' ... sciens quia melior est misericordia tua super vitas.' La théologie de la miséricorde de Gertrude von Helfta dans le contexte de la mystique médiévale féminine

Alexandros G.Sfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Message: Gertrude the Great From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigationJump to search Saint Gertrude Santa Giustina (Padua) - Ecstasy of St. Gertrude by Pietro Liberi.jpg Saint Gertrude of Helfta Virgin Born January 6, 1256 Eisleben, Thuringia, Holy Roman Empire Died c. 1302 Helfta, Saxony, Holy Roman Empire Venerated in Catholic Church Canonized 1677 (equipollent) by Clement XII Feast November 7 Attributes crown, lily, taper Patronage West Indies Gertrude the Great (or Saint Gertrude of Helfta; Italian: Santa Gertrude; January 6, 1256 – c. 1302) was a German Benedictine nun, mystic, and theologian. She is recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church, and is inscribed in the General Roman Calendar for optional celebration throughout the Roman Rite, as a memorial on November 16. Contents 1 Life 2 Works 3 Devotion to the Sacred Heart 4 Later reputation and influence 5 Veneration 6 Patronage 7 Legacy 8 See also 9 Notes 10 References 11 Further reading 12 External links Life Little is known of the early life of Gertrude who was born on the Feast of the Epiphany, January 6, 1256, in Eisleben, Thuringia (within the Holy Roman Empire). At the age of four,[1] she entered the monastery school at St. Mary at Helfta (with much debate having occurred as to whether this monastery is best described as Benedictine or Cistercian),[2] under the direction of its abbess, Gertrude of Hackeborn. It is speculated that she was offered as a child oblate to the church by devout parents. Given that Gertrude implies in the Herald that her parents were long dead at the time of writing,[3] however, it is also possible that she entered the monastery school as an orphan. Gertrude was confided to the care of Mechtilde, younger sister of the Abbess Gertrude, and joined the monastic community in 1266.[4] It is clear from her own writings that she received a thorough education in a range of subjects. She, and the nun who authored Books 1 and 3-5 of the Herald, are thoroughly familiar with scripture, the Church Fathers such as Augustine and Gregory the Great, and also more contemporary spiritual writers such as Richard and Hugh of St Victor, William of St Thierry, and Bernard of Clairvaux. Moreover, Gertrude's writing demonstrates that she was well-versed in rhetoric, and her Latin is very fluent.[5] In 1281, at the age of 25, she experienced the first of a series of visions[6] that continued throughout her life, and which changed the course of her life. Her priorities shifted away from secular knowledge and toward the study of scripture and theology. Gertrude devoted herself strongly to personal prayer and meditation, and began writing spiritual treatises for the benefit of her monastic sisters.[7] Gertrude became one of the great mystics of the 13th century. Together with her friend and teacher Mechtilde, she practiced a spirituality called "nuptial mysticism," that is, she came to see herself as the bride of Christ.[8] Gertrude died at Helfta, near Eisleben, Saxony, around 1302. Her feast day is celebrated on November 16, but the exact date of her death is unknown; the November date stems from a confusion with Abbess Gertrude of Hackeborn. Works Gertrud von Helfta, Merazhofen Pfarrkirche Chorgestühl Gertrude produced numerous writings, though only some survive today. The longest survival is the Legatus Memorialis Abundantiae Divinae Pietatis (known in English today as The Herald of Divine Love or The Herald of God's Loving-Kindness, and sometimes previously known as Life and Revelations), partly written by other nuns. There also remains her collection of Spiritual Exercises. A work known as Preces Gertrudianae (Gertrudian Prayers) is a later compilation, made up partly of extracts from the writings of Gertrude and partly of prayers composed in her style.[9] It is also very possible that Gertrude was the author of a part of the revelations of Mechthild of Hackeborn, the Book of Special Grace.[9] The Herald is composed of five books. Book 2 forms the core of the work, and was written by Gertrude herself; she states that she began the work on Maundy Thursday 1289. Books 3, 4, and 5 were written by another nun, or possibly more than one, during Gertrude's lifetime and probably at least in part at her dictation. Book 1 was written shortly before or after Gertrude's death as an introduction to the whole collection; it is possible it was written by Gertrude's confessor, but far more likely that the author was another Helfta nun.[10] The importance of the Spiritual Exercises extends to the present day because they are grounded in the themes and rites of Catholic liturgy for occasions of baptism, conversion, commitment, discipleship, union with God, praise of God, and preparation for death. Gertrude's Spiritual Exercises can still be used by anyone who seeks to deepen spirituality through prayer and meditation.