Flower of Devotion

To St. Bridget the Lord said:
“A just man ought daily to devote himself daily to a twofold meditation, namely, meditation on the benefits of God and on the knowledge of himself. For when he meditates on the benefits of God and His mercy, he should know his own worthlessness and his ingratitude to the benefits of God. And when the soul feels that it deserves to be judged, it should console itself with faith and hope in the goodness of God, so that it does not perish when it contemplates God’s mercy, and does not fall into despair when it meditates on God’s judgment. Man should remember God’s mercy and judgment, so that he may constantly hope in mercy and fear judgment wisely. He should also rejoice in God’s mercy, and as a result of the contemplation of His justice, he should increase in virtue. He who daily meditates on the mercy and justice of God in hope and fear need not fear the wisdom of the world or the danger of temporal happiness. The wisdom of the world is like the sight of a basilisk, for it trusts in what it sees—the wisdom of God puts its hope in what it does not see, it does not consider the happiness of the world, it loves humility and patience, and it seeks no other reward than everlasting.”