St Elizabeth of the Trinity is one of my favourite saints. This young Carmelite who died in 1906 at the age of 26 left behind many letters and pieces of writing which are a rich source of prayer and reflection, filled with practical insights into living in relationship with the Blessed Trinity. One of the aspects of her life and writings which appeals to me is the way in which she lived out her relationships with others whilst enclosed in Carmel.
Elizabeth had many good friends and was very close to her mother and sister. She maintained a steady correspondence with many of these people during her time in Carmel, but what is striking is that it is apparent she does not do so out of mere self-satisfaction. Sometimes friendships can be reduced to just getting something out of it for oneself, but for Elizabeth there is always a sense that they are drawing one another on towards heaven and the relationship takes place within this setting.
She does not hesitate to call out her younger friends if they were not behaving well, or to engage in difficult conversations regarding suffering and bereavement. There is a sense of security in this, Elizabeth is not afraid of ‘losing’ friends as she is coming from a place of authentic love, truly willing the good of the other.
Elizabeth’s letters demonstrate how she always seeks to lead people back to the love of God. She writes to her mother with, “all the love of her Carmelite heart, the heart that is all yours, for it is all His, all the Trinity’s.” And then to her friend Marie-Louise: “it is with his heart that I love you, with his soul that I pray to you.”
Elizabeth was able to love with the infinite love of the Trinity, that is, she was able to love freely. Her love for others did not hold her back from giving herself entirely to God in such a deeply radical way but she discovered friendship in a deeper way because they were united by God. One of the lines which most moved me was when she wrote to her Mother, who struggled with her daughter’s choice of vocation, that she felt closer to her in the walls of Carmel because she was immersed in the presence of the Trinity who united her and her Mother. What a grace to see this!
Image credit for St. Elizabeth of the Trinity: Discalced Carmelites. Collage created in Adobe Express by Deb Thurston. Originally published on the Carmelite Quotes Blog.
