To be, in a certain sense, "a continuation of Jesus' humanity."
Elizabeth of the Trinity (1880–1906)
Jesus... how sweet it is to love you, to be completely yours, to have you as my only Everything... May my life be a constant prayer, a single long act of love. May nothing be able to distance me from you... How I wish, my Master, to live with you in silence... I give you the entire cell of my heart, that it may become your little Bethany. Come and rest. I love you so much... I would like to be your comfort, and so I offer myself as a sacrifice, my Master, for you and with you. From now on, I accept all sacrifices and all trials, even the one that I will not feel you close. I ask you for one thing only: to always be generous and faithful.
Today I could offer Jesus many sacrifices in my effort to overcome my main fault... It cost me so much, and therefore I confess all my wretchedness... When I hear an unjust remark, I feel my blood boiling in my veins and my entire being rebels!... But Jesus was with me, I heard his voice deep in my heart, and thus I felt ready to endure it all for his love.
The apostle exclaimed: "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" (cf. Gal 2:20). This is the dream of my Carmelite soul... It is primarily Christ's dream, and I pray that he may fully accomplish it in our souls; let us strive to be in a certain sense "a continuation of his humanity," in which he could vivify the entirety of his mystery. I have asked him to settle in me as the Adorer, Redeemer, and Savior, and I cannot express the peace that floods my soul when I think that he replaces my incapabilities and that when I fall at every moment, he is present, lifts me up, and brings me closer to his heart, carrying me into the abyss of God's essence, in which we already dwell through grace and in which I wish to be buried to such a depth that no one would ever bring me back to the surface. It is there that my soul meets His soul... I am silent and bow before Him who loves us so divinely.
Finally, I am completely his, and He is everything to me; I have nothing but Him. He is my Everything! Now I have only one desire: to love him, to love him in every moment, to zeal for his honor, and to care for his happiness as a true bride, to soothe him by preparing in my soul a dwelling and refuge where he could, in the strength of his love, forget all injustices and the evil of the world.
How sweet it is to love you, Jesus, my Beloved, to belong to you and to know that you are Everything for me! Since you come into my heart every day, our unity has become even stronger. May my life become a continuous prayer, a long act of love. May nothing be able to distance me from you, neither noise nor distraction... For your love, I completely surrender myself to you. I offer you the chamber of my heart, that it may become your little Bethany... yes, may every heartbeat be a single act of love. My Jesus, my God, how beautiful it is to love you and to be completely yours!
Taken from the book: Elizabeth of the Holy Trinity, Life in God's Praise
Author: Giovanna della Croce
Published by: KNA
