Preces Gertrudianae/To the Most Holy Trinity
PART III.
FIVE HYMNS OF PRAISE TO THE MOST HOLY TRINITY.
These five hymns, taken from the devotions of St. Gertrude, are so sublime and so divine that they seem to be utterances of the Blessed in the heavenly country rather than of pilgrims here on earth. They may be used in solemn processions, or at other times when you feel especially drawn to praise God.
HYMN I. OF THE THREE CHILDREN IN THE FIERY FURNACE.
BLESSED art thou, O Lord, the God of our fathers: and worthy to he praised and glorified and exalted above all for ever.
And blessed is the holy Name of thy glory: and exceedingly to be praised, and glorious for ever.
Blessed art thou in the holy temple of thy glory: and exceedingly to be praised, and glorious for ever.
Blessed art thou on the holy throne of thy kingdom: and exceedingly to be praised, &c.
Blessed art thou in the sceptre of thy Godhead: and exceedingly to be praised, &c.
Blessed art thou that sittest above the Cherubim and beholdest the depths: and exceedingly to be praised, &c.
Blessed art thou that walkest on the wings of the wind and on the waves of the sea: and exceedingly to be praised, &c.
Let all thine angels and saints bless thee: praise thee, and glorify thee for ever.
Let heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, bless thee: and let them praise thee, and glorify thee for ever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost: most blessed and glorious for ever.
Blessed art thou, O Adonai, our Lord, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hast made heaven and earth, and all that is in them: and art blessed and glorious and exalted over all for ever.
HYMN II. IN WHICH THE SAINTS ARE CALLED UPON TO PRAISE GOD.
O God of my heart, may all the choirs of angels and all the throng of thy saints shout for joy unto thee for me: whom thou hast predestinated from all eternity to thy glory.
May the seven glorious spirits who stand continually before the presence of the throne of thy glory: shout for joy unto thee for me.
May the countless bands of holy angels, whom thou sendest to minister to the elect race whom thou hast purchased to thyself: shout for joy unto thee for me.
May the four-and-twenty ancients, with all the patriarchs and prophets, who fall down before thee and cast their crowns before thy throne: shout for joy unto thee for me.
May the four living creatures having wings, which day and night show forth thy praise: shout for joy unto thee for me.
May the most loving and worshipful brotherhood of the Apostles, by whose intercessions thou dost wonderfully sustain thy Church: shout for joy unto thee for me.
May the victor army of thy martyrs, whose robes are ruddy with thy precious Blood: shout for joy unto thee for me.
May the goodly host of confessors, whom thou hast translated into thy marvellous light: shout for joy unto thee for me.
May all thy holy and unspotted Virgins, clothed upon with the serene splendour of thy snow-white purity: shout for joy unto thee for me.
May they shout aloud unto thee for me that new song which breaks forth evermore from their hearts as they follow thee whithersoever thou goest: O Jesus, Bridegroom of Virgin souls.
May all the whole army of thine elect, thine own peculiar people, shout for joy unto thee for me for thou art their God, and they are thy people for ever.
May all thy marvellous works throughout heaven and earth shout for joy unto thee for me: and render back to thee, its source, the glory which streams everlastingly from thee.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost: and glory to the Queen of heaven, with all the multitude of the heavenly hierarchy, for ever. Amen.
Hymn III: IN WHICH GOD IS GLORIFIED IN THE BLESSED VIRGIN.
O my God, may the most Blessed Virgin Mary bless thee: whom thou didst deign to predestinate from eternity to be thy Mother.
Let that admirable Tabernacle of thy glory praise thee: sole abode on earth meet for thy holy habitation.
Let the glory of thy Godhead bless thee: which condescended to go down into that lowly and virginal valley.
Let the inventive wisdom of thy Godhead bless thee: by which thou didst impart to that Virgin Rose so great virtue and comeliness, that thou didst thyself desire her beauty.
Let thine unspeakable goodness bless thee: the abundant grace of which rendered the whole life of Mary worthy of thy dignity.
Let thy tender love bless thee: by the force of which thou, the peerless flower of virginity,didst become the Virgin's Son.
Let the splendour of the countenance of thy glory bless thee: which so adorned the soul of the Virgin that the ineffable Trinity delighted in her.
Let thine incomprehensible wisdom bless thee: which filled the most chaste spirit of the Virgin with knowledge and understanding.
