March 14 St. Matilda

Patron Saint of Parents With Disappointing Children

Poor Matilda. She had the misfortune of marrying someone she loved in the 900s. Her true love happened to be the Duke of Saxony who became King of Germany upon his father’s death. King Otto loved and admired his wife and by all accounts, the equal partners were good and just rulers. St. Matilda was a devout Christian and took over the social justice and homeland concerns of Germany while her husband managed the wars and money.  They had five children whom they raised in the faith.

Upon her husband’s death, St. Matilda’s oldest son, Otto II took the crown. He continued to co-rule with mother until his younger brother Henry threw a fit. According to him, he should be, at the least, co-ruler, if not king. After raising an army and attempting an overthrow, St. Matilda at last convinced the two to work together and that she would step down. She began a second career establishing monasteries and convents with the family money. The two boys, doing as their mother wished, worked together to have her stripped of her money and rights. She was banished to her childhood home to live the rest of her life in relative poverty.

But her boys were not done. Her third son, Bruno, having become a priest, had become of of the most powerful men in the Northern European church. As bishop of Cologne, he had the power to raise armies, strike coins and levy taxes. As a duke he had the power of the king behind his actions. When he got wind of his brother Henry’s dealings with dissatisfied nobility, he stepped in and harshly reprimanded his brother. This led to Henry’s second attempt to take over the crown. By the end of the second attempt, Otto had become a hardened, cynical leader who solidified the Ottoman Empire. Henry was broken and physically ailing, dying shortly after the failed attempt. And Bruno was the velvet glove behind Otto’s iron fist, establishing the church as a powerful and feared entity in Northern Europe.

I think St. Matilda would have been happier if her children had chosen to become simple sheep herders.

March 10 Saint John Ogilvie

I have a small confession. I have a slight bend to sarcasm. It tends to sneak out at importune times, embarrassing my loved ones. As a result I have a soft spot in my heart for those of similar bent. My second confession of the day, I have little emotional response to people’s last words. The softly spoken words of love and devotion leave me cold. When reading fiction, I often stop reading the book when the author resorts to such writing.

All this confessing leads me to my new found love of St. John Ogilvie. He was a Scotsman raised in a wealthy, Calvinist family around 1600. He converted to Catholicism, moved to France and joined the Jesuits. While serving in France, Catholics in Scotland were being massacred. When they had laid waste to the Catholic followers, they focused on the priest trying to minister to the remaining faithful. Priests and believers begged for the Jesuits to send priests but warned they must be strong to face the dangers of the job. St. John requested for years to return to his homeland. After being repeatedly denied, he finally made his case before the Jesuit Superior and was granted permission to serve in Scotland.

He lasted 11 months, disguising himself as a soldier named Watson. When finally betrayed he was tortured to get the names of others priests and organizers. He became known for taunting his torturers. “Your threats cheer me; I mind them no more than the cackling of geese.” is one of his famous one liners. When asked if he feared to die, he responded with “No more than you do to dine.”. His sarcasm and dark humor so amused the Scottish judges, it took three trials before they were able to convict him with a straight face. He was finally convicted of treason for being loyal to the Pope, and denying the king‘s supremacy in spiritual matters. His dying words?  “If there be here any hidden Roman Catholics, let them pray for me but the prayers of heretics I will not have”.