A Little Book of Eternal Wisdom [55]
to practice in eternity)
to attain the diligent praising of Thee in my interior, and that I should
not be interrupted in Thy praise at any time, even for the space of a
second. Lord, out of this very desire I have often spoken as follows: "O,
thou firmament why dost thou hasten and revolve so fast? I beseech thee,
stand still in this moment, until I shall have thoroughly praised my Lord
according to my heart's desire. Lord, when perchance I have been a little
while neglectful of Thy present praise, and have shortly come to myself, I
have interiorly cried out as follows: O Lord, it is a thousand years that I
have thought no more of my Beloved! O Lord, teach me, then, as much as Thou
canst, while my soul is yet in my body, how I may attain to praise Thee
continually and without relaxation.
Eternal Wisdom.--He who in all things is mindful of Me, who keeps
himself from sin, and is diligent in virtue, praises Me at all times; but
still, if thou wouldst seek after the highest sort of praise, listen to
something more: The soul is like to a light peacock's feather; if nothing is
attached to it, it is very easily borne aloft by its own mobility towards
the sky, but if it is laden with anything it falls to the ground. In like
manner, a mind that is purified from all heaviness of sin is also raised by
virtue of its native nobility, with the help of gentle contemplation, to
heavenly things; and therefore, when it happens that a mind is disengaged
from all bodily desires, and is set interiorly at rest, so that its every
thought cleaves at all times inseparably to the immutable Good, such a mind
fulfills My praise at all times; for in the state of purity, so far as words
can express it, man's carnal sense is so wholly drowned and so wholly
transformed from earthiness into a spiritual and an angelic semblance, that,
whatever he receives exteriorly, whatever he does or operates, whether he
eats, drinks, sleeps, or wakes is nothing else but the very purest praise.
The Servant.--Ah, Lord, what a truly sweet doctrine is this! Lovely
Wisdom, three things there are still that I should be glad to have
explained. One is: Where shall I find the most reasons to praise Thee?
Eternal Wisdom.--In the first origin of all good, and then in its
outflowing springs.
The Servant.--Lord, as to the origin, it is too high for me, too
unknown to me; there let the tall cedars praise Thee, the heavenly spirits,
the angelic minds. And yet will I too press forward like a rude thistle with
my praise, that they may be admonished by the spectacle of my impotent
longings of their own high worthiness, that they may be incited in their
pure brightness to praise Thee, just as though the cuckoo were to give the
nightingale occasion to sing a ravishing song. But the outflowings of Thy
goodness; these will be proper for my praise. Lord, when I ponder well what
I was formerly, how often Thou hast protected me, from what evil chains and
bonds Thou hast delivered me, O Thou Everlasting Good, it is a wonder that
my heart does not wholly melt in Thy praise! Lord, how long didst Thou not
wait for me, how kindly didst Thou not receive me, how sweetly in secret
didst Thou not anticipate me and interiorly warn me! How ungrateful soever I
might sometimes be, still Thou didst not desist until Thou hadst drawn me to
Thee. Ought I then not to praise Thee, my gentle Lord? Yes, truly do I
desire that a rich praise should ascend before Thy eyes, even such a great
and joyous praise as that rendered by the angels when they first beheld the
sight of their own constancy and the reprobation of their fallen companions;
as that uttered in the joy felt by the miserable souls in Purgatory when
they come forth from their grim prison house before Thee, and behold for the
first time Thy countenance beaming with delight and love; a praise even as
that unfathomable praise which will resound in the streets of the heavenly
city after the last judgment, when the elect shall be separated in
everlasting security from the wicked. Lord,
to attain the diligent praising of Thee in my interior, and that I should
not be interrupted in Thy praise at any time, even for the space of a
second. Lord, out of this very desire I have often spoken as follows: "O,
thou firmament why dost thou hasten and revolve so fast? I beseech thee,
stand still in this moment, until I shall have thoroughly praised my Lord
according to my heart's desire. Lord, when perchance I have been a little
while neglectful of Thy present praise, and have shortly come to myself, I
have interiorly cried out as follows: O Lord, it is a thousand years that I
have thought no more of my Beloved! O Lord, teach me, then, as much as Thou
canst, while my soul is yet in my body, how I may attain to praise Thee
continually and without relaxation.
Eternal Wisdom.--He who in all things is mindful of Me, who keeps
himself from sin, and is diligent in virtue, praises Me at all times; but
still, if thou wouldst seek after the highest sort of praise, listen to
something more: The soul is like to a light peacock's feather; if nothing is
attached to it, it is very easily borne aloft by its own mobility towards
the sky, but if it is laden with anything it falls to the ground. In like
manner, a mind that is purified from all heaviness of sin is also raised by
virtue of its native nobility, with the help of gentle contemplation, to
heavenly things; and therefore, when it happens that a mind is disengaged
from all bodily desires, and is set interiorly at rest, so that its every
thought cleaves at all times inseparably to the immutable Good, such a mind
fulfills My praise at all times; for in the state of purity, so far as words
can express it, man's carnal sense is so wholly drowned and so wholly
transformed from earthiness into a spiritual and an angelic semblance, that,
whatever he receives exteriorly, whatever he does or operates, whether he
eats, drinks, sleeps, or wakes is nothing else but the very purest praise.
The Servant.--Ah, Lord, what a truly sweet doctrine is this! Lovely
Wisdom, three things there are still that I should be glad to have
explained. One is: Where shall I find the most reasons to praise Thee?
Eternal Wisdom.--In the first origin of all good, and then in its
outflowing springs.
The Servant.--Lord, as to the origin, it is too high for me, too
unknown to me; there let the tall cedars praise Thee, the heavenly spirits,
the angelic minds. And yet will I too press forward like a rude thistle with
my praise, that they may be admonished by the spectacle of my impotent
longings of their own high worthiness, that they may be incited in their
pure brightness to praise Thee, just as though the cuckoo were to give the
nightingale occasion to sing a ravishing song. But the outflowings of Thy
goodness; these will be proper for my praise. Lord, when I ponder well what
I was formerly, how often Thou hast protected me, from what evil chains and
bonds Thou hast delivered me, O Thou Everlasting Good, it is a wonder that
my heart does not wholly melt in Thy praise! Lord, how long didst Thou not
wait for me, how kindly didst Thou not receive me, how sweetly in secret
didst Thou not anticipate me and interiorly warn me! How ungrateful soever I
might sometimes be, still Thou didst not desist until Thou hadst drawn me to
Thee. Ought I then not to praise Thee, my gentle Lord? Yes, truly do I
desire that a rich praise should ascend before Thy eyes, even such a great
and joyous praise as that rendered by the angels when they first beheld the
sight of their own constancy and the reprobation of their fallen companions;
as that uttered in the joy felt by the miserable souls in Purgatory when
they come forth from their grim prison house before Thee, and behold for the
first time Thy countenance beaming with delight and love; a praise even as
that unfathomable praise which will resound in the streets of the heavenly
city after the last judgment, when the elect shall be separated in
everlasting security from the wicked. Lord,