Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, ReligiousOffice of Readings | Morning Prayer | Evening Prayer | Night Prayer | MassSt Elizabeth of Hungary (1207 - 1231)

She was a daughter of the King of Hungary. At the age of four she was betrothed to Hermann, the eldest son of the Landgrave Hermann I of Thuringia, as part of a grand scheme of alliances against the German Emperor. (A Landgrave is a Count whose status derives directly from a feudal relationship with an emperor and not with any subsidiary nobleman; Thuringia today is a small province in central Germany.)Shortly after her betrothal Elizabeth went to live at the Thuringian court. Amidst a somewhat riotous court she grew up a very religious child, given to prayer and self-mortification, with her kind mother-in-law protecting her from the more unruly elements at court. Her betrothed, Hermann, died in 1216 and Elizabeth was betrothed to the second son, Ludwig.In 1221 Ludwig succeeded his father as Landgrave and in the same year Ludwig and Elizabeth were married. The marriage was a happy one and Ludwig willingly supported Elizabeth’s many works of charity. When Thuringia was beset by floods, famine and the plague while Ludwig was away dealing with the affairs of the Empire, Elizabeth took charge of the affairs of the state, distributed alms in all parts of the territory, and built a 28-bed hospital below the castle itself. She visited the hospital every day and also gave daily support to some 900 of the poor.In 1227 Ludwig died of the plague on the way to a crusade and Elizabeth was left a widow with three children. Franciscan spirituality was spreading across the world and the Franciscans had made their first settlement in Germany in 1221. With Elizabeth’s help a Franciscan monastery was founded at Eisenach in Thuringia, and she herself lived as close to a Franciscan life as it was possible for her to live, given the significance of her position. By 1228 she was able to distribute her dowry among the poor and enter the Franciscan house she had founded, as one of the first members of the Third Order of St Francis in Germany. She built a new Franciscan hospital at Marburg in 1227. She died in 1231, at the age of 24, worn out by her penances and her charitable labours.Her husband Ludwig, who benefited so much from her influence and example, is popularly known as “Ludwig the Holy” or “Ludwig the Saint”. Elizabeth herself was canonised by Pope Gregory IX in 1235. She has been described as “the greatest woman of the German Middle Ages.”(St Hilda (614 - 680))

33rd Sunday in Ordinary TimeOffice of Readings | Morning Prayer | Evening Prayer | Night Prayer | Mass(St Margaret of Scotland (1046 - 1093))

She was born in Hungary of Anglo-Saxon and Hungarian parents. When William of Normandy conquered England she found refuge with King Malcolm III of Scotland, and they were married in 1070 and had eight children. She reformed the royal court, founded monasteries, and supported major reforms of Church life. She died in Edinburgh on 16 November 1093. She is remembered for the happiness of her marriage, for her devotion to prayer and learning, and especially for her generosity to the poor.(St Gertrude (1256 - 1301/2))

Saturday of week 32 in Ordinary Time, or Saint Albert the Great, Bishop, Doctor

, or Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary