St. Gertruda
Gertrude, Abbess of Gertrude
| March 17, reminder | |
| Position: | abbess |
| Death: | 659 |
| Patron: | hospitals, pilgrims and travelers, the poor and widows, gardeners, invoked when rodents multiply |
| Attributes: | abbess, princely clothing and insignia, church, lilies, mice |
CURRICULUM VITAE
She was the daughter of Pepin of Landen and Itta. Following her father’s death, her widowed mother established a monastery in Nivelles. Gertrude entered it with her mother and became an abbess. With great zeal, conscientiousness, and love, Gertrude led the sisters in their strict observance of the rule. She lived ascetically and performed works of mercy. She died at the age of 33, having spent about 19 years leading an exhausting religious life..
CV FOR MEDITATION
KNOWLEDGE OF GOD CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED THROUGH PERFECT LOVE
She was born in 626 in Landen, in the southern part of the province of Brabant. Her father, Pepin, was a majordomo (royal administrator) in eastern France. At a banquet attended by King Dagobert, the young Gertrude was asked for her hand in marriage. She told the king that she did not want a husband because she was already engaged to Christ and intended to belong to him alone.
Following her father’s death in 639, her widowed mother, Ita, founded a monastery for monks and nuns in Nivelles, now part of Belgium. Gertrude entered it at the age of fourteen. Gertrude became the first abbess, leading the young sisters with great zeal, conscientiousness, and love to strictly observe religious discipline. Gertrude enjoyed serving the elders and was hospitable to pilgrims, and the abbey became a base for missionary work by Irish monks.
After Ita’s death, she entrusted some of the monastery’s external affairs to neighboring monks and herself set about acquiring theological knowledge. She focused too much on the intellectual side, to the point that she became pensive and lost interest in prayer and meditation. However, a person who surrenders to God is not left without help. A voice spoke within her: “You will not know God by pondering and reasoning, because He is higher than reason and all human knowledge. You will know Him and approach Him only through perfect love.”
Gertrude listened to that voice, abandoned reason, and focused on making all her actions love. She continued her ascetic life of self-denial and fasting, and in contemplative prayers full of intimate communion with God. She did not neglect the works of mercy or the spiritual growth of the entire community.
She viewed life as short but important for the future. She saw it as a day full of work and hardship, for which she would be rewarded in eternity. Her life was cut short at the age of 33 due to exhaustion. Over the last three years of her life, her niece Viltruda had taken over her leadership role. According to her wishes, she was buried in penitential robes and a coarse veil.
According to legend, Gertrude once saved her country’s harvest from a plague of mice and rats through prayer. Consequently, mice became her distinctive attribute. It is said that, when a collection was organised for her tomb in Cologne, contributions in the form of gold and silver mice were received.
RESOLUTION, PRAYER
