2015
#PopeFrancis "...Church will always have the identity given to it by Jesus Christ.." #Homily
#Novena to St. Gertrude the Great - #Litany and #Prayer for Souls - SHARE\
Today's Mass Readings and Video : Mon. November 16, 2015
(Vatican Radio) The single thought, humanism that takes the place of Jesus, destroys the Christian identity. We don't put that identity card up for auction. Those were the words of Pope Francis on Monday during Mass at the Casa Santa Marta.
Listen
Worldliness leads to the single thought and apostasy
The first reading of the day from the first Book of the Maccabees, tells of "a root of evil" that arose in those days: the Hellenistic King Antiochus Epiphanes imposes pagan customs in Israel, to the " chosen people ", that is, the" Church of that time. " Pope Francis commented that, "the image of the root is under the ground." The "phenomenology of the root" is this: "What is not seen does not seem to do any harm, but then it grows and shows its true nature." "It was a rational root" that pushed some Israelites to ally with neighbouring nations to be protected: "Why so many differences? Because since we went our own way many evils have come upon us. We go to them, we are equal. " The Pope explained this reading with three words: "Worldliness, apostasy, persecution". Worldliness in life is to do what the world does. It’s saying: "We put up for auction our identity card; we are equal to everyone. " Thus, many Jews "disowned the faith and fell away from the Holy Alliance." And what "seemed so rational- 'we are like everyone else, we are normal' - became their destruction":
"Then the king recommended that his whole kingdom should be one people - the one thought; worldliness - and each abandoned their own customs. All peoples adapted themselves to the orders of the king; also many Jews accepted his worship: they sacrificed to idols and profaned the Sabbath. Apostasy. That is, worldliness that leads you to one unique thought, and to apostasy. No differences are permitted: all are equal. And in the history of the Church, the history we have seen, I think of a case, where religious feasts were renamed - the birth of the Lord has another name – in order to erase its identity ".
Humanism today destroys the Christian identity
In Israel the books of the law were burned "and if someone obeyed the law, the judgment of the king condemned him to death." That's "persecution", initiated by a "root of bitterness". "I have always been struck - the Pope said - that the Lord, at the Last Supper, in that long prayer, praying for unity and asking the Father that he would deliver them from every spirit of the world, from all worldliness, because worldliness destroys identity; worldliness leads to the single thought ":
"It starts from a root, but it is small, and ends up an abomination of desolation, in persecution. This is the deception of worldliness, and why Jesus asked the Father, at that Supper: 'Father, I do not ask you to remove them from the world, but keep them from the world', this mentality, this humanism, which is to take the place of the true man, Jesus Christ, that comes to take away the Christian identity and brings us to the single thought: 'They all do it, why not us?'. This, in these times, should make us think: what is my identity? Is it 'Christian or worldly? Or do I say to myself Christian because I was baptized as a child or was born in a Christian country, where everyone is Christian? Worldliness that comes slowly, it grows, it justifies itself and infects: it grows like the root, it defends itself - 'but, we do as others do, we are not so different' -, always looking for a justification, and eventually it becomes contagious, and many evils come from there. "
Beware of poisonous roots that grow and infect
"The liturgy, in these last days of the liturgical year" - said the Pope - exhorts us to beware of "poisonous roots" that "lead away from the Lord":
"And we ask the Lord for the Church, that the Lord will guard it from all forms of worldliness. That the Church will always have the identity given to it by Jesus Christ; that we will all have the identity that we received in baptism. May the Lord give us the grace to maintain and preserve our Christian identity against the spirit of worldliness that always grows, justifies itself and is contagious. "
Wow Nun called #Religious Life after hearing God call her through a #Song on #Youtube - SHARE
Sr Lauren has rosy cheeks and a shock of red hair. Sometimes wisps of it escape from under her white veil, which she began wearing at the age of 22 after her Clothing Ceremony at a monastery in Summit, New Jersey. A year earlier, when she was still in college and living a fulfilling life outside of the church, she experienced a calling: she wanted to devote her life to God.
