Let thy servant rejoice in thee, not in himself, nor in any other; for thou alone art true joy, thou my hope, and my crown; thou my gladness, and my honour, O Lord.
What hath thy servant but what he hath received from thee, and this without any merit on his side? All things are thine which thou hast given, and which thou hast made.
I am poor, and in my labours from my youth; and my soul is grieved even unto tears sometimes; and sometimes is disturbed within herself by reason of the passions which encompass her.
2. I long for the joy of peace, I beg for the peace of thy children, who are fed by thee in the light of thy consolation.
If thou givest peace, if thou infusest holy joy, the soul of thy servant shall be full of melody, and devout in thy praise.
But if thou withdraw thyself, as thou art very often accustomed to do, he will not be able to run in the way of thy commandments; but rather must bow down his knees, and knock his breast, because it is not with him, as it was yesterday and the day before, when thy lamp shined over his head, and he was covered under the shadow of thy wings from temptation rushing in upon him.
3. O just Father, holy, and always to be praised, the hour is come for thy servant to be tried.
O Father, worthy of all love, it is fitting that thy servant should at this hour suffer something for thee.
O Father, always to be honoured, the hour is come, when thou didst foresee from all eternity, that thy servant for the short time should be oppressed without, but always live within to thee; that he should be a little slighted, and humbled, and should fall in the sight of men; that he should be severely afflicted with sufferings and diseases; that so he may rise again with thee in the dawning of a new light, and be glorified in heaven.