Let thy lowly and adorable condescension bless thee: whereby thou didst deign to suck the breasts of the most chaste Virgin, as the antidote of the poison of our sins.
Let the ravishing sweetness of thy Sacred Heart bless thee: wherewith thou didst inebriate thy Mother's virgin soul with calm, unutterable delights.
Let the most gracious words of thy divine lips bless thee: which enkindled thy Mother's deepest heart with the holy name of charity.
Let all the virtue of thy Divinity bless thee, and all the substance of thy Humanity: which deigned to pour into the heart of Mary the whole fulness of heavenly gifts.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost: and glory to the Queen of heaven, with all the multitude of the heavenly hierarchy, for ever. Amen.
HYMN IV: IN WHICH THE HUMANITY OF JESUS IS INVOKED TO PRAISE GOD FOR US.
O SWEETEST Jesus, let thine emptying thyself of thy Majesty bless thee for me: which obtained for us the priceless treasure of everlasting glory.
Let thine assumption of our humanity bless thee: whereby thou hast called us to be partakers of the Divine nature.
Let the weary exile thou didst endure for three-and-thirty years bless thee: whereby thou hast brought back to eternal life the souls that had perished.
Let all the anguish and grief of thy Humanity bless thee: by which thou hast sanctified all our afflictions and our toil.
Let thine experience of our misery bless thee: whereby thou hast become unto us the Father of exceeding compassion.
Let all the drops of thy most precious Blood bless thee: by which thou hast cleansed us from the stains of our sins.
Let thy five most precious Wounds, thy most radiant adornment, bless thee: by which thou hast purchased for us mansions in the everlasting inheritance.
Let the bitterness of thy sacred death bless thee: in which thy love, stronger than death, bowed thy Head for us.
Let the excessive sweetness of thy deified heart bless thee: which broke on the cross with impetuous love and grief.
Let the most undefiled flesh of thy Humanity bless thee: in which thou wast made unto us a brother most loving and constant.
Let thy triumphant glory bless thee for me: whereby thou sittest at the right hand of the Father in our flesh for ever.
Let thine own dazzling radiance, thy honour And thy might, bless thee for me: wherewith all the heavenly host is wondrously filled and fed evermore.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost: and glory to the Queen of heaven, with all the multitude of the heavenly hierarchy, for ever. Amen.
HYMN V: IN WHICH GOD IS PRAISED IN HIMSELF.
LET thy glorious and marvellous light bless thee for me, O my God; and the kingly splendour of thy most excellent Majesty praise thee.
Let the meet and seemly pomp of thy boundless glory bless thee: and the majestic energy of thine infinite power praise thee.
Let the princely splendour of thine eternal glory bless thee: and the glowing beauty of thy peerless honour praise thee.
Let the great deep of thy just judgment bless thee: and the unsearchable range of thine eternal wisdom praise thee.
Let the infinite number of thy manifold compassions bless thee: and the immeasurable weight of thy tender mercies praise thee.
Let the bowels of thine infinite pity bless thee: and the overflowing abundance of thine unimaginable love praise thee.
Let the excessive love thou bearest to man bless thee: and the profuse bounty of thy most tender kindness praise thee.
Let the subduing force of thy exuberant sweetness bless thee: and the fulness of bliss which awaiteth thy chosen in thee praise thee.
Let the sublimity of thy dignity bless thee: and thy calm, everlasting unchangeableness praise thee.
Let the Godhead of thy most royal Trinity, the oneness of Essence and the distinctness of persons, bless thee for me: and thy sweet mutual indwelling and love, thy glorious and consummate felicity, praise thee.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost: and glory to the Queen of heaven, with all the multitude of the heavenly hierarchy, for ever. Amen.
OBLATION.
ACCEPT, O Holy Trinity, the desires my lips have uttered and the glowing love of my heart has inspired, to set forth and praise thy magnificence. I offer them to thee in union with the ineffable praise which the three Persons of thy adorable Godhead offer one to another in manner and degree far above human comprehension. And so far as in me lies, cast my heart as a most worthless grain of incense into the golden censer of thy Divine Heart, wherein burns evermore to thy honour and glory the sweetest frankincense of eternal love; earnestly desiring and beseeching thee that, vile and unworthy as it is, it may be enkindled by the breath of thy spirit and consume away in thy worship and praise; and that the deep sighs I breathe towards thee from this valley of tears, because my hope is so long deferred, may be to thee an endless praise and glory. Amen.
