"What at the St. Elizabeth to this day fascinated the unusual perspective with which she looks at the people. They broke through in their thoughts, judgments and behavior class barriers their time. She looked as it were with the eyes of God to the people entrusted to her. When it comes
What in fact on the perspective. The St. Elizabeth was a woman with an unusual perspective. She was touched by the gospel of Jesus' message of God's kingdom, which has already begun in his own person among us.
are you ready for the Gospel, some things look different. He begins, for example, to see the poor not only a social problem, but the present Christ as the Lord Himself enlightens us. Think of the great parable of the Last Judgement (Mt 25, 31-46), whose punch line is to that in the small and humble - consciously or unconsciously - Christ serves.
Jesus' devotion to the sick and poor testifies not only socially critical sensibility. It is a direct discharge of his view of God. Before God, the poor are great. Poverty is not primarily a social state, but a lifestyle. In those who are willing to receive everything from God, Jesus recognizes. Such people are part of his mind, they are the "worship in spirit and in truth," says the Gospel of John (cf. Jn 4:23).
Jesus taught us to see God again. Jesus' life, his preaching and his actions prove how much he owes to the Father in heaven knows. He wants to incite us to the "precious pearl", the "rich Treasure "(cf. Mt 13, 44-46) to discover, to whose account it is worthwhile to give up everything. The kingdom of God as a preacher, he is understood, and ultimately God himself, his gracious reign, his mercy, which has replaced the sin and death as a rule powers. Who knows itself as the kingdom of God candidate, wins a new horizon, looking at the world from a new perspective. He appears in a sort of Jesus life and begins to "let go" many things that occupy the heart and make the life horizon closely. He refuses to perceive everything only in terms of price. He gains a new size, the unbelieving contemporaries repeatedly to marvel brings.
This is surprising length the mystery of the saints. It is not primarily to Elizabeth than charity charity. Of course, it's about. We can say this:
charity without following Jesus is a virtue. Brotherly love for Jesus' sake and in his imitation is - worship. The actions of the believer is then to answer, not only those in need than those in view, but in him God himself, which is our life commitment.
Elisabeth can only be understood if one appreciates their devotion Christ as the source because of their philanthropy. The decisiveness with the Elizabeth the way of following Christ took seriously is a clear request to Christianity and society today. Elizabeth wanted to serve Christ in the arms in a broad sense. Christianity loses its "salt" force when charity no longer knows how to motivate Sun
So true of the saints of all generations the word of Jesus: "Blessed are those whose eyes see what you see are" (Lk 10, 23). The saints in fact see all of reality with new eyes. Set all things in a new, just an Easter horizon.
For us Christians, the reality is not enchanted. The realities remain resistiveness. We as Christians not the suffering and pain relieved. We are given no heroic virtue forces that make us heroes of a special, outstanding morality. One could say that we Christians are not better (than others), but we made it better!
What is given to us Christians, this "lighting" of reality that comes from her Easter light. Perhaps that explains the profound joy of St. Elizabeth, the contemporary witness of it. It has made the joy of her life program, as their word revealed: "We should make the people happy" even in suffering and sorrow, this joy is not left her. Here you learn someone secure in a love that unshakable is not repealed by earthly "death mark". Facing death, she said: "I heard a little bird singing. . Since I also have to sing "The message of the dawning
Elizabeth commemorative year, we should start listening with an open heart and means: Who loves unselfishly
touched God is with him" one mind ". ie on the one hand something very comforting about: There are today about the active church members, many "God fearing". So many people in our states of Thuringia and Hesse, the church can do with nothing, or nothing, but God is near - just because they serve selflessly in the way of St. Elizabeth, and their behavior in some parts of her personal and professional life, people, and therein Christ unconsciously become similar.
Secondly, our own belief in God needs the operationalization of "foot-washing" to humanity. Everyone has to all sorts of occasions. Particularly important are those services that pay is not secular. There must be ways of acting in our lives, in the sense of the world are "stupid", can be explained only by the light of Easter forth. A Christian who has done nothing to that effect, even disconcerting, must be wondering if he is ever on the way of Jesus Christ.
The Memory of Elizabeth should cause us to look with their eyes on our time and their needs. In short:
The best form of commemoration of the St. Elizabeth is the precise observation. Our time has different needs and challenges than those of the medieval feudal state in which Elizabeth belonged to the aristocracy. What Elisabeth different from their peers was their willingness not to look away in the face of the misery of their time. In fact this concern will we go in the commemoration of 2007: look, as accurately and effectively. It is to call the needs of our time by name. For this purpose we want to sensitize us to the parishes, our Catholic associations and communities, but also in public and not least in the assessment of policy issues.
From the look should and must be an act. 
That can only be symbolic and exemplary in many cases, but it will not be without effect. Our society needs more than justice, as necessary as it is. On the foundation of our social justice requires compassion and solidarity house also for those who can not cope alone with their lives. Especially in the area of interpersonal relations, it is important to resist the socially encountered cold and to preserve and develop areas in which the human affection and warmth can receive.
Elizabeth did not know, placed emphasis on worldly acclaim for their behavior. She knew to be contemplated. Not only by the people generally, but specifically in the need of the time they knew viewed from God himself asking and begging. If that's not the secret of the Holy ever is? They knew themselves always been "viewed" from the sky. If we can honor the saints, we honor not only virtuous people, but turn boast the dynamic power of God, the biographies. Therefore, the veneration of the saints of God for us Catholic Christians worship of grace.
Fulda and Erfurt, 19 November 2006, the Feast Day of St. Elizabeth
+ Return Heinz Josef Algermissen, + Joachim Wanke "
