Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/384

 renounce all  my  pleasures  to  please  Thee,  my  Redeemer, Who  dost  deserve  to  be  pleased  at  all  costs. O Sovereign  Good! I esteem  Thee  and  love  Thee above every  good;  make  me  love  Thee  with  all  my heart,  and  always  implore  Thy  love. I have  hitherto offended Thee,  and  have  not  loved  Thee,  because  I have  not  sought  Thy  love. I now  beg  of  Thee  this love, and  the  grace  always  to  seek  it. Oh, grant  my prayer  by  the  merits  of  Thy  Passion. O Mary,  my Mother! thou art  always  prepared  to  hear  the  prayer of him  that  calls  upon  thee. Thou lovest  him  that loveth thee. I love  thee,  my  Queen;  obtain  for  me the  grace  to  love  God,  and  I  ask  nothing  more  of thee.

O blessed straw,  fairer  than  roses  or  lilies! what favored  land  produced you? Oh, what  an  enviable  lot  is  yours,  to  serve  as  a  bed  for the  King  of  heaven! But, alas! you are  cold  for  Jesus;  but  you  are fire  and  flame  for  us. since you  supply  us  with  a  flame  of  love  which rivers  of  water  shall  never  quench.

Y Jesus, Thou  art  the  Son  of  the  Lord  of heaven  and  earth,  and  yet  Thou  liest  in  this cold grotto  without  other  cradle  than  a manger,  with  nothing  but  straw  for  Thy  bed,  and with only  miserable  rags  to  cover  Thee. The angels stand round  Thee,  and  sing  Thy  praises,  but  they  do not  relieve  Thy  poverty. My dear  Redeemer,  the poorer Thou  art  the  more  lovable  Thou  dost  render Thyself in  our  eyes,  because  Thou  hast  embraced  so great  a  poverty  for  the  very  end  of  making  us  love Thee more. If Thou  hadst  been  born  in  a  palace,  if Thou  hadst  had  a  cradle  of  gold,  if  Thou  hadst  been assisted by  the  first  princes  of  the  earth,  Thou  wouldst have acquired  more  respect  from  men  but  less  love; but this  stable  where  Thou  dost  sleep,  these  miserable