Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 11-16-13, OM, St. Gertrude; St. Margaret of Scotland

St. Gertrude, Virgin

Saint Gertrude, Virgin
Optional Memorial
November 16th

Jacinto Vieira
St. Gertrude
1725 - Painted Wood
Monastery Church, Aruca

(1256-1301) Born in Eisleben, Germany, Saint Gertrude was received into the Cistercian convent. She studied literature and philosophy and devoted herself as well to prayer and contemplation. In cooperation with her close friend and fellow mystic Saint Mechtildis, St. Gertrude wrote a compilation of prayers that became very popular. She introduced the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus which, centuries later, would spread throughout the Church.

Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003

BENEDICT XVI GENERAL AUDIENCE
Saint Peter's Square, Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Saint Gertrude the Great
Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Our catechesis today focuses on Saint Gertrude the Great, a remarkable figure associated with the monastery of Helfta, where so many masterpieces of religious literature were born. Saint Gertrude is the only woman of Germanic descent to be called “Great”, an honour due to her exceptional natural and supernatural gifts. As a youth, Gertrude was intelligent, strong and decisive, but also impulsive. With humility she asked others for advice and prayer. Eventually, she experienced a deep conversion: in her studies she passed from worldly pursuits to the sacred sciences, and in her monastic observance she moved from concern with external things to a life of intense prayer. In her writings, she sought to explain the truths of the faith with clarity and simplicity, while not failing to develop spiritual themes associated with Divine Love. In her religious practice, she pursued prayer with devotion and faithful abandonment to God. Dear friends, may we learn from Saint Gertrude the Great how to love Christ and His Church with humility and faith, and to cultivate our personal prayer through an intense participation in the Holy Mass and the sacred liturgy.

Collect:
O God, who prepared a delightful dwelling for yourself
in the heart of the Virgin Saint Gertrude,
graciously bring light, through her intercession,
to the darkness of our hearts,
that we may joyfully experience you present and at work within us.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.

First Reading: Ephesians 3:14-19
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fulness of God. Now to Him who by the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.

Gospel: John 15:1-8
"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of Mine that bears no fruit, He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in Me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.

St. Gertrude Prayer:

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

On St. Gertrude
SAINT GERTRUDE Abbess of Eisleben (1264-1334) SAINT EDMUND Archbishop of Canterbury (†1240)
During Month of Souls, Recall Mystic, St. Gerturde the Great
Saint Gertrude The Great

St. Margaret of Scotland

Saint Margaret of Scotland
Optional Memorial
November 16th

unknown source

History | Collect& Readings

Saint Margaret - Patroness of Scotland

Margaret Atheling, though by birth a Saxon princess, was born in Hungary around 1045, where her father, Edward Atheling ("the Exile"), had been sent in infancy for protection in the court of King (Saint) Stephen of Hungary, following the death of his father, King Edmund, and the invasion of the Danish Canute. Edward married a niece of St. Stephen, Agatha, and they had three children, Edgar, Margaret and Christina. Canute died in 1035, and his sons reigned for seven more years before Edward the Confessor returned from exile in Normandy to re-establish the Anglo-Saxon throne from the Danes' rule.

When Margaret was about ten years old, the saintly King Edward, who never married, brought the exiled family back to England, probably in order to secure the succession; however her father died as soon as they arrived, so her brother Edgar became heir-apparent.

Edward had also sheltered another prince in his court, Malcolm III of Scotland. After Macbeth murdered his father, Duncan, Malcolm was sent to Edward for safety, where he remained for fourteen years, and there surely met Margaret, who would later become his Queen.

The young princess had been educated by the Benedictines in Hungary, and could read Latin at an early age. In England Margaret (whose name derives from margon, "pearl") became known for her devout faith and the beauty of her nature. Her biographer and confessor, Turgot, wrote, "Many have got their name from a quality of their mind. The same was true of this virtuous woman, for the fairness pre-shadowed in her name was eclipsed in the surpassing of her soul". (This biography by her confessor Turgot, a monk of Durham who later became Bishop of St. Andrews, was written at the request of Margaret's daughter Matilda, who married Henry I of England, son of William the Conquerer.)

After the saintly King Edward's death in 1066 he was buried in Westminster Abbey, which he had built. His successor, Harold, was soon defeated at the Battle of Hastings by William of Normandy "the Conquerer".

Margaret and her family were again in danger, and intended to return to Hungary; however, their boat was carried by North Sea winds to Scotland, where they found refuge in the court of Malcolm. Though Margaret originally wished to become a nun (her sister, Christina did enter a convent), Malcolm persuaded her to marry him (in 1097), and through her influence the kingdom was transformed from a remote and barbaric outpost to a beacon of Christian culture. Her charity to the poor, perticularly to children and the elderly, was unparalleled. (Not only did she feed and clothe the many beggars who presented themselves, but she and Malcolm personally washed the feet of these impoverished visitors.)

Malcolm and Margaret had eight children, who were carefully educated and instructed in the Christian faith, and who never wavered in their own fidelity to the Catholic Church. Her sons and grandsons would rule Scotland for 200 years. One son, David, is also a saint especially revered in Scotland. It was he who built a tiny stone chapel for his mother at Edinburgh Castle, where she heard Mass on the day she died. (Completely restored in the 19th century, the little chapel is a gem of Romanesque architecture, and is used today mostly for weddings.)

She initiated an authentic reform of the Scottish Church, which had been in decline and corrupted by abuses of the celebration of Mass and bad leaders, rebuilt and re-established decayed monasteries at Iona and Dumferline, embellished churches with beautiful artifacts -- including embroidered vestments in a style she learned from Hungary (many of which she embrodered herself). She spent many hours in prayer, said the Divine Office daily, using beautifully illuminated books which Malcolm (who couldn't read himself) gave her. In sum, she fostered a renaissance of Catholic belief, learning and culture in Scotland.

Already gravely ill, Margaret died after learning that her beloved husband, Malcolm, and son Edgar had been killed in battle -- on November 16, 1093. She was buried at Dumferline, which instantly became a pilgimage site. Later a shrine was built in the church at Dumferline, and she was officially canonized by Pope Innocent IV in 1249. Her feast day was establshed as June 10 on the Roman calender of saints, though it has always been celebrated in Scotland on November 16. Only the base of the shrine remains today, however. The abbey at Dumferline was destroyed by Reformers in the sixteenth century. The monks had had her and Malcolm's remains removed to Douay, France.

Collect:
O God, who made Saint Margaret of Scotland wonderful
in her outstanding charity towards the poor,
grant that through her intercession and example
we may reflect among all humanity
the image of your divine goodness.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.

First Reading: Isaiah 58:6-11
"Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, Here I am. "If you take away from the midst of you the yoke, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your desire with good things, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

Gospel: John 15:9-17
As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give it to you. This I command you, to love one another.

St Margaret of Scotland
Our Anglican Roots: St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland

Information: Saint Gertrude the Great

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, travelers, West Indies

Information: St. Margaret of Scotland 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

Interactive Saints for Kids

St. Margaret of Scotland

Feast Day: November 16
Born: 1046 :: Died: 1093

Margaret was an English princess who was born in Hungary and was the great-niece of St. Stephen of Hungary. She and her mother sailed to Scotland to escape from the king who had conquered their land.

They got ship wrecked on the Scottish coast and King Malcolm of Scotland welcomed them. He fell in love with the beautiful princess and Margaret and Malcolm were soon married. They had eight children, six sons and two daughters and they loved their children very much.

Margaret changed her husband and the country for the better. Malcolm was good, but he and his court were very rough. When he saw how wise his wife was, he willingly listened to her good advice.

Margaret helped him control his temper and practice the Christian virtues. She made the court beautiful and civilized. The king and queen were wonderful examples because of the way they prayed together and treated each other. They fed crowds of poor people. They tried very hard to imitate Jesus in their own lives.

Margaret was a blessing for all the people of Scotland. Many people had bad habits that kept them from growing closer to God. Margaret worked hard to find good teachers to help the people correct their evil ways.

She and Malcolm had new churches built. She loved to make the churches beautiful to honor God. In fact, Queen Margaret embroidered some of the priests' robes herself.

Their youngest son became St. David and one of their daughters St. Maud. But Margaret had sorrows, too. She was very ill, and she learned that both her husband and her son, Edward, had been killed in battle. They died just four days before Margaret's death. She died on November 16, 1093.

