SCRIPTURE READING
1 Corinthians 1:18-25
We proclaim Christ crucified
For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.
MESSAGE
Letter 324 to Germaine de Gemeaux
Around 10 October 1906
Let us look at the Crucified
I feel the Master will not delay much longer in coming to seek me. I am tasting, experiencing unknown joys. The joy of pain, oh! little Germaine, how pleasant and sweet it is!… Before I die, I dream of being transformed into Jesus Crucified, and that gives me so much strength in suffering… Little sister, we should have no other ideal but to be conformed to that divine Model […] Courage, let us look at the Crucified and be conformed to that divine image.
NOVENA PRAYER
O Saint Elizabeth!
In your great love of God,
You were always so close
to your friends’ needs.
Now, in Heaven,
Face to face with the Lord,
Do intervene near Him
for the needs we recommend to you.
(Make your request)
Teach us how to abide,
in Love and Faith,
with the Holy Trinity
in the utmost of our hearts.
Teach us how to radiate God’s Love
amongst men, in our everyday life
just as you did yourself,
so that we may be a praise of God’s glory.
Our Father…
(pray slowly, “be aware that you are with Him”)
Glory be…
(three times, in praise of the indwelling Trinity)
Elizabeth of the Trinity, S 2003, The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity volume 2: Letters from Carmel, translated from the French by Nash, 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
Carmelite Quotes 
How beautiful! As I have quoted here before, when I had my one and only session with Fr Matt Blake OCD,and bewailed my past sins, as we were studying The Life at the retreat, he said with animation, “Well, if it gets you to where it got Teresa!”. But here St Elizabeth is going one further, to be colloquial, suggesting my life’s sufferings, including my being turned down by 3 different religious Orders, have one aim – to turn me into “another Christ” Crucified. Therefore, I accept it all, gratefully and gladly, as did the Saint herein. Thank you for this excelelnt example.