00 14/03/2013 12:53



Thursday, March 14, Fourth Week of Lent

ST. MATHILDE OF SAXONY (Germany, d 968), Queen, Mother, Widow
Born to noble parents, Mathilde was raised by her grandmother, the Abbess of Erfurt convent. In 909, she married Otto the Fowler, who became Duke of Saxony when his father died, then succeeded to the German throne in 919. As queen, she was noted for her piety and charitable works. Widowed in 936, she supported her younger son Henry against her firstborn Otto to succeed to their father. But Otto prevailed, and would become known as Otto the Great when he became the first Holy Roman Emperor. Mathilda, criticized by her sons for her extravagant charities, gave over her inheritance to them and retired to her country home. She had to intervene many times when her younger son led uprisings against Otto, eventually dying in 955. She went on to build three convents and a monastery, and was left in charge of the kingdom when Otto went to Rome to be crowned Emperor. She spent the declining years of her life in the Nordhausen convent she had built but died at the monastery in Oedlinburg where she was buried beside her husband.
Readings for today's Mass: usccb.org/bible/readings/031412.cfm


AT THE VATICAN TODAY

The Press Office released the following schedule of activities for Pope Francis:
This morning, Thursday, the Pope will privately visit a Marian site in Rome.[He went to Santa Maria Maggiore.=

In the afternoon, at 5:00pm, he will preside over Mass with the Cardinal electors in the Sistine Chapel.

On Friday, 15 March, at 11:00am in the Clementine Hall, he will meet with the full College of Cardinals, electors and non-electors.

On Saturday at 11:00am in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope will hold an audience with journalists and those who work in the media.

On Sunday, 17 March at 12:00pm, he will recite the first Angelus of his papacy from the papal apartments.

The Mass to inaugurate the new papacy will be held on Tuesday, 19 March—the Feast of St. Joseph—at 9:30am in St. Peter's Square.

On Wednesday, 20 March, he will hold an audience with fraternal delegates. There will not be a General Audience.


NOTE THAT THE VISIT TO BENEDICT XVI TODAY, WHICH THE NEW POPE ANNOUNCED TO THE CARDINAL-ELECTORS LAST NIGHT, ACCORDING TO CARDINAL DOLAN, IS NOT ON THE SCHEDULE. THE VATICAN PRESS OFFICE SAID THIS WILL TAKE PLACE AT A LATER DATE TO BE DETERMINED.


One year ago today

The Holy Father Benedict XVI started a new chapter in his catecheses on Christian prayer to reflect on prayers found in the Acts of the Apostles and the Letters of St. Paul. Today's catechesis, in St. Peter's square, was devoted to Mary as the exemplar of prayer in recollection.

Among those he met after the catechesis was an Irish delegation led by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin who came to report on preparations for the 50th Eucharistic Congress to be held in Dublin this June.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 16/03/2013 15:26]