Jean Danielou, The Mystery of Advent, 'who is yet to come'

Monastic Office of Vigils

Third Week of Advent

Wednesday 18^th 2013

First Reading   Isaiah 46: 1-13

Second Reading  From the writngs of Cardinal Jean

Danielou, S.J. (Le Mystere de L’avent, 126-126-128)

Who is yet to come?

The mystery which we are now living in the world is the mystery of Christ’s gradual coming to every soul and every nation. Christ has indeed come, but he remains always the one who is yet to come. Come he has, but not completely. Thouh the expectation of Israel has been fulfilled, Israel is still waiting. We are for ever in the season of Advent, awaiting the coming of the Messiah. The Messiah has come, but he is not yet fully manifested either in our individual souls or in the human race as a whole. Just as Jesus was born according to the flesh in Bethle­hem of Judea, so he must be born according to the spirit in the soul of each one of us. The whole mystery of the spiritual life lies in the continual birth of Jesus within us. We must be always transforming ourselves into him, making our own the sentiments of his heart and the judgments of his mind. To be a Christian means to be gradually changed into Christ so as to be truly children of the Father.

. Similarly in regard to humankind as a whole, Jesus has not yet fully come. He has come to some peoples, but not to all. In some parts of the human race Jesus is still unborn. The mystical Christ is not yet complete; he is still imperfect, lacking mem­bers. Therefore the Church's missionary prayer is for the com­ing of Christ to the whole world, so that his body may attain its full stature.

Now what is true of the preparation for the coming of Christ in the flesh is also true of the spiritual preparation for his com­ing to our souls, and the preparation for his spiritual coming in his entire mystical body, for God's plan is an integral whole. And just as Mary played an important and altogether special role in the physical birth of Jesus, since she gave him the flesh in which he was born (here we touch the heart of the mystery of the Virgin), so Mary continues to play an important role in the preparation of each subsequent coming of Jesus. She is always

present wherever he is to come.

This applies in the first place to the souls of each one of us. We may truly say that Mary has a special part to play in our spiritual lives, because it is she who prepares for the coming of Jesus in us and who gradually forms him in our souls. But as well as her relationship to individuals, Mary also has a part to play in the coming of Christ to the peoples whom he has not yet reached. Here we touch upon the missionary aspect of the mystery of Mary. The mystery of our Lady is that she was there before Jesus was. She was in Israel before him. In her, if one may so express it, there was already a secret presence of Jesus in Israel before his actual birth, since she was already perfectly united with him and there was no part of her life that was not wholly his. She was present, then, during the time before the in­carnation, and so, since she is a figure of the Church, of human­kind redeemed by Christ, it seems as if in some way the Church must have existed before even Jesus was born. We can see, then, the part our Lady is to play among pagan peoples: the Church has not come to them, Jesus has not yet come to them, yet the Church is there, because Mary is there.

          Responsory Lk 1:45-46; Ps 66:16

Blessed are you who have believed that the Lord's promises to you would be fulfilled. And Mary said: + My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.

V. Come, and listen, and I will tell what great things God has done in me. + My soul proclaims, ..

St. Mechtilde. This saint gives the following account of a revelation which she received about this devotion:

In the preface to this book we have given reasons why prudent men should not refuse to give credence to the revelations of  St. Mechtilde. This saint gives the following account of a revelation which she received about this devotion:

"One day I saw the Son of God, holding in His Hand His own Heart, which appeared more brilliant than the sun and which was casting rays of light on every side; then, this amiable Savior gave me to understand that all the graces which God unceasingly pours forth on men, according to the capacity of each, come from the plenitude of the Divine Heart."

And this same Saint, a short time before her death, declared that having one day earnestly asked Our Lord for some great favor for a person who had asked her to do so, Jesus Christ said to her: "My child, tell that person for whom you are praying to Me, to seek in My Heart all that she desires; tell her to have a great devotion to My Sacred Heart, and to ask for everything in this same Heart, like a child asking its father for everything it wants, knowing no other artifice but what love suggests to it." [Liber Specialis Gratiae, Pt. IV. Chap. 28].

The Devotion to the Sacred Heart
Fr. John Croiset, S. J. 
Originally published in1691; 
Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur, 1959 
TAN Books and Publishers

Feast of the Church : The Great O Antiphons : "O Adonai" - Wednesday, 18 December 2013

FROMENT_Nicolas_The_Burning_Bush

Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent

Click on symbols to see the day.

