St. Lydwina - Patroness of Skaters - April 15th
Lydwina means “suffering” and this Saint from Holland spent her whole life suffering for Jesus. As a young teenager of fifteen, she dedicated herself completely to God. Since she was very pretty, she was afraid many young men would want to marry her. So Lydwina asked Jesus to take away her beauty, and He answered her prayer.
One day she went skating with her friends and one of them bumped into her by accident. Lydwina fell hard onto the ice, and that was the beginning of her life of suffering. The pain in her side hurt her so much that she could not stand or sit or lay down. She would ask to be moved from one bed to another, but the pain only grew worse. Crying, Lydwina finally threw herself on her father’s knee, saying she could not stand the pain anymore. But more and more pains came-sores on her face, on her body, blindness in one eye, and at last, she could not even leave her bed at all.
For thirty-eight years, Lydwina suffered. At first she felt very bad, but when a priest told her to think of what Jesus suffered, Lydwina took courage. God comforted her so much that she was brave enough to add more penance herself!
Lydwina was good to everyone who came to her poor little room. It became like a little heaven of happiness. She had a way of winning even hardhearted people and of stopping folks from quarreling.
Lydwina’s special love was for Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. For many years, she seemed to live only on Holy Communion.
A strong soldier of Christ can hold back tears and offer his pain to God.