Friday, January 6 : Saint Gertrude of Helfta

[On the feast of the Epiphany], moved (…) by the example of the blessed Magi, Gertrude rose up in the fervor of her spirit and prostrated herself with very humble devotion at the most holy feet of the Lord Jesus, worshiping in the name of all that is in the heaven, on earth and in the underworld (cf. Phil 2:10). And, failing to find a gift she might worthily offer him, she began to traverse the whole world in her anxious desire, seeking amongst every creature whether she could find one worthy of being offered to her only love. Running like this, hot and breathing heavily in the thirst of her ardent fervor, she found despicable things that any creature would have wisely rejected, unworthy of being offered to the praise and glory of the Savior. But she, eagerly seizing hold of them, tried hard to restore them to Him whom all created things should uniquely serve. Thus she drew into her heart, thanks to her fervent desire, all the pain, fear, grief and anguish that a creature might ever have borne, not for the glory of the Creator but through its own fault and weakness. And she offered them to the Lord like a precious myrrh. Secondly, she drew to herself all the feigned holiness and affected devotion of the hypocrites, Pharisees, heretics and those like them. And she offered it to God in the same way like a very sweet incense. Thirdly, she tried hard to draw into her heart all the feelings of human tenderness and unnatural, impure love of all creatures. And she offered it to the Lord as though it were precious gold. All these things, then, were gathered together in her heart. But the loving desire, like a blazing fire, with which she tried hard to make a complete homage to her beloved from them, cleansed them of all rust just as gold is purified in the furnace, and they appeared like a noble and wonderful gift for the Lord. The desire to please him in every way, as witnessed by these offerings, brought unsurpassable delights to the Lord, as though he had been treated with presents that were extraordinarily rare.

Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team

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