| ELIZABETH OF THE TRINITY Feast Day Novena - 2007 |
|---|
| Please choose a day |
|---|
references to the Spiritual Canticle in
Sister Elizabeth's 'Last Retreat'
please view on Internet Explorer
† In the Name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening Prayer
O Blessed Elizabeth, what more beautiful thought is there than, '"Abide in Me"? It is the meaning of the Eucharist. Intercede for me that I may be obedient to the Master's command,'"Abide in Me": not for a few moments,a few passing hours, but abide permanently, habitually; - abide in Me, pray in Me, adore in Me, love in Me, suffer in Me, work in Me, act in Me.' Then shall I be as a vine branch which yields abundant fruit, for I shall live on in Him and He in me. Truly, I shall be none, while He is ALL.
Reflection
“Come, then, thou soul, most beautiful of all the creatures, that so greatly desirest to know the place where thy Beloved is, in order to seek Him and be united with Him; now thou art told that thou thyself art the lodging wherein He dwells, and the closet and hiding place wherein He is hidden. ....Behold says the Spouse, the kingdom of God is within you. And His servant the apostle St. Paul says: Ye are the temple of God.” [St.1 §7, Peers II.197]
This quote is taken from the ‘Commentary’ on Stanza 1 of the Spiritual Canticle, and it appeared verbatim in one of Sr Elizabeth’s letters to a young friend [L136]. It is given here by way of introduction to Sr Elizabeth’s references to the Canticle in her ‘Last Retreat’. An introduction necessary, to illustrate the intended plan for these Novenas, with an example. Spiritually, there may be a vast gulf between St. John of the Cross, Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity, and ourselves; nevertheless we follow in their footsteps: we learn from them; as we make our way to the same Heavenly Jerusalem.
Sr Elizabeth was using this particular quotation to allay the fears of her young correspondent, who was not allowed to receive the Eucharist as often as she wished. Jesus would, nevertheless, be there in faith in the Heaven of her soul. We remember Elizabeth’s joy when Fr Vallee explained Divine Indwelling to her. Now she was passing on that joy to another: an example of her love of ‘sharing’.
In Stanza 1 of the Spiritual Canticle, the soul (the bride) was spiritually in the ‘purgative way’. Like Sr Elizabeth, she was experiencing a ‘dark night’. God had awakened her soul to Love: ‘wounded her’ with His Love; and then had ‘hidden’ Himself: as a trial of her love. Could there be a worse desolation? In the quotation, St John tells us that God is still in our soul and that He will not abandon us – if we do not abandon Him, when the ‘going seems to be hard’. ‘My grace is sufficient for thee.’ (2 Cor. 12:9)
For St John of the Cross, for Sr Elizabeth, no doubt for many; the theme in Stanza 1 reflects a lived experience.
Final thought: God ‘gave us’ the Saints, for example, our holy Mother and Father, that aided by their works and the grace of the Holy Spirit, our souls might become beautiful with His Beauty, pure with His Purity, and holy with His Holiness. Read (Ch.3, v.1-4) of the Song of Songs - it is said that the whole of the Spiritual Canticle blossomed from those few lines.
Petition
Blessed Elizabeth, with each passing day help me by the example of your life on earth: to live the Rule more closely; to master and renounce self, more and more, that Christ may increase and be exalted. Let me lovingly discover joy of soul in all that sacrifices, destroys and abases self, that I may give place to our divine Master in my on-going Formation. I promise you, O Blessed Elizabeth, to be ever mindful of your loving assistance. Please intercede with the Master for the favours which I petition in this Novena: if it be His Holy Will;
(mention the petitions)
and if not, then ask Him to grant me those graces I stand most in need of.
pray: Our Father, Hail Mary (thrice), Glory Be
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Prayer
Blessed Elizabeth, the evening of your life in Carmel was the epitome of a Praise of Glory. Laudem Gloriae please ask our Divine Master for that special grace: to enable me to understand and internalize more fully your spiritual doctrine;and to live that doctrine prayerfully day by day. May I imitate a soul which contemplated God in faith and in simplicity; reflecting all that He is and acting as a fathomless abyss into which He could flow and expand.
Almighty, everlasting God, by whose leave I pay homage to the merits
of Your saint Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity, I pray that through her intercession; You
will bestow upon me, the fullness of Your mercy for which I long, and that I may abide in
the Love of Christ. I ask this prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
† In the Name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In addition to praying the Novena, you may also like to pray for Sabeth's Canonization - a
thought, a short heart-felt prayer, or a Holy Mass offering - anything like that offered to
Jesus will 'wound' His Sacred Heart with 'arrows' of love.
Abbreviations
Opening Prayer
Petition
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Prayer
| ASC | "Ascent of Mount Carmel" |
| CW1 | "Elizabeth of the Trinity - Complete Works, Vol I" |
| DN | "Dark Night of the Soul" |
| GV | "The Greatness of our Vocation" in CW1 |
| HA | "Histoire d'une Ame" |
| HF | Elizabeth's "Heaven in Faith" |
| HMH | "He is my heaven", Jennifer Moorcroft |
| IofC | "Imitation of Christ", Thomas a Kempis |
| KKR | "Collected Works of J.of C." - trans Kieran Kavanaugh & Otilio Rodriguez |
| L | Elizabeth's letter in "Complete Works, Vol II" |
| LFL | "Living Flame of Love" |
| LR | Elizabeth's "Last Retreat" |
| MPA | "Spiritual Doctrine of Sr Elizabeth of the Trinity", M.M.Philipon |
| Muto | "Deep into the Thicket", Susan Muto |
| N | Fr DeMeester's notes appended to Elizabeth's letters. |
| Peers | "The Works of J.of C. Vol II" - trans Peers |
| Ru | "Mirror of Eternal Blessedness", J. Ruusbroek |
| SC | Spiritual Canticle |
| SLL | "Sayings of Light and Love" in KKR |
| SmTh | "Summa Theologica" |
| SS | "Story of a Soul", trans J. Clark, OCD |
| St | stanza |
| Th | Thanksgiving (Day 10) |
| Ven | "The Spiritual Canticle", J. Venard, OCD |
† In the Name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening Prayer
O Blessed Elizabeth, what more beautiful thought is there than, '"Abide in Me"? It is the meaning of the Eucharist. Intercede for me that I may be obedient to the Master's command,'"Abide in Me": not for a few moments,a few passing hours, but abide permanently, habitually; - abide in Me, pray in Me, adore in Me, love in Me, suffer in Me, work in Me, act in Me.' Then shall I be as a vine branch which yields abundant fruit, for I shall live on in Him and He in me. Truly, I shall be none, while He is ALL.
Reflection
“It seems to me (adoration) can be defined as the ecstasy of love. It is love overcome by the beauty, the strength, the immense grandeur of the Object loved, and it "falls down in a kind of faint" in an utterly profound silence”. (LR§21)
This quote is taken from Sr Elizabeth’s ‘Last Retreat’; and the underlined words are from the ‘Commentary’ on Stanza 11 of the Spiritual Canticle.
In this part of her Last Retreat Sr Elizabeth had been thinking about the blessed in Heaven and how she might imitate their unceasing occupation in the Heaven of her soul. (LR§20) This was essential to Sr Elizabeth’s Spiritual Doctrine of the Divine Indwelling.
She had already given her understanding of the words “fall down”. The soul should descend from its lofty heights of arrogance, to become as nothing, and should plunge deeply into the abyss of its nothingness. In ‘Heaven in Faith’, Sr Elizabeth had drawn attention to St Paul’s words “I pursue my Course – I must descend daily. (Ph.3:12) Only when we really are ‘as nothing’, only when we have descended to the very depths of our abyss are we fit to meet, and we do meet the Abyss of Mercy – the Immensity of the All of God (HF§4) And yet, that descent is only possible ‘in Christ, with Christ, and through Christ’.
Sr Elizabeth had then explained the words “a kind of faint” – i.e., an apparent ‘loss of consciousness’. The person may not even respond to sensual stimulation. They are in another world – the spiritual world - with God, in the silence of their souls. They really are “alone with the Alone” [LR§23]
Ruusbroek (selections of whose works were familiar to Sr Elizabeth) refers to the Queen of Saba having fainted when she witnessed the riches, majesty and wisdom of Solomon. (3 Kg.10:4,5) He compares this to the riches of Christ available to us in the Blessed Sacrament. [Ru 209]; suggesting that ‘we faint away in a transport of amazement at the Lord’s table’.
