(1207-1231) Princess Elizabeth was the daughter of King Andrew II of Hungary. She married a prince at 14, was introduced to the Franciscans as a teenage wife, and became enamoured by their ideals, beginning to live them out herself. She cared for the sick and distributed alms to an extent that bothered her family and courtiers during a time of plague and famine. At age 20, Elizabeth’s husband died. She refused to remarry and sold everything she had. She gave most of the proceeds to the poor and used the rest to build a hospital. Elizabeth cared for her three children and lived as a Third Order Franciscan until her death at age 24.
Elizabeth was considered extreme in her alms-giving, and her husband supported her charity. According to a common aphorism in 12-Step fellowships, “We keep what we have only by giving it away.” In what sense have you found this aphorism true in your own recovery? How have you found it true in your spiritual life?
“We are made loveless by our possessions” (Saint Elizabeth of Hungary).
Reflection by Brad Farmer