S. Elizabeth of Hungary| Pope S. Pontianus| Daily Meditation| Daily Quote by S. Padre Pio| Divine Mercy Reflection
St. Elizabeth of Hungary
(1207-1231)
Latin Calendar
In her short life Elizabeth manifested such great love for the poor and suffering that she has become the patroness of Catholic charities and of the Secular Franciscan Order. The daughter of the King of Hungary, Elizabeth chose a life of penance and asceticism when a life of leisure and luxury could easily have been hers. This choice endeared her in the hearts of the common people throughout Europe.
At the age of 14 Elizabeth was married to Louis of Thuringia (a German principality), whom she deeply loved; she bore three children. Under the spiritual direction of a Franciscan friar, she led a life of prayer, sacrifice and service to the poor and sick. Seeking to become one with the poor, she wore simple clothing. Daily she would take bread to hundreds of the poorest in the land, who came to her gate.
After six years of marriage, her husband died in the Crusades, and she was grief-stricken. Her husband’s family looked upon her as squandering the royal purse, and mistreated her, finally throwing her out of the palace. The return of her husband’s allies from the Crusades resulted in her being reinstated, since her son was legal heir to the throne.
In 1228 Elizabeth joined the Secular Franciscan Order, spending the remaining few years of her life caring for the poor in a hospital which she founded in honor of St. Francis. Elizabeth’s health declined, and she died before her 24th birthday in 1231. Her great popularity resulted in her canonization four years later.
COMMENT:
Elizabeth understood well the lesson Jesus taught when he washed his disciples' feet at the Last Supper: The Christian must be one who serves the humblest needs of others, even if one serves from an exalted position. Of royal blood, Elizabeth could have lorded it over her subjects. Yet she served them with such a loving heart that her brief life won for her a special place in the hearts of many. Elizabeth is also an example to us in her following the guidance of a spiritual director. Growth in the spiritual life is a difficult process. We can play games very easily if we don't have someone to challenge us or to share experiences so as to help us avoid pitfalls.
QUOTE:
"Today, there is an inescapable duty to make ourselves the neighbor of every individual, without exception, and to take positive steps to help a neighbor whom we encounter, whether that neighbor be an elderly person, abandoned by everyone, a foreign worker who suffers the injustice of being despised, a refugee, an illegitimate child wrongly suffering for a sin of which the child is innocent, or a starving human being who awakens our conscience by calling to mind the words of Christ: 'As long as you did it for one of these, the least of my brethren, you did it for me' (Matthew 25:40)" (Vatican II, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, 27, Austin Flannery translation).
Also today in the Latin Calendar we commemorate Pope S. Pontianus, Martyr. A story about this commemoration can be found by Clicking Here.
Another Story:
Saint Pontianus. Pope And Martyr. The First Pope To Abdicate. Feast Day 19 November.
Text is from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal, unless stated otherwise.
Saint Pontianus.
Pope And Martyr.
Feast Day 19 November.
Pope Saint Pontianus was deported to Sardinia with the Priest, Hippolytus, by order of The Emperor Alexander.
He was scourged to death in 235 A.D.
The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia.
Pope Pontian (Latin: Pontianus; died October 235 A.D.) was Pope from 21 July 230 A.D. to 28 September 235 A.D.
In 235 A.D., during The Persecution of Christians in the Reign of The Emperor Maximinus Thrax, Pope Pontian was arrested and sent to the island of Sardinia. He resigned to make the Election of a new Pope possible.
A little more is known of Pope Pontian than his predecessors, apparently from a lost Papal Chronicle that was available to the compiler of The Liberian Catalogue of Bishops of Rome, written in the 4th-Century A.D. The Liber Pontificalis states that he was a Roman citizen and that his father's name was Calpurnius. Early-Church historian Eusebius wrote that he Reigned for six years.
Pontian's Pontificate was initially relatively peaceful under the Reign of the tolerant Emperor,
Severus Alexander. He presided over the Roman Synod which approved Origen's expulsion and deposition by the Alexandrian Bishop, Demetrius, in 230 A.D. or 231 A.D. According to Eusebius, the next Emperor, Maximinus, overturned his predecessor's policy of tolerance towards Christianity. Both Pope Pontian and the Anti-Pope, Hippolytus of Rome, were arrested and exiled to labour in the mines of Sardinia, generally regarded as a death sentence.
