Christian soul, brought to life again out of the
heaviness of death, redeemed and set free from wretched servitude by the blood
of God, rouse your mind and remember that you are risen, realize that you have
been redeemed and set free. Consider again the strength of your salvation and
where it is found. Meditate upon it, delight in the contemplation of it. Shake off your lethargy and set your mind to
thinking over these things. Taste
the goodness of your Redeemer, be on fire with love for your Savior.
Chew the honeycomb of his words, suck their flavor, which is sweeter than sap, swallow their wholesome sweetness. Chew by thinking, by understanding, swallow by loving and rejoicing. See, Christian soul, here is the strength of your salvation, here is the cause of your freedom, here is the price (premium) of your redemption. You were a bond-slave and by this man you are free. By him you are brought back from exile, lost, you are restored, dead, you are raised. Chew this, bite it, suck it, let your heart swallow it, when your mouth receives the body and blood of your Redeemer. Make it in this life your daily bread, your food, your way-bread, for through this and not otherwise than through this, will you remain in Christ and Christ in you, and your joy will be full. . . Consider, O my soul, and hear, all that is within me, how much my whole being owes to him! Lord, because you have made me, I owe (debeo) you the whole of my love; because you have redeemed me, I owe (debeo) you the whole of myself; because you have promised so much, I owe (debeo) you all my being. . . I pray you, Lord, make me taste by love what I taste by knowledge; let me know by love what I know by understanding. I owe (debeo) you more than my whole self, but I have no more, and by myself I cannot render the whole of it to you. Draw me to you, Lord, in the fullness of love. I am wholly yours by creation; make me all yours, too, in love.
Anselm Meditatio 3: quoted Rachel Fulton,
From Judgement to Passion: 2002
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