St Elizabeth the New Martyr

Today is the feast day of my chosen saint, Grand Duchess St. Elizabeth the New Martyr. Her prayers for me have been invaluable and I seek them often. When I converted to Orthodoxy in 2008, I quoted her letter explaining her conversion to her family in my email to my friends explaining mine:

"Once the decision was reached, it proved a difficult task to make it known to her relatives. She writes to them at this time that she is "intensely happy," but that it pains her to cause grief to her beloved family. And yet her determination was firm, "I am sure God's blessing will accompany my act which I do with such fervent belief, with the feeling that I may become a better Christian and be one step nearer to God." Explaining the reasons for her decision, she writes in a letter: "Above all one's conscience must be pure and true... many will -- I know -- scream about (it), yet I feel it brings me nearer to God... You tell me that the outer brilliance of the church charmed me... in that you are mistaken -- nothing in the outer signs attracted me -- no -- the service, the service, the outer signs are only to remind us of the inner things."

Grand Duchess St. Elizabeth Feodorovna

Her life is an inspiration to me. I've read all I can of her and of the rule of the convent she founded, St Martha and Mary Convent in Moscow and her life and biographies of other saints' lives give me hope. As I have said so many times before, I am no saint by a long shot when compared to them. God knows I could despair if I thought my current circumstances, behavior, thought life and blah blah blah had to measure up to them right now. But their lives were not all crystal stairs and reading their life stories brings me hope because they say to me:

Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor—
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light.
So, boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps.
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now—
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
Mother to Son, Langston Hughes

That's what I find in their lives, in her life: The capacity to move forward and make something good happen, to strive always to hear the Lord say, "Well done, good and faithful servant",  in spite of myself and all that happens around me. As we say, "I am saved. I am being saved. I hope to be saved."

St. Elizabeth the New Martyr

Troparion, Tone 4:

Causing meekness, humility and love to dwell in thy soul,

Thou didst earnestly serve the suffering,

O holy passion-bearer Princess Elizabeth

Wherefore, with faith thou didst endure sufferings and death for Christ, with the martyr Barbara.

With her pray for all who honor you with love.

Kontakion, Tone 4:

Taking up the Cross of Christ,

Thou didst pass from royal glory to the glory of heaven,

Praying for thine enemies, O holy martyr Princess Elizabeth;

And with the martyr Barbara thou didst find everlasting joy.

Therefore, pray ye in behalf of our souls.

Lord have mercy on me a sinner. Holy St. Elizabeth pray to God for us!

Relevant Reading

The Life of St. Elizabeth the New Martyr

St. Martha and Mary Convent & Rule of St. Elizabeth
Grand Duchess Elizabeth in the NY Times

Mother to Son