November 17 2023 - St. Elizabeth of Hungary - Charity without expectation of repayment

 “What good is it if we only show charity to those who show charity to us” we hear in the Gospel today. 

The Christian life is to be marked by charity. Our love for God is to be seen in our charitable works—our patience, kindness, and generosity toward our fellow man and our attentiveness to the needs of the poor. But that charity isn’t to be shown simply to those who show charity to us, rather, true charity is to be shown to all, especially those who have no ability or no intention of repaying us. “For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.”

To be honest, it is easier to love the grateful than the ungrateful. The grateful give us that instant gratification of a positive response for our good deeds. It’s easier to lend to someone as a favor. Not only do you know you are going to be repaid, but now they owe you a favor. The lender profits from the favor. That’s not really charity, that’s self-interest. 

Rather, t Jesus teaches us that his followers are to be motivated by more than self-interest and instant gratification. The Christian is not simply to be motivate by natural inclinations, but by supernatural grace, and the teaching of the one who embraced the cross. We are to give, not just to those who can repay, but to those who are unable to repay, to the helpless. We are to improve our own standing, but that of others, at the cost of ourselves.

At first, our self-interested selves recoil from this sort of behavior, but do it enough, and you begin to develop the virtue of real charity—which is a share in the very life of God.

Today we honor St. Elizabeth of Hungary. During a severe famine, the noblewoman Elizabeth exhausted her family treasure to feed the poor and sick. She built a hospital from her family funds, tending to the sick, feeding them, often by hand—sometimes 900 patients every day. She provided for the welfare of orphans and helpless children. 

Many criticized her material benefactions as excessive, but can one be excessive in caring for Christ? “That which you did for the least of my brethren, you did for me.”

St. Elizabeth is revered as the patron saint of third order Franciscans, but no doubt, she has something to teach us all about the Lord’s invitation to conversion and true holiness, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

 

For blessings upon the Bishops as they conclude their meeting in Baltimore, that their conversations, prayers, and deliberations may be for the good of the Church and the mission of the Gospel. 

For our consecrated religious, and all third order Franciscans under the patronage of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, may they be strengthened in their works of charity and sustained in their witness to Christ’s saving Gospel.

That families experiencing division may know the peace and reconciliation that comes from Christ.

For all those struggling with addiction, mental illness, chronic sickness, unemployment, or ongoing trials of any kind, for those who grieve the loss of a loved one, or for those who will die today: that they will be fortified and blessed with God’s special favor and consolation.  

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased clergy and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

November 17 2021 - St. Elizabeth of Hungary - Christ disguised as a leper

 Today the Church celebrates St. Elizabeth of Hungary. Elizabeth was born in the year 1207, right about the time St. Francis of Assisi founded the Franciscans, and she too is one of church history’s great examples of charity. 

As daughter of the King of Hungary, and betrothed to the Noble Landgrave of Thuringia, Elizabeth had at her disposal substantial wealth, which she used to care for the poor.

During a severe famine, she exhausted the treasury and distributed her entire store of corn to the poor. She built a new hospital, tending to the sick, feeding them, often by hand—sometimes 900 patients every day. She provided for the welfare of orphans and helpless children. 

When many criticized her material benefactions as being excessive, her husband said that her charities would bring upon the whole realm divine blessings. But even he sort of reached his limits when she brought a leper into their castle to quarantine him from the rest of the populace. 

Interesting story though: as Elizabeth’s husband went to have the leper removed, he discovered that the leper had the holy stigmata, and that his saintly wife was truly taking care of Christ in the sick and poor. 

Through his wife, he learned how we Christians are called to take risks in revering and caring for Christ, seeing Him and loving Him, in our neighbor, including the most revolting. In the works of mercy, we care for Christ, and we also help others discover Christ disguised in the leper.

“What good is it if we only show charity to those who show charity to us” we hear in the Gospel today. Rather, as we see evidenced in the life of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Christians are to show charity to those who cannot repay us, the poor, the sick, and the dying. We are to “lend expecting nothing back” in giving of our time, talent, and treasure.

St. Elizabeth is revered as the patron saint of third order Franciscans, but no doubt, she has something to teach us all for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For blessings upon the Bishops gathered in Baltimore for their annual meeting this week, that their conversations, prayers, and deliberations for the good of the Church may be blessed. 

For our consecrated religious, and all third order Franciscans under the patronage of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, may they be strengthened in their works of charity and sustained in their witness to Christ’s saving Gospel.

That families experiencing division may know the peace and reconciliation that comes from Christ.

For all those struggling with addiction, mental illness, chronic sickness, unemployment, or ongoing trials of any kind, for those who grieve the loss of a loved one, or for those who will die today: that they will be fortified and blessed with God’s special favor and consolation.  

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased clergy and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

November 17 2020 - St. Elizabeth of Hungary - Patron Saint of Third Order Franciscans

 

Elizabeth was born in the year 1207, right about the time St. Francis of Assisi founded the Franciscans.

