Blessed Margaret, Pray for Us

Today is the feast of Blessed Margaret of Castello (1287-1320), one of those special saints who calls us back to the true reality of our lives, especially when we're feeling sorry for ourselves. She was born into a noble family but was rejected by her parents because of a multitude of birth defects. Margaret was born blind, lame, a hunchback, and a dwarf. She was by no means the beautiful child her parents expected. 

I won't describe the derails of her early life here; these are available elsewhere. Go to this link to read a brief synopsis of her life: Blessed Margaret. And if you'd like to learn more about this remarkable woman, read the wonderful and highly readable spiritual biography by the Dominican priest, Fr. William Bonniwell: The Life of Blessed Margaret of Castello. 

Most of us cannot imagine living under the horrendous circumstances forced upon her, but for Margaret every aspect of her life was gift from God. She lived a joyful, prayerful, loving life, a life devoted to loving God and all whom she encountered. In many respects, she is the perfect saint for today, especially in these difficult times when we're tempted to succumb to fear and worry, or complaint and anger, or despondency and self-pity. 

I think it's particularly fitting that today we celebrate the 700th anniversary of her death at the age of 33. Just a month or so ago, during a Morning of Reflection at our parish, one of my talks focused on Blessed Margaret. I've embedded a video of this talk below:

Blessed Margaret, pray for us.