O LORD AND RULER
December 18

Symbols: The Tablets

Come and redeem us with outstretched arm.

O Lord and Ruler of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the flame of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: Come and redeem us with outstretched arm.

O Adonai, et dux domus Israël, qui Moyse in igne flammae rubi apparuisti, et ei in Sina legem dedisti: veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.

The tablets of stone are a picture of the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses on Mt. Sinai. They may be used to represent the whole of God's law, the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible, the Torah), or the entire Old Testament.

Recommended Readings: Micheas 5:1-9

Feast of the Church : The Great O Antiphons : "O Adonai"
   

The Great O Antiphons
December 18: "O Adonai"

These Great «O Antiphons" at the Magnificat were first used by the Church in the 8th and 9th centuries.

They are said in order, based on various titles for the Christ and are scripturally-based short prayers for the 17th to the 23rd of December.

In these "O Antiphons" the Church expresses her deep longing for the coming of the Messiah.

Christ, Lawgiver and Redeemer of Israel (See Exodus 3; Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:6)
O Adonai, et dux domus Israël, qui Moyse in igne flammae rubi apparuisti, et ei in Sina legem dedisti: veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.	O Mighty Lord, and leader of the house of Israël, who appeared to Moses in the burning bush, and on Sinai gave him the law, come to redeem us with outstretched arm.

                                                                                      
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 1:18-24.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means "God is with us."
When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.

Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB 



Commentary of the day : 

Saint Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787), Bishop and Doctor of the Church 
Meditations for the Octave of Christmas, no.8 

"She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus"

The name of Jesus is a divine name that the Lord made known to Mary through the voice of the Archangel Gabriel: “You will give him the name Jesus” (Lk 1,31). A name that, for this reason, is called “above all names”, “the only name by which we can be saved” (Phil 2,9; Acts 4,12). This great name is compared to oil by the Holy Spirit: “Your name is oil poured out” (Sg 1,3). Why? Because, as Saint Bernard explains, just as oil is both light, food and medicine, so the name of Jesus is light for our minds, food for our hearts, medicine for our souls.

Light for our minds: it was the brilliance of this name that enabled the world to pass from the shadows of idolatry to the light of faith. We were born in a land whose inhabitants were all pagans before the coming of the Lord. We would be as they were if he had not come to enlighten us. So how should we not give thanks to Jesus Christ for the gift of faith!...

Food for our hearts: this, too, is what the name of Jesus is. For it calls to our minds all the painful work Jesus accomplished to save us. This is how he comforts us in tribulation, strengthens us to walk along the way of salvation, revives our hope and inflames us with love for our God.

And medicine for our souls: Jesus' name makes them strong in the face of temptation and our enemies' attacks. Do they hear this holy name? The powers of hell tremble and take to flight. This is what Saint Paul says: “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld” (Phil 2,10). No one who is tempted will fall if he calls on Jesus and for as long as he calls he will persevere and be saved (cf Ps 18[17],4). 

The Great O Antiphons

The Great O Antiphons
December 17: "O Sapientia"

These Great "O Antiphons" at the Magnificat were first used by the Church in the 8th and 9th centuries.

They are said in order, based on various titles for the Christ and are scripturally-based short prayers for the 17th to the 23rd of December.

In these "O Antiphons" the Church expresses her deep longing for the coming of the Messiah.

Christ, Wisdom and Creator of the world (See Proverbs 1:20; 8; 9 and I Corinthians 1:30)
O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodiisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem fortiter, suaviterque disponens omnia: veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.	O Wisdom, who proceeds from the mouth of the Most High, reaching out mightily from end to end, and sweetly arranging all things: come to teach us the way of prudence.

http://dailygospel.org/

Click on symbols to see the day.

O WISDOM
December 17

Symbols: All-Seeing Eye and the Lamp

Come, and teach us the way of prudence.

O Wisdom, who came from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end and ordering all things mightily and sweetly, Come, and teach us the way of prudence.

O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodiisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem fortiter, suaviterque disponens omnia: veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.

The "all-seeing eye" represents the all-knowing and ever-present God. During the late Renaissance, the eye was pictured in a triangle with rays of light to represent the infinite holiness of the Trinity. The lamp is a symbol of wisdom taken from the parable of the wise and foolish virgins in Matthew 25.

