Memorial of Bl Elisabeth of the Trinity

There is this One Who knows all mysteries
And Who embraced them from all Eternity
And this same One… the Father’s Word He is
Splendor, that Word, of His Divinity

See that One come with Love’s excess
With charity so urgent
Say: Son of the Father’s tenderness
God gives us Him on this great day

O Word may lifelong now
I listen to You
So possessed by You
That how to love be all I knowAmo Christum
In me, a house that God is living at
This Jesus Christ, Divine Adorer there
Takes me to souls, as to the Father
That being the double movement of His prayer
Co-Savior with my Master here

Whose call to me still drives me on
For this I ought to disappear
I’m lost in Him, with Him as one
One Word of Life, with You
For always and above
Your virgin host anew
All shining forth with loveAmo Christum
His sanctuary, He rests in me
There is the peace one looks for and attains
In silence, and in deepest mystery
He’s captured me, forever I’m in chains

Ah, to Your every word to cling
Calm in the faith I’m anchored to
Adoring You, through everything
As one who only lives by You

Beneath Your splendent Light
O Word, by night and day
May I be now, outright
To Your great love, a preyAmo Christum
Mother of God, tell me your mystery
Oh how your earthly life was spent
The way, right from the time of ‘Fiat’
How you’d be buried in adoration, Mary

Say how, in a peace, a silence, you
What mystery could enter in
To deeps that none but you could do
Bearing the guilt of God within

Secure in God’s embrace
Keep me, I ask
In me, His imprint may He place
For wholly Love is HeAmo Christum

-- Bl Elisabeth of the Trinity

God dwells within me and I am in God

"Thus did Jesus speak. And who is Jesus but He who declares Himself to the God when, in the face of Jews who would stone Him on that very account, He replies:  I and the Father are one.

The One who at this moment lives in my breast, then, is He, a God; He is my God. A God dwells within me and I am in God. Can it be possible? Is it true? Yes, quite possible; my faith reiterates it to me unto satiety. There is nothing truer than that truth.

This God who is within me, I can and must call my God by every claim, a God who is my very own. It is this thought, the thought of a God, of my God in me which, at this moment, wrenches me free of myself and submerges me in Him.

O my God! What can I say to Thee now, how can I express at once greater respect, fear and love than by this cry of my soul: My God!

I forget myself entirely, to the extent that a creature may lose self-consciousness, so as to think of my God, believe in Him, cling to Him alone, at this most sacred instant of my day when, aware of Thy presence in me I can only say to Thee: My God! ... My God!

Far from me then, at this hour, be all other thought and care, every worry, grief and even joy; away, my heart, with pleasant memories, legitimate enjoyments, permissible satisfactions; let the silence of all things invade my being; may my interior faculties be still and recollect themselves.

I am in God; God is in me. My God! Yes, I believe that Thou art here, in the innermost depths of my being. My God! 

I possess our Lord Jesus Christ within me. His flesh sustains me; His blood slakes my thirst; His soul is profoundly united to mine. His humanity fuses with my humanity somewhat as a wax taper runs down and melts into another taper. But this sacred humanity is that of the Word, the Word that was in the beginning; it is that of God, the God whom I adore devoutly, the hidden God."

-- Pledge of Glory: Eucharistic Meditations based on the Prayer of Sister Elizabeth of the Trinity by Dom Eugene Vandeur

The Eucharist: the focal point of the works of God

"Who can tell the countless marvels worked in a soul by Holy Communion with Jesus Hostia! The Eucharist, sacrifice and sacrament, is the focal point of the works of God, one in Essence, three in Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit; it is there to become the divine instrument of glorifying that same God, the Trinity whom we adore. Hence, when, by way of the Host, Jesus deigns to descend into us, invading our whole being, it is above all to restore us completely to the unity of the Blessed Trinity, our Beginning and our End. There is no other holiness.


First of all, Jesus Hostia, the Man-God comes to teach the soul how to adore this Trinity. He thereupon establishes her in that peace, as stable as it is profound, which enables her to remain under the creative action of Him who fulfills there in ever greater and better measure, the eternal, gratuitous plan of her predestination.


