Divine love a sacred bond that binds the soul to God

As the Holy Ghost is the indissoluble bond which unites the Father and the Eternal Word, so also is He the bond that unites our souls and God. O Love, Thy bond is so strong that it is able to bind even God and unite Him to our souls!

I. As the Holy Ghost, Who is uncreated Love, is the indissoluble bond uniting the Father and the Eternal Word, so also He unites the soul with God: “Charity is a virtue,” says St. Augustine, “uniting us with God.” Hence St. Laurence Justinian with great joy exclaims: “O love, how strong is thy bond, which is capable of binding God!” The bonds of the world are bonds of death, but the bonds of God are bonds of life and salvation: Her bands are a healthful binding-(Ecclus. vi. 31), because the bonds of God, by means of love, unite us with God Who is our true and only life.

Before the coming of Jesus Christ men turned away from God, and being attached to the earth, refused to be united with their Creator; but our loving Lord has drawn us to Him by the bonds of love, as the Prophet Osee foretold_: I will draw them with the cords of Adam, with the bands of love_-(Osee xi. 4). These bonds are His benefits, His lights, His calls to love Him, and His promises of Heaven; but, above all, they are the gifts which Jesus Christ has bestowed upon us in giving us Himself in the Sacrifice of the Cross, and in the Sacrament of the Altar, and ultimately in sending down upon us the Holy Ghost.

My dear Jesus, Thou hast indeed done too much to oblige me to love Thee, too dearly hast Thou paid to purchase my love; too ungrateful, therefore, should I be if I were to love Thee but little, or to divide my heart between Thee and creatures, after Thou hast shed Thy Blood and laid down Thy life for me. I desire to detach myself from all things else, in order to give my whole affections to Thee. But I am too weak of myself to execute this desire; do Thou, Who inspirest me with it, give me strength to execute it.

II. The Prophet Isaias exclaims: Loosing the bonds from off thy neck, 0 captive daughter of Zion-(lii. 2). O my soul, thou who art created for Heaven, loose from off thy neck the bonds of the earth, and unite thyself to God by the bonds of love. Have charity, which is the bond of perfection-(Colos. iii. 14). Love is a bond which unites with itself all other virtues, and makes the soul perfect. “Love,” says St. Augustine, “and do what thou pleasest.” Yes, love God and do what thou wilt, because he who loves God, carefully avoids giving any offence to his Beloved, and seek in all things to please Him.

O my Jesus, pierce my poor heart with the sweet dart of Thy love that I may ever languish with the desire of Thee, and be dissolved with the love of Thee. May I ever seek only Thee, desire only Thee, and find only Thee! O Jesus, I desire only Thee alone. Grant that I may ever repeat during life, and especially at the hour of my death: I desire Thee alone! O Mary, my Mother, pray that from henceforth I may never desire anything but God.