Fr. Francisco Correa de Araujo (1584-1654)
Lauda Sion
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O anima mea,
ama Amorem ab eterno te amantem.
Ostende mihi, Domine, caritatem tuam,
et amorem tuum da mihi.
ama Amorem ab eterno te amantem.
Ostende mihi, Domine, caritatem tuam,
et amorem tuum da mihi.
Venerable Luis de la Puente
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The Holy Spirit is more in our soul than the soul is in itself, for He envelops it, elevates it, supernaturalizes it, and transforms it into Himself, who is Love, essential Love. Love is one same thing with grace. The spirit of grace is then the Spirit of Love. The movement and the aptitude of love is the acting by love, for every being acts according to its nature.Do you understand how much this principle of love faithfully corresponds to our innermost being, to our nature and our grace as children of Adam and children of God? Why, then, not start out with the love of God in order to arrive at the virtues? Come, then, let us start from it! Our greatest strength lies there!...Love ... becomes chastity, poverty, obedience, patience, sweetness, and humility. In all these we profess only one thing, namely, to love, to make an action of love, to destroy some obstacle to love, to move onto love and union with God. Admirable unity, unique beginning! Luminous principle, strength so much the greater as it is more concentrated, point of view that is always the same, without division, without dispersion of force, of attention, of heart, or of soul!... Our Lord came on earth only to make His Father loved; ... He was the image of His beauty, and He recommends to us, in short, but one thing, to love Him above all things, and all things on account of Him. The summary of His doctrine is: "Manete in dilectione mea" — "Abide in My love!"...Every one should cry out with Saint Paul: "Dilexit me!" — "He has loved me," me, me alone, and to prove His love for me, "He delivered Himself for me," for me alone, to the death of the Cross! With how much stronger reason has He made all other things, visible and invisible, for me, for me alone!And all that love of God may be summed up, condensed, vouched for in the gift that God made me of His Son, that Jesus Christ made me of Himself in Holy Communion. I am His end. He finishes by uniting Himself to me! All, then, was for me, and for me alone! All since the beginning of the world, and before, has prepared that Gift of personal love He makes me of His Body, His Blood, His Soul, and His Divinity, of all that He is, all that He has, for all ends in me, in my heart, in my soul.
Saint Peter Julian Eymard
Conferences in the Retreat to the Brothers of St. Vincent de Paul
May 1868
May 1868
