Subj : November 17th - St. Elizabeth of Hungary To : All From : rich Date : Sat Nov 16 2019 08:14:07 From: rich November 17th - St. Elizabeth of Hungary The fame of the virtues of St. Elizabeth [1207-1231] reached Italy where St. Francis of Assisi had founded his order. He came to know about the support and protection the young Duchess of Thuringia had given the Franciscans in Germany and her great love for poverty. Cardinal Ugolini, the future Pope Gregory IX, often spoke of her to Francis. One day the Cardinal asked St. Francis for a gift for her as a symbol of his recognition. As he made his request, he took the worn cape off St. Francis' shoulders and recommended that he send it to her. =E2= =80=9CSince she is filled with your spirit of poverty,=E2=80=9C said the Cardinal, =E2= =80=9CI would like for you to give her your mantle, just as Elijah gave his mantle to Elisha.=E2=80=9D St. Francis obeyed and sent his mantle to St. Elizabeth, whom he considered as a daughter. She always kept it with her, and wore it while praying whenever she desired to obtain a special spiritual grace. Later, after she had lost everything, she still conserved the precious mantle of her spiritual father until her death. Comments of the late Prof. Plinio Corr=C3=AAa de Oliveira: (died 1995) This incident is rich in teachings for us. St. Francis of Assisi followed the advice of Cardinal Ugolino, the future Pope Gregory IX, and imitated the example of Elijah with Elisha. He gave his mantle to St. Elizabeth, and when she prayed she used to wear it to be more pleasing to God. She had the certainty that the mantle St. Francis had worn was a symbol of his alliance with her, a symbol of the union of the two souls, and, therefore, a symbol that would draw from God the same graces that St. Francis attracted. Underlying this incident is a theory about symbols like this. Rebecca advised her son Jacob to wear a goat skin and approach his blind father Isaac so that he would seem like Esau and receive the blessing due the first born. This covering made Jacob pleasing to his father because he was vested in a way that gave the impression he was the first born. In this episode we have the affirmation of a principle according to which, in certain circumstances, a person who takes on the appearance of another can receive from God the privileges due to the other person. Something similar happened with Elisha. By putting on the mantle of Elijah, he earned the privilege of being treated by God as if he were Elijah. He was the perfect disciple of Elijah, the favorite of Elijah, he was a kind of extension of the personality of Elijah. The mantle Elijah gave to Elisha was a symbol of this union of spirit. Likewise, in a manner infinitely higher, we have Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who took on human flesh, suffered the Passion and the Crucifixion for us, and washed our sins with His Blood. The merit of His Blood covers us, as the mantle of Elijah covered Elisha. With this red mantle we can present ourselves before God Who is thus pleased to receive us, forgive us, and give us the graces necessary for repentance and the amendment of our lives. We are able to appear before God because we are clothed in the mantle of the innocence and the suffering of Christ and with this, we take on His appearance. Something like this takes place with Our Lady. She takes the initiative of covering us with her mantle. Then she says to God: =E2=80=9CI vest these children with my merits as their mother, and I want You to consider them as my children.=E2=80=9D So, Our Lord looking at us, sees extensions of the personality of Our Lady, and becomes pleased, forgives us, and tries to help us. In all these episodes =E2=80=93 Jacob and Isaac, Elisha and Elijah, St. Elizabeth and St. Francis, Our Lady with us, and us with Our Lord--here is some special union of souls that allows one soul to be clothed with the merits of another in order to appear before the Throne of God and be pleasing to Him. We can apply this principle to our lives. We should have confidence and not despair in face of our weaknesses and guilt. One of us can approach God and say: =E2=80=9CDo not look at my sins, but see instead the merits of your Son and the intercession of Our Lady.=E2=80=9D We should have the honesty to see our defects and sins, because this is what we are supposed to do, but we should not despair, since even if our sins are great we can present ourselves before God vested in the merits of Our Lady and Our Lord. We should have confidence that this marvelous chain of substitutions will be accepted with pleasure by the infinite mercy of God. http://www.traditioninaction.org/SOD/j047sdElizabeth11-19.htm Saint Quote: Never will anyone who says his Rosary every day become a formal heretic or be led astray by the devil. -- Saint Louis Marie de Montfort Bible Quote: "He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction."=C2 =C2 (Proverbs 13:3) <><><><> O Jesus King Most Wonderful: From The Raccolta O Jesus, King most wonderful, Thou Conqueror renowned! Thou Sweetness most ineffable, In Whom all joys are found! When once Thou visitest the heart, Then truth begins to shine; The earthly vanities depart; Then kindles love Divine. O Jesus, Light of all below! Thou Fount of life and fire, Surpassing all the joys we know, And all we can desire! May every heart confess Thy Name, And ever Thee adore; And seeking Thee, itself inflame To seek Thee more and more. Thee may our tongues forever bless; Thee may we love alone; And ever in our lives express The image of Thine Own. Amen. --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) .