The sixth love - Beatrice of Nazareth

When the bride of our Lord has made progress 

and has climbed up to greater robustness, 
she experiences yet another way of love, 

more profoundly joined and with higher knowledge.

She feels love has conquered all her inner resistance, 

and that she has restored all shortcomings 

and has brought her to govern her senses. 

Without resistance she has completely mastered herself, 

and so she knows her heart is safe, 

she may use it in peace and freely do her best.

In this state, all things seem small to her, 

easy to do or not to do, 

lightly to accept and to bear, 

in accord with the dignity of love. 

Then she is pleased to practice love. 

Then also she experiences a Divine interiority, 

a clear purity, a spiritual sweetness, 

a desirable freedom, a discerning wisdom 

and a calm accessibility of God.

Then she is like a housewife who has well taken care of her house. 

Who has furnished it in a clever way and who has put it nicely in order. 

Who protects it wisely, who guards it cleverly, 

and who works according to plan. 

She brings in and out and she acts or not, all according to her will.

Likewise with this soul: love rules enormously in her, 

works powerfully, rests in her, acts or abstains from action, 

internally and externally, and all of this according to her will.

Just like a fish that swims in the wideness of the flood, 

and rests in the depth, 

or a bird that flies in the space and height of the sky, 

so does she feel her mind go about unrestrained 

in the depth, space and height of love.

This superior power of love has drawn the soul 

and has accompanied, guarded and protected it. 

She has given her the intellect and the wisdom, 

the sweetness and the strength of love. 

Yet, she has hidden her power for the soul 

until she has climbed up to greater highness 

and has become completely free of herself, 

and until love rules in her with more strength.

Then love makes her so strong and so free 

she does not consider human or foe, angel or saint, 

not even God Himself in her doings, her work or her rest.

She knows very well that love is in her, 

fully awake and as strongly working in the rest of the body 

as in the abundance of work. 

She knows very well and becomes aware 

love is not the drudging and sweating of those in whom she reigns. 

But all who want to come to love, have to look for her with awe, 

have to follow her loyally and have to practice her with strong desire. 

They do not succeed 

if they save themselves the trouble of much labor and effort 

and of undergoing inconveniences. 

And they have to highly esteem all small things 

until the moment they are ready for love to rule inside.

Then love powerfully cultivates the work of love, 

makes all things small, 

softens all hard work, 

makes every effort sweet, 

and pays all debts.

This is freedom of conscience, 

sweetness of heart, 

goodness of virtue, 

nobility of soul, 

sublimity of mind 

and principle of eternal life.

Already on earth the soul lives like an angel, 

and after that life follows eternal life, 

that God in His goodness may grant to all of us.

---

Beatrice of Nazareth [Beatrice of Tienen] (c. 1200 – 1268) Belgium

Translated by Wim van den Dungen

Source: Report on Studies in Philosophy (from: Beatrice of Nazareth On Seven Ways of Holy Love, by Wim van den Dungen, Taurus Press, 2016