Saint of the Day (Wednesday, November 14, 2012) - St. Gertrude

Wednesday, November 14, 2012 St. Gertrude (1256?-1302) Gertrude, a Benedictine nun in Helfta (Saxony), was one of the great mystics of the 13th century. Together with her friend and teacher St. Mechtild, she practiced a spirituality called "nuptial mysticism," that is, she came to see herself as the bride of Christ. Her spiritual life was a deeply personal union with Jesus and his Sacred Heart, leading her into the very life of the Trinity. But this was no individualistic piety. Gertrude lived the rhythm of the liturgy, where she found Christ. In the liturgy and in Scripture, she found the themes and images to enrich and express her piety. There was no clash between her personal prayer life and the liturgy. Comment: Gertrude's life is another reminder that the heart of the Christian life is prayer: private and liturgical, ordinary or mystical, always personal. Quote: "Lord, you have granted me your secret friendship by opening the sacred ark of your divinity, your deified heart, to me in so many ways as to be the source of all my happiness; sometimes imparting it freely, sometimes as a special mark of our mutual friendship. You have so often melted my soul with your loving caresses that, if I did not know the abyss of your overflowing condescensions, I should be amazed were I told that even your Blessed Mother had been chosen to receive such extraordinary marks of tenderness and affection" (Adapted from The Life and Revelations of Saint Gertrude). (This entry appears in the print edition of Saint of the Day.) CLICK HERE FOR PRINT VERSION If you are having difficulty listening to Saint of the Day audio, or need help setting up an audio player, go to our Audio Help page for more information. SHARE THIS EMAIL: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Google+ Check out all our fine free e-newsletters from Franciscan Media: 28 W. Liberty Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202 Copyright© 1996-2012 Franciscan Media. All rights reserved. Unsubscribe