Hildi
2006-03-03 17:15:42 UTC
March 3rd - St. Cunegundes, Empress.
(Also known as Cunegund)
Saint Cunegundes was the daughter of Sigefried, the first Count of
Luxemburg, and Hadeswige, his pious wife. From her cradle her virtuous
parents instilled into their daughter the most tender sentiments of piety.
When she was of an age to marry, they chose for her spouse Saint Henry, Duke
of Bavaria, who at the death of the Emperor Otto III was named King of the
Romans and crowned on the 6th of June, 1002. Queen Cunegundes was crowned at
Paderborn on Saint Laurence's day.
In the year 1014 she went with her husband to Rome and received the imperial
crown with him from the hands of Pope Benedict VIII. With Saint Henry's
consent, before their marriage she had made a vow of perpetual virginity.
Calumniators afterwards made vile accusations against her, and the holy
Empress, to remove the scandal of such a slander, trusting in God to prove
her innocence, walked over red-hot ploughshares without being hurt. The
Emperor renounced and condemned his own too scrupulous fears and credulity,
and from that time on they lived in the strictest union of heart, working
together to promote piety and God's honor in every sphere.
Going once to make a retreat in Hesse, Saint Cunegundes fell dangerously
ill, and she made a vow to found a monastery at Kaffungen, in the diocese of
Paderborn, if she recovered. This she executed in a stately manner, and gave
it to nuns of the Order of Saint Benedict. Before it was finished, Saint
Henry died in 1024. She earnestly recommended his soul to the prayers of the
empire, and especially to her dear nuns, and expressed her longing desire to
join the Sisters. She had already exhausted her treasures in founding
bishoprics and monasteries and in relieving the poor, and she had therefore
little left to give. But intending to embrace perfect evangelical poverty,
to renounce all things in order to serve God without obstacle, she assembled
a great number of prelates at the dedication of her church of Kaffungen, on
the anniversary day of her husband's death, 1025. After the Gospel was sung
at Mass she offered on the altar a relic of the true cross, and then,
putting off her imperial robes, clothed herself with a poor habit. Her hair
was cut off, and the bishop gave her the veil and a ring as a pledge of her
fidelity to her heavenly Spouse.
After she was consecrated to God in religion, she seemed to forget entirely
that she had been an empress, and served as the last in the house, being
persuaded that she was such, before God. She prayed and read a great deal,
worked with her hands, and took singular pleasure in visiting and comforting
the sick. In this way she passed the last fifteen years of her life.
When her last hour was drawing near, perceiving that they were preparing a
cloth fringed with gold to cover her corpse after her death, she ordered it
to be taken away; and she could not rest until the promise was given that
she would be buried as a poor religious in her habit. She died on the 3rd of
March, 1040. Her body was carried to Bamberg and buried near that of her
husband. She was solemnly canonized by Innocent III, in 1200.
Reflection. Detachment of the spirit at least, is necessary for those who
cannot undertake to enter religion. "Every one of you," says Jesus Christ,
"who does not renounce all that he possesses, cannot be My disciple." (Luke
14:33)
Source: Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints, a compilation based on
Butler's Lives of the Saints and other sources by John Gilmary Shea
(Benziger Brothers: New York, 1894).
<><><><>
Whoever will come after Me, let him deny himself -Matt. 16:24
"The first step to be taken by one who wishes to follow Christ is, according
to Our Lord's own words, that of renouncing himself-that is, his own senses,
his own passions, his own will, his own judgment, and all the movements of
nature, making to God a sacrifice of all these things, and of all their
acts, which are surely sacrifices very acceptable to the Lord. And we must
never grow weary of this; for if anyone having, so to speak, one foot
already in Heaven, should abandon this exercise, when the time should come
for him to put the other there, he would run much risk of being lost" -St.
Vincent de Paul
The same Saint made himself such a proficient in this virtue that it might
be called the weapon most frequently and constantly handled by him through
his whole life until his last breath; and by this he succeeded in gaining
absolute dominion over all the movements of his inferior nature. Therefore,
he kept his own passions so completely subject to reason, that he could
scarcely be known to have any.
(Taken from the book "A Year with the Saints" March - Mortification)
Bible Quote:
Not every one who says to Me, "Lord, Lord," shall enter the kingdom of
heaven; but he who does the Will of My Father in heaven shall enter the
kingdom of heaven. St. Matthew 7:21
<><><><>
Martyrology
At Caesarea in Palestine, the holy martyrs Marinus, soldier, and Asterius,
senator, in the persecution of Valerian. The first was accused by his
fellow-soldiers of being a Christian, and when questioned by the judge,
testified with a very clear voice that he was a Christian. He was beheaded
and thus obtained the crown of martyrdom. Asterius took up the headless body
of the martyr and bore it on his shoulders with his own garment placed
beneath it. Without delay, he himself received as a martyr the honor which
he had offered to a martyr.
At Calahorra in Spain, the birthday of the holy martyrs Herniterius and
Cheledonius, who were brothers. They were performing military service at
Leon, a city of Galicia, when the storm of persecution broke out. They
traveled as far as Calahorra to confess the name of Christ; there they
suffered many tortures and were crowned with martyrdom.
On the same day, the suffering of SS. Felix, Luciolus, Fortunatus, Marcia,
and their companions.
Likewise, the holy soldiers Cleonicus, Eutropius, and Basiliscus. In the
persecution of Maximian, under the governor Asclepias, they happily
triumphed over the torture of crucifixion.
At Brescia, St. Titian, bishop and confessor.
<><><><>
In this Lenten season, a prayer to examine one's conscious for confession:
Most merciful God, Father in heaven, relying on Thy goodness and
mercy, I come to Thee with filial confidence to confess my sins and
to implore Thy forgiveness. Thou wilt not despise a contrite and
humble heart. Bless me and receive me again into Thy favor;
I acknowledge that I have been most ungrateful to Thee, but I
sincerely repent and detest the wrong I have done, and I desire
henceforth to walk in the way of perfection in accordance with Thy
holy will.
O Jesus, my Saviour, my good Shepherd, I have strayed far from the
path that Thou hast marked out for me; I did not follow in Thy
footsteps; I wandered into forbidden places. Repentant and
sorrowful, I beg to be admitted again into the fold of Thy faithful
followers. I want to confess my sins with the same sincerity, as I
should wish to do at the moment of my death. My Jesus, I look to
Thee with confidence for the grace to examine my conscious well.
O Holy Ghost come in Thy mercy; enlighten my mind and
strengthen my will that I may know my sins, humbly confess them,
and sincerely amend my life.
Mary, my Mother, immaculate Spouse of the Holy Ghost,
refuge of sinners, assist me by thy intercession.
Holy Angels and Saints of God, pray for me. Amen.
(Also known as Cunegund)
Saint Cunegundes was the daughter of Sigefried, the first Count of
Luxemburg, and Hadeswige, his pious wife. From her cradle her virtuous
parents instilled into their daughter the most tender sentiments of piety.
When she was of an age to marry, they chose for her spouse Saint Henry, Duke
of Bavaria, who at the death of the Emperor Otto III was named King of the
Romans and crowned on the 6th of June, 1002. Queen Cunegundes was crowned at
Paderborn on Saint Laurence's day.
In the year 1014 she went with her husband to Rome and received the imperial
crown with him from the hands of Pope Benedict VIII. With Saint Henry's
consent, before their marriage she had made a vow of perpetual virginity.
Calumniators afterwards made vile accusations against her, and the holy
Empress, to remove the scandal of such a slander, trusting in God to prove
her innocence, walked over red-hot ploughshares without being hurt. The
Emperor renounced and condemned his own too scrupulous fears and credulity,
and from that time on they lived in the strictest union of heart, working
together to promote piety and God's honor in every sphere.
Going once to make a retreat in Hesse, Saint Cunegundes fell dangerously
ill, and she made a vow to found a monastery at Kaffungen, in the diocese of
Paderborn, if she recovered. This she executed in a stately manner, and gave
it to nuns of the Order of Saint Benedict. Before it was finished, Saint
Henry died in 1024. She earnestly recommended his soul to the prayers of the
empire, and especially to her dear nuns, and expressed her longing desire to
join the Sisters. She had already exhausted her treasures in founding
bishoprics and monasteries and in relieving the poor, and she had therefore
little left to give. But intending to embrace perfect evangelical poverty,
to renounce all things in order to serve God without obstacle, she assembled
a great number of prelates at the dedication of her church of Kaffungen, on
the anniversary day of her husband's death, 1025. After the Gospel was sung
at Mass she offered on the altar a relic of the true cross, and then,
putting off her imperial robes, clothed herself with a poor habit. Her hair
was cut off, and the bishop gave her the veil and a ring as a pledge of her
fidelity to her heavenly Spouse.
