54 — DIVINE INTIMACY

Presence of God. — Grant me, O Lord, full and stable intimacy with You, that I may love You always more.

Meditation

1 — The soul begins to enter on the way of divine intimacy the day in which, deciding resolutely to go out from itself and from all things, it places itself with ardor in search of God living and present in it. From this first step to the profound intimacy, that will bind to God the soul arrived at total union, the way is long and fatiguing. Progressively, in measure that, sustained by grace, the soul detaches itself from itself and from creatures, in measure that it frees itself of its imperfections, that it strips itself of its will clothing itself only with the divine will and that, letting enkindle in it love, it advances “to the sweet and delightful union” (G.C.N. II, 16, 14), its intimacy with God becomes more intense and amorous until, pervenued to the heights of transforming love, it becomes continuous and perfect, becomes divine embrace that binds the creature to the Creator. Then the great promise of Jesus: “if any one love Me... the Father will love him, and We will come to him and will make Our abode with him” (Jn. 14, 23), is realized in the most perfect possible way on earth.

“It is not to be held for an incredible thing — affirms St. John of the Cross — that in a soul, already purged, proved in the fire of tribulations, of travails and of various temptations, and found faithful in love, there be fulfilled down here those words with which the Son of God promised that, if any one loved Him, the Most Holy Trinity would come to him to make therein stable abode: that is, illuminating divinely the intellect in the wisdom of God, delighting the will in the Holy Spirit, and absorbing it the Father powerfully into the abyss of His sweetness” (F. 1, 15). In the most high moments of transforming union, the soul perceives God living, present and operating in it, perceives His sweetest paternal embrace that sustains it, perceives the splendor of His Wisdom that illumines it, perceives the divine flaming of His Love that penetrates it entirely. But even when the sense of the presence and of the divine action in it is not so strong and beatifying, the soul is conscious of being profoundly united to God, by Him moved and governed: “I know that [Jesus] is in me, that it is He who guides me and inspires me at every instant,” attests St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus (St. 8). The humble Saint, not having known the great mystical graces, arrived also she, no less than her great mother, Teresa of Jesus, to that profound intimacy with God that the soul enjoys in the state of total union.

2 — Divine intimacy, above all in its most high degrees, is by itself however much joyous and beatifying; however the soul in love does not long for this intimacy to enjoy, but to love always more its God, to be to Him totally united, by Him entirely possessed, moved and governed, in order to serve Him always better and give Him glory in every its action. St. Teresa of Avila says expressly that the purpose for which the Lord communicates Himself to souls and makes them so many graces — even the most high mystical favors — is not only to “caress them,” that is, to console them, but “to fortify their weakness so that they may know how to imitate [Jesus] in much suffering” and adds with her habitual enthusiasm: “This is the end of prayer; to this tends spiritual marriage: to produce works and works” (M. VII, 4, 4 and 6).

The sweetness and the joy of intimacy with God, have the purpose of rendering the soul more courageous in the divine service, more generous in the gift of itself, more strong in bearing the cross. Yes, as long as we are down here suffering can never be lacking and is not lacking even in the midst of the delights of divine union, because we must conform ourselves to Jesus crucified, we must follow Him on the way of Calvary until the complete immolation with Him for the glory of the Father and the salvation of brethren. The works that union with God must produce are precisely the works of love, it is the intense activity of pure love, by means of which the soul gives itself incessantly to God, desirous of dragging with it a countless number of other souls. Thus, from divine intimacy, from total union with the Lord, from pure love springs spontaneous the most fruitful apostolate. “The glory of souls [arrived at spiritual marriage] — affirms the ardent Teresa of Jesus — is in being able to help their crucified God, especially when they see to what point He is offended and how few seek truly His honor, neglecting all the rest.” (M. VII, 3, 6).

Entirely forgetful of itself, the soul in love thinks neither of its enjoying, nor of its suffering, but thinks only of loving and of serving its God, thinks only of contributing as much as it can to His glory, associating itself to the redeeming work of Jesus. And if it longs for a union with God always more intimate and perfect, both today on earth as tomorrow in heaven, it is to love with the maximum intensity, it is to make Love be loved by the greatest number possible of souls.

Colloquy

“Lord God, my Beloved! If the memory of my sins still holds You back from granting me that which I ask of You, do then regarding them, my God, Your will, which is the thing that I most desire above every other; but deh! use Your goodness and mercy, and in the pardon of them You will be known. If then You await my works to exaudit with such means my prayer, give me these works, do them Yourself in me; and be fulfilled Your will in the sufferings that from me You will wish to accept. But if You await not my works, what else do You await, most clement Lord my? and why do You still tarry? Since, if in the end it must be a grace and mercy that which in Your divine Son I ask of You, deign to accept my little coin, since You will it, and give me this Good, that You Yourself wish to give me.

“Who will be able to free himself from the low modes of acting, if You raise him not to You in purity of love, O my God? How will man be raised to You generated in abjection and in mud, if You, Lord, raise him not with Your hand with which You molded him? You will not take from me, O my God, that which once You gave me in Your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ, in whom You gave me all that I desire; and for this I will rejoice, sure that You will not tarry, if I hope.

“But why do you put off delays, my soul, when from this very moment you can love God in your heart?

“Mine are the heavens and mine is the earth; mine are the nations, the just mine and the sinners; the angels are mine, and the Mother of God and all things are mine; and God Himself is mine and for me, because Christ is mine and all for me. Then, what do you seek and ask, my soul? All this is yours and all for you” (G.C. Prayer of the soul in love).