My candlelight

Death indeed has already come and has not left me; its teeth continually in my flesh.

My candle is burning down ...

O my Immortal God, look mercifully upon a candle that is burning out, and purify its flame. For only a pure flame rises toward Your face, and enters Your eye, with which you watch the whole world.

How difficult it is for a sinful soul when it is undiluted by flesh and unhidden by flesh! Truly, a wheel does not go into the mud by itself, but only if a coachman drives it there. Surely you realize now that the wheel became sullied by the coachman's own will.

You sinful soul, yearn no longer to return to the body, as though you could supposedly flee from the evil stench that is suffocating you where you are now. You would only bring that same stench back with you, and would increase it in a new body. You sinful soul; yearn no longer to enter the body, as though you could flee the fire that is roasting you and the smoke that is smothering you! You would only bring the fire and smoke with yourself, and your body would not be your rescuer but your burnt offering.

Shatter the narrowness of my soul, O expanse of the triradiate Godhead!
Illuminate my mind, O light of angels and creatures.
Make my life logical, Most Wise logos of God.
Make my soul a virgin, and be her eye and her song.

You righteous souls, pray to the Lord. Even though we are weaker than you, we nevertheless pray to God for you. We pray out of the love with which our heart burns for you, even as a younger and weaker brother reaches out to help his older and stronger brother. For all of you, both righteous and sinful, we who are half dead, half-alive pray to the Mercy of Heaven, so that you may not be confounded, so that you may not be afraid and look back, but may, in the fullness of summer, head ever forward and ever higher:

toward light and joy

toward peace and plenitude.