Pietrarubbia 1807-1810

In 1807, at the age of 21, Elisabetta chose to enter the monastery of Augustinians at Pietrarubbia. She felt immediately the strength coming from her vocation. This is apparent from a letter she wrote to her father, in which she expressed her strong desire to give her whole life to God, for the glory of God, in the house of God.

Elisabetta blossomed in her relationship with the Lord and she was very happy. The letter she wrote to the Abbess of the monastery at Mondaino testifies to this. She emptied herself to be filled only by God, so that she would be able to give Him to those poor souls who did not know the gift of God. In the walls of the monastery, God prepared Elisabetta for the apostolic mission that he would call her to later.

In 1810, the Napoleonic suppression closed the monastery and it was never reopened because its location was very disadvantageous and the basic necessities of life were lacking. Because of historical events, after such happy experiences, Elisabetta too had to abandon the monastery and return to live with her family in 1810; this was a very painful moment for her. She reacted with an attitude of a saint and accepted it as a gift, convinced that sufferings is the only way to follow God’s Divine will. “The cross! It gave peace to the world, and I love it! A suffering no accepted is no longer a suffering; I do not complain.” Elisabetta continued to live a monastic lifestyle.

Elisabatta’s letter to her father

“I will remain in this cloister just as in the past the serf remained on the land he cultivated… confitemini Domino, quoniam bunus, quoniam in saeculum misericofia ejus: give praise to the Lord for He is good, for His mercy is everlasting.

Other than God nothing is important, nothing, nothing in the world. If there is wealth, it vanishes; if there is health, it is lost; if there is reputation, it is attacked; ah, they will dissolve, they will perish.

Oh, father, permit me to remain here, awaiting the reward of good works, of good thoughts, of good desires for God, who alone is good, takes into consideration even our good desires. God offers me so much! Don’t you want me to cultivate his friendship at once, to take into account at once all the great promises that He has made to me?

Dearest father, I tell you: I have a great desire to do good and to pray constantly, in the house of God, for the glory of God, or rather, for the greater glory of God.”

Elisabetta’s letter to the Abbess

“Imagine that you see me , the worthless but fortunate Elisabetta, in the small cell that is so dear to me, the sanctuary made only for Jesus and myself, and then you will easily imagine the happy hours that I pass there with my Delight.

How empty our cells and cloisters would be if He himself did not fill them! However, everything speaks to us of Him, because we bear Him within us, and our lives are a foretaste of paradise.

The cell is such a sacred place! It is an intimate sanctuary destined for Him and His bride, and it is good for them to be there together.

I would like for all of my being to be silent and for everything in me to adore Him, to thus penetrate every more deeply into Him and to be filled with Him, and thus, to be able to give Him to those poor souls who do not know the gift of God! Oh, that I may remain always in the great presence of God.”

Video of Pietrarubbia

How empty our cells and cloisters would be if He himself did not fill them! However, everything speaks to us of Him, because we bear Him within us, and our lives are a foretaste of paradise.

Blessed Elisabetta Renzi

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