Born on the feast of the Epiphany in 1256 in modern-day Germany, Gertrude was taken in and raised by a Benedictine abbey at the age of four or five. No one knows for certain why, but Gertrude may have been an orphan, or dedicated to the church by her parents. She was very intelligent and an excellent student, and when she was old enough she took the habit of a Benedictine nun. She began having visions of Jesus at the age of 25 and developed a great love for the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She wrote extensively about it and helped spread the devotion.
CHALLENGE
St. Gertrude also had a devotion to the Holy Souls in Purgatory. In one of her visions, she was given a prayer from our Lord, who told her that piously reciting the prayer at the consecration of the wine would release a great number of Holy Souls. Today begin to memorize the prayer and recite it during the consecration of the wine every time you go to Mass.
The end of life is a difficult time, and the Catholic Church has a rich history of teachings and traditions to help people have a holy death, as well as grieve and pray for those who have departed from this world. Passing Time is a rich resource of catechesis, meditations, and prayers on the topics of suffering, death, and Purgatory, compiled from a variety of classical Catholic texts. Buy your copy today.