According to Sr Lauren felt called to religious life and, after hearing God propose to her via a song on YouTube, has chosen to live her life as a cloistered nun. A book of photos captures the joy of her life. Sr Lauren has rosy cheeks and a shock of red hair. Sometimes wisps of it escape from under her white veil, which she began wearing at the age of 22 after her Clothing Ceremony at a monastery in Summit, New Jersey. A year earlier, when she was still in college and living a fulfilling life outside of the church, she experienced a calling: she wanted to devote her life to God. According to Radical Love, a new book of photos taken by photographer Toni Greaves, Lauren’s calling was in keeping with the technologies of her generation. Writes Greaves: “She felt called to religious life and, after hearing God propose to her via a song on YouTube, has chosen to live her life as a cloistered nun.” So, at 21, she committed to living in a monastic community with a strong sense of kinship, an emphasis on study, and strict rules for observance – for example, one member of the community must be praying at all times. Greaves began documenting Lauren’s spiritual journey just three weeks after it began, and continued throughout the next seven years, during which Lauren underwent a number of rituals of increasing import, sealing her relationship to the church. The first was the Clothing Ceremony, during which she chose a new name – Sr Maria Theresa of the Sacred Heart. While these landmark events are captured with tenderness in Greaves’ series, it’s the daily happenings of the monastery that are especially moving. In one image, one of the community’s oldest residents laughs boisterously at a dinner. In another, Sr Maria Theresa of the Sacred Heart trains the monastery’s dog during her recreation time. It’s this blend of mundanity and spiritual reverence that makes Greave’s collection a moving one. For each framed photo of the Pope, there’s an action shot of the nuns playing in the snow or gathered around a guitar player to sing a song. Photo: Toni Greaves (From Radical Love, Chronicle Books 2015) Photographer Captures One Woman’s Journey To Becoming A Nun - Shared from CathNews
#BreakingNews Underground #Priest dies in China - RIP Fr Pedro Heping - Please PRAY for the Church in China
Underground priest dies in suspicious circumstances in ShanxiFr Pedro Wei Heping was found dead in a river. For police it was suicide, but those who knew him say that such an action would be out of character. Ordained in 2004, he drew many young people and founded an underground seminary, with highly qualified teachers.
Taiyuan (AsiaNews/CKF) – Father Pedro Wei Heping (pictured), a young underground Catholic priest, died on 6 November under suspicious circumstances. The clergyman’s body was found floating in a river in the City of Taiyuan, Shanxi Province.
The Cardinal Kung Foundation reported the news two days ago, saying that the authorities claimed that it was a case of suicide. However, friends and people who knew the priest exclude categorically that Fr Wei could even think about suicide.
In view of the situation, the Foundation has called on the “Chinese government to thoroughly investigate the cause of death of Father Wei and publish the findings quickly and truthfully.”
Born on Christmas Eve, 1974 in a Catholic family in Shanxi Province, Father Wei entered seminary in 1993. He was sent to Europe for advanced studies and graduated with a Master’s degree in Canon Law. After returning home, he was clandestinely ordained on 24 August 2004 by an underground bishop.
Fluent in a couple of European languages, Fr Wei was a talented organiser. He drew many young people to the underground Church and ran many programmes to boost vocations.
Since his return to China in 2007, he devoted himself totally in pastoral work, particularly in extremely poor and desolated areas. He also organised many retreats and seminars at underground convents and seminaries.
His zeal in vocation led him to establish an underground seminary, where priests with advanced overseas qualifications taught. Shared from AsiaNewsIT
#Novena to St. Gertrude the Great - #Litany and #Prayer for Souls - SHARE
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Ghost,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Mary,
Pray for us.*
All ye holy Choirs of Angels,*
All ye Saints and Elect of God,*
Saint Gertrude,*
Thou chaste virgin,*
Thou beloved daughter of the Heavenly Father,*
Thou chosen bride of Jesus Christ,*
Thou temple of the Holy Ghost,*
Thou joy of the Holy Trinity,*
Thou fragrant flower in the hand of Jesus Christ,*
Thou ever-blooming spring flower,*
Thou rose without thorns,*
Thou chaste dove without the stain of sin,*
Thou earthly seraph,*
Thou living sanctuary,*
Thou strong protection of all who venerate thee,*
Jesus Christ, Spouse of Saint Gertrude,
Have mercy on us.**
Through her humility,**
Through her charity,**
Through her untiring patience,**
Through the ardent love she bore Thee,**
Through the delight with which Thou didst dwell in her heart,**
Through the love Thou hast for her,**
Through the love with which Thou hast chosen her from eternity,**
Through the love with which Thou didst so sweetly attract her to Thyself,**
Through the love with which Thou so delightfully didst unite her to Thyself,**
Through the love with which Thou so complacently dwelt in her heart,**
Through the love with which Thou didst end her life with a happy death,**
Through the love with which Thou hast conferred on her eternal life,**
Through the love with which Thou lovest and rejoicest all the Blessed,**
Jesus Christ,**
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world:
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world:
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world:
Have mercy on us.
