The Spiritual Doctrine of Sister Elizabeth of the Trinity

The Spiritual Doctrine of Sister Elizabeth of the Trinity
Author: M. M. Philipon
Publisher: CreateSpace
Total Pages: 278
Release: 2013-10
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9781492964421

The servant of God, Elizabeth of the Trinity, was one of those enlightened and heroic souls able to cling to one of these great truths, which are both the simplest and the most important, and, beneath the appearance of an ordinary life, to find therein the secret of a very close union with God. This mystery of the indwelling of the Blessed Trinity in the depths of her soul was the great reality of her interior life. As she herself said: "The Trinity! there is our dwelling, our home: the father's house that we must never leave .... It seems to me that I have found my heaven on earth, for heaven is God and God is in my soul. On the day I understood that, everything became clear to me. . . ." Obviously the foundation of this supernatural life is the practice of the theological virtues. Faith is the supernatural light through which we receive the revelation of this divine world. Our hope, upheld by the omnipotence of God, Whose hand is ever stretched out to help us, enables us to tend surely toward eternal happiness. Charity establishes us permanently in the friendship and fellowship of the Divine Persons, according to the teaching of St. John the Evangelist: "God is charity: and he that abideth in charity, abideth in God, and God in him" (1 John IV, 16). In essence, there is but the one supernatural life; it begins on earth with our Baptism and it will reach its full development in heaven with the vision of God face to face. Faith is the root of all this new activity. It is "the substance," the principle, the germ "of things hoped for," things which we shall one day behold unveiled. The least light of faith is thus infinitely superior to the natural intuitions of the greatest genius and the highest angel. It belongs to the same essentially supernatural order as the beatific vision. Living faith, enlightened by the gifts of understanding and wisdom, is, accordingly, the only light proportionate to this life of intimate communion with the Divine Persons. Hence, above all else, Sister Elizabeth of the Trinity stands before us as a soul of faith, living in ever more perfect communion with the invisible world while, under the hand of God, sense and spirit were being purified through the events of her daily life. Like a true daughter of St. John of the Cross, she was aware of the primary importance of faith in the supernatural life. "In order to draw near to God," she wrote, "we must believe. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things that appear not. St. John of tilt Cross says that it serves us as feet to go to God, that it is possess Him in an obscure manner. It alone can give us real light upon Him Whom we love; our soul should choose it as the means of reaching the blessed union. . . ." Without neglecting the practice of the moral virtues, she was seen to apply herself more and more to the interior activity of the theological virtues. "My only practice is to enter into myself and lose myself in Those Who are there."

Elizabeth of the Trinity

Elizabeth of the Trinity
Author: Giovanna Della Croce
Publisher: Sophia Institute Press
Total Pages: 129
Release: 2016-09-22
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1622823788

Available in English for the first time, this short book is a powerful introduction to the spiritual wisdom of one of the Church's newest saints: Elizabeth of the Trinity. There was nothing extraordinary in Elizabeth of the Trinity's life. There were no ecstasies. She didn't work miracles. She didn't communicate heavenly messages through visions or words she heard. Instead, she presented a message to modern man through her own life of fidelity, showing us that the true road to contemplative prayer is not an ascent to grasp God, but a descent into the depths of one's heart. She teaches us that only by drawing our souls inward can we move toward bold abandonment and achieve immersion in God, thereby connecting our spiritual lives to the eternal praise of the saints in heaven. In our noisy culture, Elizabeth of the Trinity reminds us of God's power to establish in us a profound and peaceful stillness. She reminds us that that the Trinity is our home, and that God has created us in order to be united to Christ. In these pages, Sister Giovanna della Croce presents a brief and readable introduction to the teachings of Elizabeth of the Trinity, showing us the truth path to contemplative prayer. St. John Paul II considered Elizabeth of the Trinity to be one of the most influential mystics in his spiritual life. Now you, too, can begin incorporating in your own spiritual life the mystical wisdom of Elizabeth of the Trinity.

Light, Love, Life

Light, Love, Life
Author: Sister Elizabeth of the Trinity
Publisher: ICS Publications
Total Pages: 146
Release: 1987
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0935216073

This marvelous book — back in print after an absence of twenty-five years — invites the reader to meet Elizabeth of the Trinity in selections from her own writings and more than seventy photos that span her short but luminous life. More Information Since her death in 1906, Elizabeth of the Trinity—Elizabeth Catez of Dijon, France—has drawn countless men and women to a deeper relationship with God through her laser-sharp focus on the mystery of the divine indwelling in the human person. In our frenetic, fast-paced and constantly wired world, the message of this young Carmelite nun is more relevant than ever. She shares with us her “secret”: not only that God loves us, but loves us to the point of making the center of our being “another heaven”—the place where God dwells, always present, always accessible and longing for intimate relationship with us. From the pouting toddler hugging her doll to the talented young pianist, from the style-conscious socialite to the radiant contemplative nun, this photo album gives us Elizabeth as she was. It invites us to know her better, and to make her secret—God’s indwelling presence—our own.

