8. Of the desire of seeing and embracing Jesus

\HOW me Thy face: let Thy voice sound in my ears. For Thy voice is sweet and Thy face comely. These are the words of a loving soul, to Thee, most sweet Jesus Christ. But I beseech Thee, good Babe: that Thou also grant to me a sinner to say these words in the desire of my soul. For when shall I be satiated of thinking and speaking of Thee? For Thou art the salvation of my countenance, and my God. Show me therefore Thy face: and my soul shall be saved. Whensoever I am sad, look upon me and pity me: and my soul shall be comforted. For Thou art my hope from my youth: and unto length of days and old age for sake me not. O how lovable and sweet Thou hast become to men: for whom Thou hast deigned to be made a little child. For by such charity Thou drawest me to Thyself, and dost mightily press me to Thyself in Thy love. O most sweet and most loving child Jesus: deign to comfort me a while this day. My soul loves Thee: because Thou hast first loved me. For on account of Thine immense love, and the incomparable sweetness Thou hast shown towards me: Thou didst come down from that secret dwelling of Heaven into the prison of this world to visit and console me. And now Thou hast done well by coming: and Thou hast acted with much wisdom and sweetness appearing in such guise. Putting on human nature: Thou hast taken the form of a most beautiful babe: Who abiding in the Godhead pure and simple without any figure surpasses! all understanding. But I in my grossness could not grasp such a substance excelling all shape: there fore in condescension to me Thou hast united my nature with Thyself, presenting the familiar form of a man; that thus by nearness of nature Thou mightest show greater affection : and by the visible aspect of man lead us by the hand to the invisible substance of the Godhead.

O most sweet incarnate Wisdom of God: how sweetly and wisely Thou drawest me by Thy dear infancy. Turn now Thy face to me, good Jesus, and cast me not away from among Thy children; but show me a gracious mien: that seeing Thee, my heart may be glad, and conceive thence new joy. O happy hour, when Thou lookest upon me with eyes of tenderness: and showest me the favour I desire. For this is a sign of Thy clemency: this affords me confidence and comfort. This also invites me to kiss Thy feet, hands, and blessed mouth. O feet of my Lord Jesus Christ, The feet sacred and worthy of every embrace, small and of Jesustender, confined within the narrowness of the manger; who shall yet walk for me: and oft be wearied. Alas! you suffer no little cold: |for haply you have not sufficient clothing to cover, and fire to warm. These are the tender and beloved feet of my Lord Saviour: yet to be pierced on the cross with sharp nails. And then you shall be fearfully bathed in blood: who now bear patiently the hard frost. These are the feet most prompt to carry the tidings of peace; ready to tread the rough road: destined to show the world the way of eternal salvation. These are the feet of mercy and justice; before which the Ethiopians shall fall, the demons flee: and kings and princes worship. Then shall draw nigh sinners doing penance ; and devoutly kissing them: they shall obtain pardon and grace.

O beloved Babe, not only Thy feet: but Thy The hands hands also and head and other members offer me of Jesusto kiss, bless and praise. O most lovely and most pure hands, perfectly proportioned: in no point either too great or too small. These are Thy hands, O Lord, which have made me and formed me: and now have come to restore me. They shall aid me to toil faithfully: and strengthen me manfully against divers temptations. They shall support me in good that I fail not: and upraise me in evil lest I despair. THEY SHALL BLESS LITTLE ONES: and give health to many sick. They shall combat the devil: and reduce all his power to naught. After many years they shall be fastened to the cross; and then they shall send forth broad streams of blood. Stretched out on the cross they shall beseech forgiveness for me: and wounded, obtain me pardon of sins. They shall open the door of paradise: destroy the gates of hell: and lead thence its captives. They shall appear with their wounds to men at the judgement: and openly show how much God wrought and suffered for their salvation. Let this left hand be under my head: and that right embrace me. O if I merit so great a good: how happy and joyous shall I be. Hence now with greater confidence I will dare to draw nigh to the kiss of Thy mouth: and with the boldness of love to press my lips upon Thy holy lips. And if the height of the Godhead terrify: nevertheless the likeness of human nature most strongly urges: and the wondrous sweetness of Thy baby littleness.