That she may yield herself fully to this action, the soul, filled with the strength of the Host, submerges herself in Jesus Crucified with all the power of her love. She consecrates and vows to Him all that she is and has. She begs to become identified with Him, henceforth to be naught but a radiation of the very perfections of her God. 


The Jesus Hostia draws her toward the contemplation of the Word, His adorable Person. In her docility to hearken to the living Utterance which is Himself, responsive to the impulse of divinizing grace, the soul lives and reposes peacefully under the brightness of the Light of Light, even were it to lead her through the most crucifying trials of the spiritual life.


Carried away to such heights in God, yielding, through the Host, to the transforming influences of the Holy Spirit, she calls upon His aid, beseeching Him to deign to make of her being, as it were, an additional humanity, another Christ, so to speak, renewing in this creature all the mystery of His life, of the states and graces of Jesus.


Thus the soul becomes, through the Host, a daughter of the Heavenly Father. In still greater measure than at baptism, He leans over her, recognizing in her more and more His beloved child; He delivers her over entirely to the power of grace which develops unceasingly within her mystery of divine adoption.


The soul has become God's prey. He does with her whatever His love demands. Jesus Hostia has vanquished her completely. She remains, as it were, buried in Him; therein consists the triumph of the Eucharist. God is all in all to that soul; she feels as if poised on the threshold of that vision which will one day fulfill her likeness to the God who had created her only for Himself. No longer has she any other expectation.


To the Trinity the soul has been lifted up through the Host."


-- Pledge of Glory: Eucharistic Meditations based on the Prayer of Sister Elizabeth of the Trinity by Dom Eugene Vandeur

Let us accomplish in our soul the interior emptiness that allows Him to communicate eternal life

“The holy time of Advent is going to begin. It is the most suitable time for interior souls, for those souls who constantly and through all things live hidden with Christ in God in the depths of themselves. During the waiting [period] of the great mystery, I like to meditate on that beautiful psalm 18 that we frequently pray during Matins and, above all, these verses: In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes forth like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and like a strong man runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens […] and there is nothing hid from its heat.

Let us accomplish in our soul that interior emptiness that allows Him to cast Himself over it and communicate to it His own eternal life. The Father has given Him for this end every power as the Gospel tells us. So… let us listen to Him in the silence of prayer. He is the Beginning that speaks within us. He tells us Himself: He who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from Him.

Let us ask Him to make us sincere in our love, that is, to make us sacrificed souls because sacrifice is love put into action. He loved me and gave Himself for me.

This thought enthuses me; ‘The life of the priest and [that of] the Carmelite is an Advent the prepares the Incarnation in souls.’

The prophet David sings in a psalm: Fire goes before the Lord. That fire, is it not love? And our mission, does it not consist also in preparing the ways of the Lord uniting ourselves with Him who, according to the Apostle, is consuming Fire? At its touch, our soul will be transformed in a flame of love that diffuses itself through all the members of the body of Christ that is the Church. In this way, we will console the Heart of our divine Master {Teacher}, who presenting us to His Father will be able to say: I am glorified in them.”

-- Elisabeth de la Trinité: Œuvres complètes translated by ocdister

I'm never alone in that little inner sanctuary of my soul

"At the heart of Elizabeth's teaching is the need for stillness and silence, a silence of listening and openness to the still, small voice of the Spirit within. In an age of ever-increasing noise and activity, her teaching shines like a beacon of sanity and carries a message of hope. It is the message of God's love, of his presence in our lives, and of his invitation to intimacy. Most important of all, Elizabeth speaks out of her own experience, out of the lived reality of her own life. A young woman rich in human qualities, vibrant with the sensitivity of an artist and the courage of a soldier, she speaks words of wisdom and of common sense.