HYMN OF PRAISE TO GOD.
O HEIGHT inaccessible of wondrous power! O unfathomable depth of hidden wisdom! O boundless breadth of much - desired love! None but thyself can worthily praise thee, for thou alone knowest thine infinite magnificence, and thou knowest how thou oughtest to be praised. Wherefore, O Lord my God, may thine eternal Godhead, thy uncircumscribed Majesty, and thine infinite goodness, praise thee for me. O Lord my God, may thy loftiest wisdom, thy widest and most ample mercy, and thy most profound justice, praise thee for me. May thy greatness without limits, thy exquisite and penetrating sweetness, and thy most compassionate kindness, praise thee for me.
May all the names, all the titles, all the emblems, which can be said of thee or conceived of thee, bless thee, exult in thee, and magnify thee for me, and give thee thanks for all good things which thou hast ever bestowed, or shalt hereafter bestow, on me or on any one of thy creatures.
May the most adorable Humanity of Jesus Christ praise thee and exult in thee for me, O Lord my God. May his most holy life and conversation on earth, his most divine virtue and graces, his most precious Blood and tears, his cruel wounds and bruises, his most bitter passion and death, supply all the defects of my service, and worthily glorify thee.
May the most serene Queen of heaven, the most chaste Virgin Mary, magnify and extol thee, O God my Creator; and together with her the ten thousand times ten thousand companies of blessed spirits, and the countless host of thy saints; may they sing praises to thee for me for ever.
May our most holy Mother the Church sing to thee and exult in thee for me; may the seven most hallowed Sacraments praise thee; may all the reverent ceremonies and rites of thy Church honour thee; may all her psalms and prayers praise thee, all her virtues and her holiness, all her sorrow and her love, all her longing and her desire wherewith she sighs unto thee in this valley of tears.
May all the gratuitous gifts of grace which thou hast ever conferred on me give thee thanks and praise; may all my powers of body and soul, my nerves and veins, my bones and my flesh, all my desire and all my groaning, my understanding, my memory and my will, my inmost heart with its wondrous beatings and throbs; may all unite to shout for joy to thee. I offer and resign to thee all these, beseeching thee that thou wouldest make me show forth thy praise and glory in time and in eternity. Amen.
THREE INCOMPARABLE ACTS OF PRAISE
Which our Lord taught to St. Mechtilde.
I VENERATE and glorify thee, O most blessed Trinity, in union with that ineffable glory with which God the Father in his omnipotence honours the Son and the Holy Ghost for ever.
I magnify and bless thee, O most blessed Trinity, in union with that most reverent glory with which God the Son in his unsearchable wisdom glorifies the Father and the Holy Ghost for ever.
I adore and extol thee, O most blessed Trinity, in union with that most adequate and befitting glory with which the Holy Ghost in his unchangeable goodness extols the Father and the Son for ever. Amen.
AN EFFICACIOUS ACT OF PRAISE
Every word of which has a special weight of meaning.
O Most compassionate Jesus, may all the virtue and efficacy of thy Divinity praise thee for me. May all the tender loving - kindness of thy Humanity satisfy to thee for me. May all the kingly splendour and majesty of the Trinity glorify, magnify, and honour thee in thyself for me, with that sublimest praise wherewith thou sufficest to thyself, and suppliest what is lacking to the praises of all thy creatures.
AN EFFICACIOUS METHOD OF LOVING AND PRAISING GOD.
While St. Mechtilde was disquieted because she did not worthily honour and love God, our Lord said to her: When you desire to praise me, and cannot praise me as you would, say:
O Good Jesus, I praise thee: vouchsafe to supply for me whatsoever is lacking in my praise.
And if you wish to love me, say:
O Good Jesus, I love thee: vouchsafe to supply whatever is lacking in my love, and offer the love of thy Sacred Heart to God the Father for me.
And on another occasion he said to her: If you desire to praise me, repeat these few words:
GLORY be to thee, O most sweet, most noble, resplendent, peaceful, ineffable Trinity.
AN ACT OF CONGRATULATION MOST PLEASING TO GOD.
O Most glorious God, I, the least of thy servants, congratulate thee, and rejoice with my whole heart that thou art and abidest unchangeably such and so great a God as thou art in thy Godhead and Essence, and shalt be evermore. I congratulate thee and rejoice with thee in thine infinite power and majesty. I rejoice and give thee thanks for thy great glory and thine inexpressible excellency. I rejoice and exult with my whole heart that all things are subject to thy sway, and that there is none that can resist thy will. And to express to thee my congratulations and my gratitude that thou art so great and so ineffable a God, I offer thee, in union with the sweetest Heart of Jesus and in my own name and that of all thy creatures, thy divine and infinite Essence with all the perfections, attributes, and qualities contained therein, in such manner and with such love as thou hast enabled us through thy love in the Holy Ghost. I desire and long that all creatures in heaven and in earth may acknowledge thee and love thee, and rejoice in thine infinite glory and blessedness; and I place them all before thee in spirit, and subject them to thee, and congratulate thee in their name. And since this is far short of showing forth thy praise, I beseech thee that thou wouldest vouchsafe to supply for thine own sake ray lack of service, and that of all creatures, in loving thee and rejoicing in thee. And I offer to thee this splendour and fragrance of love and congratulation, together with all the glory, praise, and congratulation which the blessed spirits and souls of the just render thee with one consent, in thanksgiving for all the glory and blessedness which thou dost enjoy for evermore. Amen.
SUBLIME ACT OF THANKSGIVING.
From the devotions of St. Gertrude.
BLESSED be thy goodness, O my God, and blessed be thy compassion, O thou one and true Godhead, thou one and holy Trinity, thou one and supreme God, for all the benefits and loving-kindnesses with which thy profuse and loving compassion has surrounded me, undeserving as I am. For all these I adore thee, I praise and bless thee, O my most tender Lord and God, in union with that supernal praise with which thou, O glorious Trinity, art thine own sufficient praise, which pours down from thee upon the blessed Humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, upon his glorious Mother, and upon all holy angels and saints; and from them flows back again into its source in the abysses of thy Divinity. I give thee thanks for the love with which thou hast created and redeemed me, sanctified me, called me, preserved me, and endowed me with all manner of good things. And since praise is not seemly in the mouth of a sinner, I beseech thee, O sweetest Jesus, by that prevailing love wherewith thou sittest at the right hand of the Father, to pay for me to my God eternal, infinite, unfaltering, unceasing praises, such as thou alone canst pay, and as thou knowest to be befitting his most dread glory and the honour of his Majesty, for all the good which has ever flowed forth upon me from the inexhaustible abyss of his Godhead. Break forth, therefore, O beloved Jesus, into such thanksgivings as thou alone canst utter; O my Lord, great and wonderful exceedingly, praise the Godhead in thyself, in me and for me, with all the might of thy Divinity, and with all the love of thy Humanity, in the name and on behalf of all the universe thy hands have made. Amen.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE BENEFITS OF GOD.
While saying this prayer, St Gertrude received from the Son of God most gracious tokens of his love, and his promise that he would take her into his most intimate and special protection. Hence she learned that the Lord takes in a special manner under His protection all who gratefully recite this acknowledgment, and commit themselves to his divine Providence.
I give thee thanks, O holy Father, with all my strenth, through him who sitteth at thy right ahnd, for all the gifts I have ever received from thy munificent bounty; and I acknowledge that no power could have bestowed them on me but thine, who art all-powerful, and upholdest all creation.
I give thee thanks, most kind and gentle Jesus, and I confess, and will confess to my latest breath, that thou hast most wisely and well provided for me in body and in soul, in all things prosperous or adverse; and I acknowledge that no wisdom could thus embrace all my whole life but thy increated wisdom alone, O my most tender thanks, tender God, which holy Father, reacheth from end with all my strength, through him who sitteth at thy right hand, for all the gifts I have ever received from thy munificent bounty, and I acknowledge that no power could have bestowed them on to end mightily, and ordereth all things sweetly.
I give thee thanks, O good and quickening Spirit, the Comforter, through him who was by thy cooperation made flesh in the Virgin's womb, that thou dost in all things so sweetly anticipate me, unworthy as I am, with the blessings of thy gratuitous bounty; and I acknowledge that no goodness could thus diffuse itself but thy ineffable goodness, in which all good things are contained, from which they proceed, and together with which they are received. And as thou bast hitherto and always provided for me, so I confidently hope and rely that thou wilt provide for me to the end through thy divine goodness, to which I most devoutly commend myself.' Amen.
