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St. Lydwine was born in 1380. Her name literally means “suffering much”. The name became more and more fitting as Lydwine’s life unfolded.
From a young age, Lydwine dedicated herself to God. She even prayed that God would spoil her outer beauty, so no earthly man would want to marry her. God answered that prayer in a mysterious way.
When Lydwine was 15, she went ice skating with a friend. During the outing, the two friends collided, and Lydwine suffered a broken rib. Eventually, gangrene from the wound spread over her body, and an abscess formed in her chest, which eventually burst. These medical issues resulted in Lydwine being bedridden for the rest of her life.
Lydwine could have been bitter, but instead, she accepted her sufferings as God’s will and offered them to Him for the reparation of sins and the conversion of sinners.
There were many sufferings to offer to God. Besides the abscess, gangrene, and broken rib, Lydwine suffered from many other illnesses, including headaches, vomiting, fevers, toothaches, bedsores, muscle spasms, and blindness. Some now believe that she suffered from multiple sclerosis.
Lydwine also suffered at the hands of others. People would mock her, soldiers hit her, some people spat on her, and she was often misunderstood, even by those within the Church. She also often chose to fast, and eventually lived only on the Eucharist.
From her bed, Lydwine lived a life of prayer, fasting, and offering herself to God. God granted her supernatural visions of heaven, hell, purgatory, and Christ, and also graced her with the stigmata. He also graced her with the ability to perform miracles and give spiritual advice, and soon, many people sought her out for that. The constant flow of people in and out of her room was another cross for her, but she accepted it with grace.
Lydwine died in 1433 during the week of Easter. She is the patron saint of sickness, the chronically ill, and ice skaters.
Lessons From St. Lydwine
Lydwine could have become bitter in her circumstances, but instead, she accepted that these illnesses and sufferings were mysteriously God’s means of helping her and others grow in holiness. Her regular prayer and fasting, both before and after her accident, helped her grow in this perspective.
May we learn from her the importance of regular prayer and fasting, so we can better see and live out God’s will, even in trying circumstances.