Santa Gertrudes de Helfta Museu de Arte Religiosa de Puebla (México) – Foto: Francisco Lecaros
St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Day 4 – For the Grace of Right Intention
St. Gertrude asked Jesus for fewer distractions in her days to have more time for prayer. The Lord answered her, “If I took pleasure only in spiritual exercises, I would have reformed human nature after Adam’s fall so that it would not need food, clothing, or other things. I require only that your will be directed to me with a right intention”. St. Gertrude mastered the Benedictine call to balance the active and contemplative life. Her dialogue with the Lord teaches us that sanctity lies not in tasks but in intention. We pray for her guidance to discern daily God’s will. May she also intercede for the intention we bring to this novena.
We join St. Gertrude in a prayer she composed for the Holy Souls in Purgatory:
Eternal Father,
I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son,
Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today,
for all the holy Souls in Purgatory,
for sinners everywhere,
for sinners in the Universal Church,
those in my own home and within my family.
Amen.
Monday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this day to the Lord.
Say slowly from your heart “Jesus, I Trust In You…You Take Over”
Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting to be heard deep within in your heart…
From the Holy Gospel According to St. Luke 17:1-6
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Obstacles are sure to come, but alas for the one who provides them! It would be better for him to be thrown into the Sea with a millstone put round his neck than that he should lead astray a single one of these little ones. Watch yourselves!
If your brother does something wrong, reprove him and, if he is sorry, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times a day and seven times comes back to you and says, “I am sorry,” you must forgive him.’
The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’ The Lord replied, ‘Were your faith the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey you.’
What word made this passage come alive for you?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more give the Lord an opportunity to speak to you:
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Obstacles are sure to come, but alas for the one who provides them! It would be better for him to be thrown into the Sea with a millstone put round his neck than that he should lead astray a single one of these little ones. Watch yourselves!
If your brother does something wrong, reprove him and, if he is sorry, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times a day and seven times comes back to you and says, “I am sorry,” you must forgive him.’
The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’ The Lord replied, ‘Were your faith the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey you.’
What did your heart feel as you listened?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more, through Him, with Him and in Him listen to the Word:
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Obstacles are sure to come, but alas for the one who provides them! It would be better for him to be thrown into the Sea with a millstone put round his neck than that he should lead astray a single one of these little ones. Watch yourselves!
If your brother does something wrong, reprove him and, if he is sorry, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times a day and seven times comes back to you and says, “I am sorry,” you must forgive him.’
The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’ The Lord replied, ‘Were your faith the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey you.’
What touched your heart in this time of prayer?
What did your heart feel as you prayed?
What do you hope to carry with you from this time with the Lord?
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen
Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.
The Feast of St. John Lateran – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff
Msgr. John Esseff reflects on the Feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran, calling it a reminder that the Church is not a building but the living Body of Christ. He traces the biblical understanding of the temple from the Old Testament to Jesus, whose pierced side poured forth blood and water—the sacraments of baptism and Eucharist—through which the faithful are united to Him. Each baptized person becomes a living stone in the spiritual temple founded on Christ. Msgr. Esseff recalls a mystical encounter in St. John Lateran where Christ revealed the power of divine love flowing from His Sacred Heart, urging him to teach this love to the world. Thus, we shouldn’t be relying on worldly powers or comfort: such dependence is a spiritual decay.
There is a need for authentic witness, especially for younger generations. Many youth long for challenge and genuine examples of holiness, not comfort or compromise. Renewal begins in families through sacrificial love between husband and wife, parents and children. Every Christian, he says, is called to manifest Christ’s love daily through charity and courage, becoming a light amid cultural darkness.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
How do I understand my identity as a living temple of God rather than just a member of an institution?
In what ways can I let the love flowing from Christ’s Sacred Heart transform my daily actions?
What “marketplaces” in my own heart need cleansing so that God may dwell more fully within me?
How does my participation in the Eucharist unite me more deeply to Christ and His Church?
When faced with cultural opposition, how can I draw strength from the witness of the early martyrs?
Do I rely more on worldly comfort and security or on God’s providence and grace?
How am I nurturing sacrificial love within my family or community?
What example of faith and courage am I offering to younger generations seeking authenticity?
How can I live each day as part of Christ’s mission to bring light into the world’s darkness?
What concrete step can I take this week to let Christ’s love flow through me to someone in need?
