Elisabeth, daughter of Andrew II, King of Hungary, began to fear God even from a little child, and grew in grace as she grew in years. She was married to Ludwig, Landgrave of Hesse and Thuringia, and thenceforth gave herself up the things of her husband, with as much zeal as to the things of God. She rose in the night to make long prayers. She consecrated herself to works of mercy. She waited continually on widows and orphans, the sick and the needy. When a sore famine came she provided corn bountifully from her own house. She founded an house of refuge for lepers, and would even kiss their hands and feet. She built also a great hospital for the suffering and starving poor.
Her husband died, and Elisabeth, more utterly to be God's only, laid aside all the garments of earthly state, clad herself in mean raiment, and entered the Third Order of St. Francis, wherein she was a burning and shining light of long-suffering and lowliness. Stripped of all her goods, and turned out of her own house, she was deserted by all, and assailed with insults, gibes, and calumnies, but she bore it all with patience, yea, even rejoicing that she suffered such things for God's sake. She gave herself to the meanest services toward the poor and sick, and sought for them the necessities of life, while she lived herself only on potherbs and vegetables.
In these and many other holy works she prayerfully passed the rest of her life, till the end of her earthly pilgrimage came, as she had already foretold to her servants. With her eyes fixed on heaven, absorbed in the thought of God, by him wondrously comforted, and strengthened by the Sacraments, she fell asleep in the Lord. Forthwith many miracles were wrought at her grave, which being known and duly proved, Gregory IX numbered her name among those of the Saints.
Her husband died, and Elisabeth, more utterly to be God's only, laid aside all the garments of earthly state, clad herself in mean raiment, and entered the Third Order of St. Francis, wherein she was a burning and shining light of long-suffering and lowliness. Stripped of all her goods, and turned out of her own house, she was deserted by all, and assailed with insults, gibes, and calumnies, but she bore it all with patience, yea, even rejoicing that she suffered such things for God's sake. She gave herself to the meanest services toward the poor and sick, and sought for them the necessities of life, while she lived herself only on potherbs and vegetables.
In these and many other holy works she prayerfully passed the rest of her life, till the end of her earthly pilgrimage came, as she had already foretold to her servants. With her eyes fixed on heaven, absorbed in the thought of God, by him wondrously comforted, and strengthened by the Sacraments, she fell asleep in the Lord. Forthwith many miracles were wrought at her grave, which being known and duly proved, Gregory IX numbered her name among those of the Saints.
