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Elizabeth of the Trinity
Available in English for the first time, this short book is a powerful introduction to the spiritual wisdom of one of the Church's newest Elizabeth of the Trinity. There was nothing extraordinary in Elizabeth of the Trinity's life. There were no ecstasies. She didn't work miracles. She didn't communicate heavenly messages through visions or words she heard. Instead, she presented a message to modern man through her own life of fidelity, showing us that the true road to contemplative prayer is not an ascent to grasp God, but a descent into the depths of one's heart. She teaches us that only by drawing our souls inwardly can we move toward bold abandonment and achieve immersion in God, thereby connecting our spiritual lives to the eternal praise of the saints in heaven. In our noisy culture, Elizabeth of the Trinity reminds us of God's power to establish in us a profound and peaceful stillness. She reminds us that that the Trinity is our home, and that God has created us in order to be united to Christ. In these pages, Sister Giovanna della Croce presents a brief and readable introduction to the teachings of Elizabeth of the Trinity, showing us the truth path to contemplative prayer. St. John Paul II considered Elizabeth of the Trinity to be one of the most influential mystics in his spiritual life. Now you, too, can begin incorporating in your own spiritual life the mystical wisdom of Elizabeth of the Trinity.
110 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 9, 2017
An excellent, yet brief, introduction to the life and spirituality of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity. Worth the read, and the price. Nice to see this book finally translated into English!!
January 22, 2024
Quite, quite lovely! I was kinda hoping the last chapter would be a bit more /practical/ in the realm of ways we can implement St. Elizabeth’s contemplative Carmelite spirituality in lay modern lives. That’s my only complaint (and it’s not really a complaint).
June 6, 2020
I very much enjoyed this short text on the life of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity. What an amazing woman of God. More relatable than most other saints I have read. Highly recommend!
August 18, 2019
A Quiet Saint
"There is nothing extraordinary in her life. There were no ecstasies; she didn’t work miracles; she didn’t communicate words heard, revelations, or heavenly messages. " This quote from Elizabeth's biographer sums up the life of this quiet saint. I had never heard of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity for the same reasons. Her life as a Carmelite nun was lived in silence so she could listen to God and live out her vocation of praising and adoring Him. The other part of her time in the monastery at Dijon was spent praying for the people of the world and for their conversion. Sr. Della Croce, the author, also writes about Elizabeth's early life, her family and her decision to leave the outside world and enter religious life. An excellent book!
"There is nothing extraordinary in her life. There were no ecstasies; she didn’t work miracles; she didn’t communicate words heard, revelations, or heavenly messages. " This quote from Elizabeth's biographer sums up the life of this quiet saint. I had never heard of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity for the same reasons. Her life as a Carmelite nun was lived in silence so she could listen to God and live out her vocation of praising and adoring Him. The other part of her time in the monastery at Dijon was spent praying for the people of the world and for their conversion. Sr. Della Croce, the author, also writes about Elizabeth's early life, her family and her decision to leave the outside world and enter religious life. An excellent book!
September 19, 2025
The saints are excellent guides to living out Christianity, and St Elizabeth is no exception. I pray that everyone learns to form relationships across time with the saints, as this is a gateway to the greatest relationship of all…with our Trinitarian God. St Elizabeth teaches us how with her simple life and willingness to lead by open-book example. Get introduced to her here, then immerse in her thoughts through her letters and retreats. She very quickly introduces everyone, regardless of state of life, to deeper relationship with the Trinity. Absolutely captivating.
November 9, 2022
a very worthy book
In this small work we get a real taste of our Saint’s life of dedicated love of the Holy Trinity as lived out in Carmel. I recommend it for those wanting to know our dear Saint.
In this small work we get a real taste of our Saint’s life of dedicated love of the Holy Trinity as lived out in Carmel. I recommend it for those wanting to know our dear Saint.