Luke
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Luke 18
1.	AND he spoke also a parable to them, that we ought always to pray, and not to faint,	Dicebat autem et parabolam ad illos, quoniam oportet semper orare et non deficere,	ελεγεν δε και παραβολην αυτοις προς το δειν παντοτε προσευχεσθαι και μη εκκακειν
2.	Saying: There was a judge in a certain city, who feared not God, nor regarded man.	dicens : Judex quidam erat in quadam civitate, qui Deum non timebat, et hominem non reverebatur.	λεγων κριτης τις ην εν τινι πολει τον θεον μη φοβουμενος και ανθρωπον μη εντρεπομενος
3.	And there was a certain widow in that city, and she came to him, saying: Avenge me of my adversary.	Vidua autem quædam erat in civitate illa, et veniebat ad eum, dicens : Vindica me de adversario meo.	χηρα δε ην εν τη πολει εκεινη και ηρχετο προς αυτον λεγουσα εκδικησον με απο του αντιδικου μου
4.	And he would not for a long time. But afterwards he said within himself: Although I fear not God, nor regard man,	Et nolebat per multum tempus. Post hæc autem dixit intra se : Etsi Deum non timeo, nec hominem revereor :	και ουκ ηθελησεν επι χρονον μετα δε ταυτα ειπεν εν εαυτω ει και τον θεον ου φοβουμαι και ανθρωπον ουκ εντρεπομαι
5.	Yet because this widow is troublesome to me, I will avenge her, lest continually coming she weary me.	tamen quia molesta est mihi hæc vidua, vindicabo illam, ne in novissimo veniens sugillet me.	δια γε το παρεχειν μοι κοπον την χηραν ταυτην εκδικησω αυτην ινα μη εις τελος ερχομενη υποπιαζη με
6.	And the Lord said: Hear what the unjust judge saith.	Ait autem Dominus : Audite quid judex iniquitatis dicit :	ειπεν δε ο κυριος ακουσατε τι ο κριτης της αδικιας λεγει
7.	And will not God revenge his elect who cry to him day and night: and will he have patience in their regard?	Deus autem non faciet vindictam electorum suorum clamantium ad se die ac nocte, et patientiam habebit in illis ?	ο δε θεος ου μη ποιηση την εκδικησιν των εκλεκτων αυτου των βοωντων προς αυτον ημερας και νυκτος και μακροθυμων επ αυτοις
8.	I say to you, that he will quickly revenge them. But yet the Son of man, when he cometh, shall he find, think you, faith on earth?	Dico vobis quia cito faciet vindictam illorum. Verumtamen Filius hominis veniens, putas, inveniet fidem in terra ?	λεγω υμιν οτι ποιησει την εκδικησιν αυτων εν ταχει πλην ο υιος του ανθρωπου ελθων αρα ευρησει την πιστιν επι της γης

1. And he spoke a parable to them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
2. Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
3. And there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
4. And he would not for a while: but afterwards he said within himself; Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
5. Yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
6. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge said.
7. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night to him, though he bear long with them?
8. I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man comes, shall he find faith on the earth?

THEOPHYL. Our Lord having spoken of the trials and dangers which were coming, adds immediately afterward their remedy, namely, constant and earnest prayer.

CHRYS. He who has redeemed you, has shown you what He would have you do. He would have you be instant in prayer, He would have you ponder in your heart the blessings you are praying for, He would have you ask and receive what His goodness is longing to impart. He never refuses His blessings to them that pray, but rather stirs men up by His mercy not to faint in praying. Gladly accept the Lord's encouragement: be willing to do what He commands, not to do what He forbids. Lastly, consider what a blessed privilege is granted you, to talk with God in your prayers, and make known to Him all your wants, while He though not in words, yet by His mercy, answers you, for He despises not petitions, He tires not but when you are silent.

BEDE; We should say that he is always praying, and faints not, who never fails to pray at the canonical hours. Or all things which the righteous man does and says towards God, are to be counted as praying.

AUG. Our Lord utters His parables, either for the sake of the comparison, as in the instance of the creditor, who when forgiving his two debtors all that they owed him was most loved by him who owed him most; or on account of the contrast, from which he draws his conclusion; as, for example, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith. So also here when he brings forward the case of the unjust judge.