Recommended Readings: Proverbs 8:1-12

Monday 16 December 2013 Williamof Saint Thierry reflects on ... The Holy Spirit penetrates and transforms our hearts, and restore in us the image of the Son.

Monday of the Third Week of Advent

JOHN THE BAPTIST  December 16 Symbols: Shell The shell with three water drops is a symbol of baptism generally, and particularly of the baptism of Christ. The three droplets remind us of the Trinity — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — into which Christians are baptized. The shell alone may also be used as a symbol for pilgrimage, and is often used as an emblem for saints known for their travels or whose shrines have become destinations for pilgrims. Recommended Readings: Matthew 3:1-12

Monastic Office of Vigils,
FIRST READING

From the book of the prophet Isaiah
30:18-26
SECOND READING

From a discourse On the Contemplation of God by William of Saint Thierry, abbot
(Nn. 9-11; SC 61, 90-96)
He loved us first

---

Second Reading
A discourse "On the Contemplation of God" by William of Saint-Thierry

He loved us first

Truly you alone are the Lord. Your dominion is our salvation, for to serve you is nothing else but to be saved by you!

  O Lord, salvation is your gift and your blessing is upon your people; what else is your salvation but receiving from you the gift of loving you or being loved by you?

  That, Lord, is why you willed that the Son at your right hand, the man whom you made strong for yourself, should be called Jesus, that is to say, Saviour, for he will save his people from their sins, and there is no other in whom there is salvation. He taught us to love him by first loving us, even to death on the cross. By loving us and holding us so dear, he stirred us to love him who had first loved us to the end.

  And this is clearly the reason: you first loved us so that we might love you – not because you needed our love, but because we could not be what you created us to be, except by loving you.

  In many ways and on various occasions you spoke to our fathers through the prophets. Now in these last days you have spoken to us in the Son, your Word; by him the heavens were established and all their powers came to be by the breath of his mouth.

  For you to speak thus in your Son was to bring out in the light of day how much and in what way you loved us, for you did not spare your own Son but delivered him up for us all. He also loved us and gave himself up for us.

  This, Lord, is your Word to us, this is your all-powerful message: while all things were in midnight silence (that is, were in the depths of error), he came from his royal throne, the stern conqueror of error and the gentle apostle of love.

  Everything he did and everything he said on earth, even enduring the insults, the spitting, the buffetting – the cross and the grave – all of this was actually you speaking to us in your Son, appealing to us by your love and stirring up our love for you.

  You know that this disposition could not be forced on men’s hearts, my God, since you created them; it must rather be elicited. And this, for the further reason that there is no freedom where there is compulsion, and where freedom is lacking, so too is righteousness.

  You wanted us to love you, then, we who could not with justice have been saved had we not loved you, nor could we have loved you except by your gift. So, Lord, as the apostle of your love tells us, and as we have already said, you first loved us: you are first to love all those who love you.

  Thus we hold you dear by the affection you have implanted in us. You are the one supremely good and ultimate goodness. Your love is your goodness, the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son! From the beginning of creation it was he who hovered over the waters – that is, over the wavering minds of men – offering himself to all, drawing all things to himself. By his inspiration and holy breath, by keeping us from harm and providing for our needs, he unites God to us and us to God.  

iBreviary translation.
Alternative; Monastic Lectionary for the Divine Office Edited by Friends of Ashworth 1981.

Note:The Greek Fathers conceived of salvation as the restoration of the integrity in which the human race was originally created. This is the work of the Holy Trinity in ans through the incarnation. Williamof Saint Thierry reflects on this work of salvation. It is because of his love for us that God sent his Son. Our Lord showed how much he loved us by his passion and death to inspire us to love him in return. The Holy Spirit penetrates and transforms our hearts, and restore in us the image of the Son. 

Responsory

My love for you will never leave you, and my covenant of peace with you will never be shaken. Your sons will all be taught by the Lord; the prosperity of your sons will be great.

I, the Lord your God, teach you what is good for you, I lead you in the way that you must go. Your sons will all be taught by the Lord; the prosperity of your sons will be great.

---

Let us pray.

