GOD IS SWEET ABOVE ALL THINGS AND IN ALL THINGS TO
THOSE WHO LOVE HIM
THE DISCIPLE
BEHOLD, my God and my all! What more do I wish for; what
greater happiness can I desire? O sweet and delicious word! But sweet
only to him who loves it, and not to the world or the things that are
in the world.
My God and my all! These words are enough for him who
understands, and for him who loves it is a joy to repeat them often.
For when You are present, all things are delightful; when You are
absent, all things become loathsome. It is You Who give a heart
tranquillity, great peace and festive joy. It is You Who make us think
well of all things, and praise You in all things. Without You nothing
can give pleasure for very long, for if it is to be pleasing and
tasteful, Your grace and the seasoning of Your wisdom must be in it.
What is there that can displease him whose happiness is in You? And,
on the contrary, what can satisfy him whose delight is not in You?
The wise men of the world, the men who lust for the flesh, are
wanting in Your wisdom, because in the world is found the utmost
vanity, and in the flesh is death. But they who follow You by
disdaining worldly things and mortifying the flesh are known to be
truly wise, for they are transported from vanity to truth, from flesh
to spirit. By such as these God is relished, and whatever good is
found in creatures they turn to praise of the Creator. But great --
yes, very great, indeed -- is the difference between delight in the
Creator and in the creature, in eternity and in time, in Light
uncreated and in the light that is reflected.
O Light eternal, surpassing all created brightness, flash forth
the lightning from above and enlighten the inmost recesses of my
heart. Cleanse, cheer, enlighten, and vivify my spirit with all its
powers, that it may cleave to You in ecstasies of joy. Oh, when will
that happy and wished-for hour come, that You may fill me with Your
presence and become all in all to me? So long as this is not given me,
my joy will not be complete.
The old man, alas, yet lives within me. He has not yet been
entirely crucified; he is not yet entirely dead. He still lusts
strongly against the spirit, and he will not leave the kingdom of my
soul in peace. But You, Who can command the power of the sea and calm
the tumult of its waves, arise and help me. Scatter the nations that
delight in war; crush them in Your sight. Show forth I beg, Your
wonderful works and let Your right hand be glorified, because for me
there is no other hope or refuge except in You, O Lord, my God. |
That to him who loveth God is sweet above all
things and in all things
Behold, God is mine, and all things are mine!
What will I more, and what more happy thing can I desire? O
delightsome and sweet world! that is, to him that loveth the Word, not
the world, neither the things that are in the world.(1) My God, my
all! To him that understandeth, that word sufficeth, and to repeat it
often is pleasing to him that loveth it. When Thou art present all
things are pleasant; when Thou art absent, all things are wearisome.
Thou makest the heart to be at rest, givest it deep peace and festal
joy. Thou makest it to think rightly in every matter, and in every
matter to give Thee praise; neither can anything please long without
Thee but if it would be pleasant and of sweet savour, Thy grace must
be there, and it is Thy wisdom which must give unto it a sweet savour.
2. To him who tasteth Thee, what can be
distasteful? And to him who tasteth Thee not, what is there which can
make him joyous? But the worldly wise, and they who enjoy the flesh,
these fail in Thy wisdom; for in the wisdom of the world is found
utter vanity, and to be carnally minded is death. But they who follow
after Thee through contempt of worldly things, and mortification of
the flesh, are found to be truly wise because they are carried from
vanity to verity, from the flesh to the spirit. They taste that the
Lord is good, and whatsoever good they find in creatures, they count
it all unto the praise of the Creator. Unlike, yea, very unlike is
the enjoyment of the Creator to enjoyment of the Creature, the
enjoyment of eternity and of time, of light uncreated and of light
reflected.
3. O Light everlasting, surpassing all created
lights, dart down Thy ray from on high which shall pierce the inmost
depths of my heart. Give purity, joy, clearness, life to my spirit
that with all its powers it may cleave unto Thee with rapture passing
man's understanding. Oh when shall that blessed and longed-for time
come when Thou shalt satisfy me with Thy presence, and be unto me All
in all? So long as this is delayed, my joy shall not be full. Still,
ah me! the old man liveth in me: he is not yet all crucified, not yet
quite dead; still he lusteth fiercely against the spirit, wageth
inward wars, nor suffereth the soul's kingdom to be in peace.
4. But Thou who rulest the raging of the sea, and
stillest the waves thereof when they arise, rise up and help me.
Scatter the people that delight in war.(2) Destroy them by Thy
power. Show forth, I beseech Thee, Thy might, and let Thy right hand
be glorified, for I have no hope, no refuge, save in Thee, O Lord my
God. |