THEOPHYL. We may observe, that irreverence towards man is a token of a greater degree of wickedness. For as many as fear not God, yet are restrained by their shame before men, are so far the less sinful; but when a man becomes reckless also of other men, the burden of his sins is greatly increased.

It follows, And there was a widow in that city.

AUG. The widow may be said to resemble the Church, which appears desolate until the Lord shall come, who now secretly watches over her. But in the following words, And she came to him, saying, Avenge me, &c. we are told the reason why the elect of God pray that they may be avenged; which we find also said of the martyrs in the Revelations of St. John, though at the same time we are very plainly reminded to pray for our enemies and persecutors. This avenging of the righteous then we must understand to be, that the wicked may perish. And they perish in two ways, either by conversion to righteousness, or by punishment having lost the opportunity of conversion. Although, if all men were converted to God, there would still remain the devil to be condemned at the end of the world. And since the righteous are longing for this end to come, they are not unreasonably said to desire vengeance.

CYRIL; Or else; Whenever men inflict injury upon us, we must then think it a noble thing to be forgetful of the evil; but when they offend against the glory of God by taking up arms against the ministers of God's ordinance, we then approach God imploring His help, and loudly rebuking them who impugn His glory.

AUG. If then with the most unjust judge, the perseverance of the suppliant at length prevailed even to the fulfillment of her desire, how much more confident ought they to feel who cease not to pray to God, the Fountain of justice and mercy?

And so it follows. And the Lord said, Hear what, &c.

THEOPHYL. As if He said, If perseverance could melt a judge defiled with every sin, how much more shall our prayers incline to mercy God the Father of all mercies! But some have given a more subtle meaning to the parable, saying, that the widow is a soul that has put off the old man, (that is, the devil,) who is her adversary, because she approaches God, the righteous Judge, who neither fears (because He is God alone) nor regards man, for with God there is no respect of persons. Upon the widow then, or soul ever supplicating Him against the devil, God shows mercy, and is softened by her importunity.

After having taught us that we must in the last days resort to prayer because of the dangers that are coming, our Lord adds, Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, shall he find faith on the earth?

AUG. Our Lord speaks this of perfect faith, which is seldom found on earth. See how full the Church of God is; were there no faith, who would enter it? Were there perfect faith, who would not move mountains?

BEDE; When the Almighty Creator shall appear in the form of the Son of man, so scarce will the elect be, that not so much the cries of the faithful as the torpor of the others will hasten the world's fall. Our Lord speaks then as it were doubtfully, not that He really is in doubt, but to reprove us; just as we sometimes, in a matter of certainty, might use the words of doubt, as, for instance, in chiding a servant, "Remember, am I not your master?"

AUG. Our Lord adds this to show, that when faith fails, prayer dies. In order to pray then, we must have faith, and that our faith fail not, we must pray. Faith pours forth prayer, and the pouring forth of the heart in prayer gives steadfastness to faith.

Catena Aurea Luke 18

Jesus Christ the Wisdom of God

Greek

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Saturday, November 16

Liturgical Color: Green

Today is the optional memorial of St.
Gertrude the Great, virgin. Beginning in
1282, St. Gertrude experienced visions
of Jesus encouraging her to write
prayers and spread devotion
to the Sacred Heart. She is the patron
of nuns and travelers.

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for:November 16, 2013
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: O God, who made Saint Margaret of Scotland wonderful in her outstanding charity towards the poor, grant that through her intercession and example we may reflect among all humanity the image of your divine goodness. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

O God, who prepared a delightful dwelling for yourself in the heart of the Virgin Saint Gertrude, graciously bring light, through her intercession, to the darkness of our hearts, that we may joyfully experience you present and at work within us. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RECIPES

o 'Braveheart' Cock-A-Leekie Soup

o Crown Cake

o Genoise Book Cake

o Heart Cake (cut-up)

o Nun's Lemon Layer Cake

o Scottish Oat Scones

ACTIVITIES

o What is a Nameday?

o Nameday Ideas for the Feast of St. Gertrude the Great

o Nameday Ideas for the Feast of St. Margaret of Scotland

PRAYERS

o Consecration to the Sacred Heart

o Married Couple's Prayer to the Sacred Heart

o Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Home

o Explanation of the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart

o Devotion to the Sacred Heart

o Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

o Litany of St. Gertrude the Great

LIBRARY

o Gertrude: The Only Female Saint to Be Called 'The Great' | Paolo Rossi

· Ordinary Time: November 16th

· Optional Memorials of St. Margaret of Scotland; St. Gertrude, virgin

Old Calendar: St. Gertrude; St. Mechtilde (Hist)