In the spiritual Canticle, the soul (the bride) was still in the Purgative Way, in a dark night with her Beloved hiding from her, as He often hides from us. She was suffering and in desperation cried out, ‘Reveal your Presence’. To give some relief from her suffering, God gave her a sense of His spiritual presence. This Presence was so ‘real’ as to cause the soul in the Canticle an insatiable desire and longing for the courts of her Beloved and she fainted. St John of the Cross notes the similarity with David in the Psalm, ‘My soul longs and faints for the courts of the Lord’.(Ps.83:3)
This is very familiar to us as we experience this Presence at the consecration in Holy Mass, when the Blessed Sacrament is exposed, and when we approach the table of the Lord. However, there is an important yet subtle difference: we suffer our dark night ‘in faith’ knowing that we have God within us here and now; whereas the soul in the Canticle believed that death was the only way to possess her Beloved.
Our Holy Mother wrote of this spiritual awareness – seeing Jesus by her side, with the eyes of her soul, when she was at prayer. (Life, Ch27:2) God gives the soul this sense of presence, this inner strength, as a support: ‘My grace is sufficient for thee’.(2 Cor.12:9) as we strive for Spiritual Perfection guided by the Holy Spirit. In a letter to a Carmelite Novice just prior to the retreats of August 1906, , Sr Elizabeth had quoted Ps138:10: ‘Thy Right hand shall hold me, to lead us to the holy mountain of Carmel.’; to express her sense of this Presence.
In His great Love for us, then, Jesus reveals an ineffable feeling of His Presence to accompany the outward signs manifest in the Host. Yet as the soul in the Canticle knew, and we must know, a ‘feeling’ is not ‘Jesus’. Susan Muto warns against being misled by attachment to feelings, when our soul is seeking her Beloved Himself. (Muto51)
Final thought: Adoration, was described by Lacordaire, “as the last effort of the soul which overflows with love and can ‘say’ no more”. Sr Elizabeth’s description is given above. What is our description of adoration?
Petition
Blessed Elizabeth, with each passing day help me by the example of your life on earth: to live the Rule more closely; to master and renounce self, more and more, that Christ may increase and be exalted. Let me lovingly discover joy of soul in all that sacrifices, destroys and abases self, that I may give place to our divine Master in my on-going Formation. I promise you, O Blessed Elizabeth, to be ever mindful of your loving assistance. Please intercede with the Master for the favours which I petition in this Novena: if it be His Holy Will;
(mention the petitions)
and if not, then ask Him to grant me those graces I stand most in need of.
pray: Our Father, Hail Mary (thrice), Glory Be
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Prayer
Blessed Elizabeth, the evening of your life in Carmel was the epitome of a Praise of Glory. Laudem Gloriae please ask our Divine Master for that special grace: to enable me to understand and internalize more fully your spiritual doctrine;and to live that doctrine prayerfully day by day. May I imitate a soul which contemplated God in faith and in simplicity; reflecting all that He is and acting as a fathomless abyss into which He could flow and expand.
Almighty, everlasting God, by whose leave I pay homage to the merits
of Your saint Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity, I pray that through her intercession; You
will bestow upon me, the fullness of Your mercy for which I long, and that I may abide in
the Love of Christ. I ask this prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us who have recourse to
thee.
† In the Name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In addition to praying the Novena, you may also like to pray for Sabeth's Canonization - a
thought, a short heart-felt prayer, or a Holy Mass offering - anything like that offered to
Jesus will 'wound' His Sacred Heart with 'arrows' of love.
Abbreviations
Opening Prayer
Petition
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Prayer
| ASC | "Ascent of Mount Carmel" |
| CW1 | "Elizabeth of the Trinity - Complete Works, Vol I" |
| DN | "Dark Night of the Soul" |
| GV | "The Greatness of our Vocation" in CW1 |
| HA | "Histoire d'une Ame" |
| HF | Elizabeth's "Heaven in Faith" |
| HMH | "He is my heaven", Jennifer Moorcroft |
| IofC | "Imitation of Christ", Thomas a Kempis |
| KKR | "Collected Works of J.of C." - trans Kieran Kavanaugh & Otilio Rodriguez |
| L | Elizabeth's letter in "Complete Works, Vol II" |
| LFL | "Living Flame of Love" |
| LR | Elizabeth's "Last Retreat" |
| MPA | "Spiritual Doctrine of Sr Elizabeth of the Trinity", M.M.Philipon |
| Muto | "Deep into the Thicket", Susan Muto |
| N | Fr DeMeester's notes appended to Elizabeth's letters. |
| Peers | "The Works of J.of C. Vol II" - trans Peers |
| Ru | "Mirror of Eternal Blessedness", J. Ruusbroek |
| SC | Spiritual Canticle |
| SLL | "Sayings of Light and Love" in KKR |
| SmTh | "Summa Theologica" |
| SS | "Story of a Soul", trans J. Clark, OCD |
| St | stanza |
| Th | Thanksgiving (Day 10) |
| Ven | "The Spiritual Canticle", J. Venard, OCD |
† In the Name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening Prayer
O Blessed Elizabeth, what more beautiful thought is there than, '"Abide in Me"? It is the meaning of the Eucharist. Intercede for me that I may be obedient to the Master's command,'"Abide in Me": not for a few moments,a few passing hours, but abide permanently, habitually; - abide in Me, pray in Me, adore in Me, love in Me, suffer in Me, work in Me, act in Me.' Then shall I be as a vine branch which yields abundant fruit, for I shall live on in Him and He in me. Truly, I shall be none, while He is ALL.
Reflection
"If I want my interior city to have some similarity and likeness to that "of the King of eternal ages" and to receive this great illumination from God, I must extinguish every other light and, as in the holy city, the Lamb must be "its only light." (LR§9)
This quote is taken from Sr Elizabeth’s ‘Last Retreat’; and the underlined words are from the ‘Commentary’ on Stanza 18 of the Spiritual Canticle. Sr Elizabeth was thinking about how her soul was a copy: albeit faint; of the Heavenly Jerusalem – “those realms of peace, light and Love” [L101].
Sr Elizabeth’s ‘interior city’ was none other than the ‘ heaven in faith’ of her soul; and her spirituality would have been quite meaningless if her ‘interior city’ had been unlike the ‘city in the skies’ – the ‘Heaven Jerusalem’. With her impending death, she wrote often of the blessed in Heaven: “sing(ing) the beautiful canticle of the Lamb, the eternal Sanctus, beneath the radiant light of God’s Face”.[L331]; “Come, my praise of glory, you have sung enough here on earth, now chant your canticle in My eternal courts, beneath the rays of light streaming from My Face.” [L306]
The only light in Heaven is the ‘Lamb of God’ and, as Sr Elizabeth wrote in the quotation, the Lamb must be the only light in her soul. She must be unceasingly recollected in God, there must be nothing in her soul that was not of God. This implied that, “ living in continual contact with God, (she saw) everything in His light, the only true one.”[L315]. We echo this as the deacon sings, “Christ our Light” in the liturgy of Holy Saturday.
Sr Elizabeth’s quotation is linked to Stanza 18 of the Spiritual Canticle, and its commentary (18:7) Although the soul (the bride) was now in the illuminative way, she was not sufficiently advanced spiritually, as not to suffer the distractions arising from the body. She could not remove these distractions; so she ‘told them’ not to distract the comparative quietude and good she enjoyed in the higher spiritual part of her soul. [SC18:8,KKR548] This was all very well in theory, but in practice the constant vigilance disturbed her peace of mind.
These ‘distractions’ are identified with the ‘other lights’, which must be extinguished, in the quotation from Sr Elizabeth’s ‘Last Retreat’. As Sr Elisabeth was more advanced spiritually than the bride in the Canticle: being in the unitive way; she was able to write definitively that the lights must be ‘extinguished – a sense of being removed, once and for all; whereas the bride was unable to do this. Similarly, extra lights will go on in
our souls, which severely distract our peace of mind, and which appear impossible to extinguish.
Even so, we, like the bride of the Canticle, and Sr Elizabeth, learn to perceive value of these ‘extra lights’: to accept and to use them as God wills. We have received the gift of faith, but perhaps this has not been unwrapped fully, for it to become a vibrant living faith and for its light to develop our spiritual discernment.
