Elizabeth (1271 - 1336) was the daughter of Peter II, King of Aragon, and inherited both the name and faith of her great aunt, Saint Elizabeth of Hungary.
She married Denis I, the king of Portugal, at an early age. Denis was both abusive and a philanderer, and yet they had two children together - a daughter Constantia and a son Affonso.
Elizabeth continually prayed for her husband's conversion, which apparently did occur shortly before he died. However, before Denis' conversion, Affonso became estranged to his father because of the king's excessive favours toward his illegitimate sons.
Affonso confronted his father with his forces on the battlefield in 1323. Elizabeth rode onto the battlefield between the two, and brought peace between her husband and son. She is therefore known as the Peacemaker.
Denis later died and Affonso succeeded him king. Elizabeth gave her possessions to the poor and took the habit of the Third Order of Saint Francis, moving to a monastery of Poor Clare which she has established in Coimbra.
In 1336 she again had to become The Peacemaker, this time between her son and his son-in-law, whom Affonso confronted for being an abusive husband.
Out on the battlefield once again, Elizabeth did bring peace between the two, as she had years earlier between husband and child. She died shortly thereafter, encouraging Affonso to the "love of holiness and peace." (Catholic Encyclopedia)
Elizabeth is the patroness of difficult marriages and victims of adultery, and as such is a very timely saint for moderns who struggle in a fallen world of self-indulgence, moral relativity and situational ethics.
The accompanying picture is of a stained glass window of Elizabeth, located in Saint Joseph's Catholic Church in Makawao, Hawaii.
Most merciful God who amongst many excellent gifts didst bestow on the blessed Queen Elisabeth peculiar grace to allay the violence of war: grant, we beseech thee; that by her intercession we may both obtain in this life that peace for which we humbly pray, and hereafter attain to eternal felicity. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (The Collect, page S 57, People's Anglican Missal)[NOTE: Elizabeth is a "Supplemental Saint" - that is, she is listed in the Anglican Missal's "Supplement to the Proper of Saints - Masses Observed in Certain Places." As such, her feast day is not posted on the Ordo Kalendar linked on this blog.]
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