Saint of theday March 14, 2025

Matilda, Queen of Germany and wife of King Henry I was the daughter of Count Dietrich of Westphalia and Reinhild of Denmark. She was born about 895 and was raised by her grandmother, the Abbess of Eufurt convent. Matilda married Henry the Fowler, son of Duke Otto of Saxony, in the year 909. He succeeded his father as Duke in the year 912 and in 919 succeeded King Conrad I to the German throne.

She was widowed in the year 936, and supported her son Henry's claim to his father's throne. When her son Otto (the Great) was elected, she persuaded him to name Henry Duke of Bavaria after he led an unsuccessful revolt.

St Matilda was known for her considerable almsgiving. She was severely criticized by both Otto and Henry for what they considered her extravagant gifts to charities. As a result, she resigned her inheritance to her sons and retired to her country home. She was later recalled to the court through the intercession of Otto's wife, Edith. Matilda was welcomed back to the palace and her sons asked for her forgiveness.

In her final years, she devoted herself to the building of many churches, convents and monasteries. She spent most of the declining years of her life at the convent at Nordhausen she had built. She died at the monastery at Quedlinburg on March 14 and was buried there with her late husband, Henry.

Reflection

Saint Matilda teaches us the cold, hard truth that we may not always be able to help our troubled children.

It is truly our sacred duty to teach our children and train them in the way they should go (cf. Proverbs 22:6). By word and example, we show them how to love and serve the Lord. As our children get older, teaching becomes guiding, which then becomes advising (when asked).

However, no matter how old our children get, we always pray for them. Following Saint Matilda’s example, we can offer our own sufferings for them, making sacrifices and fasting for more difficult situations. Our children, however, like all of us, have free will. They choose how, even whether, to love God.

Nonetheless, God delights in answering the prayers of a mother for her children. Persevere in prayer and fasting. Matilda’s third son, Bruno, became a saintly bishop, and Otto did revive the Holy Roman Empire. No doubt his mother’s prayers and sacrifices also helped save Henry’s soul.

Ultimately, our children are God’s children. He entrusts them to us for a time. We, in return, entrust them to Him. And God is trustworthy!