[11] Devotion to the Sacred Heart One of the most esteemed woman saints of the Christian West, she was a notable early devotee of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.[7] Book 2 of the Herald of Divine Love is notable within the history of Christian devotion because its vivid descriptions of Gertrude's visions show a considerable elaboration on the long-standing but ill-defined veneration of Christ's heart. This veneration was present in the belief that Christ's heart poured forth a redemptive fountain through the wound in his side, an image culminating in its most famous articulation by Bernard of Clairvaux in his commentary on the Song of Songs. The women of Helfta—Gertrude foremost, who surely knew Bernard's commentary, and to a somewhat lesser extent the two Mechthilds, Mechthild of Magdeburg and Mechthild of Hackeborn—made this devotion central to their mystical visions.[12] Gertrude reported a vision on the Feast of John the Evangelist. She was resting her head near the wound in the Christ's side and hearing the beati ng of his heart. She asked John if on the night of the Last Supper he had felt these pulsations, why he had never spoken of the fact. John replied that this revelation had been reserved for subsequent ages when the world, having grown cold, would have need of it to rekindle its love.[13] Later reputation and influence After her death, Gertrude's works seem to have vanished almost without trace. Only five manuscripts of the Herald have survived, the earliest one being written in 1412, and only two of these manuscripts are complete. With the invention of printing, Gertrude became far more prominent, with Latin, Italian and German editions being published in the sixteenth century. She was popular in seventeenth-century France, where her trust in and burning love for God were potent antidotes to Jansenism. Philip Neri and Francis de Sales both used her prayers and recommended them to others. In Spain, Bishop Diego of Tarragona, the confessor to Philip II, read the revelations of Gertrude aloud to the king as he lay dying in the Escorial. Her works were also popular with the Discalced Carmelites in the sixteenth century. Francisco Ribera, the confessor to Teresa of Ávila, recommended that she take Gertrude as spiritual mistress and guide. More recently, Dom Prosper Guéranger, the restorer of Benedictine monasticism in France, was influenced by Gertrude. His Congregation of Solesmes was responsible for most of the work done on Gertrude in the nineteenth century.[14] Veneration Saint Gertrude by Miguel Cabrera, 1763 Gertrude was never formally canonized, but a liturgical office of prayer, readings, and hymns in her honor was approved by Rome in 1606. The Feast of Saint Gertrude was extended to the Catholic Church by Clement XII and today is celebrated on November 16, the date of her death. Some religious communities, including the Benedictines, celebrate her feast on November 17. Pope Benedict XIV gave her the title "the Great" to distinguish her from Abbess Gertrude of Hackeborn and to recognize the depth of her spiritual and theological insight.[11] Gertrude showed "tender sympathy towards the souls in purgatory" and urged prayers for them.[15] She is therefore invoked for suffering souls in purgatory. The following prayer is attributed to St. Gertrude, and is often depicted on her prayer card: Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, for those in my own home and in my family. Amen. Perhaps for that reason, her name has been attached to a prayer that, according to a legend of uncertain origin and date (neither are found in the Revelations of Saint Gertrude the Great), Christ promised to release a thousand souls from purgatory each time it was said; despite the fact that practices relative to alleged promises to free one or more souls from purgatory by the recitation of some prayer were prohibited by Pope Leo XIII.[16] Nonetheless, the material that is found in her Revelations, such as the celebration of Gregorian Masses for the departed, is well in line with the devotions approved by the Catholic Church. Patronage In compliance with a petition from King Philip IV of Spain she was declared Patroness of the West Indies; in Peru her feast is celebrated with great pomp, and in New Mexico the town Santa Gertrudis de lo de Mora was built in her honor and bears her name.[4] Legacy Emblem of the Papacy SE.svg Part of a series on the Sacred Heart of Jesus Sacredheart.svg Sacred HeartImmaculate HeartAlliance of HeartsDivine Mercy Devotions Act of ConsecrationPrayerFeastScapular People Saint LutgardeSaint Mechtilde of HackebornSaint Gertrude the GreatSaint Bridget of SwedenSaint John EudesKasper DrużbickiSaint Margaret Mary AlacoqueBlessed Mary of the Divine HeartEstelle FaguetteSister Consolata Betrone Encyclicals Annum sacrumHaurietis aquas Churches CathedralsChurches 046CupolaSPietro.jpg Catholicism portal vte In subsequent centuries, Gertrude the Great was often confused with the abbess of St Mary at Helfta, Gertrude of Hackeborn; as a result, she is often incorrectly depicted in art holding a crosier. The Monastery of St. Gertrude in Cottonwood, Idaho, is home to a community of about 50 professed Benedictine nuns.