Final thought: Whatever distractions disturb our peace of mind, recall words from ‘The Imitation’ – familiar to Sr Elizabeth in her Manual: “Be pure and free at heart; don’t let yourself get wrapped up in anything created. You must strip yourself bare and bring God a pure heart if you wish to see how sweet the Lord is.” [IofC,II,8,5]
Petition
Blessed Elizabeth, with each passing day help me by the example of your life on earth: to live the Rule more closely; to master and renounce self, more and more, that Christ may increase and be exalted. Let me lovingly discover joy of soul in all that sacrifices, destroys and abases self, that I may give place to our divine Master in my on-going Formation. I promise you, O Blessed Elizabeth, to be ever mindful of your loving assistance. Please intercede with the Master for the favours which I petition in this Novena: if it be His Holy Will;
(mention the petitions)
and if not, then ask Him to grant me those graces I stand most in need of.
pray: Our Father, Hail Mary (thrice), Glory Be
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Prayer
Blessed Elizabeth, the evening of your life in Carmel was the epitome of a Praise of Glory. Laudem Gloriae please ask our Divine Master for that special grace: to enable me to understand and internalize more fully your spiritual doctrine;and to live that doctrine prayerfully day by day. May I imitate a soul which contemplated God in faith and in simplicity; reflecting all that He is and acting as a fathomless abyss into which He could flow and expand.
Almighty, everlasting God, by whose leave I pay homage to the merits
of Your saint Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity, I pray that through her intercession; You
will bestow upon me, the fullness of Your mercy for which I long, and that I may abide in
the Love of Christ. I ask this prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us who have recourse to
thee.
† In the Name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In addition to praying the Novena, you may also like to pray for Sabeth's Canonization - a
thought, a short heart-felt prayer, or a Holy Mass offering - anything like that offered to
Jesus will 'wound' His Sacred Heart with 'arrows' of love.
Abbreviations
Opening Prayer
Petition
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Prayer
| ASC | "Ascent of Mount Carmel" |
| CW1 | "Elizabeth of the Trinity - Complete Works, Vol I" |
| DN | "Dark Night of the Soul" |
| GV | "The Greatness of our Vocation" in CW1 |
| HA | "Histoire d'une Ame" |
| HF | Elizabeth's "Heaven in Faith" |
| HMH | "He is my heaven", Jennifer Moorcroft |
| IofC | "Imitation of Christ", Thomas a Kempis |
| KKR | "Collected Works of J.of C." - trans Kieran Kavanaugh & Otilio Rodriguez |
| L | Elizabeth's letter in "Complete Works, Vol II" |
| LFL | "Living Flame of Love" |
| LR | Elizabeth's "Last Retreat" |
| MPA | "Spiritual Doctrine of Sr Elizabeth of the Trinity", M.M.Philipon |
| Muto | "Deep into the Thicket", Susan Muto |
| N | Fr DeMeester's notes appended to Elizabeth's letters. |
| Peers | "The Works of J.of C. Vol II" - trans Peers |
| Ru | "Mirror of Eternal Blessedness", J. Ruusbroek |
| SC | Spiritual Canticle |
| SLL | "Sayings of Light and Love" in KKR |
| SmTh | "Summa Theologica" |
| SS | "Story of a Soul", trans J. Clark, OCD |
| St | stanza |
| Th | Thanksgiving (Day 10) |
| Ven | "The Spiritual Canticle", J. Venard, OCD |
† In the Name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening Prayer
O Blessed Elizabeth, what more beautiful thought is there than, '"Abide in Me"? It is the meaning of the Eucharist. Intercede for me that I may be obedient to the Master's command,'"Abide in Me": not for a few moments,a few passing hours, but abide permanently, habitually; - abide in Me, pray in Me, adore in Me, love in Me, suffer in Me, work in Me, act in Me.' Then shall I be as a vine branch which yields abundant fruit, for I shall live on in Him and He in me. Truly, I shall be none, while He is ALL.
Reflection
“This Mother of Grace will form my soul so that her little child will be a living, “striking” image of her first born, the Son of the Eternal.” (LR§2)
“It is the whole Trinity who dwells in the soul that loves them in truth, that is, by keeping their word! And when this soul has realized its riches, all the natural or supernatural joys that can come to it from creatures or from God Himself are only an invitation to re-enter into itself in order to enjoy the substantial Good that it possesses, which is nothing else than God Himself. And thus it has, St. John of the Cross says, a certain resemblance to the divine Being.” (LR§28)
The quotes are taken from Sr Elizabeth’s ‘Last Retreat’; and the underlined words are from the ‘Commentary’ on Stanza 12 of the Spiritual Canticle. Sr Elizabeth was writing about seeking the Beloved in faith, and in love: an on-going quest for, ‘if you seek Him, you have already found Him’. In the Spiritual Canticle, however, the Beloved was leading His bride towards the end of the purgative way, and she had at last received the gift of faith.
For Sr Elizabeth, ‘seeking’ implied cooperating with the Holy Spirit in re-aligning, or removing, from her soul all that was not of God, so that it could become an image of her Beloved. Having faith, does not remove the suffering; but it gives it a purpose: “the divine Artist is using a chisel to make His work more beautiful, (so) remain at peace beneath the hand that is working on you.”[L249] He does not work alone on forming/ transforming the soul – Our Blessed Mother participates in His work, as His Mother also, that we might ‘realize the riches’ and joys [LR§28] and our soul become a ‘living, striking’ image – “that certain (beautiful) resemblance” - of her divine Son. Faced with such largess, we echo Sr Elizabeth, in her Prayer to the Trinity, “Never let me leave Thee there alone, but keep me there, all absorbed in Thee, in living faith...”- faith enlivened by love – that love present to Love.
The bride in the Spiritual Canticle was overawed by the notion of Faith, and St John of the Cross presents a deep insight into his mystical understanding of faith – the spring of faith - in his Commentary [SC12:4-6]. It is a virtue infused into our soul at Baptism – he likened it to receiving the present of a vase. The outside is silver plated, and we take care to keep it clean – this outside corresponds to the articles of faith. What we may not realise, is that hidden beneath the plating is a vase of pure gold - the inside corresponds to the divine Truths: Truth itself – God. In the Stanza, the bride addressed faith asking it to reveal the hidden Truths – in effect to reveal the gold beneath the silver. Sr Elizabeth in her pursuance of her Spiritual Doctrine copied the bride by actively, ”seeking her Bridegroom” in the Heaven of her soul, and not
simply in outward forms of prayer etc. A practice insisted on by both our Holy Mother and Father; and which we must copy.
Faith as ‘face-to-face in darkness [L165N7], will be no more when the darkness goes and we see the face of God. In this life, God gives us that ‘darkness’ that we might have an active faith: a faith enlivened by love. A faith such that every joy, every sorrow, is offered to God for His glory, and the soul knows the riches written about by Sr Elizabeth [LF§28].
Final thought: Consonant with the above, ponder Sr Elizabeth’s words in ‘Heaven in Faith’.
“The image of God imprinted in the soul is formed by reason, memory, and will. As long as these faculties do not bear the perfect image of God, they do not resemble Him as on the day of creation. The form of the soul is God who must imprint Himself there like the seal on wax, like the stamp on its object.” (HF§25)
Petition
Blessed Elizabeth, with each passing day help me by the example of your life on earth: to live the Rule more closely; to master and renounce self, more and more, that Christ may increase and be exalted. Let me lovingly discover joy of soul in all that sacrifices, destroys and abases self, that I may give place to our divine Master in my on-going Formation. I promise you, O Blessed Elizabeth, to be ever mindful of your loving assistance. Please intercede with the Master for the favours which I petition in this Novena: if it be His Holy Will;
(mention the petitions)
and if not, then ask Him to grant me those graces I stand most in need of.
pray: Our Father, Hail Mary (thrice), Glory Be
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Prayer
Blessed Elizabeth, the evening of your life in Carmel was the epitome of a Praise of Glory. Laudem Gloriae please ask our Divine Master for that special grace: to enable me to understand and internalize more fully your spiritual doctrine;and to live that doctrine prayerfully day by day. May I imitate a soul which contemplated God in faith and in simplicity; reflecting all that He is and acting as a fathomless abyss into which He could flow and expand.
Almighty, everlasting God, by whose leave I pay homage to the merits
of Your saint Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity, I pray that through her intercession; You
will bestow upon me, the fullness of Your mercy for which I long, and that I may abide in
the Love of Christ. I ask this prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us who have recourse to
thee.
† In the Name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In addition to praying the Novena, you may also like to pray for Sabeth's Canonization - a
thought, a short heart-felt prayer, or a Holy Mass offering - anything like that offered to
Jesus will 'wound' His Sacred Heart with 'arrows' of love.
