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Eternal Wisdom.--When I was suspended on the lofty tree of
the cross because of My unfathomable love to thee and all mankind,
My whole frame was very grievously distorted, My bright eyes were
extinguished and turned in My head; My divine ears were filled
with scoffing and blasphemy; My delicate nostrils were wounded
with foul smells; My sweet mouth was tormented with bitter drink;
and My tender feeling with hard blows. The whole earth was not
able to afford Me any rest, for My feeble head was bowed down with
pain and distress, My fair throat was unnaturally distended, My
pure countenance polluted with spittle, My beautiful complexion
faded. Lo! My comely figure withered entirely away, as though I
were an outcast leper, and had never been the fair and Eternal
Wisdom.
The Servant.--O Thou most gracious mirror of all graces, in which
the heavenly spirits regale and feed their eyes, would that I had
before me Thy delicious countenance in its deathly aspect until I
had well steeped it in the tears of my heart; would that I might
behold again and again those beautiful eyes, those bright cheeks,
that tender mouth, all ghastly and dead, till I had fully relieved
my heart in fervent lamentation over my Love. Alas! sweet Lord,
Thy Passion affects so deeply the hearts of some people that they
are able to lament over Thee with the greatest fervour, and weep
for Thee from their very hearts. O God, could I, and might I, now
represent all devout hearts with my lamentation, might I shed the
tears of all eyes, and utter the doleful words of all tongues,
then would I show Thee today how near to my heart Thy woeful
Passion lies.
Eternal Wisdom.--No one can better show how deeply his heart is
affected by My Passion than he who endures it with Me in the
practice of good works. To Me, a free heart, unconcerned about
perishable love, and ever intent on following the main thing
according to the type of My contemplated Passion, is more
agreeable than if thou didst always bewail Me, and didst shed as
many tears from weeping over My torments as there ever rained
drops of water from the sky; for the following of Me was the cause
in which I suffered bitter death, although tears are also pleasing
and agreeable to Me.
The Servant.--O sweet Lord, since then an affectionate following
of Thy meek life and voluntary Passion is so agreeable to Thee, I
will in future be more assiduous in a voluntary following than in
a weeping sorrow. But, as I ought to have both, according to Thy
words, teach me how I shall resemble Thee in both.
Eternal Wisdom.--Renounce thy pleasure in dissolute sights and
voluptuous words; let that savour sweetly of love, and be grateful
to thee, which before was repugnant to thee; thou shouldst seek
all thy rest in Me, shouldst willingly suffer wrong from others,
desire contempt, mortify thy passions, and die to all thy lusts.
Such is the first lesson in the school of wisdom, which is to be
read in the open, distended book of My crucified body. And
consider and see, whether, if any one in all this world were to do
his utmost, he could yet be to Me what I am to him?
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