|
St.
Elzear was born in 1285 and belonged to a very noble family. His father was
the head of the house of Sabran in southern France and count of Ariano in the
kingdom of Naples. His mother was a woman of great piety, who, because of her
charity to the poor, was known as the good countess. Elzear was her first
child. After his baptism she took him in her arms and asked God to take him
out of this world if He foresaw that the child would ever stain his soul by
sin. With his mother's milk he seems to have imbibed the spirit of piety, for
from his babyhood he was always docile, gentle, and modest, without a trace of
mawkishness in his piety. He was friendly towards everyone, and was
particularly devoted to the poor. When he was only 13 years old, he undertook
severe bodily mortifications in order to keep the flesh in subjection to the
spirit.
Conforming to the wish of the king of
Naples, who was also the Lord of Southern France, he married while still quite
young, the Countess Delphina of the Glandeves family. On their wedding day
both spouses vowed perpetual virginity, and persevered in living like brother
and sister until death.
At the death of his father, Elzear, who
was then only 23 years old, inherited his father's titles. He considered it
his sacred duty to provide for the temporal, and above all, the spiritual
welfare of his people. He was particularly solicitous that the laws of God and
of the Church were observed in his dominions. The poor were the special object
of his solicitude. Every day 12 of them dined at the same table with him and
the countess. There was remarkable calmness and self-possession in his
demeanor. Personal injuries did not affect him. If anyone repeated to him
anything uncomplimentary that had been said about him, he did not even ask who
it was that said it, but merely replied: "Worse things were said about
Christ."
Going to Italy in his capacity as count
of Ariano, he found that his Italian subjects were not all disposed to accept
French domination. That lasted for several years. It was suggested to him that
he deal severely with the offenders, but he would not consent. In four years
he had won over the people by his gentleness and charity, and all looked up to
him as to a father.
Upon his return to France his subjects
there prepared a great feast for him. Delphina was especially happy, and the
devout couple now joined the Third Order of St. Francis in order to be still
more intimately united to God. Elzear redoubled his acts of piety. He prayed
the divine office every day as the priests do, scourged his body severely, and
nursed the sick with as much charity and reverence as if he were actually
performing these services to Christ Himself.
God granted him the gift of miracles,
and he cured several lepers. By his prayers he also restored health to the son
of the count of Grimoard, who was the saint's godchild. On this occasion
Elzear told the father that his child would one day be elevated to one of the
greatest dignitaries of the Church. The child later became Pope Urban
V.
Although engaged in many works of piety,
Elzear never neglected his temporal duties. He was obliged to spend several
years at the court of the saintly King Robert of Naples, where he gave proof
of his courage and talent as army chief and minister of state.
Sent to the court of Paris on matters of
state, he was seized with a serious illness. With the same serenity which he
had preserved throughout life, he prepared himself for death, made a general
confession of his whole life, received the last sacraments with angelic
devotion, and departed from this life in his 40th year on September 27, 1323.
Because of the numerous miracles that occurred at his tomb and the urgent
request of the kings of France and Naples, Pope Urban V, his godchild, with
great joy canonized him in the year 1369.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
O God, who didst
adorn St. Elzear, Thy confessor, with the virtue of virginity in the married
state along with other virtues, mercifully grant that we who celebrate his
saintly memory here on earth may attain to happy association with him in
heaven. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
from:
The Franciscan Book
of Saints, ed. by
Marion Habig, ofm., © 1959 Franciscan Herald
Press
|