Pray for us, O holy virgin Saint Gertrude:
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray.
O Lord Jesus, by the love Thou didst bear to the virginal heart of Saint Gertrude, and by which Thou hast promised that no sinner, who would honor and love her, should die a sudden and unprovided death: grant me, I beseech Thee, this grace, and let me so love Thee, and repent of my sins, that with faith and confidence I may expect a happy death.
O God, Who in the heart of the holy virgin Gertrude didst provide for Thyself a pleasing abode: through her merits, do Thou cleanse from our hearts every stain of sin, and grant that we may enjoy fellowship with her for evermore. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
O blessed St. Gertrude! permit us to choose thee as a perfect model of those virtues which God requires, especially from all religious, that assisted by thy prayers, we may correspond with the grace of our vocation. O seraphic spouse of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, thou didst early select that adorable sanctuary for thy dwelling and refuge. There thy angelic soul was purified, and raised by sublime contemplation to an intimate union with thy Divine Spouse. In that furnace of Eternal Love, where thy heart was consumed, and all thy sacrifices rewarded, thou didst enjoy a foretaste of Paradise, and such sweet consolations as seemed rather the portion of the blessed in Heaven, than the elect on Earth! O favorite of Heaven! well didst thou feel how sweet it is to serve God, despising the World! O teach us, what thou didst so perfectly practice, that holy poverty of spirit, that perfect obedience, and that ardent devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which sanctified thee on Earth, and now glorifies thee in Heaven. Present us now, dear saint, and our earnest petition to Jesus, and ask Him to unite us in life and death to His Adorable Heart. Who with the Father, liveth and reigneth in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen
O God, Who in the heart of the holy virgin Gertrude didst provide for Thyself a pleasing abode: through her merits, do Thou cleanse from our hearts every stain of sin, and grant that we may enjoy fellowship with her for evermore. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
O blessed St. Gertrude! permit us to choose thee as a perfect model of those virtues which God requires, especially from all religious, that assisted by thy prayers, we may correspond with the grace of our vocation. O seraphic spouse of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, thou didst early select that adorable sanctuary for thy dwelling and refuge. There thy angelic soul was purified, and raised by sublime contemplation to an intimate union with thy Divine Spouse. In that furnace of Eternal Love, where thy heart was consumed, and all thy sacrifices rewarded, thou didst enjoy a foretaste of Paradise, and such sweet consolations as seemed rather the portion of the blessed in Heaven, than the elect on Earth! O favorite of Heaven! well didst thou feel how sweet it is to serve God, despising the World! O teach us, what thou didst so perfectly practice, that holy poverty of spirit, that perfect obedience, and that ardent devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which sanctified thee on Earth, and now glorifies thee in Heaven. Present us now, dear saint, and our earnest petition to Jesus, and ask Him to unite us in life and death to His Adorable Heart. Who with the Father, liveth and reigneth in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen
Prayer of Saint Gertrude the Great
for the Souls in Purgatory (said to release 1000 souls)
for the Souls in Purgatory (said to release 1000 souls)
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen
Today's Mass Readings and Video : Mon. November 16, 2015
Monday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 497
Reading 11 MC 1:10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-63
[From the descendants of Alexander’s officers]
there sprang a sinful offshoot, Antiochus Epiphanes,
son of King Antiochus, once a hostage at Rome.
He became king in the year one hundred and thirty seven
of the kingdom of the Greeks.
In those days there appeared in Israel
men who were breakers of the law,
and they seduced many people, saying:
“Let us go and make an alliance with the Gentiles all around us;
since we separated from them, many evils have come upon us.”
The proposal was agreeable;
some from among the people promptly went to the king,
and he authorized them to introduce the way of living
of the Gentiles.
Thereupon they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem
according to the Gentile custom.
They covered over the mark of their circumcision
and abandoned the holy covenant;
they allied themselves with the Gentiles
and sold themselves to wrongdoing.
