Brevis anacephalaeosis et summa praedictorum.
The Measureless Debt of Love
God first loved us beyond all measure, and since His infinity admits no limit, our love for Him should likewise be without measure.
Here, first see — in what way, or rather how beyond all measure, God has deserved to be loved by us. Who (so I may briefly repeat what has been said) first loved us — he himself, so great, and so much, and freely — and us so small, and such as we are.✦ Look — I recall saying at the beginning that there is a measure in loving God: to love without measure. Finally, since the love that stretches toward God stretches into the immeasurable, stretches into the infinite — for God is both infinite and immeasurable — who, I ask, should be the end of our love, or its limit? What of the fact that our very love is no longer given freely, but is repaid as something owed? Immeasurableness loves, eternity loves, the love that surpasses all knowledge loves — God loves, whose greatness has no end, whose wisdom has no number, whose peace surpasses all understanding. And do we repay his measure with measure?✦
A Prayer of Loving Surrender
The soul resolves to love God with all its strength, acknowledging that even its best effort falls short yet trusting grace to carry it beyond its own capacity.
I will love you, Lord, my strength, my foundation, and my refuge, and my deliverer — and finally, my everything that can be called desirable and worthy of love.✦ My God, my helper — I will love you for your gift, and in my own way: less than what is justly owed, but clearly not less than I am able. For even though I cannot give as much as I owe, I can nevertheless go beyond what I can. I will indeed be able to give more, when you deign to give more — yet never as much as you are held to be worthy of.
The Humility of Doing What One Can
God sees our imperfection yet accepts those who do what they can, and the chapter closes in awe before the incomprehensible greatness of God.
Your eyes saw my imperfection; yet in your book all will be written — those who do what they can, even if they cannot do what they ought. It's sufficiently clear, I think — both how God is to be loved and by what merit of his. By what merit of his, I say? For how great is he — if only one could truly see it! Who could say it? Who could comprehend it?
Read the original Latin
Hic primum vide, quo modo, imo quam sine modo a nobis Deus amari meruerit; qui (ut paucis quod dictum est repetam) prior ipse dilexit nos, tantus, et tantum, et gratis tantillos, et tales. En quod in principio dixisse me memini, modum esse diligendi Deum, sine modo diligere. Denique cum dilectio quae tendit in Deum, tendat in immensum, tendat in infinitum (nam et infinitus Deus est et immensus); quisnam,, quaeso, debeat finis esse nostri, vel modus amoris? Quid quod amor ipse noster non jam gratuitus impenditur, sed rependitur debitus? Amat ergo immensitas, amat aeternitas, amat supereminens scientiae charitas; amat Deus, cujus magnitudinis non est finis, cujus sapientiae non est numerus, cujus pax exsuperat omnem intellectum: et vicem rependimus cum mensura? Diligam te, Domine, fortitudo mea, firmamentum meum, et refugium meum, et liberator meus: et meum denique quidquid optabile atque amabile dici potest. Deus meus, adjutor meus, diligam te pro dono tuo, et modo meo, minus quidem justo, sed plane non minus posse meo: qui etsi quantum dobeo non possum, non possum tamen ultra quam possum. Potero vero plus, cum plus donare dignaberis: nunquam tamen prout dignus haberis.
Imperfectum meum viderunt oculi tui: sed tamen in libro tuo omnes scribentur, qui quod possunt faciunt, etsi quod debent non possunt. Satis, quantum reor, apparet, et quonam modo Deus diligendus sit, et quo merito suo. Quo, inquam, merito suo: nam quanto, cui sane appareat? quis dicat? quis sapiat?
Scripture echoes
On Loving God companion
Fourteen days is a start. Love grows by daily practice.
Continue with a short daily portion of historic devotion in the free Chosen Portion app.
Bernard argues love of God deepens through repeated, ordinary acts of devotion — the daily portions in Chosen Portion are precisely that repeated practice.
- Finish the plan, then keep a 10-minute daily devotional habit
- Read classics like Bernard's in plain modern English, one portion a day
- Track which of the four degrees you are practicing, week by week