The Sunday Sermon Archive

Dear Friends,

Saint Elizabeth of Hungary is one of the greatest glories of the Seraphic Order. She was born in 1207 and was promised in marriage at a very early age. When she was four, she was separated from her fond parents and brought to Thuringia to be reared at the Warburg with her future spouse, Count Louis. She was married at the age of fourteen, and from this marriage, three children were born. When Saint Elizabeth was twenty years old, this holy and blessed marriage was ended by the death of Louis in the Crusades. Her in-laws were now merciless towards her and forced her to leave the palace. She turned for help to the poor people to whom she had always given aid. She was begging, at least, that they shelter her young children. These would not help her for fear of offending her royal in-laws. On this cold night, she approached the Franciscans and asked them to sing a Te Deum after the midnight office in thanksgiving for her woes. Her brother-in-law Henry, who had been so merciless towards her, repented his injustice and re-established Elizabeth in her rights. However, she renounced all human honors, left her castle, and withdrew to a small wooden dwelling near the Friars Minor, who had already given her the habit of the Third Order. She died on November 19, 1231, at only twenty-four.

She has been given the title of "Mercy Crucified." From her tenderest years, the little princess greatly delighted in giving alms. In the home of her future spouse, Count Louis, she developed like a blooming rose of charity, increasing her self-sacrificing benefactions year by year. Even as a child, she would beg others for the means to give alms. Too often as a girl, she was called upon to repay with sincere affection the ridicule and scorn heaped on her on account of her supposed vulgar association by the courtiers and relatives of her betrothed. As the bride of Count Louis, she suffered a great personal need to keep up her generous almsgiving. It is related that one day, she was in the town of Eisenach, carrying supplies for poor people in her cloak; she suddenly found herself face to face with her husband, returning from the hunt. Astonished at seeing her bent by the weight of her burden, the prince wished to see what she was carrying. He opened her coat, but all he saw there were some white and red roses, although it was not the season for flowers.

We are all called upon to practice, according to our circumstances, the interior spirit of mercy that animated her life. It is hard, for example, to remain patient and even-tempered in associating with people who are naturally disagreeable to us or poke fun at us. However, it is little matters of this kind which put our charity to the test. These are often harder to perform than conspicuous feats of mercy.

Jesus suffered greatly because of His love for us. He endured all the insults and abuse of our sins and those of the rest of the world. Yet, despite our abuse, He still loves us and seeks to help us, especially in His most tremendous suffering on the Cross. We are called to imitate His merciful love for us by loving and aiding one another. Our love and compassion for others will often be met with coldness or indifference and sometimes even animosity and hatred. This was a most significant part of Jesus' suffering for us. Saint Elizabeth has given us the example of imitating and following Jesus in love and mercy for our fellow men, but above all, in humble and patient suffering at the hands of those she has helped.

When she was rejected and cast out with her children and could not find refuge even with the poor whom she so graciously aided in the past, she did not curse them or grow angry or impatient in any way. She saw in all this the loving hand of God, enabling her to imitate and follow Jesus ever more closely. True love must suffer many abuses. Love is often misunderstood and repulsed rather than reciprocated. It is in those times of being unappreciated, rejected, and even abused that we can gain the greatest merits and love even more because we are approaching a greater union with Jesus. Rather than allow charity to grow cold or turn into anger and resentment, we should strive to pray with Jesus as He hung upon the Cross: "Father, forgive them because they do not know what they are doing."

Let us beseech God earnestly for the sake of the merits of Saint Elizabeth to give us the grace of true, perfect charity.

May the Immaculate Heart of Mary inspire, guide, and protect us!

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