Reflection #3
God Deserves to Be Loved
Above Everything
God Deserves to Be Loved
Above Everything
Saint Teresa says that it is a great favor that God bestows upon a soul when He calls it to love Him. Let us then love Him, since we are called to this love, and let us love Him as He desires to be loved. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart." (Matthew 22:37). The Venerable Luis de Puente felt ashamed at saying to God: "O Lord, I love Thee above everything; I love Thee more than all creatures, more than all riches, than all honors, than all earthly pleasures," for it seemed to him that it was like saying: "My God, I love Thee more than straw and smoke and mire."
But God is satisfied when we love Him above all things. Therefore, at least let us say to Him: "Yes, O Lord, I love Thee more than all the honors of the world, more than all its riches, more than all my relations and friends; I love Thee more than health, more than my good name, more than knowledge, more than all my comforts; in a word, I love Thee more than everything I possess--more than myself."
And let us still further say: "O Lord, I value Thy graces and Thy gifts; but more than all Thy gifts, I love Thyself, who alone art Infinite Goodness and a Good infinitely amiable and surpassing every other good. And, therefore, O my God, whatever Thou mayest give me besides Thyself, which is not Thyself, is not sufficient for me; if Thou givest me Thyself, Thou alone art sufficient for me. Let others seek what they will, I will seek nothing but Thee alone, my love, my all. In Thee alone I find all that I can seek or desire."
The sacred Spouse said that among all things, she had chosen to love her beloved: "My beloved is white and ruddy, chosen out of thousands." (Canticle of Canticles 5:10). And whom, then, shall we choose to love? Among all our friends of this world, where can we find a friend more worthy of love and more faithful than God; and who has loved us more than God? Let us pray, then, and let us pray constantly: "O Lord, draw me after Thee," for if Thou dost not draw me after Thee, I cannot come to Thee.
O Jesus, my Savior, when will it be that, stripped of every other affection, I shall desire and seek for nothing but Thee! I would gladly detach myself from everything, but certain importunate affections often enter my heart and draw me away from Thee. Do Thou then, by Thy powerful hand, detach me from them and make Thyself the only object of all my affections and all my thoughts.
St. Augustine says that he who has God has everthing, and he who has not God has nothing. What does it profit a rich man to possess many treasures of gold and jewels, if he has not God? What does it profit a monarch to have many kingdoms, if he has not the grace of God? What does it profit a man of many letters to understand many sciences and languages, if he knows not how to love his God? What does it profit a general to command an entire army, if he lives the slave of the devil and far from God? When David was already king, but in a state of sin, he walked in his gardens, he went to his sports and to other pleasures, but all creatures seemed to say to him: "Whereis thy God? Wouldst thou seek in us thy happiness? Go, find God, whom thou hast left, for He alone can give thee contentment." And therefore David confessed that in the midst of all his pleasures he found no peace and wept night and day, with the thought that he was without God. "My tears have been my bread day and night, whilst it is said to me daily: Where is thy God?" (Psalms 41:4).
In the midst of the miseries and troubles of this world, who can console us better than Jesus Christ? Therefore He says to us: "Come to Me, all you that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you." (Matthew 11:28). Oh the folly of worldlings! One single tear shed through sorrow for our sins gives more consolation, one aspiration, "My God!" uttered with love by a soul in the state of grace, is worth more than a thousand festivals, a thousand plays, a thousand banquets, in giving contentment to a heart that loves the world. I say again, Oh, folly--and a folly which will be past remedy--when there comes that death in which it is night, as the Gospel says: "The night cometh, when no man can work." (John 9:4). Wherefore, Our Lord warns us to walk while the light favors us; for if the night overtakes us, we shall not be able to do anything. Therefore, let God alone be all our treasure, all our love; and let all our desire be to please God, who will not suffer us to conquer Him in love. He rewards a hundredfold everything that is done to give Him pleasure.
But God is satisfied when we love Him above all things. Therefore, at least let us say to Him: "Yes, O Lord, I love Thee more than all the honors of the world, more than all its riches, more than all my relations and friends; I love Thee more than health, more than my good name, more than knowledge, more than all my comforts; in a word, I love Thee more than everything I possess--more than myself."
