The Legend of Saint Elizabeth[of Hungary]

Catholic Information Network ^ | November 25, 1996 | Ruth Sawyer

[Lady In Blue]

Saint Elizabeth of Hungary's feast day is on November 17th.

[Lady In Blue]

ping

[Dajjal]

Bumpus ad summum.

[Salvation]

I was wondering when her feast day was because they had the beautiful picture and a great post about her on EWTN. Thanks for this post.

[nickcarraway]

BUMP

[Salvation]

BTTT on 11-17-03

[nickcarraway]

BUMP

[Dajjal]

Thanks for the ping. Saint Elizabeth is one of my favorites. I love the bread story.

[Salvation]

BTTT on 11-17-04, Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Hungary.

[GirlShortstop]

8 posted on 11/18/2003 4:27:39 AM EST by Dajjal

How did you get to tomorrow already, Dajjal?
Bump for St. Elizabeth of Hungary

[GirlShortstop]

Nevermind!  :)   a BUMP's a BUMP anyway

[MHT]

Today is my 25th anniversary and, ironicallly, the town where we honeymooned at a church dedicated to this St. Elizabeth. She's always had a special "presence" in our family. Thank you for this post.

[Salvation]

American Cathlic's Saint of the Day

November 17, 2004

St. Elizabeth of Hungary

(1207-1231)

In her short life Elizabeth manifested such great love for the poor and suffering that she has become the patroness of Catholic charities and of the Secular Franciscan Order. The daughter of the King of Hungary, Elizabeth chose a life of penance and asceticism when a life of leisure and luxury could easily have been hers. This choice endeared her in the hearts of the common people throughout Europe.

At the age of 14 Elizabeth was married to Louis of Thuringia (a German principality), whom she deeply loved; she bore three children. Under the spiritual direction of a Franciscan friar, she led a life of prayer, sacrifice and service to the poor and sick. Seeking to become one with the poor, she wore simple clothing. Daily she would take bread to hundreds of the poorest in the land, who came to her gate.

After six years of marriage, her husband died in the Crusades, and she was grief-stricken. Her husband’s family looked upon her as squandering the royal purse, and mistreated her, finally throwing her out of the palace. The return of her husband’s allies from the Crusades resulted in her being reinstated, since her son was legal heir to the throne.

In 1228 Elizabeth joined the Secular Franciscan Order, spending the remaining few years of her life caring for the poor in a hospital which she founded in honor of St. Francis. Elizabeth’s health declined, and she died before her 24th birthday in 1231. Her great popularity resulted in her canonization four years later.

Comment:

Elizabeth understood well the lesson Jesus taught when he washed his disciples' feet at the Last Supper: The Christian must be one who serves the humblest needs of others, even if one serves from an exalted position. Of royal blood, Elizabeth could have lorded it over her subjects. Yet she served them with such a loving heart that her brief life won for her a special place in the hearts of many. Elizabeth is also an example to us in her following the guidance of a spiritual director. Growth in the spiritual life is a difficult process. We can play games very easily if we don't have someone to challenge us or to share experiences so as to help us avoid pitfalls.

Quote:

"Today, there is an inescapable duty to make ourselves the neighbor of every individual, without exception, and to take positive steps to help a neighbor whom we encounter, whether that neighbor be an elderly person, abandoned by everyone, a foreign worker who suffers the injustice of being despised, a refugee, an illegitimate child wrongly suffering for a sin of which the child is innocent, or a starving human being who awakens our conscience by calling to mind the words of Christ: 'As long as you did it for one of these, the least of my brethren, you did it for me' (Matthew 25:40)" (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, 27, Austin Flannery translation).

[Salvation]

Saint of the Day Ping!

Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be added to or taken off the Saint of the Day Ping List.

[fatima]

Salvation,Bump

[Okies love Dubya 2]

I picked our youngest child's middle name for St. Elizabeth of Hungary--she is 5 months old today :) My 6 year old was St. Elizabeth for All Saints' this year (I put roses in her crown).

She may not have had a lengthy earthly life, but she has had an influence on us for over 7 centuries.

St. Elizabeth of Hungary, pray for us!

[thor76]

Thank you for posting this - it is a truly beautiful story. There was a time when little children were told stories of the lives of the saints like this - to inspire them, and to build their imaginations with good and Godly things.

Now we just have Disney.

[hummingbird]

Thank you, Lady in Blue.

Such an inspiration, St. Elizabeth...a call for each of us to do for the "least" of us.

[Aquinasfan]

Johnette Benkovic related this true story yesterday on her program.

A girl came to her house on Halloween dressed as a saint.

Johnette: "Which saint are you, dear?"

Girl: "St. Elizabeth!"

Johnette: "Which St. Elizabeth?"

Girl: "The hungry one!"

[JesseHousman]

Thanks to you Lady In Blue for posting this blessed article and pictures.