Recommended Book: First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians - Kindle Edition (get Kindle app for phone) (paid link)

O most holy angel of God, appointed by God to be my guardian, I give you thanks for all the benefits which you have ever bestowed on me in body and in soul. I praise and glorify you that you condescended to assist me with such patient fidelity, and to defend me against all the assaults of my enemies. Blessed be the hour in which you were assigned me for my guardian, my defender and my patron. In acknowledgement and return for all your loving ministries to me, I offer you the infinitely precious and noble heart of Jesus, and firmly purpose to obey you henceforward, and most faithfully to serve my God. Amen.

About Saint Gertrude

Saint Gertrude of Nivelles (626-659 AD) was a 7th century abbess and saint. Some key details about her:

• She was born in 626 AD to an aristocratic family in what is now Belgium. Her father was Pepin of Landen, an important political adviser to the kings of the Merovingian dynasty.
• In 651 AD, she founded and became the first abbess of the Benedictine monastery of Nivelles. She led and guided the monastery in its early years.
• Though she died young at around age 33 in 659 AD, she had a reputation for great piety, kindness, and charity. Stories were told of Gertrude's miracles both when she was alive and after her death.
• She was also known for her ascetic lifestyle and devotion to prayer and scholarship. The monastery she founded put an emphasis on transcribing and collecting manuscripts.
• St. Gertrude was canonized in 1677. Her feast day is March 17, and she is the patron saint of travelers and gardeners. The monastery at Nivelles continued to revere her as its founding abbess for centuries after her death.

In summary, St. Gertrude was an early medieval abbess who established a leading monastic community, pioneered learning and manuscript culture, and was venerated after her death as a wonder-working saint.