SAINT
ELIZABETH OF HUNGARY
Proverbs, Chapter 1, Verse 28-29
28 Then they will call me, but I will not answer; they will
seek me, but will not find me, 29 because they hated knowledge, and
the FEAR of the Lord they did not choose.
Wisdom is personified in this proverb; and she proclaims the moral
order, threatening to leave to their own devices those who disregard her
invitation. Wisdom comes to those who make their hearts ready.
The Beginning of Knowledge[1]
The Book of Proverbs begins with a short mission statement. It says that it's here to instruct people in—wisdom. But it'll also take time to drop some knowledge about justice, equity, shrewdness, and stuff like that. It's targeting this wisdom at an audience including the young and the simple—people who really need it—as well as the wise, so they can kick their wisdom up to Dragon Ball Z levels of firepower. It states that wisdom begins by fearing (and revering) God.
Shun Evil Counsel (Media?!)
·
As the actual dispensing of wisdom begins, the
author speaks like a parent urging a son to obey his mother and father, since
they've got good advice to give.
·
If sinners try to get you to go and ambush
innocent people and kill them and steal all their stuff, the author says you
should walk away and avoid them.
·
These evil robber-murderers are actually going
to kill themselves (because their sins will come back to get them). They are like
hunters setting a net while the bird they're trying to catch is watching them
(kind of like Wile E. Coyote stalking the Roadrunner).
·
This is what happens to people who are
greedy—they lose their lives.
The Call of Wisdom
·
The author imagines Wisdom as being a
person—specifically, a woman—who walks through the streets calling out to the
ignorant and simple people, asking them how long they'll remain without wisdom.
·
She says that she'll pour out her insights to
anyone who pays attention to her. But she'll mock the people who refuse to
listen, and who bring disasters and panic on themselves by their willful
stupidity.
·
They'll try to find her once they've fallen into
calamity, but they won't be able to, because they failed to fear God and heed
wisdom's advice earlier. It'll be too late.
·
So, Wisdom says, if you pay heed now, you'll be
fine.
Decision Making[2]
Wisdom is the true goal of good leadership, rather self or leading
a group. Without leadership and wisdom everything stops; (kind of like congress).
Wisdom eludes the selfish and Godless. True wisdom is an act of faith. John
Maxwell gives us the following guidelines as outlined in this proverb.
1.
The foundation of every decision is to honor and revere God (v.7).
2.
We must build of our heritage and conscience: what values are we
to embrace? (v. 8-9) (Life, Liberty, Legacy)
3.
We must avoid the counsel of the ungodly (v. 10-19) (cnn?)
4.
We must pursue wisdom. What are the facts? What are the options?
(v.20-13)
5.
We must move toward inward peace (v. 32-33).
St. Elizabeth of Hungary[3]
Scrutiny of the Powerful
St. Elizabeth,
Duchess of Thuringia, it is said that the servant of God lost her mother,
Gertrude, Queen of Hungary, about the year 1220. In the spirit of a holy
Christian daughter, she gave abundant alms, redoubled her prayers and
mortifications, exhausted the resources of her charity for the relief of that
dear soul. God revealed to her that she had not done too much. One night the
deceased appeared to her with a sad and emaciated countenance; she placed
herself on her knees next to the bed, and said to her, weeping, “My daughter,
you see at your feet your mother overwhelmed with suffering. I come to implore
you to multiply your suffrages, that Divine Mercy may deliver me from the
frightful torments I endure.
Oh! how much are
those to be pitied who exercise authority over others? I expiate now the faults
that I committed upon the throne. Oh! my daughter, I pray you by the pangs I
endured when bringing you into the world, by the cares and anxieties which your
education cost me, I conjure you to deliver me from my torments.” Elizabeth,
deeply touched, arose immediately, took the discipline to blood, and implored
God, with tears, to have mercy on her mother, Gertrude, declaring that she
would not cease to pray until she had obtained her deliverance. Her prayers
were heard.
St. Elizabeth of Hungary[4]
Elizabeth was the daughter of the Hungarian King Andrew II.
At the age of four (b. 1207), she was brought to the court of her future
husband, Ludwig, landgrave of Thuringia. After her marriage in 1221, she very
conscientiously fulfilled her duties both toward her husband and as a servant
of God.
During the night she would rise from bed and spend long
periods in prayer. Zealously she performed all types of charitable acts; she
put herself at the service of widows, orphans, the sick, the needy.
During a famine she generously distributed all the grain
from her stocks, cared for lepers in one of the hospitals she established,
kissed their hands and feet. For the benefit of the indigent, she provided
suitable lodging. After the early death of her husband (in 1227 while on a
crusade led by Emperor Frederick II), Elizabeth laid aside all royal dignities
in order to serve God more freely. She put on simple clothing, became a
tertiary of St. Francis, and showed great patience and humility.
Nor was she spared intense suffering - the goods belonging
to her as a widow were withheld, she was forced to leave Wartburg. In Eisenach
no one dared receive her out of fear of her enemies. Upon much pleading a
shepherd of the landgrave permitted her to use an abandoned pig sty. No one was
allowed to visit or aid her; with her three children, of whom the youngest was
not more than a few months old, she was forced to wander about in the winter's
cold.
