From: hildegard8@excite.com   
      
   February 28th - Saint Hedwig of Andechs   
      
    (1174 - October 1243; Polish: Swieta Jadwiga Slaska)   
      
   Saint Hedwig was born at Castle Andechs, Bavaria, the daughter of Berthold   
   III,   
   Count of Tirol and Duke of Carinthia and Istria (Andechs-Meran), and his   
   wife   
   Agnes.   
      
   One of Hedwig's sisters married Andrew, King of Hungary. Their daughter was   
   Saint Elisabeth of Hungary, also known as Elizabeth of Thuringia.   
      
   Another of Hedwig's sisters was abbess at the Benedictine convent of   
   Lutzingen   
   in Franconia, where Hedwig received her education.   
      
   At age 18, Hedwig married Henryk I the Bearded of Glogów. In 1233 Henryk   
   also   
   became Duke of Greater Poland. He died in battle with the Mongols in 1238.   
   Upon   
   his death, Hedwig entered the Cistercian convent of Trzebnica.   
      
   Hedwig and Henryk I the Bearded had a son, Henryk II. In 1241 he was also   
   killed   
   in battle with the Mongols, who had attacked Eastern Europe and come all the   
   way   
   to Silesia and Brandenburg. The Mongols' aim was to reach the Baltic Sea,   
   subjugating all the peoples in their path. The Mongol army was turned back   
   by   
   German and Polish forces under Gotthart Brandis.   
      
   Hedwig and Henryk had lived a very pious life, and Hedwig had great zeal for   
   religion. She always helped the poor, went barefoot even in winter, and   
   donated   
   all her fortune to the Church and the poor.   
      
   She died in October 1243 and was buried at Trzebnica, while relics of her   
   are   
   preserved at Andechs Abbey.   
      
   Hedwig was canonized in 1267.   
      
   Hedwig is the patron saint of Brandenburg, Berlin, Silesia and its capital   
   Wroclaw, of Trzebnica, the Diocese of Goerlitz, of Andechs and of Kraków.   
   St.   
   Hedwig's Cathedral is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Berlin.   
      
      
   <><><><>   
    "If we should well consider all that is human and imperfect in us, we   
   should   
   find but too much cause to humiliate ourselves before God and men, even   
   before   
   our inferiors"   
    -St. Vincent de Paul   
      
   A holy woman, once having asked light of the Lord that she might know   
   herself   
   well, saw so much ugliness and so many miseries in her own heart that, not   
   being   
   able to bear the sight, she prayed to God to relieve her from such distress;   
   for   
   she said if it had lasted longer she would have sunk under it.   
      
   (Taken from the book "A Year with the Saints". February - Humility)   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   2 Where pride is, there also shall be reproach: but where humility is, there   
   also is wisdom. (Proverbs 11:2)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   Eucharistic Prayer of Akita   
      
   Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, TRULY present in the Holy   
   Eucharist, I consecrate my body and soul to be   
   entirely one with Your Heart, being sacrificed at   
   every instant on all the altars of the world and   
   giving praise to the Father, pleading for the coming   
   of His Kingdom.   
      
   Please receive this humble offering of myself. Use me   
   as You will for the glory of the Father and the   
   salvation of souls.   
      
   Most Holy Mother of God, never let me be separated   
   from Your Divine Son. Please defend and protect me as   
   Your special child. Amen.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)