Catholic Culture
Collect: Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, always pondering spiritual things, we may carry out in both word and deed that which is pleasing to you. 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 German Apple Pancakes
o German Meat Balls with Sour Cream Gravy
o Sour Beef
o How Sanctity Does Not Come Easily
o Waiting for Prayers to be Answered
o Ordinary Time, Pre-Lent: Table Blessing 2
o A Tree Planted Near Running Waters | Sr. Maria-Walburga Schortemeyer O.S.B.
· Ordinary Time: February 25th
· Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Ordinary Time
Old Calendar: St. Walburga, abbess (Hist)
Historically today is the feast of St. Walburga, sister of Sts. Willibald and Winebald. She became a nun at Wimborne in Dorset under St. Tatta and followed St. Lioba to Germany at the invitation of St. Boniface. She died abbess of Hiedenheim, whence her relics were translated to Eichstatt.
St. Walburga
St. Walburga was born around 710. She is the daughter of St. Richard and the niece of St. Boniface. When St. Richard set out for a pilgrimage to the Holy Land with his sons, Ss. Willibald & Winibald, he entrusted 11 year old Walburga to the monastery school at Wimborne. She remained as a nun, spending a total of 26 years there.
When St. Boniface put out an appeal for nuns to help him in the evangelization of Germany, St. Walburga answered the call. On the way to Germany, there was a terrible storm at sea. Walburga knelt on the deck of the ship and prayed. The sea immediately became calm. Some sailors witnessed this and spread the word that she was a wonderworker, so she was received in Germany with great respect.
At first, she lived at Bischofsheim, under the rule of St. Lioba. Then she was made abbess at Heidenheim, near to where her brother, Winibald served as an abbot over a men's monastery. After his death, she ruled both monasteries. She worked many miracles in the course of her ministry. She wrote a biography of her brother, Winibald, and of Willibald's travels in Palestine, in Latin. She is regarded as the first woman author in both England and Germany.
On September 23, 776, she assisted Willibald in translating the uncorrupt relics of their brother, Winibald, to a new tomb in the church at Heidenheim. Shortly after this, she fell ill. Willibald cared for her until she died on February 25, 777, then placed her next to Winibald in the tomb.
After St. Willibald's death in 786, people gradually forgot St. Walburga and the church fell into disrepair. In 870, Bishop Oktar was having Heidenheim restored. Some workmen desecrated Walburga's grave. She appeared in a dream to the bishop, who then translated her relics to Eichstadt. In 893, St. Walburga's body was found to be immersed in a mysterious sweet-smelling liquid. It was found to work miraculous healings. The liquid, called St. Walburga's oil, has flowed from her body, ever since, except for a brief period when the church was put under the interdict after robbers shed the blood of a bell-ringer in the church. Portions of St. Walburga's relics have taken to several other cities and her oil to all parts of the world.
30. And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it.
31. For he taught his disciples, and said to them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.
32. But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.
33. And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that you disputed among yourselves by the way?
34. But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.
35. And he sat down, and called the twelve, and said to them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.
36. And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said to them,
37. Whoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receives me: and whoever shall receive me, receives not me, but him that sent me.
THEOPHYL. It is after miracles that the Lord inserts a discourse concerning His Passion, lest it should be thought that He suffered because He could not help it; wherefore it is said, And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee: and he would not that any man should know it.
For he taught his disciples, and said to them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him.
BEDE; He always mingles together sorrowful and joyful things, that sorrow should not by its suddenness frighten the Apostles, but be borne by them with prepared minds.
THEOPHYL. After, however, saying what was sorrowful, He adds what ought to rejoice them; wherefore it goes on: And after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day; in order that we may learn that joys come on after struggles. There follows: But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.
BEDE; This ignorance of the disciples proceeds not so much from slowness of intellect, as from love for the Savior, for they were as yet carnal, and ignorant of the mystery of the cross, they could not therefore believe that He whom they had recognized as the true God, was about to die; being accustomed then to hear Him often talk in figures, and shrinking from the event of His death, they would have it, that something was conveyed figuratively in those things, which he spoke openly concerning His betrayal and passion. It goes on: And he came to Capernaum.
PSEUDO-JEROME; Capernaum means the city of consolation, and agrees with the former sentence, which He had spoken: And after that he is killed, he shall arise the third day. There follows: And being in the house he asked them, What was it that you disputed among yourselves by the way?
But they held their peace.
PSEUDO-CHRYS. Matthew however says, that the disciples came to Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? The reason is, that he did not begin the narrative from its commencement, but omitted our Savior's knowledge of the thoughts and words of His disciples; unless we understand Him to mean, that even what they thought and said, when away from Christ, was said to Him, since it was as well known to Him as if it had been said to Him. It goes on: For by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. But Luke says, that "the thought entered into the disciples which of them should be the greatest"; for the Lord laid open their thought and intention from their private discourse, according to the Gospel narrative.
PSEUDO-JEROME; It was fit also that they should dispute concerning the chief place by the way the dispute is like the place where it is held; for lofty station is only entered upon to be quitted: as long as a man keeps it, it is slippery, and it is uncertain at what stage, that is, on what day it will end.
BEDE, The reason why the dispute concerning the chief place arose amongst the disciples seems to have been, that Peter, James, and John, were led apart from the rest into the mountain, and that something secret was there entrusted to them, also that the keys of the kingdom of heaven were promised to Peter, according to Matthew. Seeing however the thoughts of the disciples, the Lord takes care to heal the desire of glory by humility; for He first, by simply commanding humility, admonishes them that a high station was not to be aimed at. Wherefore it goes on: And he sat down, and called the twelve, and said to them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.
JEROME; Where it is to be observed, that the disciples disputed by the way concerning the chief place, but Christ Himself sat down to teach humility; for princes toil while the humble repose.
PSEUDO-CHRYS. The disciples indeed wished to receive honor at the hands of the Lord; they also had a desire to be made great by Christ, for the greater a man is, the more worthy of honor he becomes, for which reason He did not throw an obstacle in the way of that desire, but brought in humility.
THEOPHYL. For His wish is not that we should usurp for ourselves chief places, but that we should attain to lofty heights by lowliness. He next admonishes them by the example of a child's innocence; wherefore there follows: And he took a child, and set him inn the midst of them.
CHRYS. By this very sight, persuading them to humility and simplicity; for this little one was pure from envy and vain glory, and from a desire of superiority. But He does not only say, If you become such, you shall receive a great reward, but also, if you will honor others, who are such for my sake. Wherefore there follows: And when he had taken him in his arms, he said to them, Whoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receives me.
BEDE; By which, He either simply shows, that those who would become greater must receive the poor of Christ in honor of Him, or He would persuade them to be in malice children, to keep simplicity without arrogance, charity without envy, devotedness without anger. Again, by taking the child into His arms, He implies that the lowly are worthy of His embrace and love. He adds also, In my name, that they might, with the fixed purpose of reason, follow for His names sake that mold of virtue to which the child keeps, with nature for his guide. And because He taught that He Himself was received in children, lest it should be thought that there was nothing in Him but what was seen, he added, And whoever shall receive me, receive not me, but Him that sent me; thus wishing, that we should believe Him to be of the same nature and of equal greatness with His Father.
THEOPHYL. See, how great is humility, for it wins for itself the indwelling of the Father, and of the Son, and also of the Holy Ghost.
Catena Aurea Mark 9
