Hello all, Happy feast day to all born, baptized and married today Happy feast day to all Seminarians, Deacons, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, Monks, Nuns, Reverend Brothers and Sisters of Charity Happy feast day to all widows, especially all those who show mercy to the widows Happy feast day to all who care for the sick and all filled with the virtues of Charity Happy feast day to all Clerics of the Order of Cistercians (which is a Roman Catholic religious order of enclosed monks and nuns.) Happy feast day to all Catholic Missionaries Today “October 16” marks the feast of Saint Hedwig She is also known as Jadwiga She is often known as Eduviges or Eduvijes Catholic History tells us that Saint Hedwig was born in 1174 in Bavaria She was the daughter of the Duke of Croatia. One of her sisters married King Andrew of Hungry and another sister became a Benedictine abbess of Lutzingen in Franconia in medieval Germany. Saint Hedwig was the mother of Gertrude the Abbess She was the maternal aunt of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. She was married to Henry Duke of Silesia at an early age of 12 to in 1186 The couple raised seven children, with the boys being quite a handful. After their children had been born, they both strove to advance in sanctity and to enrich Silesia and Poland with monasteries, hospitals, and leper asylums. She outlived all but one of her children, Gertrude. Hedwig persuaded her husband to use her dowry to found a Cisterian monastery for nuns at Trebnitz. Their daughter Gertrude later became abbess of the monastery. Hedwig led a life of piety and solicitude for the sick and poor, including their religious education. She cared for the sick both personally and by founding hospitals. She lived a life of poverty and humility, despite her prominent position. Every day, even in winter, she would walk barefooted, so her feet were in bad shape. A story tells us her husband sent her a pair of shoes, insisting that she not be without them — so she kept them under her arm. One of her seven children, known as Henry the Pious, a duke of medieval Poland, was killed in the battle of Legnica against the Mongols two years before Hedwig’s death. After the birth and subsequent early death of their seventh child, Hedwig and Henry took public vows of chastity. Duke Henry went so far as become tonsured and took the lifestyle of a lay Cisterian brother. Hedwig was renowned for helping the poor and as a patroness of the church. Hedwig and her husband Henry founded and/or supported several monsateries for Augustinians, Dominicans, Francisicans, Cistercians and even Templars. After the death of her husband Hedwig completely renounced the world and entered the monastery of Trebnitz which she had founded. Her daughter Gertrude became the first abbess there. Hedwig took the dress and lifestyle of a Cistercian sister but never took her formal vows so that she kept control of her revenue to direct it to the poor. She retained the administration of her property so that she could give personal relief to the suffering. Her pious reputation was such that she was considered a saint in her lifetime. Her daughter Abbess Gertrude was the only one of her seven children to survive her. Saint Hedwig died on the 15th of October, 1243 She was canonized only 24 years after her death. She was canonized and given the decree of heroic virtues in 1267 and was pronounced as Saint Hedwig of Poland by Pope Clement IV (who was the 183rd Bishop of Rome since the pontificate of Saint Peter the Apostle) She is venerated as patroness of Silesia --------------------------------------------------------- She is not to be confused with Saint Hedwig, Queen of Poland (born 1371- died 1399), and canonized by Pope Saint John Paul II. (Her feast day is February 28.) ---------------------------------------------------------- Saint Hedwig, whose feast we celebrate today (was born 1174 – died 1243) ------------------------------------------ Reflection of the Day (biography of Saint Hedwig) Hedwig knew that those living stones that were to be placed in the buildings of the heavenly Jerusalem had to be smoothed out by buffetings and pressures in this world, and that many tribulations would be needed before she could cross over into her heavenly homeland. Because of such great daily fasts and abstinence she grew so thin that many wondered how such a feeble and delicate woman could endure these torments. The more attentively she kept watch, the more she grew in the strength of the spirit and in grace, and the more the fire of devotion and divine love blazed within her. Just as her devotion made her always seek after God, so her generous piety turned her toward her neighbor, and she bountifully bestowed alms on the needy. She gave aid to colleges and to religious persons dwelling within or outside monasteries, to widows and orphans, to the weak and the feeble, to lepers and those bound in chains or imprisoned, to travelers and needy women nursing infants. She allowed no one who came to her for help to go away uncomforted. And because this servant of God never neglected the practice of all good works, God also conferred on her such grace that when she lacked human means to do good, and her own powers failed, through divine favor of the sufferings of Christ she had the power to relieve the bodily and spiritual troubles of all who sought her help. -from a biography of Saint Hedwig ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Saint Hedwig is the Patron Saint of Bavaria She is also invoked by brides and duchesses; She is invoked by devout Catholics against the death of children; She is also invoked against marital problems; She is the patron Saint of Silesia; She is invoked by all victims of jealousy; She is the protector of widows. She is also the patron saint of Silesia She is also the protector of Andechs, She is the patron saint of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Wrocław She is also the patron saint of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Görlitz. She is the protector of Silesia She is also the protector of orphans Her feast day is celebrated on the Roman Catholic calendar of saints on 16 October. ---------------------------------------------------------- Let us pray (Oremus) Grant, we pray, almighty God, that the revered intercession of Saint Hedwig may bring us heavenly aid, just as her wonderful life is an example of humility for all. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Let us pray that by the charitable works, spiritual direction, spiritual maturity and intercession of Saint Hedwig, we may in this group find the spiritual motivation to win our souls for God. Amen Summary of the life history and works of Saint Hedwig can be viewed by clicking the image of the Saint in our group’s photo section Saint of the day would be communicated to you as promptly and consistently as humanly possible, by Gods grace. May we all in this group and beyond this group, Christians and non Christians alike, Catholics and non Catholics alike, be saved from the fires of hell and lifted up into heaven after our stay here on this exile. Amen May our Lord Jesus Christ, through the intercession of Saint Hedwig and other Saints before and after her and through Gods Divine Mercy strengthen our souls, open out the way for us all, and above all, intoxicate us with HIS love. Amen May Christ make us into blazing fires to enkindle the earth with the heavenly fire HE brought us. Amen Jesus we love you, all we have is yours, yours we are and yours we want to be, please do with us whatever you will. Amen Jesus, Mary we love you, please save our souls. Amen God bless you and grant your heart’s desire. Amen Saint Hedwig, pray for us. Amen.
Posted on: Fri, 17 Oct 2014 08:23:01 +0000
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