Benedictine Nun (d. 1136)
Her life
+ Jutta lived as a recluse in a small house near Saint Disibod’s monastery near Bingen, Germany.
+ When Hildegard’s parents entrusted her to the monastery as a child oblate, Jutta was entrusted with her care and education. It was Jutta who first taught Hildegard Latin, how to read, and encouraged her love of music.
+ Over the years, other women joined Jutta and Hildegard and together they adopted the Rule of St. Benedict as the rule of life for their community. Jutta ruled the community for twenty years.
+ Blessed Jutta died in 1136 and was succeeded by Hildegard as prioress of the community.
For prayer and reflection
O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart; O Keystone of the mighty arch of man, come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust.
Spiritual bonus
December 22 marks the anniversary of the death of Servant of God Isaac Thomas Hecker, the founder of the Paulist Fathers. Honored for his commitment to exploring new forms of evangelization and a defender of the rights of the Church in an age of anti-Catholic sentiment in the United States, he died in 1888. The cause for his beatification was opened in 2008 and the United States conference of Catholic Bishops affirmed the cause for beatification of Father Hecker in 2023.
Prayer
Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord,
your grace into our hearts,
that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your Son
was made known by the message of an Angel,
may by his Passion and Cross
be brought to the glory of his Resurrection.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(from The Roman Missal: Collect for the Fourth Sunday of Advent)
Saint profiles prepared by Father Silas Henderson, S.D.S.
And today we celebrate...