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Chapter 34PsAug.1.34

Dei summa majestas. Lucis amplioris postulatio.

The Majesty of God and the Soul's First Light

The soul prostrates itself before the ineffable majesty of God, gives thanks for the first rays of divine light penetrating the mind, and cries out for that light to increase and expand within.

Holy of holies, God of immeasurable majesty, God of gods and Lord of lords, wonderful, unspeakable, inconceivable—before whom the angelic Powers in heaven tremble, whom the Dominions and Thrones worship, and all the Virtues shudder at the sight of you, whose power and wisdom are beyond counting, who founded the world upon nothing and gathered the sea into the air as into a wineskin: most almighty, most holy, most strong, God of the spirits of all flesh, from whose sight heaven and earth flee, at whose nod all the elements submit themselves—let all your creatures worship you and glorify you.✦✦✦✦ And I, a son of your handmaid, through your faithfulness bow the neck of my heart beneath the feet of your majesty, giving thanks that in your mercy you have deigned to enlighten me.✦ True light, holy light, delightful light, admirable light, most praiseworthy light, who enlightens every person coming into this world (John✦ 1:9), and behold, I see even the eyes of angels; see, I behold them—I give thanks. See, I behold the light of heaven; a ray shines through from above, from the face of your light, into the eyes of my mind, and it gladdens all my bones.✦ O, if only it were being brought to completion in me! Increase it, I beg you, Author of light—increase, I beg you, what shines through in me; let it expand, I implore you, let it expand from you. What is this that I am feeling?

The Fire and Light Within

The soul is seized by an interior fire and radiance, pleads to be wholly set ablaze and illuminated, and laments those who remain blind to the divine light that fills the world.

What is this fire that sets my heart ablaze? What is this light that shines upon my heart? O fire that burns always and will never be extinguished — set me ablaze! O light that shines always and will never be darkened — illuminate me! O, if only I might burn with your fire!1 Holy fire, how sweetly you burn, how secretly you shine, how longingly you sear through me!2 Woe to those who don't burn with your fire! Woe to those who aren't illuminated by your light! O truthful light, illuminating all the world, whose light fills the world!✦3 Woe to blind eyes that cannot see you, O sun illuminating heaven and earth! Woe to dimming eyes that cannot bring themselves to see you! Woe to those who turn their eyes away so as not to see the truth — and who fail to turn them away so as not to see vanity!45

The Darkness of the Blind and the Purity of the Pure

The soul reflects on the misery of those accustomed to spiritual darkness, invokes Christ's beatitude on the pure in heart, and prays for cleansing and healing of its own eyes so it may behold God and meditate on His law.

Eyes accustomed to darkness cannot gaze on the rays of the highest truth, nor can they judge anything about light — whose dwelling place is in darkness. They see darkness, they love darkness, they approve darkness; going out of darkness into darkness, the wretched have no idea where they're falling, they don't know what they're losing — but those who do know what they're losing are more wretched still, who fall with their eyes wide open, and descend into hell while still alive.6 O most blessed light, whom only the purest eyes can behold! Blessed are the pure in heart, for they themselves will see God.✦ 5:8). Cleanse me, power that cleanses — heal my eyes, so that with healthy eyes I may contemplate you, whom only healthy eyes can look upon. Remove the scales of ancient gloom with the rays of your illumination, O inaccessible splendor, so that I may see you with unshaded gaze, and in your light may see light.✦78 I give you thanks, my light — look, I see! I beg you, Lord — let my sight be opened wide by you; reveal my eyes, so that I may consider the wondrous things of your law.✦

Seeing Through a Mirror — Longing for the Face of God

The soul gives thanks that it now sees God, though only dimly through a mirror, and yearns for the day when it will enter God's presence and behold Him face to face.

You are the wonderful God in your holy ones (Ps. 118:18). I give you thanks, my light — I see, I see! — but only through a mirror, dimly; and when will it be face to face? (1 Cor.)✦ 13:12)?✦ When will the day of joy and exultation come, when I will enter the place of the wonderful tabernacle, all the way to the house of God? (Ps. 41:5) — so that I may see the One who sees me face to face, and my desire will be satisfied?✦

Read the original Latin

Sancte sanctorum, Deus inaestimabilis majestatis, Deus deorum et Dominus dominorum, mirabilis, inenarrabilis, inexcogitabilis, quem tremunt in coelo angelicae Potestates, quem adorant Dominationes et Throni, et omnes Virtutes pavent a conspectu tuo, cujus potentiae et sapientiae non est numerus, qui fundasti mundum super nihilum, et mare colligasti in aere quasi in utre; omnipotentissime, sanctissime, fortissime, Deus spirituum universae carnis, a cujus conspectu fugit coelum et terra, ad cujus nutum omnia se subjiciunt elementa: te adorent et glorificent omnes creaturae tuae. Et ego filius ancillae tuae per fidem tuam flecto cervicem cordis mei sub pedibus majestatis tuae, gratias agens quoniam dignatus es per tuam misericordiam illuminare me. Lumen verum, lumen sanctum, lumen delectabile, lumen admirabile, lumen superlaudabile, quod illuminas omnem hominem venientem in hunc mundum (Joan. I, 9), et etiam oculos Angelorum, ecce video; gratias ago. Ecce video lumen coeli, interlucet oculis mentis meae radius desuper a facie luminis tui, et laetificat omnia ossa mea. O si perficeretur in me! Auge, quaeso, luminis auctor, auge, quaeso, quod interlucet in me; dilatetur, obsecro, dilatetur ex te. Quid est hoc quod sentio?

quis est ignis qui calefacit cor meum? Quae est lux quae irradiat cor meum? O ignis qui semper ardes, et nunquam exstingueris, accende me! o lux quae semper luces et nunquam offuscaris, illumina me! O utinam arderem ex te! Ignis sancte, quam dulciter ardes, quam secrete luces, quam desideranter aduris! Vae his qui non ardent ex te, vae illis qui non illuminantur ex te, o lumen veridicum, illuminans omnem mundum, cujus lux implet mundum! Vae caecis oculis qui te non vident, sol illuminans coelum et terram; vae caligantibus oculis qui te videre non possunt; vae avertentibus oculos, ut non videant veritatem; et non avertentibus, ut non videant vanitatem!

Nequeunt enim oculi tenebris assueti summae veritatis radios intueri, nec sciunt de lumine aliquid aestimare, quorum est in tenebris habitatio. Tenebras vident, tenebras diligunt, tenebras approbant; de tenebris euntes in tenebras, nesciunt ubi corruant miseri, nesciunt quid amittunt; miseriores utique qui et sciunt quid amittunt, qui cadunt apertis oculis, et descendunt in infernum viventes. O lux beatissima, quae non nisi a purgatissimis oculis videri potes! Beati mundo corde, quoniam ipsi Deum videbunt (Matth. V, 8). Munda me, mundans virtus, sana oculos meos, ut sanis te contempler oculis, quem non nisi sani oculi intuentur; aufer squamas caliginis antiquae radiis tuae illuminationis, splendor inaccessibilis, ut te videre valeam irreverberatis obtutibus, et in lumine tuo videam lumen. Gratias tibi ago, lux mea, ecce video. Dilatetur, obsecro, Domine, visus meus ex te; revela oculos meos, ut considerem mirabilia de lege tua (Psal.

CXVIII, 18), qui es Deus mirabilis in sanctis tuis. Gratias tibi ago, lumen meum, ecce video, video, sed per speculum in aenigmate; sed quando facie ad faciem (I Cor. XIII, 12)? Quando veniet dies laetitiae et exsultationis, in qua ingrediar in locum tabernaculi admirabilis usque ad domum Dei (Psal. XLI, 5), ut videam videntem me facie ad faciem, et satietur desiderium meum?

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Deut.10.17 — For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.
  2. ↩1Tim.6.15-1Tim.6.16 — which he will display in his own time—the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of those who reign and Lord of those who rule. 1Tim.6.16 — He alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no one among human beings has seen or is able to see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.
  3. ↩Ps.89.11-Ps.89.12;Ps.104.2-Ps.104.5 — You crushed Rahab like a slain corpse; with the arm of your strength you scattered your enemies. Ps.89.12 — The heavens are yours, the earth also is yours; the world and its fullness — you founded them. Ps.104.2 — You wrap yourself in light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent curtain. Ps.104.3 — You lay the beams of your upper chambers in the waters; you make the clouds your chariot; you walk on the wings of the wind. Ps.104.4 — He makes his messengers winds, his ministers a blazing fire. Ps.104.5 — He set the earth on its foundations, so that it will not be moved forever and ever.
  4. ↩Dan.7.10 — A river of fire flowed and poured out before him. A thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.
  5. ↩Luke.1.48 — For he has looked upon the lowliness of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed.
  6. ↩John.1.9 — The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
  7. ↩Ps.35.10;Ps.6.2 — All my bones shall say, 'LORD, who is like You, delivering the poor from the one too strong for him—the poor and the needy from the one who robs him?' Ps.6.2 — LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger, and do not discipline me in your wrath.
  8. ↩John.1.9 — The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
  9. ↩Matt.5.8 — Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
  10. ↩Ps.36.10 — For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
  11. ↩Ps.119.18 — Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.
  12. ↩1Cor.13.12 — For now we see in a mirror, dimly; but then face to face. Now I know in part; but then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
  13. ↩1Cor.13.12 — For now we see in a mirror, dimly; but then face to face. Now I know in part; but then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
  14. ↩Ps.41.5;Ps.43.4 — I said, "Lord, be gracious to me; heal my soul, for I have sinned against you." Ps.43.4 — Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Exclamatory wish (utinam + imperfect subjunctive) rendered with 'if only I might' to preserve the longing tone without archaism.
  2. 2 ↩Aduris rendered 'sear through me' to capture the devotional intensity of desideranter aduris — a burning that is both desired and piercing.
  3. 3 ↩Possible echo of John 1:9 — 'the true light that enlightens every man coming into the world.' Final resolution deferred to Moses.
  4. 4 ↩The ut-clauses are ambiguous between purpose and result; rendered with 'so as not' to preserve both readings.
  5. 5 ↩Vanitatem rendered 'vanity' per lexeme policy (vanitas → vanity), preserving the biblical cadence.
  6. 6 ↩The phrase 'descendunt in infernum viventes' carries both a spiritual sense (living in a state of damnation) and an eschatological one; rendered to preserve both registers.
  7. 7 ↩mundans virtus rendered as 'power that cleanses' to preserve the participial force and avoid reducing it to a generic title.
  8. 8 ↩irreverberatis obtutibus — literally 'unshaded/unreflected gazes' — rendered as 'unshaded gaze' to convey direct, unmediated vision of God.

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