Charles Williams : The New Christian Year

23rd Saturday after Trinity

And that thou mayst win to the sweetness of God's love, I set here three degrees of love, in the which thou be aye waxing.  The first degree is called insuperable, the second inseparable, the third singular.  Thy love is insuperable when nothing may overcome it, that is, neither weal nor woe nor anguish, lust of flesh nor liking of this world . . . Thy love is inseparable when all thy thoughts and wills are gathered together and fastened wholly in Jesus Christ, so that thou mayst no time forget him, buy aye thou thinkest on him . . . Thy love is singular when all thy delight is in Jesus Christ and in none other thing finds joy and comfort.

Richard Rolle: The Commandment.

17th Saturday after Trinity

In the beginning truly of my conversion and singular purpose, I thought I would be like the little bird that for love of her lover longs, but in her longing she is gladdened when he comes that she loves.  And joying she sings, and singing she longs, but in sweetness and heat.  It is said the nightingale to song and melody all night is given, that she may please him to whom she is joined.  How muckle more with greatest sweetness to Christ my Jesu should I sing, that is spouse of my soul by all this present life, that is night in regard of clearness to come.

Richard Rolle: Fire of Love.

Thursday after Ascension Day

Two things make our delight pure.  One is turning of sensuality to the skill [intelligence]; for when any is turning to delight of his five wits [senses], all soon uncleanness enters into his soul.  Another is, that the skill meekly be used in ghostly things, as in meditations and orisons, and looking in holy books.  Therefore the delight that was naught of unordained stirring, and meekly has stirring in Christ, and in which sensuality is turned to skill, all set and used to God, makes a man's soul in rest and secureness and aye to dwell in good hope, and to be paid with all God's gifts, without grumbling or heaviness of thought.

Richard Rolle: Desire and Delight.

  My Lord, is now the malice of my wicked heart more than is the virtue of thy precious death, that wrought such wonders, and many more, and the mind [memory] thereof stirreth not mine hear? . . . I wot well mine heart, glorious Lord, is not worthy to come to thee that thou therein light; is is naught of the dignity of thine holy sepulchre, where thou wert in manhead closed.

Richard Rolle: Meditations on the Passion.

  Lord, thy sweet Passion raised the dead from their graves, and they walked about; it opened hell-gates, the earth trembled wherewith, the sun lost his light, and my sorry heart, that is of the devil's kind, harder than the stones that clove at thy death; it may not of thy Passion a little point feel, nor I rise not with the dead in rush thereof, nor I cleave no as the Temple, nor as the earth tremble, nor open the closing that is so hard spered [shut up].

Richard Rolle: Meditations on the Passion.

  If thou will be well with God, and have grace to rule thy life, and come to the joy of love, this name Jesu fasten to it so fast in thy heart that it come never out of thy thought.  And when thou speakest to him and sayest 'Jesu', through custom, it shall be in thy ear joy, in thy mouth honey, and in thy heart melody. . . . If thou think Jesu continually and hold it stably [steadily], it purges thy sin and kindles thy heart; it clarifies thy soul, it removes anger, and does away sloth; it wounds in love and fullness of charity; it chases the devil, and puts out the dread; it opens heaven and makes a contemplative man.  Have in mind Jesu; for all vices and phantoms it puts out from the lover.

Richard Rolle: The Form of Living.

  Love is a life, a coupling together the loving and the loved.  For meekness maketh us sweet to God; purity joins us to God; love makes us one with God.  Love is fairhead [beauty] of all virtues.  Love is [the] thing through the which God loves us, and we God, and each one of us other.  Love is [the] desire of the heart, ever thinking to that that it loves; and when it has that it loves, then it joys, and nothing may make it sorry.  Love is yearning between two, with lastingness of thought.  Love is a stirring of the soul, for to love God for himself and all other thing for God; the which love, when it is ordained in God, it does away all inordinate love in anything that is not good.  But all deadly sin is inordinate love in a thing that it naught; then love puts out  all deadly sin.  Love is a virtue that is rightest affection of man's soul.  Truth may be without love, but it may naught help without it.  Love is perfection of letters, virtue of prophecy, fruit of truth, help of sacraments, stabling of with and cunning [knowledge], riches of poor men, live of dying men.  See how good love is.

Richard Rolle: The Form of Living.

  Sweet Jesus, I thank thee for that much and still standing afore Pilate and all the false accusers of the Jews.  Now, sweet Jesus, here, I beseech thee, grant me grace faithfully to have in mind, in each temptation, that I stand before my doomsman; and grant me grace patiently to suffer accusations, smiting, and all evil words of foes for thy love; and grant me to know each man better than me, and to make me ever and hold me low.

Richard Rolle: Meditations on the Passion.

  I thank thee, Lord, of that looking that thou lookedst to thy disciple that thee had forsaken, Saint Peter.  Thou lookedst to him with sight of mercy, when thou wert in thy most anguish and in thy most pain.  Openly thou showedst there thy love and thy charity that thou hadst to us, that shame nor pain nor nothing that may draw thine heart from us in as much as in thee is.

Richard Rolle: Meditations on the Passion.

  Sweet Jesu, I yield to thee thanking and grace for all the steps and paces that thou went towards thine own pain and own death.  I beseech thee, sweet Jesu, that thou rule all my going and all the affections of my heart.

Richard Rolle: Meditations on the Passion.