St. John of the Cross Novena, Day 2: Self-giving

Reading

All for me and nothing for you. All for you and nothing for me.

Sayings of Light and Love, 110–111

Scripture 

I believe nothing can happen that will outweigh the supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For him, I have accepted the loss of everything, and I look on everything as so much rubbish if only I can have Christ and be given a place in him. I am no longer trying for perfection by my own efforts, the perfection that comes from the Law, but I want only the perfection that comes through faith in Christ, and is from God and based on faith. All I want is to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and to share his sufferings by reproducing the pattern of his death. That is the way I can hope to take my place in the resurrection of the dead. Not that I have become perfect yet: I have not yet won, but I am still running, trying to capture the prize for which Christ Jesus captured me. I can assure you my brothers, I am far from thinking that I have already won. All I can say is that I forget the past and I strain ahead for what is still to come; I am racing for the finish, for the prize to which God calls us upward to receive in Christ Jesus. We who are called “perfect” must all think in this way. If there is some point on which you see things differently, God will make it clear to you; meanwhile, let us go forward on the road that has brought us to where we are.

Philippians 3:8-16

Meditation

“Nothing for me.” The nada—that absolute, naked, utter nothing—of Saint John of the Cross can seem so stark, even off-putting to a novice reader of the Church’s Mystical Doctor. Nothing for me? How can this be?

In order to unpack these absolutes, it helps to have a reference point. Saint Paul can help us to understand the purpose of striving for such nakedness, such emptiness, the possession of nothing to the point of being nothing.

In the verses preceding our Scripture reading, St. Paul lists all the reasons that he had to boast of his “Hebrew-ness”. He even calls himself a “Hebrew of Hebrews.” That’s a rather bold statement. Yet despite all of his reasons to boast of his Hebrew and Pharisee pedigree, he says that “nothing can happen that will outweigh the supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus.” (Ph 3:8) There’s that absolute qualifier again: nothing.

But Paul doesn’t stop there, he goes further: “For Him, I have accepted the loss of everything, and I look on everything as so much rubbish.” St. Paul is getting out his virtual work gloves, his virtual broom, dustpan, trash bags, and taking inventory of his life as one would assess their home and property with an insurance adjuster after a fire or natural disaster, understanding that all one possessed is a total loss, ready to be hauled away with the garbage.

Ah, but there’s a reason for rejoicing—clearing away the rubbish creates total and absolute room for Christ: “if only I can have Christ and be given a place in Him.”

This contrast of self-emptying to be filled with something greater in St. John of the Cross and St. Paul the Apostle reminds us of the self-emptying in the life of Christ:

Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name (Ph 2:6-9).

And as we look at St. Paul’s words, it is interesting to look further at his all-or-nothing contrasts. We know what he considers to be nothing, a pile of rubbish. With what does he seek to replace it? Let’s search his text for the simple word, all. “All I want is to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and to share his sufferings by reproducing the pattern of his death… All I can say is that I forget the past and I strain ahead for what is still to come” (Ph 3:10,13). Yes, nothing for me leaves all for you. That is, essentially, what St. John of the Cross said, in the stark all-and-nothing contrast of his saying, todo para ti y nada para mí.

If the nada of St. John of the Cross and the rubbish-heap imagery of St. Paul still leave us wondering how to attain such noble, holy aspirations, it is St. Paul’s great disciple, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity who can show us the way. In her retreat Heaven in Faith (First Day, second prayer) she writes:

We must not, so to speak, stop at the surface, but enter ever deeper into the divine Being through recollection. “I am still running,” exclaimed St. Paul (Ph 3:12); so must we descend daily this pathway of the Abyss which is God; let us slide down this slope in wholly loving trust. “Deep calls to deep” (Ps 42:8). It is there in the very depths that the divine impact takes place, where the abyss of our nothingness encounters the Abyss of mercy, the immensity of the all of God. There we will find the strength to die to ourselves and, losing all vestige of self, we will be changed into love…. “Blessed are those who die in the Lord” (Rev 14:13)!

Prayer

O St. John of the Cross
You were endowed by our Lord with the spirit of self-denial
and a love of the cross.
Obtain for us the grace to follow your example
that we may come to the eternal vision of the glory of God.

