Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/336

 and alarm. Jesus sleeps,  and  the  devil,  my  enemy, is awake,  and  going  about  like  a lion  ready  to  devour me! Jesus sleeps! and my  senses,  ever  on  the watch, are  brooding  over  my  soul  in  order  to  enslave it! Jesus sleeps! who then  will  keep  guard  over me? My beloved  sleeps! in whom,  then,  shall  I confide? My strength  sleeps! who will  sustain  me? My hope  sleeps! in whom  shall  I hope?

But He  who  is  at  once  my  love,  my  hope,  and  my strength,  does  not  leave  me  long  in  suspense. “ I sleep,” he  says,  “ but  my  Heart  is  watching.”  O words  of  sweet  encouragement! That sleep  which leaves the  heart  awake  is  not  a torpid,  inert  sleep; that sleep  in  which  the  heart  sleeps  not,  is  not  a sleep of forgetfulness. The Heart  of  Jesus  is  watching! He can  then  still  love  me. The Heart  of  Jesus  is watching! He can  then  still  aid  me. That sacred Heart will  never  want  secret  words  wherewith  to instruct  me,  nor  secret  delights  wherewith  to  charm me. What matters  it  if  all  within  him  sleep,  provided his  Heart  be  watching! His Heart,  is  it  not most especially  himself? Sleep, Lord  Jesus, I am comforted. Thy Heart  is  watching!

So it  is,  then; the  Heart  of  Jesus  neither  slumbers nor sleeps. Its love  excites  it,  and  keeps  it  ever  in action. It is  incessantly  watching  over  my  dearest interests— over my  mind  to  enlighten  it; over  my heart  to  inflame  it  with  its  pure  love; over  my  senses to quiet  them; over  my  thoughts  to  direct  them aright; over  my  commonest  actions  to  ennoble them; over my  entire  life  to  make  it  divine.