[11] Parishes are dedicated to Saint Gertrude in Washington, Missouri;[17] Cincinnati, Ohio;[18] Kingsville, Texas;[19] Woodstock, New Brunswick, Canada; Franklin Park, Illinois; and Chicago, Illinois. Saint Gertrude High School is a Catholic college preparatory day school for young women in grades 9-12 in Richmond, Virginia.[20] Saint Gertrude Church in Firies, Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland. Saint Gertrude the Great Catholic School (TK-8th Grade) and Parish in Bell Gardens, California.[21] Part of a series on Christian mysticism Transfiguration of Jesus Theology · Philosophy[show] Practices[show] People (by era or century)[show] Literature · Media[show] vte See also Christian mystics Saint Mechtilde of Hackeborn Blessed Mary of the Divine Heart Notes Her biographer states "in her fifth year", leading some to misinterpret this as being when she was five years old. See Alexandra Barrett, 'Introduction', in Gertrud the Great of Helfta, The Herald of God's Loving-Kindness: Books One and Two, (Kalamazoo, 1991), p10 This has been a point of some contention in twentieth-century studies of Gertrude. The best answer is that, technically, Helfta was a Benedictine monastery, but one which was strongly influenced by the Cistercian reform; this reflects the lack of clear-cut distinctions between the Orders at this time. Helfta, like many other monasteries of nuns following the Rule of St Benedict, was very much influenced by the Cistercian customs (and was in fact founded in 1258 by a group of nuns from Halberstadt who had adopted Cistercian customs). However, it was not, and could not, have been officially Cistercian, because in 1228 the General Chapter of Citeaux had forbidden the acceptance of any more monasteries of nuns into their Order, since the monks were already overburdened by the number of nuns under their care. Helfta, therefore, could not have been officially Cistercian. It is clear, though, that Helfta's customs seem to have been those of Citeaux, and certainly the works of Bernard of Cl airvaux were extremely influential at Helfta. It is unclear whether the nuns wore a black 'Benedictine' or white 'Cistercian' habit, but interesting to note that both Gertrude and Mechtilde are almost universally represented in black. The spiritual directors of the monastery were neither Benedictines nor Cistercians, but Dominicans. See Sr Maximilian Marnau, 'Introduction', in Gertrude of Helfta, The Herald of Divine Love, (New York: Paulist Press, 1993), p10; Caroline Bynum Walker, Jesus as Mother, (Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1982), pp174-5. Herald, Book 2, chapter 16 "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Gertrude the Great". www.newadvent.org. Retrieved 18 August 2017. Sr Maximilian Marnau, 'Introduction', in Gertrude of Helfta, The Herald of Divine Love, (New York: Paulist Press, 1993), p6 This is described in Herald 1.1 and 2.1 "ST. GERTRUDE THE GREAT :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)". Retrieved 18 August 2017. Foley O.F.M., Leonard. Saint of the Day, Lives, Lessons, and Feast, (revised by Pat McCloskey O.F.M.), Franciscan Media ISBN 978-0-86716-887-7 Marnau, p.11. Sr Maximilian Marnau, 'Introduction', in Gertrude of Helfta, The Herald of Divine Love, (New York: Paulist Press, 1993), p12. Marnau suggests that Book 1 was written after Gertrude's death. Alezandra Barrett suggests that the absence of mention of Gertrude's death in Book 1 implies it was possibly written before her death. See Alexandra Barrett, 'Introduction', in Gertrud the Great of Helfta, The Herald of God's Loving-Kindness: Books One and Two, (Kalamazoo, 1991), p17 "Bossert, Sr. Evangela. "St. Gertrude of Helfta", Monastery of St. Gertrude, Cottonwood, Idaho". Archived from the original on 16 May 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2017. "Illiniois Medieval Association - EMS". ima.wildapricot.org. Retrieved 2020-08-23. , Mark W. Lynn Phd, Mark W., "History of the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus", Knights of Columbus-Florida State Council Archived 2014-02-01 at the Wayback Machine Marnau, p.43. Knight, Kevin (January 9, 2009). "St. Gertrude the Great". New Advent. O'Sullivan, Paul (March 4, 1936). "Prayer of St. Gertrude the Great (from "Read Me or Rue It")". Our Lady of the Rosary Library. "St. Gertrude Parish, Washington, Missouri". Archived from the original on 6 January 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2017. "Saint Gertrude the Great - St. Gertrude Parish". www.stgertrude.org. Archived from the original on 6 January 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2017. "Welcome!". Retrieved 18 August 2017. "St. Gertrude High School, Richmond, Virginia". Archived from the original on 2 June 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2017. "Our Parish - St. Gertrude the Great Catholic School". Retrieved 18 August 2017. References Gertrude of Helfta, The Herald of