Marie Petyt (1623–1677)
The beautiful divine Good reveals itself to man with immense charm, full of delight and life, and grants him such fulfillment that it cannot be described. It smiles at the soul in an extraordinary way, and so I call it the lovely face of my divine Beloved.
When this highest Good reveals itself, the soul is immediately captivated and soars towards it with passionately fervent love; it ignites, desires to draw closer, lovingly binds itself to it, embraces it, and experiences it. This is a love-filled, happy encounter with the Beloved; and when my Most Beloved makes me worthy of His friendship and wishes to reciprocate my beloved ascent, my ignition, and my loving care, He draws close to the soul, imprints Himself into its depths, and engraves it into His own.
By the power of mutual love, both are transformed into one another and united. This is a union in which any difference between Creator and creature ceases, for both are made one by love.
At the beginning of this union, I perceived well that Christ simultaneously inclines toward man. He gently draws him to Himself and kisses him with His lips with a kiss of peace. He imprints man into His depths, transforms him into love, "consumes him," and unites Himself with him. This happens almost in the same way as the union with divinity, yet not with the same fervor and with the same experience of comfort.
When I see my beloved Jesus looking at me with love and smiling at me, I immediately awaken from the sleep of love, run to Him, embrace Him, and He takes me into His arms with words overflowing with love, with loving sighs. It is like mute speech that sounds only fleetingly, only halfway... Many times the Beloved touches me first, embraces me affectionately, and kisses me with love; thus He caresses me, and I, worn out, sink and rest in His embrace. Leaning on Him in this way, I fall once more into a fervent sleep of love. Sometimes I wake partially due to the sweet wellspring of love in my depths or because I think of the Beloved, whom I wish to ask for something. I remain lovingly turned towards the Beloved, but love cannot long sleep or rest; rather, it is active by nature and desires to be continually engaged in something.
The Beloved has made His home in me and has chosen me as the place of His rest... My heart is the "court of delights," in which the Beloved rejoices and finds pleasure. Oh jealous Lover! Beloved, driven mad (is it permissible to speak this way?) by love! You do not wish to endure even a single "stray" glance; you already admonish me: Look at me! Am I not enough for you? I nourish you, I delight you, I am your fulfillment; I am completely yours and you are completely mine.
My soul responds like an echo, yes, like a double echo: Yes, my Most Beloved, I am completely yours and for you, and you are completely mine and for me – without the admixture of creatures. Then it seems that the heart opens and expands in God in an amazing way, capable of receiving the Beloved and uniting with Him through clear knowledge and pure love.
The inner light and my experience teach me that for a person who has discovered and found the "naked" spirit in its fervent, spiritual, and hidden operation of love, there will never be winter, night, or dryness, but only summer, day, and sunshine, and that he will never lose sight of his Beloved. Indeed, he can with such ease devote himself to gazing at God and tasting His presence within himself, just as one would open a door and enter to speak with a friend.
Excerpt from the book: Leben aus dem Nichts
Author: Maria Petyt
Published by: Vier-Türme-Verlag Münsterschwarzach, 1995
Selected and translated by: Norbert Žuška, OCarm.
