Saint of the day for February 7: the story of Santa Colette

Colette did not seek the limelight, but in doing God's will she certainly attracted a lot of attention. Colette was born in Corbie, France. At 21 she began to follow the Third Order rule and became an anchor, a woman walled up in a room whose only opening was a window in a church.

After four years of prayer and penance in this cell, he left it. With the pope's approval and encouragement, she joined the Poor Clares and reintroduced the primitive Rule of St. Clare in the 17 monasteries she established. His sisters were famous for their poverty - they rejected any fixed income - and for their perpetual fasting. Colette's reform movement has spread to other countries and is still thriving today. Colette was canonized in 1807.

Reflection

Colette began his reformation during the period of the Great Western Schism (1378-1417) when three men claimed to be pope and thus divided Western Christianity. The fifteenth century in general was very difficult for the Western Church. Long neglected abuses cost the Church dearly in the following century. Colette's reform indicated the need for the entire Church to follow Christ more closely.