A Little Book of Eternal Wisdom [57]
by cheerful minded praise.
The Servant.--Sweet Lord, my tender, my Eternal Wisdom! I desire that
when my eyes first awaken in the morning, my heart may awaken too, and that
there may burst from it a high-flaming fiery love-torch of Thy praise, with
the most fervent love of the most loving heart that exists in time,
according to the most ardent love of the most exalted seraphim in eternity,
in the fathomless love with which Thou, Heavenly Father, lovest Thy only
Son, and with the most sweet love of the Holy Ghost who proceeds from Father
and Son; and I desire that this praise may resound so sweetly in the
Fatherly heart as never did yet the strings of all earthly instruments in a
joyous mind; and that this love-torch may send up so sweet a savour of
praise as though it were smoking incense composed of all precious herbs and
spices of all virtues finely powdered together in their highest perfection;
and lastly, that the sight of it may be so beautifully blooming in graces as
never any May was known to be in its most ravishing bloom; so that it may be
a delightful aspect for Thy divine eyes and all the heavenly host. All my
desire is, that this love-torch may at all times blaze out fervently in my
prayers, from my mouth in my singing, in my thoughts, words, and works, that
it may subdue all my enemies, consume all my sins, and obtain for me a happy
end, so that the end of this my temporal praise may be but the beginning of
my everlasting, my eternal praise. Amen.
Let everybody who desires to meditate briefly, properly, and earnestly
on the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom all our salvation lies, and
who desires to be thankful for His manifold sufferings, learn by heart the
hundred choice meditations which hereafter follow, severally, according to
their sense, which is comprised in few words, and go over them devoutly
every day, with a hundred venias or otherwise, as it may suit him best, and
at every venia, when it relates to our Blessed Lady, let him say a Pater
Noster, or an Ave Maria, or a Salve Regina, for in this manner were they
revealed to a preacher by God, at a time when he stood before a crucifix
after Matins, and fervently complained to God that he could not well
meditate on His torments, and that it was so bitter a thing for him to
meditate on them, inasmuch as; up to that hour, he had had herein great
infirmity,from which he was then relieved. The prayers he afterwards
appended, in a short form, so that all might be free to find matter for
themselves to pray agreeably to their own feelings, but should the prayers
prove too many for a person all at once, let him divide them into even daily
hours, or into the seven days of the week, according as they are here noted
down.
THE THIRD PART
-----------------------
ONE HUNDRED MEDITATIONS AND PRAYERS
COMPRISED IN FEW WORDS
-----------------------
ON SUNDAY, OR AT MATINS
O Eternal Wisdom, my heart reminds Thee of Thy sorrow of soul. 1. When
after the Last Supper on the Mount, Thou wast bathed in Thy bloody sweat
because of the anxiety of Thy heart; 2. And when like an enemy Thou wast
made prisoner, cruelly bound, and led miserably away; 3. When, Lord, Thou
wast sacrilegiously maltreated in the night with hard blows, and with
blindfolding of Thine eyes; 4. Early accused before Caiphas and pronounced
worthy of death; 5. Seen by Thy affectionate mother with unspeakable sorrow
of heart; 6. Thou wast ignominiously presented before Pilate, falsely
accused, and condemned to die; 7. Thou, O Eternal Wisdom, wast mocked as a
fool in a white garment before Herod; 8. Thy fair body was torn and rent
without mercy by the cruel whips of Thy scourgers; 9. Thy delicate head was
pierced with sharp thorns and Thy sweet face, in consequence, drenched with
blood; 10. Thus condemned Thou wast led miserably and shamefully with Thy
cross to death.
Alas, my only hope, let me,
The Servant.--Sweet Lord, my tender, my Eternal Wisdom! I desire that
when my eyes first awaken in the morning, my heart may awaken too, and that
there may burst from it a high-flaming fiery love-torch of Thy praise, with
the most fervent love of the most loving heart that exists in time,
according to the most ardent love of the most exalted seraphim in eternity,
in the fathomless love with which Thou, Heavenly Father, lovest Thy only
Son, and with the most sweet love of the Holy Ghost who proceeds from Father
and Son; and I desire that this praise may resound so sweetly in the
Fatherly heart as never did yet the strings of all earthly instruments in a
joyous mind; and that this love-torch may send up so sweet a savour of
praise as though it were smoking incense composed of all precious herbs and
spices of all virtues finely powdered together in their highest perfection;
and lastly, that the sight of it may be so beautifully blooming in graces as
never any May was known to be in its most ravishing bloom; so that it may be
a delightful aspect for Thy divine eyes and all the heavenly host. All my
desire is, that this love-torch may at all times blaze out fervently in my
prayers, from my mouth in my singing, in my thoughts, words, and works, that
it may subdue all my enemies, consume all my sins, and obtain for me a happy
end, so that the end of this my temporal praise may be but the beginning of
my everlasting, my eternal praise. Amen.
Let everybody who desires to meditate briefly, properly, and earnestly
on the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom all our salvation lies, and
who desires to be thankful for His manifold sufferings, learn by heart the
hundred choice meditations which hereafter follow, severally, according to
their sense, which is comprised in few words, and go over them devoutly
every day, with a hundred venias or otherwise, as it may suit him best, and
at every venia, when it relates to our Blessed Lady, let him say a Pater
Noster, or an Ave Maria, or a Salve Regina, for in this manner were they
revealed to a preacher by God, at a time when he stood before a crucifix
after Matins, and fervently complained to God that he could not well
meditate on His torments, and that it was so bitter a thing for him to
meditate on them, inasmuch as; up to that hour, he had had herein great
infirmity,from which he was then relieved. The prayers he afterwards
appended, in a short form, so that all might be free to find matter for
themselves to pray agreeably to their own feelings, but should the prayers
prove too many for a person all at once, let him divide them into even daily
hours, or into the seven days of the week, according as they are here noted
down.
THE THIRD PART
-----------------------
ONE HUNDRED MEDITATIONS AND PRAYERS
COMPRISED IN FEW WORDS
-----------------------
ON SUNDAY, OR AT MATINS
O Eternal Wisdom, my heart reminds Thee of Thy sorrow of soul. 1. When
after the Last Supper on the Mount, Thou wast bathed in Thy bloody sweat
because of the anxiety of Thy heart; 2. And when like an enemy Thou wast
made prisoner, cruelly bound, and led miserably away; 3. When, Lord, Thou
wast sacrilegiously maltreated in the night with hard blows, and with
blindfolding of Thine eyes; 4. Early accused before Caiphas and pronounced
worthy of death; 5. Seen by Thy affectionate mother with unspeakable sorrow
of heart; 6. Thou wast ignominiously presented before Pilate, falsely
accused, and condemned to die; 7. Thou, O Eternal Wisdom, wast mocked as a
fool in a white garment before Herod; 8. Thy fair body was torn and rent
without mercy by the cruel whips of Thy scourgers; 9. Thy delicate head was
pierced with sharp thorns and Thy sweet face, in consequence, drenched with
blood; 10. Thus condemned Thou wast led miserably and shamefully with Thy
cross to death.
Alas, my only hope, let me,