enjoy Thee throughout Eternity. And is it not meet and right, that, above all in Heaven or earth, above all that is not Thee, I should desire Thee alone, and crave Thee as my last end? O LORD, Thou art my Hope and my Glory, my Joy and my Blessedness. My soul is athirst my Blessedness; my soul and my heart exult and sing for joy to Thee, O my GOD, Life of my soul, Living and true GOD, Thou Source of Everlasting Light; whereof one ray hath fallen from Thy Countenance on me unworthy, to stamp Thy Likeness on me. To Thee my heart longeth to offer its homage for Thee. In Thee my of praise, and blessing. soul findeth its life, and Wherefore I would now in Thee my heart leapeth offer unto Thee all my for joy. Whither should powers of soul and body my adoring love draw as a sacrifice and burnt- me, but to Thy Bosom, offering before Thee. O my GOD? Thou art the beginning of all good, and Thou its blissful consummation; Thine Elect are filled with bliss in Thee. My heart and my mouth can sing Thy praise alone. The glory which streams from Thee issues from Thy Love, which is the glad springtime of all that live. Thou alone sufficest unto Thyself, and Thou faintest not, neither art Thou ever weary. Thy Countenance, sweeter But what shall I render unto Thee, O my GOD, for all the benefits which Thou hast bestowed on me? Thou hast loved me more than Thine own Glory. For my sake Thou hast not even spared Thyself, Thou hast created, redeemed, and elected me; Thou didst make me that Thou mightest draw me to Thyself, and give me life in Thee, and Thou hast predestined me to than milk and honey, is the food of Thine Elect, who behold it evermore. Blessed be Thy Glorious and Wonderful Light, O my GOD, and Thy Sovereign Majesty. Blessed be Thine Ineffable Glory, and Thine Infinite Power. Blessed be the Splendour of Thine Eternal Brightness, and the Spell of Thy Dazzling Beauty. Blessed be the great Deep of Thy most Righteous Judgment, and the unfathomable abyss of Thine Eternal Wisdom. Blessed be Thy Mercies without number, and the boundless munificence of Thy Benefits to all Thy Creatures, and Blessed be the Name of Thy Majesty for ever. Amen and Amen. ACT OF LOVE. LOVE, Thou art my first and fairest flower, the pledge of the plighted faith of my Betrothed, and the Dowry of Mine Espousals. For love of Thee I have despised and forsaken the world, and have put from me all its joys, that I might aspire to Thine Alliance. Vouchsafe to admit me to Thy tenderest, most intimate Love; my heart languisheth for Thy Kiss Divine. Open to me, the Sanctuary of Thine infinite tenderness; my soul thirsteth for Thine Eternal Embrace. Prepare for me the Feast of Thine abounding mercy; call me to the table where Thou dost impart all Thy sweetness; set before me the Exquisite Food of Thine everlasting forgiveness, which alone can give peace to my soul. Let us sit down together at Thy Banquet. O my Sovereign Good! Thou dost abound and superabound in all manner of riches, and Thou dost communicate Thyself to Thy creatures, in ways ineffable. Be Thou Thyself my Food. How can the spark live and glow far from the Fire that gave it being? Or how can the drop of water abide far from the Spring whence it was taken ? Let Thy longed-for Flame consume my whole substance, seize upon my whole soul. Thus let Thine Almighty Munificence deal with this grain of dust. O Love, to enjoy Thee is the union of the Soul with the Divine Word, the closest union with GOD. To commune with Thee is to be plunged into Thy very Essence, and to become partaker thereof; to enjoy Thee is to become one with GOD. For Thou art the Peace which passeth all understanding,and Thou art the sure way along which the Bride moves to the Object of her humble hope. O that it were given me, miserable as I am, to rest beneath the sha dow of Thy Love! Then wouldst Thou strengthen my heart with one of the thrilling consoling words of Thy Mouth; then should my soul hear from Thee the glad assurance: "I am thy salvation; the Sanctuary of My heart is open to thee." O compassionate Love, why hast Thou loved a creature so defiled and so covered with shame, but that Thou hast willed to render it fair in Thee? Let me not be confounded in my hope; but grant that my soul may find its rest in Thee. Nothing have I met so to be desired, nothing known so to be loved, nothing have I seen so to be longed for, as to rest beneath the shadow of the Wings of my GOD! O that it were given me to come so near to Thee that I might be in Thee! Beneath Thy Genial Ray, O Sun of Righ shall the hour come, teousness, all the flowers towards Whom alone my of virtue would spring soul doth look, when forth from me, who am but dust and ashes. Then would my soul, rendered fruitful by Thee, my Spouse, bring forth fruit into perfection. Then should I behold Thy Face, so long, so wistfully longed for; and then would it be my everlasting happiness to think that Thou hast not abhorred, O Thou Spotless One, to unite Thyself to a sinner like me. O Charity, O Love! at the hour of my death Thou wilt sustain me with Thy words, Thou wilt be my unobstructed Way to those fair and fertile pastures hidden in the Divine Wilderness, and my soul shall be inebriate with bliss; for there I shall see the Face of the Lamb, my Spouse and my GOD for ever. Amen. FA When shall my soul be arrayed in the white robe of Thy spotless Purity, and admitted to gaze on Thee, Thou fairer than the choirs of Angels, Who leadest the exulting songs of Virgins and of Saints? When shall it be given me to hear the new song of the Heavenly Espousals, that song which soars above the mighty acclaim of all creation, and with its excelling sweetness hushes every voice and every tongue of Thine Elect? my homage of gratitude for all Thou hast done for me, for my Creation and my Redemption, for my Vocation and withdrawal from the world, blend with this harmonious hymn. Accept in this transcendent melody my love for Thee. Draw its ties so closely, that my soul may be ceaselessly rapt and ravished at thought of Thee, amidst the trials and sorrows of this land of exile. May I ever thirst after Thy praise; O how blessed is that abode where sovereign praise and thanksgiving are rendered everlasting ly to GOD, One in Substance, Three in Persons, where the heavenly harpers hush their may my desire to rethrilling harmony and turn to Thee Who madlisten silently; where est me be daily more burning Seraphim droop glowing and eager, until their wings in ravishment ineffable. I lay down the weight of this oppressive body, and stand before Thee in Thine inmost secret place. Then when I gaze on Thy Godhead, shall my heart overflow O GOD of my heart, dearest Object of my desires, by Thy Power and Thy great Goodness deign to grant that the feeble note which with gladness, and my sings my worthless praise tongue break forth in and thanksgiving, may song; then shall Thy mingle with the melody Goodness be to me the ever flowing before Thy Fount of a joy ever-new Sacred Heart. Let this, and never-ending, and |