Daily Gospel Reflection
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November 17, 2019
When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”
They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?”
And he said, “Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them.
“When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.”
Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.”
Jesus said to the crowd: “They will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name.
“This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict.
“You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will secure your lives.
In today’s gospel, Jesus warns his followers of imminent persecution. On one level this admonishment is directed toward the members of the early church who practiced their religion as outlaws within the Roman Empire during the first three centuries. Indeed, the trials and tribulations that Jesus describes became realities for Christians in the years following his death. However, there is also a sense of timelessness to this passage that extends even to the present day.
Since 2003 more than 500,000 Christians have been forced to flee Iraq due to religious persecution, with thousands more in other parts of the Middle East in more recent years. Threats and attacks of terror by extremists have caused Christian Iraqis to make a choice between their religious beliefs and their homeland. What’s truly amazing is how many individuals have chosen not to abandon their religious identity and have continued to walk with Christ wherever the road may lead.
The parish of St. Basil’s in Toronto teamed up with other churches in the city to receive displaced Iraqis within our community. But even this process was long and difficult to complete because of legal processing delays. As one body in Christ, we must not take our own religious freedom for granted and forget about our fellow Christians who are still fighting for this privilege.
Finally, we may wonder why Christ instructs his followers on trial “not to prepare your defense beforehand.” The point here is not that religious conviction is incompatible with rational justification or a reasonable defense. Rather, quite the opposite, it is religious persecution that is incompatible with rational justification. Thus, it is futile to construct a logical defense of one’s beliefs when placed on trial and the prosecution is working beyond the bounds of reason. The best we can do is have faith in the Lord and remain perseverant throughout.
Prayer
Gracious Father, you are our comfort, our guide, and our shield through the turbulent tide of personal trials and humanity’s distress. When the troubles of this world rise up against us, give us firm resolve to speak your truth and share your mercy. May we faithfully cling to your wisdom, made flesh in Christ Jesus and dwelling with us in the Spirit. For you are God forever and ever. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Although she was a princess, St. Elizabeth of Hungary used her status to go to extraordinary lengths to relieve the suffering of the poor and sick. Her example inspired many other noblewomen and rulers to do the same
Elizabeth was born in 1207 to the royal family of Hungary, so, from her birth, was destined for a marriage that would seal a political alliance for Andrew, her father. Elizabeth was married to Louis of Thuringia at the age of 14. Although they were both quite young, Louis was a loving husband and the couple was very happy.
From very early on, Elizabeth demonstrated a firm commitment to a life of prayer and simplicity. Elizabeth rose in the middle of the night to pray, and was very generous with her resources even precious resources like her robes and royal ornamentation.
These activities caused some of Elizabeth's courtiers to criticize her piety, but Louis only supported her works of mercy. The most famous story about Elizabeth demonstrates Elizabeth's secret works of charity and Louis' whole-hearted support of her. One day, Elizabeth was carrying bread from the palace out to the poor of the town, when she happened to encounter Louis returning from the hunt with a large band of men. Louis' courtiers sneered at Elizabeth for stealing from the royal treasury, so Louis asked her to reveal what she was carrying in her cloak. When Elizabeth opened it, instead of bread, roses fell out, a clear sign in Louis' eyes that Elizabeth was doing the work of God.
In 1225, Louis and Elizabeth's kingdom was struck by famine, and Elizabeth responded by exhausting her own funds and her family’s store of corn in support of the hungry. For many years later, Elizabeth's subjects reported that during the famine Elizabeth fed more than 1,000 people every day. Elizabeth took special care of orphans, and was prudent with her support of the poor, employing anyone who could work.
The castle that Elizabeth lived in was built high on a steep outcropping, and the road to it was steep and rocky—the people there called the path the “knee-smasher.” The sick and elderly were not able to approach it and receive her help, so she built a hospital at the foot of the path, and she even worked there herself, feeding people, making beds, and attending to their needs with her own hands.
After six years of marriage, Louis left on a crusade to Jerusalem but died from the plague while on the journey. Elizabeth was inconsolable when she heard the news, repeating over and over: “He is dead. He is dead. It is to me as if the whole world died today.”
Louis’ death put Elizabeth's position in the court in a precarious position, but Elizabeth refused to remarry, and thus she fell from power. Her family made arrangements to support her and her children, and Elizabeth withdrew from the life of the nobility to pursue holiness as a chaste widow.
For some time, Elizabeth had a stern priest as a spiritual mentor, Conrad of Marburg. After Louis’ death, the priest was given much more power to direct Elizabeth’s life. He may have had good intentions, but he was very strict and deprived Elizabeth of anything that might bring her joy, even beating her for infringements.
She remained humble, and clung to her prayer and support of the poor. When she had the opportunity to return to the royal court of her parents, she refused, wanting to stay near her children, the grave of her husband, and the poor whom she loved. Though she had very little, she continued to give what she had to those who suffered—even fishing in streams to be able to sell her catch to support families who had nothing.
Elizabeth fell ill and died on November 17, 1231, at the age of 24. Her holiness was apparent to everyone, and she was proclaimed a saint just four years later. Her life had a great influence on other noble women who sought to imitate her holiness—St. Hedwig, St. Agnes of Bohemia and St. Judith, among others. Some relics of St. Elizabeth rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on Notre Dame's campus. She is depicted in the Basilica in both images featured in this biography.
St. Elizabeth of Hungary, friend of the poor and peaceful ruler—pray for us!
To learn even more about Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, watch this video lecture from the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame.