Saint Elizabeth
Aunt of the Son of God, cousin of the Virgin Mary, mother of the Forerunner and wife of the priest Zechariah, Elizabeth is truly of a “noble lineage”! Yet, she endured shame for a long time: barren, she had no children despite her great desire. However, in her old age, she became the mother ofJohn the Baptist, the one who baptized Jesus in the Jordan River! And it was she who recited the first Hail Mary in history, greeting the pregnant Virgin Mary who came to visit her. Elizabeth? She embodies the triumph of trust and perseverance, whatever the circumstances, proving to the entire universe that nothing is impossible for God when faith is fearless. Like Saint Elizabeth, let us trust in the Lord, and learn from her holiness.
Saint Elizabeth in the Bible
Saint Elizabeth is quoted in the Bible in the Gospel according to Saint Luke in chapter 1.
Saint Elizabeth, married to Zechariah
In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.
(Saint Luke 1:5)
Saint Elizabeth, woman without children
They were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.
(Saint Luke 1:7)
The announcement of Elizabeth's pregnancy by the Angel Gabriel
The angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:13-17)
Saint Elizabeth, pregnant
Some time later, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.” (Luke 1:24-25)
The Visitation of the Virgin Mary to Elisabeth
“The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” (Luke 1:35-45)
Saint Elizabeth gives birth to John the Baptist
When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”
Saint Elisabeth and the Virgin Mary at the origin of two prayers
Saint Elizabeth, in joy, declares the first Hail Mary
“Ave Maria, gratia plena
Dominus tecum
Benedicta tu in mulieribus;
And benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus!
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei,
Ora pro nobis, peccatoribus,
Nunc, et in ora mortis nostræ.
Amen”
The Blessed Virgin recites her first Magnificat during her visit to Elizabeth
My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”
Continue your prayer to Saint Elizabeth with Hozana!
Join us for this novena to our Mother Mary, under the guidance of the devoted Marian Apostle, St. Maximilian Kolbe. For nine days, pray to the last prophet of Israel.
Like Saint Elizabeth, trust in the Blessed Virgin Mary, an example of a mother and a woman.
