Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/82

 the breasts,  and  upon  the  knees  they shall  caress you: as  one  whom  the  mother  caresseth,  so  will  I comfort  you"  (Is.  lxvi.  12,  13).  As  a  mother  delights to  place  her  little  child  upon  her  knees,  and so  to  feed  or  to  caress  him;  with  like  tenderness does  our  gracious  God  delight  to  treat  the  souls whom  He  loves,  who  have  given  themselves  wholly to  Him,  and  placed  all  their  hopes  in  His  goodness.

Consider, thou  hast  neither  friend  nor  brother, father nor  mother,  spouse  nor  lover,  who  loves  thee more than  thy  God. The divine  grace  is  that  great treasure whereby  we  vilest  of  creatures,  we  servants, become the  dear  friends  of  our  Creator  Himself: " For  she  is  an  infinite  treasure  to  men,  which  they that  use  become  the  friends  of  God"  (Wis.  vii.  14). For this  purpose  He  increases  our  confidence;  He "emptied  Himself,"  and  brought  Himself  to  naught, so to  speak;  abasing  Himself  even  to  becoming  man and conversing  familiarly  with  us:  "He  conversed with  men"  (Bar.  iii.  38). He went  so  far  as  to  become an  infant,  to  become  poor,  even  so  far  as  openly to die  the  death  of  a  malefactor  upon  the  cross. He went  yet  farther,  even  to  reside  under  the  appearance of  bread,  in  order  to  become  our  constant companion and  unite  Himself  intimately  with  us: " He  that  eateth  My  Flesh  and  drinketh  My  Blood abideth  in  Me,  and  I  in  him"  (St.  John  vi.  57). In a wrord,  He  loves  thee  as  much  as  though  He  had  no love  but  towards  thyself  alone. For which  reason thou oughtest  to  have  no  love  for  any  but  for  Himself. Of Him,  therefore,  thou  mayest  say,  and  thou oughtest to  say  it:  "  My  Beloved  to  me,  and  I  to Him"  (Cant.  ii.  16). My God  has  given  Himself  all to me,  and  I  give  myself  all  to  Him;  He  has  chosen me for  His  beloved,  and  I  choose  Him,  of  all  others, for my  only  Love:  "  My  Beloved  is  white  and  ruddy, chosen  out  of  thousands"  (Cant.  v.  10).

Say, then,  to  Him  often;  O  my  Lord! wherefore