"Not to cling to anything, but with all my strength to unite myself to the adored Word; to live for Him and do nothing but for Him; to let myself be governed by Him; to conceive of the Word the fruit that He wants me to bring forth; to be able to say in absolute truth the words of St. Paul: 'Christ is everything in my life, He is all my life; on that condition only will the Word recognize me as His Spouse.'" Thus speaks St. Bernard in his eighty-fifth sermon on the Canticle.
No one should be more eager than I to love the well-beloved of my soul. There must be between Him and me a constant rivalry as to who can love the other more. This was the way St. Therese of the Child Jesus understood her virginal consecration.
And not only will I love on behalf of myself with all my heart, but I will endeavor to add to my love a supplementary love to compensate for those who do not love.
One of Your holy spouses, the Venerable Ursuline Mary of the Incarnation, has written,
"Whenever I was in company and observed everyone busy having a good time, conversing on frivolous topics, I used to be deeply moved and I complained to our Lord. 'Everyone forgets You, my God, but I shall withdraw to embrace You for them.' I feel such a great sorrow that no one takes the trouble to think of Him Who is so close to us, thus leaving His Divine Majesty in oblivion, that I cannot express it. For is it sensible to let God alone in order to think of nothing? In truth, if I could only have taken all these hearts and wills how I would enkindle affection in them; they soon would have loved Him...all that I could do was to offer them to God--I wanted to try to satisfy for all."I will be motivated by a like desire and will seek to give our Lord the greatest possible love.
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Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
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