BEGINNING, BECOMING A NUN

Katarina von Bora lived from 1499 to 1552 in Germany. Katie, as she was affectionately known , was born on January 29, 1499, in Lippendorf Germany. Her parents were Katharina Haubitz Von Bora and Hans Von Bora. She had three brothers and one sister. Tragically, in 1504 at the tender age of five, Katie’s mother died. The very next year her father remarried. Her new mother sent six-year-old Katie thirty miles away to a convent school in Buehena. At age nine Katie joined a convent in Nimbschen. The abbess there was Margaret Haubits, who happened to be her relative. She also had an aunt there. In 1515, at age sixteen, Katie took her vows to be a nun. She soon settled into a lifestyle of study, service, and housework at the nunnery.

HEARING OF LUTHER’S TEACHINGS

After seven years of trying to win God’s favor through prayer, hard work, and holy living it still wasn’t enough, and Katie became very restless. Katie, along with her fellow nuns got hold of Martin Luther’s writings and teachings and discussed them in secret. Martin Luther was a monk who left the Monastery and fought against corruptions and abuses in the Roman Catholic Church. He taught that salvation is only by grace through faith in Christ, not by following rules of a convent, teaching of the church, or obeying the Old Testament law. In 1516 Luther traveled to Grimma and preached to the German people that salvation cannot be earned by good works. In 1519, Luther nailed his famous 95 theses to the door of a Catholic church in Wittenberg, arguing against the Catholic church’s teachings on indulgences. At this time Katie was eighteen years old. Katie and her nuns agreed with what Luther taught and in 1522 about 9 nuns including Katie, began questioning the meaning of life and what to believe.

THE ESCAPE

The Nuns grew restless and wanted out of the convent. The nuns wrote home asking their families to take them back in. The replies, however, were all “no.” So they decided to write to Luther and ask for help and advice even though helping runaway nuns was very dangerous, and possibly a deadly endeavor. Luther had compassion for the nuns and thus wanted to help them. He set out to make a plan. He conspired with a friend Leonhard Koppe, who was a merchant. On an Easter morning in 1523 Koppe along with his nephew and his friend Wolfgang Tommitsch went to the convent with empty herring barrels. The nuns were loaded in the barrels and were taken to Torgau where they would be safe.

WHAT NOW? MARRIAGE?

The nuns didn’t know what to do now that they had gotten this far. Three nuns were taken back by their families. Luther felt responsible for the nuns and found jobs, homes, and husbands for them. Katie was placed in the home of the town clerk of Wittenberg, who was Philip Reichenbach. Some of Luther’s friends suggested that Luther himself marry one of the nuns. Luther thought it ridiculous. It was true he had been seeking a wife, but he expected any day to be killed and thus didn’t want to leave her a widow right away. Katie was the only one still not married and she’d been seeking a husband. Luther tried setting her up with several men, but in God’s providence they had all failed and Katie was not the least bit interested. However, at the home where Katie lived, she met a man named Jerome and they soon began to court. Jerome left home to visit his family leaving Katie with the promise of his return for them to be wed. But Jerome’s family did not approve of him marrying an ex-nun since they didn’t want their family name to be disgraced. Sadly, but providentially Jerome never returned, leaving Katie heartbroken. And to make matters worse he married another woman shortly after. Luther wrote to Jerome saying, “if you want to hold on to Katie you better act fast otherwise, she’ll marry someone else.” Luther tried setting Katie up with pastor Glatz, but Katie had no interest. She told Amsdorf, who was a friend of Luther’s, that she’d rather marry himself or Luther. Katie did express interest in Luther, who endured much badgering from his friends to marry her. God changed Luther’s feelings towards Katie, and he finally gave in and married her on Thursday June 13, 1525. They celebrated with a formal dinner on June 27, 1525. Luther was 41 at the time and Katie was 26. Katie was among the many who came to true faith because of the teachings of Luther on the doctrines of salvation. Katie finally realized she could not earn her salvation, but that she must trust in the works of Christ, his death and resurrection.

MARRIAGE

Many of Luther’s friends were pleased and delighted with his marriage, but there were also many disappointed and didn’t approve of their marriage. Luther said he married to please his father and annoy the pope, however his love for Katie was his chief reason. Many were annoyed especially since monks and nuns made vows to never marry. However, Luther and Katie left those vows and Luther proved that the Bible said nothing about forbidding marriage for priests or preachers. At first the Luthers were poor. As an ardent Catholic, Katie’s father pushed her away after she left the covenant, leaving her penniless. Luther’s salary, even when doubled, was hardly enough for the demands made on them. But despite their poverty, they were happy. The elector gifted Luther and Katie an Augustinian Monastery; the same one Luther had joined 14 years earlier.