Abbreviations
Opening Prayer
“It is the whole Trinity who dwells in the soul that loves them in truth, that is, by keeping their word! And when this soul has realized its riches, all the natural or supernatural joys that can come to it from creatures or from God Himself are only an invitation to re-enter into itself in order to enjoy the substantial Good that it possesses, which is nothing else than God Himself. And thus it has, St. John of the Cross says, a certain resemblance to the divine Being.” (LR§28)
Petition
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Prayer
| ASC | "Ascent of Mount Carmel" |
| CW1 | "Elizabeth of the Trinity - Complete Works, Vol I" |
| DN | "Dark Night of the Soul" |
| GV | "The Greatness of our Vocation" in CW1 |
| HA | "Histoire d'une Ame" |
| HF | Elizabeth's "Heaven in Faith" |
| HMH | "He is my heaven", Jennifer Moorcroft |
| IofC | "Imitation of Christ", Thomas a Kempis |
| KKR | "Collected Works of J.of C." - trans Kieran Kavanaugh & Otilio Rodriguez |
| L | Elizabeth's letter in "Complete Works, Vol II" |
| LFL | "Living Flame of Love" |
| LR | Elizabeth's "Last Retreat" |
| MPA | "Spiritual Doctrine of Sr Elizabeth of the Trinity", M.M.Philipon |
| Muto | "Deep into the Thicket", Susan Muto |
| N | Fr DeMeester's notes appended to Elizabeth's letters. |
| Peers | "The Works of J.of C. Vol II" - trans Peers |
| Ru | "Mirror of Eternal Blessedness", J. Ruusbroek |
| SC | Spiritual Canticle |
| SLL | "Sayings of Light and Love" in KKR |
| SmTh | "Summa Theologica" |
| SS | "Story of a Soul", trans J. Clark, OCD |
| St | stanza |
| Th | Thanksgiving (Day 10) |
| Ven | "The Spiritual Canticle", J. Venard, OCD |
† In the Name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening Prayer
O Blessed Elizabeth, what more beautiful thought is there than, '"Abide in Me"? It is the meaning of the Eucharist. Intercede for me that I may be obedient to the Master's command,'"Abide in Me": not for a few moments,a few passing hours, but abide permanently, habitually; - abide in Me, pray in Me, adore in Me, love in Me, suffer in Me, work in Me, act in Me.' Then shall I be as a vine branch which yields abundant fruit, for I shall live on in Him and He in me. Truly, I shall be none, while He is ALL.
Reflection
"There (in the soul that tells His glory) He has pitched a tent for the sun." (Ps.18:6) The sun is the Word, the "Bridegroom." If He finds my soul empty of all that is not contained in these two words - His love, His glory, then He chooses it to be "His bridal chamber"; He "rushes" in "like a giant racing triumphantly on his course" and I cannot "escape His heat." He is this "consuming fire" which will effect the blessed transformation of which St. John of the Cross speaks when he says: "Each seems to be the other and the two are but one":" a "praise of glory" of the Father! ” (LR§19)
The quote is taken from Sr Elizabeth’s ‘Last Retreat’; and the underlined words are from the ‘Commentary’ on Stanza 12 of the Spiritual Canticle. Sr Elizabeth was writing about seeking the Beloved in faith, and in love: an on-going quest for, ‘if you seek Him, you have already found Him’. In the Spiritual Canticle, however, the Beloved was leading His bride towards the end of the purgative way, and she had at last received the gift of faith.
In the opening lines, Sr Elizabeth made use of the psalmist’s powerful picture of the sun. At opposite points of the horizon are 2 tents; from one the sun comes forth in the morning, and it reaches the other at evening. In its glory the sun is likened to a bridegroom, and in its race across the vault of heaven to an athlete. Not a sound is heard as heat and light reach the farthest corners of the earth: an example of God’s attentive power and providence.
Sr Therese of Lisieux and Sr Elizabeth both likened the sun to the Bridegroom – “the Sun of Love”.[HA212,SS198;L184]; and the heat to that associated with a ‘consuming fire’ burning up all that is not of God in a ‘Furnace of Love [HA214,SS200;L269]: Sr Elizabeth wrote, “Perhaps I will go soon to be lost in the Furnace of Love; whether in Heaven or on earth, we must live in Love to glorify Love.” [L269].
Sr Elizabeth was surely echoing St John of the Cross’ “Prayer of a soul taken in Love”[KKR87,SLL26,27]. The ‘consuming fire’ had burnt up all the dross and her Beloved had adorned her soul with Spiritual Marriage. Her soul was not just a living, striking, image of Love: for God is Love; it was Love. Sr Elizabeth appears to copy St John of the Cross, but with a rich ‘holy daring’, he attached a deeper meaning to that adornment. "Each seems to be the other and the two are but one" [SC12:7;KKR518]. If the soul is Love, then it has been transformed into God by Love – it has become God by participation (el alma esta hecha Dios de Dios por participacion - LFL 3:8), but not in essence (aunque no esencialmente – Asc. 17:9). It is a wonderful thought that, “God is free from all, save His Love”. [Mgsr Gay – quoted in L199]
Final thought: We seek to remove from our souls all that is not ‘of God’; that in our ‘nothingness’ we might know the Love of God more fully ‘ici-bas’. Yet, perversely as Lacordaire noted, 'nothingness' actually prevents the overflow of Love, because the last vestiges of 'self' are deceptively hidden under the cloak of 'being nothing'.
Petition
Blessed Elizabeth, with each passing day help me by the example of your life on earth: to live the Rule more closely; to master and renounce self, more and more, that Christ may increase and be exalted. Let me lovingly discover joy of soul in all that sacrifices, destroys and abases self, that I may give place to our divine Master in my on-going Formation. I promise you, O Blessed Elizabeth, to be ever mindful of your loving assistance. Please intercede with the Master for the favours which I petition in this Novena: if it be His Holy Will;
(mention the petitions)
and if not, then ask Him to grant me those graces I stand most in need of.
pray: Our Father, Hail Mary (thrice), Glory Be
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Prayer
Blessed Elizabeth, the evening of your life in Carmel was the epitome of a Praise of Glory. Laudem Gloriae please ask our Divine Master for that special grace: to enable me to understand and internalize more fully your spiritual doctrine;and to live that doctrine prayerfully day by day. May I imitate a soul which contemplated God in faith and in simplicity; reflecting all that He is and acting as a fathomless abyss into which He could flow and expand.
Almighty, everlasting God, by whose leave I pay homage to the merits
of Your saint Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity, I pray that through her intercession; You
will bestow upon me, the fullness of Your mercy for which I long, and that I may abide in
the Love of Christ. I ask this prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us who have recourse to
thee.
† In the Name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In addition to praying the Novena, you may also like to pray for Sabeth's Canonization - a
thought, a short heart-felt prayer, or a Holy Mass offering - anything like that offered to
Jesus will 'wound' His Sacred Heart with 'arrows' of love.
Abbreviations
Opening Prayer
Petition
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Prayer
| ASC | "Ascent of Mount Carmel" |
| CW1 | "Elizabeth of the Trinity - Complete Works, Vol I" |
| DN | "Dark Night of the Soul" |
| GV | "The Greatness of our Vocation" in CW1 |
| HA | "Histoire d'une Ame" |
| HF | Elizabeth's "Heaven in Faith" |
| HMH | "He is my heaven", Jennifer Moorcroft |
| IofC | "Imitation of Christ", Thomas a Kempis |
| KKR | "Collected Works of J.of C." - trans Kieran Kavanaugh & Otilio Rodriguez |
| L | Elizabeth's letter in "Complete Works, Vol II" |
| LFL | "Living Flame of Love" |
| LR | Elizabeth's "Last Retreat" |
| MPA | "Spiritual Doctrine of Sr Elizabeth of the Trinity", M.M.Philipon |
| Muto | "Deep into the Thicket", Susan Muto |
| N | Fr DeMeester's notes appended to Elizabeth's letters. |
| Peers | "The Works of J.of C. Vol II" - trans Peers |
| Ru | "Mirror of Eternal Blessedness", J. Ruusbroek |
| SC | Spiritual Canticle |
| SLL | "Sayings of Light and Love" in KKR |
| SmTh | "Summa Theologica" |
| SS | "Story of a Soul", trans J. Clark, OCD |
| St | stanza |
| Th | Thanksgiving (Day 10) |
| Ven | "The Spiritual Canticle", J. Venard, OCD |
† In the Name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening Prayer
O Blessed Elizabeth, what more beautiful thought is there than, '"Abide in Me"? It is the meaning of the Eucharist. Intercede for me that I may be obedient to the Master's command,'"Abide in Me": not for a few moments,a few passing hours, but abide permanently, habitually; - abide in Me, pray in Me, adore in Me, love in Me, suffer in Me, work in Me, act in Me.' Then shall I be as a vine branch which yields abundant fruit, for I shall live on in Him and He in me. Truly, I shall be none, while He is ALL.
