To Jesus, Our Friend

St. Claude de la Colombière



O Jesus! Thou art my true Friend, my only Friend. Thou doth take a part
in all my misfortunes; Thou doth take them on Thyself; thou doth know
how to change them into blessings. Thou doth listen to me with the
greatest kindness when I relate my troubles to Thee, and thou hast
always balm to pour on my wounds. I find Thee at all times; I find Thee
everywhere; Thou never goest away; if I have to change my dwelling, I
find Thee wherever I go.




Thou art never weary of listening to me; Thou art never tired of doing me good. I am certain of being beloved by Thee if I love Thee;
my goods are nothing to Thee and by bestowing Thine on me, Thou never
growest poor. However miserable I may be, no one more noble or learned
or even holier can come between Thee and me, and deprive me of Thy
friendship; and death which tears us away from all other friends, will
unite me for ever to Thee.



All the humiliations attached to old age or to the loss of honor, will
never detach Thee from me. On the contrary, I shall never enjoy Thee
more fully, and Thou will never be closer to me than when everything
seems to conspire against me, to overwhelm me and to cast me down. Thou
doth bear with all my faults with extreme patience.



Even my want of fidelity and my ingratitude do not wound Thee to such a
degree as to make Thee unwilling to receive me back when I return to
Thee.




O Jesus! Grant that I may die praising Thee, that I may die loving Thee, that I may die for the love of Thee. Amen.