Teresa Poem Tuesday 15th. Jan. 2013 Magnificat com

MEDITATION       OF THE      DAY

Saint Teresa of Avila

The Poem "Seeking God"

Soul, you must seek yourself in Me

And in yourself seek Me.

Nunraw Refectory - stone sculpture 'Break of Bread'

With such skill, soul,   

Love could portray you in Me

That a painter well gifted

Could never show

So finely that image.

For love you were fashioned

Deep within me

Painted so beautiful, so fair;

If, my beloved, I should lose you,

Soul, in yourself seek Me.

Well I know that you will discover

Yourself portrayed in my heart

So lifelike drawn

It will be a delight to behold

Yourself so well painted.

And should by chance you do not know

Where to find Me,

Do not go here and there;

But if you wish to find Me,

In yourself seek Me.

Soul, since you are My room,

My house and dwelling,

If at any time,

Through your distracted ways

I find the door tightly closed,

Outside yourself seek Me not,

To find Me it will be

Enough only to call Me,

Then quickly will I come,

And in yourself seek Me.

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Saint Teresa of Avila (+ 1582), Doctor of the Church, reformed the Carmelite Order.

From The Collected Works of St. Teresa. VoL 3, Kieran Kavanaugh, O.C.D and Otilio Rodriguez, O.C.D., Trs. 1985, ICS Publications, Institute of Carmelite Studies, Washington, DC. Used with permission.