Vigils Reading

“O ADONAI”

THE LORD WHO LOVED US FIRST

From the writings of William of St Thierry

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You alone are the Lord. By ruling us you save us and we are saved by

serving you. Lord, you save your people and bless them, but what does it mean

to be saved by you if not to receive the grace of loving you and of being loved

by you? And so, Lord, you willed the Son at your right hand, the man you made

strong for your service, to be called Jesus, which means Savior, for he will save

his people from their sins, and indeed salvation is to be found in him alone.

He taught us to love him by first loving us, even to the extent of dying on the

cross. By loving us and holding us so dear he aroused our love for him who first

loved us to the very end…

One seldom meets a person who can say: “I love you, in order that you

may love me!” This is what really happened. You loved us first to make us love

you, not because you needed our love, but because we could not be what you

created us to be, except by loving you.

In many ways and on various occasions you spoke to our ancestors

through the prophets. Now in these last days you have spoken to us through

the Son, your Word, by whom the heavens were made, by whose breath the

whole heavenly host came to be.

By speaking through your Son you made the extent of your love for us as

plain as day. You did not spare your own Son but gave him up for all of us. And

he himself loved us and gave himself up for us. This Lord is your Word to us,

your omnipotent Word. While all things were in profound silence (that is, in

the depths of error) he came from his royal throne, the stern conqueror of error

and gentle apostle of love. You wanted us to love you because otherwise our

salvation would not have been just, and we could not do so unless you made it

possible. Therefore, Lord, you loved us first. For our part, we love you with the

love you yourself have given us. Your love is your goodness. It is the Holy Spirit.

By his inspiration, by keeping us from harm and by providing for our needs, he

unites God to us and us to God

William of St Thierry. On the Contemplation of God. CF 3. Trans. Unknown (Different from CF 3). 51-53.5