(331-335) The Works of Love X
The Work of Love in Praising Love
. . . Must be done inwardly in self-renunciation
We may think of love as self-gratification
When we fall, we seem to take much pleasure
Instead love's praise calls for self-renunciation
To begin to sing love's praises then forever
If we fail to look at our inward situation
Our fundamental thoughts stay superficial
Gather all our spiritual powers in preparation
To raise love's question before God and the eternal
When self-renunciation we bravely enter
We must choose one single thought
Then make of this our inward center
To find the thing we so long have sought
In this case, it is love in humility we seek
Find the work that makes for love's praise
This does not come to the very weak
It happens slowly day by day
Of love in its vast eternal sense
We can do but little on our own
Our helpmate thus must be immense
The middle term will see us home
To work together with the almighty
Means that alone I am incapable
We need divine help in our poverty
To make praising love most probable
When we praise love, we praise the divine
For God is love in its majesty
Not by our poverty defined
But in the highest of community