In light of his sentence, Pontian resigned as Bishop (the first Papal Renunciation), so as to allow an orderly transition in The Church of Rome, on 28 September 235 A.D.; this date was recorded in The Liberian Catalogue and is notable for being the first full date of a Papal Reign given by contemporaries. This action ended a Schism that had existed in The Church for eighteen years. He was beaten to death with sticks. Neither Hippolytus nor Pontian survived, possibly reconciling with one another there, or in Rome, before their deaths. Pontian died in October 235 A.D.
Pope Fabian had the bodies of both Pontian and Hippolytus brought back to Rome in 236 A.D. or 237 A.D., and the former buried in the Papal Crypt in The Catacomb of Callixtus, on The Appian Way. The slab covering his tomb was discovered in 1909. On it, is inscribed in Greek: Ποντιανός Επίσκ (Pontianus Episk; in English, Pontianus Bishop). The inscription "Μάρτυρ", "MARTUR" had been added in another hand.
In The Eastern Orthodox Church and The General Roman Calendar of 1969, Pontian and Hippolytus are Commemorated jointly on 13 August. In those Catholic Communities which use a Historical Calendar, such as The General Roman Calendar of 1960, Pontian's Feast Day is Celebrated on 19 November.
Daily Meditation
Consequences:
Immorality is basically a refusal to care about others; it is selfishness. It can take the form of unloving sexual behavior or dishonesty in business dealings, but it has a thousand other faces, such as failure to share one's material goods or refusal to communicate within the family.
Quote by S. Padre Pio:
With Divine help your will, will always be superior to your feelings of repugnance and resentment, and Divine Love will never diminish in your soul if you do not cease ro pray.
Divine Mercy Reflection
Reflections on Notebook Five: 263-326
As we begin Notebook Five, Saint Faustina’s understanding of the Mercy of God should be more alive to you. Hopefully you have a deeper understanding of the infinite love of God and His burning desire to embrace you, free you from the burden of sin, and shower you with His grace.
It should also be clear that God is silent at times so as to strengthen you, purify you and deepen your trust in Him. God’s wisdom and His ways are beyond what we could ever imagine. He is perfect in His love and you must have full confidence in the direction He gives to your life.
As we enter into this notebook, try to believe and live all that you have read so far. It’s one thing to believe it intellectually, it’s quite another thing to believe it with your actions. You must believe in the Mercy of God with your actions. You must let all that you have read take hold of you and direct the way you live. One way to do this is to go back to any reflections that have stood out so far. If something has stood out, be it a particular reflection or a general theme, pay attention to that. The Message of Mercy is broad and all encompassing, but it’s also particular to you. Let the Lord speak directly to you revealing the specific truths that you need to embrace the most.
Reflection 323: Your Unique Mission
God gives to each person a unique mission. Some are called to very public lives; others are called to quiet and simple lives. Some are called to use their minds in powerful ways; others are called to use their hearts in special ways, but each person has a unique mission from God. What is your mission? Seeking to know what the Lord asks of you is essential to your journey of holiness and, therefore, happiness. When fully embraced, this mission will bring abundant fulfillment to your life because of one simple fact: every mission is a mission of Mercy. The struggle many people have is that they embark on selfish endeavors in life, failing to commit all their energies to the work of the Lord. The Lord wants you to work day and night on His mission. This is not too much to ask. In fact, it’s what you were made for and the only way to obtain what you truly desire. His mission will certainly include moments of fun and rest, work and struggle, laughter and tears. It will also require a complete death to yourself. But it’s worth it! Seek the mission God has given you and embrace it with all your heart. If you do, the Mercy of God will pour forth through your life (See Diary #1567).
Reflect, today, upon this simple question: What is my mission in life? It may come to you slowly, over time, taking twists and turns as you go. But never stop seeking to serve our Lord and His perfect plan. This plan will become the delight of your soul. Ponder it and if you are on the wrong path, correct your direction in life.
Lord, I thank You for calling me to a blessed and unique mission in life. I choose, this day, that which You have given to me. I promise to say “Yes” to You throughout my life and to never tire of fulfilling Your Will. I love You, Lord. Help me to love You with my life. Jesus, I trust in You.