Melanie Rigney's Blog, page 109

St. Ethelburga: 2014 Daily Lenten Reflections

St. Ethelburga died around 647 in what is now England, and today is her feast day. She was a woman of faith… and patience. Her father was the first Christian king of Kent, and both he and her mother went on to become saints as well.

When Ethelburga married Edwin, king of Northumbria, he agreed to consider becoming a Christian. It took a few years, but after Edwin saw Ethelburga’s faith in action, he was baptized along with one of their sons on Easter Sunday. Edwin, who also was canonized, late...

St. Maria Crescentia Hoss: 2014 Daily Lenten Reflections

St. Maria Crescentia Hoss was born in what is now Germany on October 20, 1682 and died on April 5, 1744.

Maria Crescentia was the seventh of eight children, and her family wasn’t able to put funds for the customary dowry for her to become a contemplative Franciscan nun. A local official did a favor for the monastery and asked in return only that the girl be allowed to join the community. The sisters did so reluctantly, treating her with disdain until another superior came in a few years later....

Of Deliverance and the Seeming Lack Thereof

Note: On Fridays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.

A woman asked about deliverance prayers at a conference I attended recently. Both speakers looked a bit flummoxed; finally, one of them referred her to the Lord’s Prayer as the best deliverance prayer ever.

I felt a connection with the woman as someone who’s not a psychologist or learned scholar. Aren’t there times you just say to God, “Enough’s enough! I can’t tak...

St. Burgundofara: 2014 Daily Lenten Reflections

St. Burgundofara died in France in 657, and today is her feast day. She’s best known as the first abbess of the convent she convinced her father to build for her. You might know it as Faremoutiers Abbey.

The father was an officer of the royal court, and wanted to make a match for Burgundofara at a fairly young age. She refused and became seriously ill. Her father continued to press the issue, going so far as to indicate she could be murdered if she said no, but Burgundofara successfully stood...

St. Mary of Egypt: 2014 Daily Lenten Reflections

St. Mary of Egypt lived from about 344 to 421, and her feast day is today. It’s said she came to Jerusalem to ply her trade as a prostitute. There, Mary attempted to enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, but a force kept her from doing so.

After praying with a statue of the Blessed Mother, she realized the error of her ways, and went to a monastery where she partook of the Holy Eucharist after going to confession. Mary went into the desert to do penance. She died there forty-seven years late...

On the Nightstand: April

This month, it’s really the DVD rack instead!

Last month, I finally found the DVD version ofThe Seventh Chamber, which is about St. Teresa Benedicta. I loved it on VHS. (Interesting fact: The lead actress also played Mary inThe Passion of Christ.)

I also scored a copy ofJesus of Nazareth, which I’ve never seen but many say is among the best contemporary movies about Christ.

So, my Holy Week plans outside of church are pretty much set.What’s on your nightstand?

Being Christ in Our Lives: Linda M. Au

Linda M. Auis one of the funniest people I know. I call her the Erma Bombeck of our generation. To see if you agree, check out her books:Head in the Sand … and other unpopular positions, andFork in the Road … and other pointless discussions.

A few things you might not know fromherwriting:

Linda is painfully shy, but has followed the Lord’s call to some leadership positions nonetheless.
Linda is the pickiest proofreader I’ve ever known (which is why I recommend her… and cringe every time I post o...

Blessed Olympia Bida: 2014 Daily Lenten Reflections

Blessed Olympia Bida was born in Ukraine in 1903 and died on January 28, 1952 in Russia. Her feast day isApril 2.

Olympia and another St. Joseph sister got into trouble for facilitating surreptitious religious services and catechization and were exiled to Siberia. She spent more than a year in a prison camp before dying of an illness. Olympia is among the Martyrs Killed Under Communist Regimes in Eastern Europe who were beatified in 2001.

Blessed Olympia Bida said: “Let’s follow him bravely. No...

Blessed Juana Maria Condesa Lluch: 2014 Daily Lenten Reflections

Blessed Juana Maria Condesa Lluch was born in Spain on March 30 in 1862, and died on January 16, 1916. Her family was very wealthy, but she knew from the time she was young she wanted to serve the poor.

When she was eighteen, Juana Maria went to her archbishop with the idea of founding her own congregation aimed at helping struggling factory workers. But he said she was too young. Four years later, he relented and she was allowed to open a shelter, then a school. Then, her new community recei...

Blessed Maria Restituta: 2014 Daily Lenten Reflections

Blessed Maria Restituta was born May 1, 1894, in what is now the Czech Republic and died on this date in Vienna in 1943. She entered the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity community when she was twenty, taking the name Restituta after an early martyr, and served as a surgical nurse.

Maria Restituta’s outspoken nature would cost her her life: she was critical of the Nazi regime, including calling Hitler a madman, and was beheaded following her conviction on favoring the enemy and conspirac...