Reflection #25
Souls that Greatly Love
God Long to Go and Behold
Him in Heaven
"While we are in the body, we are absent from the Lord," says the Apostle. (2 Corinthians 5:6). Souls who in this life love nothing but God are like noble pilgrims, destined, according to their present state, to be the eternal spouse of the King of Heaven, but who now live at a distance without seeing Him. Wherefore, they do nothing but sigh for their departure to the country of the Blessed, where they know that their Spouse awaits them.
They know indeed that their Beloved is ever present with them, but He is as it were hidden behind a curtain and does not show Himself. Or rather, He is as the sun is frequently, behind clouds, through which, from time to time, it sends forth some ray of its splendor, but does not display itself openly. Moreover, these beloved spouses have a bandage over their eyes, which prevents them from seeing the object of their love. They live, nevertheless, contented, uniting themselves to the will of the Lord, who chooses to keep them in exile and far away from Himself; but with all this, they cannot but continually sigh to behold Him face to face, in order to become more charmed and more inflamed with love for Him.
Therefore, each one of them often sweetly complains to its beloved Spouse because He does not show Himself and says: "O Thou only Love of my heart, since Thou dost love me so much and hast wounded me with Thy holy love, why dost Thou hide Thyself and dost not let me see Thee? I know that Thou art an Infinite Beauty; I love Thee more than myself, though I have never yet beheld Thee. Show me Thy beautiful countenance; I long to see Thee unveiled, so that I may no longer behold myself nor any creature and may think only of loving Thee, my Sovereign Good."
When to these souls thus enamored of God there shines forth any ray of the Divine Goodness and of the love which God bears them, they would wish to be dissolved and melt away for desire of Him; and yet for them the sun is still behind the clouds, and His fair face is concealed behind a veil, and their is still the bandage over their eyes, so that they cannot gaze upon Him face to face. But what will be their joy when the clouds shall disperse, when the veil shall be withdrawn, and the bandage shall be taken from their eyes, and the fair countenance of their Spouse shall appear unveiled, so that in the clear light they shall see His beauty, His goodness, His greatness and the love which He bears for them!
O death, why dost thou so long delay to come? If thou comest not, I cannot depart to behold my God. It is thou who must open to me the gate, that I may enter into the palace of my Lord. O blessed country, when will the day come in which I shall find myself within thine eternal tabernacles?
O Beloved of my soul, my Jesus, my Treasure, my Love, my All, when shall come that happy moment when, leaving this earth, I shall see myself entirely united to Thee? I deserve not this happiness; but the love which Thou hast shown me, and still more Thine Infinite Goodness, makes me hope that I shall be one day joined to those happy souls who, being wholly united to Thee, love Thee and will love Thee with a perfect love through all eternity. O my Jesus, Thou seest the alternative in which I am placed, of being forever united to Thee, or forever banished far from Thee. Have pity upon me; Thy Blood is my hope!
And thy intercession, O my Mother Mary, is my comfort and my joy!
[Excepted from 'Devout Reflections and Meditations' by St. Alphonsus Liguori] (Public domain)
They know indeed that their Beloved is ever present with them, but He is as it were hidden behind a curtain and does not show Himself. Or rather, He is as the sun is frequently, behind clouds, through which, from time to time, it sends forth some ray of its splendor, but does not display itself openly. Moreover, these beloved spouses have a bandage over their eyes, which prevents them from seeing the object of their love. They live, nevertheless, contented, uniting themselves to the will of the Lord, who chooses to keep them in exile and far away from Himself; but with all this, they cannot but continually sigh to behold Him face to face, in order to become more charmed and more inflamed with love for Him.
Therefore, each one of them often sweetly complains to its beloved Spouse because He does not show Himself and says: "O Thou only Love of my heart, since Thou dost love me so much and hast wounded me with Thy holy love, why dost Thou hide Thyself and dost not let me see Thee? I know that Thou art an Infinite Beauty; I love Thee more than myself, though I have never yet beheld Thee. Show me Thy beautiful countenance; I long to see Thee unveiled, so that I may no longer behold myself nor any creature and may think only of loving Thee, my Sovereign Good."
When to these souls thus enamored of God there shines forth any ray of the Divine Goodness and of the love which God bears them, they would wish to be dissolved and melt away for desire of Him; and yet for them the sun is still behind the clouds, and His fair face is concealed behind a veil, and their is still the bandage over their eyes, so that they cannot gaze upon Him face to face. But what will be their joy when the clouds shall disperse, when the veil shall be withdrawn, and the bandage shall be taken from their eyes, and the fair countenance of their Spouse shall appear unveiled, so that in the clear light they shall see His beauty, His goodness, His greatness and the love which He bears for them!
O death, why dost thou so long delay to come? If thou comest not, I cannot depart to behold my God. It is thou who must open to me the gate, that I may enter into the palace of my Lord. O blessed country, when will the day come in which I shall find myself within thine eternal tabernacles?
O Beloved of my soul, my Jesus, my Treasure, my Love, my All, when shall come that happy moment when, leaving this earth, I shall see myself entirely united to Thee? I deserve not this happiness; but the love which Thou hast shown me, and still more Thine Infinite Goodness, makes me hope that I shall be one day joined to those happy souls who, being wholly united to Thee, love Thee and will love Thee with a perfect love through all eternity. O my Jesus, Thou seest the alternative in which I am placed, of being forever united to Thee, or forever banished far from Thee. Have pity upon me; Thy Blood is my hope!
And thy intercession, O my Mother Mary, is my comfort and my joy!
[Excepted from 'Devout Reflections and Meditations' by St. Alphonsus Liguori] (Public domain)
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