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XLVII
Come
closer to me, closer still, O
majestic Spirit of Truth. Draw near, and enter into me, more deeply than light
and air enter me. Indeed, I can spend an entire night without light, but without
You I cannot even lie down on my bed. I can take ten steps without air, but
without You I cannot even take one.
Take
up your abode in my soul more deeply than my thought can follow. The entire
universe is insufficient to encourage my soul to persevere in virginity, if You
do not encourage her.
The
world incessantly asks for the hand of my soul, in order to be wedded to her.
The world offers my soul all its treasures, if only she will abandon her waiting
for You. The world whitewashes all its sepulchres,1 just to entice my
soul. The world sets all its ashes out in the sun and pours flattery and
pomposity all over it, just to seduce my soul.
Manifest
all Your splendor, O Holy Spirit, so that my soul may recognize whose bride she
is.
Come
closer to me, closer still, O Power of the Holy Trinity.
Enter into my consciousness more deeply than thoughts and emblems of the
world can. In the same way as a wise mother, when she conceives, prepares and
embellishes a cradle for her child, so
prepare and embellish my mind for that which will be begotten from You, O Beauty
and Purity.
Many
evil thoughts lurk like serpents around the cradle of Your Son. And many wicked
desires emerge from my heart and seek the cradle of Your Prince, to poison Him
with their arrows.
Defend
the cradle of my mind, and teach my soul how to give birth and care for an
infant.
Shroud
in deep darkness the journey of all malevolent visitors coming to see my newborn
son. And raise aloft a most radiant star over the way of the Wise Men from the
East2 men who are truly wise, because they are coming to visit my
most precious child with three gifts -- faith, hope, and love.3
Come
closer to me, closer still, O majestic Son of God. Descend deeper into my heart
than any emotion, or desire, or passion of the world can descend into it.
Protect my heart from the countless merchants, from the numerous buyers and
sellers, who are forever swarming in legions around my young and inexperienced
heart. And teach my heart not to be crazy about the motley illusions of people
and things.
Take
up Your abode in the bottom of my heart, as the master of a house does in his
own home, my beloved Son, and be for me a merciless judge and a sagacious counselor.
Once
purity of soul and sagacity of mind occupy my heart, truly in vain will evil
spirits dance attendance in order to step into it.
And
my heart will be filled with an ineffable heavenly peace, and will glorify God
in chorus with the cherubim and the seraphim. And enriched, it will return to
the soul and the mind what it borrowed, for as their equal it will recompense
them in equal measure.
And
my heart will be filled with sweet love for its Lord, and with compassion for
and good will toward suffering souls in the world and in Hades.
Come closer to me, still closer, my majestic Lord.
________________________________________________________ 1. Cf. Matt. 23:27. 2.
Cf. Matt. 2:1-12. 3. Cf. 1 Cor. 13:13.
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