Katie took over the Black Cloister, so Luther continued to lecture at the university, preach and translate. Katie proved to be a capable housewife, she managed the household, servants, farm, gardens, fish pound, cattle, cooking, and was a nurse whenever sickness entered the house.  They grew all sorts of fruits and vegetables, and owned an orchard outside the town where they grew more fruits and nuts. Katie was a hard worker and worked from sunup to sundown and was called the “Morning Star” by many. She not only managed all this but also Luther. She brought order to Luther’s life. Before marriage Luther used one room until it got too out of order, then he’d just move down the hall to the next room. Katie would certainly not allow it anymore, bringing order to his household. She often challenged him. One way she did this was when Luther would get discouraged, she would take the door off his study to keep him from locking himself up. For this very reason she earned one of the many nick names from Luther, “Lord Katie.”        

Katie was often hospitable. They also opened their house to many students, guests, friends, theologians, family and even on occasion lords and ladies. They not only hosted but housed some students, orphans, and Katie’s Aunt Magdalena Von Bora an ex-nun. Their table, as you could imagine, was almost always occupied with students, guests, and theologians often coming over for their talks at the Luther’s table. Some wrote what Luther taught at his table and published them in a book called Tabletalk.

BIBLICAL VIEW ON LIVING AND MARRIAGE

Luther’s views on marriage changed as he experienced it. And through it, he lived what he taught, which was that the Bible said nothing against two Christians marrying. Luther and Katie had a deep love and compassion towards each other, and their marriage was marked by undeniable affection and support. Luther was quite pleased with his choice of marriage. Katie portrayed a biblical view of the role of a wife and mother. Their marriage set an example of a Protestant biblical marriage.

FAMILY LIFE

Soon after marriage God blessed the Luthers with children. On June 7, 1526, Hans was born to Luther and Katie. On December 10, 1527, Elizabeth was born but died of an illness in August 1528, leaving the Luthers heartbroken. On her grave Luther wrote, “Here sleeps Elizabeth Martin Luther’s little daughter.” The following May Magdalena was born, then Martin Jr. on November 9, 1531, a day before Luther’s birthday. Paul was born on the 18th of January, 1533 and Margarethe on the 17th of December, 1534.  In all the Luther’s had six children. Luther and Katie loved teaching not only their own children but also other children about God and his word. They often had merry times doing so. In February Luther received word that his father was dangerously ill. Luther and his son Hans visited him, and on June 5 he heard his father Hans had died on May 29. Luther left home to visit his mother and help comfort her, leaving Katie to keep things going at the Black Cloister. Then tragedy came once again, on September 20, 1542, Magdalena at only age 13, died in Luther’s arms of an illness. The Luthers again were left with a deep wound. On Magdalena’s grave Luther wrote, “Here, I, Magdalena, Doctor Luther’s little maid resting with the saints sleep in my narrow bed. I was a child of death for I was born in sin but now I live, redeemed, Lord Christ, by the blood you shed for me.”  Luther’s mom died on June 30, 1530, and in 1537 Aunt Lena died. The whole household was distressed with the loss they’d endured. Family life was difficult as Luther often was taken away to meet with leaders, to preach, for meetings and so on, but he often wrote sweet letters to his family and Katie. The Luthers expanded their gardens, farms, and house. Every day the whole household gathered for prayer, games, Bible reading, and entertainment of the sort. Luther loved music. He played both the lute and lyre, to which everyone sang along. He also wrote many Hymns. His most famous would be A Mighty Fortress is our God. Luther and his Katie were blessed with the many Children they had and Luther praised family life.

FINAL YEARS

Katie’s health was decreasing as she aged. Luther also was suffering from bad health, which was exasperated because he didn’t take care of himself. He had anfechtungen as he called it, “Which describes the overwhelming times of spiritual trial, terror, despair, and religious crisis, that he experienced throughout his life.” On November 1, 1539, Katie suffered from a miscarriage that was followed by an illness. She was so ill in fact to the point of near death. After many prayers and Luther worrying himself about her, she began to recover.  On February 18, 1546, in the early morning, Luther died in Mansfeld at age 62, his dying words were, “Father into your hands I commend my spirit. You have redeemed me faithful God.” Even through Katie’s loss she had to keep working. Katie wrote, “He gave so much of himself in service not only to one town or to one country, but to the whole world. Yes, my sorrow is so deep that no words can express my heartbreak, and it is humanly impossible to understand what state of mind and spirit I am in. … I can neither eat nor drink, not even sleep. … God knows that when I think of having lost him, I can neither talk nor write in all my suffering.” Katie died on December 20, 1552, at age 53 and was missed by many.

KATIE’S LEGACY

Recounting the life of Katarina Von Bora can’t be retold without mentioning Luther, for they had become one and they both had such an impact on one another and encouraged one another spiritually. Katie gives us a wonderful example of a godly wife and mother, whose life brought glory to God and helped advanced the Reformation in countless ways. Katie’s love and devotion to God were shown in her love and care for her husband and family, her managing the household, her hospitality, her spreading the word of God to her own children and the children who came to their home. She was nicknamed the “Mother of the Reformation” and rightly so, for she was the helpmate to the “Father of the Reformation,” encouraging and enabling him to serve God in ways he could not have done alone.