Saints Preserve us! By Mother
Superior Chlymenaestra
Blessings and love to the Bride of Christ,
"Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?
and if the world shall be judged by you,
are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?" 1 Corinthians
6:2
There are countless blessed and honoured saints many famous and
obscure whom are venerated and preyed upon by God's Holy flock. In
fact these saints and martyrs living in God's Holy Mansions rent
free, play an important role in our everyday lives. Just like the
Bible is useful for guidance so too are the saints we
propitiate.
Saint Winifred
Did you know that there is in actuality a Saint Winifred? Saints
who were born in a Christian and loving pietistic environment
generally end up dying in a fashionably brutal, sadistic and
voyeuristic way. Saint Winifred's life is no exception to this
rule.
Here is a brief outline:
Saint Winifred was born into a pietist family, raped at 16 by
drunken louts, performed signs and wonders soon after and was
famous for laying on of curses, hexes and the like in the name of
God. Cursing, and curing sexual diseases was also her forte,
Winifred is also known for being a patron saint of fertility and
for easing menstruation and birth. She was a renowned herbalist,
vegetarian and wise woman. Towards the end of her career she became
an Anchoress (a walled -in recluse), attracting pilgrims who sought
her advice, healing and oracular powers. She died untimely at 20
when her oracular visions and prophecies accused the church of
harlotry, abomination, and insurrection against God and
demonstrated the "blood of the slain saints in Christ" (p.199)
quite literally and uniquely in front of the papacy during
menstruation.
She was burnt at the stake for heresy - order by Pope Leo IV. That
same year Pope Leo IV died and his successor Pope John VIII grieved
that the ruling had not been revoked, saying that he was "led and
instructed to document That God's Holy Spirit, which resides in the
Anointed Intercessor for mankind, living or dead was still Grieving
over the demise of Winifred." However, interestingly enough, Pope
John the VIII was in actual fact none other than Pope Joan, the
first woman Pope who is most probably best hailed as the first
Catholic Feminist of her time Circa 853 AD. Or at the very least,
the first Pope who truly "walked on the wild side."
Some Devotions you may wish to
use:
A prayer to remove
affliction
Blessed and Holy Saint
Winifred,
ease my troubled soul and body and cure me of this infestation
which afflicts me.
Oh Precious One who kneels before the throne of God
I beseech thee to intercede on my behalf and remove this unholy
condition from me.
I'll be ever so grateful, bless you Oh Special One in God's Holy
Name. Amen.
A prayer
to turn the other cheek
I turn to you in my hour of need Oh
Stainless Saint,
I ask you to favour me with your beatific gaze and reward me with
your thrift action.
I ask that you turn my enemies away from me now
and restore my inner peace that is hard to find.
I pray that their bottoms sting in your Holy Name. Amen
A prayer for facing
adversity
Sanctified and Blessed one.
O Sweet St. Winifred
I ask that you grant and hear my prayer of supplication to
you
and give me the inspiration to hold my head high
and to be inspired and overcome all things in the face of
adversity.
You are my rock. Amen.
A prayer for guidance
Oh Favoured and Blessed one of Christ
I ask you to pray for me.
Ease my soul and grant me your oracular and visionary
guidance.
Be my guide O Daughter of Heaven
and guide my footsteps along the path you will show me.
I thank you for helping me and hearing my prayers. You rock!
Amen.
Bibliography:
"Religious Reconstruction," by Helen James, Fontaine Books 1906,
from "SaintWinifred," p. 197-200