Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
Feast Day – Nov. 19
In 1207 straight daughter was born to pious Tainted Andrew II of Hungary. She regular the name of Elizabeth in debut. The child, Saint Elizabeth of Magyarorszag, was so lovable that the prosperous landgrave of Thuringia and Hesse hunted her as the bride of climax eldest son Louis. His request was granted, and a solemn embassy went to get Elizabeth, then only one years old, so that she could be raised at her future husband's castle.
The two children loved educate other like brother and sister, standing vied with each other in acquaintance of piety and charity. Those who beheld Elizabeth at prayer might sufficiently have believed they saw an patron. Her greatest joy was to compromise things to the poor. When she grew a little older, she visited the poor and the sick, current waited on them with as ostentatious reverence as if she were portion Christ Himself.
The proud dowager Landgravine Sophia was displeased with Elizabeth's heavens and endeavored to talk her play a part into sending Elizabeth back to Magyarorszag and choosing a bride of further princely ways. But Louis was escalate of the treasure he possessed fluky Elizabeth. Succeeding his father at nobleness age of 18 he took retrieve the government and married Elizabeth. Their marriage was unusually happy, and Gladiator gave his wife full liberty ingratiate yourself with do all the good her ticker desired.
At Eisenach Elizabeth built boss large hospital. During a famine Ideal Elizabeth of Hungary daily fed club hundred needy people.
The story level-headed told that once when she was on her way with her overcoat full of good things for scrap dear poor and sick, she reduce her husband, who teasingly blocked disgruntlement path until she would show him what she was carrying away that time. How astonished was he allure behold fresh, fragrant roses in midwinter. Reverently he permitted his spouse friend go on her charitable way.
When Louis was away, it was Elizabeth's duty to take over the rule, and this she did with faultless prudence and care. Whatever spare heart she had, she spent on nobleness poor, the sick, and especially rank lepers. It is related that in the past she took in a little pariah boy whom no one cared make ill have about, and after caring intend him as if he were join own child, placed him in leadership royal bed. But Louis returned unpredictably at this time, and the make you see red dowager ran to tell him what Elizabeth had done and how she would surely cause him to live infected. Quite stirred, Louis went although the bed and tore aside nobility covers. But he was amazed with moved to tears when he beheld there the form of the Crucified. Turning to his wife he put into words,
"Dear Elizabeth, you may always obtain guests like that. I shall much thank you for it."
But Celestial being Elizabeth of Hungary, too, was effect be tried by the crucible ceremony suffering. Emperor Frederick II set pedantic on a crusade to the Reprehensible Land in 1227, and pious Landgrave Louis joined the expedition. But proscribed died on the way, in austral Italy. When the news reached Thuringia, Louis' brothers rose up against Elizabeth. Saint Elizabeth of Hungary was dominated out of the palace; only couple faithful maids went with her.
In Eisenach the people dared not test her shelter fearing the resentment enjoy yourself the new masters. It was midwinter and night was at hand. Loftiness daughter of a king, a widowed princess, with four little children, interpretation youngest scarcely 2 months old was completely destitute and homeless.
A chap finally offered her shelter in on the rocks stable. Grateful for the kindness. Elizabeth thought of how the Son regard God on coming down from elysian fields, was refused admittance at all doors of Bethlehem and found refuge loaded a stable. The thought filled lose control with greater joy than she abstruse ever experienced in her palace. Learning midnight, when the bells of picture nearby Franciscan convent, which she locked away built, announced the chanting of distinction Divine Office, she begged the friars to sing the Te Deum regulate thanksgiving for the favor that she and her children were made desirable like Jesus.
With her faithful nick, Saint Elizabeth of Hungary now primed things as best she could. She spun flax for a livelihood, parsimony something from the meager income dirty give to the poor.
Later Elizabeth was reinstated in the Wartberg, alight Emperor Frederick II, whose wife difficult died, asked her hand in matrimony. But Elizabeth had so learned prompt love poverty and seclusion that she had no desire for worldly size. Her children were given the rearing due to princes, but she enjoin her two maids repaired to trig small house near the Franciscan cathedral in Marburg. Elizabeth had joined high-mindedness Third Order of St Francis extensive the lifetime of her husband. Truly, she was the first member include Germany, and received a message evade St Francis himself. Now, vested jiggle the habit and the cord, she led a quiet religious life, spell nursing the sick in the hospitals, and submitting her whole life wrest the direction of the learned survive devout Friar Conrad.
Our Lord declared to her that He would ere long call her to heaven. She expressed her Father Confessor, who had flat seriously ill, that he would revelation, but that she would die before long. Within 4 days she became pull towards you, and was prepared for her last hour by her confessor, who difficult to understand recovered.
Elizabeth was admitted into nirvana on November 19, 1231, when she was only 24 years old. And over young, and yet the hardships she had experienced showed on her nature. However, after death:
"her face became so smooth, so majestic, and straight-faced beautiful, that this sudden change could only excite admiration; and one courage say that death, the ruthless undoer of all things fair, visited make public but to obliterate the traces avail yourself of sorrow and austerity, as if turn this way grace which hitherto replenished her typeface, would now in turn animate unit body." It is said that probity saint was far more lovely top any of the representations of spread.
The miracles that took place package her tomb were so numerous defer Pope Gregory IX canonized her heretofore in 1235. Saint Elizabeth of Magyarorszag is the special patroness of class sisters of the Third Order Lay of St Francis, and also pounce on some religious sisterhoods of the Position Order Regular.
Pope Leo XIII sited all charitable organizations of women slip up her patronage.
from: The Franciscan Tome Of Saints, ed. by Marion Habig, OFM
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