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Lay up treasures in heaven.(1) One treasure is not
enough for the pleasure of this divine, lover, but he
desires that we should have so much treasure that our
treasure may be composed of many treasures; that is
to say, Theotimus, that we are to have an insatiable
desire of loving God, adding continually love upon
love.
What is it that so strongly urges the bees to
increase their honey but the love they bear to it? O
heart of my soul, created to love the infinite good,
what love canst thou desire but this love, which is
the most to be desired of all loves! Ah! O soul of my
heart, what desire canst thou love but the most
lovely of all desires! O love of sacred desires! O
desires of sacred love! Oh! how have I coveted to
long for thy perfections.(2)
The disgusted sick man has no appetite for eating,
yet has he an appetite to have an appetite; he
desires no meat, but he desires to desire it.
Theotimus, to know whether we love God above all
things is not in our power, unless God himself reveal
it unto us: yet we may easily know whether we desire
to love him; and perceiving the desire of holy love
in us, we know that we begin to love.
It is our sensual and animal part which covets to
eat, but it is our reasonable part which desires this
appetite; and because the sensual part does not
always obey the reasonable part, it frequently
happens that we desire appetite and cannot have it.
But the desire of loving and love depend upon the
same will: wherefore as soon as we have framed the
true desire of loving, we begin to have some love;
and ever as this desire grows, love also increases.
He who desires love ardently shall shortly love
with ardour. Ah! who will give us the grace,
Theotimus, that we may burn with this desire, which
is the desire of the poor, and the preparation of
their heart, which God willingly hears.(3) He who has
no assurance of loving God is a poor man, and if he
desire to love him he is a beggar, but a beggar with
the blessed beggary of which Our Saviour has said:
Blessed are the beggars of spirit; for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.(4)
Such a one was S. Augustine, when he cried out: "O
to love! O to run! O to die to self! O to get to
God!" Such S. Francis, saying: "Let me die of thy
love, O thou friend of my heart, who hast deigned to
die for my love." Such S. Catharine of Genoa, and the
Blessed Mother (S.) Teresa when, panting as the hart
pants, and dying with the thirst of divine love, they
sighed out this word: Ah Lord! give me this water.(5)
Temporal covetousness, by which we greedily desire
earthly treasures, is the root of all evil; but
spiritual avarice, whereby one sighs incessantly
after the pure gold of Divine love, is the root of
all good. He who truly desires love seeks it truly;
and he who truly seeks it, truly finds it; and he who
has truly found it has found the fountain of life,
whence he shall draw salvation from the Lord.(6)
Let us cry, night and day, Theotimus: Come, O Holy
Spirit! fill the hearts of thy faithful, and kindle
in them the fire of thy love. O heavenly love, when
wilt thou fill my soul?
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