In your love, Father, listen to our prayer:

  may your Son at his coming

  dispel by his grace the darkness of our hearts.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

  who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

  one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

---

The Voice is John, the Word is Christ (St. Augustine)

Advent: December 15th

 

Third Sunday of Advent - Year A

From a sermon by Saint Augustine, bishop

(Sermo 293,3: PI, 1328-1329)

The Voice is John, the Word is Christ

John is the voice, but the Lord is the Word who was in the beginning. John is the voice that lasts for a time; from the beginning Christ is the Word who lives for ever.

Take away the word, the meaning, and what is the voice? Where there is no understanding, there is only a meaningless sound. The voice without the word strikes the ear but does not build up the heart.

However, let us observe what happens when we first seek to build up our hearts. When I think about what I am going to say, the word or message is already in my heart. When I want to speak to you, I look for a way to share with your heart what is already in mine.

In my search for a way to let this message reach you, so that the word already in my heart may find a place also in  yours, I use my voice to speak to you. The sound of my voice brings the meaning of the word to you and then passes away. The word which the sound has brought to you is now in your heart, and yet it is still also in mine.

When the word has been conveyed to you, does not the sound seem to say: The word ought to grow, and I should diminish? The sound of the voice has made itself heard in the service of the word, and has gone away, as though it were saying: My joy is complete. Let us hold on to the word; we must not lose the word conceived inwardly in our hearts.

Do you need proof that the voice passes away but the divine Word remains? Where is John’s baptism today? It served its purpose, and it went away. Now it is Christ’s baptism that we celebrate. It is in Christ that we all believe; we hope for salvation in him. This is the message the voice cried out.

Because it is hard to distinguish word from voice, even John himself was thought to be the Christ. The voice was thought to be the word. But the voice acknowledged what it was, anxious not to give offense to the word. I am not the Christ, he said, nor Elijah, nor the prophet. And the question came: Who are you, then? He replied: I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord.

The voice of one crying in the wilderness is the voice of one breaking the silence. Prepare the way for the Lord, he says, as though he were saying: “I speak out in order to lead him into your hearts, but he does not choose to come where I lead him unless you prepare the way for him.”

To prepare the way means to pray well; it means thinking humbly of oneself. We should take our lesson from John the Baptist. He is thought to be the Christ; he declares he is not what they think. He does not take advantage of their mistake to further his own glory.

If he had said, “I am the Christ,” you can imagine how readily he would have been believed, since they believed he was the Christ even before he spoke. But he did not say it; he acknowledged what he was. He pointed out clearly who he was; he humbled himself.

He saw where his salvation lay. He understood that he was a lamp, and his fear was that it might be blown out by the wind of pride.

 iBreviary com

Advent Wreath 3

JONAH  December 15 Symbols: Whale And Jonah began to enter into the city after one day's journey: and he cried and said: Yet forty days and Ninive shall be destroyed. And the men of Ninive believed in God: and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least. As Jonah remained in the whale three days, so Christ remained three days in the earth after His death. Recommended Readings: Jonah 1:11-15

   
http://dailygospel.org/main.php?language=AM&module=commentary&localdate=20131215&id=3164
Commentary of the day :  

Saint Gertrude of Helfta (1256-1301), Benedictine nun. 

The Exercises, no.3 ; SC 127 (trans. ©Cistercian publications Inc., 1989) 

  

« Be strong! Fear not! Here is your God...: he comes to save you » (Is 35,4)

 The voice of the soul offering itself to God: “I am an orphan without a mother, needy and poor. Except for Jesus, I have no consolation. Only he himself can quench my soul's thirst. He himself is the one chosen above all and the only friend of my heart. He himself is “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Rv 19,16)... He has my body and soul in his hand. He himself may do with me whatever seems right to his loving-kindness. Oh, who will grant me to become a human being after his own heart so that he might have his desire in me equally with his best gracious purpose? This alone could gladden and console me. 

“Ah Jesus, the one and only cherished of my heart..., cherished above all that has ever been cherished. For you, 0 flowering spring day filled with life, the amorous desire of my heart sighs and languishes. Oh, if only it happened to me to become more closely united with you to the end that then the flowers and fruit of my spiritual growth might sprout under you, the true sun. 'Expectantly, I have waited, waited for you' (Ps 40[39],2)... Ah friend, friend, friend, fulfill your desire and mine effectively.” 

