When Elizabeth was professed as a penitent in 1229 and founded her hospital in Marburg, she was continuing the life of penance and conversion that she had already begun. But this new life required an even deeper commitment and greater sacrifice. In her life of caring for the sick, she poured out on others the fruits of her penance and the graces she had received.

This year in lesson 3, we studied the nature of penance and conversion, and in lesson 5 its application to our formation as Secular Franciscans. Here, as we look at Elizabeth’s full-grown penitential life, it is appropriate to discuss the fruits of this penance in our lives of service to others, and in our prayer life.

The life of penance requires us first to empty ourselves of egoism and sin, and to let ourselves be filled with God. It also requires us to give ourselves to others. Our Rule (II, 14) reminds us that, because we strive to imitate Jesus, who was not only God, but a perfect human being, we should imitate Him in his human acts of service to others, including the humblest. We should seek to serve others, just as Jesus washed the feet of His disciples (John 13:12-15). This is what Elizabeth did all her life, and what we should also do. We want to become more like Jesus and perfect ourselves, not just for our own sake, but for others as well. Because we are seculars, we perform our service for our brothers and sisters in an active life in the world.

In her hospital work, just as in her married life, Elizabeth’s active life also included contemplative prayer. Our Rule (II, 8) specifically asks us to "make prayer and contemplation the soul of all we are and do." This means giving contemplative prayer a greater part in our prayer life.

But what is contemplative prayer? We who follow the active life are often told that all of our work, if it is offered up to God, is prayer. We also have the Mass and our daily office, the liturgical prayers of the Church. But both of these are different from contemplation, lifting of our hearts and minds to God. This is a type of prayer we often find difficult. How can we, absorbed as we are by all the cares of family and work, and distracted by the TV, the Internet, and the daily chatter around us, find sufficient time to lift our souls to God?

We can take comfort from the fact that the definitive words of Jesus in the Gospels about the life of contemplation were addressed to a busy housewife. Jesus has come to visit Martha and Mary. Martha, who is an accomplished hostess, waits on Jesus with food and drink and comfortable cushions – these, the things we do for Jesus, represent the active life of service to others in the world. Mary, on the other hand, has chosen to sit at Jesus’ feet, listening to his words, and being content in his presence. This is contemplation.

Martha insists to Jesus that contemplative Mary is not pulling her weight, and should get up and help with the serving. Jesus tells Martha "you are anxious and worried about many things," but he adds that only one thing is truly necessary – to listen to his words (Luke 10, 41-42). The contrast between the two sisters has often been used in the Church to differentiate between the active and the contemplative life as two different vocations – the one for the laity and those religious whose lives are spent in service to others, and the other for religious engaged in lives of contemplative prayer. But Jesus is also telling Martha, who lives the active life, that she needs more room in her life to listen to and contemplate Him. All Christians should combine these two things. As St. Augustine says:"No one should be so contemplative that he does not think of the good of his neighbor, nor so active that he does not seek the contemplation of God" (On the City of God, xix, 19).

God is present in every life and in all phases of life. We can best prepare ourselves to find and enjoy His presence by simplifying the outward aspects of our lives and avoiding superficial, unnecessary, selfish or vain things. We need to judge what is really important in our lives and eliminate or reduce the other things. In her short life, Elizabeth separated the important from the unimportant. We feel from reading her life that she sought never to waste time, so that she would have sufficient time both for her good works for others and to live more in the presence of God.

We can lift our hearts to God in contemplation while at our daily tasks. Elizabeth engaged in this type of prayer while waiting for the food she made for her sisters to cook. Many of us have periods in our work day when our minds are not occupied. Often, while ironing, gardening, riding the train to work, or waiting in the car for the children to get out of school, we will find ourselves with time for lifting our hearts to God, instead of merely occupying our minds with TV, radio, or magazines. This takes discipline and commitment. It also requires a realization that as dedicated Christians, this is time that we owe to our Lord.

Let’s pray that we may always imitate St. Elizabeth in both sides of her life of penance: prayer and service.

What do I consider the most important things in my life? Does God have the importance He should have there? What useless or unnecessary things fill my life? How can I eliminate some of these in order to have more time for prayer and service to others? Do I perform all of my service for others in the true spirit of Jesus? Are there moments in my day that are particularly suitable for contemplation of God?

As they continued their journey, he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside at the Lord at his feet, listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said: "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me." The Lord said to her in reply, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken from her." (Luke 10:38-42).

So when he had washed their feet and put his garments back on, and reclined at table again, [Jesus] said to them, "Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I the teacher and master, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do" (John 13:12-15).

"As Jesus was the true worshipper of the Father, so let prayer and contemplation be the soul of all they are and do.

"Let them participate in the sacramental life of the Church, above all the Eucharist. Let them join in liturgical prayer in one of the forms proposed by the Church, reliving the mysteries of the life of Christ." (Rule, II, 8).

"Secular Franciscans, together with all people of good will, are called to build a more fraternal and evangelical world so that the kingdom of God may be brought about more effectively. Mindful that anyone who follows Christ, the perfect man, becomes more of a man himself, let them exercise their responsibilities competently in Christian spirit of service" (Rule II, 14).