Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/500

 strength; and follow  thy steps, because  thou  hast vouchsafed to  die  for  me. And how  can  I do  this,  except by  thy  aid? Let my soul  adhere  to  thee,  for  it depends  upon  thee  for  all  its strength. And now,  O Lord my Redeemer,  I adore  thee as the  true  God;  I trust  in thee,  I hope  in  thee,  and, with what  longings  I am  able, I sigh for  thee; oh,  help  my imperfection! I bow myself wholly down  before  the  glorious Symbols  of  thy  Passion, with  which  thou  hast wrought my  salvation. In thy Name,  O Christ,  I adore the royal  standard  of  thy  victorious Cross. On my  knees, I adore and  glorify,  O Christ, thy Diadem  of  Thoms,  the Nails that  were  red  with  thy Blood, the  Lance  that  was plunged in  thy  sacred  Side, thy Wounds,  thy  Blood,  thy Sepulchre, thy  glorious  and triumphant Resurrection  and Glorification.

For by  all  of  them  is  exhaled to me  the  odour  of  life. By their life-giving  odour  raise my spirit,  O Lord,  again from the  death  of  sin. Preserve me by  their  power  from the artifices  of  Satan,  and strengthen me,  that  the  yoke of thy  commandments  may become sweet  to  me,  and  the burden of  the  Cross,  which thou biddest  me  bear  after thee, may  be  light  to  the shoulders of  my  soul.

For what  is  my  strength, that, according to  thy  precept, I should endure  with  unsubdued spirit  all  the  manifold afflictions of  the  world? Are my feet  like  hart’s  feet,  that I should be  able  to  follow thee in  thy  swift  course through the  thorns  and  rugged paths  of  thy  sufferings?

But hear  my  voice,  and lower upon  thy  servant  that sweet Cross,  which  to  them that lay  hold  of  it  is  the  Tree of Life. I hope that  I shall  run cheerfully, and  carry  after thee unweariedly  that  Cross which proceeds  from  my  enemies.

Place, I say, upon  my  shoulders that  most  divine  Cross, whose breadth  is  Charity, whose length  is  Eternity, whose height  is  Omnipotence, and whose  depth  is  unsearchable Wisdom. Fasten to  it my  hands  and  my  feet,  and make thy  servant  all-conformable to  thy  Passion,  O Lord!