De l’Amor di Iesù
The Welcome of Divine Love
The soul invites the presence of Jesus, seeking the grace of humility and the cleansing of its vices.
Welcome, love, welcome, love; I feel you in my heart. When I think of your grace in coming to me, vile as I am, my soul can never get enough of you, gentle Love. Ah! Humble my heart, for your grace and honor. Welcome, love, etc. Refresh in my mind your great benefits, so that I may be fervent in all the holy offices. Ah!1 Extinguish my vices with your light and splendor. Welcome, Love, etc.2
The Heart as a Temple
Through contemplation and the intercession of the Virgin Mary, the soul asks to be made a dwelling place for God.
The more I contemplate you, Jesus, my sweet Father, the more you make my heart a temple with your lovely graces; for the sake of your Virgin Mother, forgive me every fault.✦ Welcome, Love, etc.3
The Bridegroom of the Soul
The soul recognizes Christ as its intimate bridegroom and expresses the sorrow of his absence.
You are my Father and God; you are my good brother; you are my bridegroom; you are my beautiful love. You know that you are the one I call on at every hour. Welcome, love, and so on.4 How can the bride remain without you, sweet bridegroom, if not sad and distressed, with tearful eyes? My gracious Jesus, give me your fervor. Welcome, love, and so on.5
Final Praise and Union
The prayer concludes with an offering of praise and a final plea for the grace of eternal union.
To you be honor and praise; I know nothing else to say: because of you the soul rejoices; you are my sweet Lord.6 Don't let me die without you, sweet Love. Welcome, Love, and so on.7
Read the original Latin
Ben venga amore, Ben venga amore; I’ ti sento nel cuore.
Pensando la tua grazia Di venir in me vile, L’anima non si sazia Di te, amor gentile; Deh! fammi cuor umile Per tua grazia et onore. Ben venga amore, ec.
Rinfresca a la mia mente Li toi gran beneficii, Acciò ch’io sia fervente In tutti i santi officii; Deh! spengi li mei vicii Col tuo lume e splendore. Ben venga amore, ec.
Quanto più ti contemplo, Iesù dolce mio padre, Più fai del mio cor templo Con tue grazie leggiadre; Per la tua Vergin Madre Perdonami ogne errore. Ben venga amore, ec.
Tu sei mio padre e Dio, Tu sei mio bon fratello, Tu se’ lo sposo mio, Tu se’ l’amor mio bello; Tu sai che tu se’ quello, Ch’io chiamo a tutte l’ore. Ben venga amore, ec.
Come può star la sposa Senza te, dolce sposo, Se non trista e penosa Con l’occhio lacrimoso? Iesù mio grazioso, Donami el tuo fervore. Ben venga amore, ec.
A te onor e laude; Altro non some dire: Per te l’anima gaude; Tu se’ mio dolce sire. Non mi lassar morire Senza te, dolce amore. Ben venga amore, ec.
Scripture echoes
- ↩1Cor.3.16-1Cor.3.17;2Cor.6.16 — Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 1Cor.3.17 — If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy that person. For the temple of God is holy, and you are that temple. 2Cor.6.16 — What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, 'I will dwell in them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.'
Notes
- 1 ↩santi officii can mean sacred duties of the Christian life or the holy liturgical offices; rendered as holy offices to keep both senses open.
- 2 ↩Refrain Ben venga amore is retained as a welcome formula addressed to divine Love; ec. marks the abbreviated burden of the lauda.
- 3 ↩Refrain line: Italian «Ben venga amore» is the chapter’s recurring welcome to divine Love; «ec.» is the source abbreviation for the rest of the refrain.
- 4 ↩Refrain cue: ‘Ben venga amore’ welcomes Love (Christ); ‘ec.’ abbreviates the repeated refrain remainder, not a full line.
- 5 ↩ec. abbreviates the rest of the recurring refrain Ben venga amore, as in neighboring stanzas.
- 6 ↩Early Italian 'some' = 'so me' (so' + ethical dative me): 'I know (how) to' / 'I can.' Rendered as 'I know nothing else to say.'
- 7 ↩Refrain line; 'ec.' marks the truncated chorus (etc.). 'Amore' is personified Love, i.e. Christ, matching the chapter on the love of Jesus.
Lauds companion
Never lose the rhythm again
Chosen Portion delivers your morning, midday and night office to your phone — the Hours, without the bells.
Chosen Portion is a modern Book of Hours: it turns the fixed-hour structure this collection preserves into scheduled, tappable daily prayer on your phone.
- Three daily prayer moments scheduled around your real calendar, not a monastery's
- Psalms and historic prayers sequenced for you — no page-flipping or decision fatigue
- A visible streak of completed offices, so the rhythm compounds instead of collapsing