The great and the good

I love to read about the many Catholic rulers and members of the aristocracy who down the years have given a powerful example of living the Gospel in their lives.  Today is the feast of the German Empress St Cunigunde who was married to the Holy Roman Emperor Henry II, one of the most powerful men on earth in his day.  In 1025, exactly one year after the death of her husband, Cunigunde retired to Kaufingen Abbey in Hesse, Germany, to enter a monastery of Benedictine nuns which she herself had founded earlier.  There she remained, performing charitable works, caring for the sick and devoting her time to prayer until her death on this day in 1033.  This reminded me of the story of Princess Louise-Marie (1737-1787), daughter of King Louis XV of France, notorious for his immoral personal life.  Louise-Marie abandoned the Court to enter the Carmelite convent of Saint-Denis in 1770.  One of her purposes as a nun was to pray for the salvation of those she had left behind at Court.  I find this very moving.    

Intercessions:

Brian Davis

Marie, Bernard (and wife Angela), Agnes – cancer

Siena, Elara – sick children

Rosemarie – seriously ill

Wojtek – massive heart attack leaving him incapacitated

RIP Roswitha Watson OCDS (former President of St Therese Community, Oxford)

David - housebound