Once Elizabeth discovered, at the age of ten, that her name meant House of God, she was determined to make that house a home, where she would live as attentively as possible to the presence within. This presence became her joy. Though she lived only twenty-six years, it was enough for her to live with total intensity, both as a lay contemplative and as a Carmelite nun, the mystery of God's life that she shared through baptismo an age searching for meaning and identity, she tells of her own search and her own discovery: her thirst for the deeper reality within and the joy of finding, and surrendering to, love:  love is something infinite, she once wrote, and you can always go farther in infinity! (L 192).

Prophet of the presence of God, Elizabeth invites us to accept this gift of God and open our hearts to the reality within:

• He is always there, although you don't feel it; He is waiting for you and wants to establish a 'wonderful communion' with you. (L 249)
• Love ... dwells within us; and my only exercise is to enter within once again, to lose myself in Those who are there! (L 179)
• I am asking God to give you a taste, too, of the sweetness of His Love and His presence: that is that transforms, what illumines life, it is the secret of happiness! (L 174)
• In that little inner sanctuary [of my soul], ...I find Him at every hour of the day and night. I'm never alone: my Christ is always there praying in me, and I pray with Him. (L 123)"

-- Let Yourself be Loved: Elizabeth of the Trinity by Eugene McCaffrey, ocd

Memorial of Bl Elisabeth of the Trinity

Elisabeth Catez was born on July 18, 1880, in the military barracks at Camp D’Avor, Bourges, France, to Captain Joseph Catez and Madame Marie Rolland. From an early age she was passionate and of strong temperament. In 1883 her sister Marguerite (“Guite”) was born. Her father passed away in 1887, leaving the two young girls orphaned. Madame Catez then took great care of her daughters.

On April 19, 1891, Elisabeth made her first Communion at St Michael’s Parish Church in Dijon, exclaiming afterwards: “I am not hungry, Jesus has fed me…” Elisabeth began taking music lessons at the Conservatory of Dijon at age 8, and, by the time she was 13, she had won the first prize for piano. She also enjoyed going on vacation with family and friends to the country, the ocean, and loved music and dances. Still, the voice of her Beloved kept calling her to Carmel. She asked her mother permission to enter but Madame Catez refused, telling Elisabeth she must wait until age 21. She offered this sacrifice to God until the day came when she could realize the desires of her heart.

Elisabeth entered the Carmel in Dijon on August 2, 1901, and received the religious name Elisabeth of the Trinity. She made her profession in 1903. On November 9, 1906, she passed away, having suffered from Addison’s disease (incurable at the time). Her last words were: “I am going to Light, to Love, to Life!” Beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1984, she discovers to us the centrality of the Word of God, baptismal grace, and the participation in the intimate life of God Trinity.

-o-

“It does us much good to look into the soul of saints and then to follow them through faith right up to Heaven; there, they are all luminous with the light of God, whom they contemplate face to face for all eternity!… The Heaven of the saints is our homeland. It is the Father’s House where we are awaited, where we are loved, where one day we, too will be able to fly and rest in the bosom of Infinite Love!

When we consider the divine world that envelops us already here in our exile and in which we can move, oh, then things here below disappear; all of that doesn’t exist, it is less than nothing. The saints, for their part, understood true knowledge so well, the knowledge that makes us leave everything, and especially ourselves, so we can fly to God and live solely with Him!”

-- Elizabeth of the Trinity – Complete Works Volume II: Letters from Carmel

Bl Elisabeth of the Trinity, pray for us!

** I had originally posted Elisabeth's biography in 2 installments in May. This post contains both parts with a slight modification.

Technically, we do not observe the memorial of Bl Elisabeth this year, as it falls on a Sunday. But I love her dearly so today's post is about / from her.

Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

Today we celebreate the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. This devotion has been practised since at least the middle of the 14th century and commemorates the following sorrowful events in the life of Our Lady and Christ:

1. The prophecy of Simeon (Lk 2:34-35);

2. The Flight into Egypt (Mt 2:13-21);

3. The Loss of Jesus for Three Days (Lk 2:41-50);

4. The Ascent to Calvary (Jn 19:17);

5. The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus (Jn 19:18-30);

6. Jesus Taken Down from the Cross (Jn 19:39-40);

7. Jesus Laid in the Tomb (Jn 19:39-42).

******

"In the first rank is the Virgin Mary, full of grace, the Mother of the Savior. She, accepting the announcement from on high, the Servant of the Lord, Spouse of the Spirit and Mother of the Eternal Son, manifests her joy before her cousin Elizabeth who celebrates her faith: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior...henceforth all generations will call me blessed." She has grasped, better than all other creatures, that God accomplishes wonderful things: His name is holy, He shows His mercy, He raises up the humble, He is faithful to His promises. Not that the apparent course of her life in any way departs from the ordinary, but she meditates on the least signs of God, pondering them in her heart. Not that she is in any way spared sufferings: she stands, the mother of sorrows, at the foot of the cross, associated in an eminent way with the sacrifice of the innocent Servant. But she is also open in an unlimited degree to the joy of the resurrection; and she is also taken up, body and soul, into the glory of heaven. The first of the redeemed, immaculate from the moment of her conception, the incomparable dwelling-place of the Spirit, the pure abode of the Redeemer of mankind, she is at the same time the beloved Daughter of God and, in Christ, the Mother of all. She is the perfect model of the Church both on earth and in glory. What a marvelous echo the prophetic words about the new Jerusalem find in her wonderful existence as the Virgin of Israel: "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garment of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels."(48) With Christ, she sums up in herself all joys; she lives the perfect joy promised to the Church: Mater plena sanctae laetitiae. And it is with good reason that her children on earth, turning to her who is the mother of hope and of grace, invoke her as the cause of their joy: Causa nostrae laetitiae."

-- Gaudete in Domino by Pope Paul VI

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"[On] the feast of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows, I thought it was a little like your own feast, my dear little Mama, so I prayed for you with fervor! You did feel that, didn't you? I placed your soul in that of Our Lady of Sorrows and asked her to console you. At the back of the cloister we have a statue of the Mater Dolorosa, to whom I have a great devotion. Every night I go to speak to her of you; tonight I said my little word to her before coming up to write you. I love those tears of the Virgin so much, I unite them to those my poor Mama sheds when thinking of her Elisabeth. Oh, you see, if you could read my soul, if you saw all the happiness I enjoy in Carmel, happiness so profound that I understand better each day, happiness that God alone knows! Ah! what a beautiful part He has given to His poor little one! If for one instant you could see all that, oh! my little Mama, you would have to rejoice. Since I had to have your 'fiat' to enter this corner of Heaven, thank you again for having pronounced it so courageously. If you knew how God loves you! and how your daughter cherishes you more than ever!"

-- I Have Found God: Complete Works [of] Elizabeth of the Trinity, vol 2

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"Truly, O blessed Mother, a sword has pierced your heart. For only by passing through your heart could the sword enter the flesh of your Son. Indeed, after your Jesus - who belongs to everyone, but is especially yours - gave up his life, the cruel spear, which was not withheld from his lifeless body, tore open his side. Clearly it did not touch his soul and could not harm him, but it did pierce your heart. For surely his soul was no longer there, but yours could not be torn away. Thus the violence of sorrow has cut through your heart, and we rightly call you more than martyr, since the effect of compassion in you has gone beyond the endurance of physical suffering.

Or were those words, Woman, behold your Son, not more than a word to you, truly piercing your heart, cutting through to the division between soul and spirit? What an exchange! John is given to you in place of Jesus, the servant in place of the Lord, the disciple in place of the master; the son of Zebedee replaces the Son of God, a mere man replaces God himself. How could these words not pierce your most loving heart, when the mere remembrance of them breaks ours, hearts of iron and stone though they are!

Do not be surprised, brothers, that Mary is said to be a martyr in spirit. Let him be surprised who does not remember the words of Paul, that one of the greatest crimes of the Gentiles was that they were without love. That was far from the heart of Mary; let it be far from her servants.

Perhaps someone will say: “Had she not known before that he would not die?” Undoubtedly. “Did she not expect him to rise again at once?” Surely. “And still she grieved over her crucified Son?” Intensely. Who are you and what is the source of your wisdom that you are more surprised at the compassion of Mary than at the passion of Mary’s Son? For if he could die in body, could she not die with him in spirit? He died in body through a love greater than anyone had known. She died in spirit through a love unlike any other since his."

