Crossed The Tiber

An Evangelical Converts to Catholicism

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Location: Pennsylvania, United States

I was born into the Catholic faith. At 14, I was "born again" and found Jesus personally but lost His Church. After thirty years as an evangelical protestant, I have come full circle to find that He has been there all the time, in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I wish others to find the beauty and truth of the Catholic faith as I have found.

Sunday, February 07, 2010

Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity

I am reading a book called The Catholic Passion by David Scott. It is a great book that highlights the beauty of our faith illustrating Catholic teaching through vignettes and stories of saints and sinners. Last night, I read about Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity, a contemporary of St. Therese of Lisieux. She lived for five years in a Carmelite monastery in France eventually dying of untreated Addison's disease. She had an intense love and devotion to the Trinity and wrote much about the indwelling presence of God. For me, to have even just a small measure of her love for God would be a great blessing. Here's her Prayer to the Trinity:



O my God, Trinity whom I adore, help me to become utterly forgetful of myself so that I may establish myself in you, as changeless and calm as though my soul were already in eternity. Let nothing disturb my peace nor draw me forth f from you, O my unchanging God, but at every moment may I penetrate more deeply into the depths of your mystery. Give peace to my soul; make it your heaven, your cherished dwelling-place and the place of your repose. Let me never leave you there alone, but keep me there, wholly attentive, wholly alert in my faith, wholly adoring and fully given up to your creative action.

O my beloved Christ, crucified for love, I long to be the bride of your heart. I long to cover you with glory, to love you even unto death! Yet I sense my powerlessness and beg you to clothe me with yourself. Identify my soul with all the movements of your soul, submerge me, overwhelm me, substitute yourself for me, so that my life may become a reflection of your life. Come into me as Adorer, as Redeemer and as Saviour.

O Eternal Word, utterance of my God, I want to spend my life listening to you, to become totally teachable so that I might learn all from you. Through all darkness, all emptiness, all powerlessness, I want to keep my eyes fixed on you and to remain under your great light. O my Beloved Star, so fascinate me that I may never be able to leave your radiance.

O Consuming Fire, Spirit of Love, overshadow me so that the Word may be, as it were incarnate again in my soul. May I be for him a new humanity in which he can renew all his mystery.

And you, O Father, bend down towards your poor little creature. Cover her with your shadow, see in her only your beloved son in who you are well pleased

O my `Three', my All, my Beatitude, infinite Solitude, Immensity in which I lose myself, I surrender myself to you as your prey. Immerse yourself in me so that I may be immersed in you until I go to contemplate in your light the abyss of your splendour!

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1 Comments:

Blogger Joyful Catholic said...

TJ, you do have a small fraction of that kind of love. It radiates from your blog, it really does! I also know your love is at least much like hers for all you do and have done for the needy in Haiti. God bless you. Sounds like another "must read." :)

February 10, 2010 7:07 AM  

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