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1. A brother told me: "Indeed when the
remembrance of Paradise lifted up my soul to observe it, in the vision my soul
became like Adam and was amazed. And again from there my soul was led by the
power of the Spirit to marvel at the living and vivifying Paradise whose limit
is unreachable and whose delight I find within me; then I was stunned by the
diligent ascetics in whom is still found, while meditating on Paradise, an
impulse arousing desire for a vision of that earth-bound paradise."
2. Blessed is he who fixes his eyes on You constantly, 0 my Paradise who appear
to me within me! 0 Tree of Life, You inflame my heart every moment with the
desire for You, and change my countenance by the power of your love, holding my
intellect in astonishment at the rays of your beauty. Blessed is that one who
seeks You in himself always: for from Himself, Life flows for him for his
delight. Blessed is the one who carries in his heart the remembrance of You at
all times, for also his soul is inebriated with your sweetness! Blessed is he
who gazes upon You continually within himself, for his heart is enlightened so
as to see hidden things. Blessed is the one who seeks You in his being, for his
own heart grows warm with your fire, and his flesh with his bones burns in its
purifying fervor.
3. Blessed is the one whose thoughts are
silenced by reflection on You, for the Spirit pours forth streams of Life on him
for his own delight and for those who thirst for the vision of You. Blessed is
the one whose cheeks are burning with the tears of your love, for by its drops
the rational lands which bum with wicked fire are moistened so that they might
produce fruits of joy which those who consume them do not die! Blessed is the
one who mixes care about You with his sleep, for the demons who defile the lazy
with foul images depart quaking from him. Blessed is the one who makes his bed
in the incessant admiration of your mysteries and dwells silently in it in the
wonder they produce, for to gladden the heart of the diligent it also gives
forth the Fragrance of Life produced by your Holy Spirit, Guardian of the purity
of those who love Him. Blessed is the one who forgets about worldly converse to
speak with You, for all his needs are filled by You.
4. You are his food and drink; You are his joy
and his exultation. You are his garment, in your glory his nakedness is clothed.
You are his dwelling and his resting place, and he always goes within You to be
protected. You are his sun and his day, and in your light he sees hidden
mysteries. You are the father who generated him, and like a child he calls You:
Father! You placed the Spirit of your Son in his heart, and He gave him the
confidence to ask of You all which is yours, as a son to his father. He is
always in your company, because apart from You he knows no father.
5. You are united to his soul; You are mingled
with his members; you shine in his intellect and take it captive to make him
marvel at the vision of You. You silence the stirrings of his soul by the
movement of your love and You transform his carnal desire by your great
sweetness. He smells your holy fragrance, as a child breathes the scent of his
father. The fragrance of your grace exudes from his body, as the scent of his
wet-nurse from a child. You always console him with the vision of Yourself; when
he eats, he sees You in his food; when he drinks, You sparkle in his drink; when
he weeps, You appear in his tears. Wherever he looks, he sees You there: so that
everywhere you increase his bliss, and there is no one who does not call him
blessed, except the one who is utterly deprived of blessing.
6. My Lord and my Life, fellowship with You has
captivated my mind because besides You I have no companion. What will I do? My
soul thirsts for You and my flesh seeks You. However, an ascent to You is found
in conversing with You, and a vision of your countenance is given through
meditating on You. |
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