Msgr. John A. Esseff is a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Scranton. Msgr. Esseff served as a retreat director and confessor to St. Teresa of Calcutta. He continues to offer direction and retreats for the sisters of the Missionaries of Charity around the world. Msgr. Esseff encountered St. Padre Pio, who would become a spiritual father to him. He has lived in areas around the world, serving in the Pontifical missions, a Catholic organization established by Pope St. John Paul II to bring the Good News to the world, especially to the poor. Msgr. Esseff assisted the founders of the Institute for Priestly Formation and continues to serve as a spiritual director for the Institute. He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests and sisters and seminarians, and other religious leaders around the world.
St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Day 3 – For the Grace of Holy Counsel
St. Gertrude, at only 30 years old, became the leader of her monastery. For more than 40 years, she guided her community with love and wisdom. May she inspire us to listen deeply to God’s voice and discern His will for our lives. May she intercede for us with our intention for this novena if it be in alignment with the will of the Father.
We join St. Gertrude in a prayer she composed for the Holy Souls in Purgatory:
Eternal Father,
I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son,
Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today,
for all the holy Souls in Purgatory,
for sinners everywhere,
for sinners in the Universal Church,
those in my own home and within my family.
Amen.
Dedication of the Lateran Basilica – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this day to the Lord.
Say slowly from your heart “Jesus, I Trust In You…You Take Over”
Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting to be heard deep within in your heart…
From the Holy Gospel According to John 2:13-22
Just before the Jewish Passover Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and in the Temple he found people selling cattle and sheep and pigeons, and the money changers sitting at their counters there. Making a whip out of some cord, he drove them all out of the Temple, cattle and sheep as well, scattered the money changers’ coins, knocked their tables over and said to the pigeon-sellers, ‘Take all this out of here and stop turning my Father’s house into a market.’ Then his disciples remembered the words of scripture: Zeal for your house will devour me. The Jews intervened and said, ‘What sign can you show us to justify what you have done?’ Jesus answered, ‘Destroy this sanctuary, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this sanctuary: are you going to raise it up in three days?’ But he was speaking of the sanctuary that was his body, and when Jesus rose from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the words he had said.
What word made this passage come alive for you?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more give the Lord an opportunity to speak to you:
Just before the Jewish Passover Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and in the Temple he found people selling cattle and sheep and pigeons, and the money changers sitting at their counters there. Making a whip out of some cord, he drove them all out of the Temple, cattle and sheep as well, scattered the money changers’ coins, knocked their tables over and said to the pigeon-sellers, ‘Take all this out of here and stop turning my Father’s house into a market.’ Then his disciples remembered the words of scripture: Zeal for your house will devour me. The Jews intervened and said, ‘What sign can you show us to justify what you have done?’ Jesus answered, ‘Destroy this sanctuary, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this sanctuary: are you going to raise it up in three days?’ But he was speaking of the sanctuary that was his body, and when Jesus rose from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the words he had said.
What did your heart feel as you listened?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more, through Him, with Him and in Him listen to the Word:
Just before the Jewish Passover Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and in the Temple he found people selling cattle and sheep and pigeons, and the money changers sitting at their counters there. Making a whip out of some cord, he drove them all out of the Temple, cattle and sheep as well, scattered the money changers’ coins, knocked their tables over and said to the pigeon-sellers, ‘Take all this out of here and stop turning my Father’s house into a market.’ Then his disciples remembered the words of scripture: Zeal for your house will devour me. The Jews intervened and said, ‘What sign can you show us to justify what you have done?’ Jesus answered, ‘Destroy this sanctuary, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this sanctuary: are you going to raise it up in three days?’ But he was speaking of the sanctuary that was his body, and when Jesus rose from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the words he had said.
What touched your heart in this time of prayer?
What did your heart feel as you prayed?
What do you hope to carry with you from this time with the Lord?
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen
Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.
Fr. Ignatius Schweitzer O.P. & Dr. Anthony Lilles – Named for Glory: Saint Elisabeth of the Trinity’s Identity and Mission on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Fr. Ignatius Schweitzer, O.P. and Dr. Anthony Lilles discuss their collaboration on Named for Glory: St. Elizabeth of the Trinity’s Identity and Mission, a book exploring the spirituality of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity. A warm reflection on how they came to love St. Elizabeth—her contemplative depth, her letters, and her theological insight. Fr. Ignatius shares how reading St. Thérèse led him to Elizabeth’s writings, whose lofty yet practical spirituality bridges heaven and daily life. He and Dr. Lilles describe how St. Elizabeth’s understanding of the indwelling Trinity reveals the Christian’s interior union with God, forming the heart of contemplative prayer and identity. Their book, born during the COVID period with coauthor Julie Enzler, grew from meditations on St. Elizabeth’s letters and her three “names”: House of God, Praise of Glory, and Host of Praise.
