by Thomas Kempis

Blessed may You be, heavenly Father, the Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, for You have vouchsafed to remember me, Your poorest servant, and sometimes You comfort me with your gracious presence, who am unworthy of all comfort. I bless You and glorify You always, with your only-begotten Son and Holy Spirit, without end.

O my Lord God, most faithful Lover, when You come into my heart, all within me rejoices. You are my glory and the joy of my heart, my hope and my whole refuge in all my troubles. Because I am yet feeble in love and imperfect in virtue, I therefore have need to have more comfort and more help from You. Vouchsafe, therefore, frequently to visit me, and to instruct me with Your holy teachings. Deliver me from all evil passions, and heal my sick heart from all earthly inclinations, so that I may be inwardly healed and purged from all inordinate affections and vices, and be made and ready and able to love You, strong to suffer for You, and firm to preserve in You.

Love is a great and good thing, and alone makes heavy burdens light and bears in equal balance things pleasing and displeasing. Love bearers in heavy burden and does not feel it, and love makes bitter things tasteful and sweet. The noble love of Jesus perfectly imprinted in man's soul makes a man do great things, and stirs him always to desire perfection and to grow more and more in grace goodness.

Love will always have man's mind raised to God and not occupied with the things of the world. Love will also be free from all worldly affection, so that the inward sight of the soul is not darkened or hindered, and a man's affections towards heavenly things is not banished from his free will by an inordinate winning or losing of worldly things. Nothing, therefore, is sweeter than love; nothing higher, nothing stronger, nothing larger, nothing more joyful, nothing fuller, nothing bitter in heaven or on earth, for love descends from God, and  may not finally rest in anything lower than God. Such a lover flies high; he runs swiftly, he is merry in God, he is free in soul. He gives all for all, and has all in all, for he rests in one high Goodness above all things, from whom all goodness flows and proceeds. He beholds not only the gifts, but the Giver above all gifts.

Love knows no measure, but is fervent without measure. It feels no burden; it regards no labor; it desires more than it can obtain. It complains of no impossibility, for it thinks all things that can be done for its Beloved are possible and lawful. So, love does many great things and brings them to completion - things in which he who is no lover faints and fails.