Welcome to the Faithful Four! From an initial field of 32 saints, we are down to a holy four: Zechariah, Elizabeth of Hungary, Sundar Singh, and Nicolaus Zinzendorf.
Today, it's Zechariah vs. Elizabeth. To make it this far, Zechariah defeated Yvette of Huy, Rose of Lima, and Irenaeus. While Elizabeth of Hungary's path went through Felicity, Mechthild of Magdeburg, and Verena of Zurzach. Want to read the write-ups from the previous rounds? Click on the links!
So, what happens in this round? Well, throughout Lent Madness, our saintly heroes have battled via basic bios, quirks and quotes, and even kitsch. In this round, we let our remaining Celebrity Bloggers loose as they answer the question “Why should Saint XX win the Golden Halo?” In other words, they’ve been charged with letting us know why their particular saint is so awesome. We have also invited them to share their two favorite images of their saints.
The Faithful Four continues today and tomorrow and then, on Spy Wednesday, 24 hours of voting begins to determine the winner of the 2025 Golden Halo.
It being Monday, we bring you today's episode of Monday Madness! The last in-season episode of Lent Madness 2025. Fr. Michael and Fr. Christian are back with all the excitement as we enter the final stretch of Lent Madness! In this episode, they get ready for the epic LIVE Golden Halo event this Wednesday, reflect on how the Faithful Four connects to each day of Holy Week, and share heartfelt thanks for being part of this incredible season. We love Lent Madness—and we love all of you! Don’t miss the celebration this Wednesday as we gather on LIVE on Facebook at 1:00 pm EST.
Vote now!
Zechariah
Zechariah faithfully served as a priest while Judea was governed by a mercurial and murderous despot, whose interests were in his own power and aggrandizement. Herod the Great used a secret police to monitor community sentiment, violently suppressed dissent, and removed opponents by force. He went so far as to kill his own family members, including his wife, to quell any threats to his power.
In this context, I wonder what it was like for Zechariah to serve faithfully in the temple, as one “righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord.” Zechariah loyally ministered in an institution that implicitly supported Herod, and in a building in which the cruel narcissist had invested significantly for its renovation and expansion.
On top of this, Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth, had to face the real disappointment and social stigma of being childless. According to the Muslim tradition, Zechariah hoped for a child that he could raise and teach faithful submission to God. Getting on in years, childless, in a land desperately in need of God’s redemption, Zechariah continued to live faithfully.
Perhaps in this way, Zechariah is exactly the kind of saint we need to be reminded of today. And here I would thank the Lent Madness faithful for continuing to vote Zechariah forward and giving us the chance to spend more time with him this Lent. His righteousness in the midst of so much turmoil, his persistence in holy drudgery, and his fidelity as he wrestled with personal disappointment encourage us to keep the faith in our own deeply troubling times.
But this context is just the beginning of Zechariah’s story. As the Zechariah’s song, the Benedictus, proudly proclaims, God is faithful and remembers the promises made to God’s people. Zechariah had nine long months to reflect what the birth of his son would mean for the world. Israel, desperate for redemption, would finally see God’s salvation. And Zechariah’s son, for whom he had longed, would be the voice to call out in the wilderness and prepare the way of the Lord.
Zechariah was no stranger to darkness and disappointment. Seeing God’s faithfulness and the new day breaking, he boldly proclaims, “By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Regardless of the outcome of this holy, absurd (and wholly absurd) competition, may Zechariah’s witness help us have courage to believe this and act on it in our own time.
Elizabeth of Hungary
Over our time, I’ve referred to her as everything from the people’s princess of the 13th century to your favorite saint’s favorite saint, but here’s why I really think she should win the Golden Halo: she loved fully, completely, and generously. She modelled how to love generously in a time and place that nigh on demanded her to hoard her wealth or power, the gentry didn’t even want the castle’s bread to be shared with the hungry. It became clear to me early on that the only thing that Elizabeth could possibly do in this world was to love with abandon, and she is the light we need to reflect back out into the world.
When I think about why we have spent time reading about these saints upon whose shoulders we stand, my prayer is that we can let the brittle bits of our hearts that have been hardened by the sins of this world begin to soften. My prayer is that Elizabeth, or any of the other 32 with which you may have connected, can become a companion long after the Golden Halo votes are cast.
Because the awful truth of 2025 is that it is very hard to be a human; there is so much pressure on us, those we love, or on those who are around us. Elizabeth is an example of how to live a life that does not deny the privilege one is born into: she was a queen and lived in the castle with a husband who respected her. But even when circumstances changed, the love she modeled after Christ could not be contained. She loved with abandon: loudly and boldly.
In the course of my first time writing for Lent Madness, I was struck by how much I wanted each of the saints I wrote about to be known by everyone who participated in this fun formation project, shout out to Hugh of Lincoln and his swans. Tomorrow, I’ll write about why Sundar Singh should win the Golden Halo this Lent Madness, but this isn’t in conflict with my support of Elizabeth for the Halo, but perhaps because of it.
Elizabeth loved generously, and as I’ve walked alongside her, I’ve begun to be shaped by her wildly abundant and fearless love as well. Each of the four final saints have things that will enrich our spiritual lives, should we invite them into our lives, Golden Halo or not. For today, though, it’s Elizabeth’s seemingly boundless capacity to follow God’s call, to see the unseen, and to abundantly love those in need, which, of course, is all of us. May we all know and be a force for love like Elizabeth of Hungary.
62 comments on “Zechariah vs. Elizabeth of Hungary”
Becca your write up about love and my morning devotional about love as a fruit of the spirit today got my vote for Elizabeth. I was ready to vote for Zechariah. We need more love in the world.
Elizabeth is an example of how the wealthy should live and give thru love and faith! To whom much is given, much is expected! We can all be more generous and giving of our time, talents and treasures!
