St. Elizabeth of the Trinity Novena 2022, Day 4: O blessed death in God!

SCRIPTURE READING
Galatians 2:16–20

I have been crucified with Christ

We have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law. But if, in our effort to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have been found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! But if I build up again the very things that I once tore down, then I demonstrate that I am a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

MEDITATION
Last Retreat, Eighth Day

O blessed death in God

O blessed death in God! O sweet and gentle loss of self in the beloved Being which permits the creature to cry out: ‘I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me.’

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 that we recommend to you.

(Mention these here)

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, offering Him “the cell of your heart”)

Glory be…

(three times, in praise of the indwelling Trinity)

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Carmelite Quotes welcomes Father Quang D. Tran, S.J., who prayerfully composed our 2022 St. Elizabeth of the Trinity Novena. Father Tran is a Jesuit priest of the Central Southern Province. He is originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, and is currently a doctoral candidate in counseling psychology at Boston College. His profound devotion to St. Elizabeth and his rigorous training—not only in theology but also in the interior life of the human person—enable him to share great insights for our Novena. You can follow Father Tran on Instagram at @lemetellusumtin.

All scripture references 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.

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.

The portrait of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity in our featured image for this novena is used through the kind permission of the artist, Belita William (© Belita William, all rights reserved). You can view more of Belita’s artworks at belitawilliamart.com.

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