-- From a sermon by St Bernard of Clairvaux

Books by/about Bl Elisabeth of the Trinity

A few days ago, one of the readers asked about what books were available by or about Bl Elisabeth of the Trinity. Personal note: I usually spell her name in French (with an "s") to distinguish her from other Elizabeths such as St Elizabeth Ann Seton, St Elizabeth of Hungary, etc.

There are a number of books available in English, some of them are unfortunately out of print in the USA. This list doesn't include books where Bl Elisabeth is a "secondary" theme, such as general books of saints, etc. There's only one book I'm not familiar with listed here, the new biography with excerpts by Sr Marian Teresa. I've included it since, from what I gathered online, it seems like a good book. In case you're wondering, I'm a hopeless, incorrigible bookworm.

The underlined titles are what I personally consider the best of the best. If you have never read anything about Bl Elisabeth and would like to get started, I suggest you begin with Reminiscences (in the biography section) or volume 2 of the collected works (her letters).

If you read other languages, particularly French and Spanish, I'm able to provide even more titles, including some treasures that have not been translated into English (yet?). If there're any questions or comments, feel free to post a comment or e-mail me.

Enjoy your reading!

Works

Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity : Major Spiritual Writings (Volume 1)

Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity: Letters (Volume 2)

Biography

Praise of Glory : Reminiscences of Sister Elizabeth of the Trinity, a Carmelite Nun of Dijon, 1901-1906 (1914)

Let Yourself be Loved Eugene McCaffrey

Elizabeth Still Speaks: Words of Blessed Elizabeth of The Trinity as related by witnesses in the process of her beatification

Your Presence is my Joy: Life and Message of Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity by Conrad de Meester

He Is My Heaven : The Life of Elizabeth of the Trinity by Jennifer Moorcroft

Elizabeth of the Trinity : Always Believe in Love, Selected Spiritual Writings by Marian Teresa Murphy, O.C.D. **

*NEW* I haven't read this one yet.

Spirituality

Spiritual Doctrine of Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity : Apostolic Contemplative by Luigi Borriello

The Spiritual Doctrine of Elizabeth of the Trinity by M M Philipon

Sister Elizabeth of the Trinity. A Carmelite Nun of Dijon 1901-1906. An Introduction to her Life and Spirituality by Larkin Thomas

Two Sisters in Spirit : Therese of Lisieux and Elizabeth of the Trinity by Hans Urs Von Balthasar

**very good book**

Other

Light Love Life : A Look at a Face and a Heart by Conrad De Meester

**picture book with excerpts from her writings*

Learning to Pray: According to Sister Elizabeth of the Trinity by Jean Lafrance

Pledge of Glory: Eucharistic Meditations based on the Prayer of Sister Elizabeth of the Trinity by Dom Eugene Vandeur

Depend on Him alone

"...in the light of eternity God makes me understand many things, and I come to tell you as if it were coming from Him not to be afraid of sacrifice, of struggle, bur rather to rejoice in it. If your nature is a subject of combat, a battlefield, oh, do not be discouraged, do not become sad. I would gladly say to you: love your misery, for that is where God exercises His mercy, and when the sight of it throws you into sadness that makes you withdraw into yourself, that is self-love! When you find yourself faltering, go take refuge in the prayer of your Master; yes, little sister, on His Cross He saw you and prayed for you, and that prayer is eternally living and present before His Father; that prayer will save you from your miseries. The more you feel your weakness, the more your confidence must grow, for you must depend on Him alone."