Then the king wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people,
each abandoning his particular customs.
All the Gentiles conformed to the command of the king,
and many children of Israel were in favor of his religion;
they sacrificed to idols and profaned the sabbath.
On the fifteenth day of the month Chislev,
in the year one hundred and forty-five,
the king erected the horrible abomination
upon the altar of burnt offerings
and in the surrounding cities of Judah they built pagan altars.
They also burned incense at the doors of the houses and in the streets.
Any scrolls of the law which they found they tore up and burnt.
Whoever was found with a scroll of the covenant,
and whoever observed the law,
was condemned to death by royal decree.
But many in Israel were determined
and resolved in their hearts not to eat anything unclean;
they preferred to die rather than to be defiled with unclean food
or to profane the holy covenant; and they did die.
Terrible affliction was upon Israel.
there sprang a sinful offshoot, Antiochus Epiphanes,
son of King Antiochus, once a hostage at Rome.
He became king in the year one hundred and thirty seven
of the kingdom of the Greeks.
In those days there appeared in Israel
men who were breakers of the law,
and they seduced many people, saying:
“Let us go and make an alliance with the Gentiles all around us;
since we separated from them, many evils have come upon us.”
The proposal was agreeable;
some from among the people promptly went to the king,
and he authorized them to introduce the way of living
of the Gentiles.
Thereupon they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem
according to the Gentile custom.
They covered over the mark of their circumcision
and abandoned the holy covenant;
they allied themselves with the Gentiles
and sold themselves to wrongdoing.
Then the king wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people,
each abandoning his particular customs.
All the Gentiles conformed to the command of the king,
and many children of Israel were in favor of his religion;
they sacrificed to idols and profaned the sabbath.
On the fifteenth day of the month Chislev,
in the year one hundred and forty-five,
the king erected the horrible abomination
upon the altar of burnt offerings
and in the surrounding cities of Judah they built pagan altars.
They also burned incense at the doors of the houses and in the streets.
Any scrolls of the law which they found they tore up and burnt.
Whoever was found with a scroll of the covenant,
and whoever observed the law,
was condemned to death by royal decree.
But many in Israel were determined
and resolved in their hearts not to eat anything unclean;
they preferred to die rather than to be defiled with unclean food
or to profane the holy covenant; and they did die.
Terrible affliction was upon Israel.
Responsorial PsalmPS 119:53, 61, 134, 150, 155, 158
R. (see 88) Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
Indignation seizes me because of the wicked
who forsake your law.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
Though the snares of the wicked are twined about me,
your law I have not forgotten.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
Redeem me from the oppression of men,
that I may keep your precepts.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
I am attacked by malicious persecutors
who are far from your law.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
Far from sinners is salvation,
because they seek not your statutes.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
I beheld the apostates with loathing,
because they kept not to your promise.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Indignation seizes me because of the wicked
who forsake your law.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
Though the snares of the wicked are twined about me,
your law I have not forgotten.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
Redeem me from the oppression of men,
that I may keep your precepts.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
I am attacked by malicious persecutors
who are far from your law.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
Far from sinners is salvation,
because they seek not your statutes.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
I beheld the apostates with loathing,
because they kept not to your promise.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
AlleluiaJN 8:12
R. Alleluia, alleluia.I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 18:35-43
As Jesus approached Jericho
a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging,
and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening.
They told him,
“Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”
He shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!”
The people walking in front rebuked him,
telling him to be silent,
but he kept calling out all the more,
“Son of David, have pity on me!”
Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him;
and when he came near, Jesus asked him,
“What do you want me to do for you?”
He replied, “Lord, please let me see.”
Jesus told him, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.”
He immediately received his sight
and followed him, giving glory to God.
When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.
a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging,
and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening.
They told him,
“Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”
He shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!”
The people walking in front rebuked him,
telling him to be silent,
but he kept calling out all the more,
“Son of David, have pity on me!”
Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him;
and when he came near, Jesus asked him,
“What do you want me to do for you?”
He replied, “Lord, please let me see.”
Jesus told him, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.”
He immediately received his sight
and followed him, giving glory to God.
When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.
