Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/192

 thou understood  by  those  who  are  the  objects  of  thy tenderness! how little  impression  has  the  infinite  love of God  made  on  the  hearts  of  his  creatures ! Consider seriously, whether  you  be  not  amongst  the  number. Are you  not  perhaps  at  this  moment  unmoved  by the  love  Jesus  manifests  in  choosing  you  to  become his temple? Search into  the  cause  of  your  insensibility; is  it  not  your  neglect  of  that  serious  meditation on  the  benefits  of  God,  in  which,  as  the Prophet says,  the  fire  of  charity  is  enkindled? Are not your  affections,  which  should  belong  to  God, thrown away  on  creatures,  which  are  the  work  of  his hands? If so,  it  is  not  surprising  that  you  are  a stranger  to  that  ardent  love  which  animated  the Saints, and  enabled  them  to  do  so  much  for  the divine honour. Beg of  that  God  of  love  Who  came to cast  fire  upon  the  earth,  to  give  you  that  sincere, generous, ardent  love,  which  you  cannot  have  without his assistance. O adorable Benefactor  of  my  soul! I now feel  that  I was  made  to  love  thee,  and  that my heart  can  never  find  true  Test  but  in  thee. “ O eternal beauty! too late  have  I known  thee. O infinite goodness! too late  have  I loved  thee.”  Ah ! my good  God! thou didst  form  my  heart,  thou  alone canst inflame  its  affections. I beg of  thee,  by  all  the love thou  hast  ever  felt  for  man; and  in  particular, by that  infinite  charity  which  invites  me  to  approach thy altars,  that  thou  wouldst  give  me,  as  the  fruit  of this  meditation,  the  most  lively  and  ardent  charity. I resolve most  seriously,  to  endeavour  on  my  part  to obtain  that  most  precious  gift,  by  making  henceforward frequent  acts  of  thy  love — by  performing  all my actions  through  a motive  of  love — by  detesting and avoiding,  for  thy  love,  all  that  displeases  thee. Give efficacy,  O Lord! to these  resolutions,  for  on