And let us still further say: "O Lord, I value Thy graces and Thy gifts; but more than all Thy gifts, I love Thyself, who alone art Infinite Goodness and a Good infinitely amiable and surpassing every other good. And, therefore, O my God, whatever Thou mayest give me besides Thyself, which is not Thyself, is not sufficient for me; if Thou givest me Thyself, Thou alone art sufficient for me. Let others seek what they will, I will seek nothing but Thee alone, my love, my all. In Thee alone I find all that I can seek or desire."
The sacred Spouse said that among all things, she had chosen to love her beloved: "My beloved is white and ruddy, chosen out of thousands." (Canticle of Canticles 5:10). And whom, then, shall we choose to love? Among all our friends of this world, where can we find a friend more worthy of love and more faithful than God; and who has loved us more than God? Let us pray, then, and let us pray constantly: "O Lord, draw me after Thee," for if Thou dost not draw me after Thee, I cannot come to Thee.
O Jesus, my Savior, when will it be that, stripped of every other affection, I shall desire and seek for nothing but Thee! I would gladly detach myself from everything, but certain importunate affections often enter my heart and draw me away from Thee. Do Thou then, by Thy powerful hand, detach me from them and make Thyself the only object of all my affections and all my thoughts.
St. Augustine says that he who has God has everthing, and he who has not God has nothing. What does it profit a rich man to possess many treasures of gold and jewels, if he has not God? What does it profit a monarch to have many kingdoms, if he has not the grace of God? What does it profit a man of many letters to understand many sciences and languages, if he knows not how to love his God? What does it profit a general to command an entire army, if he lives the slave of the devil and far from God? When David was already king, but in a state of sin, he walked in his gardens, he went to his sports and to other pleasures, but all creatures seemed to say to him: "Whereis thy God? Wouldst thou seek in us thy happiness? Go, find God, whom thou hast left, for He alone can give thee contentment." And therefore David confessed that in the midst of all his pleasures he found no peace and wept night and day, with the thought that he was without God. "My tears have been my bread day and night, whilst it is said to me daily: Where is thy God?" (Psalms 41:4).
In the midst of the miseries and troubles of this world, who can console us better than Jesus Christ? Therefore He says to us: "Come to Me, all you that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you." (Matthew 11:28). Oh the folly of worldlings! One single tear shed through sorrow for our sins gives more consolation, one aspiration, "My God!" uttered with love by a soul in the state of grace, is worth more than a thousand festivals, a thousand plays, a thousand banquets, in giving contentment to a heart that loves the world. I say again, Oh, folly--and a folly which will be past remedy--when there comes that death in which it is night, as the Gospel says: "The night cometh, when no man can work." (John 9:4). Wherefore, Our Lord warns us to walk while the light favors us; for if the night overtakes us, we shall not be able to do anything. Therefore, let God alone be all our treasure, all our love; and let all our desire be to please God, who will not suffer us to conquer Him in love. He rewards a hundredfold everything that is done to give Him pleasure.
Then silence, wicked world! depart;
Seek not esteem or love of mine;
Another Lover owns my heart;
His charms are greater far than thine.
Seek not esteem or love of mine;
Another Lover owns my heart;
His charms are greater far than thine.
O my God, and my only Good, be Thou the ruling power in my soul; and as in love I prefer Thee before all things, so do Thou make me in all things prefer Thy pleasure to any satisfaction of my own. O my Jesus, I trust in Thy Blood, that during the rest of my life I shall love nothing but Thee upon this earth, so that I may come one day to possess Thee forever in the kingdom of the Blessed.
O holy Virgin, succor me with thy powerful prayers, and take me to kiss thy feet in Paradise.
[Excepted from 'Devout Reflections and Meditations' by St. Alphonsus Liguori] (Public domain)
O holy Virgin, succor me with thy powerful prayers, and take me to kiss thy feet in Paradise.
[Excepted from 'Devout Reflections and Meditations' by St. Alphonsus Liguori] (Public domain)
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