O my God, and Sovereign Good, would that I had always loved Thee! 2. My God, I detest that time when I loved Thee not. 3. How could I ever live so long without thy holy love? 4. And Thou, too, my God, how couldst Thou bear with me? 5. My God, I give Thee thanks for thy great patience. 6. But now I desire to love Thee for ever. 7. I am content rather to die than love Thee not. 8. Take from me my life, O my God, if I am not to love Thee. 9. The grace I beg of Thee is to love Thee ever. 10. With thy love I shall be blessed. Gloria Patri▾. My God, I would see Thee loved by all. 2. Happy should I be, could I but shed my blood that all might love Thee. 3. He who loves Thee not is blind indeed. 4. My God, give him thy light. 5. Miserable indeed are they who love not Thee, the Sovereign Good. 6. My God, let me never be one of those wretched ones who love Thee not. 7. My God, be Thou my joy, and all my good. 8. I would be wholly thine for ever. 9. Who shall separate me from thy holy love? 10. Come, all ye creatures, love ye my God. Gloria Patri▾. My God, I would I had a thousand hearts wherewith to love Thee. 2. I would that I had all hearts of all men wherewith to love Thee. 3. I would there were more worlds, that all might love Thee. 4. How blessed would he be who could love Thee with the hearts of all possible creatures! 5. Thou meritest, my God, to be so loved. 6. My heart is too poor, too cold, to love Thee. 7. Alas for the dead coldness of men in not loving their Sovereign Good! 8. Alas for the miserable blindness of the world which knows not Thee, who art true love. 9. O blessed inhabitants of heaven, who know and love him! 10. O blessed necessity of loving God! Gloria Patri▾. My God, when will the time come that I shall burn with love for Thee? 2. Oh, then what happiness were mine! 3. But, since I know not how to love Thee, I will at least rejoice that there are so many others who love Thee with their whole hearts. 4. In particular I rejoice that Thou art loved by all angels and all saints in heaven. 5. With the hearts of all these I unite the love of my poor heart. 6. In a special manner I intend to love Thee with the love with which those Saints who loved Thee best have loved Thee. 7. Wherefore I intend to love Thee with the love wherewith St Mary Magdalene, St Catherine and St Teresa loved Thee. 8. With the love wherewith St Augustine, St Dominic, St Francis Xavier, St Philip Neri and St Louis Gonzaga loved Thee. 9. With the love wherewith thy Holy Apostles, especially St Peter, St Paul, and the beloved Disciple, loved Thee. 10. With that same love wherewith St Joseph the great Patriarch loved Thee. Gloria Patri▾. Moreover, I intend to love Thee with that love wherewith Mary most holy, loved Thee when on earth. 2. In particular with that love wherewith she loved Thee when she conceived thy Divine Son in her virgin womb, when she brought Him forth, when she suckled Him, and when she saw Him die. 3. Yet more, I intend to love Thee with that love wherewith she loves Thee, and will love Thee for ever in heaven. 4. But to love Thee worthily, O my God of infinite goodness, not even this love suffices. 5. Wherefore I would love Thee as thy Son, the Divine Word made Man, did love Thee. 6. As He loved Thee when He was born. 7. As He loved Thee when He died upon the Cross. 8. As He loves Thee ever in those sacred tabernacles where He lies hid. 9. And with that love with which He loves Thee and will love Thee in heaven for all eternity. 10. Lastly, I would fain love Thee with that love with which Thou lovest thyself; but since that is impossible, grant me, O my God, of thy tender pity, that I may love Thee as far as I know how and am able, and as Thou art pleased that I should love Thee. Amen and Amen. Gloria Patri▾. Let us pray. O God, who hast prepared invisible good things for them that love Thee, pour into our hearts such a desire of thy love, that we, loving Thee in all things and above all things, may attain thy heavenly promises, which exceed all that we can desire. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.