Saint Elizabeth of Hungary

posted in: Homilies, Saints | 0

Today’s readings

St. Elizabeth was the daughter of the king of Hungary, and she married Louis IV of Thuringia when she was fourteen years old. They were happily married and had three children together. Together, they tried to live the ideals of St. Francis of Assisi, so they sold their possessions and gave the money to the poor. This upset Elizabeth’s in-laws, who probably were hoping to inherit the things Louis and Elizabeth owned. When Louis was on the way to fight in a war, he was killed. Elizabeth’s in-laws forced her out of the palace, and she and her children went to live with her uncle who was a bishop. After Louis’s friends returned from the war, they restored Elizabeth to the palace and her rightful place. St. Elizabeth is a woman who lived a simple life and dedicated her life to loving others and helping the poor. She is the patron of Catholic Charities.

As we come to the end of the Church year, we hear about the opening of the scroll in the Revelation, and Jesus weeping over the impending demise of Jerusalem. All of this, of course, foreshadows the end of time and the coming of Christ the King, which we will celebrate on Sunday. Saint Elizabeth and her husband King Louis knew who was their king, and lived in such a way that their castle in that kingdom would be a great one. We too have the opportunity to build our heavenly castle by living the Gospel and remembering the poor.