ST LUDMILLA - 16 SEPTEMBER

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN SEPTEMBER

Saints celebrated on the 16th of September

Prayer to the Angels and the Saints

Heavenly Father, in praising Your Angels and Saints we praise Your glory, for by honouring them we honour You, their Creator. Their splendour shows us Your greatness, which infinitely surpasses that of all creation.

In Your loving providence, You saw fit to send Your Angels to watch over us. Grant that we may always be under their protection and one day enjoy their company in heaven.

Heavenly Father, You are glorified in Your Saints, for their glory is the crowning of Your gifts. You provide an example for us by their lives on earth, You give us their friendship by our communion with them, You grant us strength and protection through their prayer for the Church, and You spur us on to victory over evil and the prize of eternal glory by this great company of witnesses.

Grant that we who aspire to take part in their joy may be filled with the Spirit that blessed their lives, so that, after sharing their faith on earth, we may also experience their peace in heaven. Amen.

ST LUDMILLA 

Saint Ludmilla was wife of Boriwoi, the first Christian Duke of Bohemia, born at Mielnik, c. 860; she died at Tetin, near Beraun, September 15, 921. She and her husband were baptised, probably by St Methodius, in 871. 

THEY WERE BAPTISED

Pagan fanatics drove them from their country, but they were soon recalled, and after reigning seven more years they resigned the throne in favour of their son Spitignev and retired to Tetin. 

THE SUCCESSOR WAS WRATISLAW

Spitignev died two years later and was succeeded by Wratislaw, another son of Boriwoi and Ludmilla. Wratislaw was married to Drahomira, a pretended Christian, but a secret favourer of paganism. They had twin sons, St Wenceslaus and Boleslaus the Cruel, the former of whom lived with Ludmilla at Tetin. Wratislaw died in 916, leaving the eight-year-old Wenceslaus as his successor. 

TWO MEN MURDERED HER

Jealous of the great influence which Ludmilla wielded over Wenceslaus, Drahomira instigated two noblemen to murder her. She is said to have been strangled by them with her veil. 

SHE IS VENERATED AS ONE OF THE PATRONS OF BOHEMIA

She was at first buried in the church of St Michael at Tetin, but her remains were removed to the church of St George at Prague before the year 1100, probably by St Wenceslaus, her grandson. She is venerated as one of the patrons of Bohemia. 

(From Catholic Encyclopedia, 1913)