Blessed Elizabeth of Waldsech

From then on, her fervor astonished the oldest sisters of the monastery. She was always seen first in all the community's exercises; neither the weakness of age nor the delicacy of her temperament could ever serve as a pretext for her to be excused from the austerities of the Rule. Never was a nun seen more humble and more mortified; she had ambition only for the vilest tasks of the house. It was, moreover, a very poor convent; each sister lived by the work of her hands, and the superior concerned herself only with the direction of the work. The nuns had only their spiritual exercises and their dwelling in common. Elizabeth worked, prayed, fasted, and had to withstand harsh assaults from the devil.

Unjustly accused of theft, she was prey to the contempt of her companions, and when her recognized innocence restored the esteem she had enjoyed, an infectious leprosy befell her, which covered her whole body and made her unbearable to everyone. Her patience, however, never faltered throughout all these trials.

The Most High, wishing to attest to the virtue of His faithful servant, favored her with special graces. Endowed with the gift of prophecy, Elizabeth predicted the end of the schism that was then devastating the Church, and the immi Martin V Pope who confirmed the tradition by a bull in 1437. nent election of Pope Martin V. Her frequent communications with the heavenly Spouse allowed her to taste the purest delights here below. Her prayer was like an ecstasy; she would emerge from it all ablaze with divine love. Her words, all on fire, were accompanied by a sweet suavity that won hearts. She was called nothing less than the guardian angel of the house.

Elizabeth was constantly occupied with the Passion of Our Lord; the meditation of this great mystery made her shed, like her blesse d patriarch, torrents bienheureux patriarche Founder of the Order of Friars Minor. of tears. Every Friday, she honored the stations of the Way of the Cross with mortifications and voluntary sufferings. The love she felt for the divine Savior in the Holy Eucharist was boundless. This bread of angels was sometimes her only food for the day; the communion, which she received every day, rejoiced and strengthened her so much that, despite her penances, she appeared the healthiest of the sisters.

Her tender devotion to the Blessed Virgin corresponded to the ardent love she had for her divine Son. This worthy child of Saint Francis celebrated with lively ardor the feasts that are consecrated t saint François Founder of the Order of Friars Minor. o the divine Mother. All the objects that belonged to her bore the name of Mary, for she had dedicated them all to her. At her urging, the nuns and the boarders of the house joined the good Elizabeth to sing hymns and canticles in honor of the spotless Virgin. The rosary, which she never left, was her favorite prayer. But of all the mysteries of the most holy Virgin, that of her Immaculate Conception was the particular object of her worship. She was inexhaustible on this subject, and when on e wanted to hear her Immaculée Conception Marian privilege and central dogma structuring the identity of the congregation. speak with more fervor, one only had to lead her to this topic. The historian of her life assures that this Queen of angels appeared to her frequently, especially in the midst of the harsh battles she had to sustain for a long time against the spirit of evil.

When God finally wished to reward the virtues of this seraphic soul, He let her know that the hour of her death was approaching. The rumor having spread throughout the monastery that they were on the eve of l osing the good Eli la bonne Élisabeth 15th-century Franciscan mystic nun. sabeth, it is impossible to say what desolation this sad news caused among the souls; each one hastened to forestall this loss with an increase of veneration and respect. A slight fever soon proved that their fears were only too well-founded. Our Blessed one, feeling more and more pressed to go to God, spent the little time that remained to her in the continuous exercise of the purest love. Finally, having received the last sacraments with a new fervor, never ceasing to pronounce the two names of Jesus and Mary, she had the Gospel of the Passion read to her, and at these words: "Jesus yielded up his spirit," she expired, and thus ended her holy life with a precious death, on November 25, 1420, at the age of thirty-four. Her body was buried solemnly in her monastery. Pope Clement XIII approved the imme morial cult Clément XIII Pope who granted indulgences for the cult of Saint Gregory. that was rendered to her; her feast is fixed for December 5.

Excerpt from the Annals of the Third Order of Saint Francis of Assisi.