-- Bl Elisabeth of the Trinity, ocd

Realize that your soul is the temple of God

"Separated from everything, I am asking the Holy Spirit to show you this presence of God within you that I spoke to you about. I have looked over some books for you that discuss this, but I would rather see you again before I give them to you. You can believe my doctrine, for it is not mine; if you read the Gospel of John, you will see over and over again that the Master insists on this commandment: ' Remain in me, and I in you.' and also that beautiful thought at the beginning of my letter, in which He speaks of making His home in us. Saint John, in his epistles, wants us to have 'fellowship' with the Holy Trinity; that word is so sweet, and it is so simple. It is enough - Saint Paul said this - it is enough to believe: God is spirit, and we approach Him through faith. Realize that your soul is the temple of God, it is again Saint Paul who says this; at every moment of the day and night the three Divine Persons are living within you. You do not possess the Sacred Humanity as you do when you receive Communion; but the Divinity, that essence the blessed adore in Heaven, is in your soul; there is a wholly adorable intimacy when you realize that; you are never alone again! If you'd prefer to think that God is close to you rather than within you, follow your attraction, as long as you live with Him."

-- Bl Elizabeth of the Trinity, ocd

The Holy Spirit - bond of love of the Holy Trinity

"O Holy Spirit, God of love, bond of love of the Blessed Trinity, You remain with the children of men and find Your delight in them, in that holy chastity which under the influence of Your power and attraction, flourished on earth like the rose among thorns. Holy Spirit! Love! Show me the way that leads to this delightful goal, that path of life that ends in the field made fertile by the divine dew, where hearts burning with thirst may find refreshment. O Love, you alone know this road which leads to life and truth. In You is consummated the wonderful union of the three divine Persons of the Holy Trinity. The most precious gifts are diffused in us by You, O Holy Spirit. From you come the fertile seeds which produce the fruits of life."

-- St Gertrude the Great

Novena to Elisabeth of the Trinity

O blessed Elisabeth !  In your great love of God,  You were always so close to your friend's needs. Now, in Heaven,  Face to face with the Lord, Do intervene near Him  for the needs we recommend to you. 

mention here

Teach us how to abide, in Love and Faith,  with the Holy Trinity in the utmost of our heart. Teach us how to radiate God's Love amongst men, in our everyday life just as you did yourself,  so that we may be a praise of God's glory.

 
Now pray slowly the Lords prayer, then say three times : Glory be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit...

Carmel

Elisabeth entered the Carmel in Dijon on August 2, 1901, and received the religious name Elisabeth of the Trinity. She made her profession in 1903. She died on November 9, 1906, after suffering from of Addison’s disease (incurable at the time). Her last words were: “I am going to Light, to Love, to Life!” Beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1984, she discovers to us the centrality of the Word of God, baptismal grace, and the participation in the intimate life of God Trinity.

The Carmelite vocation

Elisabeth beautifully expressed the Call to Carmel in this following prayer:

The Carmelite is a given soul, one immolated for the glory of God. With her Christ she is crucified; but how luminous is her calvary! While gazing on the divine Victim, a light blazed forth in her soul and, understanding her sublime mission, her wounded heart exclaimed: “Here I am!”

“The Carmelite is an adoring soul, wholly surrendered to the action of God, intently communicating through all things, her heart uplifted and her eyes full of heaven! She has found the One Thing Necessary, The divine Being, Light and Love. Enfolding the world in her prayer, she is an apostle of truth.”

 

 

Introduction to Bl Elisabeth of the Trinity

Elisabeth Catez was born on July 18, 1880, in the military barracks at Camp D’Avor, Bourges, France, to Captain Joseph Catez and Madame Marie Rolland. From an early age she was passionate and of strong temperament. In 1883 her sister Marguerite (“Guite”) was born. Her father passed away in 1887, leaving the two young girls orphaned. Madame Catez then took great care of her daughters. 

On April 19, 1891, Elisabeth made her first Communion at St Michael’s Parish Church in Dijon, exclaiming afterwards: “I am not hungry, Jesus has fed me…” Elisabeth began taking music lessons at the Conservatory of Dijon at age 8, and, by the time she was 13, she had won the first prize for piano. She also enjoyed going on vacation with family and friends to the country, the ocean, and loved music and dances. Still, the voice of her Beloved kept calling her to Carmel. She asked her mother permission to enter but Madame Catez refused, telling Elisabeth she must wait until age 21. She offered this sacrifice to God until the day came when she could realize the desires of her heart...