41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”
St Elizabeth of Hungary was a German Hungarian princess, who, at only 14 years old, married a German ruler and became a widow only six years later. While still married she fell under the influence of the Franciscans, and, with her husband’s support, engaged in many charitable works throughout his kingdom. However, after his death she was treated harshly by members of both her husband’s and her own family as well as by her confessor, who ordered her to send away her three children and administered beatings to her. After she became a widow, she took a vow of celibacy, which caused her uncle, the Bishop of Bamburg, to imprison her in an attempt force her to remarry. She managed to recuperate some of her dowry and used it to build a hospital where she herself helped tend the sick. She died at the very young age of 24.
Given the tragedy of her life, it’s not surprising that the reading this year has Jesus mourning human suffering. Approaching Jerusalem, he weeps over the sorrow that will soon visit the city. Jesus foresees its destruction by Rome which would occur in 70 AD. For Luke, the tragedy will happen because the city rejected its Messiah. They were offered as Messiah the Prince of Peace – one who preached forgiveness of enemies – but they preferred hatred to love.
The entire passage is full of pathos. Jesus remains so attached to the city that he addresses it in the second person. Indeed, the “if” clause at the start of the sentence Jesus speaks in verse 42 is not completed, suggesting in Greek a deep desire that cannot be fulfilled. Jesus wanted so much for the city to avoid its fate, but the people of Jerusalem decided otherwise. St Elizabeth of Hungary may have been queen but she faced a harsh life and suffered much rejection. Through it all, she tried to imitate Christ by helping others and so provides an example for us all.
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