Exclamations, Or Meditations Of The Soul On Its God Exclamation 1 S. Teresa of Jesus of the Order of our Lady of Carmel St. Teresa of Avila ░░░░░░░░░░░░ From the Book, "Minor Works Of St. Teresa Conceptions Of The Love Of God Exclamations, Maxims And Poems" |
Exclamations, Or Meditations Of The Soul On Its God Written By The Holy Mother Teresa Of Jesus On Different Occasions, According To The Devotion Imparted To Her By Our Lord After Holy Communion. A.D. 1569. |
EXCLAMATION I
1.
Oh, life, life,
How canst thou still exist,
apart from Him
Who is thy Life ?
Who is thy Life ?
How dost thou occupy thyself
during such solitude ?
What dost thou do —
thou, whose actions are full
of faults and imperfections ?
What can comfort thee, O my soul,
in this tempestuous sea ?
I grieve for self,
and
yet still more for the time
when I felt no grief.
How sweet are Thy ways, O Lord !
Yet who can travel by them without dread ?
I dare not abstain from serving Thee,
yet my service contents me not,
nor acquits aught of the debt I owe.
Fain would I give myself
wholly to Thy service,
yet, looking on my misery,
I see that I am incapable of good,
unless Thou first give it me.
Oh, my merciful God !
What shall I do,
not to render void Thy great graces ?
Thy works are
holy, just, priceless,
full of sublimest wisdom,
for Thou, Lord, art Wisdom itself !
Yet while my mind ponders over this,
my will complains;
It would have no hindrance
to its loving Thee,
for in such high matters ,
the intellect cannot attain to its God,
yet longs to enjoy Him,
although it knows not how,
while shut within the dreary prison
of mortality.
Now it impedes me,
though, at first,
meditation on Thy grandeurs was an aid,
showing me more clearly
showing me more clearly
my own immeasurable baseness.
2.
Why do I say this, my God ?
To whom do I complain ?
Who hears me, but Thou,
my Father and my Creator ?
But why speak, in order to tell Thee
of my pain,
since I see so clearly
that Thou dost dwell within me ?
Behold my folly !
But alas, my God,
how can I be sure
I am not separated from Thee ?
3. Oh, my life !
Which must be passed
in such vital hazard,
who would wish for thee ?
The sole gain
to be found or hoped for in thee
is to please God in all things,
and
even this is
most uncertain
and
beset by dangers.
End of Exclamations, Or Meditations Of The Soul On Its God Exclamation 1 S. Teresa of Jesus of the Order of our Lady of Carmel St. Teresa of Avila ░░░░░░░░░░░░ From the Book, "Minor Works Of St. Teresa Conceptions Of The Love Of God Exclamations, Maxims And Poems" |