Reflection
“So that nothing may draw me out of this beautiful silence within, I must always maintain the same dispositions, the same solitude, the same withdrawal, the same stripping of self! If my desires, my fears, my joys or my sorrows, if all the movements proceeding from these "four passions" are not perfectly directed to God, I will not be solitary: there will be noise within me. There must be peace, "sleep of the powers," the unity of being.” (LR§26)
The quote is taken from Sr Elizabeth’s ‘Last Retreat’; and the underlined words are from the ‘Commentary’ on Stanza 20 of the Spiritual Canticle. Sr Elizabeth was writing about an advanced stage of the illuminative way and union; because she referred to the passions being ‘perfectly directed to God’, which is not possible in this life unless God intervenes directly. In the Spiritual Canticle, the “passions” are referred to as ‘creatures’. These cause distractions (noted in ‘Day 3’) which disturb the peace of the soul. As the bride was on the threshold of the unitive way, the Bridegroom told these creatures to keep silent that His bride-to-be could sleep; or as noted with Sr Elizabeth, could be at peace.
Sr Elizabeth noted that the passions – “joy, sadness, hope, and fear”[SmTh.II.I.25.4;26] must be focused on God, for the Lamb had to be the only Light in the simplicity, in the silence, of the heaven in faith of her soul. To maintain the focus required never ending vigilance in this life. In her Prayer to the Trinity she wrote “May nothing disturb my peace or draw me out of Thee, O my immutable Lord”.[MPA53] Then, “My dwelling place (will be) at peace”.[ DNBkI.Ch14 PeersI.p394; KKR392.]; a peace, “that surpasseth all understanding (keeping my) heart and mind in Christ Jesus (Ph.4:7).
If the powers (faculties) of the soul: memory, understanding, will, (our holy Mother includes ‘imagination); are subsumed in Love – giving that unity of being - then there will be but ‘one Light’. There will be peace, “God (will) invade all the powers of your soul”.[L124]; so that it becomes “pure with His Purity”[L269]. These conditions obtain as the soul descends the abyss of Love seeking the ‘Immensity of the All’ in its ‘nothingness’ [HF§4]; this harmony of the faculties can then be thought of as the ‘higher (spiritual) part’ of the soul subsuming the ‘lower (sensual) part. For it would be a tautological impossibility for the abyss of nothingness to meet the abyss of the Immensity of the All, if God was not Lord of the entire soul.
In the Spiritual Canticle both St20 and St21 are considered as a contiguous ‘whole’. The Bridegroom had answered His bride’s request and had placed the lower part of the soul under the control of the higher part: the intellect and will were supreme. It is impossible to comprehend fully the enormity of this transformation; for we are realizing in part the dignity for which man was created in the beginning. In effect, God transforms the soul into Himself, so that its faculties, passions ... are deified and lose any remaining imperfections.
The soul truly does know the ‘peace of God which surpasseth all understanding. The ‘imperfections’ have been ‘lost’; if anything, the ‘perfections’ have been enhanced: even ‘sensitized’. For example, our ‘feelings – sorrow, compassion, ... - are deeper, more sincere; yet the peace of our soul is undisturbed – we have become ‘detached’. Lest we forget “to maintain the same dispositions” [LR§26] of deep recollection, God may occasionally allow the devil to upset us spiritually.
Final thought: At Holy Mass, pay particular attention to the Priest’s prayer which follows the ‘Our Father’.
“Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles: I leave you peace, my peace I give you. Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and grant us the peace and unity of your kingdom where you live for ever and ever.”
Petition
Blessed Elizabeth, with each passing day help me by the example of your life on earth: to live the Rule more closely; to master and renounce self, more and more, that Christ may increase and be exalted. Let me lovingly discover joy of soul in all that sacrifices, destroys and abases self, that I may give place to our divine Master in my on-going Formation. I promise you, O Blessed Elizabeth, to be ever mindful of your loving assistance. Please intercede with the Master for the favours which I petition in this Novena: if it be His Holy Will;
(mention the petitions)
and if not, then ask Him to grant me those graces I stand most in need of.
pray: Our Father, Hail Mary (thrice), Glory Be
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Prayer
Blessed Elizabeth, the evening of your life in Carmel was the epitome of a Praise of Glory. Laudem Gloriae please ask our Divine Master for that special grace: to enable me to understand and internalize more fully your spiritual doctrine;and to live that doctrine prayerfully day by day. May I imitate a soul which contemplated God in faith and in simplicity; reflecting all that He is and acting as a fathomless abyss into which He could flow and expand.
Almighty, everlasting God, by whose leave I pay homage to the merits
of Your saint Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity, I pray that through her intercession; You
will bestow upon me, the fullness of Your mercy for which I long, and that I may abide in
the Love of Christ. I ask this prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us who have recourse to
thee.
† In the Name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In addition to praying the Novena, you may also like to pray for Sabeth's Canonization - a
thought, a short heart-felt prayer, or a Holy Mass offering - anything like that offered to
Jesus will 'wound' His Sacred Heart with 'arrows' of love.
Abbreviations
Opening Prayer
Petition
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Prayer
| ASC | "Ascent of Mount Carmel" |
| CW1 | "Elizabeth of the Trinity - Complete Works, Vol I" |
| DN | "Dark Night of the Soul" |
| GV | "The Greatness of our Vocation" in CW1 |
| HA | "Histoire d'une Ame" |
| HF | Elizabeth's "Heaven in Faith" |
| HMH | "He is my heaven", Jennifer Moorcroft |
| IofC | "Imitation of Christ", Thomas a Kempis |
| KKR | "Collected Works of J.of C." - trans Kieran Kavanaugh & Otilio Rodriguez |
| L | Elizabeth's letter in "Complete Works, Vol II" |
| LFL | "Living Flame of Love" |
| LR | Elizabeth's "Last Retreat" |
| MPA | "Spiritual Doctrine of Sr Elizabeth of the Trinity", M.M.Philipon |
| Muto | "Deep into the Thicket", Susan Muto |
| N | Fr DeMeester's notes appended to Elizabeth's letters. |
| Peers | "The Works of J.of C. Vol II" - trans Peers |
| Ru | "Mirror of Eternal Blessedness", J. Ruusbroek |
| SC | Spiritual Canticle |
| SLL | "Sayings of Light and Love" in KKR |
| SmTh | "Summa Theologica" |
| SS | "Story of a Soul", trans J. Clark, OCD |
| St | stanza |
| Th | Thanksgiving (Day 10) |
| Ven | "The Spiritual Canticle", J. Venard, OCD |
† In the Name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening Prayer
O Blessed Elizabeth, what more beautiful thought is there than, '"Abide in Me"? It is the meaning of the Eucharist. Intercede for me that I may be obedient to the Master's command,'"Abide in Me": not for a few moments,a few passing hours, but abide permanently, habitually; - abide in Me, pray in Me, adore in Me, love in Me, suffer in Me, work in Me, act in Me.' Then shall I be as a vine branch which yields abundant fruit, for I shall live on in Him and He in me. Truly, I shall be none, while He is ALL.
Reflection
"Nescivi."' "I did not know anything any more." This is what the "bride of the Canticles" sings after having been brought into the "inner cellar." It seems to me that this must also be the refrain of a praise of glory on this first day of retreat in which the Master makes her penetrate the depths of the bottomless abyss so that He may teach her to fulfil the work which will be hers for eternity and which she must already perform in time, which is eternity begun and still in progress . "Nescivi"! I do not know anything any more, I do not want to know anything except "to know Him, to share in His sufferings, to become like Him in His death."(LR§1)
The quote is taken from Sr Elizabeth’s ‘Last Retreat’; and the underlined words are from the ‘Commentary’ on Stanza 26 of the Spiritual Canticle. Sr Elizabeth was writing about the unitive way and union: “the depths of the bottomless abyss”. In the Spiritual Canticle, also, the bride was in the unitive way: she “lost the herd" – lost those remaining imperfections. In her quote Sr Elizabeth identified closely with the bride’s words in the actual Stanza.
