Part I, Chapter XVI
Eighth Meditation: On Heaven
Preparation
1. Place yourself in the presence of God. 2. Beseech him to inspire you with his grace.
Considerations
1. Consider a fair and clear night, and reflect how delightful it is to behold the sky bespangled with all that multitude and variety of stars; then join this beautiful sight with that of a fine day, so that the brightness of the sun may not prevent the clear view of the stars nor of the moon; and then say boldly that all this beauty put together is nothing when compared with the excellence of the great heavenly paradise. O how lovely, how desirable is this place! O how precious is this city!
2. Consider the glory, the beauty, and the multitude of the inhabitants of this happy country; millions of millions of angels, of cherubin and seraphim; choirs of apostles, prophets, martyrs, confessors, virgins, and holy women; the multitude is innumerable. O how glorious is this company! the least of them is more beautiful to behold than the whole world; what a sight then will it be to behold them all! But O my God! how happy are they! they sing incessantly harmonious songs of eternal love! they always enjoy a state of felicity; they mutually give each other unspeakable contentment, and live in the consolation of a happy, indissoluble society.
3. In fine, consider how happy the blessed are in the enjoyment of God, who favors them forever with a sight of his lovely presence, and thereby infuses into their hearts a treasure of delights. How great a felicity must it be to be united to their first principle, their Sovereign Good. They are like happy birds, flying and singing perpetually in the air of his divinity, which encompasses them on all sides with incredible pleasure. There every one does his utmost, and sings without envy the praises of his Creator. Blessed be thou forever, O sweet and sovereign Creator and Saviour, who art so good, and who dost communicate to us so liberally the everlasting treasures of thy glory! And blessed forever be you, says he, my beloved creatures, who have served me so faithfully, with love and constancy; behold you shall be admitted to sing my praises forever.
Affections and Resolutions
1. Admire and praise this heavenly country,
O how beautiful art thou, my dear Jerusalem! and how happy are thy inhabitants.
2. Reproach your heart with the pusillanimity with which it has hitherto strayed so far out of the way of this glorious habitation. Oh! why have I wandered at so great a distance from my sovereign happiness? Ah! wretch that I am, for these false and trifling pleasures I have a thousand and thousand times turned my back upon these eternal and infinite delights. Was I not mad to despise such precious blessings for gratifications so vain and contemptible?
3. Aspire with fervor to this most delightful abode. O good and gracious Lord! since it has pleased thee at length to direct my wandering steps into thy ways, never hereafter will I return back from them. Let us go, O my dear soul! let us walk towards this blessed land which is promised us: what are we doing in Egypt? I will therefore disburden myself of all such things as may divert or retard me in so happy a journey; I will perform such and such things as may conduct me thither.
Give thanks, offer, pray.
Our Father. Hail Mary.
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