Saint November 16 : St. Gertrude the Great : #Benedictine : Patron of #Nuns, #Travellers, West Indies
St. Gertrude the Great
BENEDICTINE AND MYSTIC WRITER
Feast: November 16
Information:
Feast Day:
November 16
Born:
6 January 1256 at Eisleben, Germany
Died:
November 17, 1302, Helfta, Germany
Canonized:
received equipotent canonization, and a universal feast day declared in 1677 by Pope Clement XII
Patron of:
nuns, travellers, West Indies
Memorial: November 16 - in Germany: November 17 Also known as: Getrude; Gertrud the Great of Helfta, Gertrude the Great Saint Gertrude is one of the greatest and most wonderful saints in the Church of God. Gertrude was born January 6, 1256, in Eisleben, Thuringia ((part of modern Germany). When she was about 5 years old, she became a student at the Benedictine monastery at Helfta, near Eisleben (southwest of Magdeburg, Germany). The Abbess at the time was Gertrude of Hackerborn a woman who ensured that both spiritual and intellectual life flourished. The child Gertrude was put in the care of Mechthilde (became later a Saint), the sister of the Abbess who was head of the school associated with the monastery. Gertrude studied the Scriptures, the Liturgy, and the writings of the Fathers of the Church.
Her life was crowded with wonders. She has in obedience recorded some of her visions, in which she traces in words of indescribable beauty the intimate converse of her soul with Jesus and Mary. Gertrude had her first vision of Christ at the age of twenty-six. She tells us that she heard Christ say to her, "Do not fear. I will save you and set you free." This was the first in a series of visions that transformed her life. From then on, she spent many hours reading the bible and writing essays on the word of God. When she was asked to write about her experiences, she claimed that it would serve no purpose. When she was told that her words would encourage others, Gertrude agreed to write spiritual autobiography. Gertrude committed to writing many of her mystical experiences in the book commonly called the "Revelations of Saint Gertrude." These Revelations form one of the classics of Catholic writing. And although they would have to be classified as “mystical literature,” their message is clear and obvious, for this book states many of the secrets of Heaven in terms that all can understand. Recorded here are Saint Gertrude's many conversations with Our Lord, wherein He reveals His great desire to grant mercy to souls and to reward the least good act. In the course of their conversations, He reveals wonderful spiritual “shortcuts” that will help everyone in his or her spiritual life. She also composed many prayers, ‘sweeter than the honeycomb’, and many other examples of spiritual liturgically inspired Exercitia spiritualia is a gem still awaiting in-depth analysis.
But Gertrud’s most important legacy is universally acknowledged to be the Legatus memorialis abundantiae divinae pietatis, or Herald of the Memorial of the Abundance of Divine Love. This complex work, usually abbreviated in English to The Herald of Divine Love, is worthy of attention both in itself and as a fascinating test case for the study of medieval women’s theology. Another most important book is “The spiritual exercises”. Through her writings helped spread devotion to the Sacred Heart. She meditated on the Passion of Christ which many times brought a flood of tears to her eyes. She had a tender love for Our Lady.
During the long illness of five months from which she would die, she gave not the slightest sign of impatience or sadness; her joy, on the contrary, increased with her pains. When the day of her death arrived, November 17, 1302, she saw the Most Blessed Virgin descend from heaven to assist her, and one of her Sisters perceived her soul going straight to the Heart of Jesus, which opened to receive it. Saint Gertrude died at Helfta monastery of natural causes.
She is properly known as Saint Gertrude for, although never formally canonized, she was equipollently canonized in 1677 by Pope Clement XII when he inserted her name in the Roman Martyrology. Her feast was set for November 16. Pope Benedict XIV gave her the title "the Great" to distinguish her from Abbess Gertrude of Hackeborn and to recognize the depth of her spiritual and theological insight.
When the community was transferred in 1346 to the monastery of New Helfta, the present Trud-Kloster, within the walls of Eisleben, they still retained possession of their old home, where doubtless the bodies of Saint Gertrude and Saint Mechtilde still buried, though their place of sepulture remains unknown.
