Gertrud the Great of Helfta

1256 - 1302

Gertrude was brought to Helfta as a five year old, thought to be an orphan. The gifted child was educated under Mechtild of Hakeborn as well as by Mechtild of Magdeburg who dictated the last part of her book to Gertrude. Gertrude studied the sciences, the arts as well as theology. She spoke and wrote Latin and Greek fluently and translated parts of the Bible into German. She is reported to have said “No man shall surpass me in learnedness”
The date of her first vision of Christ she noted down as the most important date of her life on January 27th, 1281. Of that day she noted (addressing the Lord): I was in my 26th year. The day of my salvation was the Monday preceding the feast of the Purification of your most chaste Mother, which fell that year on the 27th of January. The desirable hour was after Compline, as dusk was falling.
My God, you who are all truth, clearer than all light, yet hidden deeper in our heart than any secret, when you yourself resolved to disperse the darkness of my night, you began gently and tenderly by first calming my mind, which had been troubled for more than a month past. This trouble it seems to me served your purpose. You were striving to destroy the tower of vanity and worldiness which I had set up in my pride, although, alas, I was - in vain - bearing the name and wearing the habit of a religious. (…) From that hour, in a new spirit of joyful serenity I began to follow the way of the sweet odor of your perfumes (Song 1:3) and I found your yoke sweet and your burden light (Matt. 11:30) which a short time before I had thought to be unbearable (The herald of divine love, Bk II, Chap. 1).
Gertrude of Helfta’s most important books are “The Herald of divine love”, and “The spiritual exercises”.