De aeterna laude Dei et desiderio aeternae gloriae
The Duty of Constant Praise
The soul is called to offer perpetual praise to God as the source of all grace and the ultimate object of love.
Bless the Lord, my soul, from whom every good thing comes, and who will remain both now and forever. Therefore, you must refer everything back to Him, as the source and end of every good thing; and with deep gratitude, praise Him from the depths of your heart, so that the gifts of heavenly grace may flow back into you in even greater measure, until you arrive at the fountain of eternal life, the homeland of eternal brightness, and the vision of His divine presence and glory. For there is nothing better for you, nothing more wholesome, nothing sweeter, nothing more pleasant, nothing more worthy, nothing higher, nothing happier, nothing more perfect, nothing more blessed than to love God most ardently and praise Him most highly. I say this a hundred times; I repeat it a thousand times. No pursuit is more elegant, no work more eminent, than to love and praise God, your Creator and Redeemer, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. Do this as long as you live, feel, and understand; accomplish this in word and deed, day and night, morning, noon, and evening, at every hour and every moment, as much as you are able, to know and to cling to God purely and completely always, so that God may be all in all, loved, blessed, praised, and superexalted by you above all things and before all things forever, and that it may be well with you in Him without end. Exult, therefore, faithful soul, in the Lord your God, just as the blessed Virgin Mary exulted in Jesus her Savior. Exult and praise your God who made and redeemed you, because you are a debtor to God for very many and great benefits and daily blessings kindly bestowed upon you, for all of which you are never sufficient to thank God fully and worthily, even if you were a holy angel.
The Promise of Eternal Rest
Even amidst human frailty and sin, the soul is encouraged to persevere in prayer, looking toward the promise of divine rest.
Still, offer praise and thanks as a mortal, one who needs God's mercy and is always seeking and begging for it. Don't stop praying and praising God, even if you often fall, sin, and offend Him; don't despair because of that, but instead humble yourself and pray. Love, and you'll be loved; for love amends all past wrongs, purges, and heals; it illuminates and sets on fire; it puts sadness to flight and brings forth a joy of heart that the world doesn't know, and that flesh and blood cannot feel. Praise God and you'll be praised; bless and you'll be blessed; sanctify and you'll be sanctified; magnify and you'll be magnified; glorify God and you'll be glorified by Him in body and soul. But when will this be, Lord? When will You fill my mouth with perpetual praise, and my heart and soul exult with Your saints in Your glory? Endure for a little while longer, and you'll see great wonders when the final trumpet sounds. Then I will give My saints rest and eternal life for all their labor and sorrow. What more do you want?
Possessing All in God
The soul finds its true wealth in total detachment and surrender to God, anticipating the illumination of eternal light.
Absolutely nothing. You alone are enough for me, my God and my Savior; You who give eternal life to those who love and praise You—giving the immense for the small, the highest for the lowest, and the eternal for those who are perishing. Give yourself to God and everything you have; give Him whatever you do, know, and are worth, and you'll be richer and dearer to God than you were before. Say with Saint Paul: As having nothing of our own, yet possessing everything in God. We are as if vile, poor, and sad in this world, but always rich and cheerful in the Lord, certain of the future reward in heaven. O Lord God, the salvation of my face and my God, when will You gladden me in Your kingdom with Your most radiant face? O when will You illuminate all my darkness with the splendor of eternal light; when will You remove all my obstacles from the center of my heart, O true peace, highest beatitude, and perfect happiness?
The Groaning for the Heavenly Homeland
The soul expresses its deep yearning for the beatific vision and the end of its earthly exile.
Oh, when will I follow you, Lord, securely and freely, wherever you go, without any obstacle from things that oppose me? Oh, when will I see you clearly with my own eyes, without a mirror, without a riddle, without parables, without symbols, without questions, without doubts, without opinions, and without needing teachers to ask? Oh, when will I know everything I believe in the holy Scriptures, read in various books, and hear with my own ears from teachers in so many places—about my God, about the angels and all the choirs of angels, about the glory and happiness of the heavenly homeland, and about the peace and unspeakable joy of the citizens above? Oh, when will I be there, when will I come and appear in your presence, and contemplate your joyful face and the glory of your kingdom with the cherubim, the seraphim, and all the saints? But that hour hasn't come yet; the gate of heaven is still closed to me. Therefore, I groan in my heart and with my voice as long as I am here, until I come to you, my God.