Saint Gertrud and Saint Mechtilde:
When Gertrude was five years old, she was placed in the care of Mechtilde. She became the first teacher of Gertrude. They became close friends, and Mechtildis (Mechtilde), who had mystical experiences of her own, helped Gertrude with her Book of Special Graces (also called The Revelations of St. Mechtildis), and the two Saints collaborated on a series of prayers. Mechtidle died November 19, 1298 at Helfta monastery of natural causes. Text shared from MaryPages
Her life was crowded with wonders. She has in obedience recorded some of her visions, in which she traces in words of indescribable beauty the intimate converse of her soul with Jesus and Mary. Gertrude had her first vision of Christ at the age of twenty-six. She tells us that she heard Christ say to her, "Do not fear. I will save you and set you free." This was the first in a series of visions that transformed her life. From then on, she spent many hours reading the bible and writing essays on the word of God. When she was asked to write about her experiences, she claimed that it would serve no purpose. When she was told that her words would encourage others, Gertrude agreed to write spiritual autobiography. Gertrude committed to writing many of her mystical experiences in the book commonly called the "Revelations of Saint Gertrude." These Revelations form one of the classics of Catholic writing. And although they would have to be classified as “mystical literature,” their message is clear and obvious, for this book states many of the secrets of Heaven in terms that all can understand. Recorded here are Saint Gertrude's many conversations with Our Lord, wherein He reveals His great desire to grant mercy to souls and to reward the least good act. In the course of their conversations, He reveals wonderful spiritual “shortcuts” that will help everyone in his or her spiritual life. She also composed many prayers, ‘sweeter than the honeycomb’, and many other examples of spiritual liturgically inspired Exercitia spiritualia is a gem still awaiting in-depth analysis.
But Gertrud’s most important legacy is universally acknowledged to be the Legatus memorialis abundantiae divinae pietatis, or Herald of the Memorial of the Abundance of Divine Love. This complex work, usually abbreviated in English to The Herald of Divine Love, is worthy of attention both in itself and as a fascinating test case for the study of medieval women’s theology. Another most important book is “The spiritual exercises”. Through her writings helped spread devotion to the Sacred Heart. She meditated on the Passion of Christ which many times brought a flood of tears to her eyes. She had a tender love for Our Lady.
During the long illness of five months from which she would die, she gave not the slightest sign of impatience or sadness; her joy, on the contrary, increased with her pains. When the day of her death arrived, November 17, 1302, she saw the Most Blessed Virgin descend from heaven to assist her, and one of her Sisters perceived her soul going straight to the Heart of Jesus, which opened to receive it. Saint Gertrude died at Helfta monastery of natural causes.
She is properly known as Saint Gertrude for, although never formally canonized, she was equipollently canonized in 1677 by Pope Clement XII when he inserted her name in the Roman Martyrology. Her feast was set for November 16. Pope Benedict XIV gave her the title "the Great" to distinguish her from Abbess Gertrude of Hackeborn and to recognize the depth of her spiritual and theological insight.
When the community was transferred in 1346 to the monastery of New Helfta, the present Trud-Kloster, within the walls of Eisleben, they still retained possession of their old home, where doubtless the bodies of Saint Gertrude and Saint Mechtilde still buried, though their place of sepulture remains unknown.
Saint Gertrud and Saint Mechtilde:
When Gertrude was five years old, she was placed in the care of Mechtilde. She became the first teacher of Gertrude. They became close friends, and Mechtildis (Mechtilde), who had mystical experiences of her own, helped Gertrude with her Book of Special Graces (also called The Revelations of St. Mechtildis), and the two Saints collaborated on a series of prayers. Mechtidle died November 19, 1298 at Helfta monastery of natural causes. Text shared from MaryPages
Saint November 16 : St. Margaret of Scotland : Patron of death of #Children, #Queens, #Scotland, Widows
St. Margaret of Scotland
QUEEN OF SCOTLAND
Feast: November 16
Information:
Feast Day:
November 16
Born:
1045, Castle Réka, Mecseknádasd, in the region of Southern Transdanubia, Hungary
Died:
16 November 1093, St Margaret's Chapel in Edinburgh Castle, Midlothian, Scotland
Canonized:
1251 by Pope Innocent IV
Major Shrine:
Dunfermline Abbey
Patron of:
death of children, large families, learning, queens, Scotland, widows
c. 1045 - 1093
Margaret, despite her appellation, was born a Saxon in 1046 and raised in Hungary. She came to England in 1066 when her uncle, King Edward the Confessor, died and Margaret's brother, Edgar Atheling, decided to make a claim to the English throne. The English nobles preferred Harold of Wessex over Edgar, but later that year Duke William of Normandy made it all rather a moot point by invading England and establishing himself as King. Many members of the English nobility sought refuge in the court of King Malcolm III Canmore of Scotland, who had himself been an exile in England during the reign of Macbeth. Among the English refugees were Margaret and Edgar. While King Malcom was hospitable to all his new guests, he was rather more hospitable to Margaret, marrying her in 1070 to make her Queen of Scotland.