Christ's voice: “I will espouse you in my Holy Spirit; I will draw you close in inseparable union with me. You will be my guest, and I will shut you up in my lively cherishing-love. I will make you a robe of the noble purple of my precious blood. I will crown you with the choice gold of my bitter death. I will fill up your desire with myself and thus I will bring gladness to you forever.”

 + + +

Angels: A Day for us all to Pray that Our Leaders Will be Inspired By Mandela’s Example

On Saturday, 14 December 2013, 0:13,  

Nelson Mandela

 

Andrew  ...  wrote:

I don't know if you receive these emails from Lorna Byrne
Regards

Andy

Sent from my iPad

Begin forwarded message:

From: Lorna Byrne <newsletter@lornabyrne.com>
Date: 13 December 2013 13:47:36 GMT
To: andymilwain@yahoo.co.uk
Subject: Join in a day of prayer that our leaders will be inspired by Mandela's example - This Sunday
Reply-To: Lorna Byrne <newsletter@lornabyrne.com>

Sunday 15th December – A Day for us all to Pray that Our Leaders Will be Inspired By Mandela’s Example

Nelson Mandela’s life of love and compassion has touched us. He showed us how leadership could be and has made us yearn for more from our leaders.

On this Sunday, the 15th of December -the day Mandela’s physical remains are laid to rest – I am asking you to join me and others, of all faiths, around the world in praying for our leaders; In praying that leaders, of groups big and small, across all areas -political, economic, social and religious will be inspired by Nelson Mandel’s example and start to listen more. That they will see alternative solutions and start to make the decisions that are needed to create a peaceful and more just world.

Your prayer on Sunday might just be five minutes, it might be much longer, it might be in a church, a mosque a synagogue or it might be as you walk in nature, or watch your children play.  The important thing is that YOU make a conscious decision to pray for our leaders on this day, and pray and ask with all your heart. The words are not important – the intention is.  Prayer is so powerful, particularly when people of different faiths pray together for the same thing, at the same time.  I am calling on you and people across the world to join in prayer. I will be praying with you from 9.00 am until 9.00 pm here in my home in Ireland.

We will not be praying alone. We never in fact pray alone, our guardian angels always join us, as do a multitude of angels of prayer. Every time you pray, even if it is only one word, the angels of prayer are like a never-ending stream, flowing at tremendous speed to Heaven with your prayers enhancing it.

The angels called Mandela The man who walked with his soul forward all the time, they told me he was the greatest spiritual leader of our times.  Mandela has given us a glimpse of how our world could be if our leaders listened more, put justice and humanity’s well being first and resisted the temptations of power, glory or money. We will feel his loss here in this world but the angels tell that his soul in heaven is already interceding with God for us to help us create a better world.

The angels are telling me that this day of prayer could make a big difference. Do join us all in prayer on Sunday, and let others know so as they can join in also.

Jesse Tree 14th. St. John of the Cross

KING SOLOMON 
December 14

Symbols: Scale of Justice, Temple, Crown

Solomon is honored in Scripture as the wisest monarch. Though he used a real sword to make his point, he used his wisdom, the sword of justice, to divide truth from lies.

God foretold that David's son and heir, Solomon, would be the one to build a temple to the Lord God. Solomon did in fact complete the construction of the temple during his reign.

Recommended Readings: 3 Kings 3:23-28; 3 Kings 5:5

Universalis

Saturday 14 December 2013

Saint John of the Cross, Priest, Doctor
 (Saturday of the 2nd week of Advent)  

   

Second Reading
A Spiritual Canticle of St John of the Cross (Red. B, str. 36-37)

Recognising the mystery hidden within Christ Jesus

Though holy doctors have uncovered many mysteries and wonders, and devout souls have understood them in this earthly condition of ours, yet the greater part still remains to be unfolded by them, and even to be understood by them.

  We must then dig deeply in Christ. He is like a rich mine with many pockets containing treasures: however deep we dig we will never find their end or their limit. Indeed, in every pocket new seams of fresh riches are discovered on all sides.

  For this reason the apostle Paul said of Christ: In him are hidden all the treasures of the wisdom and knowledge of God. The soul cannot enter into these treasures, nor attain them, unless it first crosses into and enters the thicket of suffering, enduring interior and exterior labours, and unless it first receives from God very many blessings in the intellect and in the senses, and has undergone long spiritual training.