PROFESSION OF FAITH.
O My God, thou ancient and absolute truth, I (N.) believe with my heart, confess with my mouth, and profess by my actions, that I most firmly believe all and every article of faith which the holy Roman Church proposes to us to be believed, and that I will believe them to the end of my life. And although I can in no wise understand how the truths which the faith delivers to us are possible, nevertheless I bring my understanding into captivity to the obedience of Christ, I revere these most sacred mysteries with profound submission, and I beseech thee to render them availing to my salvation. And even as I now profess this faith, so I vow, promise, and swear, in presence of all the holy angels and saints, and above all in thy presence, O most holy Trinity, that I desire to live and die in the same. So help me God and these his holy Gospels. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Here commend thy faith to God, as follows: for our Lord revealed to Ht. Mechtilde that those who do so shall be preserved from temptations against the faith to their lives' end.
I COMMEND this my faith to thine omnipotence, O eternal Father, beseeching thee that thou wouldest so strengthen me therein with thy divine strength, that I may never depart from it or waver in it.
I commend it to thine unsearchable wisdom, O only-begotten Son, beseeching thee that thou wouldest so enlighten me with the light of thy knowledge, that I may never be led astray by the spirit of error.
I commend it likewise to thy most compassionate goodness, O Holy Ghost the Comforter, beseeching thee that this my faith may so work in me by charity, that at the hour of my death it may be found perfect and entire.
TRUST IN GOD.
Our Lord said to St. Mechtilde: Of a truth it greatly pleases me that men should confidently expect great things from me, for it is impossible that a man should fail to obtain that which he believes and hopes for. Therefore it is good for a man to hope great things from me, and to confide sincerely in me. Our Lord gave also a like assurance to St. Gertrude.
O GOD of my heart, my only hope and refuge, I, the poorest of thy creatures and infinitely unworthy of the least good at thy hands, do yet so confidently hope in thy tender kindness, that I have no manner of doubt that as thou knowest how to succour and aid me, so thou both canst and wilt be with me in all things. I know, indeed, O compassionate God, that if thou wert to deal with me as I have deserved, I could expect no grace at thy hand, but only manifold rebuke and punishment; but since I know that thy goodness is so exuberant that thou art wont to do good even to thy worst enemies, I most firmly believe and trust that thou wilt not forsake me in my distresses and miseries, but wilt provide for me with a care and generosity which I should vainly look for in my dearest friend.
O most loving God, although my sins are so manifold and so grievous that they deserve a thousand hells, yet by reason of thine infinite goodness I so securely expect from thee remission of them all, provided only they grieve me, as in deed and in truth they do, that I could more easily doubt my own existence than the certainty of this remission. O infinite goodness, so tender is my confidence in thee, that even if I had sinned a thousand times more than I have, and knew that thine anger was fiercely kindled against me, yet, could I choose my own judge, I would choose none other than thee. In thee alone, and in none other than thee, would I trust, and I should more certainly hope for mercy at thy hand than from my best and dearest friend. For if I had sinned as often and as grievously against any one of my friends as I have against thee, I am most sure that I could not hope for pardon, even from the most tender and compassionate of mothers. Yea, had I been so rebellious and so unloving to my own mother as I have been to thee, she would have cast me off for ever. But thou, notwithstanding all the many and grievous insults I have heaped upon thee, and notwithstanding all my many and grievous negligences in thy service, dost still cherish and sustain me.
And dost thou think, O most loving Father, that I have the smallest doubt that I shall attain to everlasting bliss? Do thou thyself forbid. For my hope of attaining that bliss rests not on my own merits, but on the faithful promise of thy Only-begotten, and on his most abundant and exuberant merits, which he has communicated and made over to his elect. And hence I abound with so great joy and consolation, because I seem already to possess that for which I so eagerly long. For thy Son,who has promised me salvation and his merits, which are its title and its price, is most faithful, nor can any word which has gone forth from his mouth be revoked or fail. Vouchsafe, O eternal Father, to increase in me this hope and trust which I give into thy merciful keeping, until I see thee in thy unfading eternity, and hope is lost in fruition. Amen.
