St. Margaret of Scotland

One of my favorite saints--A wife, mother, and queen. No miracles, no flash, just love and devotion. The image comes from here, which is a delightful telling of the story of St. Margaret for children.

Scotland was full of poor prisoners, carried out of England during the wars, and Margaret used to find them out, pay their ransoms and send them home. The priest who wrote her life says that he admired her works of mercy more than miracles, for miracles may be worked by bad people (probably he means witches) as well as by righteous people, but mercy and kindness are good in themselves.

I have read elsewhere (I wish I could remember the source) that she was quite rigorous in running her household: leading them in acts and attitudes of piety, teaching courtesy, making vestments and altar clothes with her ladies in any leisure time. I think she might be a good patron saint for me to turn to in stepping it up around here.

;-)