Page:Withgodbookofpra00las.djvu/522

 Thou Who  didst  first  love  me,

Thou Who  commandest  me  to  love  Thee,

With all  my  heart,

With all  my  soul,

With all  my  mind,

With all  my  strength,

Above all  possessions  and  honors,

Above all  pleasures  and  enjoyments.

More than  myself,  and  everything  belonging  to  me,

More than  all  my  relatives  and  friends.

More than  all  men  and  angels,

Above all  created  things  in  heaven  or  on  earth,

Only for  Thyself,

Because Thou  art  the  sovereign  Good,

Because Thou  art  infinitely  worthy  of  being  loved.

Because Thou  art  infinitely  perfect.

Even hadst  Thou  not  promised  me  heaven,

Even hadst  Thou  not  menaced  me  with  hell,

Even shouldst  Thou  try  me  by  want  and  misfortune.

In wealth  and  in  poverty,

In prosperity  and  in  adversity,

In health  and  in  sickness,

In life  and  in  death,

In time  and  in  eternity.

In union  with  that  love  wherewith  all  the  saints  and all the  angels  love  Thee  in  heaven,

In union  with  that  love  wherewith  the  Blessed  Virgin Mary loveth  Thee,

In union  with  that  infinite  love  wherewith  Thou lovest Thyself  eternally.