MANY THINGS QUITE EARLY

Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Hungary
Lk 6:27-38

St. Elizabeth of Hungary had many things quite early in life. She married Louis of Thuringia at a very young age. She, however, became a widow at a young age, too, leaving her with three children. She also passed away at a very young age; she was only 24 years old. Born in 1207, Elizabeth died in 1231.

While she had many things rather early, Elizabeth also had a rather short earthly life. But her life was far from being wasted. It is for this reason why her feast is an obligatory memorial for all Catholics. She showed us that life is not a matter of quantity but of quality, not about length of days but about strength of love.

In her rather short life and despite her royal status, Elizabeth was a friend of the poor. While she could have simply sent food to the hungry, she herself fed the hungry. She was said to welcome to her own table even the contemptible. She distributed generously to the needy in all the territories of her husband’s empire and even converted one of her castles into a hospital in which she herself cared for the sick. Her love was the kind that dirties the hands of the lover because it is not vicarious love. Hers was a personal love as she herself personally attended to the sick, particularly those who were inflicted with repulsive diseases, and served the poor. Her compassion was real because her love brought her truly and physically close to those whom she loved – the poor and the sick.

When her husband, a good man himself, died, and after securing the welfare of her three children, Elizabeth followed the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi. She joined the Franciscan Tertiary and, despite her being a queen, lived the life of a servant of the poor. St. Elizabeth is the Patroness of the Secular Franciscan Order.

When death came, she requested that all things that were still in her name be given to the poor. She received the last sacraments and seemed to have only gently fallen asleep. At her burial, she wore no crown, no bejeweled robes, or anything that signifies her royal status. She was clad with a worn out dress.

But even in death, she who was said to be beautiful in life, was even more stunning. Elizabeth was truly lovely because she truly loved. The Church could not ignore it; she canonized Elizabeth only four years after her pious death – another in the list of her early things in life.