St. Margaret of Cortona (1247-1297)
Image: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
(Franciscan Media) Born in Italy Tuscany into a working farming family, Margaret was a beautiful child and in her parents devotion to her for she was their only one according to EWTN they could barely help but spoil her.
While Margaret was still very young her Mother died, a traumatic event to most children of any age but even more for a very young child. Margaret’s journal (records) disclose that her Mother taught her a prayer that she never forgot:
“O Lord Jesus, I beseech Thee, grant salvation to all those for whom Thou wouldst have me pray.”
Margaret’s father remarried, her stepmother was a difficult woman resulting in an open and continued conflict–Margaret moved out and accepted a position for a certain nobleman named Arsenio who couldn’t help but take notice of the pretty young maiden who went about his mansion. Soon Margaret became his mistress, while her suitor on occasion promised her that one day they’d be married and a son was born to the couple, they never did get married.
One day as Margaret waited for the father of her baby Arsenio to return, she was instead met by his dog which led her into the forest and she discovered him to have been murdered–this crime, shocked Margaret into repentance and a life of penance.
Margaret soon thereafter returned with her child to her father’s home, where she was not well received by her stepmother and eventually was driven from the home. Margaret was now homeless with a child–she remembered at Cortona, was a Monastery of Franciscans, it was famous all over the countryside and she thought she may go to them, perhaps they would have pity on her and find her shelter but she was uncertain.
With no place left to go, Margaret knocked on the door of the Monastery, the Friars did not turn her away and they found her a home. Under their roof, Margaret began in earnest her life of penance and in 1277 became a Franciscan Tertiary.
Under the direction of her Confessor who sometimes had to order that Margaret moderate her self-denial–Margaret’s life became one of a wonderful record of the way God deals with his penitents.
Margaret learned the skills of nursing, subsequently established a hospital and founded a Congregation of Tertiary Sisters who devoted themselves in service to the poor and suffering.
Like Saint Catherine of Siena (Feast Day: 29 April) after her, Margaret became a wonderful example of Mysticism combined with her soul for action, through contemplation and love.
Margaret passed away in 1297 being just 50 yrs of age, her Confessor and first biographer recalled that one day shortly before Margaret’s death, she had a vision of Saint Mary Magdalene (Feast Day: 22 July) “most faithful of Christ’s apostles, clothed in a white robe as it were of silver and crowned with a crown of precious gems, surrounded by the Holy Angels.” While Margaret was in this state of jubilation, Christ spoke to her saying: “My Eternal Father said of Me to the Baptist: This is My beloved Son, so do as I say to thee of Magdalene: This is My beloved daughter.”
On another occasion we’re told that “she (Margaret) was taken in spirit to the feet of Christ, which she washed with her tears as did Magdalene of old and as she wiped His feet, she desired greatly to behold His face and prayed to the Lord to grant her this favor.” To the end, we see that Margaret was the same and yet the difference.
Margaret was buried in the Church of St. Basil in Cortona. Around her body and later at her tomb, her Confessor reported that so many miracles, physical and spiritual were worked, that he could fill a volume with the record of those which he personally knew alone.
On this date in 1728 Margaret was Canonized by Pope Benedict XIII
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