Margaret impressed not only Malcolm but many other members of the Scottish Court both for her knowledge of continental customs gained in the court of Hungary, and also for her piety. She became highly influential, both indirectly by her influence on Malcolm as well as through direct activities on her part. Prominent among these activities was religious reform. Margaret instigated reforms within the Scottish church, as well as development of closer ties to the larger Roman Church in order to avoid a schism between the Celtic Church and Rome. Further, Margaret was a patroness both of the c�lid�, Scottish Christian hermits, and also the Benedictine Order. Although Benedictine monks were prominent throughout western continental Europe, there were previously no Benedictine monasteries known to exist in Scotland. Margaret therefore invited English Benedictine monks to establish monasteries in her kingdom.
On the more secular side, Margaret introduced continental fashions, manners, and ceremony to the Scottish court. The popularization of continental fashions had the side-effect of introducing foreign merchants to Scotland, increasing economic ties and communication between Scotland and the continent. Margaret was also a patroness of the arts and education. Further, Malcolm sought Maragret's advice on matters of state, and together with other English exiles Margaret was influential in introducing English-style feudalism and parliament to Scotland.
Margaret was also active in works of charity. Margaret frequently visited and cared for the sick, and on a larger scale had hostels constructed for the poor. She was also in the habit, particularly during Advent and Lent, of holding feasts for as many as 300 commoners in the royal castle.
King Malcolm, meanwhile, was engaged in a contest with William the Conqueror over Northumbria and Cambria. After an unsuccessful 1070 invasion by Malcom into Northumbria followed by an unsuccessful 1072 invasion by William into Scotland, Malcom paid William homage, resulting in temporary peace. William further made assurance of this peace by demanding Malcolm's eldest son Donald (by Malcolm's previous wife Ingibjorg) as a hostage. Time passed, William the Conqueror died, and The Conqueror's son William Rufus took the throne of England. Hostilities again arose between Scotland and England, and in the ensuing unpleasantness Malcolm was killed along with Edward, the eldest son of Malcom and Margaret.
Margaret had already been ill when Malcolm and Edward went off to battle. Her surviving children tried to hide the fact of their deaths, for fear of worsening her condition. But Margaret learnt the truth, and whether due to her illness or a broken heart, Margaret died four days after her husband and son, on November 16, 1093.
The death of both King and Queen led, unfortunately, to yet another unpleasant disagreement, this time over who should take their places on the throne. The most likely candidate was Malcom's eldest son Donald, the one who had been taken hostage by William the Conqueror. This was also the favorite candidate of William Rufus, for during his stay in England Donald had developed a favorable view of the Normans. However, Donald's claim to the throne was contested by Malcom's brother, Donald B�n, together with Malcom and Margaret's son Edmund. Donald B�n was opposed to having a Norman sympathizer on the throne of Scotland, and claimed the throne for himself. Both Donald MacMalcom and Donald B�n held the throne briefly, and lost it violently, before Edgar, son of Malcom and Margaret, came to the throne. He was succeeded by his brothers, Alexander and David. Alexander smoothed over relations with England by marrying the daughter of King Henry I and arranging for Henry to marry Alexander's sister Matilda. Edgar and David carried on their mother's reputation for sanctity, both in their service to the poor and their patronage of religious orders, and David was later canonized. Quite a celebrated family when you consider that Margaret's uncle is also known as Saint Edward the Confessor.
Margaret herself was declared a saint in 1250, particularly for her work for religious reform and her charitable works. She herself was considered to be an exemplar of the just ruler, and also influenced her husband and children to be just and holy rulers. She was further declared Patroness of Scotland in 1673.
Feast Day: June 10 (celebrated November 16 in Scotland)
Sources - Barrow, G.W.S. The Kingdom of the Scots. Edward Arnold, London, 1973.
- Glover, J.R. The Story of Scotland. Faber and Faber, London, 1960.
- Mitchison, R. A History of Scotland. Methuen & Co., London, 1970.
- Thurston, H.J., Attwater, D. Butler's Lives of the Saints. Christian Classics, Inc., Westminster, MD 1938.
- Text SHARED from Pitt.edu
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