St. Margaret (c. 1045-1093) was the great-niece of St. Edward the Confessor. She was a Saxon princess, raised in Hungary in exile. Returning to England, she had to flee once again after the Battle of Hastings, to the court of Malcolm, the King of Scotland, whom she married shortly thereafter. She proved to be a model mother and exemplary queen who brought up her eight children in an atmosphere of great devotion and worked hard to improve the morality of her subjects.

St. Gertrude, a Benedictine nun of the monastery of Helfta, in Saxony, is one of the great mystics of the Middle Ages. She was favored by visions of our Savior and has left a marvelous account of them in a book which she called Revelations. St. Gertrude introduced the devotion to the Sacred Heart which, four centuries later, St. Margaret Mary spread throughout the Church. She died at the beginning of the thirteenth century.

According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, June 10 is the feast day of St. Margaret of Scotland.

St. Margaret of Scotland

She was born in Hungary (1046), where her father was living in exile, and likewise spent her childhood there as an unusually devout and pious girl. In the course of time she went to England, when her father was called to high office in his fatherland by his uncle, King St. Edward III. Fortune, however, soon reversed itself again (Margaret's father died suddenly in 1057), and upon leaving England a mighty storm — or better, divine Providence — brought her to the shores of Scotland. Upon instructions from her mother, Margaret married Malcolm III, king of Scotland, in 1069. The country was blessed by her holy life and by her deeds of charity for the next thirty years. Her eight children she zealously trained in the practice of Christian virtues.

In the midst of royal splendor Margaret chastised her flesh by mortification and vigils and passed the greater part of the night in devout prayer. Her most remarkable virtue was love of neighbor, particularly love toward the poor. Her alms supported countless unfortunates; daily she provided food for three hundred and shared in the work of serving them personally, washing their feet and kissing their wounds.

—Excerpted from the Roman Breviary

Queen Margaret of Scotland is the secondary patroness of Scotland. Margaret's copy of the Gospels is preserved in the Bodleian Library at Oxford University.

Patron: Death of children; large families; learning; queens; Scotland; widows.

Symbols: Black cross; sceptre and book; hospital.
Often portrayed as: queen, often carrying a black cross, dispensing gifts to the poor.

Things to Do:

Read more about this wonderful wife and mother: Life of St. Margaret of Scotland, Catholic Encyclopedia entry, and David McRoberts' essay.
Give special attention to the virtue of charity today by performing some service for the poor, i.e., send alms, buy baby things for a local crisis pregnancy center, take a food donation to a food pantry.
Offer your support (even if it is just a little morale) to a mother with young children who is trying to raise her children to love God.
If you are a mother with young children, pray to St. Margaret to help you imitate her zeal in training her children.
If you are a mother and need a little boost, read Cardinal Mindszenty's book, The Mother.
Today it might be fun to cook a pot of Scottish soup in honor of St. Margaret who probably cooked many pots of soup herself.
For nameday celebrations of St. Margaret, a crown cake, denoting her rank would be appropriate; a book cake would recall the love she had for Sacred Scripture. Chocolate "coins" wrapped in gold foil could be distributed to guests in memory of her generosity.

St. Gertrude

St. Gertrude the Great, a Cistercian nun, is one of the most lovable German saints from medieval times, and through her writings she will remain for all ages a guide to the interior life. She was born in 1256 at Eisleben and at the age of five taken to the convent at Rossdorf, where Gertrude of Hackeborn was abbess. Similarity in name has often occasioned confusion between the two Gertrudes. Our St. Gertrude never functioned as superior.

In spite of much ill-health, Gertrude used her exceptional natural talents well, knew Latin fluently. When she was twenty-five years old (1281), Christ began to appear to her and to disclose to her the secrets of mystical union. Obeying a divine wish, she put into writing the favors of grace bestowed upon her. Her most important work, Legatus Divinae Pietatis, "The Herald of Divine Love," is distinguished for theological profundity, sublime poetry, and unusual clarity. How it stimulates love of God can be felt only by reading it; Abbot Blosius is said to have read it twelve times each year. St. Gertrude died in 1302, more consumed by the fire of God's love than by fever.

