Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/565

 of holy  souls! inflame, I beseech thee,  my  heart  with  the fire of  thy  divine  love, and  with thy saving  Wounds,  that  I may love thee  from  my  inmost heart; mercifully  visit  me, and with  thy  grace  inebriate my soul,  for  my  inmost  affections ardently  seek  for  thee, the Fount  of  sweetness. O fire! that burnest  sweetly, shinest secretly,  and  enkindlest  powerfully,  fill  the whole breadth  of  my  soul with the  constant  recollection of thy  most  sacred  Wounds, that I may  hunger  and  thirst for thee  alone*  who  hast  suffered and  wast  wounded  for me; that I may  sigh  and  pant after thee,  and  be  heated  with desire to  see  thy  face,  that  is the  perfection  of  sweetness. Amen. ''Our Father. Hail Mary. ''

Transfix the  marrow  of  my soul,  O lovely  Jesus,  with  the sweetly penetrating  arrow of thy  love,  that  my  soul  may be wounded  and  may  languish with the  inmost  love  of  thee and of  thy  Wounds; and  then, being entirely  dissolved  into love of  thee,  may  melt  away, and be  wholly  absorbed  into thee, and  inseparably  adhere to thee. Amen. ''Our Father. Hail Mary.''

Disengage, O Lord,  my soul  from  all  things  under heaven, that  it  may  be  free  to apply  itself  to  thee  only,  and to thy  Wounds,  received  for my salvation; dwell  in  it alone,  as  its  true  possessor and its  rightful  Lord. Let the remembrance  of  thy  most sweet Death  and  Passion  sink deeply into  it,  with  the  unutterable fragrance  of  thy charity, to  stir  up  within  me pure  and  heavenly  aspirations and desires,  that,  as  the  hart pants after  the  fountains  of water,  so  my  soul  may  pant after thee. Amen. ''Our Father. Hail Mary.''

Give me,  O Lord  Jesus, to be  so  fully  and  effectually inflamed with  devotion  to  thy five most  awful  Wounds,  that I may return  thy  love  to  me with  my  whole  heart. Let me love  thee,  as  thou  hast loved me,  O only  salvation  of my  soul! I will love  thee with all  my  might,  for  thou hast first  so  loved  me  as  to lay  down  thy  life  for  me,  that by thy  Death  and  Wounds  I may  live  in  thee. Amen. ''Our Father. Hail Mary.''

O Jesus! most lovely,  most delightful Spouse  of  souls, marked for  me  upon  the  Cross with five  very  distinct  sacred Wounds, as  with  so  many characters of  love; engrave and indelibly  imprint  upon the tablet  of  my  heart  the sweet love  of  thy  Wounds, which no  oblivion  may  out-blot;  that,  ever  heated  with the desire  of  thee,  I may  glow