Most of us associate the Sacred Heart devotion with St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. While Jesus chose her to spread this devotion throughout the Catholic world, He first introduced her to His Heart through the writings of a saint 400 years her senior: St. Gertrude the Great.
Gertrude was a Benedictine sister born in 1256 in Germany. By the age of 26, she was highly educated as a grammarian. She suddenly realized, however, that her academic accomplishments were not helping her get to heaven.
While she struggled with anxiety because of this, Our Lord appeared to Gertrude and comforted her, inflaming her with zeal for theology and the spiritual edification of her fellow Benedictines. She devoted herself to prayer and writing.
Gertrude’s recurring theme was the Heart of Jesus. Our Lord often spoke of It to her in visions. Once, He showed her His Heart and the graces which flow from It. He even allowed her—like St. John—to hear It beating.
Our Lord taught Gertrude that the love in His Heart for each and every soul is deep, intimate, and personal. He told her how He longed for every soul to come to Him in prayer and cultivate a personal relationship with Him.
There is much more that Gertrude learned from Jesus, but we’ll let her tell you about it herself. The Life & Revelations of Saint Gertrude the Great, intimidating as it sounds, is fascinating and readable. In it, she relates her visions in terms everyone can understand, offering a window into heaven to all who read it. Get your copy today from The Catholic Company!