Both of today's choices deserve the Golden Halo- Zechariah for his unwavering faithfulness and Elizabeth for her abundant love. Allow me to hope (to complete St. Paul's beautiful line from his first letter to the Church in Corinth) that in either this or a future Lenten Madness, both will achieve that goal. However, given the choice between faith and love, and because to my mind, what the world needs now is love, pure love, I'm giving my nod to Elizabeth today.
both beautifully written - thank you David and Becca. So hard to
make a decision - faith / love
Although I've voted for Zechariah from the start, I think I may have to go with love and Elizabeth. But as I write this, still unsure!!! UGH
I hope you write often Becca! Your writing is beautiful, heartfelt and real ! Please keep sharing your writing and your inspiration with everyone !!
at the last I voted for Zech! faith and persistence won me
I cannot believe how this vote is turning out. Zechariah should win Lent Madness this year.
I'm sorry, Zechariah, but even if you did exist and even if the story that is told about you is completely true, it's basically about you being the father of John the Baptist. (And your lovely wife did most of the work there.) If it were your son John in the competition today, I'd probably vote for him. But I can't quite find it in my heart to move you on to the next round. Congratulations on becoming a daddy.
“Getting on in years, childless, in a land desperately in need of God’s redemption, Zechariah continued to live faithfully.”
In my older age, I find Zechariah’s witness especially inspiring.
With prayers for all the priests who are serving during these difficult and troubling times, my vote goes to Zechariah
My vote today went to Elizabeth of Hungary because of her work feeding the poor. I work for the state of Oklahoma helping people get and keep food benefits, but I can tell you, so many fall through the cracks because of stolen benefits, rules saying people need to work at least 30 hours a week to qualify, or just missing a renewal deadline. We need more Elizabeths to help.
Please, if you have any disposable income, think of Elizabeth and give to your local food pantries.
What kept popping up in my mind this morning while reading about these two Saints was that Zachariah raised John the Baptist and Elizabeth exemplified love. Hard choice. However, because of the condition of our world today, I voted Elizabeth.
As a Franciscan Tertiary, how can I not vote for Elizabeth of Hungary, one of our two patron saints!
Both were faithful in the face of oppressive governments dedicated to transfer of wealth upward to the 1%. Both worthy models for today.
Elizabeth of Hungry is going to win the Golden Halo
Excellent encomia, both bloggers! I voted for Zechariah, as I have all along. “Mercurial and murderous despot “? We know him! ”Persistence in holy drudgery”? Check! I identify with Zechariah’s fidelity in the face of disappointment and oppression. May he and his family intercede with despots for justice. Free Abrego Garcia. Free Mahmoud Khalil. Free Rumeysa Ozturk. On Palm Sunday I stood with our sister Presbyterian congregation and witnessed for immigrant rights among so many other pressing issues. It felt good to be part of community. Surely Zechariah and his family knew both approval and aspersion. May this country welcome the “other.”
This resonates with me so much.
“His righteousness in the midst of so much turmoil, his persistence in holy drudgery, and his fidelity as he wrestled with personal disappointment encourage us to keep the faith in our own deeply troubling times.”
Voting for Zechariah.
Elizabeth of Hungary gave everything she had to feed the hungry and to found a hospital for the poor. She invited a leper to sleep in her bed. She was the abbess of a monastery, and St. Francis sent her his blessing.
And oh! the roses . . .
Both excellent write-ups! I am personally drawn by Zechariah's witness though, so that's where my vote went.
I LOVE Chrism Mass (mentioned in the video)! I've only been once to the National Cathedral in DC but it was so moving...especially being led by our now rockstar Bishop Budde!
I voted for Zechariah, but both are probably worthy of advancing. Elizabeth of Hungary has a wonderful record of her own, but there's something about the saints from before Jesus Christ's appearance that strikes me as extra special.
Torn today as neither really speak to me. Is it righteous to faithfully serve in a corrupt institution which can only have been achieved by turning a blind eye to the corruption? And how can someone be said to love generously when that generosity is not extended to the self? I eventually voted for Zechariah because his encounter with God seems to have given a voice he did not find before.
had to go with Elizabeth. as an Eaton fire survivor, I have seen the beyond generous outpouring by the community and beyond. My church, St Mark's, Altadena burned down and we have been blessed with gifts from around the world. our Rector announced yesterday that another church is providing us with new acolyte robes
While I am attracted to Elizabeth's wild, abundant love, I had to go with Zechariah today. How many of us have worked for bad bosses, but we filled our tasks with as much honor and faithfulness as we could? I like to think that while working for Herod, Zechariah fostered good while mitigating the bad as best he could.
Because I have been reading a historical fiction account of the life and times of Iscariot, the very turbulent and agonizing times of the decades in Judea and Galilee before and during the time of Jesus are top of mind.
Zechariah's great steadfastness and faith (and, to be sure, human failings) are a beacon to me. As are the phrases attributed to him - "... to give light to those who sit in darkness, and the shadow of death," ringing in my heart.
What do you do when you love them both? I voted for Zechariah because I deeply love his Canticle.
To be honest, I was less than enthusiastic about the first round of A to Z bios, but the two essays today brought tears to my eyes. A heartfelt "thank you" to our celebrity bloggers for pointing out these lights of hope, who are able to still inspire us, even (perhaps especially) in these modern times.
Becca’s gonna have a tough time when the goal two are Elizabeth and Sundar. Sundar for the win!!
I vote for Zechariah, in solidarity with all those who have gone or are going through infertility.
Don’t forget to join us LIVE at 1pm on Facebook this Wednesday to hear from some of our awesome celebrity bloggers, share your favorites from this season, and crown our Golden Halo winner! See you then!!!
Zechariah is who you vote for