"The supreme perfection of man in this life is to be so united to God that all his soul with all its faculties and powers are so gathered into the Lord God that he becomes one spirit with him, and remembers nothing except God, is aware of and recognises nothing but God, but with all his desires unified by the joy of love, he rests contentedly in the enjoyment of his Maker alone."

St Albert the Great

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"It is vanity to be concerned with the present only and not to make provision for things to come."

Thomas á Kempis

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"Many words do not satisfy the soul; but a good life eases the mind and a clean conscience inspires great trust in God."

Thomas á Kempis

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Blessed Henry Suso (1295 - 1366) Dominican and German mystic
 

A LITTLE BOOK OF ETERNAL WISDOM

by Blessed Henry Suso

CONTENTS

A Foreword
Translator's Note
Author's Preface


THE FIRST PART

1. How Some Persons Are Unconsciously Attracted by God
2. What happened before the Crucifixion
3. How It Was With Him on The Cross According to The Exterior Man
4. How Very Faithful His Passion Was
5. How The Soul Attains Hearty Repentance and Gently Pardon Under the Cross
6. How Deceitful The Love of This World is, And How Amiable God Is
7. How Lovely God Is
8. An Explanation of Three Things Which Most of All Might Be Likely To Be Repugnant To A Loving Heart In God. One Is, How He Can Appear So Wrathful And Yet Be So Gracious
9. The Second Thing.--Why God, After Rejoicing The Heart, Often Withdraws Himself From His Friends, By Which His True Presence is Made Known
10. The Third Thing.--Why God Permits His Friends To Suffer So Much Temporal Suffering
11. On The Everlasting Pains of Hell
12. On The Immeasurable Joys of Heaven
13. On The Immeasurable Dignity of Temporal Suffering
14. On The Unspeakable Advantages to Be Derived From Meditating on The Divine Passion
15. From The Fond Caresses Which The Soul Has With God Beneath The Cross, She Returns Again To His Passion
16. On The Worthy Praise of The Pure Queen of Heaven
17. On The Unutterable Heart-Rending Grief of The Pure Queen of Heaven
18. How It Was With Him At That Hour in Regard of His Interior Man
19. On The Taking Down From the Cross
20. On The Lamentable Separation of the Grave
 
THE SECOND PART
21. How We Should Learn to Die, And of The Nature of An Unprovided Death
22. How One Should Live An Interior and Godly Life
23. How We Ought Lovingly To Receive God
24. A Prayer To Be Said When Thou Goest To Receive Our Lord's Holy Body
25. How We Should At All Times Praise God
 

THE THIRD PART
  On Sunday, or at Matins
  On Monday, or at Prime
  On Tuesday, or at Tierce
  On Wednesday, or at Sext
  On Thursday, or at None
  On Friday, or at Vespers
  On Saturday, or at Compline