Two Sisters in the Spirit

Two Sisters in the Spirit
Author: Hans Urs Von Balthasar
Publisher: Ignatius Press
Total Pages: 508
Release: 2012-11-07
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1681496097

Balthasar's unique volume on Thérèse of Lisieux and Elizabeth of the Trinity presents a theological biography of each of these holy Carmelite sisters which gives profound insights into their spirituality, showing that their differences actually complement one another. Balthasar probes the depths of the contemplative mission of each of these young Carmelites who both died in their twenties, and gave powerful witness to the critical importance of contemplation as a means to holiness. Each woman is clearly shown as a daughter of her Carmelite heritage with her own emphasis: Thérèse's discovery of the "little way of love" and Elizabeth's focus on the indwelling of God in the soul.

Always Believe in Love

Always Believe in Love
Author: Elizabeth of the Trinity
Publisher: ICS Publications
Total Pages: 170
Release: 2017-05-05
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1939272548

Since its initial release, this book, now with ICS Publications, has been a valuable resource for those wanting to explore the key works and teachings of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity in a convenient format. In this concise introduction to and anthology of the works of the young Carmelite from Dijon, Marian Murphy mines Elizabeth’s writings – her diary, letters, and poetry—for the most significant extracts that present the saint’s spiritual doctrine, then presents them with useful introductions and commentary. Always Believe in Love is an excellent primer for those just discovering Elizabeth as well as a handy reference work for those wanting to deepen their familiarity with the saint’s key writings. The book contains photos and a chronology of St. Elizabeth’s life.

The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity vol. 2

The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity vol. 2
Author: Elizabeth of the Trinity (Catez)
Publisher: ICS Publications
Total Pages: 400
Release: 2014-04-14
Genre: Literary Collections
ISBN: 1939272203

Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity (Elizabeth Catez) is a mystic of our times, who entered Carmel in 1901 at the age of twenty-one, and died there five years later. Her biblical spirituality, based on the epistles of her "dear Saint Paul" and the mystery of the divine indwelling, has inspired countless Christians. This second of three volumes of her Complete Works contains all of Elizabeth's surviving letters from Carmel, along with 8 photos. In simple and tender language, writing to friends and family, Elizabeth returns again and again to the great themes of her spirituality: the indwelling Trinity, silence and solitude, living by love, becoming a "praise of glory" (laudem gloriae) by sharing in the dying and rising of Jesus Christ. Here too we find many of her best-known sayings, e.g., "I have found my heaven on earth, for heaven is God, and God is in my soul." In his introductions and careful notes, Father Conrad De Meester, O.C.D., explains the background of each of Elizabeth's letters from Carmel, most of which have never before appeared in English. Anne Englund Nash continues the style set in the first volume of the Complete Works, presenting a translation that reflects both the literary nuances and spirit of the original French texts.

He is My Heaven

He is My Heaven
Author: Jennifer Moorcroft
Publisher: ICS Publications
Total Pages: 210
Release: 2001
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0935216251

"A modern mystic, Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity was a Discalced Carmelite nun who died in 1906 in the Dijon Carmel of France at the young age of twenty-one and was beatified by Pope John Paul II on November 25, 1984. ......." [from back cover]

The Divine Dance

The Divine Dance
Author: Richard Rohr
Publisher: SPCK
Total Pages: 258
Release: 2016-10-28
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0281078165

The Divine Dance has become a classic for fans of Richard Rohr and an important book on Christian mysticism, it provides a fresh perspective for anyone studying or teaching the trinity. The Trinity is the central doctrine of Christianity, but it is still widely considered a mystery we won't ever fully understand. Should we still try to understand it, even so? If we could, how would it transform our relationship with God? In this stimulating and thought-provoking book, internationally recognised teacher Richard Rohr explores the nature of God and the paradoxical idea of the Holy Trinity as both three and one. With clear, surefooted wisdom, he encourages us to build on the early Christian understanding of the relationship between Father, Son and Spirit as a flow and dance - a Divine Dance - that we are invited to join in. An engaging, accessible look at the nature of God, The Divine Dance will challenge the way you think about the Trinity and give you a much fuller understanding of the triune relationship that is at the heart of Christian doctrine. It will leave you with a faith that is renewed and strengthened, and show you how you can engage more deeply in your relationship with God and the world through the Trinity.

The Same God Who Works All Things

The Same God Who Works All Things
Author: Adonis Vidu
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Total Pages: 485
Release: 2021-03-04
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1467461997

Classical Trinitarianism holds that every action of Trinity in the world is inseparable. That is, the divine persons are equally active in every operation. But then, in what way did the Father create the world through Christ? How can only the Son be incarnate, die, and be resurrected? Why does Christ have to ascend before the Spirit may come? These and many other questions pose serious objections to the doctrine of inseparable operations. In the first book-length treatment of this doctrine, Adonis Vidu takes up these questions and offers a conceptual and dogmatic analysis of this essential axiom, engaging with recent and historical objections. Taking aim at a common “soft” interpretation of the inseparability rule, according to which the divine persons merely cooperate and work in concert with one another, Vidu argues for the retrieval of “hard inseparability,” which emphasizes the unity of divine action, primarily drawing from the patristic and medieval traditions. Having probed the biblical foundations of the rule and recounted the story of its emergence in nascent Trinitarianism and its neglect in modern theology, Vidu builds a constructive case for its retrieval. The rule is then tested precisely on the battlegrounds that were thought to have witnessed its defeat: the doctrines of creation, incarnation, atonement, ascension, and the indwelling of the Spirit. What emerges is a constructive account of theology in which the recovery of this dogmatic rule shines fresh light on ancient doctrines.