‘Nescivi’ – I did not know anything. Alternatively, I am become as nothing and as David sang, ‘I am brought to nothing, and I knew not. ... Thou hast led me by my right hand’ (Ps. 72:22,24). The ‘consuming fire’ had burnt the dross; the Lamb was the only Light in the ‘Heaven in faith’ which was Sr Elizabeth’s soul. Hence she could write about “(penetrating) the depths of the bottomless abyss”: the abyss of Love, with the Lamb at its deepest centre [LFL 1:9,10]. In this life, we strive to imitate Sr Elizabeth and penetrate those depths, knowing that only God can take us deeper in Divine Union. Like Sr Elizabeth we ‘Praise His Glory’, overcome by the richness of Love in the depths of the abyss – ‘inebriated by Love’!
As death came inexorably nearer, Sr Elizabeth often reflected on the Divine Eagle taking her on His wings and soaring above the threshold of pain. A pain which she described as ‘wild beasts tearing her entrails out” [HMH173] The pain was still there, but for a while Sr Elizabeth was oblivious to it. This is a beautiful example of the inebriation of Love: of ‘knowing nothing’.
The Spiritual Canticle enables us to appreciate this last phrase. Looking first at Stanza 25, the bride had experienced the touch of a spark – that is the subtle touch of her Beloved which enkindled her heart in the ‘Furnace of Love’. The touch is as from a new friend – “as new wine: which you drink with pleasure only when it has aged”. (cf. Ecclus 9:15) This drinking is in the ‘inner cellar” – ‘la interior bodega’ (Stanza 26). St John of the Cross referred to seven cellars or degrees of love corresponding with the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit [Ven191] – the inner one corresponding with the most intimate degree of love. In this inner cellar the heavenly inebriation takes place and the chosen soul departs intoxicated with the heavenly wine – her Beloved. ‘In the inner cellar’ is synonymous with spiritual marriage – there the bride was more nearly transformed into her Beloved: drinking in the wisdom and knowledge of understanding; the ineffable love of the will; and the delight of the memory. The bride remained as if enraptured, immersed in Love, and having become wholly absorbed in God – completely detached.
In the quote, Sr Elizabeth repeats ‘Nescivi’, writing that, of herself, she knows nothing. Any knowledge which she had, would have been infused by God for His purpose – in conformity with St Paul: knowledge of Him, fellowship in His sufferings, and conformed to his death (cf. Ph.3:10).
Final thought: Life is a journey of love. How often we tell Jesus that we love Him. We shouldn’t, should we !!! We should tell Him that we are ‘falling in Love’ with Him – it takes a lifetime, and we cannot help it if we are true to our God-given nature.
And what happens on the ‘way’? Love equalizes – the lovers become more alike – there is union – it doesn’t have to be the giddy heights of ‘Spiritual Marriage’. Our soul (the bride) becomes more like the Bridegroom. We are ‘transformed’ in Him, ‘conformed’ with Him, and learn to love Him with His own Love. How great is the dignity of man!
Petition
Blessed Elizabeth, with each passing day help me by the example of your life on earth: to live the Rule more closely; to master and renounce self, more and more, that Christ may increase and be exalted. Let me lovingly discover joy of soul in all that sacrifices, destroys and abases self, that I may give place to our divine Master in my on-going Formation. I promise you, O Blessed Elizabeth, to be ever mindful of your loving assistance. Please intercede with the Master for the favours which I petition in this Novena: if it be His Holy Will;
(mention the petitions)
and if not, then ask Him to grant me those graces I stand most in need of.
pray: Our Father, Hail Mary (thrice), Glory Be
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Prayer
Blessed Elizabeth, the evening of your life in Carmel was the epitome of a Praise of Glory. Laudem Gloriae please ask our Divine Master for that special grace: to enable me to understand and internalize more fully your spiritual doctrine;and to live that doctrine prayerfully day by day. May I imitate a soul which contemplated God in faith and in simplicity; reflecting all that He is and acting as a fathomless abyss into which He could flow and expand.
Almighty, everlasting God, by whose leave I pay homage to the merits
of Your saint Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity, I pray that through her intercession; You
will bestow upon me, the fullness of Your mercy for which I long, and that I may abide in
the Love of Christ. I ask this prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us who have recourse to
thee.
† In the Name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In addition to praying the Novena, you may also like to pray for Sabeth's Canonization - a
thought, a short heart-felt prayer, or a Holy Mass offering - anything like that offered to
Jesus will 'wound' His Sacred Heart with 'arrows' of love.
Abbreviations
Opening Prayer
Petition
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Prayer
| ASC | "Ascent of Mount Carmel" |
| CW1 | "Elizabeth of the Trinity - Complete Works, Vol I" |
| DN | "Dark Night of the Soul" |
| GV | "The Greatness of our Vocation" in CW1 |
| HA | "Histoire d'une Ame" |
| HF | Elizabeth's "Heaven in Faith" |
| HMH | "He is my heaven", Jennifer Moorcroft |
| IofC | "Imitation of Christ", Thomas a Kempis |
| KKR | "Collected Works of J.of C." - trans Kieran Kavanaugh & Otilio Rodriguez |
| L | Elizabeth's letter in "Complete Works, Vol II" |
| LFL | "Living Flame of Love" |
| LR | Elizabeth's "Last Retreat" |
| MPA | "Spiritual Doctrine of Sr Elizabeth of the Trinity", M.M.Philipon |
| Muto | "Deep into the Thicket", Susan Muto |
| N | Fr DeMeester's notes appended to Elizabeth's letters. |
| Peers | "The Works of J.of C. Vol II" - trans Peers |
| Ru | "Mirror of Eternal Blessedness", J. Ruusbroek |
| SC | Spiritual Canticle |
| SLL | "Sayings of Light and Love" in KKR |
| SmTh | "Summa Theologica" |
| SS | "Story of a Soul", trans J. Clark, OCD |
| St | stanza |
| Th | Thanksgiving (Day 10) |
| Ven | "The Spiritual Canticle", J. Venard, OCD |
† In the Name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening Prayer
O Blessed Elizabeth, what more beautiful thought is there than, '"Abide in Me"? It is the meaning of the Eucharist. Intercede for me that I may be obedient to the Master's command,'"Abide in Me": not for a few moments,a few passing hours, but abide permanently, habitually; - abide in Me, pray in Me, adore in Me, love in Me, suffer in Me, work in Me, act in Me.' Then shall I be as a vine branch which yields abundant fruit, for I shall live on in Him and He in me. Truly, I shall be none, while He is ALL.
Reflection
"It seems to me, therefore, that to keep one's strength for the Lord is to unify one's whole being by means of interior silence, to collect all one's powers in order to "employ" them in "the one work of love," to have this "single eye" which allows the light of God to enlighten us. A soul that debates with its self, that is taken up with its feelings, and pursues useless thoughts and desires, scatters its forces for it is not wholly directed toward God." (LR§3)
The quote is taken from Sr Elizabeth’s ‘Last Retreat’; and the underlined words are from the ‘Commentary’ on Stanza 28 of the Spiritual Canticle. Sr Elizabeth was deepening her thoughts about the unitive way and union. In the Spiritual Canticle, also, the bride was pursuing a deepening union, “now that (she) practices love and that alone”. In her quote Sr Elizabeth identified closely with the bride’s words in the actual Stanza.
In yesterday’s novena we used the phrase ‘love equalizes’. To experience this in its totality we must swim in a sea of Love; that is in the spiration of Love of the Father for the Son, and the Son for the Father. There can be no ‘compartments’ – for example, our daily Holy Mass, or hour of silent prayer, or divine office, are not separate entities. This is what Sr Elizabeth is telling us in the above quotation: all one’s powers (faculties) must have a single purpose, and can only have that single purpose if the soul is simple and bathed in interior silence; and what is that single purpose but “Love”. One may comment that anything else is not only ‘useless’, but positively harmful to peace.
The sea of Love will engulf those peccadilloes, those worries, those hardships; but only if we open the floodgates. ‘Everyone that hath left ..... for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold and shall possess life everlasting’ (Matt. 19:29) Swimming in that sea, we know ‘interior silence’ of the ‘Presence of God’; for we are perpetually recollected and our prayer is without end. Swimming in that sea, permeated by Love, an alignment takes place – sometimes a re-alignment, but never an annihilation of the ‘God-given’. As Sr Elizabeth noted, the ‘powers (faculties) of the soul’, the ‘feelings’, ‘thoughts’, ‘desires’, etc.; keep the bride focussed on her Beloved Bridegroom. As the bride in the Spiritual Canticle says, “now my exercise is in loving alone”.
