Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Exclamation 6 - Exclamations, or Meditations of the Soul on Its God - St. Teresa of Avila - Teresa of Jesus


                   Exclamations, 

                             Or 
   Meditations of The Soul on Its God 


   
                   Exclamation 6  
                 S. Teresa of Jesus 
    of the Order of our Lady of Carmel  
           
                     St. Teresa of Avila 

                     ░░░░░░░░░░░░
 "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." 
                    ░░░░░░░░░░░░
    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    
                   Exclamation 6  
  
        Exclamation VI
1
O my Joy, 
Lord of all things and my God ! 
How long must I languish 
   for Thy presence ? 
What solace wilt Thou grant to one 
   who has so little earthly comfort, 
that she may find peace 
    while absent from Thee ? 
2
Oh tedious, oh painful, oh dying life ! 
What lonely solitude ! 
How hopeless is my case ! 
How long, Lord, 
how long shall it endure ? 
What shall I do, my sovereign Good, 
what shall I do ? 
Shall I desire not to desire Thee? 
3
O God my Creator ! 
Who dost wound, 
    yet dost not heal; 
Who dost strike 
    but leave no wound; 
Dost kill 
    and give new life by it; 
In a word, Who art almighty, 
    and 
therefore dost what pleaseth Thee; 
Wilt Thou make such a wretched worm 
    suffer these conflicting pains ? 
Be it so, my God, 
since it is Thy will, 
    for I only seek to love Thee


But alas, alas, my Creator,
bitter anguish 
    wrings this complaint from me, 
    making me speak of that 
       for which there is no remedy 
       until Thou providest one


The soul, 
          thus pent in bondage, 
    longs for liberty, 
yet would not move one hair's breadth 
    from the path Thou choosest for it. 


Do Thou, my Glory, 
    either increase my pain, 
    or cure it altogether. 
4
Ah, death, death, 
I know not why men dread thee, 
since life is found in thee ! 
Yet who 
that has not always loved God 
    in the past 
would fear thee not ? 
Since I am such a one, 
what do I desire and ask ? 
Will death but bring the punishment 
    my sins so justly merit ? 
Permit it not, my sovereign Good, 
    for it cost Thee dear to ransom me ! 
5
O my soul, 
submit to the will of thy God
This is best for thee: 
Serve Him and trust to His mercy 
    to ease thy pain, 
when by penance thou hast won 
    some little claim to pardon for thy sins: 
Seek not to rejoice 
    until thou hast suffered ! 

6
Alas, my true Lord and King, 
I am incapable even of this, 
    unaided by Thy sovereign 
         power and majesty, 
but with these 
    I can do all things ! 
 


                           End of  
                     Exclamation 6 




                     Exclamations, 
                             Or 
              Meditations Of The Soul 
                        On Its God
  
                  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"  


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