St. Elizabeth of Hungary was a young widowed queen, who had much to suffer from many people who should have been her friends. After the death of her husband, many of his relatives did not hide their disdain for her piety and openly persecuted her. One day, as she knelt in prayer, the thought of these painful injustices again flooded her mind, and try as she might, Elizabeth could not shut them out.

In the midst of this trial, St. Elizabeth, by God’s grace, held no grudge against any one of those persons who treated her so badly. She knew that it is by suffering patiently for the love of God on earth that we can be happy with Him forever in Heaven. If these unfortunate people did not give her so many opportunities to practice virtue, her eternal reward would be much less - because she would have less sacrifices and sufferings to be rewarded for. In truth, the people persecuting her deserved her gratitude.

Still, the cross was heavy, and the comforting knowledge of her eternal reward did not take away the pain of the sacrifices she was being asked to make. It was with a heavy heart that she knelt before a large crucifix. With tears in her eyes, she began to pray earnestly to her suffering Savior. But what did she pray?

It was no ordinary prayer. Following the example of the Figure hanging upon the cross before her, St. Elizabeth prayed for the very people who mistreated her. From the bottom of her heart, she forgave her enemies for their evil and begged God - in return for all the injuries they caused her - to shower down upon them His most wonderful blessings and saving graces.

After this heroic act of charity, the young queen quietly pondered the prayer she had just said, wondering if God was pleased with her forgiveness and her desires for her enemies. As she wondered these things, she then heard Our Lord say to her: "My daughter, of all the prayers you have ever offered up to Me, there was not one so pleasing to Me as the one you have just now said. And in return I tell you that by it you have obtained the remission of all your sins."