Quote of the day, 20 December: St. Elizabeth of the Trinity

“If you knew the gift of God….” [Jn 4:10]. There is one who knew this gift of God, one who did not lose one particle of it, one who was so pure, so luminous that she seemed to be the Light itself: “Speculum justitiae.” One whose life was so simple, so lost in God that there is hardly anything we can say about it.

“Virgo fidelis”: that is, Faithful Virgin, “who kept all these things in her heart” [Lk 2:19]. She remained so little, so recollected in God’s presence, in the seclusion of the temple, that she drew down upon herself the delight of the Holy Trinity: “Because He has looked upon the lowliness of His servant, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed!” [Lk 1:48].

The Father bending down to this beautiful creature, who was so unaware of her own beauty, willed that she be the Mother in time of Him whose Father He is in eternity. Then the Spirit of love who presides over all of God’s works came upon her; the Virgin said her fiat: “Behold the servant of the Lord, be it done to me according to Your word” [Lk 1:38], and the greatest of mysteries was accomplished. By the descent of the Word in her, Mary became forever God’s prey.

Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity

Heaven in Faith, Tenth Day, no. 39

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.

Featured image: The Annunciation by Andrea Solario (Italian, ca. 1465–1524), called Andrea di Bartolo, oil on wood, 1506. This artwork was recovered after World War II, retrieved by the Office des Biens et Intérêts Privés (OBIP) and destined to be returned to its rightful owner once they have been identified. Online records of all MNR (‘National Museums Recovery’) works can be found on the French Ministry of Culture’s Rose Valland database. Image credit: Louvre Museum via sailko / Wikimedia Commons (Some rights reserved)

#Annunciation #HolySpirit #HolyTrinity #light #ServantOfTheLord #StElizabethOfTheTrinity #VirginMary #WordOfGod