The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Life: Learning to Listen to God with a Discerning Heart with Kris McGregor

Episode 38 – St. Gertrude the Great – Trust Before God

In this episode of The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Life, Kris McGregor continues with St. Gertrude the Great and turns more directly to the trust that marks her whole spiritual life. That trust did not arise suddenly or in isolation. It was formed in a Benedictine world of liturgy, Scripture, adoration, and long fidelity, and it became more deeply centered on the mercy of Christ. Gertrude shows that trust is not self-assurance dressed up in religious language. It is the soul’s answer to a mercy already offered.

Her teaching speaks powerfully to one of the deepest struggles in the spiritual life. Many souls still approach God as though He were reluctant, easily offended, or slow to receive them. Gertrude helps cut through that fear. She presents God as already turned toward the sinner in mercy. The soul does not need to overcome God’s resistance. It needs to let go of its own hesitation and come before Him in truth.

This vision fits naturally within the Benedictine way. The Holy Rule teaches humility, stability, and repeated return to God in prayer and liturgy. Through that steady life, the soul learns not to run from God but to come near Him more honestly. Gertrude’s confidence rests entirely on Christ’s love, especially as revealed in His Sacred Heart. This episode invites listeners to trust more deeply in the mercy of Jesus, to stop hiding behind fear or appearances, and to believe that His Heart is open, ready to forgive and ready to receive.

Citations

St. Gertrude the Great, The Herald of Divine Love

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

1. Do I tend to approach God as though He were reluctant to forgive or slow to receive me?
2. What fears or hesitations keep me from coming before the Lord more honestly?
3. How have prayer, liturgy, and daily fidelity been helping trust grow in me over time?
4. In what ways do I still rely more on my own control than on the mercy of Christ?
5. How does the image of the Sacred Heart help me understand God’s love more personally?

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The Rule Of St. Benedict For Daily Life: Learning To Listen To God With A Discerning Heart

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