LOVE OF GOD.
It was revealed to St. Gertrude that when a soul which loves God turns to him with ardent affection and desire, if it were possible, to make reparation to him for all the insults and affronts whereby his honour is outraged, and expresses to him all its yearning tenderness, his anger is appeased, and he spares the world of sinners. For one loving soul obtains more from God for all the faithful living and departed than ten thousand who are cold and unloving.
O My God, most
worthy object of
my love, my supreme
and infinite Good, I
love thee and will
love thee for ever and
ever; I embrace thee
with all the affections
of my heart, with the
strong embrace of
love, for thou art my
sweetest and much-desired Good, thou
my perennial peace
and sweetness, thou
the sufficing portion
of my soul. O thou
most gentle, most
ravishing, most beloved Lord, thou art
the life of my soul,
thou the jubilee of
my heart, my God,
my Love, the chosen
One of all my vows.
I love thee, O my
sweetness, my joy, my
delight; I love thee
with all my soul and
with all my strength,
but, alas, not as I
ought, not as I would. Would that I could
love thee a thousandfold more; would that
I could love thee with
an infinite love! Pierce
my heart, O sweetest
God, with the arrow
of thy love, and wound
it with the languishing wound of thy dilection. Grant that
I may love thee, O
Lord; for without
thee I cannot love
thee. Oh, could I
draw all created
hearts, and contain
them all in my heart,
with all their affections and their love,
how would I love thee
then, O my fairest
Love! Oh, wouldst
thou give me but for
one hour the glowing
love of Seraphim, that
I might be inflamed
with the ardour of
that impetuous love
and enkindle it in
every heart of men!
And how great is my
grief that thou, my
tender Love, art not
loved! Alas, how I
mourn that thou, my
sweet Love, art neglected and despised, and
above 'all that thou
art so cruelly offended
and outraged! I condole with thee, O my
God and my Love, on
all the injuries and
insults which are
heaped on thee; and,
were I able, I would
most gladly make reparation to thee for
all the outrages and
wrongs done to thine
honour; yea, for thy
love I would gladly
suffer to my dying
hour all the pangs of
holy desire which the
heart of man hath suffered or shall suffer
to the end of the
world, if so I might
offer thee a more
worthy shelter within
my soul, and make
amends to thee for all the contempt and
ignominy which thy
peerless and excelling dignity sustains at
the hands of ungrateful men. Amen.
ASPIRATIONS OF A LOVING SOUL.
He who ardently desires and firmly resolves to love and praise me more than I am praised and loved by any other creature shall undoubtedly, said our Lord to St. Gertrude, receive an abundant reward from my divine bounty; a reward oftentimes greater than that which he could obtain by good works.
O God of my heart, I love thee with all my heart, and I would that I could love thee a thousandfold more. Would that I could praise and love thee beyond every other of thy creatures; that I could give thee thanks and condole with thee, and practise all virtues in greatest perfection: most eagerly and gladly would I do so, according to the sovereign good pleasure of thy divine Heart.
O my sweet Love, could I bring before thee, my Lord and my God, all men in whom thou hast vouchsafed to take thy delights, I would most gladly go barefoot throughout the world, and bring to thee in my arms all in whose hearts thou dost deign and delight to dwell, that I might thus satisfy the yearnings of thy infinite, thy divine love. And moreover, were it possible, I would divide my heart into as many fragments as there are men on the earth, that I might communicate to them all a holy resolve to serve and obey thee to the joy and content of thy divine Heart.
O God, worthy of an infinite love, I have nothing which can be commensurate with thy dignity; but such is my desire towards thee, that if I had all that thou hast, I would gladly and thankfully resign all to thee.
HOLOCAUST.
When St. Gertrude had once offered this holocaust to God, our Lord Jesus Christ appeared to her, bearing her oblation and setting it forth before the Blessed Trinity as a gift of exceeding price; and as he passed through the midst of heaven the whole heavenly host knelt before him in reverence for that choice oblation. Whence she understood that whenever any one offers his prayers or his desires to God, the whole company of heaven bears them up to the throne of God as gifts most precious and acceptable; and that whenever the merits of Jesus Christ are added thereunto, the saints bow and adore them as aforesaid.