They reflect on how Elizabeth’s mystical writings illuminate divine intimacy as both transcendent and deeply personal. Dr. Lilles describes her influence on St. John Paul II and praises her integration of Scripture, sacrament, and Trinitarian mystery. Both he and Fr. Ignatius note how her retreats and letters reveal that holiness is discovered in surrender—where the “abyss of misery meets the abyss of mercy.” Through trials and interior transformation, Elizabeth teaches that each soul is called to discover its true identity in Christ, to live as a radiant expression of divine life.
Discerning Hearts spiritual reflection questions:
How does St. Elizabeth of the Trinity’s teaching on the indwelling Trinity deepen your understanding of God’s presence within you?
In what ways can you live out your baptismal identity as a “house of God” in your daily life?
When have you experienced the “abyss of misery meeting the abyss of mercy” in your relationship with God?
How can you allow Scripture, as Elizabeth did, to shape your prayer and transform your heart?
What prevents you from resting in silence before God, and how might you open yourself more fully to His divine touch?
How does Elizabeth’s example invite you to see suffering as a pathway to deeper communion with the Trinity?
What does it mean for you personally to be a “praise of glory” for God?
How can Elizabeth’s contemplative spirit guide your response to the distractions and busyness of modern life?
In your own vocation or mission, where do you sense God calling you to go “out into the deep”?
How might you practice spiritual friendship or intercession, as Elizabeth did through her letters, to help others grow closer to God?
“I am going to bury myself in the depths of my soul, that is, in God. Will you follow me in this very simple movement?” — St. Elizabeth of the Trinity
St. Teresa of Avila said that every soul is made for transforming union with God. In her footsteps, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity (1880–1906) invites you to rendezvous with her in the interior castle and experience the indwelling presence of the Holy Trinity.
Go out into the deep: My Three, my All!
In describing her intimate relationship with God, St. Elizabeth referred to her Divine Bridegroom as “Maestro.” Here, she guides you in hearing His song and living the chorus of love, drawing ever closer to His very Heart. Through her powerful spiritual wisdom, as reflected in her letters to relatives, loved ones, and priests, you will find:
How to live in the freedom of silence and recollection and remain absorbed in love of God while fulfilling practical demands
Guidance on offering your life to God by uniting yourself to Jesus in the Holy Eucharist
Ways to deepen your life of prayer to experience the Holy Trinity’s indwelling presence
The secret to letting go and clinging to God with the intimacy of a contemplative gaze
How to imitate Mary in offering your life as a House of God, Praise of Glory, and Host of Praise
St. Elizabeth’s Oblation to the Trinity and how to enter the Furnace of Love in the altar of your heart
In these awe-inspiring pages, St. Elizabeth unveils the union that you were made to enjoy through Our Lady, Queen of Martyrs and Gate of Heaven. By reflecting on her name and vocation as Virgin, Spouse, and Mother, St. Elizabeth invites us to answer the universal call to holiness so that our lives will also flow into the very life of God — and His life will flow into ours. By imitating our Blessed Mother in her deep simplicity and making little acts of love and sacrifice each day, we unite with Jesus in the Sacred Host, become living oblations, and thus glorify our Crucified and Risen Lord.
About the Authors
Dr. Anthony Lilles: Anthony Lilles is co-founder and Academic Dean of the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation and also serves as the Academic Dean and Associate Professor of Theology at St. John’s Seminary. He is a founding faculty member of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary where he was Academic Dean for nine years. Dr. Lilles has provided graduate level courses on a variety of topics including the Eucharist, the Sacraments of Healing, Church History, Spiritual Theology, Spiritual Direction and on various classics of Catholic Spirituality.
Fr. Ignatius Schweitzer O.P.: Fr. Ignatius John Schweitzer, OP is a Dominican priest of the St. Joseph (Eastern) Province. He was ordained in 2011. He spent six years living as a monk in a Carthusian monastery. He then returned to the Dominicans, discerning a strong call from the Lord to help others grow in the spiritual and mystical life. Upon returning, he completed his STL, writing on “The Life, Light, and Fire of Triune Love: A Trinitarian Spirituality from Scripture, Aquinas, Ruusbroec, and John of the Cross.” He is the promoter of the Dominican Laity, adjunct professor, spiritual director, and formator at St. Joseph’s Seminary. He hopes to be of service to the Lord’s loving cry to souls and souls’ cry for the Lord: “Abyss calls to abyss!”
“Holy Trinity, Whom I Adore” a prayer of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity (translated by Dr. Anthony Lilles and offered by Miriam Gutierrez)
Holy Trinity, Whom I Adore
O My God, Trinity whom I adore, help me to forget myself entirely so as to be established in you as still and as peaceful as if my soul were already in eternity. May nothing be able to disturb my peace, nor make me depart from you, o my Unchanging One, but may each moment carry me further into the depths of your Mystery. Pacify my soul: make it your heaven, your beloved abode, your resting place. May I never leave you there alone, but may I be entirely present, my faith completely ready, wholly adoring, fully surrendered to your creative action.
