De vero amatore Dei
The Pure Heart of the Lover
The true lover of God seeks Him for His own sake, finding sweetness in His mercy and humility in the face of personal frailty.
Love the Lord, all you his saints, both small and great, because he made both the small and the great. A true lover of God loves God purely—that is, he loves God for God's sake and for the sake of enjoying him alone; he does not love him for the sake of some profit to be gained from him, nor for any personal advantage, nor for the sake of some comfort or reward to be earned, but entirely and finally for the sake of his infinite goodness and his superexcellent dignity. That is why the psalmist frequently says and repeats this in praise of God. “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,” and it is sweet for the lover to say this. But to say, “for his mercy is everlasting,” tastes sweeter to the one who is repentant and grieving over his sins. So that the fragile person may not despair in his failings, it is often added that his mercy is everlasting. Yet that person is more pleasing to God who humbles himself more deeply and loves him more fervently. Blessed is the one who considers himself viler than everyone else and guards against everything he knows to be displeasing to God.
Living for the Glory of God
Blessed is the one who acts with pure intention, referring all works and gifts back to the honor and glory of God.
Blessed is the person who, for the sake of God and His good pleasure, does all their work out of charity and with a pure intention; and whatever good they think of, they refer it entirely to the honor, praise, and glory of God. Blessed is the one who keeps nothing for themselves, but freely gives back to God everything they have received from Him.
Read the original Latin
Diligite Dominum omnes sancti eius pusilli et magni: quia pusillum et magnum ipse fecit. Verus amator Dei amat pure Deum, scilicet Deum propter Deum et propter se solum fruendum; et non propter lucrum ab ipso habendum, nec propter aliquod proprium commodum; nec solacium aut praemium inde promerendum: sed totaliter et finaliter propter suam infinitam bonitatem et superexcellentem dignitatem. Ideo in laudem Dei psalmista frequenter dicit et repetit. Confitemini Domino quoniam bonus: et hoc dicere dulce est amanti. Sed dicere, quoniam in aeternum misericordia eius: dulciuss sapit paenitenti et dolenti de peccatis suis. Ne ergo desperet homo fragilis in malis: additur saepe quoniam in aeternum misericordia eius. Ille autem amplius placet Deo; qui profundius se humiliat: et ferventius ipsum amat. Beatus qui se viliorem omnibus reputat: et cavet omne quod Deo displicere cognoscit.
Beatus qui propter Deum et beneplacitum eius totum opus suum facit ex caritate cum pura intentione; et quidquid boni cogitat: hoc ad Dei honorem et laudem et gloriam integre refert. Beatus qui nil sibi retinet: sed totum Deo libere reddit quod a Deo accepit.
The Little Garden of Roses & The Valley of Lilies companion
Fourteen readings down. The other 39 chapters are waiting.
Chosen Portion serves the complete Little Garden and Valley of Lilies — plus the Imitation — as daily portions.
These treatises were composed as brief daily counsels for a community's rhythm of reading, and Chosen Portion delivers them the same way: one short chapter each morning.
- All 53 chapters of both treatises in modern readable English
- A new short reading delivered every morning, no deciding what's next
- Complete both treatises in under two months at one chapter a day