What kind of impact will you have on the future of Catholicism?

Most of us think that the only people who can have any impact are the priests, the pope, and the saints from ancient times. But the truth is, God has always used ordinary men and women to do extraordinary things. And 99% of the time, the world never even knows their names. 

You’ve probably never heard of Saint Cedd. Cedd was one of those ordinary people whom God used to do extraordinary things for the Church…and even though he is a saint, he remains mostly forgotten by history. 

Cedd was an Anglo-Saxon monk and bishop who lived in the 600s. And thanks to his dedication to God, Catholicism spread throughout England. There was one particular moment that made an incredible impact on the future of Catholicism in his country. Members of the Church gathered from all over for the Synod of Whitby. The Church had terrible disagreements at this time, which were exacerbated by the fact that they couldn’t understand each other. Some people spoke Latin, others Old Irish, and still others Old English. Because Cedd had traveled all over, spreading the Gospel, he was able to interpret the conversation and facilitate peaceful negotiations.

How might God be calling you to use your talents to impact the future of the Church today? No one can answer this question for you. No one can tell you what your work is. It is a work that will be left undone unless you do it yourself. 

Saint Cedd had a role to play in God’s plan, and he played it. Many people have forgotten the role he played, but it still impacts the Church and the world today. 

Now it's your turn to find your role, your place. Who will be next? You. You will be next if you make yourself available to God. Don’t let what you can’t do interfere with what you can do. Just do your part, however big or small.

Find your place in salvation history. Be a saint. Be who God made you to be!



Feast Day: October 26

Feast Day Shared By: Saint Demetrius

Patron Saint of: Essex and Lastingham (England), and Interpreters