Subj : November 16th - St. Margaret of Scotland To : All From : rich Date : Thu Nov 15 2018 07:46:33 From: rich November 16th - St. Margaret of Scotland (Also known as Margaret of Wessex) Memorial 16 November formerly 10 June 16 June in Scotland (d. 1093) At the end of Shakespeare's great tragedy Macbeth, the heroic warri= or MacDuff, bearing in hand the head of the usurping King Macbeth, cries out to Malcolm III, the new and rightful ruler, =E2=80=9CHail, King of Scotland!=E2=80=9D When we speak about St. Margaret, patron saint of the Scots, we should think of her against this stormy background. She was the second queen of Malcolm, and she was an important influence in helping him to make his country a better and more Christian land. Margaret was of the royal blood of England's Saxon kings. Taking refuge in Scotland after the Norman William the Conqueror invaded Britain, she met and attracted Malcolm III. Up to then, she had been contemplating entering the convent, but in 1070 she felt that duty required her to accept the hand of the Scottish monarch. Malcolm was no gentleman, but rough and uncultured. He had a good sense of values, however, and he was open to the counsel of his new wife. She saw that the nation needed to be lifted out of its ignorance, crudity and immorality. With her husband's backing, she saw to it t= hat church synods were held to enforce such church laws as Sunday Mass attendance, non-marriage with relatives, clerical celibacy, simony and usury. With the king she established several churches, most notably the Abbey Church of the Holy Trinity at Dunfermline. A good wife, she bore Malcolm six sons and two daughters who reflected credit on their parents. Matilda, who married King Henry I of England, became known as =E2=80=9CGood Queen Maud.=E2=80=9D Three of Margaret=E2=80= =99s sons, Edgar, Alexander and David, succeeded their father on the Scots throne. David is venerated as St. David of Scotland. Queen Margaret's chief influence for good was her own example. She = was prayerful and lived austerely. The poor she dearly loved. Whenever she left the palace, the local beggars crowded about her, and she helped them all. She never sat down at table without first having fed 9 orphans and 24 adults. During penitential seasons, she and the king would entertain 300 poor persons, serving them personally on their knees. Margaret likewise set for the women of the court a pattern of good behavior. She early founded an embroidery guild to make vestments and cushions for church kneelers. When she sat stitching among the guild members, none of them dared to speak in an unseemly manner. Yet she maintained spiritual good cheer. As Bishop Turgot, her biographer, was to write, =E2=80=9CEvery word that she uttered, every act that she performe= d showed that she was meditating on the things of heaven.' St. Margaret's life was not without its tragedies. In 1093 King William II Rufus of England attacked King Malcolm. Malcolm was slain through treachery as was his son, Edmund. Margaret herself was then on her deathbed. On learning this sad news, she prayed, =E2=80=9CI thank Thee, Almighty God, that in sending me so great an affliction in the last hour of my life Thou wouldst purify me from my sins, as I hope, by Thy mercy.=E2=80=9D Having survived Malcolm by only a few days, she was canoniz= ed a saint in 1250. The memory of this woman, every inch a queen, remains green among the Scots. Within the grim walls of Edinburgh Castle there still stands the lovely 12th century chapel of St. Margaret. Princess Margaret, the Sister of Queen Elizabeth II, is its royal protector. This guild is still given to supplying church linens and doing other church stitchery. Every wife and mother can see in St. Margaret's life what influence for good a devout and responsible woman can have on her husband, her children, and her contemporaries. Such a woman becomes a queen indeed in her own castle. Saint Quote: The more a person loves God, the more reason he has to hope in Him. This hope produces in the Saints an unutterable peace, which they preserve even in adversity, because as they love God, and know how beautiful He is to those who love Him, they place all their confidence and find all their repose in Him alone. --Saint Alphonsus Liguori Bible Quote: =C2 He hath put down the mighty from their throne, and hath exalted the humble.=C2 (Luke 1:52) <><><><> Meditation: =C2 =C2 Why did Jesus, the Sinless One, submit himself to John's bapt= ism? John preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Lk 3:3)--of which Jesus had no need. However, in this humble submission we see a foreshadowing of the "baptism" of his bloody death upon the cross. Jesus' baptism is the acceptance and the beginning of his mission as God's suffering Servant (Isaiah 53). He allowed himself to be numbered among sinners. Jesus submitted himself entirely to his Father's will. Out of love he consented to this baptism of death for the remission of our sins. Do you know the joy of trust and submission to God? =C2 =C2 "Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit and inflame my hea= rt with the joy of the Gospel. May I find joy in seeking to please you just as you found joy in seeking to please your Father." --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) .