The bride in the Canticle was engulfed in Love of her own freewill and to her delight, “Now I occupy my soul and all my energy in His service."[KKR584] The Peer’s translation gives ‘possessions’ in place of ‘energy’. Previously she had ‘guarded the flock’, in other words she had sought her own pleasures and followed her own way of life. The apparent pastoral allusion to ‘shepherds’ reflected popular ‘poetry’ known to St John of the Cross. This portrayed the shepherd normally devoted to the sheep of his flock: prepared to sacrifice himself for them; yet leaving them without another thought, if he fell in love. This was, in fact, the action of the bride, she had eyes for no one but her Bridegroom, and saw everything in Him. Her soul was pure with His purity, beautiful with His beauty, and strong with His strength.
Final thought: Link the foregoing thoughts in prayer with Sr Elizabeth’s words, “Abandonment is what allows us to surrender to God. ... We look at ourselves too much, we want to see and understand, we do not have enough confidence in Him who envelops us in His Charity (i.e., His sea of Love).” [L129]. If our souls are not being continually moulded in Charity, according to His Will, there can be no real 'abandonment'.
Petition
Blessed Elizabeth, with each passing day help me by the example of your life on earth: to live the Rule more closely; to master and renounce self, more and more, that Christ may increase and be exalted. Let me lovingly discover joy of soul in all that sacrifices, destroys and abases self, that I may give place to our divine Master in my on-going Formation. I promise you, O Blessed Elizabeth, to be ever mindful of your loving assistance. Please intercede with the Master for the favours which I petition in this Novena: if it be His Holy Will;
(mention the petitions)
and if not, then ask Him to grant me those graces I stand most in need of.
pray: Our Father, Hail Mary (thrice), Glory Be
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Prayer
Blessed Elizabeth, the evening of your life in Carmel was the epitome of a Praise of Glory. Laudem Gloriae please ask our Divine Master for that special grace: to enable me to understand and internalize more fully your spiritual doctrine;and to live that doctrine prayerfully day by day. May I imitate a soul which contemplated God in faith and in simplicity; reflecting all that He is and acting as a fathomless abyss into which He could flow and expand.
Almighty, everlasting God, by whose leave I pay homage to the merits
of Your saint Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity, I pray that through her intercession; You
will bestow upon me, the fullness of Your mercy for which I long, and that I may abide in
the Love of Christ. I ask this prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us who have recourse to
thee.
† In the Name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In addition to praying the Novena, you may also like to pray for Sabeth's Canonization - a
thought, a short heart-felt prayer, or a Holy Mass offering - anything like that offered to
Jesus will 'wound' His Sacred Heart with 'arrows' of love.
Abbreviations
Opening Prayer
Petition
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Prayer
| ASC | "Ascent of Mount Carmel" |
| CW1 | "Elizabeth of the Trinity - Complete Works, Vol I" |
| DN | "Dark Night of the Soul" |
| GV | "The Greatness of our Vocation" in CW1 |
| HA | "Histoire d'une Ame" |
| HF | Elizabeth's "Heaven in Faith" |
| HMH | "He is my heaven", Jennifer Moorcroft |
| IofC | "Imitation of Christ", Thomas a Kempis |
| KKR | "Collected Works of J.of C." - trans Kieran Kavanaugh & Otilio Rodriguez |
| L | Elizabeth's letter in "Complete Works, Vol II" |
| LFL | "Living Flame of Love" |
| LR | Elizabeth's "Last Retreat" |
| MPA | "Spiritual Doctrine of Sr Elizabeth of the Trinity", M.M.Philipon |
| Muto | "Deep into the Thicket", Susan Muto |
| N | Fr DeMeester's notes appended to Elizabeth's letters. |
| Peers | "The Works of J.of C. Vol II" - trans Peers |
| Ru | "Mirror of Eternal Blessedness", J. Ruusbroek |
| SC | Spiritual Canticle |
| SLL | "Sayings of Light and Love" in KKR |
| SmTh | "Summa Theologica" |
| SS | "Story of a Soul", trans J. Clark, OCD |
| St | stanza |
| Th | Thanksgiving (Day 10) |
| Ven | "The Spiritual Canticle", J. Venard, OCD |
† In the Name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening Prayer
O Blessed Elizabeth, what more beautiful thought is there than, '"Abide in Me"? It is the meaning of the Eucharist. Intercede for me that I may be obedient to the Master's command,'"Abide in Me": not for a few moments,a few passing hours, but abide permanently, habitually; - abide in Me, pray in Me, adore in Me, love in Me, suffer in Me, work in Me, act in Me.' Then shall I be as a vine branch which yields abundant fruit, for I shall live on in Him and He in me. Truly, I shall be none, while He is ALL.
Reflection
"Your light," we can say with Isaiah, "shall rise up in darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday. The Lord will give you rest continually, and will fill your soul with His brightness; He will strengthen your bones, and you shall be like a watered garden, and like a fountain of water whose waters shall not fail.... I will lift you above the high places of the earth...... “ (LR§8)
The quote is taken from Sr Elizabeth’s ‘Last Retreat’; and is unusual in that the words are from Isaiah. Also St John of the Cross includes them in the ‘Introduction’ to Stanza 36 and not in the ‘Commentary’. Sr Elizabeth was continuing to deepen her thoughts about the unitive way and union. In the Spiritual Canticle, also, the bride was pursuing a deepening union.
A core thread in this novena has been how Sr Elizabeth sought to imitate the unceasing occupation of the blessed in Heaven, in the heaven in faith of her soul. The quotation from Isaiah is included in her retreat notes at the end of the third day. She had earlier concluded “that it would give immense joy to the Heart of God” [§8] if we could imitate the occupation of the blessed in Heaven. Philipon entitled her considerations for the day as, “In the Presence of God” [MPA234] and the quotation from Isaiah was an ideal conclusion to those considerations.
God made man in His own image, “that He might see His own perfections and beauty reflected”. Sr Elizabeth asked, “Is not that a kind of extension of His own glory?” Yes it is, and this was lost in the ‘fall’. However, by striving for Christian Perfection and led by the Holy Spirit, the soul can become more-and-more illumined by “ the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of the Christ Jesus” (2 Cor, 4:6), because God sees “His own perfections and beauty reflected” – albeit dimly. The soul is the “Praise of Glory” of all His Gifts – ‘one who has (almost) reached perfection, or is journeying that way by being docile to the Holy Spirit.’. From time-to-time on that journey we lose our way.
This is nothing new: it happened to the people of Israel, as is recorded in the passage from Isaiah. The prophet had denounced the sins of Israel; and the people were fasting by way of atonement, but to no avail. God acknowledged their fast, but told Isaiah that their motives were all-wrong. He desired ‘repentance, justice, and charity’. “Then shalt thou call out and the Lord shall hear; thou shalt cry, and He shall say: Here I am.” (Isaiah 58:9) Then follows the quotation given at the top for ‘one who has (almost) reached perfection’.
It is when we place these words in the mouth of the bride in the Spiritual Canticle, that they become alive. “Let us rejoice, Beloved, and let us go to see ourselves in your beauty...” (St36.1,2) St John of the Cross was enamoured of the ‘beauty’ of God. In his original text, he used the word ‘beauty’ 23 times in as many lines [Ven255] to reflect on the words of the bride, “let us go to see ourselves in Thy beauty”(St36). And why not? Does not the Word tell us, “I am glorified in them”.(Jn 17:10) This is the same as ‘Lord, be Thou my beauty’; yet goes beyond it – for the bride and Bridegroom seeing each other, see each other’s beauty – each other’s purity!
It is with that in mind that Sr Elizabeth concluded that day of her retreat with her ‘Canticle’, “which thrills God to His very depths” [MPA236; CW1p144]. Her soul reflected His splendour, with her faith and love fed by the waters from the fountain of life.(Song of Songs 4:15)
Final thought: The beauty of God is all around us. We see it best in the jewel of creation – man. We see it in the sick, the homeless, the disadvantaged; and “We can thrill God to His very depths” through the practice of the beatitudes. For, “It is love that makes His burden so light and His yoke so sweet.”(cf. Matt.11:30) [L220]
Petition
Blessed Elizabeth, with each passing day help me by the example of your life on earth: to live the Rule more closely; to master and renounce self, more and more, that Christ may increase and be exalted. Let me lovingly discover joy of soul in all that sacrifices, destroys and abases self, that I may give place to our divine Master in my on-going Formation. I promise you, O Blessed Elizabeth, to be ever mindful of your loving assistance. Please intercede with the Master for the favours which I petition in this Novena: if it be His Holy Will;
(mention the petitions)
and if not, then ask Him to grant me those graces I stand most in need of.
pray: Our Father, Hail Mary (thrice), Glory Be
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Prayer
Blessed Elizabeth, the evening of your life in Carmel was the epitome of a Praise of Glory. Laudem Gloriae please ask our Divine Master for that special grace: to enable me to understand and internalize more fully your spiritual doctrine;and to live that doctrine prayerfully day by day. May I imitate a soul which contemplated God in faith and in simplicity; reflecting all that He is and acting as a fathomless abyss into which He could flow and expand.