  All these are lesser things, disposing the soul for the lofty sanctuary of the knowledge of the mysteries of Christ: this is the highest wisdom attainable in this life.

  Would that men might come at last to see that it is quite impossible to reach the thicket of the riches and wisdom of God except by first entering the thicket of much suffering, in such a way that the soul finds there its consolation and desire. The soul that longs for divine wisdom chooses first, and in truth, to enter the thicket of the cross.

  Saint Paul therefore urges the Ephesians not to grow weary in the midst of tribulations, but to be steadfast and rooted and grounded in love, so that they may know with all the saints the breadth, the length, the height and the depth – to know what is beyond knowledge, the love of Christ, so as to be filled with all the fullness of God.

  The gate that gives entry into these riches of his wisdom is the cross; because it is a narrow gate, while many seek the joys that can be gained through it, it is given to few to desire to pass through it.

Responsory

What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, things beyond our imagining – all that God has prepared for those who love him: these are the very things that God has revealed to us through the Spirit.

The Spirit reaches the depths of everything, even the depths of God: these are the very things that God has revealed to us through the Spirit.

---

Let us pray.

Lord God, you gave Saint John of the Cross

  the grace of complete self-denial

  and an ardent love for the cross of Christ.

Grant that by following always in his footsteps

  we may come to the eternal vision of your glory.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

  who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

  one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Saint Lucy - we celebrate her entrance into eternal glory, we ask to share her happiness in the life to come.

Santa Lucia Vergine e martire - Memoria

CONCLUDING PRAYER
Let us pray.

Lord,
give us courage through the prayers of Saint Lucy.
As we celebrate her entrance into eternal glory,
we ask to share her happiness in the life to come.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

iBreviary

Friday, 13 December 2013
SECOND READING

From the book On Virginity by Saint Ambrose, bishop
(Cap 12, 74-75)

You light up your grace of body with the radiance of your mind

You are one of God’s people, of God’s family, a virgin among virgins; you light up your grace of body with your splendor of soul. More than others you can be compared to the Church. When you are in your room, then, at night, think always on Christ, and wait for his coming at every moment.

This is the person Christ has loved in loving you, the person he has chosen in choosing you. He enters by the open door; he has promised to come in, and he cannot deceive. Embrace him, the one you have sought; turn to him, and be enlightened; hold him fast, ask him not to go in haste, beg him not to leave you. The Word of God moves swiftly; he is not won by the lukewarm, nor held fast by the negligent. Let your soul be attentive to his word; follow carefully the path God tells you to take, for he is swift in his passing.

What does his bride say? I sought him, and did not find him; I called him, and he did not hear me. Do not imagine that you are displeasing to him although you have called him, asked him, opened the door to him, and that this is the reason why he has gone so quickly; no, for he allows us to be constantly tested. When the crowds pressed him to stay, what does he say in the Gospel? I must preach the word of God to other cities, because I have been sent for that. But even if it seems to you that he has left you, go out and seek him once more.

Who but holy Church is to teach you how to hold Christ fast? Indeed, she has already taught you, if you only understood her words in Scripture: How short a time it was when I left them before I found him whom my soul has loved. I held him fast, and I will not let him go.

How do we hold him fast? Not by restraining chains or knotted ropes but by bonds of love, by spiritual reins, by the longing of the soul.

If you also, like the bride, wish to hold him fast, seek him and be fearless of suffering. It is often easier to find him in the midst of bodily torments, in the very hands of persecutors.

His bride says: How short a time it was after I left them. In a little space, after a brief moment, when you have escaped from the hands of your persecutors without yielding to the powers of this world, Christ will come to you, and he will not allow you to be tested for long.

Whoever seeks Christ in this way, and finds him, can say: I held him fast, and I will not let him go before I bring him into my mother’s house, into the room of her who conceived me. What is this “house”, this “room”, but the deep and secret places of your heart?

Maintain this house, sweep out its secret recesses until it becomes immaculate and rises as a spiritual temple for a holy priesthood, firmly secured by Christ, the cornerstone, so that the Holy Spirit may dwell in it.

Whoever seeks Christ in this way, whoever prays to Christ in this way, is not abandoned by him; on the contrary, Christ comes again and again to visit such a person, for he is with us until the end of the world.