Calee M. Lee - A Necklace of Virtues

A Necklace of Virtues

Written by Calee M. Lee

Illustrated by Turbo Qualls

Authors Note

This story is a work of historical fiction.

We know that Audrey of Ely lived in England in the 7th century, but do not have all of the details of her childhood. History tells us that as a young princess, she loved her necklaces but later chose to give all her riches away and become a nun.

I created this story in the attempt to answer my own Audreys questionwhy do we have so much, when others have so little? I hope that Saint Audrey will provide inspiration to other parents grappling with the same questions and give us all hope that one day our little princesses may grow up to be great servants of God.

It is a known fact that every princess needs a necklace.

Or two. Or seven.

Princess Audrey was no exception. She had a chest filled with necklaces and bracelets and other treasures right next to her wardrobe of frilly, fancy princess dresses.

The girl was set.

One day, after Audrey had tried on all of her necklaces and decided on the gold one with little shiny pearls, she went for a walk in the countryside.

She was going to the Church to light a candle for her little sister who had more red spots on her face than on her dress, and wasnt strong enough to get out of bed.

As Audrey stepped into the Church, her nose was filled with the familiar scent of incense, spicy and sweet.

The Church was warm and comfortingexcept for that sound!

Standing beneath an icon of Jesus and His mother, another woman clutched a crying child.

Why is your baby crying? Audrey asked, smiling at the little boy.

His screams slowed to a sniffle when she reached out her hand to stroke his toes.

The mother took a step away from the young princess.

Im so sorry my lady.

She lowered her head and turned to go, but the babys hand was firmly wrapped in Audreys necklace.

The baby transferred the shiny pearls to his mouth and climbed into Audreys arms.

Silly baby, you cant eat pearls. Trying to hand him back to his mother, Audrey said, I think hes a little hungry.

Sighing, the mother replied, You are more right than you know.

Audrey looked down at the baby in her arms tangled in her string of pearls.

She thought about her overflowing jewelry box at home and slipped the necklace over her head and onto the childs. Its not dinner, but maybe this will help?

The woman bowed before the princess.

If we sell this necklace, it will feed our entire family for a year. Thank you for answering my prayers.

That afternoon, Audreys mother found the young princess crying in a hurricane of dresses, necklaces and toys.

Mama, its not fair. Why do we have so much, when other people have so little?

My dear child, its true. Our family has been richly blessed with the things in this palace. But Audrey, God has given you the greatest gift of alla heart full of love for others.

May you always be able to see what needs to be done and have the courage to do it.

As Audrey grew older, she sold her necklaces to buy food for the poor. She gave away her fancy clothes and special hair clips, and even, when she became queen, gave away an entire island. Audrey said goodbye to everything she had and became a nun so she could dedicate her life to prayer and to helping others.

When Audrey grew old and died, even though she no longer wore pearls around her neck, people said she had done so many good things; it was like she possessed a necklace of virtues.

By giving away her treasure she gained something much more beautiful: a way to show God how much she loved Him and the people in His world.

Historical Note

Saint Audrey (in Old English Etheldreda or thelthryth) was born to King Anna of East Anglia in 636 A.D. While few stories of her childhood remain, we know that by a young age, Audrey was a follower of Jesus Christ and desired to become a nun. She maintained her virginity despite being married twice for reasons of state and eventually fled to escape her second husband who wanted to consummate their marriage. She founded a monastery at Ely in 673 but it was later destroyed in the Danish invasion in 870. She died of plague in the year 680 and remarked to those around her that she regretted her love of necklaces as a young girl. Seventeen years after her death, Audreys body was found to be without decay. Her feast is celebrated on June 23rd.

Hymn to Saint Audrey:

You, O Virgin Queen, have suffered the pains of ascetic struggle and so gained grace through the necklace of your virtues, to heal diseases of both body and soul, to drive out demons and protect all those that suffer: O venerable Mother Audrey, pray for us that we may obtain healing and great mercy.