Vigils Reading

THE FRAGRANCE OF

GOD’S HEALING PRESENCE

From a meditation by William of Saint-Thierry

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Lord, you are pitying and merciful, patient and kind beyond all measure.

You are gracious to all, and your compassions rest on all your works. You

yourself exhort us, Lord, to pray and to watch in prayer; so does your Holy

Spirit. You exhort us and teach us to do so, out of your tenderness and pity and

your will to show us mercy. And you make out our case beforehand for us,

establishing for us judgment and justice, so that, if we pray as we should, you

may have just cause for showing mercy. And you have fixed for us even our form

of prayer, so that you, who are for us both judge and advocate, may in no respect

fail us in our cause. And you have told us to ask boldly in your name, and to

believe that we shall receive whatever we have asked, and that those things for

which we pray will come to pass.

It is your goodness, Lord, that leads you to do this; we, on the other hand,

are bound by grim necessity. And yet, in spite of all your exhortation, we are

slow to pray; in spite of your bidding we neglect to do it, and we do not believe

your promises. Nevertheless, you in your mercy and your great compassion

rouse the slothful and the negligent; your patience overlooks our lack of trust.

And further, since we neither know how to pray aright, nor have the power to do

so, you send your Holy Spirit, that he may help our weakness and intercede for

us with groanings that cannot be uttered.

We pray, therefore, because you tell us to do so; we ask with confidence,

because we have your promise; and forthwith you run to meet us and answer

our prayer, finding in us a ground for your forgiveness, because you have

yourself made us forgivable.

Loving as you are, O Lord, now you multiply your loving-kindness on us

all, and we begin to see your mercies that are over all your works. For when, O

God, instead of fleeing from us, you begin to draw near and to rejoice our spirits

with your consolation, the soul’s dead senses catch the fragrance of your healing

presence and perceive its touch, and forthwith come to life; faith leaps up and

confidence is cheered; the heart is kindled, and tears run down to fan the new-lit

fire, not to quench it.

When your Spirit helps our weakness thus, your sweetness moves us to

weep copious floods of sweet and fruitful tears; and when your loving-comfort

wipes the tears away, they flow the more profusely and become our meat by day

and night, a strong and pleasant food. For it is a happy thing for us who are your

people and the sheep of your pasture, O Lord our God, to weep before you who

are our Creator.