In 1228 she took the veil of the Sisters of the Third Order
of St. Francis at Marburg and there built a hospital with some property still
belonging to her. She retained for herself only a small mud house. All her
strength and care were now devoted to the poor and the sick, while she obtained
the few things she needed by spinning. Young in years but rich in good works,
she slept in the Lord in 1231, only twenty-four years old.
Things to
Do
·
Love for the poor is characteristic of every
genuine follower of Christ, those lacking the truth are the poorest of the
poor, spend some time on a regular basis studying your faith (by reading or
taking a home study course) so that you will be prepared to feed those who are
hungry for the truth.
·
Teach your children the Corporal and
Spiritual Works of Mercy and give them practical examples.
·
Have your children help you bake
bread like St. Elizabeth and distribute some to your neighbors.
·
St. Elizabeth is the patroness of the Franciscan
Third Order (tertiary) and of all Catholic Charities. Find out more about what
a third order is, particularly the Franciscan Third Order.
·
See Nameday
Ideas for St. Elizabeth, including dessert and symbols and prayers.
·
Follow these links for some wonderful works of
art of St. Elizabeth:
o Anonymous
Sienese medallion (XIV Century): St.
Elizabeth of Hungary
o Collinson,
James: St. Elizabeth of Hungary
o Martini,
Simone: St. Clare and St. Elizabeth of Hungary.
o Martini,
Simone: St. Elizabeth, St. Margaret and Henry of Hungary
National UnFriend a
frenemy[5]
National UnFriend Day (NUD) is an unofficial holiday
designed to promote unfriending other Facebook users that are not true friends.
Social media now provides access to just about anyone, anywhere on the
globe.
However, this easy global access exposes personal
information to theft or misuse and unnecessary cluttering by other's junk
posts. In this digital age, it is imperative that identities remain protected,
and that time spent on social media be reduced and replaced by face-to-face
human interaction. National UnFriend Day was originally conceived and proposed
by TV personality Jimmy Kimmel on November 17, 2010 in an effort to remind
society of the true meaning of friendship.
Kimmel believes that there are many Facebook offenses that can lead to
unfriending someone, some of which include, posting too much, spell-checking
too little, repetitively posting the same kind of material, not googling before
asking questions, being on Facebook all the time and sending in-app Facebook
requests for games. In addition to unfriending irritating offenders, it is
advisable to unfriend those whom you no longer have steady contact with and any
unknown users that may have access to your information and posts.
National
UnFriend Day Facts & Quotes
·
According to a report by Common Sense Media, a
nonprofit organization dedicated to helping navigate the world of media and
technology, teenagers spend about 9 hours a day consuming media, 1.5 hours
of which is spent on social media.
·
As of January 2016, compared to other social
networks, Facebook is the leading social network with approximately 1.6 billion
active monthly users. This is in comparison to WhatsApp (900 million
active monthly users), Instagram (400 million active monthly users) and Twitter
(320 million active monthly users).
·
The average Facebook user has 338 friends.
27% of young Facebook users have more than 500 friends, compared an
average of 100 friends for 72% of Facebook users who are older than 65 years of
age.
·
36% of Facebook users strongly dislike it when
someone shares too much information or photos about themselves, as well as when
they post photos of others without asking for permission.
·
I encourage you to cut out some of the friend
fat in your life. A friend is someone you have a special relationship
with. It's not someone who asks which Harry Potter character you are.- Jimmy
Kimmel, November 2010
National
UnFriend Day Top Events and Things to Do
·
Go through your privacy settings on Facebook.
Keep in mind that some of the people that you have previously friended may not
be friends at all. Your privacy settings can control who is able to see your
content and whose content will show up on your news feed.
·
Decide who you are going to unfriend on Facebook.
Facebook also offers the possibility of making friends into
acquaintances. Your acquaintance list can then be separated from your friend
list, allowing you to publish and read 'friend-only' content.
·
Review your posting habits. Have you been
posting too much content, or have you been posting photos of your friends,
without receiving permission? Check to see whether you have also violated any
Facebook UnFriend Day Offenses as defined by Jimmy Kimmel.
·
Watch movies about friendship. Here are
some to consider:
1) Stand by Me (1986)
2) The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)
3) Good Will Hunting (1997)
4) The Intouchables (2011)
5) The Social Network (2010)
6) The Bucket List (2007)
7) As Good as it Gets (1997)
Every Wednesday is
Dedicated to St. Joseph
The Italian culture has
always had a close association with St. Joseph perhaps you could make
Wednesdays centered around Jesus’s Papa. Plan an Italian dinner of pizza or
spaghetti after attending Mass as most parishes have a Wednesday evening Mass.
You could even do carry out to help restaurants. If you are adventurous, you
could do the Universal Man Plan: St. Joseph style. Make the evening a family
night perhaps it could be a game night. Whatever you do make the day special.
· Devotion to the 7 Joys and Sorrows of St.
Joseph
·
Do the St.
Joseph Universal Man Plan.
Daily
Devotions
·
Today's Fast: Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Individuals
with Mental Illness
·
Litany of the Most
Precious Blood of Jesus
·
Total Consecration to St. Joseph Day 3
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
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