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Patron: Nuns; travellers; West Indies.

Symbols: Crown; lily; taper; seven rings; heart with IHS; heart.

Things to Do:

Teach your children the Hail Mary in Latin.
Read The Life and Revelations of St. Gertrude the Great.
Pray the Novena of the Sacred Heart; say the Litany of St. Gertrude.

St. Mechtilde

Born in the Castle of Helfa, near Eisleben, Saxony, to one of the noblest families of Thuringia, St Mechtilde, at 7, entered the Benedictine Convent at Rodensdorf – where her elder sister, Gertrude Hackeborn was already a nun. Under the tutelage of Gertrude, Mechtilde made rapid strides in virtue and learning. On account of her humility, piety and zeal she was appointed, when still relatively young, to direct the novitiate and the choir and as such she became the first teacher of St Gertrude the Great when the latter was placed in her convent at the age of 15.

Though constantly subject to physical suffering, Mechtilde was ever intent upon joyfully singing the divine praises, and such is the key-note of the Book of Special Grace, in which St Gertrude and another sister-nun secretly (initially) set down the supernatural favors which God granted to Mechtilde.

In his revelations Our Lord used to address her as his “Nightingale”, and he favored her with such spiritual insight and mystical experiences that learned Dominicans were sent to consult her on spiritual matters. Through these Friar Preachers Mechtilde’s book of revelations was widely distributed after her death. Incidentally, the book is structured on the ecclesiastical year; it is liturgical, Trinitarian and Christo-centric. It was, according to Boccaccio, very popular in Florence in Dante’s time under the title of the Lauds of Donna Matilda and devout Florentines used to recite divine praises from the book during devotions at family shrines.

Together with St Gertrude the Great, St Mechtilde is one of the first to have stressed on devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. “When you awake in the morning, let your first act be to salute my Heart and to offer me your own,” our Lord once urged Mechtilde.

St Mechtilde breathed her last at the Helfta monastery on 19 November c.1298.

Excerpted from Feast of All Saints

Things to Do:

Prayers of St. Gertrude & St. Mechtilde

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Luke 18:1-8

Saint Margaret of Scotland

Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. (Luke 18:6)

This is a “how much more …” story. If the crooked judge eventually gives this petitioner justice because she wears him down with her persistence, how much more will God act swiftly on behalf of his children? He knows what we need. He has the “big picture” about how our needs and gifts intersect with those of others, and he always chooses to do the most loving thing possible.

What would our prayer look like if we really believed in such a Father-Judge? Or to put it another way: the way we pray can say a lot about the way we imagine and relate to God.

For instance, if it’s our habit to pray only as a last resort, it may be that we don’t think God is concerned about the details of our lives. We think that he has left us to do the best we can on our own and that we should call out to him only when all else has failed. But the truth is, he sent his only Son to be with us and to make every resource in heaven and on earth available to us—at every point along the way (Ephesians 1:3).

Another example may be if we keep telling God over and over what we want. We may think that God is stingy, uninterested, quick to punish, and slow to give us good things. Or perhaps we fear there may be a conflict between his will and ours—and we are determined to change his mind!

Let’s approach our loving Father as children who know that he loves us. Let’s believe that he wants to give us every good gift, beginning with the Holy Spirit who inspires our prayers in the first place (Romans 8:26). Let’s remember another “how much more” promise from Jesus: “If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” (Luke 11:13).

“Father, in your great kindness, you have made me your child. You know the desires of my heart, and you know what’s best for me and for those I love. Hear my prayer, and show me what I can do to bring your kingdom into clearer focus in this situation.”

Wisdom 18:14-16; 19:6-9; Psalm 105:2-3, 36-37, 42-43

Marriage=One Man and One Woman 'Til Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for November 16, 2013:

Social Media rule for couples: Make it clear on your profile that you are married and refer to your spouse in complimentary ways. Share your passwords with each other readily. No need to hide if it’s truly innocent.

