Page:AceticLibraryV2PreparationForDeath.djvu/273

 tenderness; but after the incarnation and death of our blessed Lord, who can longer doubt? And what greater tenderness of His affection was He able to show to you, than in sacrificing His Divine life for you? We have had an ear to hear the words creation, redemption, a God in a manger, a God upon a Cross. O holy faith, enlighten us!

O my Jesus, I see that Thou hast had nothing more Thou couldst do to place me in the necessity of loving Thee; and I see that I have procured by my ingratitude the placing of Thee under an obligation to abandon me. Yet for ever blessed be Thy patience, which has borne with me so long. I should merit a hell expressly for myself, but Thy death gives me confidence. Ah! teach me to know well the grounds which Thou hast for being loved, O Highest Good! and compel me to love Thee. I well knew that Thou, my Jesus, didst die for me; and after knowing this, how have I been able to live for so many years forgetful of Thee? Oh, were I able to turn back again, and live over again those past years, my Lord, I would give them all to Thee. But these years return not. Ah, grant that for the rest of life which remains to me, I may spend the whole of it in loving Thee, and giving Thee pleasure. My dear Redeemer, I love Thee with all my heart; but do Thou increase this love in me; make me ever to remember what Thou hast done" for me, and permit me riot to live any more ungrateful to Thee. No, I will no longer resist the lights which Thou hast given me. Thou desirest to be loved by me, and I desire to love Thee. And whom should I wish to love, if I do not love God, Who is infinite beauty, infinite goodness? a God Who died for me, Who suffered with so great patience, and Who, in place of punishing me as I deserved, has changed the punishment into grace and favour. Yes, I love Thee, O God, worthy of infinite love; and I sigh and seek for nothing else than to live wholly occupied in loving Thee, and forgetful of everything which is not Thee, O Infinite Love of my soul; succour Thou a soul that desires to be wholly Thine.