A Little Book of Eternal Wisdom [35]
song resound as soothingly
in an agitated heart as thy pure name in our penitent hearts? At this
exalted name all heads in reason ought to incline, all knees to bend. How
often hast thou not put to flight the hostile powers of wicked spirits, how
often hast thou not allayed the angry justice of the severe judge! How often
hast thou not obtained from Him grace and consolation! Yes, poor sinful
mortals as we are, what have we to say to it? How shall we ever acknowledge
such great goodness? If all angelic tongues, all pure spirits and souls, if
heaven and earth and all that is contained in them cannot properly praise
her merits, her ravishing beauty, her graciousness and immeasurable dignity,
alas! what shall we sinful hearts be able to do? Let us do our best, and
express to her our acknowledgements, our thanks; for indeed her great
kindness does not look at the smallness of the gift, it looks at the purity
of intention. ah, sweet Queen, with what justice may not thy sex rejoice in
thy sweet name; for cursed was the first Eve that she ever eat of the bitter
fruit of the tree of knowledge; blessed be the second Eve that she brought
us again the sweet fruit of heaven! Let no one lament over Paradise; one
paradise we lost, and have won two others. For is she not a paradise in whom
grew the fruit of the living tree? in whom all delight and joy are contained
together? And is not that also a paradise above every paradise in whom the
dead again live, if they only taste His fruit from whose hands,feet, and
side the living fountains which irrigate all the earth flow,[9] the
fountains of inexhaustible mercy, fathomless wisdom, overflowing sweetness,
ardent love, the fountains of eternal life? Truly, Lord, whoever tastes of
this fruit, whoever has drunk of this fountain, knows that these two gardens
of paradise far surpass the earthly paradise. But thou, O Queen elect, art
the gate of all grace, the door of compassion, that never yet was shut.
Heaven and earth may pass away, ere thou wilt permit anyone who earnestly
seeks thy assistance to depart from thee without obtaining it. Behold, for
this very reason art thou the first object my soul sees when I awake, the
last when I lie down to sleep. How should anything which thy pure hands
present before God and commend unto Him, how small soever in itself, be
rejected? Take, O take, therefore, the smallness of my works and present it,
so that, in thy hands it may appear something before the eyes of God
Almighty. Even thou art the pure vessel of red gold, melted down with
graces, inlaid with precious emeralds, and sapphires, and all virtues, whose
single aspect, in the sight of the heavenly King, surpasses that of all
other creatures. O, thou lovely divine spouse elect, if King Ahasuerus was
captivated by the beauty of Esther, if she was found pleasing in his eyes
above all women, if she found favour above them all, so that he did for her
whatever she desired, O thou, all red roses and lilies, surpassing beauty,
how justly may the King of Heaven be captivated by thy spotless purity, thy
meek humility, by the sweet smelling nosegay of all thy virtues and graces!
Or, who has ever caught the wild and noble unicorn, if not thou?[10] How
infinitely pleasing, above all mortals, in His eyes is thy delicate and
love-inspiring beauty, before which all other beauty fades like a glow-worm
before the brightness of the sun. What overflowing grace hast thou not found
before Him for thyself and us mortals who are without grace! How should, how
can, then, the Heavenly King deny thee anything? Truly mayest thou say, My
Beloved is mine, and I am His. Ah! thou art God's, and God is thine, and ye
two have an eternal and unfathomable reciprocation of love which no duality
can divide. Think of us poor needy ones, who continue to wander so
wretchedly in sorrowful affliction. Yes, exalted Lady of heaven and earth,
arise now and be to us a mediatrix, and an obtainer of grace with thy tender
Child, the Eternal Wisdom. Ah, Eternal Wisdom, wilt Thou deny me anything?
in an agitated heart as thy pure name in our penitent hearts? At this
exalted name all heads in reason ought to incline, all knees to bend. How
often hast thou not put to flight the hostile powers of wicked spirits, how
often hast thou not allayed the angry justice of the severe judge! How often
hast thou not obtained from Him grace and consolation! Yes, poor sinful
mortals as we are, what have we to say to it? How shall we ever acknowledge
such great goodness? If all angelic tongues, all pure spirits and souls, if
heaven and earth and all that is contained in them cannot properly praise
her merits, her ravishing beauty, her graciousness and immeasurable dignity,
alas! what shall we sinful hearts be able to do? Let us do our best, and
express to her our acknowledgements, our thanks; for indeed her great
kindness does not look at the smallness of the gift, it looks at the purity
of intention. ah, sweet Queen, with what justice may not thy sex rejoice in
thy sweet name; for cursed was the first Eve that she ever eat of the bitter
fruit of the tree of knowledge; blessed be the second Eve that she brought
us again the sweet fruit of heaven! Let no one lament over Paradise; one
paradise we lost, and have won two others. For is she not a paradise in whom
grew the fruit of the living tree? in whom all delight and joy are contained
together? And is not that also a paradise above every paradise in whom the
dead again live, if they only taste His fruit from whose hands,feet, and
side the living fountains which irrigate all the earth flow,[9] the
fountains of inexhaustible mercy, fathomless wisdom, overflowing sweetness,
ardent love, the fountains of eternal life? Truly, Lord, whoever tastes of
this fruit, whoever has drunk of this fountain, knows that these two gardens
of paradise far surpass the earthly paradise. But thou, O Queen elect, art
the gate of all grace, the door of compassion, that never yet was shut.
Heaven and earth may pass away, ere thou wilt permit anyone who earnestly
seeks thy assistance to depart from thee without obtaining it. Behold, for
this very reason art thou the first object my soul sees when I awake, the
last when I lie down to sleep. How should anything which thy pure hands
present before God and commend unto Him, how small soever in itself, be
rejected? Take, O take, therefore, the smallness of my works and present it,
so that, in thy hands it may appear something before the eyes of God
Almighty. Even thou art the pure vessel of red gold, melted down with
graces, inlaid with precious emeralds, and sapphires, and all virtues, whose
single aspect, in the sight of the heavenly King, surpasses that of all
other creatures. O, thou lovely divine spouse elect, if King Ahasuerus was
captivated by the beauty of Esther, if she was found pleasing in his eyes
above all women, if she found favour above them all, so that he did for her
whatever she desired, O thou, all red roses and lilies, surpassing beauty,
how justly may the King of Heaven be captivated by thy spotless purity, thy
meek humility, by the sweet smelling nosegay of all thy virtues and graces!
Or, who has ever caught the wild and noble unicorn, if not thou?[10] How
infinitely pleasing, above all mortals, in His eyes is thy delicate and
love-inspiring beauty, before which all other beauty fades like a glow-worm
before the brightness of the sun. What overflowing grace hast thou not found
before Him for thyself and us mortals who are without grace! How should, how
can, then, the Heavenly King deny thee anything? Truly mayest thou say, My
Beloved is mine, and I am His. Ah! thou art God's, and God is thine, and ye
two have an eternal and unfathomable reciprocation of love which no duality
can divide. Think of us poor needy ones, who continue to wander so
wretchedly in sorrowful affliction. Yes, exalted Lady of heaven and earth,
arise now and be to us a mediatrix, and an obtainer of grace with thy tender
Child, the Eternal Wisdom. Ah, Eternal Wisdom, wilt Thou deny me anything?