Why do you say it's a real life fairy tale Cloë?
Well Tallulah, it's all about princes and princesses and kings and queens and castles.
Wow! this sounds like quite the story.
Margaret was the daughter of Princess Agatha of Hungary and the Anglo-Saxon Prince Edward Atheling. Her great-uncle was the English king. She ended up in Scotland when her family's ship wrecked as they escaped from William the Conqueror.
While in Scotland, Margaret met and fell in love with King Malcolm. They were married at the castle of Dunfermline in 1070. Now the king had a bad temper and not the best manners. But Margaret was kind and the King loved her so much that he too became kind and virtuous.
This is very exciting Cloë. But I don't understand how she became a saint.
Well Tallulah, Margaret worked very hard to make Scotland a better place. She was a great promoter of the arts and education as well as religious reform. Many people had begun doing bad things in the name of religion and she helped to lead people back to God's ways. She and the king built a number of churches.
Margaret always made lots of time for prayer, reading the Bible and going to Mass. She also helped the poor, the beggars and the children who had no parents, usually before she helped herself. And not just with money but also with her time.
She sounds amazing, but a lot of what she did are things that everyone could do.
That right Tallulah and that's the point. Too often we think that we cannot be like the saints. We won't all be royalty, but God wants all of us to be saints.
Here is an idea for celebrating this great feast day - why not make Scottish shortbread!
That's my way of celebrating!
Grandma's Shortbread Cookies
Cook Time: 15 to 20 min.
Makes 24 Cookies
1/2 cup (125 mL) Corn Starch
1/2 cup (125 mL) icing sugar
1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (175 mL) butter, softened
Directions
Sift together corn starch, sugar and flour. With wooden spoon,
blend in butter until a soft, smooth dough forms.
Shape into 1-inch (2.5 cm) balls. If dough is too soft to handle,
cover and chill for 30 to 60 minutes. Place 1 1/2 inches (4 cm)
apart on ungreased baking sheets; flatten with lightly floured fork.
Alternatively, roll dough to 1/4 inch (6 mm); cut into shapes
with cookie cutters.
Decorate with candied cherries, coloured sprinkles or nuts, if desired.
Bake at 300°F (150ºC) for 15 to 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on wire rack.
Butter - oooh, these sound delicious!
That's it for today - woof!
Cloë and Tallulah
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