Almighty, everlasting God, by whose leave I pay homage to the merits
of Your saint Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity, I pray that through her intercession; You
will bestow upon me, the fullness of Your mercy for which I long, and that I may abide in
the Love of Christ. I ask this prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us who have recourse to
thee.
† In the Name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In addition to praying the Novena, you may also like to pray for Sabeth's Canonization - a
thought, a short heart-felt prayer, or a Holy Mass offering - anything like that offered to
Jesus will 'wound' His Sacred Heart with 'arrows' of love.
Abbreviations
Opening Prayer
Petition
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Prayer
| ASC | "Ascent of Mount Carmel" |
| CW1 | "Elizabeth of the Trinity - Complete Works, Vol I" |
| DN | "Dark Night of the Soul" |
| GV | "The Greatness of our Vocation" in CW1 |
| HA | "Histoire d'une Ame" |
| HF | Elizabeth's "Heaven in Faith" |
| HMH | "He is my heaven", Jennifer Moorcroft |
| IofC | "Imitation of Christ", Thomas a Kempis |
| KKR | "Collected Works of J.of C." - trans Kieran Kavanaugh & Otilio Rodriguez |
| L | Elizabeth's letter in "Complete Works, Vol II" |
| LFL | "Living Flame of Love" |
| LR | Elizabeth's "Last Retreat" |
| MPA | "Spiritual Doctrine of Sr Elizabeth of the Trinity", M.M.Philipon |
| Muto | "Deep into the Thicket", Susan Muto |
| N | Fr DeMeester's notes appended to Elizabeth's letters. |
| Peers | "The Works of J.of C. Vol II" - trans Peers |
| Ru | "Mirror of Eternal Blessedness", J. Ruusbroek |
| SC | Spiritual Canticle |
| SLL | "Sayings of Light and Love" in KKR |
| SmTh | "Summa Theologica" |
| SS | "Story of a Soul", trans J. Clark, OCD |
| St | stanza |
| Th | Thanksgiving (Day 10) |
| Ven | "The Spiritual Canticle", J. Venard, OCD |
† In the Name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening Prayer
O Blessed Elizabeth, what more beautiful thought is there than, '"Abide in Me"? It is the meaning of the Eucharist. Intercede for me that I may be obedient to the Master's command,'"Abide in Me": not for a few moments,a few passing hours, but abide permanently, habitually; - abide in Me, pray in Me, adore in Me, love in Me, suffer in Me, work in Me, act in Me.' Then shall I be as a vine branch which yields abundant fruit, for I shall live on in Him and He in me. Truly, I shall be none, while He is ALL.
Reflection
“Nescivi! Yes, she knew nothing but Him” ... for her soul “has entered into the fortress of holy recollection” (LR§4,31,43) ... “her interior abyss” (LR§43) ... having forsaken self, stripped of self (LR§42) ... “stripped, free from all save love ... stripped of all things both in the supernatural order as well as in the natural order (LR§15)... and with “all movements proceeding from the four passions perfectly directed to God.”(LR§26)
These several quotes are taken from Sr Elizabeth’s ‘Last Retreat’; and are, in effect, a summary of aspects of Sr Elizabeth’s spirituality already considered in the novena. Aspects linking to the final Stanza 40 of the Spiritual Canticle in which the bride (the soul) had realised her sought-after ‘perfection’: detachment and peace; in her Bridegroom.
In Stanza 36 (see Day 9) of the Spiritual Canticle, the bride had opened with “Let us rejoice Beloved”; now she revealed the reasons for this rejoicing: her soul was detached, the devil had been routed, the passions and desires were controlled, the parts of her soul were unified (SC40:1); in fact her soul could rest secure. The tortuous path to the summit of ‘Mount Carmel’ had been traversed, and the bride had broken into song at the expectation of the Beatific Vision.
Sr Elizabeth probably would have identified with this rejoicing, early in 1906. She most likely had been adorned with Spiritual Marriage at this time, and as she plumbed the depths of the abyss of Divine Love could have said to her Beloved, “I know nothing but You, Lord, so, may the Divine Eagle take me to its lair.” Perhaps conjecture, but recall her intense disappointment at not ‘remaining with Him’, after her first ‘attack' in April 1906. [L266,L269]
We may also recall that she knew very well what it was “to boil inside” at an ‘occasional slight’ [L123, HMH26] and marvel that this had been overcome: “never act except in the great light of God.”[GV§11] The ‘great light of God’ which illumines the 'impregnable fortress of holy recollection' (SC40:3); that same light which 'strips us naked of self'; and that same light which is ‘darkness beyond compare’ to the devil.
Final thought: As we thank Blessed Elizabeth for the opportunity to make this novena, let us ask her prayers that we, too, might be “stripped of all things both in the supernatural order as well as in the natural order.”: so that,
we might want to want only what God wants us to want.
Petition
Blessed Elizabeth, with each passing day help me by the example of your life on earth: to live the Rule more closely; to master and renounce self, more and more, that Christ may increase and be exalted. Let me lovingly discover joy of soul in all that sacrifices, destroys and abases self, that I may give place to our divine Master in my on-going Formation. I promise you, O Blessed Elizabeth, to be ever mindful of your loving assistance. Please intercede with the Master for the favours which I petition in this Novena: if it be His Holy Will;
(mention the petitions)
and if not, then ask Him to grant me those graces I stand most in need of.
pray: Our Father, Hail Mary (thrice), Glory Be
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Prayer
Blessed Elizabeth, the evening of your life in Carmel was the epitome of a Praise of Glory. Laudem Gloriae please ask our Divine Master for that special grace: to enable me to understand and internalize more fully your spiritual doctrine;and to live that doctrine prayerfully day by day. May I imitate a soul which contemplated God in faith and in simplicity; reflecting all that He is and acting as a fathomless abyss into which He could flow and expand.
Almighty, everlasting God, by whose leave I pay homage to the merits
of Your saint Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity, I pray that through her intercession; You
will bestow upon me, the fullness of Your mercy for which I long, and that I may abide in
the Love of Christ. I ask this prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us who have recourse to
thee.
† In the Name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In addition to praying the Novena, you may also like to pray for Sabeth's Canonization - a
thought, a short heart-felt prayer, or a Holy Mass offering - anything like that offered to
Jesus will 'wound' His Sacred Heart with 'arrows' of love.
Abbreviations
Opening Prayer
Petition
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Blessed Elizabeth, with confidence, I invoke your aid.
Prayer
| ASC | "Ascent of Mount Carmel" |
| CW1 | "Elizabeth of the Trinity - Complete Works, Vol I" |
| DN | "Dark Night of the Soul" |
| GV | "The Greatness of our Vocation" in CW1 |
| HA | "Histoire d'une Ame" |
| HF | Elizabeth's "Heaven in Faith" |
| HMH | "He is my heaven", Jennifer Moorcroft |
| IofC | "Imitation of Christ", Thomas a Kempis |
| KKR | "Collected Works of J.of C." - trans Kieran Kavanaugh & Otilio Rodriguez |
| L | Elizabeth's letter in "Complete Works, Vol II" |
| LFL | "Living Flame of Love" |
| LR | Elizabeth's "Last Retreat" |
| MPA | "Spiritual Doctrine of Sr Elizabeth of the Trinity", M.M.Philipon |
| Muto | "Deep into the Thicket", Susan Muto |
| N | Fr DeMeester's notes appended to Elizabeth's letters. |
| Peers | "The Works of J.of C. Vol II" - trans Peers |
| Ru | "Mirror of Eternal Blessedness", J. Ruusbroek |
| SC | Spiritual Canticle |
| SLL | "Sayings of Light and Love" in KKR |
| SmTh | "Summa Theologica" |
| SS | "Story of a Soul", trans J. Clark, OCD |
| St | stanza |
| Th | Thanksgiving (Day 10) |
| Ven | "The Spiritual Canticle", J. Venard, OCD |