The Revelations of St. Gertrude the Great COMPILED BY THE RELIGIOUS OF HER MONASTERY CATHOLIC TREASURES, NOVEMBER 1980 The perfect resignation of St. Gertrude into the hands of God in all adversities and what merit she acquired thereby. On the Feast of the Apostle St. Matthew, our Lord having prevented her by the sweetness of His frequent benedictions, she offered the chalice in thanksgiving at the Elevation. Having reflected that her oblation would be of little value if she did not willingly offer to bear all kinds of suffering for the love of Christ, she rose, in the fervour of her zeal, from the bosom of her Spouse, in which was all her delight and threw herself on the ground as a vile carcass, exclaiming: "I offer myself to Thee, O Lord, to endure all that may promote Thy glory." Then the Lord hastened quickly to her and placed Himself on the ground beside her, as if to support her, saying: "This is Mine." "Yes," exclaimed the Saint, turning towards God, and animated with fresh courage; "I belong to Thee, I am the work of Thy hands." "It is true," replied our Lord, "but this grace is singularly yours, that I am so closely united to thee by love that I would not willingly enjoy beatitude without thee." Being amazed at the exceeding condescension of these words, she exclaimed: "Why dost Thou speak thus to me, O Lord, since Thou hast such an infinite number of friends in Heaven and on earth with whom Thou couldst share Thy happiness, even had I never been created?" Our Lord replied: "He who has always wanted a limb does not feel the same privation as one who loses it in advance years. In like manner, I have so placed My love in thee, that I could not bear that we should be separated from each other." The co-operation of the faithful soul at the Holy Sacrifice. Five favours on which the Saint desired to meditate, when unable toassist at it. On the Feast of St. Maurice, as the celebrant pronounced the secret words of consecration, St. Gertrude said to our Lord: "Lord, the mystery which Thou dost now operate is so tremendous and so great, that I scarcely dare to breathe or speak. It is enough for me to hide myself in the deepest valley of humility which I can find, expecting my share in the salvation which Thou dost there impart to Thine elect." Our Lord replied: "When a mother wishes to do some work with pearls and precious stones, she sometimes places her child in an elevated place to hold her thread or her pearls or to do her some other service. So I have placed you in an eminent position to dispose of the merits of this Mass. If you elevate your will even to desire willingly to suffer all kinds of labour and pain in order that this sacrifice, which is so salutary for all Christians, whether living or dead, may be fully accomplished in all its excellence, you will then have contributed, according to the extent of your ability, to the accomplishment of My work."   Once, when the Saint was confined to bed, and unable to assist at Mass, at which she had hoped to have communicated, she said to God with a troubled spirit: "To what must I attribute my hindrance from assisting today at the Holy Mysteries, if not to Thy Divine Providence, my Beloved? And how shall I prepare myself to receive the Communion of Thy adorable Body and Blood, since my intention at Mass always seemed to me my best preparation?" "Since you attribute the cause to Me," replied our Lord, "to console you, I will make you hear the songs of joy with which Heaven resounds when I espouse a soul.   "Hear, then, from Me, that my Blood is your redemption. Meditate on those three and thirty years during which I laboured for you in exile, and sought only to ally Myself with you. Let this serve for the first part of Mass.   "Hear me telling you how I have dowered you with the riches of My Spirit and that even as I endured so much bodily labour during the three and thirty years in which I sought you, so also My soul feels an ineffable joy at the union and spiritual marriage which we have contracted. Let this be your consolation during the second part of Mass. "Listen, then, to Me, while I tell you how you are replenished with My Divinity, which has the power to make you taste the purest delights and the most ravishing sweetness inwardly, whilst exteriorly you are suffering the severest pain. This will serve for the third part of Mass. "Hear further, how you are sanctified by My love. Know that you have nothing of yourself and that all which renders you agreeable to Me comes from Me. Occupy yourself with these thoughts during the fourth part of Mass. "Lastly, hear that you have been united to Me in the sublimest manner. Know that as 'all power has been given to Me in Heaven and on earth,' I cannot be hindered from exalting you, as a king exalts his queen to his throne and consequently renders her an object of respect. Rejoice, then, in reflecting on these things and do not complain again that you have been deprived of hearing Mass."   With what confidence we should have recourse to God in all our needs and temptations. As Gertrude prepared herself for Holy Communion of the Feast of the Holy Innocents, she found herself distracted by a crowd of importunate thoughts. Having implored the Divine assistance, our Lord, in His exceeding mercy, spoke thus to her: "If any one, when encompassed by temptation, throws himself on My protection with a firm hope, he is of the number of those of whom I can say: 'One is My dove, chosen amongst a thousand. He has pierced My Divine Heart with one glance of His eye.' If I thought I could not assist him, My heart would be so desolate that even all the joys of Heaven could not alleviate my grief, because he is a part of My Body and is united to My Divinity. I am ever the advocate of My elect, full of compassion for their every need." "Lord," replied St. Gertrude, "how is it that Thy immaculate Body, in which Thou never hadst any contradiction, enables Thee to compassionate our many weaknesses?" He replied: "You may easily convince yourself of this. Has not My Apostle said: 'It behoved Him in all things to be make like unto His brethren, that He might be able to succour them also that are tempted'?" (Heb. ii. 17, 18.) He added: "This eye of My beloved, which pierces My heart, is the confidence which she ought to have in Me, that I know, that I am able and that I am willing to assist her faithfully in all her miseries. This confidence has such power over My goodness, that it is not possible for Me to abandon her." "But, Lord," replied the Saint," since confidence is so great a gift that none can have it unless Thou dost bestow it, what merit have those who are deprived of it?" He replied: "Each can at least overcome his diffidence, in some degree, by the testimony of Scripture and say, if not with his whole heart, at least with his lips: 'If I should be cast into Hell, Thou, O Lord, wilt deliver me.' And again, 'Although He should kill me, I will trust Him.'" E-MAIL HOME-------------------------------SAINT GERTRUDE www.catholictradition.org/Gertrude/revelations4.htm