O Saint of Christ’s redeeming cross
the road of life is dark and long.
Teach us always to be resigned to God’s holy will
in all the circumstances of our lives
and grant us the special favor
which we now ask of you.

Mention your request

Above all, obtain for us the grace of final perseverance,
a holy and happy death and everlasting life with you
and all the saints in heaven.
Amen.

Let’s continue in prayer

Day 1 — Self-trust
Day 2 — Self-giving
Day 3 — Cleansing
Day 4 — Walking in love
Day 5 — Trust
Day 6 — Prayer
Day 7 — Humility
Day 8 — Eternal Silence
Day 9 — Silent love

Orléans, France

The novena prayer was composed from approved sources by Professor Michael Ogunu, a member of the Discalced Carmelite Secular Order in Nigeria.

Elizabeth of the Trinity, S 2014, I Have Found God, The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity Volume 1: Major spiritual writings, translated from the French by Kane, A, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

All scripture references in this novena are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.

Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Joseph.

Let us unite in prayer

#abyss #all #deep #elizabethCatez #heavenInFaith #icsPublications #johnOfTheCross #love #nada #nothing #nothingness #novena #pharisee #recollection #rubbish #sabeth #sanJuanDeLaCruz #stElizabethOfTheTrinity #stJohnOfTheCross #stPaul #stTherese #stThereseOfLisieux #stThereseOfTheChildJesus #todo #transformation

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 1:3–8

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us.

St. Elizabeth Speaks: Heaven in Faith, no. 32

This is the measure of the holiness of the children of God: “to be holy as God, to be holy with the holiness of God” [cf. 1 Jn 3:3]; and we do this by living close to Him in the depths of the bottomless abyss “within.” “Then the soul seems in some way to resemble God Who, even though He delights in all things, yet does not delight in them as much as He does in Himself, for He possesses Himself a supereminent good before which all others disappear. Thus all the joys which the soul receives are so many reminders inviting her to enjoy by preference the good she already possesses and to which nothing else can compare” [St. John of the Cross, Spiritual Canticle, 21:12]. “Our Father who art in Heaven…” [Mt 6:9]. It is in “this little heaven” that He has made in the center of our soul that we must seek Him and above all where we must remain [St. Teresa of Avila, Way of Perfection, 28:5; Spiritual Canticle, 1:6].

Reflection: To Be Holy

We are called to a holiness that mirrors God’s own—a holiness born from remaining close to Him, “in the center of our soul.” St. Elizabeth urges us to seek God within, to rest in that “little heaven” where He dwells in us. What might it mean to practice His presence within us, cherishing it above all else? God invites us to a life of deep communion, where we find a joy that nothing else can match. Today, let’s embrace our call to be holy, grounded in His love.

Novena Prayer

O Saint Elizabeth,
in your great love for God,
you were always so close
to the needs of your friends.
Now that you are in Heaven,
before the Face of the Lord,
intercede with Him
for the intentions we entrust to you.

(Mention your intentions)

Teach us,
in faith and love,
to live with the Holy Trinity
in the depths of our hearts.
Teach us, like you,
to radiate God’s love
among all people,
in our daily lives,
so that we may become a praise of His Glory.

Our Father…
(pray slowly to God dwelling within you)

Glory be…
(three times, in praise of the indwelling Trinity)

Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity, pray for us!

Elizabeth of the Trinity, S 2014, I Have Found God, The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity Volume 1: Major spiritual writings, translated from the French by Kane, A, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

All scripture references in this novena are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.

Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.

Let us unite in prayer

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/11/06/liznovena24-9/

#HeavenInFaith #HolyTrinity #novena #prayer #presenceOfGod #StElizabethOfTheTrinity #unionWithGod

Scripture Reading: Philippians 3:8–14

I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

St. Elizabeth Speaks: Heaven in Faith, no. 28

All the intensity of St. Paul’s soul is poured out in these lines. The object of this retreat [or, “novena”] is to make us more like our adored Master and, even more, to become so one with Him that we may say, “I live; no longer I, but He lives in me. And the life that I now live in this body of death, I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” [Gal 2:20]. Oh, let us study this divine Model; His knowledge, the Apostle tells us, is so “excelling” [or, “surpassing”].

