Chicken, Pot, Pi 🥧

Let's talk about Matilda. No, not the 90's film or the world's oldest chicken, but the saint…

Kelley Cappellini Saints, Feast, Family

Matilda was the daughter of Count Dietrich of Westphalia and Reinhild of Denmark. She was also known as Mechtildis and Maud. She 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 noted for her piety and charitable works. 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 had led an unsuccessful revolt. She was severely criticized by both Otto and Henry for what they considered her extravagant charities. She resigned her inheritance to her sons, and retired to her country home but was called to the court through the intercession of Otto's wife, Edith. When Henry again revolted, Otto put down the insurrection in the year 941 with great cruelty. Matilda censored Henry when he began another revolt against Otto in the year 953 and for his ruthlessness in suppressing a revolt by his own subjects; at that time she prophesized his imminent death.

When he did die in 955, she devoted herself to building three convents and a monastery, was left in charge of the kingdom when Otto went to Rome in 962 to be crowned Emperor (often regarded as the beginning of the Holy Roman Empire), and 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 Henry.

More information on St. Matilda at Saints, Feast, Family, including themed recipes such as…

Bavarian Dumplings

Bayerische Semmelknoedel

• 8 cups cubed old bread
• 1/4 cup finely diced onion
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup butter (melted)
• 2 Tbsp. dried Parsley
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• Pot of boiling water

Directions:

1. Put cubed bread in a large mixing bowl.
2. In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs and whisk in melted butter, onions, parsley, salt, and pepper.
3. Pour mixture over the bread. Mix and mash with your hands until every single cube of bread is evenly moist.
4. Remove any pieces that are still dry.
5. Form into tightly-packed billiards-sized balls. They’ll plump up to the size of tennis balls while cooking.
6. Cover with a clean towel and let sit for 1 hour
7. Fill a pot (large enough to accommodate the number of balls you plan to make) about 1/2 way to 2/3 with water and bring to boil.
8. Using a spoon, set dumplings into the boiling water. Once they’re all in, let cook for 20 minutes. If making a double or quadruple batch, let cook for 30 minutes.
9. Remove from water with slotted spoon and place on a serving dish
10. Drain off excess water before serving

“Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”
– Luke 6:38

In honor of Pi Day, learn about the priest who made Einstein and Hawking eat some humble pie 🥧

Mark Midbon Catholic Education Resource Center

Is there a paradox in this situation? Lemaitre did not think so. Duncan Aikman of the New York Times spotlighted Lemaitre's view in 1933: "'There is no conflict between religion and science,' Lemaïtre has been telling audiences over and over again in this country .... His view is interesting and important not because he is a Catholic priest, not because he is one of the leading mathematical physicists of our time, but because he is both."

(3.14159265 Minute Read... Just kidding. It's about 8 minutes 🤓)

Spend some time with me

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Are you thinking about what you are going to do for Lent?⁣
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This week I spent some time with the Blessed Sacrament and asked, "Lord, what do you want me to do for Lent?" I received a very clear answer on my heart - "Spend some time with me here every day." This was something I had also heard months before at a silent retreat but hadn't followed through on very well. The Lord reminded me again yesterday!⁣
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I'm so grateful the Blessed Sacrament is available to spend time with Jesus in prayer, especially for understanding where He most wants us to focus on this Lent.⁣
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As you are considering what to focus on for Lent, I encourage you to spend some time with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and listen for how he inspires your heart.⁣

Prayer intentions

Please pray for the grace of forgiveness in my family and to live in harmony with my family members.
– Maria M.

Please pray for my brother, Robert, to healed of his cancer.
– Lynn

Pray for healing for my brother-in-law Jim from cancer; surgery on James & my sister Esme for successful surgeries.
– Maria

P.S. Catholify is based out of Birmingham, AL and we couldn't help but chuckle that Matilda the chicken was setting a world record in our backyard. It's the little things… 🐣

A.M.D.G.