Salesian Literature

Chapter 10  :  The desire of praising God sets our hearts on heaven

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For a soul that is in love with God, the poverty of this life renders impossible the gratification of its longing to praise him.  As it realizes that God’s praises are sung in heaven to melodies beyond compare, it exclaims: “Blessed indeed are those spirits who scatter their praise before the throne of my heavenly king!  With the blessings the have for him, they deserve to be blessed. What happiness lies in store for me, when I hear that eternal melody!  The sweet blending of unequal voices and varied tones, the never-ending counterpoint, the inexpressible modulation of scales – all this produces a wonderful harmony as the strains of Alleluia swell from all sides.”

 

Gratification awakens the saints in heaven to the greatness of God; benevolence inspires them to pour out in return their perfumes of praise.  That is why their response is one eternal song: Alleluia, which means Praise our God.  Gratification comes from throne to heart; benevolence passes back from heart to throne.  So lovable that temple above, where nothing resounds but praise!

 

In this world we can neither sing nor hear the praises of God to our heart’s content, so the man who loves God knows an extreme longing to be set free from this life and go to the next, where the heavenly lover is praised so perfectly.  This longing can monopolize the heart to such an extent as to dispel every other desire, breeding a distaste for earthly things – the soul growing weaker all the while, love-sick of God.  So intense can this passion sometimes become that, God willing, a man may die of it.

 

In this way that glorious seraphic lover, St. Francis of Assisi – who had long been obsessed with an intense desire of praising God – when he had been assured, in his last days, of eternal salvation, could not contain his joy.

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God, in his providence, intended that the saint should die with these words on his lips: Restore liberty to a captive soul.  What thanks, then, will I give to thy name, honest hearts all about me, rejoicing to see thy favour restored (Ps. 141:8). A peaceful and a lovely death that was, heaven knows!  Love gave him happiness in his dying; death brought perfection to his loving.

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