Reflection: Christ Has Made Me His Own

St. Paul’s desire to “know Christ” in every sense—His life, death, and resurrection—is echoed by St. Elizabeth’s call to unite ourselves fully with Him. We’re invited to let go of all that doesn’t lead to Him, to press on toward the “surpassing value” of knowing Christ intimately. What attachments could I release to make room for this deeper unity? To be “made one” with Christ is to let His life flow through ours, transforming our every action. Today, let’s keep our gaze on Him, our “divine Model,” drawing closer to His Sacred Heart.

Novena Prayer

O Saint Elizabeth,
in your great love for God,
you were always so close
to the needs of your friends.
Now that you are in Heaven,
before the Face of the Lord,
intercede with Him
for the intentions we entrust to you.

(Mention your intentions)

Teach us,
in faith and love,
to live with the Holy Trinity
in the depths of our hearts.
Teach us, like you,
to radiate God’s love
among all people,
in our daily lives,
so that we may become a praise of His Glory.

Our Father…
(pray slowly to God dwelling within you)

Glory be…
(three times, in praise of the indwelling Trinity)

Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity, pray for us!

Elizabeth of the Trinity, S 2014, I Have Found God, The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity Volume 1: Major spiritual writings, translated from the French by Kane, A, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

All scripture references in this novena are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.

Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.

Let us unite in prayer

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/11/05/liznovena24-8/

#HeavenInFaith #HolyTrinity #novena #prayer #presenceOfGod #StElizabethOfTheTrinity #unionWithGod

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 3:17–18

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.

St. Elizabeth Speaks: Heaven in Faith, nos. 24–25

“Be holy for I am holy” [1 Pet 1:16, citing Lev 11:44–45]. It is the Lord who speaks. “Whatever may be our way of life or the clothing we wear, each of us must be the holy one of God.” Who then is “the most holy”? “The one who is most loving, who gazes longest on God and who most fully satisfies the desires of His gaze.” How do we satisfy the desires of God’s gaze but by remaining “simply and lovingly” turned towards Him [cf. St. John of the Cross, The Living Flame of Love, 3:33] so that He may reflect His own image as the sun is reflected through a pure crystal. “Let us make man in our own image and likeness”: such was the great desire in the Heart of our God. The form of the soul is God who must imprint Himself there like the seal on wax, like the stamp on its object. To “realize this ideal” we must “keep recollected within ourselves,” “remain silently in God’s presence,” while the soul immerses itself, expands, becomes enkindled and melts in Him, with an unlimited fullness.

Reflection: Reflecting His Own Image

To be holy is to allow God to leave His mark on us, as a seal imprints itself on wax. St. Elizabeth calls us to be a “pure crystal,” letting God’s image shine through us. Holiness doesn’t depend on our role or appearance; it’s about remaining inwardly turned toward Him. Today, consider: How do I allow God’s love to transform me? What might I let go of to become more transparent to His light? Our call is simply to be open, to let His presence reflect in us from “one degree of glory to another.”

Novena Prayer

O Saint Elizabeth,
in your great love for God,
you were always so close
to the needs of your friends.
Now that you are in Heaven,
before the Face of the Lord,
intercede with Him
for the intentions we entrust to you.

(Mention your intentions)

Teach us,
in faith and love,
to live with the Holy Trinity
in the depths of our hearts.
Teach us, like you,
to radiate God’s love
among all people,
in our daily lives,
so that we may become a praise of His Glory.

Our Father…
(pray slowly to God dwelling within you)

Glory be…
(three times, in praise of the indwelling Trinity)

Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity, pray for us!

Elizabeth of the Trinity, S 2014, I Have Found God, The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity Volume 1: Major spiritual writings, translated from the French by Kane, A, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

All scripture references in this novena are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.

Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.

