I long to behold the light of his gaze.
Oh! What splendor must shine in his eyes!
In contemplating this Only Begotten of the Father
I will have the Three and I will have all of Heaven!
He will make his light shine in my soul,
He will purify me in divine flames.
O my adored Word
Luminous Beauty,
Look upon me!
Perhaps all the graces that I have received in abundance have come to me through the prayers of some little soul whom I shall know only in heaven!
In the evening of this life, I shall appear before You with empty hands, for I do not ask You, Lord, to count my works. All our justice is stained in Your eyes. I wish, then, to be clothed in Your own Justice and to receive from Your Love the eternal possession of Yourself. I want no other Throne, no other Crown but You, my Beloved!
I keep my eyes fixed on eternity and in this way I obtain constancy in the vortex of city life, freedom in social relations, and a merry heart.
But can we still say 'Thy will be done' when we are no longer certain what God's will would have of us? Do we still have the means to hold to His ways when the inner light dies out? There are such means, indeed such strong means... He knows our nature; He takes it into consideration and therefore He has given us everything which can help us to reach our goal.
In the Passion and death of Christ our sins were consumed by fire. If we accept that in faith, and if we accept the whole Christ in faith-filled surrender, which means, however, that we choose and walk the path of the imitation of Christ, then He will lead us "through His Passion and cross to the glory of His Resurrection." This is exactly what is experienced in contemplation: passing through the expiatory flames to the bliss of the union of love. This explains its twofold character. It is death and resurrection.
I desire neither death nor life. Were Our Lord to offer me my choice, I would not choose. I only will what He wills, and I am pleased with whatever He does. I have no fear of the last struggle, or of any pain, however great, which my illness may bring. God has always been my help; He has led me by the hand since I was a child and I count on Him now. Even though suffering should reach its furthest limits I am certain He will never forsake me.
The waters of interior delights do not spring from the earth; the mouth of desire must be turned towards heaven, and be empty of everything else.
Never fear that the Lord Who invites us to drink of the fountain will allow us to die of thirst.
In heaven we will be surprised to see how different His judgment is from what we can understand here below. May He be praised forever.
...Sunday must be a great door through which celestial life can enter into everyday life, and strength for the work of the entire week, and how the great feasts, holidays, and seasons of lent, lived though in the spirit of the Church permit the soul to mature the more from year to year to the eternal Sabbath rest.
There are many Christians who are virtuous men, and who do great things, but their virtues and good works are utterly useless in the matter of eternal life, because they seek themselves in them, and not solely the honor and glory of God.
