December 20: [Katharina Von Bora, Church Reformer, 1552]

The Collect of the Day

Katharina Von Bora

Almighty God, who called servant Katharina von Bora from a cloister to work for the reform of your church: Grant that, for the sake of your glory and the welfare of your church, we may go wherever you should call, and serve however you should will; through Jesus Christ, our only mediator and advocate. Amen.

Katharina Von Bora

Almighty God, who didst call thy servant Katharina von Bora from a cloister to work for the reform of thy church: Grant that, for the sake of thy glory and the welfare of thy church, we may go wherever thou dost call, and serve however thou dost will; through Jesus Christ, our only mediator and advocate. Amen.

Isaiah 55:6–11
Psalm 46
John 15:1–11

Katharina von Bora was born in 1499, the daughter of impoverished German nobles, and was educated at the Benedictine convent in Brehna. Instinctively devout, she initially felt deeply drawn to the monastic life, and as a teenager took vows at a Cistercian convent in Nimbschen.

As a young woman, however, Katharina became increasingly critical of many of the abuses that she perceived in the church, and became keenly interested in the movements of ecclesiastical reform. In 1523, she and 11 others sisters secretly contacted Martin Luther and asked for his help in escaping from the convent. Smuggled out in a fish wagon, they soon found that they had nowhere to go, because their families refused to take them back. Several of the Protestant reformers sheltered the women, and Katharina found a temporary home with the family of the famous painter Lucas Cranach.

Eventually all of the women found husbands within the new community of church reformers, but for Katharina no match was found. Most of her potential suitors found her intellect intimidating and her assertiveness off-putting. Eventually, she expressed a desire to wed Martin Luther himself, and rather to the surprise of most of his friends, he agreed.

Many within the early Lutheran community were opposed to Luther’s marriage, fearing that it would open him to criticism that he had only left the monastic life because he did not want to fulfill his vow of celibacy, rather than because he was genuinely concerned about abuses within the church. But Luther came to believe that married life was itself a vocation from God, and also that clerical marriage gave women the opportunity to assist in the work of the Reformation as coworkers and colleagues.

Katharina therefore became an early model for the vocation of a pastor’s spouse, assisting Martin in his ministry and providing hospitality to many, as well as raising six children and opening their home to a number of orphans. The family regularly hosted dozens of people at dinner, which would involve heated theological debates. Katharina was an active participant in these, knowing both the scriptures and Latin as well as many of the men, and Martin encouraged her contributions. He gave her a degree of authority that was unprecedented in that time, including allowing her to handle the publication of his works, and naming her as his sole heir upon his death. She died on December 20th, 1552.

Lessons and Psalm

First Lesson

Psalm

¹God is our refuge and strength, *a very present help in trouble.

²Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved, *and though the mountains be toppled into the depths of the sea;

³Though its waters rage and foam, *and though the mountains tremble at its tumult.

⁴The Lord of hosts is with us; *the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

⁵There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, *the holy habitation of the Most High.

⁶God is in the midst of her; she shall not be overthrown; *God shall help her at the break of day.

⁷The nations make much ado, and the kingdoms are shaken; *God has spoken, and the earth shall melt away.

⁸The Lord of hosts is with us; *the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

⁹Come now and look upon the works of the Lord, *what awesome things he has done on earth.

¹⁰It is he who makes war to cease in all the world; *he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear, and burns the shields with fire.

¹¹“Be still, then, and know that I am God; *I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth.”

¹²The Lord of hosts is with us; *the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

Gospel

¹”I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. ²He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. ³You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. ⁴Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. ⁵I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. ⁷If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. ⁹As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. ¹⁰If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.