(c.1241-1298) Mechtilde, a name sometimes translated as Matilda, von Hackeborn-Wippra, was born to a powerful noble family in Germany. She became a Benedictine nun in Switzerland, following the example of her elder sister. The convent was moved to Helfta, in modern-day Germany, and Mechtilde, whose name means “powerful fighter,” became headmistress of the convent school. She taught Saint Gertrude the Great and was known for her musical talent, being dubbed the “Nightingale of Helfta.” Mechtilde’s teaching is captured in Saint Gertrude the Great’s writing, The Book of Special Grace.
Saint Mechtilde was sought out as a spiritual advisor to both the religious and the laity. Our sponsor can sometimes help with spiritual discernment and direction, but one would do well to also seek out a trained spiritual director. Do you discuss your spiritual life with your sponsor? Do you have a dedicated spiritual director, or know how to find one?
“I wish, for your part, that you recite three Hail Marys every day, remembering in the first the Power received from the Eternal Father, in the second the Wisdom received from the Son, with the third one the Love that has filled the Holy Spirit” (The Blessed Virgin Mary to Saint Mechtilde).
Reflection by Brad Farmer