She was the daughter of Andrew II, King of Hungary, and was very devout from a young age.  She would often give away her possessions to the poor and sick, and had a special love for lepers. 

She was placed in an arranged marriage, and, as providence would have it, she was married to another devout soul: Louis, the Landgrave of Thuringia. Her husband encouraged her in the works of charity and they were said to have had an “unusually happy marriage”.  

St. Elizabeth, as part of her charitable works, built a hospital next to their castle, and, would personally tend to the sick and the poor, feeding over 900 people daily.  

Sadly, her husband died on his way to fight in the crusades, and Louis’ brothers, rose up against her, and drove her out of the castle.  She was forced to flee with her 4 children, one of those children being only 2 months old.  She was cast out, like the Holy Family, she could find no place to enter, for people were afraid to take her in out of fear of her husband’s brothers.  Like the Holy family she was granted asylum in a stable.  

The amazing thing, she didn’t complain, she didn’t curse God, she saw this as a sign of God’s favor, and she gave thanks to God for permitting her a share in the savior’s cross and be conformed to the Holy Family.  She continued to work odd jobs, spinning garments and selling them.  She was allowed to come back to the castle under the new emperor, and even built a second hospital.

She died at the age of 24.  Yet, because of the great number of miracles at her grave, Pope Gregory canonized her, only four years after her death. She is invoked as patron saint of third order Franciscans. 

Here was a holy woman, more concerned about the nobility of her soul, than her noble status in the world—more concerned with clothing her soul with virtue, than with the fine garments of a queen—a holy, virtuous woman, industrious in doing good works.  

Because her eyes were set on heaven, when she met the cross, she did not despair; rather, she saw the sufferings of her life as an opportunity to conform herself to Our Lord.  So let us follow in Elizabeth’s footsteps, in performing many good works and accepting all of the trials that God deigns to send us, and learn to accept the cross with gratitude that we may partake in the cross of His son, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For our consecrated religious, particularly those under the patronage of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, may they be strengthened and supported in their witness to Christ’s saving Gospel.

That families experiencing division may know the peace and reconciliation that comes from Christ.

For all those struggling with addiction, mental illness, chronic sickness, unemployment, or ongoing trials of any kind, for those who grieve the loss of a loved one, or for those who will die today: that they will be fortified and blessed with God’s special favor and consolation.  

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased clergy and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

November 17, 2017 - St. Elizabeth of Hungary - Clothing yourselves with Christ

Like our own parish patron, St. Clare, St. Elizabeth of Hungary was deeply moved and motivated by the preaching and poverty of St. Francis of Assisi. Like Clare, Elizabeth was born and raised in a castle, and was surrounded by the rich trappings of luxury and flattery. But Elizabeth did not let earthly treasures keep her from storing up heavenly ones.

In fact, the fame of the virtues of St. Elizabeth of Hungry reached Italy while St. Francis was still alive. Cardinal Ugolini, the future Pope Gregory IX often spoke of her to St. Francis, about the support and protection Elizabeth had given to the Franciscans and her great love of poverty.

One day the Cardinal asked St. Francis for a gift for her as a symbol of his recognition. As he made his request, he took the worn cape off St. Francis’ shoulders and recommended that he send it to her. “Since she is filled with your spirit of poverty,” said the Cardinal, “I would like for you to give her your mantle, just as Elijah gave his mantle to Elisha.” St. Francis consented and sent his mantle to St. Elizabeth, whom he considered as a spiritual daughter.

She would wear the cloak while she engaged in charitable works. She built a hospital next to her castle, and personally tended to the sick and the poor, feeding over 900 people daily. After the death of her husband, the king, her family conspired against her and forced her and her 4 children into exile and poverty with nothing, except the mantle of St. Francis.

During her exile, she did not curse God for her fate, but thanked God for permitting her a share in the savior’s cross. She worked odd jobs, spinning garments, to provide for her children. And when a new emperor came into power, and allowed her to return to the castle, she went right back to her charitable works, even building a second hospital. This continued only for a short while, as she died at the young age of 24. She was canonized only four years later, by Pope Gregory who knew of her virtue, and also due to the great number of miracles occurring at her grave. Elizabeth is the patron saint of third order Franciscans.

Shakespeare wrote that “clothes maketh the man.” Well, St. Elizabeth clothed herself, not with the robes of nobility, but with signs of poverty, humility, and virtue, she clothed herself with Christ, as St. Paul enjoins us to do. She embraced her hardships—widowhood, family division, destitution, exile—trusting in God’s grace, uniting her sufferings with Christ, and she teaches us to do the same, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For our consecrated religious, particularly those under the patronage of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, may they be strengthened and supported in their witness to Christ’s saving Gospel.

That families experiencing division may know the peace and reconciliation that comes from Christ.

For all those struggling with addiction, mental illness, chronic sickness, unemployment, or ongoing trials of any kind, for those who grieve the loss of a loved one, or for those who will die today: that they will be fortified and blessed with God’s special favor and consolation.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased clergy and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.