Gertrude of Helfta: Book III
Chapter 56 from Book III—“Why Life and Death Were One and the Same for Her”—helps to explain Gertrude’s character very well.[footnoteRef:1] Much of what she learns and communicates to the reader are lessons in humility and in serving God. For instance, in Chapter 6, Gertrude struggles with her role in the Mass: she feels her unworthiness even to watch the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and wants to bow down to the floor—and yet she hears Christ call to her and tell her that the greatest service she can do is not to grovel at the floor and declare her own unworthiness but rather to be of utility to God and unite her reception of the Eucharist with His intentions so that His grace may flow out to even more souls. She learns that true humility does not always mean acting unworthy but simply being a true servant of God. [1: Gertrude of Helfta. The Herald of Divine Love.1Translated by Margaret Winkworth. Classics of Western Spirituality,Paulist Press, 1993, 223.]
In Chapter 56 this lesson is really explained in the context of life and death....
Gertrude is sick for a long time yet never asks God if her sickness is going to cause her die or if she might get better. It is as though she is completely indifferent to the outcome because she is so concentrated and focused on the task at hand, which is loving God, serving Him and doing His will. In other words, she is truly working on knowing, loving and serving God in this world—and when she does that, there is no room for other thoughts, cares or concerns. Her focus is entirely where it should be: serving Christ and submitting to His will. Whatever He wills is what He wills—and there is no concern for it being good or bad because of course it will always be good, since He is a good God and can do no evil.
Understanding this, Gertrude submits herself fully to Him. Yet, she idly wonders why she never wonders whether she might get sick and die or get better and be healthy again. She hears God tell her that the reason she never wonders this is that she is completely in love with God, just as a bride is in love with a groom: she follows him, delights in talking to him, and never asks…
