Saint Elizabeth, Wonderworker of Constantinople

Saint Elizabeth the Wonderworker was from Constantinople, and was chosen for the service of God at birth. It was revealed to her mother that the girl would become a chosen vessel of the Lord (Acts 9:15).

The parents sent their daughter to a monastery as a child. She grew up in an atmosphere of fasting and constant prayer, and received the gift of healing physical and spiritual infirmities.

The sisters chose her to be abbess of the Saints Cosmas and Damian Monastery. She wore a coarse hairshirt all year round. Her body was chilled in winter, but her spirit blazed with ardent love for God.

The saint’s asceticism was very strict. For many years she ate only grass and vegetables, but would not partake of bread, wine, or oil. Many times Saint Elizabeth ate nothing at all during the forty days of the Great Fast. Imitating the Publican in humility, for three years she did not lift up her eyes to the heavens, but she looked constantly to God with her spiritual eyes. At midnight prayers, the saint shone with a heavenly light.

Saint Elizabeth performed many miracles: a vicious serpent was killed by her prayer, she healed a woman with issue of blood who had been ill for many years, and she cast out unclean spirits from people. At her tomb many were healed of various illnesses, and the blind received their sight. Many were cured with just some earth from her grave.

Once, when the Divine Liturgy was being served, after the Cherubic Hymn, she saw an indescribable radiant light envelop the priest who stood before the Holy Table, and the All-Holy Spirit descended into the Altar. She was filled with astonishment and surprise. She did not tell anyone about this, however, until the day of her departure from this life drew near. As her time approached, she had a great desire to see her homeland once more. So she went to Heraclea and worshipped at the sacred churches of the Saints. And there, in the church of Mother of God, she had a vision of the All-Holy Virgin, who welcomed her. She recognized the face of the Theotokos from an icon she saw when she arrived at the church of the Holy Martyr Romanos. The voice of the Most Pure Virgin told her to return to her Monastery, because the time of her repose was near. So when Saint Elizabeth went back, she went to the Lord in peace. Her holy relics were buried in the church of Saint George, and remained whole and incorrupt.

We do not know exactly when Saint Elizabeth lived, but it was probably between the sixth and ninth centuries.