O my beloved Christ, crucified by love, I would like to be a bride for your heart. I would like to cover you with glory, I would like to love you… unto death. I feel my powerlessness, however, and I ask you to clothe me with yourself, to identify my soul with all the movements of your soul, to overwhelm me, to invade me, to substitute yourself for me, that my life might be but the radiation of your Life. Come into me as Adorer, as Healer, as Savior.
O Eternal Word, Word of my God, I want to spend my life listening to you. I want to be completely docile, ready to learn all from you. Then, through all nights, all voids, all weakness, I want always to fixate on you and to remain under your great light. O My beloved Star, fascinate me to the point that I could not forsake your shining light.
O Consuming Flame, Spirit of love, come over me until my soul is rendered into an incarnation of the Word; may I be for Him another humanity in which he renews His whole Mystery.
And you, O Father, bend over your little creature, cover her with your shadow, and in her only the Beloved in whom You are well-pleased.
O my Three, my All, my Beatitude, Infinite Solitude, Immensity in which I lose myself, I surrender myself as prey. Bury yourself in me in order that I might bury myself in you while waiting to contemplate in your light the immeasurable depths of your grandeur
St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Day 2 – For the Grace of Holy Zeal
St. Gertrude the Great is held in the highest regard for her unwavering love for the Sacred Heart of Jesus and her profound compassion for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Esteemed by many of her fellow saints, including St. Teresa of Avila, St. Gertrude’s spiritual insights have long inspired the faithful. With reverence, we invoke her patronage and beseech her to intercede for us that we may receive the graces most suited to our spiritual growth and needs (mention personal intention). May she also intercede for the intention we bring to this novena.
We join St. Gertrude in a prayer she composed for the Holy Souls in Purgatory:
Eternal Father,
I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son,
Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today,
for all the holy Souls in Purgatory,
for sinners everywhere,
for sinners in the Universal Church,
those in my own home and within my family.
Amen.
Saturday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For at least the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this day to the Lord.
Say slowly from your heart “Jesus, I Trust In You…You Take Over”
Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting to be heard deep within in your heart…
From the Holy Gospel According to St. Luke 16:9-15
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I tell you this: use money, tainted as it is, to win you friends, and thus make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into the tents of eternity. The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great; the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in great. If then you cannot be trusted with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches? And if you cannot be trusted with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own?
‘No servant can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.’
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and laughed at him. He said to them, ‘You are the very ones who pass yourselves off as virtuous in people’s sight, but God knows your hearts. For what is thought highly of by men is loathsome in the sight of God.’
What word made this passage come alive for you?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more give the Lord an opportunity to speak to you:
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I tell you this: use money, tainted as it is, to win you friends, and thus make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into the tents of eternity. The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great; the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in great. If then you cannot be trusted with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches? And if you cannot be trusted with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own?
‘No servant can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.’
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and laughed at him. He said to them, ‘You are the very ones who pass yourselves off as virtuous in people’s sight, but God knows your hearts. For what is thought highly of by men is loathsome in the sight of God.’
What did your heart feel as you listened?
What did you sense the Lord saying to you?
Once more, through Him, with Him and in Him listen to the Word:
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I tell you this: use money, tainted as it is, to win you friends, and thus make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into the tents of eternity. The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great; the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in great. If then you cannot be trusted with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches? And if you cannot be trusted with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own?
‘No servant can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.’
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and laughed at him. He said to them, ‘You are the very ones who pass yourselves off as virtuous in people’s sight, but God knows your hearts. For what is thought highly of by men is loathsome in the sight of God.’
What touched your heart in this time of prayer?
What did your heart feel as you prayed?
What do you hope to carry with you from this time with the Lord?
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen
Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.
O LORD God almighty, I beseech Thee,
by the precious blood
which Thy Divine Son, Jesus, did shed on this day,
upon the tree of the cross,
especially from His sacred hands and feet,
deliver the souls in purgatory,
and particularly that soul for whom I am most bound to pray;
in order that I may not be the cause which hinders Thee
from admitting it quickly into the possession of Thy glory
where it may praise and bless Thee forever more.
Monday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
Dedication of the Lateran Basilica – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
You can find the book 
“Holy Trinity, Whom I Adore” a prayer of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity (translated by Dr. Anthony Lilles and offered by Miriam Gutierrez)
Saturday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast
