Circ. 50/02-08
Rome, January 6, 2007

TO ALL THE BROTHERS AND SISTERSOF THE SECULAR FRANCISCAN ORDER.

On the occasion of the feast of the Epiphany when we celebrate the manifestation of Jesus to the world, your brothers and sisters of the CIOFS Presidency wish you a Happy New Year 2007.

Brothers and sisters, 2007 marks the beginning of our celebration of the eighth centenary of the birth of St. Elizabeth of Hungary and Thuringia. I invite you to take advantage of this opportunity to deepen your knowledge of our patroness and to reflect on the roots of our Order and, more specifically, on our own vocation as Secular Franciscans.

As you may know, Elizabeth was a Hungarian princess born in 1207, the daughter of King Andrew II of Hungary. As was the custom of the time among the medieval nobility, Elizabeth was promised in marriage to a German prince from Thuringia and was entrusted to the Thuringian court when she was four years old. There, she was raised along with the other children of the Landgraf’s family, including her future husband. At the age of fourteen , she married Louis IV, the Landgraf of Thuringia and had three children. She was left a widow at the age of twenty and died in 1231. During her short life, she made herself available to those in need including the forsaken of society, the hungry and the sick.

St. Elizabeth dedicated her life to loving charity and is recognized as patroness of the Third Order, Secular and Regular, as well as of many other Institutes such as those dedicated to the caring of the sick. Despite this recognition, many fundamental aspects of her life are not well known, even among ourselves. We are therefore invited to take advantage of this anniversary celebration to become more knowledgeable of this Saint and to recognize our own charism in the manner in which she lived her life. This is also an excellent time for us to reflect on our own call to the Secular Franciscan Order.

There is much to be gained in reflecting on young Elizabeth’s vocational path. Clearly, her experiences in life can show us how to read God’s plan in our own lives, and to embrace it even when it does not correspond to our wishes and desires. Elizabeth had a profound confidence in God’s will and was able to see it in the events of her life. Her example should stimulate us to recognize God’s plan in the events of our own lives, a plan that is full of love, even during times of difficulty and sufferings.

Today, Elizabeth also challenges us to reflect on our marriage and family life, on our professional work and social engagements. Throughout her married life, Elizabeth lived her marriage with Louis as a sacrament of the eternal wedding to the Great King, the most handsome of men 1. With the help of God and of Louis’ companion soul, she successfully journeyed with her husband in marriage and was able to reach Christian perfection by adhering obediently to her vocational call, which shaped her into an exemplary spouse 2.
Although she was the wife of the landgraf, she practiced the most authentic humility in service to the poor, the marginalized, the most repugnant and even in hiding her royal identity with never a thought of leaving any trace of herself.

The depth of her spiritual life allowed her to offer God the proper space in which He could work in her life, and to share this experience with Louis by fully accomplishing her mission as wife, mother and landgrafin. This explains the tender gestures between husband and wife, gestures to which her servants referred during the process of her canonization, as well as her capacity to enter into deep dialogue with her husband in a complete sharing into each other’s feelings and lived experience. These intimate experiences of living within a family can provide a sense of reality to some of the legendary episodes from her life, such as the miracle of the roses and that of the leper in her bridal bed.

She listened to God’s word and was obedient to His will, even when she became a very young widow. She, as a faithful spouse, had always believed in the plans to which God had called her in joy and health, and who continued to call her in sorrow and sickness. Even when she received the body of her dead husband, she united herself to St. Francis in praising “sister death” and thanked the Lord. With tears, she proclaimed: “You know how much I loved him; you also know that both of us had offered his sacrifice in the Crusades in the Holy Land and I am not sorry for this. If I could have him back, I would give the whole world for him, and go begging with him forever. But you are witness that I would not want to rescue his life if it were against your will, even if it cost but a single hair of mine.”

During this centenary, we are all invited to give particular attention to the following:

 St. Elizabeth, as one of the first “spiritual daughters” of St. Francis, who produced “worthy fruits of penance3 ”.

--------------------------------------
1 Ps. 45:3

2 Lino Temperini – Santa Elisabetta d’Ungheria secondo le fonti storiche – Ed. Franciscanum,2006. Rif.76,77, From the testimony of the handmaid Isentrude:”Elizabeth did all these and many other things worthy of recall (which however, at the moment Isentrude does not remember), durino the lifetime of her husband, with whom she lived in marriage in a way worthy of praie. They loved each other with a wonderful affection, gently invitino and strengthening each other in the praie and service of God. Although her husband’s attention was of necessity directed to the temporal needs of his principalità, in private he always had the fear of God before his eyes. He freely granted Blessed Elizabeth the authority to carry out all those things which pertained to the work and the honor of God, and promoting the salvation of souls.

3. Prologue to the Rule of the SFO, Exhortation of St. Francis to the Brothers and Sisters of Penance.

Like her, we must heed the admonition of St. Francis to become men and women of mercy, living the charism of poverty, humility, contemplation and, above all, of ongoing conversion. Elizabeth was able to incorporate all of these virtues into her life, virtues that continue to distinguish the brothers and sisters of penance to this day.

 St. Elizabeth, as a concrete and exemplary model of the apostolic mission to which we are all called.

Her complete giving of self to her marriage and family life, to the temporal tasks associated with governing her country, and to the poor, the sick (especially, lepers) and the marginalized of her time, is an example for all of us and a reminder to feel constantly challenged by the spirit of St. Francis who calls us to be in the world without belonging to it.
The life of St. Elizabeth was extraordinary, especially for a woman living in a culture where the role of women was restricted to being at home and caring for children. Most women of that time were expected to live a passive and silent life, economically and emotionally dependent, having no one to care about their true thinking or performing capabilities.

The life of our holy patroness and her Franciscan spirit provides an inspiring example for us to imitate. Elizabeth challenges us, by living our secular and Franciscan identity, to offer our lives, in response to the signs of our time, with a continuous spirit of conversion and moved to give an active response to the requirements of our Rule (4) to “go from Gospel to life and from life to Gospel”. We are further challenged to create bonds of friendship and mutual understanding in a world filled with indifference and where the weak are often mistreated, so that the values of our own vocation may shine with a new light in our daily lives.

We, your brothers and sisters of the CIOFS Presidency, invite you to share with us in celebrating the life of St. Elizabeth by deepening our understanding and appreciation for her and by engaging in a reflection on her life and spirituality. You are encouraged to use the formation program proposed by the Centenary Commission, and available on the CIOFS website, to further this reflection.

With fraternal love,

^TOP