A Little Book of Eternal Wisdom [34]
when Thou didst so nobly create the pure, tender, illustrious
creature above all pure creatures! Lord, then couldst Thou indeed say: I
think the thoughts of peace.[8] Lord, Thou hast, out of the abyss of Thy
essential goodness, reflected Thy glory interiorly to Thyself again,
inasmuch as Thou hast led back to their origin all beings gone astray in
their divine emanation. Yes, Heavenly Father, how should a sinful creature
dare to approach Thee, unless Thou hadst given him Thy own elected child,
Eternal Wisdom, for a guide? Yes, Eternal Wisdom, how should a sinful
creature dare at all times to discover his uncleanness before such purity,
unless indeed he took the mother of all compassion for his protectress?
Eternal Wisdom! if Thou art my brother, Thou art also my Lord; if Thou art
truly man, woe is me! so art Thou also truly God, and a very severe judge of
evil deeds. For this reason, when our poor souls are in the narrow
prison-house of fathomless sorrow of heart, and we can neither stir here nor
there, nothing remains for us except to lift up our miserable eyes to thee,
O chosen Queen of Heaven. Therefore, thou mirror reflecting the brightness
of the eternal sun, thou hidden treasure of infinite compassion, this day do
I and all penitent hearts salute thee! O ye exalted spirits, ye pure souls,
stand forth, extol and praise, commend and exult in the ravishing paradise
of all delight, the sublime Queen! for I am not worthy to do so, unless in
her goodness she vouchsafe to allow me. O thou chosen bosom friend of God,
thou fair golden crown of Eternal Wisdom, permit me, a poor sinner, even me
in my weakness, to speak to thee a little in confidence. With a trembling
heart, with a countenance of shame, with dejected eyes, my soul falls down
before thee. O thou mother of all graces, methinks neither my soul nor any
other sinful soul requires permission or a passport to repair to thee. Art
thou not the immediate mediatrix of all sinners? The more sinful a soul is,
the more reasonable it seems to her that she should have free access to
thee; the deeper she is in wickedness, the more reason she has to press
forwards to thee. Therefore, my soul, step joyfully forth! If thy great
crimes drive thee away, her unfathomable goodness invites thee to draw near.
O, therefore, thou only consolation of all sinful hearts, thou only refuge
of guilty mortals, to whom so many a wet eye, so many a wounded, miserable
heart is raised up, be a gracious mediatrix and channel of reconciliation
between me and the Eternal Wisdom. O think, think, thou mild Queen elect,
that thou derivest all thy merits from us poor sinners. What was it made
thee God's mother, made thee a casket in which the Eternal Wisdom reposed? O
Lady, it was the sins of us poor mortals! How couldst thou becalled a mother
of graces and compassion, except through our wretchedness, which has need of
grace and compassion. Our poverty has made thee rich, our crimes have
ennobled thee above all pure creatures. O turn hither then the eyes of thy
compassion, which thy gentle heart never turned from a sinner, from a
forlorn mortal! Take me under thy protection, for my consolation and
confidence are in thee. How many a guilty soul, after having bid farewell to
God and all the heavenly host, by denying God and despairing of Him, and
being lamentably separated from Him, has, by still clinging to thee, been
sweetly detained, till at length, through thy intercession, it has again
attained to grace. Who is the sinner, how great soever his crimes, to whom
thy overflowing goodness has denied assistance? Lo, when my soul seriously
reflects within herself, methinks it were only right, if it were possible,
that while my eyes wept for joy, my heart should leap out of my mouth; so
does thy name dissolve in my mouth like honey from the comb. Even thou art
called the mother, the Queen of Compassion, yes, tender mother, yes, gentle
mother of compassion! O what a name! O how unfathomable is the being whose
name is so rich in grace! Did ever the melody of
creature above all pure creatures! Lord, then couldst Thou indeed say: I
think the thoughts of peace.[8] Lord, Thou hast, out of the abyss of Thy
essential goodness, reflected Thy glory interiorly to Thyself again,
inasmuch as Thou hast led back to their origin all beings gone astray in
their divine emanation. Yes, Heavenly Father, how should a sinful creature
dare to approach Thee, unless Thou hadst given him Thy own elected child,
Eternal Wisdom, for a guide? Yes, Eternal Wisdom, how should a sinful
creature dare at all times to discover his uncleanness before such purity,
unless indeed he took the mother of all compassion for his protectress?
Eternal Wisdom! if Thou art my brother, Thou art also my Lord; if Thou art
truly man, woe is me! so art Thou also truly God, and a very severe judge of
evil deeds. For this reason, when our poor souls are in the narrow
prison-house of fathomless sorrow of heart, and we can neither stir here nor
there, nothing remains for us except to lift up our miserable eyes to thee,
O chosen Queen of Heaven. Therefore, thou mirror reflecting the brightness
of the eternal sun, thou hidden treasure of infinite compassion, this day do
I and all penitent hearts salute thee! O ye exalted spirits, ye pure souls,
stand forth, extol and praise, commend and exult in the ravishing paradise
of all delight, the sublime Queen! for I am not worthy to do so, unless in
her goodness she vouchsafe to allow me. O thou chosen bosom friend of God,
thou fair golden crown of Eternal Wisdom, permit me, a poor sinner, even me
in my weakness, to speak to thee a little in confidence. With a trembling
heart, with a countenance of shame, with dejected eyes, my soul falls down
before thee. O thou mother of all graces, methinks neither my soul nor any
other sinful soul requires permission or a passport to repair to thee. Art
thou not the immediate mediatrix of all sinners? The more sinful a soul is,
the more reasonable it seems to her that she should have free access to
thee; the deeper she is in wickedness, the more reason she has to press
forwards to thee. Therefore, my soul, step joyfully forth! If thy great
crimes drive thee away, her unfathomable goodness invites thee to draw near.
O, therefore, thou only consolation of all sinful hearts, thou only refuge
of guilty mortals, to whom so many a wet eye, so many a wounded, miserable
heart is raised up, be a gracious mediatrix and channel of reconciliation
between me and the Eternal Wisdom. O think, think, thou mild Queen elect,
that thou derivest all thy merits from us poor sinners. What was it made
thee God's mother, made thee a casket in which the Eternal Wisdom reposed? O
Lady, it was the sins of us poor mortals! How couldst thou becalled a mother
of graces and compassion, except through our wretchedness, which has need of
grace and compassion. Our poverty has made thee rich, our crimes have
ennobled thee above all pure creatures. O turn hither then the eyes of thy
compassion, which thy gentle heart never turned from a sinner, from a
forlorn mortal! Take me under thy protection, for my consolation and
confidence are in thee. How many a guilty soul, after having bid farewell to
God and all the heavenly host, by denying God and despairing of Him, and
being lamentably separated from Him, has, by still clinging to thee, been
sweetly detained, till at length, through thy intercession, it has again
attained to grace. Who is the sinner, how great soever his crimes, to whom
thy overflowing goodness has denied assistance? Lo, when my soul seriously
reflects within herself, methinks it were only right, if it were possible,
that while my eyes wept for joy, my heart should leap out of my mouth; so
does thy name dissolve in my mouth like honey from the comb. Even thou art
called the mother, the Queen of Compassion, yes, tender mother, yes, gentle
mother of compassion! O what a name! O how unfathomable is the being whose
name is so rich in grace! Did ever the melody of