St. Elizabeth of Hungary

Biography

S. Incipit epistola magistri Conradi de Marburch adpapam de vita beate Elyzabet

Biography of Elizabeth concentrated, written just after crossing from the same Conrad of Marburg, which was the spiritual director in recent years, from 1226 to 1231.

Be it known to your Holiness, Reverend Father, that some times between Rudiger, your penance, I wrote of documents relating to the miracles that the Lord has done for half of Mrs. Elizabeth, formerly Princess of Thuringia, and that your paternity he had commissioned to collect.

For this reason, recently, on the day of San Lorenzo, Mr. Archbishop of Mainz, both at my request and because he had evidently received some inspiration, he dedicated two altars in the basilica, where were buried the body of this lady. And I had summoned a great multitude of people both for preaching and for the dedication of the altar. During my sermon, undertaken without any predetermined plan by your holiness, but as I had in mind to satisfy the desire of the certification of these miracles, I ordered all those present, who had received some healing for the merits of the princess, to appear the bishop of Mainz and other priests who have gathered for the dedication of the altar, around the time until the next day along with witnesses to document what grace they received after invoked Elizabeth.

Having made a considerable crowd of people who claimed to have received some healing, through Elizabeth, the Reverend Bishop of Mainz - since it was eager to tackle some difficult business - went to register the most obvious facts are validated with his seal and that of other prelates, however, leaving out the stories of several famous men and prelates there present, who had their seals.
In order for your paternity is more widely informed not only miracles but also his spirituality, I write down a summary of his life (Summam vitae).

Two years before Elizabeth was left to my spiritual guide, when her husband was still alive and I was his confessor, I found her in tears one day because he was united in marriage and could not conclude this life in the state of virginity.
At the same time, when his wife was leaving to join the Emperor in Apulia, in the whole of Germany was extending a severe famine, so that many perished of hunger (famine of 1226). Soon her sister Elizabeth began to distinguish themselves in virtue. Indeed, as throughout his life he was consoling the poor, so then became the support of the hungry, turning his castle into a hospital. In that collected many sick and needy of every kind, contributing to all the generous gifts of His beneficence not only to those who wondered at his hospital, but to all the needy of the territories under the jurisdiction of her husband. He came to the point of delivering to charity all proceeds from the four principles of her husband and sell items of value and costly clothes, distributing the proceeds to the poor.

He used to personally visit all the sick twice daily, morning and evening. He took direct care of the most repugnant. He had some, others procured a bed, wearing some on her shoulders and was lavish in many other services for good. And in all this never found opposition from her husband, of happy memory.

After her husband's death, when the father thought it worthy to confirm that your expectations of me, Elizabeth - tend to the highest perfection - I asked if he could purchase more merit in a penitentiary or in a convent, or at any other place. Meanwhile, however, flourished in his mind this project: she asked me with many tears that would allow her to ask for alms from door to door.
Failing I firmly prohibited it, Elizabeth said, "I will do it, because you can not prohibit".

One Good Friday, when the altars were stripped naked, her hands placed on the altar in the chapel of his hometown, where he received the Friars Minor, in the presence of some brothers, relatives and children, [Elizabeth] gave up its vontade and all vanity of the world, as well as all that the Savior in the gospel advised to leave.
Elizabeth wanted to give up all possessions, but I dissuaded either to cover the debts of his deceased wife, both for the sake of the poor, which aim to work with the property that belonged to her as dowry.
This done, Elizabeth, expecting to be reabsorbed by the din of the world and the earthly glory if he had remained in the environment in which it lived happily with her husband when he was alive, he wanted to follow in Marburg against my will. We were in the ends of the territories of his wife.
Here in the city (in 1228-1229), built a hospital, where he collected the sick and disabled. He served at his table the most miserable and most unfortunate.