Let us unite in prayer

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/11/04/liznovena24-7/

#HeavenInFaith #HolyTrinity #novena #prayer #presenceOfGod #StElizabethOfTheTrinity #unionWithGod

Scripture Reading: Colossians 1:24–27

I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. I became its servant according to God’s commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

St. Elizabeth Speaks: Heaven in Faith, no. 20

“We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us” [1 Jn 4:16]. That is our great act of faith, the way to repay our God love for love; it is “the mystery hidden” in the Father’s heart, of which St. Paul speaks, which, at last, we penetrate and our whole soul thrills! When it can believe in this “exceeding love” which envelops it, we may say of it as was said of Moses, “He was unshakable in faith as if he had seen the Invisible.” It no longer rests in inclinations or feelings; it matters little to the soul whether it feels God or not, whether He sends it joy or suffering: it believes in His love. The more it is tried, the more its faith increases because it passes over all obstacles, as it were, to go rest in the heart of infinite Love who can perform only works of love. So also to this soul, wholly awakened in its faith, the Master’s voice can say in intimate secrecy the words He once addressed to Mary Magdalene: “Go in peace, your faith has saved you.”

Reflection: To Repay God Love for Love

To repay God “love for love” means trusting deeply in His love, especially when we can’t feel it. St. Elizabeth shows us a faith that goes beyond feelings, resting in the assurance that God’s love is constant, even in trials. How might I live today with this unshakable faith, seeing each moment as an invitation to believe in His goodness? God asks only that we meet His infinite love with a heart that trusts—beyond doubt, beyond fear, resting in the mystery of His kindness.

Novena Prayer

O Saint Elizabeth,
in your great love for God,
you were always so close
to the needs of your friends.
Now that you are in Heaven,
before the Face of the Lord,
intercede with Him
for the intentions we entrust to you.

(Mention your intentions)

Teach us,
in faith and love,
to live with the Holy Trinity
in the depths of our hearts.
Teach us, like you,
to radiate God’s love
among all people,
in our daily lives,
so that we may become a praise of His Glory.

Our Father…
(pray slowly to God dwelling within you)

Glory be…
(three times, in praise of the indwelling Trinity)

Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity, pray for us!

Elizabeth of the Trinity, S 2014, I Have Found God, The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity Volume 1: Major spiritual writings, translated from the French by Kane, A, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

All scripture references in this novena are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.

Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.

Let us unite in prayer

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/11/03/liznovena24-6/

#HeavenInFaith #HolyTrinity #novena #prayer #presenceOfGod #StElizabethOfTheTrinity #unionWithGod

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:15–17

I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

St. Elizabeth Speaks: Heaven in Faith, no. 18

When we receive Christ “with interior devotion, His blood, full of warmth and glory, flows into our veins and a fire is enkindled in our depths.” “We receive the likeness of His virtues, and He lives in us and we in Him. He gives us His soul with the fullness of grace, by which the soul perseveres in love and praise of the Father!” “Love draws its object into itself; we draw Jesus into ourselves; Jesus draws us into Himself. Then carried above ourselves into love’s interior,” seeking God, “we go to meet Him, to meet His Spirit, which is His love, and this love burns us, consumes us, and draws us into unity where beatitude awaits us.” “Jesus meant this when He said: ‘With great desire have I desired to eat this pasch with you’” [Lk 22:15].

Reflection: Carried into Love’s Interior

In the Eucharist, Christ draws us deeply into His own life, sharing with us the fullness of His grace and virtues. St. Elizabeth speaks of being “carried above ourselves into love’s interior,” where we’re drawn into unity with God. How do I approach the Eucharist—do I see it as an invitation to be transformed, to let Christ’s love consume me and draw me closer to Him? Today, as I receive or meditate on the Eucharist, I will ask to be led ever deeper into the mystery of His love.

Novena Prayer

O Saint Elizabeth,
in your great love for God,
you were always so close
to the needs of your friends.
Now that you are in Heaven,
before the Face of the Lord,
intercede with Him
for the intentions we entrust to you.

(Mention your intentions)

Teach us,
in faith and love,
to live with the Holy Trinity
in the depths of our hearts.
Teach us, like you,
to radiate God’s love
among all people,
in our daily lives,
so that we may become a praise of His Glory.

Our Father…
(pray slowly to God dwelling within you)

Glory be…
(three times, in praise of the indwelling Trinity)

Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity, pray for us!

Elizabeth of the Trinity, S 2014, I Have Found God, The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity Volume 1: Major spiritual writings, translated from the French by Kane, A, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

All scripture references in this novena are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.

Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.

