Exclamations, Or Meditations of The Soul on Its God Exclamation 9 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 9 |
Exclamation IX.
1.
O compassionate and tender Sovereign
of my soul,
Who dost also say:
"If any one thirst,
let him come to Me,
and
I will give him to drink ! " [1]
How parched with thirst
must men be
who are inflamed with covetousness
for miserable earthly goods !
Urgent is their need of this water,
lest they be totally consumed.
2.
I know, my Lord,
that out of Thy bounty
Thou wilt give it them.
Thou Thyself hast promised it,
and
Thy word cannot fail —
But alas !
If from having lived long
in this furnace of passion,
they
have become insensible to its flames,
and
are too careless
to realise their great danger,
what cure is there for them, my God ?
Thou camest into the world
to remedy such ills;
Begin Thy work, Lord,
for Thy pity is best shown
in the most desperate evils.
3.
See, Lord,
Thine enemies grow bolder —
Have mercy on those
so merciless to themselves,
whose miserable condition prevents
their wishing to draw near to Thee:
Do Thou come to them, O my God !
I ask this in their name:
I know that when
they are enlightened
and
have returned to their senses,
having begun to taste Thy sweetness, [2]
they will rise from the death of sin.
4.
O Life, Who givest life to all !
Refuse not this most delicious water,
promised by Thee
to all who desire it.
Behold, I long for it, Lord;
I ask for it, I come to Thee !
Hide not this water from me:
Thou knowest
how I need it,
since it is the only cure
for a soul wounded by Thee.
5.
O Lord,
how many kinds of fever
inflame men's hearts in this life !
What cause have we for fear !
Some of these ardours consume the soul,
yet others
purify it
and
prepare it to enjoy Thee for ever.
6.
O living waters, springing
from the wounds of my God,
how abundantly you ever flow
to sustain us !
Safely indeed, will he
who drinks eagerly
of this divine draught
traverse the dangers of this wretched life.
Foot Notes: [1] St. John vii. 37: Si quis sitit, veniat ad me, et bibat. — Way of Perf., ch. xix. 4. Way of Perf., ch. xix. 4 Perhaps they were not two steps off the living fountain of water of which our Lord spoke to the Samaritan woman, promising that whoever drank of it should never thirst again. How true is this which was told us by Truth Himself! For the soul thirsts no more for the things of this world, although its craving for the next life exceeds any natural thirst that can be imagined. Yet how the heart pines for this thirst, realising its priceless value! This drought brings its own remedy with it: It allays all desire of created things and satisfies the soul. When it has been satiated by God, one of the greatest graces He can bestow on the spirit is to leave it with this thirst, which, after drinking, increases the longing to partake again and again of this water. [Way of Perfection: Ch.19: #4 ] _____________________ [2] Ps. xxxiii. 9: Gustate et videte quoniam suavis est Dominus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blog Addition: Regarding Footnote reference #2 O taste, and see that the Lord is sweet: blessed is the man that hopeth in him. [Psalm 34: 8] |
End of Exclamation 9 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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