I blamed on having these things, Elizabeth replied that they received a special grace and humility. And as a woman certainly prudent, speaking of his previous life, I said it was necessary for her so treat some facts of his life with the opposite. Since finding that Elizabeth wanted to move forward, removed any unnecessary company and ordered him to settle for three people: a contrast to be interested in his affairs; very scornful of a maid and a noble widow, deaf and very severe. In this way, through the surly servant Elizabeth increased her humility and for the widow by stern practiced patience. Indeed, while the maid was preparing the vegetables, the lady washing the bowls and also the opposite.

Among other things, Elizabeth picked up a crippled boy, without father or mother, who suffered a continuous flow of blood. During the night, put him on his bed for greater exercise of charity, tackling much suffering. Indeed, at times, six times every night, and sometimes even more, took him with their own hands to meet the needs of nature. Washed their hands with the boy's personal clothing, very dirty as happens in such situations. Boy died, Elizabeth - unbeknownst to me - he took with him a leper girl and hid in his home, offering all humanitarian service. To avoid that the girl could be offensive to those benefits, humbly took care not only to feed her, put her to bed and wash, but also to undress.
Come to know this - God forgive me! - The castigating very severely, because I was afraid that remain infected. I sent away the girl leper. Then I went to distant territories for the apostolate of preaching.

Then Elizabeth took with him a poor boy, covered with scabies, so that he had not even a hair on his head. He wanted to cure the mange. So he took care of him washing and treating me. I do not know who has learned the art of healing. When she was dying, the boy settled on his bed.
I affirm before God that, though dedicated to the works of active life, I have rarely seen a woman as contemplative as Elizabeth. Some religious and some religious noticed very often that, when she left her own private prayer, emanating from his face and a wonderful shine from her eyes radiating like rays of sunshine.
And indeed often happened that Elizabeth was kidnapped for several hours in ecstasy. After that, do not take any food or very little, with great rigor.
When it was approaching the time of death and she was still in good health while I was suffering from some serious illness, I asked how he planned to provide for its future after my death.
In this circumstance Elizabeth I predicted with certainty his death. In fact, three days after this dialogue, she fell ill.

Remaining nurse for over twelve days, two days before his passing away he made himself all those secular and did not allow them to be admitted that even the nobles were often used to come to see her. To those who asked why they were all excluded, particularly those sitting around her bed, Elizabeth said she wanted to meditate on the last examination of the trial court and the Almighty.
On the Sunday before the octave of St. Martin, after celebrating the praises morning, I listened to his confession. But she did not remember anything else that I already had confessed several times.

I asked what should be done with his estate and its furnishings. Replied that what seemed to be his property, it was all the poor. He asked me to distribute them everything, except a tunic of little value, which was clothed and in which he wanted to be buried. Without this, the hour before, he received the body of the Lord. Then, until the evening, constantly thought about all the good things he had heard in preaching, especially on the resurrection of Lazarus and the fact that Jesus wept over his death prior to revive him.
Some religious and some religious felt encouraged to tears. They Elizabeth said: "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not over me, but above yourselves."
That said, Elizabeth was silent, while sweetest voices heard without there being any movement of the lips. I asked around the explanation of the phenomenon. But Elizabeth heard their opinions as if they had, like her, some voices of singing.

Then, from dusk until dawn, remained with the look full of joy, showing signs of extraordinary devotion. Then he exclaimed: "Behold, the hour is approaching when the Virgin gave birth." Finally commended to God with great devotion, all those around her and died as sweetly asleep.

The Cistercian monks, and many other religious, knowing the transit of Elizabeth, from all over flocked at the hospital where she was to be buried.
For request of popular devotion, the body of Elizabeth remained unburied until next Wednesday, without showing any sign of death except pallor. Her body was soft as he is alive and gave off a pleasant fragrance.
Now, the day after the burial, the Lord began to work miracles through his servant. Monaco fact some of the Cistercian Order was cured at the tomb of Elizabeth, from a mental illness that had plagued him for over forty years. He swore to my presence and in front of the rector of Marburg.