Second Meditation

(The Spiritual Canticle - Stanza 2-3)

"On my bed at night I sought him whom my heart loves - I sought him but I did not find him. I will rise then and go about the city; in the streets and crossings I will seek Him whom my heart loves. I sought him but I did not find him. The watchmen came upon me as they made their rounds of the city: Have you seen him whom my heart loves?" (1)


Pursuit

Her darkened mind is powerless,
To ponder His word or to gaze;
Her aimless will is in distress,
Unable to cling to His ways.

Her memory falls to despair,
Uncertainty has displaced hope;
In suffering beyond compare,
She turns to her angel to cope.

She pursues Him persistently:
Seeking His virtues on the heights,
Embracing truth in poverty,
Mortifying self through the nights.

She leaves consolations aside,
And strives to free her heart of all
Comforts -- with the cross, they collide
And block Spirit like a brick wall.

On His path, she is in pursuit;
Unwavering and resolute.


May the Bridegroom grant us the strength of a resolute will to pursue Him relentlessly through the purifications of the night.

1. Song of Songs 3:1-3


(c) Paul Buis, 2005