After she was consecrated to God in religion, she seemed to forget entirely
that she had been an empress, and served as the last in the house, being
persuaded that she was such, before God. She prayed and read a great deal,
worked with her hands, and took singular pleasure in visiting and comforting
the sick. In this way she passed the last fifteen years of her life.
When her last hour was drawing near, perceiving that they were preparing a
cloth fringed with gold to cover her corpse after her death, she ordered it
to be taken away; and she could not rest until the promise was given that
she would be buried as a poor religious in her habit. She died on the 3rd of
March, 1040. Her body was carried to Bamberg and buried near that of her
husband. She was solemnly canonized by Innocent III, in 1200.
Reflection. Detachment of the spirit at least, is necessary for those who
cannot undertake to enter religion. "Every one of you," says Jesus Christ,
"who does not renounce all that he possesses, cannot be My disciple." (Luke
14:33)
Source: Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints, a compilation based on
Butler's Lives of the Saints and other sources by John Gilmary Shea
(Benziger Brothers: New York, 1894).
<><><><>
Whoever will come after Me, let him deny himself -Matt. 16:24
"The first step to be taken by one who wishes to follow Christ is, according
to Our Lord's own words, that of renouncing himself-that is, his own senses,
his own passions, his own will, his own judgment, and all the movements of
nature, making to God a sacrifice of all these things, and of all their
acts, which are surely sacrifices very acceptable to the Lord. And we must
never grow weary of this; for if anyone having, so to speak, one foot
already in Heaven, should abandon this exercise, when the time should come
for him to put the other there, he would run much risk of being lost" -St.
Vincent de Paul
The same Saint made himself such a proficient in this virtue that it might
be called the weapon most frequently and constantly handled by him through
his whole life until his last breath; and by this he succeeded in gaining
absolute dominion over all the movements of his inferior nature. Therefore,
he kept his own passions so completely subject to reason, that he could
scarcely be known to have any.
(Taken from the book "A Year with the Saints" March - Mortification)
Bible Quote:
Not every one who says to Me, "Lord, Lord," shall enter the kingdom of
heaven; but he who does the Will of My Father in heaven shall enter the
kingdom of heaven. St. Matthew 7:21
<><><><>
Martyrology
At Caesarea in Palestine, the holy martyrs Marinus, soldier, and Asterius,
senator, in the persecution of Valerian. The first was accused by his
fellow-soldiers of being a Christian, and when questioned by the judge,
testified with a very clear voice that he was a Christian. He was beheaded
and thus obtained the crown of martyrdom. Asterius took up the headless body
of the martyr and bore it on his shoulders with his own garment placed
beneath it. Without delay, he himself received as a martyr the honor which
he had offered to a martyr.
At Calahorra in Spain, the birthday of the holy martyrs Herniterius and
Cheledonius, who were brothers. They were performing military service at
Leon, a city of Galicia, when the storm of persecution broke out. They
traveled as far as Calahorra to confess the name of Christ; there they
suffered many tortures and were crowned with martyrdom.
On the same day, the suffering of SS. Felix, Luciolus, Fortunatus, Marcia,
and their companions.
Likewise, the holy soldiers Cleonicus, Eutropius, and Basiliscus. In the
persecution of Maximian, under the governor Asclepias, they happily
triumphed over the torture of crucifixion.
At Brescia, St. Titian, bishop and confessor.
<><><><>
In this Lenten season, a prayer to examine one's conscious for confession:
Most merciful God, Father in heaven, relying on Thy goodness and
mercy, I come to Thee with filial confidence to confess my sins and
to implore Thy forgiveness. Thou wilt not despise a contrite and
humble heart. Bless me and receive me again into Thy favor;
I acknowledge that I have been most ungrateful to Thee, but I
sincerely repent and detest the wrong I have done, and I desire
henceforth to walk in the way of perfection in accordance with Thy
holy will.
O Jesus, my Saviour, my good Shepherd, I have strayed far from the
path that Thou hast marked out for me; I did not follow in Thy
footsteps; I wandered into forbidden places. Repentant and
sorrowful, I beg to be admitted again into the fold of Thy faithful
followers. I want to confess my sins with the same sincerity, as I
should wish to do at the moment of my death. My Jesus, I look to
Thee with confidence for the grace to examine my conscious well.
O Holy Ghost come in Thy mercy; enlighten my mind and
strengthen my will that I may know my sins, humbly confess them,
and sincerely amend my life.
Mary, my Mother, immaculate Spouse of the Holy Ghost,
refuge of sinners, assist me by thy intercession.
Holy Angels and Saints of God, pray for me. Amen.