O God of glorious majesty, Ruler of heaven and earth, I thy most unworthy creature offer thee, upon the most sacred altar of the sweetest Heart of Jesus Christ, myself with all that I am, all I have, all I can do, together with every good gift which thou hast ever bestowed on me from thine unfathomable, overflowing bounty. Moreover I offer thee all the treasures and the wealth of this world, all kingdoms, royalties, princedoms, honours, and dignities, with this intention: that were they all mine, I would distribute them to thy poor, and employ them in pious uses, that for very love of thee I might abide with joy in my present state of poverty.
Further, I offer to thee on the same altar all the virtues, devotions, merits, and holiness of all the just; all the affliction, the crosses, the poverty, and want of all the poor, the afflicted, and the sick; all the pangs, the torments, the wounds, the bloodshedding, and the death of all martyrs; all the penance, the mortification, the fastings, vigils, and austerities of all confessors; all the love, the continence, the purity of all virgins: and I offer them all to thee with this intention: that were they all mine, I would do and suffer them all with most pure intention for thy glory.
Thirdly, I offer thee all the whole fulness of grace and glory, transcending all human thought, wherewith thou hast so super-abundantly enriched thy saints in heaven, and especially the most glorious Virgin Mary, Mother of thy only-begotten Son. And above all these I offer thee the virtues and merits which thy Son manifested on earth, and all the gifts of grace, drawn from the infinitely exuberant treasury of the most Holy Trinity, which thou hast bestowed on his most sacred Humanity. For all which I desire, on behalf of all in heaven and earth, and under the earth; and through the most sacred and blessed Heart of thy Son, which gives forth its ravishing harmony at the touch of the Holy Ghost the Comforter, I sing unto thee praises and thanksgivings, and thus give thee back thine own.
Lastly, I offer thee the priceless ineffable abundance of riches and perfections which thy divine Essence contains within itself, and which one divine Person communicates to another in sweetest, most transcending, and unimaginable manner. For all which I give thee thanks with all my heart and strength; I congratulate thee that thou dost contain within thyself and for thyself such inexhaustible treasures and delights, and dost perpetually and for ever communicate them to thine elect. Wherefore, O my King, live for ever, and enjoy evermore that bliss which is thyself, and vouchsafe to bestow on us wretched exiles in this valley of tears some crumbs from thy heavenly table. Amen.
ACT OF RESIGNATION.
It was revealed to St. Gertrude that those who submit and conform themselves entirely to the divine will, desiring above all things that the adorable will of God may be most fully done In all that concerns them whether in body or in soul, touch the Sacred Heart most sensibly. For such perfect resignation is an acknowledgment of God's sovereignty, and gives him. as much honour as is given to an earthly king when the crown of his realm is set on his head.
O Most holy Father, I thy poor and vile creature entirely renounce my own will, and offer and resign myself to thy most holy will and pleasure; above all delights of this world, I wish and desire that thy most adorable, most placid will may be perfectly done in me, by me, in all that concerns me whether in body or in soul, in time and in eternity. And to this end I would readily submit all the members of my body to suffering of any kind and degree.
O my God, wert thou to give me fullest choice of asking all I wish, and didst thou swear to me by thyself that thou wouldst grant my petition in all things, I would neither desire nor ask aught else than that thy most adorable will may be perfectly done in me and in every creature of thine, according to thy supreme and faultless good pleasure. Wherefore, in union with that resignation with which Jesus committed himself wholly to thy will in the garden of Olives, and in union with his affection and his intention, I say from his heart and in his words: Not my will, but thine be done, O most holy Father, in time and in eternity. Amen.
Should any affliction, threaten you, add the following words, which are most pleasing to God, as he condescended to reveal to St. Gertrude. If any one, says she, offers his whole will to the will of God when he knows that affliction is coming on him, his offering will be as acceptable to God as though, during the Passion of Jesus, he had allayed the anguish of his wounds with fragrant ointments.
AND more especially, O good Jesus, I offer and resign myself to thee, in perfect readiness of will to bear that affliction which I foresee coming upon me; I will accept it with unshaken will as from thy Hand, and I will bear it with what patience I can; in union with that love wherewith thou didst accept all thine afflictions from thy Father's Hand, and didst offer them to him again in ineffable gratitude; beseeching thee that thou wouldest grant me fortitude and patience, that I may manfully endure, to thy eternal glory and to the welfare and peace of all the world. Amen.