Let us unite in prayer

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/11/02/liznovena24-5/

#HeavenInFaith #HolyTrinity #novena #prayer #presenceOfGod #StElizabethOfTheTrinity #unionWithGod

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 12:28–29

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe; for indeed our God is a consuming fire.

St. Elizabeth Speaks: Heaven in Faith, nos. 13–14

Our God, wrote St. Paul, is a consuming Fire, that is “a fire of love” which destroys, which “transforms into itself everything that it touches” [St. John of the Cross, The Living Flame of Love, 2:2]. “The delights of the divine enkindling are renewed in our depths by an unremitting activity: the enkindling of love in a mutual and eternal satisfaction. … Certain souls “have chosen this refuge to rest there eternally, and this is the silence in which, somehow, they have lost themselves.” They think much less of the work of destruction and detachment that remains for them to do than of plunging into the Furnace of love burning within them which is none other than the Holy Spirit, the same Love which in the Trinity is the bond between the Father and His Word.

Reflection: God Is the Fire of Love

St. Elizabeth teaches us that God’s love is a consuming fire, not to harm, but to transform us completely. This fire is the Holy Spirit, dwelling within, uniting us with the Father and the Son. Today, consider: Am I open to letting God’s love burn away what keeps me from Him? What might I surrender to His purifying fire? As we rest in this “Furnace of love,” we discover the joy of being continually transformed in God’s own life.

Novena Prayer

O Saint Elizabeth,
in your great love for God,
you were always so close
to the needs of your friends.
Now that you are in Heaven,
before the Face of the Lord,
intercede with Him
for the intentions we entrust to you.

(Mention your intentions)

Teach us,
in faith and love,
to live with the Holy Trinity
in the depths of our hearts.
Teach us, like you,
to radiate God’s love
among all people,
in our daily lives,
so that we may become a praise of His Glory.

Our Father…
(pray slowly to God dwelling within you)

Glory be…
(three times, in praise of the indwelling Trinity)

Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity, pray for us!

Elizabeth of the Trinity, S 2014, I Have Found God, The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity Volume 1: Major spiritual writings, translated from the French by Kane, A, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

All scripture references in this novena are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.

Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.

Let us unite in prayer

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/11/01/liznovena24-4/

#HeavenInFaith #HolyTrinity #novena #prayer #presenceOfGod #StElizabethOfTheTrinity #unionWithGod

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 5:1–2

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

St. Elizabeth Speaks: Heaven in Faith, nos. 9–10

“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our home in him” [Jn 14:23]. The Master once more expresses His desire to dwell in us. “If anyone loves Me”! It is love that attracts, that draws God to His creatures: not a sensible love but that love “strong as death that deep waters cannot quench” [Song 8:6–7]. “The property of love is never to seek self, to keep back nothing, but to give everything to the one it loves” [St. John of the Cross, Spiritual Canticle, 32:2]. “Blessed the soul that loves” in truth; “the Lord has become its captive through love”! [Spiritual Canticle, 32:1].

Reflection: Blessed the Soul That Loves

Christ invites us to love as He loves—freely, without holding back. St. Elizabeth reminds us that true love keeps nothing back. It’s a love that welcomes God to dwell in our hearts fully, as His “beloved children.” Today, consider: How can I offer myself more completely to God? Is there something I’m still holding back? This love “strong as death” calls us to surrender all to Him, trusting that He, too, will give Himself completely in return.

Novena Prayer

O Saint Elizabeth,
in your great love for God,
you were always so close
to the needs of your friends.
Now that you are in Heaven,
before the Face of the Lord,
intercede with Him
for the intentions we entrust to you.

(Mention your intentions)

Teach us,
in faith and love,
to live with the Holy Trinity
in the depths of our hearts.
Teach us, like you,
to radiate God’s love
among all people,
in our daily lives,
so that we may become a praise of His Glory.

Our Father…
(pray slowly to God dwelling within you)

Glory be…
(three times, in praise of the indwelling Trinity)

Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity, pray for us!

Elizabeth of the Trinity, S 2014, I Have Found God, The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity Volume 1: Major spiritual writings, translated from the French by Kane, A, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

All scripture references in this novena are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.

Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.

