The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-04-28
BOOK 8. CHAPTER v.
Of the Wonderful Effect of Divine
Love.

I bless thee, o Heavenly Father.
Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, be-
| cause Thou hast vouchsafed to be
mindful of me, poor as I am.
o. Father of mercies, and God of all
consolation. give thanks to Thee that
sometimes Thou art pleased to cherish
with Thy consolation me, who am IN
worthy of any consolation.
l bless and glorify Thee evermore,
together with Thy only begotten Son
and the Holy Chest, the Comforter, for
ever and ever.
o Lord God, my Holy Lover, when
Thou shalt come into my heart, all
that is within me shall be filled with
Joy. Thou art my glory and the exul-
tation of my heart.
Thou art my hope and my refuge in
the daY Of my tribulation.
2. But because as l am as yet weak
In love and imperfect in virtue, there
fore do | stand in need of being
strengthened and comforted by Thee.
Wherefore do Thou visit me often, and
instruct me in Thy holy discipline
Free me from evil passions, and cure
my heart of all disorderly affection, so
that inwlardly healed and we'll purified,
[ may become apt to love, courageous
TO suffer, and e!teadfast to peTsevere.
D. "A ~ 6dL IlliIlS lONt-cd great SOOu
every way, which alone ldg'htens all
that is burdensome, and beareth equal
~ all that is unequal.
For it carriath a burden without be-
ing burdened, and nIaketh all else that
"a bitter sweet and Savory.
The noble love OF Jesus impelleth us
10 do great things, and eXciteth us al
ways to desire that is the more per-
feet.
Love will tend upwards, and not be
detained by things beneath.
Love will beat liberty, and free from
all WORLDLY affection, that its interior
vision be nolt numbered; THAT 1T suffer
itself not to be entangled with any tenn
pOral iTtere1t, or cast down by nl.efor-
tune
Nothing lis sweeter than love, moth
ing stronger, nothing higher, nothing
wider, nothing more pleasant, nothing
fuller or better in heaven or in earth;
for love lis born of God, and cannot
rest but in Cod above all created
things.
T. The lover flieth, runneth and re-
Jolceth he is free and cannot be re-
strained.
He giveth all for all, and hath all in
all. because he resteth in one sovereign
Good above all, from whom all good
howeth and Droceedeth.
He looketh not at his gifts, but turn
eth himself above all goods, to the
Giver.
Love often knoweth no measure, but
groweth fervent above all measure.
Love feeleth no burden, thinketh
of laboTs, would willingly do
more than it cam complainant not of
because it conceiveth
that it may and can do all things.
1t can achieve anything, and it doth
perform and effect many things, where
he that loveth not fainteth and falleth
prGstrate.
3. Love watcheth, and sleeping, SUM
berett not.
When weary it is not tired; when
it is not constrained; when
frightened is not disturbed; but, like
a vivid flame and burning torch, it
nlounteth upwards, and securely pass
eth through all. nov
Whosoever Ioveth knoweth the cry Of
this voice.
A loud cry in the ears of God is that
ardent affection of the soul which saith
0, my God, my Love, Thou art all mine,
and 1 am all Thine.
6. Enlarge Thou me in love, that L
may learn to taste with the interior
mouth of the heart how sweet it is to
love, and to be dissolved and to bathe !
In love
Let me be possessed by love, mount |
ing up above myself through excess OF |
fervor and ecStacy.
Let me sing the canticle of love, let |
me follow Thee my Beloved. on high, !
est my soul quite lose herself in Thy !
praises, iubilant in Thy love.
Let me love Thee more than myself |
and mysel fonly for Thee, and all others
n Thee, who truly love Thee as the /
aw of love commandeth. which shineth |
'orth from Thee.
I. Love is swift. sincere, pious, pleas
ant and delightful; strong, patient, |
faithful, prudent. long suffering, cour-
lgeous and never seeking itself.
For where a man seeketIl himself,
there he falleth from love.
Love is circumspect, humble, upright;