Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious
Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. We honor her life of profound charity and service to the poor and sick. Born a princess in 1207, she married and later became a widow, dedicating her life to serving the less fortunate after joining the Secular Franciscan Order, where she founded a hospital and cared for those in need before her early death at the age of 23.
The first reading from 1 Maccabees details the forced Hellenization of Jerusalem under Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the establishment of a “desolating sacrilege” on the Temple altar, and the subsequent courageous stand of the Jewish faithful who chose death over violating their covenant with God. The Maccabean Revolt began when Mattathias resisted these decrees, leading to a fierce struggle for religious freedom and the eventual rededication of the Temple.
This Gospel passage teaches the power of persistent faith to bring about God’s healing and glory. The blind beggar’s unwavering cry for mercy, despite the crowd’s discouragement, demonstrates his profound belief in Jesus as the “Son of David” and highlights how Jesus meets our deepest spiritual needs, not just our felt ones. His subsequent act of following and glorifying God shows the transformative power of faith and the divine order of a changed life: need met, followed by a life dedicated to praise.
The healing of the blind beggar in Luke 18:35-43 foreshadows and is connected to the Eucharist through the themes of spiritual blindness, desperate petition, Jesus’s merciful response, and the transformative gift of new sight. Receiving the Eucharist is a participation in the Paschal Mystery, where Jesus’s sacrificial love provides ongoing spiritual healing and a deeper union with him, mirroring the instant, faith-based healing of the blind man.
We also commemorate the founding of the Aggregation of the Blessed Sacrament for lay people on today’s date in 1859. We rejoice with all of the worldwide members of the Aggregation today! May Saint Peter Julian Eymard lead us to the Light of Jesus in the Eucharist.
Let Us Pray:
Heavenly Father, like the blind man by the road to Jericho, there are times my spiritual vision is clouded, and I miss what you are doing in my life. The ‘noise and busyness’ of the world can make it easy to ignore your presence, but the blind man’s cry, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ demonstrates a persistent faith that would not be silenced. Lord, please hear my persistent pleas for clarity and help me to shout louder when I need you, not being hindered by the opinions of others. Amen.