The mouth O holy and stainless mouth of my Lord, full of sus- wisdom and grace; Thou shall teach me the ways of life, Thou shalt fill me with praise : Thou art to comfort me with good discourse. For if at times the speech of a learned man gives pleasure; how much more will the word of grace from Thy mouth delight? O honied mouth of my Lord, how lovely are Thy lips; how white Thy teeth: how sweetly it shall distil Thy speech. This mouth then of the Lord shall speak judgement andjustice; strike the wicked with its lips : and destroy the impious from the earth. It shall open the hidden things of the scriptures : and unveil heavenly secrets. It shall make manifest the counsels of hearts: and make void the wisdom and design of men. The islands shall hold their peace before Thee: and kings and princes of the earth shall marvel. The noble and the lowly shall be con verted : and the learned shall impose silence on their mouth. For WHEN GOD SPEAKS, THE EARTH AND THE WORLD SHALL BE SILENT: and all the power of the heavens shall obey the command of Thy mouth.

O precious and golden mouth of the Saint of saints ; who shall be worthy even once to kiss Thee, or to touch the summit of Thy head? It is in sooth a pure and holy soul that saith, " Let Him kiss me with the kiss of His mouth." SHE THAT LOVES, SEEKS THE KISS: but she that fears, is ashamed to draw near. NOTHING so RECONCILES, NOTHING SO APPEASES GoD : AS THE PURE LOVE OF GOD AND CONTEMPT OF SELF. I beseech Thee, good Babe, Jesus most sweet, Babe small and great; perform this mercy with Thy servant, that with humble condescension Thou suffer me to touch, embrace, and kiss Thee with kisses of love : as long as Thou art small, and lying in a manger. For thus Thou art loved more sweetly: held more lovingly: borne more easily, and feared less. But when Thou art become a man, it is not lawful to act thus : but it will behove to pass to things more serious. All things have their season. Now Eccl. 3. r. it is the season of embracing; later it shall be the season of weeping: when in place of the kiss of the mouth will be given Thee the cup of bitter brewing. Now it is better to taste the joy of Thy birth: but great sorrow of compassion will rather be felt later: when Thou art stretched naked on the cross ; Who now, wrapped in swaddlingclothes, art laid in a manger. Give me, most loving Babe, the kiss of Thy charity : and accept the worship of my humility. Behold my desire, and offer the sacred KISS OF THY MOUTH ; and let this be to me a sign of peace : and AN INDISSOLUBLE BOND OF MUTUAL LOVE. I know and believe that Thy touch heals: Thy embrace unites: THY KISS IMPRESSES LOVE. Whom Thou touchest within, Thou curest of fleshly affection ; whom Thou embracest, Thou unitest with Thyself: Thou sweetly kissest him: whom Thou makest to be fervent in Thy love. Now tell me what thinkest Thou: and make me experience the word that is spoken.

"Receive," saiththis Babe, "a kiss, and understand a mystery; for no man knoweth but he that receiveth; and no man receiveth, but he that has learnt to walk in the spirit. Then I kiss thee, when I infuse into thee the gift of My love. Then I EMBRACE THEE ; WHEN I DRAW ALL THE AFFECTIONS OF THY HEART TO ME : so that there be NOTHING in creatures, that CAN allure or attract THEE. But then thou dost kiss Me: when thou art compunct with true, sincere love : and seekest comfort of no creature. Thou dost kiss My feet: if thou followest the steps of My humility, from love rather than from fear. Thou dost kiss My hands: if all good works done or to be done, the whole thou dost attribute not to thyself, but to Me. And then thou dost embrace Me: when thou feelest thyself united with Me by intimate affection of heart, and so strongly bindest thyself: that thou desirest TO BE WHOLLY MINE, and keepest back NOTHING of private love TO THYSELF. Then shalt thou be able to say with the spouse in the Canticle, ' My be loved to me, and I to Him: Who feedeth among the lilies.' If thou wouldst freely forsake thyself, and despise all earthly things ; I would receive thee as My familiar friend: and make thee rich in virtues. For who is devoted and wholly given to Me : I to him in turn will manifest Myself utterly without reserve; because therefore was I, God, made man : that man might be in Me for ever blessed. I have given Myself all to man : that man might be wholly given to Me. For ' My delights are to be with the children of men ': to whom I have come to give also the kingdom of Heaven: and by contempt of the world to bring to the everlasting fellowship of the angels."