Divine Love, translated and edited by Margaret Winkworth, introduced by Sister Maximilian Marnau, preface by Louis Bouyer. Classics of Western Spirituality. (New York: Paulist Press, 1993) [This contains a full translation of Books 1 and 2, and a partial translation of Book 3.] Further reading Gertrude the Great of Helfta, Spiritual Exercises, Translated, with an Introduction, by Gertrud Jaron Lewis and Jack Lewis. Cistercian Fathers series no. 49, (Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications, 1989) Gertrud the Great of Helfta, The Herald of God's Loving-Kindness, books 1 and 2, translated, with an Introduction, by Alexandra Barratt. Cistercian Fathers series no. 35, (Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 1991) Gertrud the Great of Helfta, The Herald of God's Loving-Kindness, book 3, translated, with an Introduction, by Alexandra Barratt. Cistercian Fathers series no. 63, (Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 1999) External links Benedict XVI, "On St. Gertrude", General audience, October 6, 2010 The Life and Revelations of Saint Gertrude the Great - the full text online. Dolan, Gilbert. St. Gertrude the Great, Sands & Co., London, 1913 St. Gertrude of Helfta at the Christian Iconography web site. vte Women writers of the Middle Ages 10th century AishaHrotsvitha 11th century AvaMurasaki ShikibuTakasue's daughter 12th century Anna KomneneHéloïseHildegard of BingenMarie de FranceTrota of Salerno 13th century Clare of AssisiGertrude the GreatMechthild of Magdeburg 14th century Bridget of SwedenCatherine of SienaChristine de PizanJulian of NorwichMargery Kempe Women in the Middle Ages Portals Access related topics Gloriole blur.svgSaints portalP vip.svgBiography portalP christianity.svgChristianity portalFlag of Germany.svgGermany portal Authority control Edit this at Wikidata BIBSYS: 90356535BNE: XX1149535BNF: cb120401774 (data)CANTIC: a1025058xCiNii: DA04314576GND: 118691007ISNI: 0000 0001 1453 241XLCCN: n82275764NKC: jn20010525069NLA: 36070297NLG: 92629NSK: 000435334NTA: 070428131SELIBR: 188169SNAC: w66b0f0hSUDOC: 028598326Trove: 331722VIAF: 100185699WorldCat Identities: lccn-n82275764 Categories: 1256 births1302 deaths13th-century Christian mystics13th-century Christian saints13th-century German women writers14th-century Christian mystics14th-century Christian saints14th-century German women writersFemale saints of medieval GermanyGerman BenedictinesGerman Christian mysticsGerman Roman Catholic saintsMedieval German saintsRhineland mysticsRoman Catholic mysticsWomen mystics14th-century Latin writers13th-century Latin writers Navigation menu Not logged in Talk Contributions Create account Log in ArticleTalk ReadEditView historySearch Search Wikipedia Main page Contents Current events Random article About Wikipedia Contact us Donate Contribute Help Learn to edit Community portal Recent changes Upload file Tools What links here Related changes Special pages Permanent link Page information Cite this page Wikidata item Print/export Download as PDF Printable version In other projects Wikimedia Commons Languages Deutsch Ελληνικά Español Français Bahasa Indonesia Italiano Português Русский 中文 18 more Edit links This page was last edited on 4 November 2020, at 23:27 (UTC). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. Privacy policyAbout WikipediaDisclaimersContact WikipediaMobile viewDevelopersStatisticsCookie statementWikimedia FoundationPowered by MediaWiki " ... sciens quia melior est misericordia tua super vitas." La théologie de la miséricorde de Gertrude von Helfta dans le contexte de la mystique médiévale féminine Μέσω edoc: No conditions. Results ordered -Date Deposited. La mystique Gertrude d'Helfta (1256-1302) développe dans ses écrits une théologie convaincue de la miséricorde. La misericordia y est considérée comme la forme essentielle de rencontre avec la présence de Dieu. Dans son ouvrage des Exercices ( exercitia spiritualia) , précisément, Gertrude d'Helfta envisage fondamentalement la miséricorde divine comme le principe de toute vie. L'homme peut y répondre uniquement par un amour inconditionnel. Les voies catégorielles de connaissance que sont l'intellect, l'émotion ou la sagesse ne permettent d'appréhender ni l'amour, ni la miséricorde. Cette ébauche fait donc de la miséricorde un existential mystique. La mystique féminine des treizième et quatorzième siècles comprend, dans son ensemble, de nombreuses références à la miséricorde divine. Mathilde de Magdebourg (1207-1282 environ) mentionne très souvent la vertu humaine de la miséricorde, entravée principalement par l'« indolence du cœur ». A c ertains égards, la position de Mathilde importe pour le vaste champ de la mystique médiévale féminine. La miséricorde a certes valeur de « principe originel » de l'aide divine. Néanmoins, dans ce contexte, cette miséricorde essentielle passe au second plan, confrontée à la grâce de médiation et aux dons divins concrets. Leurs implications éthiques et les préceptes moraux correspondants dominent le chemin théologique. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.