May 23, 2018
Loved it
Wonderful book, loved it. I've always loved carmelite saints more than the saints of any other order. Though there are great saints of the other orders as well
Wonderful book, loved it. I've always loved carmelite saints more than the saints of any other order. Though there are great saints of the other orders as well
April 18, 2021
Nothing against the saint, of course. I thought this was poorly compiled and written though.
March 30, 2025
After reading the Claire Dwyer book, I wanted to learned more. I selected this book because the language seemed at a lay person’s level of understanding. I loved it!
May 10, 2022
Pure Love
For those longing to give themselves to God this book will be a light along the road to the most Holy Trinity.🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
For those longing to give themselves to God this book will be a light along the road to the most Holy Trinity.🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
October 27, 2016
Pop quiz! Who was the Elizabeth of the Trinity? What is her Feast Day? What pope considered her influential on his spiritual life? Time's up! Elizabeth of the Trinity was a French Discalced Carmelite religious, mystic, and saint as of October 16, 2016. Her Feast Day is November 8th, and Pope John Paul II (the pope who beatified her) was the Pope who drew spiritual inspiration from her. St. Elizabeth of the Trinity is what I like to refer to as a forgotten saint. Given the thousands of saints in the Roman Catholic Church, she is not alone in being "forgotten." Fortunately, we live in an age where we can readily learn about these lesser-known saints. Today, I would like to tell you about a book published by Sophia Institute Press and entitled Elizabeth of the Trinity: A Life of Praise to God.
Elizabeth of the Trinity is a short 100-page book that begins with a brief introduction on the world and culture she grew up in. It was 1880 and merely ten years after the fall of Napoleon's empire. At the same time that France was secularizing their schools, French Catholicism was experiencing a rebirth. The first chapter discusses her simple life and childhood. In addition to learning about her parents, we learn about her personality, which described as a strong character with an iron will. It is also said that she lived like most girls from a good, middle-class family. She went on vacations to places like the Alps, Switzerland, Lourdes, and Paris. She first encountered the sisters of Carmel at the age of 11, on the day of her First Communion. Her mother consented to enter Carmel when she turned 21. The remaining first chapter takes all the way through her life up to her beatification.
The next two chapters highlight the themes of her spirituality, such as "the presence of the Trinity within her being, conformity to Christ, and the making of her existence into a praise of the glory of God. We also learn about her contemplative mysticism which too was rooted in the Trinity. The final chapter provides us with examples on how her life and spirituality is still relevant today. Elizabeth of the Trinity is a quick read, but a vital introduction to a great saint. After reading through this book, I encourage you to find some of her works and read them for yourself. If her works were good enough to inspire Pope John Paul II, then they are certainly good enough for you.
Elizabeth of the Trinity is a short 100-page book that begins with a brief introduction on the world and culture she grew up in. It was 1880 and merely ten years after the fall of Napoleon's empire. At the same time that France was secularizing their schools, French Catholicism was experiencing a rebirth. The first chapter discusses her simple life and childhood. In addition to learning about her parents, we learn about her personality, which described as a strong character with an iron will. It is also said that she lived like most girls from a good, middle-class family. She went on vacations to places like the Alps, Switzerland, Lourdes, and Paris. She first encountered the sisters of Carmel at the age of 11, on the day of her First Communion. Her mother consented to enter Carmel when she turned 21. The remaining first chapter takes all the way through her life up to her beatification.
The next two chapters highlight the themes of her spirituality, such as "the presence of the Trinity within her being, conformity to Christ, and the making of her existence into a praise of the glory of God. We also learn about her contemplative mysticism which too was rooted in the Trinity. The final chapter provides us with examples on how her life and spirituality is still relevant today. Elizabeth of the Trinity is a quick read, but a vital introduction to a great saint. After reading through this book, I encourage you to find some of her works and read them for yourself. If her works were good enough to inspire Pope John Paul II, then they are certainly good enough for you.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews