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Seventh Day

Cceli enarrant gloriam T)ei.% This is what the heavens declare : " the glory of God."

Since my soul is a heaven wherein I dwell, while awaiting the heavenly Jerusalem, this heaven, too, must sing the glory of the Eternal : nothing but the glory of the Eternal. "Day to day uttereth speech.',|| All the light, the communications from God to my soul, are this " day " which " uttereth speech" of His glory to "the day." "The commandment of the Lord is lightsome, enlightening the eyes," IF sings the Psalmist. Consequently, my fidelity to all His commandments and interior promptings causes me to live in the light ; it is also the " speech " which " uttereth " His glory. But what a sweet mystery ! " Lord, he who looks upon Thee doth shine."1 The soul which, by its far-seeing inner gaze, contemplates God with a23 simplicity that separates it from all else, "shines"; it is a M day that uttereth speech to-day n of His glory. "Night to night showeth knowledge."4 How consoling this is ! My helplessness, my repugnances, my ignorance, my very faults themselves declare the glory of the Eternal ! And my sufferings of body and soul " show forth the glory of God!"

"What shall I render to the Lord, for all the things that He hath rendered to me ? I will take the chalice of salvation."")" If I take this chalice, crimsoned with the Blood of my Master, and in joyous thanksgiving mingle my own blood with that of the sacred Victim Who gives it a share of His own infinity, it may bring wonderful glory to the Father ; then my suffering is a " speech " which transmits the glory of the Eternal.

There, in the soul which " shows forth His glory," " He has set His tabernacle in the sun." The " Sun " is the Word — the Bridegroom. If He finds my soul empty of all that is not included in the two words — His love, His glory — He chooses it for His " bridechamber." He enters it impetuously, " rejoicing as a giant to run the way," so that I cannot " hide myself from His heat.";}; This is the "consuming fire"§ which will work that blessed transformation spoken of by St. John of the Cross. " Each of them seems to be the other ^ and they are both but one " — a " Praise of glory " to the Father.

X Ps. xviii 6, 7, 8. § Heb. xii. 29.

Footnotes

  1. Ps. xvii. 24. f Ps. xvii. 20. t Gal. ii. 19, 20. ↩

  2. Ps. xviii. 1. || Ibid., 2. f Ibid., 9. ↩

  3. D'Eyragues, Ps. xxxiv. 6. ↩

  4. Ps. xviii. 3. t Ps. cxv. 12, 13. ↩

Chapter 7 of 16