Giving to the Poor

As Thanksgiving and Christmas approach, solicitations for the poor are multiplying:  The annual Salvation Army bells ring at  supermarket entrances, appeals come through the mail, canned food drives in parishes and schools are already underway.  It is evident that in this land of plenty, there are plenty of people who do not have enough food.  Requests are as overwhelming as the need.
Back in the 13th century in Hungary, such was the case as well.  Born of a royal family, the princess Elizabeth,  now known as St. Elizabeth of Hungary, married the nobleman, Louis of Thuringia, and using their wealth, took direction action to alleviate the needs of the people, selling her wardrobe and jewels to buy provisions, and emptying the castle storehouses in time of famine.  It is said that at one point, she was feeding 1,000 people a day.  Because the castle was on a high promontory and inaccessible to the sick and elderly, she built a hospital at the base of the mountain and worked in it herself. Her husband was died of the plague while on a crusade, leaving her in deep grief, but she continued "emptying herself and her coffers, until she too was among the poor.  Her  service ended abruptly when she died at the age of 24.  Her holiness was so apparent that she was canonized four years later and she continues to be a model for us. When we are annoyed by the ringing bells or the "junk" mail that clogs our mailbox, we might reflect on the life of this totally devoted woman and find inspiration to be compassionate and generous to those who have less.
Bro. Rene