Third Exercise: The Espousals and Consecration

In this Third Exercise St. Gertrude sets forth in lyric strains the mystery of divine love, the union of the Bridegroom and the bride. She takes the solemn ritual of the consecration of Virgins, and leads the religious soul entrusted to her guidance through the several details of that sublime action, accompanying each detail with acts and aspirations which impress most deeply on the soul all its meaning and all its efficacy.

The solemn ceremony of that great day which gave to our Lord one spouse the more comes forth in all its grandeur, with its ineffable joys, and its hopes founded on the promise and covenant of Jesus himself. Nor can Jesus fail to draw yet more closely the tie which binds him to this spouse of his choice, while she is reviewing with such gladness the very least circumstances of that marriage-feast amidst the august pomp of which she pronounced the sacred and eternal vow by which she died to herself, and gave herself irrevocably to the Great King of heaven and earth.

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For The Anniversary Day Of The Sacred Profession

In the following manner shalt thou celebrate the day of thy spiritual espousals, the glad day in which thy soul was bound unto Jesus, the heavenly Bridegroom, in an irrevocable bond of love.

Look upon me, O my dove, that thou mayest know me again. I am Jesus, thy Friend dear above all others; open to me the inmost sanctuary of thy heart. I am of that fair land wherein the angels dwell, and my beauty is beyond compare. Iam the Splendour of the everlasting Sun. Yea, I am that bright spring-day, whose glory knoweth no equal, whose sun shall never go down. The majesty of my glory, that majesty which is my very essence, filleth heaven and earth, and eternity alone can compass and measure it. Alone I wear on my head the crown-royal of my Godhead. My brow is encircled also with a garland of roses, in memory of the Blood which I have shed for thee. Neither beneath the sun, nor far on high beyond the sun, wilt thou find any like unto me. At my call come forth to meet me the choirs of Virgins, pure as lilies. I go before them into the realm of everlasting life, into delights of which my Godhead is the source; I feed them with joy and blessedness unpalling and unending. And yet I do not disdain to stoop to this lowly earth, that I may gather thence the violets without spot which grow therein. Wherefore it is my will to unite inseparably to myself the soul which consents to love me, and I will love it with tender ardour in return. I will teach it that angel’s song, whose melody flows forth from me with sweetness so exquisite that it ravishes my spouse, and binds her to me in sweetest ties of love. That which I am by nature, shall she become by my grace. I will clasp her in the arms of my love on the Heart of my Godhead; and the glowing love I feel towards her shall cause her to melt as wax in presence of fire. If thou wilt be mine, my beloved, my dove,? thou must love me with tenderness, with wisdom, with strength; So shalt thou taste the sweetest delights I promise thee.

"JA WARE, arise, O soul; shouldest thou slumber still? Hearken to the message wherewith I am charged unto thee. Far above, beyond the skies, dwelleth a King who longeth to make thee all his own. His whole Heart yearneth towards thee; he loves thee beyond measure. So tender and so faithful is his love, that he hath left his kingdom and

1 Cant. v, 6, 2 Cant. ii. 10, humbled himself for thy sake. He hath gone forth in quest of thee; and while seeking thee, he hath submitted to be treated as a vile criminal. So intimately and with such glowing love doth he love thee, and with such eagerness doth he long to give thee proof and token of his love, that for thee he hath not shrunk from giving up to death his fairest Body, fairer than the sons of men.

He it is who hath washed thee in his own Blood, who hath ransomed thee by his death. And shall he wait still longer that thy heart return his love? Hath he not bought, at cost sufficing, both thee and thy love? He hath loved thee more than his own honour, yea, more than his comely Body, which he hath resigned to outrage for love of thee. He who loves thee so tenderly, so faithfully, and so well, hath some reason to expect from thee some small return of love. If it seem good unto thee now to accept his love without further delay, he is ready to make thee his spouse. Awake, arise, and hasten to assure him of thy firm resolve.

Voice Of The Soul, Offering Itself To God

I am but an orphan, motherless, and forlorn, poor and destitute of all. Out of Jesus I have neither consolation nor hope. He alone can slake my soul's deep thirst. Him alone my heart hath chosen for the object of its love; but he is King of kings and Lord of lords. If a prince so mighty deign to show favour to me so vile and so wretched; if he act indeed towards me according to his tender mercy and his boundless compassions, a condescension so vast is of his pure pity alone, of his sovereign goodwill to me. And as for me, I am his wholly and without reserve; my soul and my body both are in his hands; let him do with me whatsoever his love pleaseth.

O who will give me to be according to his heart, that he might find in me what he seeketh and desireth, what might respond to the blessed choice he deigns to make of me! Then alone shall I know consolation and joy.

O Jesus, thou one and only Love of my heart, O my beloved overflowing with tenderness, loved, loved, loved far above all that hath ever been loved, towards thee my heart doth sigh and languish with desire. Thou art to it as a spring-day, instinct with quickening life, and fragrant with the balmy sweetness of countless flowers. O may this most intimate union with thee be effected in me, O thou true and living Sun! Then shall thy genial influence cause to spring forth in my soul both flowers and fruits of a growth in holiness not unworthy of thee; I await thy coming in breathless eagerness.

Come then to me as the turtle-dove to its mate. With thy divine charms thou hast wounded my heart.! O my beloved, my wellbeloved, if thou refuse me this, my bliss l Cant, iv. 9, throughout eternity will still lack somewhat of its perfection. O thou whom my soul loveth, fulfil both my desire and thine own.

I espouse thee in my Holy Spirit; I will unite myself to thee in an indissoluble bond. I will possess thee in thyself; thou shalt be the willing prisoner of the love I bear thee. I will cover thee with the princely purple of my precious Bloed; of my death so bitter I will fashion for thee a diadem finer than most refined gold. I, yea, even I myself, take upon me to fulfil to overflowing all thy heart’s desires, and I will be thy Blessedness throughout eternity.

Here begins the solemn consecration whereby the soul binds itself by vow wholly and entirely to Jesus, its one and only Spouse, and unites itself to him by chastity, cleaving for ever to this heavenly Spouse by perfect purity of body, of heart, and of the senses, and by a love of union which it shall never more desecrate by directing it towards any created object. Begin then thus to celebrate the perfections of the Spouse who cometh :

Who is like unto thee, O Jesus Christ, my Lord, my Love; thou who art so high, so incomprehensible, so immense, and who yet lookest down upon low things, even upon the lowest?! Who amongst the mighty

can be compared unto thee, who dost vouchsafe to choose what is weakest in the world € Who is like unto thee, thou Creator of heaven and earth, whom thrones and dominations lowly obey, and who dost nevertheless take thy delights amongst the children of men ¢

What is thy grandeur and what thy majesty, O thou King of kings and Lord of lords ¢ The whole host of heaven doth worship thee, and yet thou settest thy heart upon man. Riches and glory are with thee; thou overflowest with delights, and lo, thou séekest unto thyself a spouse of earth. O Love divine, whither dost thou abase thy majesty’ O Love, thou pourest forth into the abyss of our utter misery the streams of that fount of wisdom which is in thy divine Essence. Thou alone, O my Love, thou alone art that exquisite wine the abundance whereof shall inebriate my heart for ever.

Acknowledge the love of Jesus in the tokens of it which he has given you.

Yes, he is truly our God, he who hath loved us with an unconquerable love, with an unwearying charity, with an unutterable tenderness; who hath united to his Godhead the very substance of our body taken from the earth, that he might be our only Bridegroom, and might choose from among us his spouses; he it is who hath loved us with all his whole being. By loving him in return the creature becomes his spouse.

In memory of the invitation addressed unto you by the priest, when he said, Come, come, come, say :

Yes, I come, I come towards thee, O most loving Jesus; towards thee whom I have loved, whom I have sought after, whom I have longed for. Drawn by thy sweetness, thy compassion, and thy love, I answer to thy call, loving thee with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my strength. Let me not be disappointed of my hope; but deal with me according to thy gentleness, and according to the multitude of thy mercies.

Invoke the aid of all the saints, saying this Litany :

O HOLY Trinity, one God, uphold me by thy divine power; guide me with thy divine wisdom; make me according to thy Heart, by thy divine goodness.

O heavenly Father, King of kings, deign to consummate within me the espousals of thy Son, who himself is also King.

O Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, may my love unite me to thee; for thou art my King and my God.

O Holy Ghost, divine Paraclete, unite my heart to Jesus for evermore in that bond of love whereby thou dost unite the Father and the Son.

Holy Mary, mother of the King, of him who is the spotless Lamb and Spouse of virgins, lead me by the chastity of my heart and of all my senses to the espousals of thy Son Jesus.

O ye holy angels and archangels, obtain for me that I may enter into the bridal sanctuary of Jesus, my Spouse, with a purity like unto yours.

O holy patriarchs and prophets, obtain for me a love such as Jesus, my Spouse, demands from me.

O ye holy apostles, pray for me, that the Word of God, who is the true Life, whom your hands have handled, may kiss me with the mysterious kiss of his mouth.

O ye holy martyrs, obtain for me that yearning desire which merits the palm of martyrdom, that thus I may go forth to meet him whose crown is wreathed of lilies and roses.

O holy confessors, obtain for me that I may imitate, in the finished beauty of holiness, the life of Jesus, my Spouse.

O ye holy virgins, obtain for me that chaste, tender affection, which may give me the right to make my nest, as a turtle-dove, in the wound of love which is in the Heart of Jesus, my Spouse.

O all ye saints, obtain for me that I may go into the marriage-supper of the Lamb with that meet preparation wherein ye were admitted to behold the face of God.

Have mercy on me, O Lord, and make me according to thine own Heart.

Have mercy on me, O Lord, and free me from all that withholds me from coming to thee.

By thine Incarnation, grant that I may love thee with tenderness, with wisdom, and with strength.

By thy Passion and thy Death, grant that I may die to myself, and live to thee alone.

By thy glorious Resurrection and thy wondrous Ascension, grant that I may go onwards day by day from virtue to virtue.

At the hour of my death help and refresh me, O Lord, by the bowels of thy compassion, and gladden me by showing me then the light of thy countenance.

In the day of judgment let my soul know no fear; but may I hear from thee the gracious words, Come, ye blessed of my Father.

By thine august Mother, effect in me, as in thy true spouse, the most intimate union of thy chaste love.

We sinners beseech thee to hear us.

Vouchsafe to confirm in me for thyself this vow of chastity which I offer thee, and to preserve it perfect and unspotted as the apple of thine eye.

We beseech thee to hear us.

Amidst the endearments of thy love give me to feel who thou art, and how great thy majesty.

We beseech thee to hear us.

Give me the earnest of thy Spirit, and a dowry of most entire love.

We beseech thee to hear us.

Grant that at the hour of my death I may go forth to meet thee with the wise virgins, even as the bride goeth forth to meet the bridegroom, adorned with the wedding-garment, and having my lamp trimmed and alight.

We beseech thee to hear us.

Do thou deign then, with the kiss of thy mouth, to introduce me, as her who is all thine own, into the inmost sanctuary of the delights of thy love.

We beseech thee to hear us.

Grant that all we who serve thee in this place may love thee always with all cur whole hearts; unite us inseparably to thee, and render us evermore pleasing in thy sight by purity of mind and of body.

We beseech thee to hear us.

Grant us the grace always to ask for what thou lovest to grant.

We beseech thee to hear us.

O Jesus, Son of the living God, hear us in the might of thy divine love.

O Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, in the greatness of thy mercy blot out all my sins.

O Lamb of God, who dost blot out the sins of the world, supply all my defects and negligences, in thine inextinguishable love.

O Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, grant that I may depart in peace when my last hour cometh, and see thee at once face to face.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy,

Lord, have mercy.

O jesus, who art a Bridegroom like unto the flower of the field and the lily of the valleys, though death doth separate the soul from the body, grant that thy love may ever unite my heart unto thine, so that their union may be indissoluble.

Receive me, O my Jesus, into the abyss of thy tender mercy, and wash me from all stain in the great deep of thy compassion. Receive me, O my Jesus, into the most tender embrace of thy love, that I may be united to thee evermore by a most perfect bond. Receive me, O my Jesus, into the ineffable covenant of thy love, and kiss me with the kiss of thy divine mouth.?

Repeat this prayer to obtain perfect chastity of soul and body.

O GOD, who of thy goodness dost deign to dwell in the chaste of body and the pure of heart; O God, who in that same thy Word, by whom all things were made, hast restored the nature of man, which the wiles of the devil had defiled in our first parents; and who hast not merely reinstated that nature in its original innocence, but hast raised it to the enjoyment of a favour which should seem reserved for the life to come, in that thou dost here make equal to the angels thy creatures who are still awaiting death; vouchsafe to look on me, who now come to place in thy hands the pledge and vow of a perfect chastity.

1 Cant, íi, 1 25 Gatitode LE E

I offer myself unto thee, unto thee from whom I have received the grace to make thee such an offering.

And of a truth, how could the soul, as yet enthralled by mortal flesh, rise above the impulse of nature, the charm of liberty, the blandishments of habit, and all the enticements of youth, if thou didst not thyself enkindle in its will this love of chastity, if thou didst not call forth in our hearts so glowing an ardour and so irresistible an energy? But thy grace hath been diffused far and wide amongst all people, and hath deigned to adopt the heirs of the new covenant, more than the stars of heaven in multitude, from amongst all nations under heaven. And besides those virtues which thou hast implanted in the sons thou hast begotten not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, but by thine own Holy Spirit, thine inexhaustible munificence hath ` infused into certain hearts a gift of a higher order, Without diminishing in any degree the honour wherewith thou hast clothed the married state, nay, even in confirming and enlarging the blessing which from the beginning thou hast pronounced upon that holy union, it hath pleased thee that some souls of nobler stamp should decline the marriage bond, and thus be called to realise the lofty mystery which that bond represents; should abstain from espousals of earth, and aspire, with all their heart’s whole love, to that divine union of which earthly espousals are but the symbol and type.

And holy virginity hath not been unmindful of its Author. Ever has it striven to emulate the purity of angels, and has disclaimed all other Spouse than Jesus, who is at once the Son of a virgin mother, and the tender Spouse of those who for love of him alone make vow . of perpetual virginity. Wherefore, O Lord, vouchsafe to grant thy help and thy guidance to me who implore thine aid; to me who desire to be confirmed in my resolve by thy blessing, full of loving mystery. Let not the devil, always on the watch to spread his perfidious snares in the way of those who covet thus the best gifts, ever take advantage of the inadvertence of my will to sully the perfect continence which I have promised thee; never may he so prevail as to shake in a virgin soul that continence to which even widows are obliged.

Establish thou within me, O my Lord, by the gift of thy Spirit, a modesty sheltered by prudence, an affability tempered by wisdom, a gentleness seasoned with gravity, a liberty of spirit always chaste. While I am fervent in charity, never let my love cling to aught but thee alone; may my life be filled with merit, and detached from all flattery. Let the holiness of my body and the purity of my soul glorify thee unceasingly; may the sense of thy love fill my heart, and my service unto thee be a service of love. Be thou my glory and my joy, my delight, my consolation in sorrow, my sure counsel in uncertainty. Be thou my hiding-place from the injustice of men, my patience in tribulation, my abundance in poverty, my sustenance in fasting, my rest in vigil, my healing in sickness.

O thou whom I fain would love above all, grant me to find my all in thee, and to keep faithfully what I have promised unto thee. O thou who searchest the heart, and who takest pleasure, not in beauty of outward form, but in interior purity of soul, grant that I may have a place among the wise virgins. There will I await the heavenly Bridegroom; having in my hand my lamp lighted, and trimmed with the oil of meet and careful preparation. So shall I not be confounded at the sudden coming of the sovereign King; but, all peaceful and clothed with light, I shall rejoin with songs of gladness the choirs of virgins who have gone before me. So shall I not be shut out with the foolish virgins, but in humble confidence enter with the wise virgins into the palace of the great King; where, in virtue of my patient and persevering chastity, I shall dwell for ever with the heavenly Lamb.

In memory of the moment when you received the veil, receive it anew in spirit, and say :

R. The Lord hath clothed me with a garment of salvation; he hath covered me with a veil of gladness * and his hand hath crowned me as a bride.

Pontifical, ‘fin consecratione Virginum." St. Gertrude has simply applied to herself personally the sub- lime words which the Bishop pronounced in the name of the Church, in the ceremony of her consecration to God,

Y. The Lord hath put on me a necklace of gold, and hath adorned me with fairest jewels: * and his hand hath crowned me as a bride. PRAYER

MY Best- beloved, chosen amongst ten thousand, grant me to rest beneath the shadow of thy love, and spread over me as a covering the succour of thy perfect holiness. Give me with thine own hand this veil, which represents purity; rule me and lead me evermore, that I may bring it up to thy glorious judgment-seat, with the fruit of a chaste innocence increased a hundred-fold. Amen.

Think of the crown which was set on your head, and say?

ANTIPHON. He hath placed his mark on my face, that I should admit no other lover than himself.

R. It is Jesus whom I love; I am become the spouse of him whose Mother was a virgin, and who was begotten spiritually of his Father, of him whose sweetest music already sounds in mine ears: * If I love him, I am chaste; when I touch him, I am pure; when I possess him, I am a virgin.

Say moreover : JESUS, my Brother and my Spouse, thou King supreme, God and Lamb of God, set thy mark on the face of my soul, and grave it so deeply there that out of thee no creature may attract my choice, nor excite my desire, nor possess my love. O thou who art dearer far to me than all that is dearest, deign to unite thyself to me in a bond so intimate, in a union so august, that I may ever be thy true and faithful spouse in that love which is stronger than death.

Think of the ring which was put on your finger, and say :

ANTIPHON. He hath given me his ring for a pledge, even he who excelleth all the sons of men in greatness and in splendour.

R. Already is his Flesh united to mine by the heavenly food which he hath given to me, and his Blood glows in my cheek: * whose Mother is a virgin, and who was begotten spiritually by his Father.

Y. I am his bride whom the angels lowly serve, whose beauty sun and moon admire:* whose Mother is ever virgin, and who was begotten spiritually by his Father.

Y. I have tasted the honey and the milk of his lips, and his Blood glows in my cheek:* If I love him, I am chaste; when I touch him, Iam pure; when I possess him, I am a virgin.

MY Jesus, who art the Flower and Fruit of thy Mother's virginal purity; O mine Inheritance and my kingly dowry, thou who hast given me as a pledge the ring of fidelity, set upon me the seal of thy Holy Spirit; make me what it beseems me to be for thee, O my living Lily, my Flower most beautiful and most beloved. Unite me to thee ina love so fervent, that for love of thee and for desire of thee I may long to die; let the union which now makes me thine be so intimate that it may ravish and bear away my heart, So that it may no longer be in me, but abide in thee alone by the inseparable union of love.

F7. The kingdom of this world and all its pomps have I despised for the love of Jesus Christ my Lord: * whom I have seen, whom I have loved; in whom I have believed; to whom I have given my love.

Y. My heart hath uttered a good word; I speak my works to the King: * whom I have seen, whom I have loved; in whom I have believed; to whom I have given my love.

(alae God, grant that I, thine unworthy servant, who have desired to be consecrated to thee, in hope of everlasting good things, may persevere constantly and faithfully in this holy resolution. Vouchsafe, O Almighty Father, to sanctify me, to bless me, and to hallow me for ever. Give me humility, chastity, obedience, charity, and all good works. Bestow on me, O Lord, in recompense of my feeble works, the glory thou hast promised: grant me, for my exterior reserve, the grace to make progress in respectful awe of thee; and for my purity the grace to attain unto holiness; so that I may one day be admitted to praise thy glorious majesty with thy holy angels for evermore. Amen.

In memory of the blessing which the Bishop gave you, pray that you may now be blessed by the whole sovereign Trinity.

Mo the gentle fatherhood and the divine majesty of God the Father deign to bless me, and to concur with me in my every action! May the sweet relationship and human brotherhood I have with Jesus my God bless me, and consummate me in union ! May the gentle tenderness and the glowing love of the Holy Spirit bless me, and render me faithful in every good work! May the whole sovereign Trinity bless me, strengthen me, and stablish me !

May the glorious Humanity of Jesus Christ my Lord likewise bless me, and unite me for ever to him who hath vouchsafed to choose me out of the world, who hath shown his unbounded love for me in dying for me, and who hath raised me to the dignity of his spouses ! May this dear and mighty benediction, which bringeth salvation, bestow on me perfection in all virtues, and keep me in the unspotted chastity I have vowed ! May it uphold me in my resolve, and give me strength to persevere even unto the end in humility, in purity, in patience, and in all holiness ! May it render me meet to receive, after this life, the crown of the faithful spouses of Jesus, and to be admitted into the white-robed choir of virgins, who, fairer than lilies, follow thee whithersoever thou goest, O thou Lamb without spot, thou Son of the Virgin Mary, thou flower and crown of virginity. Amen.

And now beseech tne merciful Lord to give you into the keeping of the Virgin Mary his Mother, all fair as the lily, who is represented to you by the abbess, to whose care the Bishcp intrusted you.

And now, O my Jesus, thou one desire of my heart, I beseech thee to commend and consign me to thy Mother, the virginal and sovereign Rose. May she ever be, for love of thee, the guide and the keeper of my virginity ! Give me to those tender hands which once ministered unto thee, unto thee who art the Son of God the Father, that they may defend me, and aid me in the performance of my sacred duties; may they direct me, and preserve me from the slightest stain that may sully the life of continence I have embraced. Say, O say to that virginal Rose: “ Take her also beneath thy maternal care; I commend her to thy keeping, O my Mother, with all the urgency of the love I bear to her, and see that thou present her to me at the last in purity, and fashioned by thee after mine own Heart." Amen,

Then recite the hymn of thanksgiving, Te Deum laudamus.

E praise thee, O God: we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.

All the earth doth worship thee: the Father everlasting.

To thee all angels cry aloud: the heavens and all the powers therein.

To thee cherubim and seraphim: continually do cry.

Holy, holy, holy: Lord God of Sabaoth.

Heaven and earth are full: of the majesty of thy glory.

The glorious choir of the apostles: praise thee.

The admirable company of the prophets: praise thee.

The white-robed army of martyrs: praise thee.

The Holy Church throughout all the world: doth acknowledge thee.

The Father: of an infinite majesty.

Thy adorable, true: and only Son.

Also the Holy Ghost: the Comforter.

Thou art the King of Glory: O Christ.

When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man: thou didst not abhor the Virgin’s womb.

When thou hadst overcome the sting of death: thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers,

Thou sittest at the right hand of God: in the glory of the Father.

We believe that thou shalt come: to be our Judge.

We pray thee, therefore, help thy servants: whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious Blood.

Make them to be numbered with thy saints: in glory everlasting.

O Lord, save thy people: and bless thine inheritance.

Govern them: and lift them up for ever.

Day by day: we magnify thee.

And we praise thy Name for ever, yea, for ever and ever.

Vouchsafe, O Lord, this day: to keep us without sin.

O Lord, have mercy upon us: have mercy upon us.

O Lord, let thy mercy be showed upon us: as we have hoped in thee.

O Lord, in thee have I hoped: let me not be confounded for ever.

Offer your praises to the adorable Trinity as follows : HOLY Trinity, in whose Bosom shine in undecaying splendour the everliving Godhead, Love, and Wisdom.

O Father, thou sole Fount of that might which is thy nature; thou, with whom the wisdom is coessential, from whom goodness is welling forth unceasingly, in whom charity glows as a consuming fire, from whom holiness diffuses itself throughout the multitude of thy chosen, and goodness yearns to embrace all whom thine hands have made; to thee be all thanksgiving, to thee all power and glory.

O thou Word sublime, who art the mighty cedar of Libanus, and who, in peerless majesty, spreadest far above the cherubim the branches of thy divinity; thou hast delighted to seek in the lowest depth of this valley of sorrow and tears a lowly plant of hyssop, that thou mightest

: unite it to thyself in most intimate union, and 1nake it thy bride in an unutterable love.

O Holy Ghost, who art Love, and the loving bond of the Holy Trinity, thou dost rest and take thy delights with the children of men, in that holy chastity which, through thy might and thy attractiveness, flourishes here below as the rose amidst thorns. O Holy Spirit! O Love, Love ! teach me the way that leadeth up to so blissful an abode, what path of life bringeth to the meadows on which falls the dew divine, where the heart doth slake its eager thirst. O Love, thou, thou alone knowest the Way which leadeth to the Truth and the Life. In thee is effected that alltranscending union which conjoins the divine Persons of the Holy Trinity. By thee, O thou Holy Spirit, all most precious gifts are poured forth on us; from thee too comes the living seed from which spring fruits of life; from thee flows forth the sweetest honey of the delights which are in God alone; from thee fall on us the fruitful showers of the blessings of the Lord of Hosts: these all are thy priceless gifts, O Holy Spirit of God.

O Son of God, O Love, my Love, make ready for me the way which leads to thee, the path of fair love. Drawn after thee by most chaste affection, bound to thee by the mystic nuptial tie, I will follow thee everywhere whithersoever thou goest, even to the high hill whereon thou reignest and rulest in the peerless majesty of thy divine essence, even to the fair abode where thou sheddest abroad the treasures of thy thrilling tenderness, and dost kindle and sustain the flame of thy consuming Love, where thou leadest after thee the soft-shining choirs of ten thousand times ten thousand virgin souls, clothed with raiment whiter than snow, and ever repeating the ecstatic burden of the marriage song of the Lamb. Meanwhile, O Jesus, my Love, keep me; shelter me in this valley of sorrows beneath the shadow of thy love; and when this weary exile shall end, do thou lead me and bring me, pure and without spot, into thy Holy Place, and let my portion be with thy chosen virgin souls. There shall I slake my burning thirst at the living waters which gush forth evermore from thy divine tenderness; there shall I be satisfied and at rest in the sure enjoyment of thy sweetest love. Amen! Amen! And let every living creature say, Amen!