Monday, July 9, 2012

Exclamation 8 - 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 8  
                 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 8  
  
                     Exclamation   VIII. 
1
O Lord my God,
 truly "Thou hast the words of life,"     [l]
wherein men can find all they crave, 
    if they but seek it ! 
But what wonder is it 
    if we forget Thy words, 
seeing the state of folly and disorder 
    to which our sins have reduced us ? 
2
O my God ! God ! 
God and Maker of all Creation ! 
What is all this creation  
    compared with 
what Thou canst create, 
    dost Thou but will ? 
Thou art omnipotent: 
Thy works are incomprehensible.   [2]
Permit not Thy words 
    ever to become effaced from my mind: 
    "Come unto Me all you that labour 
                       and 
      I will refresh you."                         [3]
What more can we desire or seek, Lord ? 
Why are worldlings lost, 
    save through seeking happiness ? 
3
Good God ! Good God ! 
How is it, Lord ? 
How pitiful ! 
What utter blindness
     to seek for happiness 
where it cannot be found. 
Have pity, Creator, on Thy creatures ! 
Remember, 
we do not 
    understand ourselves, 
            or 
    know what we want, 
 nor do we ask aright ! 
Lord, give us light ! 
See ! 
We need it more than did the man 
    who was born blind, 
for he longed to see the light 
     but could not, 
while we do not wish to see it. 

4
Oh ! ill, past remedy, 
needing Thee to manifest 
    both Thy power and Thy mercy.
O true God of mine ! 
How hard a thing I crave of Thee ! 
No less than that Thou 
    shouldst love those 
          who love not Thee: 
    shouldst open to those 
          who do not knock — 
    shouldst cure those 
          who wish to ail, 
                    and 
          who foster their maladies. 
5
Thou didst declare, my Master,
    that Thou earnest to seek sinners:  [4]
These are the real sinners ! 
Look 
    not on our blindness, my God, 
    but on the streams of blood 
         shed by Thy Son for us. 
Let Thy mercy shine forth 
    amidst such monstrous wickedness. 
Remember, Lord, 
    we are "the work of Thy hands";     [5 ]
Succour us by Thy goodness and mercy ! 


                  Foot Notes:

[1] 
   St. John vi. 69: 
   Domine, ad quern ibimus ? 
    verba vitae aeternce habes. 

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

         Blog Addition:
  Regarding Footnote reference #1
  After this many of his disciples went back;
      and walked no more with him. 
  Then Jesus said to the twelve: 
    Will you also go away? 
  And Simon Peter answered him: 
     Lord, to whom shall we go? 
    Thou hast the words of eternal life
  And we have believed and have known, 
     that thou art the Christ, the Son of God. 
         [John 6: 66-69 ]

_____________________
[2] 
  Job ix. 10: 
  Qui facit magna et incomprehensibilia. 
           Blog Addition:
  Regarding Footnote reference #2
   Who doth things 
        great and incomprehensible, 
            and wonderful, 
    of which there is no number.
          [ Job 9: 10 ]
_____________________
[3] 
  St. Matt. xi. 28: 
  Venite ad me omnes 
   qui laboratis et onerati estis, 
    et ego reficiam vos. 
_____________________
 [4] 
   St. Matt. ix. 13 : 
   Non enim veni vocare justos, 
          sed peccatores. 
  
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

         Blog Addition:
 Regarding Footnote reference #4
   "For I have not come to call the just
    but sinners"
       [Mt 9: 13 ]
_____________________
[5] 
   Isaias lxiv. 8: 
   Opera manuum tuarum omnes nos 





                            End of  


                      Exclamation 8  




                       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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