This prayer appeared in the 1887 Raccolta; the prayer was approved with an indulgence in 1818.
- My God, my sovereign good, would that I had always loved thee!
- My God, I abhor the time when I loved thee not!
- How could I live so long without thy holy love?
- And thou, my God, how could'st thou suffer me so long?
- My God, I give thee thanks for thy great patience.
- But now I will always love thee.
- I had sooner die than love thee not.
- Take from me my life, my God, if I am not to love thee.
- This grace I beg of thee, my God, ever to love thee.
- With thy holy love I shall be blessed.
Glory be to the Father, etc.
- My God, fain would I see thee loved by all.
- Happy me, could I but shed my blood that all might love thee.
- Truly blind is he who loves thee not.
- My God, give me thy holy light.
- There is no woe but not to love thee, sovereign good.
- My God, let me never be one of those wretched blind ones who love thee not.
- My God, be thou my joy, my good, my all.
- Fain would I be wholly thine forever.
- Who shall ever separate me from thy holy love?
- Come, all ye creatures, to love my God.
Glory be to the Father, etc.
- My God, I desire to have a thousand hearts to love thee.
- Would that I had the hearts of all men to love thee!
- Glad might I be that there were more worlds, that all might love thee.
- Blessed would he be who could love thee with all the hearts of all possible creatures.
- To be so loved, my God, is thy just meed.
- Too poor a heart have I, too cold, to love thee.
- O ye cold hearts of men! why love ye not your sovereign good?
- O the deplorable blindness of worldlings, who know not the true love!
- Thrice blest, ye heavenly host, who know and love your God!
- O blessed necessity of loving God!
Glory be to the Father, etc.
- My God, when shall I burn with love for thee?
- O how happy and dear a lot shall this be for me!
- Not knowing how to love thee myself, I rejoice, at least, that there are so many others who love thee with their whole heart.
- I rejoice, in particular, that thou art loved by all the angels and saints in heaven.
- I unite my poor heart with all their hearts.
- Especially do I desire to love thee with that love with which the saints who were most enamored of thee loved thee.
- Wherefore I intend to love thee with the love of S. Mary Magdalen, of S. Catherine, and of S. Teresa.
- With the love of S. Augustine, S. Dominic, S. Francis Xavier, S. Philip Neri, and S. Louis Gonzaga.
- With the very love with which thy holy apostles loved thee, especially S. Peter, S. Paul, and the beloved disciple.
- With the same love with which the great patriarch, S. Joseph, loved thee.
Glory be to the Father, etc.
- Fain would I love thee, besides, with a love like unto that of Mary most holy, while here on earth.
- Fain would I love thee with a love like unto that with which she loved thee, when she conceived in her virgin womb thy divine Son, when she brought him forth, when she suckled him, and when she saw him die.
- I would also love thee with the love with which she loves thee, and will always love thee in heaven.
- But not even this love is enough to love thee with, O God of infinite goodness!
- Wherefore, I would love thee as thy Son, the divine Word made man, did love thee.
- As he loved thee when he was born.
- As he loved thee when he died upon the cross.
- As he loved thee ever in those sacred tabernacles where he lies hid.
- And with that very love with which he loves thee, and will love thee ever, in heaven, for all eternity.
- Lastly, I would love thee with that love with which thou lovest thyself; but since that is impossible, grant me, O my God! through thy tender pity, that I may love thee as much as I know how, as much as I ought, and as much as I can love thee, and it is pleasing to thee. Amen.
Glory be to the Father, etc.
Let us pray.
O God, who hast prepared all good things for them that love thee! pour into our hearts such a desire of thy love, that we, loving thee in all and above all, may attain thy heavenly promises, which exceed all that we can desire.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
