"Oh! If you only knew how the good God loves pure hearts! It is there that He loves to reign."
Today's saint that I have chosen reminds me a little bit of myself...Elizabeth of the Trinity was extremely stubborn and had fits of rage! It is good to know she is on her way to canonization!
Elizabeth's father died when she was seven and her mother took care of her and her sister Marguerite. In addition to her stubbornness, she was lively, popular and had a great reverence for God. It was at an early age that she was attracted to a life of prayer and would visit the sick and teach catechism to children. She was also a gifted pianist.
In 1901 at age 21, against her mother's wishes, she entered the Discalced Carmelite monastery in Dijon, France. Even though she had a great spirituality, she was plagued with periods of powerful darkness and even her own spiritual director doubted Elizabeth's vocation. She took her final vows on January 11, 1903 and in turn she became a spiritual director for many people. She also wrote letters and retreat guides.
She died on November 9, 1906 from Addison's Disease and her last words were "I am going to Light, to Love, to Life!" She was beatified in 1984 and is awaiting canonization.
Prayer written by Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity
O my God, Trinity whom I adore; help me to forget myself entirely that I may be established in You as still and as peaceful as if my soul were already in eternity. May nothing trouble my peace or make me leave You, O my Unchanging One, but may each minute carry me further into the depths of Your mystery. Give peace to my soul; make it Your heaven, Your beloved dwelling and Your resting place. May I never leave You there alone but be wholly present, my faith wholly vigilant, wholly adoring, and wholly surrendered to Your creative Action.
O my beloved Christ, crucified by love, I wish to be a bride for Your Heart; I wish to cover You with glory; I wish to love You...even unto death! But I feel my weakness, and I ask You to "clothe me with Yourself," to identify my soul with all the movements of Your Soul, to overwhelm me, to possess me, to substitute yourself for me that my life may be but a radiance of Your Life. Come into me as Adorer, as Restorer, as Savior.
O Eternal Word, Word of my God, I want to spend my life in listening to You, to become wholly teachable that I may learn all from You. Then, through all nights, all voids, all helplessness, I want to gaze on You always and remain in Your great light. O my beloved Star, so fascinate me that I may not withdraw from Your radiance.
O consuming Fire, Spirit of Love, "come upon me," and create in my soul a kind of incarnation of the Word: that I may be another humanity for Him in which He can renew His whole Mystery. And You, O Father, bend lovingly over Your poor little creature; "cover her with Your shadow," seeing in her only the "Beloved in whom You are well pleased."
O my Three, my All, my Beatitude, infinite Solitude, Immensity in which I lose myself, I surrender myself to You as Your prey. Bury Yourself in me that I may bury myself in You until I depart to contemplate in Your light the abyss of Your greatness.
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