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.
The Station for today is in the celebrated basilica, St. Maria in Trastevere. It was consecrated in the third century, under the pontificate of St. Callixtus, and was the first church built in Rome in honor of our Blessed Lady.
2nd Week of Lent
Blessed the man . . . (Psalm 1:1)
We all know what it's like to have our daily routines disrupted by the unexpectedâcoffee spilled on our shirt just as we're walking into the office, coming down with the flu and having to stay home, a refrigerator that breaks down. In the end, things work out, but you could have done without the lost time and the added frustration!
Today's readings hit on a similar point. They tell us how we can best prepare for the unexpected: by staying close to the Lord and meditating on his ways.
In the first reading, Jeremiah cautions against finding our strength in flesh (Jeremiah 17:5). It's the one who trusts "in the Lord" who is blessed, not necessarily the person with a million Plan Bs (17:7). Then the responsorial psalm tells us that the person who "delights in the law of the Lord" receives a special blessing (Psalm 1:2). Finally, in the Gospel, Jesus tells a story about the rich man and Lazarus. Of all the people in the parables that Jesus tells, Lazarus is the only one to whom he gives a nameâa name that means "God is my help." Lazarus, while materially poor, was spiritually rich because as his name suggests, he trusted that God would help him. And God did!
So are you blessed or cursed? You are blessed! The simple fact that you are reading this meditation right now shows that you are prayerful, that you want to ponder the Scriptures, and that you are seeking the Lord. At the same time, however, each of us has an element of the other type of person still at work in us. Trusting in God isn't a onetime deccision; it's a choice that we need to renew daily so that we can keep enjoying his blessing.
When things are going well for you, tell God, "Thank you!" When an unexpected trial comes your way, cry out, "Jesus, I trust you!" With each declaration, your faith will grow, and your heart will become more peaceful. With God at the center of your life, you will remain grounded, rooted, and safeâjust like a tree that is "planted near running water" (Psalm 1:3).
"Father, thank you that no matter what happens, I can lean on you for support. Help me to see all the ways I can practice trusting in you today."
Psalm 1:1-4, 6
Luke 16:19-31