Regnum Christi

Pray With Faith

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Saturday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time

Father Edward Hopkins, LC

Luke 18:1-8

Then Jesus told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, "There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ´Render a just decision for me against my adversary.´ For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ´While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.´" The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

Introductory Prayer: I believe in you, Lord, for you are mine and have proved your love for me. I trust you, for you have never let me down and know what is best for my life. I love you Lord for all your gifts. I desire to love and to do your will.

Petition: Teach me to pray always, Lord.

1. Becoming Weary: We can become weary in prayer when we don’t see results. This happens because either we have a distorted idea of prayer, or we have taken on worldly views that undermine our appreciation for its true value, or simply because we experience what seems to be failure in prayer (Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 2726-2728). Prayer is a gift and comes from the Holy Spirit. It is neither a machine nor a magic formula. It requires effort on our part, for it is an act of love, self-giving. Prayer works if I persevere and allow God to act. Sometimes I will not see its effects. To continue to seek God in prayer is already the best fruit of prayer. Do I depend on him?

2. The Judge: If prayer is about giving myself and depending more on God, then it becomes a question of how I understand God. I depend only on those I trust, and I trust only those who have proven their love and ability to support me. Do I really believe God is all good, all-loving and all-powerful? Do I believe he cares about me? God for us is a judge, but so much more. He is first of all a loving father and a dedicated, unconditional savior and lover. As a loving Father he wants our trusting dependence. He wants us to believe.

3. The Chosen Ones: Who are we for God? We are more than simple creatures, more than worthless slaves. We are beloved children, for whom he died and to whom he gives everything. We are the frustrated scholars and broken lovers that he desires to raise up to share his infinite truth and love. We are chosen ones, chosen for him, for happiness, forever. Out of the darkness and slavery of sin, he frees us so that his glory will shine in us. Now, if we are all this and more for God, why do we doubt in prayer? Let us place all our confidence in him.

Conversation with Christ: Dear Lord Jesus, increase my knowledge of your love for me. Help me to trust you in my everyday life. Open my heart to persevere in prayer. Grant me the humility to see how I need to pray, always and in so many ways. Teach me what prayer is and how to do it well for love of you.

Resolution: Throughout the day, I will dedicate myself to simple, small invocations and prayers that express my love, gratitude and trust in God.

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One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 29, Issue 6

<< Saturday, November 16, 2013 >>

St. Margaret of Scotland
St. Gertrude

Wisdom 18:14-16; 19:6-9
View Readings

Psalm 105:2-3, 36-37, 42-43

Luke 18:1-8
Similar Reflections

WORD-POWER AND PRAYER-POWER

"Your all-powerful word from heaven's royal throne bounded, a fierce warrior, into the doomed land, bearing the sharp sword of your inexorable decree." —Wisdom 18:15-16

Jesus, the Word of God, is all-powerful. The Word of God leads the conquering armies of heaven (Rv 19:13-14). "Out of His mouth came a sharp sword for striking down the nations" (Rv 19:15).

God's Word in the teachings of the Church and the Bible is also powerful. God's Word does not return to Him void, for it achieves the end for which He sent it (Is 55:11). "There is no chaining the word of God!" (2 Tm 2:9) "No one can resist" God's Word (Jdt 16:14).

For God's Word to manifest its full power, however, there is "the necessity of praying always and not losing heart" (Lk 18:1). Paul commanded: "Pray constantly and attentively for all in the holy company. Pray for me that God may put His word on my lips" (Eph 6:18-19). "Pray that I may have courage to proclaim it as I ought" (Eph 6:20). "Pray for us that the word of the Lord may make progress and be hailed by many others, even as it has been by you" (2 Thes 3:1).

As Joshua fought in the valley (see Ex 17:8ff), so countless Joshuas are wielding the sword of God's Word (Heb 4:12) in the valleys of this world. As Moses prayed on the mountain and brought Joshua success, so we must pray for God's Word to be "not a mere matter of words...but one of power" (1 Thes 1:5). Proclaim God's all-powerful Word and pray.

Prayer: Father, let Your Word burn deep in me (Lk 24:32). May it be like fire in my bones (Jer 20:9).

Promise: "Will not God then do justice to His chosen who call out to Him day and night? Will He delay long over them, do you suppose? I tell you, He will give them swift justice." —Lk 18:7-8

Praise: St. Margaret, queen of Scotland, and her husband, the king, prayed together and personally fed the poor of their nation.