Our lives are stormy. There are a lot of sunny days, but there are also a lot of storms. Have you ever been caught in a storm during your life? 

Frumentius of Axum had to navigate through incredibly difficult storms in his life too . . . but it all started with a literal storm. Frumentius was traveling with one of his colleagues when a storm hit and his boat was shipwrecked on the coast of modern day Ethiopia. He was captured and imprisoned, but due to his ability to read and write, he was presented to the king as a gift. 

The king was a pagan, but was so impressed by his conversations with Frumentius that he soon converted to Catholicism. Later, Frumentius became the first bishop of Ethiopia and spread the Gospel all across that region. He could have left his faith behind. He could have turned his back on God for the unexpected suffering in his life. He could have despaired that God even existed. But he didn’t. When Frumentius was faced with violent storms, he persevered in faith. The roots of his faith allowed him to weather the storm. And this is wisdom we can learn from in our own lives.

A tree with deep roots can weather any storm. We all experience storms in our lives. It is not a question of whether or not we will experience another storm. That is not the question, but rather, when will the next storm be approaching? And when the storm arrives, it is too late for a tree to sink roots. When the storm arrives, it either has the roots or it does not. So begin to prepare today for the coming storms. Begin to develop deep roots by fostering a rich inner-life. How? Some simple but life-changing ideas include: 

1. Stop by a church for 10 minutes each day and speak to God about your life. 
2. Spend a few minutes journaling. 
3. Read at least 5 pages of an amazing Catholic book that feeds your soul each day. 

It's easy to have faith when everything's going well in your life. It's when things start to fall apart, when there's a real serious crisis or problem in our lives, that our faith gets tested. 

Don’t wait for the next storm to come. Start sinking your roots deep today.



Feast Day: October 27

Feast Day Shared By: Saint Evaristus

Patron Saint of: Ethiopia

Also Known As: The Father of Peace