimage of prayer. We think of the heart as emotional, and it is, but it is also deeply spiritual.
Are you living your life from the mind? Are you living your life from the heart? Or have you found the delicate balance between the heart and the mind that allows you to live in growing wisdom? Prayer helps us make the journey from the head to the heart, and it is prayer that allows us to balance the heart and mind so that we can live in wisdom.
Are you ready to make the most important journey of your life? Find a quiet place today to spend 10 minutes in prayer and let the journey begin.
AM I LIVING FROM MY HEAD OR FROM MY HEART? WHAT IS THE BEST TIME FOR ME TO PRAY EVERY DAY SO I CAN MAKE THE JOURNEY FROM HEAD TO HEART?
I will begin the journey from my head to my heart today.
This reflection is brought to you from book title.
Feast Day: July 28
Feast Day Shared By: Blessed Urban II, Saints Nazario and Celso, and Saint Victor I
Also Known As: Samson of Dol