You may have heard of the saying that ostriches are proof that God has a sense of humor. Well, designating Elizabeth of Hungary’s feast day in November is proof that the Catholic Church has a sense of humor. Elizabeth was born 1207 in Hungary (present-day Slovakia) to King Andrew II and Gertrude. When she was very young, her parents decided that she was to be married to Ludwig, who was the son of a German nobleman. At the age of six, she was greatly affected by the death of her mother, who was assassinated by a conspiring nobleman. That experience showed her the value of human life and of peace. She eventually married Ludwig when she was fourteen and by all accounts, they had a happy marriage which produced three children. Two of their children became nobles, while the third became an Abbess of a German convent. When she was sixteen, she met some Franciscan friars who taught her the ideals of St. Francis of Assisi. Elizabeth was eager to live a similar life so she began to wear simple clothing and set aside time every day to take food to hundreds of poor people. Three years later, diseases and floods began to spread in her country. Once again, Elizabeth took an active role in caring for the victims and she sold her belongings to help pay for supplies. In addition, she built a hospital and provided aid for thousands of people daily.
Elizabeth lived a life full of prayer and service to the poor. She additionally used her position as royalty to help serve the poor by giving them clothing, burying their dead, and even paying their debts. However, not everyone was convinced she was doing the right thing. She faced criticism from other aristocrats and even her husband was a bit skeptical of her mission. Yet, one day she unexpectedly met her husband while she was helping the poor. Suddenly, the loaves of bread she was carrying miraculously changed into white and red roses! Her husband was shocked, but took this as a sign that she was truly following God’s will. Elizabeth’s story is one of the first of many which began the association of roses with Christian saints. Sadly, her husband died of the plague on his way to the sixth crusade when Elizabeth was twenty years old. Elizabeth was heartbroken and vowed to never remarry, but instead chose to live life similar to a nun despite pressure from her relatives. She wanted to grow in faith so she asked Pope Gregory IX, who regularly wrote to her, for advice and he recommended Conrad von Marburg to be her spiritual director. Her mentor was a very harsh teacher who pushed Elizabeth to grow in holiness through physical self denial. Originally, Elizabeth wanted to follow St. Francis’ lifestyle of complete poverty, but Conrad stopped her from doing so. Instead, he guided her in using her wealth to minister and provide comfort to the poor. For the rest of her life, Elizabeth built hospitals for the poor and sick to whom she was dedicated to helping for the rest of her life. She died at the young age of twenty-four. Even though he was strict with her when she was alive, Conrad was very vocal in pushing for her canonization.
Elizabeth’s life was rich in more ways than one. From here life, here are some spiritual gems that could help us in our faith journey:
1. Charity starts from home. It is a good thing for us to donate our money and supplies to help others. However, Elizabeth not only cared for the poor by providing them with material aid, but she was also there to feed and comfort them. Jesus shows us in the Gospels many times the value of being present with those who need the love of Christ. When we help another person face to face, we affirm their humanity. We can do this by volunteering in soup kitchens, helping out at our local parish, and even assisting with our local community. Even though it may be difficult to do now with the pandemic, checking in with family, friends, and neighbors could be an act of charity in a time when many people feel disconnected. Of course, you can always reach out to the S.E.E.D. team as well!
2. Mortification helps us to grow. When we hear the word “mortification”, our mind can sometimes jump to something extreme such as living like John the Baptist. While not all of us are called to live in the wild eating locusts and honey, making some sacrifices in our daily life can help us to grow in our love of God. An example of this is when we fast during Lent. As we know, fasting does not always have to be about food, it can apply to anything that we are attached to. Like Elizabeth, we are fortunate enough to live a fairly comfortable life. Even though Elizabeth had the desire to become more holy, Conrad knew that she would need to become detached from her personal belongings and relationships in order to allow God to work and transform her life.
3. Discerning God’s will. Like Elizabeth, we can sometimes feel like we have to copy someone else’s path to holiness. However, God calls each one of us to use our unique talents and blessings to bring God’s love to others. While St. Francis was called to live a life of radical poverty and go around preaching, St. Elizabeth was called to use her wealth to build hospitals to provide aid and comfort to those who need loving care. While we may have our own ideas on how to best serve God, don’t forget to include Him in our decision-making process. After all, God does know us best and wants the best for us! But you don’t have to do it alone. Your local priest can be a great resource in helping you to find God’s voice and discerning His will.
If you feel that you need God’s guidance in your life, here is a good prayer to look to:
Almighty God,
by whose grace your servant Elizabeth of Hungary
recognized and honored Jesus in the poor of this world:
Grant that we, following her example, may with love and gladness serve those in any need or trouble.
In the name and for the sake of and through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen
Be awesome and blossom 🌱
By: anh Daniel
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