by Patricia Mathson
Celebrating Saint Colette
Person of Kindness
Feast Day: March 6
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Colette was born in 1381; she lived in France. Her parents named her Nicolette after St. Nicholas, who is the patron saint of children. Colette’s parents shared their faith in God with her. Even as a child, Colette was a person of prayer.
Kind to Others
Colette’s parents died when she was 17 years old. She then went to live on the grounds of an abbey where her father had worked as a carpenter. Colette was kind to everyone. People came to visit her and talk with her about their problems. She listened to them and prayed with them.
Put God First
Colette eventually entered the order of Poor Clares. She always put God first in her life by helping other sisters remember to keep the promises they made to God when they joined the order. This made her unpopular sometimes, but she did what she knew God wanted her to do.
Lived Jesus’ Teachings
Colette loved Jesus with all her heart and shared that love with others. She knew it was important to live as Jesus showed us in the Gospels. She died in 1447 and was canonized in 1807. Her life reminds us always to be kind to other people and to pray about all things.
What Can We Do?
* Let’s be kind to others, like St. Colette was. We can think of ways to be kind: listening to others; helping a new student at school; doing a chore for someone who needs help; praying for others. What else?
* Let’s make crosses to remind us to follow Jesus, like St. Colette did. We can cut crosses from patterned scrapbook paper and glue the crosses to larger pieces of contrasting-colored card stock that also are cut in the form of crosses.
* Let’s learn about other saints we celebrate in March, such as St. Joseph, St. Patrick, St. Katharine Drexel, and St. John of God. We can find out when we celebrate their feast days and the special causes for which they are patrons.
Prayer
Dear God, we give you praise and thanks for loving us. Give us the strength to love the way St. Collette did. Help us to share your love by being kind to others. Show us the way to be people of prayer in all things. Amen.
Patricia Mathson has many years of experience in faith formation as a DRE. She holds a Master of Religious Education degree from the University of Dallas and currently is the children’s ministry coordinator at a family shelter in Des Moines, IA. Patricia is the author of many books including Prayers and Activities on Service (Twenty-Third Publications).
Copyright 2014, Bayard, Inc. All rights reserved. This article is protected by United States copyright and other intellectual property laws and may not be reproduced, rewritten, distributed, redisseminated, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast, directly or indirectly, in any medium without the prior written permission of Bayard, Inc.
This article was written by the Catechist Staff and appeared in Catechist magazine, July 2014.
Image Credit: Shutter Stock 544541167
