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   ST. GERTRUDE: A UNIQUE INFLUENCE ON CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY   
      
   VATICAN CITY, 6 OCT 2010 (VIS) - In his general audience, held this morning in   
   St. Peter's Square, the Pope dedicated his catechesis to St. Gertrude, "one of   
   the most famous mystics and the only woman in Germany to receive the title of   
   'Great'", which was given to her "for her great cultural and evangelical   
   importance. With her life and thought she made a uniquely incisive contribution   
   to Christian spirituality", he said.   
      
   Born in the year 1256, at the age of five "she entered the convent, as often   
   happened at that time, for education and study. There she spent her whole   
   life".   
      
   Gertrude "was an outstanding student. ... She went on to dedicate herself   
   totally to God in monastic life and for twenty years nothing exceptional   
   happened: her principal activities were study and prayer". Then, at the age of   
   twenty-five, "she had a vision of a young man who took her by the hand and   
   guided her to loosen the knot of thorns oppressing her soul. In that hand,   
   Gertrude recognised ... the One Who saved us with His blood on the cross:   
   Jesus.   
      
   "From that moment her life of intimate communion with the Lord became more   
   intense", the Holy Father added. She abandoned "the profane humanistic sciences   
   for theological studies, and in her monastic observance she moved from a life   
   she herself defined as 'negligent' to one of intense mystical prayer, showing   
   exceptional missionary ardour".   
      
   Gertrude, Pope Benedict explained, "understood that she had been distant from   
   God, ... that she had dedicated herself too avidly to liberal studies, to human   
   knowledge, disregarding the spiritual sciences and depriving herself of the   
   taste of true wisdom. Now she was being led to the mountain of contemplation   
   where she abandoned the old self to clothe herself in the new".   
      
   This German saint "dedicated herself to writing, to revealing the truth of   
   faith with clarity, simplicity, grace and conviction, serving the Church with   
   love and faithfulness, and becoming much appreciated by theologians and men of   
   piety". Among her writings - of which few remain "because of the events that   
   led to the destruction of the convent of Helfta" - are the "'Herald of Divine   
   Love' or 'The Revelations', as well as the 'Spiritual Exercises', a rare jewel   
   of mystic spiritual literature", said the Holy Father.   
      
   "Gertrude added other prayers and penance to those imposed by the monastic   
   rule, with such devotion and faithful abandonment to God that she aroused in   
   those who met here the conviction of being in the presence of the Lord. And in   
   fact God Himself brought her to understand that He had called her to be an   
   instrument of His grace. Yet Gertrude felt unworthy of this immense divine   
   treasure, and confessed that she had not protected and cherished it". She died   
   in 1301 or 1302.   
      
   In closing, Benedict XVI highlighted how the example of St. Gertrude "shows us   
   that the focal point of a happy and authentic life is friendship with Jesus the   
   Lord. This is learned through love for Sacred Scripture and the liturgy,   
   through profound faith and through love for Mary, so as to gain increasing   
   knowledge of God and, therefore, to know true happiness which is the goal of   
   our existence".   
      
   Having concluded his catechesis, the Holy Father reminded the various pilgrim   
   groups present that October is the month dedicated to the Holy Rosary, and that   
   tomorrow marks the feast day of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary.   
      
   "The Rosary", he said turning to address Polish pilgrims, "is a special prayer   
   of the Church and a spiritual weapon for each one of you. May meditation on the   
   lives of Jesus and Mary be a light for all of us on our evangelical journey of   
   spiritual renewal and conversion of heart".   
   AG/VIS 20101006 (640)   
      
   SUMMARY   
      
   --- MPost/386 v1.21   
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