Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Saint Gertrude The Great


Sometimes men and women are so holy that our Lord comes to talk to them and He likes to bring His mother with Him.

Gertrude was born in 1256 at Eisleben, Germany. She was raised in the Cistercian abbey of Helfta, Eisleben, Saxony from age 5.


Gertrude was very intelligent and was interested in Philosophy and studied it to the exclusion of all else. When she was 26, she had a vision of Our Lord. He redirected her energies and she quit seeking wisdom from the world and began studying the Bible and the works of the Church Fathers.

Gertrude received many visions and instructions from Our Lord and Our Lady which continued until the end of her life. She wrote all of it down. Gertrude wrote a series of prayers that became very popular. Through her writing, she spread devotion to the Sacred Heart.


Saint Gertrude was "the Great" because of her great devotion to the Sacred Humanity of our Lord in His Passion and in the Blessed Eucharist as well as a tender love for our Blessed Mother and the souls in purgatory. She died in 1302 and we remember her on November 16th.

Model of total fidelity to the Heavenly Bridegroom and to your Cistercian Rule, the Lord was pleased to make available wonderful private revelations through you. Help religious to realize that where there is total generosity trials are usually not lacking, but there is also God's infinite love. Make all religious generous like you.

Amen.

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