Posts

Showing posts with the label Third Order of Saint Francis

Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Her Life and Miracles

Image
Memorial - November 17th  There are people who make a lasting impact on the world even though their earthly lives are very short. Saint Elizabeth of Hungary or Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia was just such a person. Both a king’s daughter and a king’s wife, her love and care for the poor led her to be beloved by the common people during her life, and resulted in her canonization a mere four years after her death. Elizabeth, daughter of the king of Hungary, was born in 1207. In 1221, at the age of 14, she married Louis IV of Thuringia (Germany), He ascended the Thuringian throne at the age of 16. Over the next six years Elizabeth would bear him three children. The couple were deeply in love and very devoted to each other. Louis fully supported his young wife in her spiritual life and in her prodigious efforts aiding the destitute. This included selling state treasures to assist the needy. Tragically, in 1227, Louis died on the Sixth Crusade after promising Emperor Frederick II he wo

St. Hyacintha of Mariscotti, Franciscan Saint

Image
Feast Day – January 30th  Often, the stories of the saints inspire by showing us, not so much the holiness they eventually attained, but the very human obstacles they overcame to get there. Saint Hyacintha of Mariscotti is one such example; although indulging in a luxurious, spoiled existence — even in the midst of convent life — God found a way to soften her heart and reform her ways, so that it was her humility and penitential heart that eventually inspired those who lived with her. Hyacintha was an Italian nun of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis. She was born in 1585 near Viterbo, Italy, and entered the Convent of St. Benardine after her hopes for marriage did not come to pass. For ten years, however, she virtually ignored her vows, using her family’s wealth to provide herself with rich foods and luxurious clothes. It was only when a serious illness forced her confessor to bring Communion to her in her cell that he observed her manner of life; he advised her most stro

St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Her Life and Miracles

Image
Optional Memorial - November 16th  There are people who make a lasting impact on the world even though their earthly lives are very short. Saint Elizabeth of Hungary or Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia was just such a person. Both a king’s daughter and a king’s wife, her love and care for the poor led her to be beloved by the common people during her life, and resulted in her canonization a mere four years after her death. Elizabeth, daughter of the king of Hungary, was born in 1207. In 1221, at the age of 14, she married Louis IV of Thuringia (Germany), He ascended the Thuringian throne at the age of 16. Over the next six years Elizabeth would bear him three children. The couple were deeply in love and very devoted to each other. Louis fully supported his young wife in her spiritual life and in her prodigious efforts aiding the destitute. This included selling state treasures to assist the needy. Tragically, in 1227, Louis died on the Sixth Crusade after promising Emperor Frede

Saint Louis IX, King of France

Image
August 25th, is the optional memorial of Saint Louis IX, a wise monarch known for his successful peacemaking and administrative abilities. Reigning from 1226 to 1270, Louis showed how a saint would act on the throne of France. He was a lovable personality, a kind husband, a father of eleven children, and at the same time a strict ascetic. His mother, Blanche of Castile, instructed him in the Faith. His mother’s admonition to him as a child: "Never forget that sin is the only great evil in the world. No mother could love her son more than I love you. But I would rather see you lying dead at my feet than know that you had offended God by one mortal sin." remained indelibly impressed in his mind for the rest of his life. To an energetic and prudent rule Louis added love and zeal for the practice of piety and the reception of the holy sacraments. He was brave in battle, polished at feasts, and addicted to fasting and mortification. His politics were grounded upon strict ju