Let us unite in prayer

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/10/31/liznovena24-3/

#HeavenInFaith #HolyTrinity #novena #prayer #presenceOfGod #StElizabethOfTheTrinity #unionWithGod

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 3:16–19

I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

St. Elizabeth Speaks: Heaven in Faith, nos. 5–6

“The kingdom of God is within you” [Lk 17:21]. Awhile ago God invited us to “remain in Him” [cf. Jn 15:4], to live spiritually in His glorious heritage. And now He reveals to us that we do not have to go out of ourselves to find Him: “The kingdom of God is within”!… St. John of the Cross says that “it is in the substance of the soul where neither the devil nor the world can reach” [St. John of the Cross, The Living Flame of Love, 1:9] that God gives Himself to it; then “all its movements are divine, and although they are from God they also belong to the soul, because God works them in it and with it” [ibid.] The same saint also says that “God is the center of the soul. So when the soul with all” its “strength will know God perfectly, love and enjoy Him fully, then it will have reached the deepest center that can be attained in Him” [ibid., 1:13] … Since love is what unites us to God, the more intense this love is, the more deeply the soul enters into God and the more it is centered in Him.

Reflection: The Kingdom of God Is Within

St. Elizabeth reminds us that we don’t need to look outside ourselves to find God; He’s already present, dwelling within. Today, consider: How often do I seek God within, in the quiet center of my soul? Do I allow His love to draw me deeper? God invites us to be “rooted and grounded in love,” making His presence our foundation.

Novena Prayer

O Saint Elizabeth,
in your great love for God,
you were always so close
to the needs of your friends.
Now that you are in Heaven,
before the Face of the Lord,
intercede with Him
for the intentions we entrust to you.

(Mention your intentions)

Teach us,
in faith and love,
to live with the Holy Trinity
in the depths of our hearts.
Teach us, like you,
to radiate God’s love
among all people,
in our daily lives,
so that we may become a praise of His Glory.

Our Father…
(pray slowly to God dwelling within you)

Glory be…
(three times, in praise of the indwelling Trinity)

Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity, pray for us!

Elizabeth of the Trinity, S 2014, I Have Found God, The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity Volume 1: Major spiritual writings, translated from the French by Kane, A, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

All scripture references in this novena are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.

Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.

Let us unite in prayer

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/10/30/liznovena24-2/

#HeavenInFaith #HolyTrinity #novena #prayer #presenceOfGod #StElizabethOfTheTrinity #unionWithGod

Scripture Reading: Colossians 3:1–4

So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

St. Elizabeth Speaks: Heaven in Faith, nos. 3–4

“Remain in Me” [Jn 15:4]. It is the Word of God who gives this order, expresses this wish. Remain in Me, not for a few moments, a few hours which must pass away, but “remain…” permanently, habitually, Remain in Me, pray in Me, adore in Me, love in Me, suffer in Me, work and act in Me. Remain in Me so that you may be able to encounter anyone or anything; penetrate further still into these depths.

Reflection: Remain in Me

St. Elizabeth calls us to “remain” in Christ, not just in prayer, but as a way of life. What would it mean for you to live in Him today—not just to pray, but to work, to meet others, even to suffer, in Him? This “hidden life” with Christ asks us to draw closer, finding His presence in our everyday moments.

Novena Prayer

O Saint Elizabeth,
in your great love for God,
you were always so close
to the needs of your friends.
Now that you are in Heaven,
before the Face of the Lord,
intercede with Him
for the intentions we entrust to you.

(Mention your intentions)

Teach us,
in faith and love,
to live with the Holy Trinity
in the depths of our hearts.
Teach us, like you,
to radiate God’s love
among all people,
in our daily lives,
so that we may become a praise of His Glory.

Our Father…
(pray slowly to God dwelling within you)

Glory be…
(three times, in praise of the indwelling Trinity)

Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity, pray for us!

Elizabeth of the Trinity, S 2014, I Have Found God, The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity Volume 1: Major spiritual writings, translated from the French by Kane, A, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

All scripture references in this novena are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.

Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.

Let us unite in prayer

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/10/29/liznovena24-1/

#HeavenInFaith #HolyTrinity #novena #prayer #presenceOfGod #StElizabethOfTheTrinity #unionWithGod