CHANDELIERS - FAMILY SAINTS | KAIROS GLOBAL | JANUARY 2019

Author: Joseph Santhosh & Bijie Santhosh

Husband and Wife Saints 

Saint Edwin of Northumbria (Oct 12) and Saint Ethelburga of Kent (Apr 5)

When Edwin was an infant, his father, the pagan king of Deira in northern England, was defeated by Ethelbric of Bernicia. For the next thirty years, Edwin lived in exile, always in danger of being killed by agents of Ethelbric. After Ethelbric’s son Ethelfrith was killed in battle, Edwin was invited to ascend his father’s throne thus uniting Deira and Bernicia in the kingdom of Northumbria.

Upon the death of his wife Cwenburth, Edwin sought a union with the Christian princess of Kent, Ethelburga. Ethelburga was the daughter of St. Aethelbert, the first Christian King of Kent and founder of the See of Canterbury, and his wife, St. Bertha. He won her family over by promising full freedom to Ethelburga and her entourage to observe their own religion, Christianity. Ethelburga got married in AD 625 and came to Northumbria along with the Bishop Paulinus, who was sent to strengthen their faith. An attempt on his life convinced Edwin of the necessity of meditating on eternal things. Finally won over by the arguments of Paulinus, the testimony of his wise men and no doubt the constant witness of his wife, he accepted baptism in AD 627. Edwin ruled as a Christian king. Saint Bede the Venerable wrote that in Edwin’s time, “a woman might travel through the island with a babe at her breast without fear of insult”. King Edwin’s example was followed by thousands of people of all ages and conditions. When Edwin was killed in a war, Ethelburga sought her brother’s patronage, built the first nunnery in England (near Canterbury) and took the veil along with her sister, St. Edburga. She lived out of her days in prayer and pious works at the monastery she had founded at Lyming, and died in AD 647.  

While discerning our vocation, I am sure we wonder if our future spouse has the same fervor for evangelizing or whether the person has even heard of Christ! This saint is one example of how through the witness of a spouse, the family is saved. There are numerous examples in our communities and prayer groups that mirror this saint’s life as well. 

Marriage is a supernatural calling where Jesus invades the spouses’ souls and invites them to transform their married life into a divine journey on earth. We are called to sanctify our married life through forgiving love and charity, practiced daily.

When we look at our lives, we are convinced that it is a journey of striving to do better and getting closer to Jesus who empowers us to be witnesses to his love. Going for Mass together and creating a saintly home with your spouse and children, thereby building His domestic church.

Saint Edwin and Ethelburga, pray for our families.