Read the original Latin
Benedic anima mea Dominum a quo omne bonum procedit: et nunc et in aeternum permanebit. Ad ipsum ergo omnia referre debes sicut ad omnis boni principium et finem; et cum magna gratitudine ipsum intime laudare: ut iterum in te fluant dona caelestis gratiae largiori munere; donec pervenias ad fontem perennis vitae: et ad patriam claritatis aeternae et visionem divinae praesentiae et gloriae. Nil quippe tibi melius, nil salubrius, nil suavius, nil iucundius, nil dignius, nil altius, nil felicius, nil perfectius nil beatius: quam ardentissime amare et altissime laudare Deum. Hoc centies dico: hoc millesies replico. Nullum studium elegantius nullum opus eminentius, quam amare et laudare Deum creatorem ac redemptorem tuum ex toto corde tuo, ex tota anima tua: ex tota mente tua, et ex omnibus viribus tuis. Hoc age quamdiu vivis sentis et intellegis: hoc perfice opere et sermone, die ac nocte, mane meridie, vespere, omni hora, omnique momento, pro posse nosse, integre pure adhaere semper Deo; ut sit Deus omnia in omnious, ante omnia et super omnia a te dilectus benedictus laudatus et superexaltatus in saecula: et tibi bene cum eo sine fine. Exulta ergo anima fidelis in Domino Deo tuo: sicut beata virgo Maria exultavit in Iesu salutari suo. Exulta et lauda Deum tuum qui te fecit et redemit: quia debitor Dei es in valde multis et magnis beneficiis et cotidianis bonis tibi benigne collatis; pro quibus omnibus plene et digne Deo regratiari numquam sufficis: etiam si angelus sanctus esses.
Attamen lauda et gratias age ut homo mortalis: misericordia Dei indigens et eam semper quaerens et implorans. Non cesses orare et laudare Deum licet saepe cadis peccas et eum offendis; non tamen inde desperabis: sed magis te humiliabis et orabis. Ama et amaberis; quia amor omnia mala praeterita emendat purgat et sanat: illuminat et accendit; fugat tristitiam et parit cordis gaudium, quale mundus non novit: nec caro et sanguis sentire valet. Lauda Deum et laudaberis benedic et benediceris: sanctifica et sanctificaberis; magnifica et magnificaberis: glorifica Deum et glorificaberis ab eo in corpore et in anima. Sed quando erit hoc Domine, quando replebis os meum laude perpetua; et exultabit cor meum et anima mea cum sanctis tuis in gloria tua? IE NCY ONC Sustine tempus adhuc modicum: et videbis mirabilia magna cum sonuerit tuba novissima. Tunc dabo sanctis meis pro omni labore et dolore requiem et vitam aeternam. Quid vis amplius?
Prorsuss nihil. Tu solus sufficis mihi Deus meus salvator meus; qui das vitam aeternam amatoribus et laudatoribus tuis: pro parvis immensa, pro infimis summa, pro perituris aeterna. Da te ipsum Deo et totum quod habes; da ei quicquid agis scis et vales: et eris ditior et carior Deo quam fuisti. Dic cum sancto Paulo. Tamquam nihil habentes pro proprio: et omnia possidentes in Deo. Quasi viles et pauperes ac tristes in hoc mundo; sed divites ac hilares semper in Domino: certi de futuro praemio in caelo. O Domine Deus salutare vultus mei et Deus meus; quando laetificabis me in regno tuo cum clarissimo vultu tuo? O quando illuminabis omnes tenebras meas splendor lucis aeternae; quando auferes omnia obstacula mea de medio cordis mei pax vera beatitudo summa et felicitas perfecta?
O quando sine omni impedimento contrariorum sequar te secure et libere quocumque ieris Domine? O quando oculis meis clare te videbo sine speculo sine aenigmate, sine parabolis sine figuris, sine quaestionibus sine dubiis; sine opinionibus sine interrogationibus a magistris? O quando omnia sciam quae credo in scripturis sanctis et lego sin libris variis et audio auribus meis a lectoribus in multis locis, de Deo meo, de angelis et omnibus angelorum choris; de gloria et beatitudine caelestis patriae, de pace et ineffabili gaudio civium supernorum? O quando ibi ero quando veniam et apparebo in conspectu tuo; et contemplabor laetam faciem tuam et gloriam regni tui cum cherubin et seraphin et omnibus sanctis? Sed nondum venit ishora illa: clausa est adhuc ante me caeli porta. Ideo gemo corde et ore quamdiu hic fuero: donec veniam ad te Deus meus.
The Little Garden of Roses & The Valley of Lilies companion
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