St. Matilda
Feast day: March 14
Wife of King Henry I of Germany, Matilda was a Benedictine Oblate and the mother of Otto the Great. Her husband died in 936, and her sons, Otto and Henry, vied for their father’s throne. Matilda supported Henry’s claim to power. When Otto was elected, she persuaded him to name Henry the Duke of Bavaria. Matilda was known for her considerable almsgiving but was criticized by Otto and Henry for what they considered extravagant gifts to charities. In her final years, Matilda devoted herself to the building of
churches, convents and monasteries. She died at Quedlinburg Monastery in 968. She is patron of large families and of widows.
Prayer
O God, who called St. Matilda
to seek your Kingdom in this world
through the pursuit of perfect charity,
grant, we pray, through her intercession
that we may advance with joyful spirit along the way of love.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
