Chapter 20: Of the holy preachings and the saving Doctrine of Jesus

I BLESS You, and give thanks to You, O Lord Jesus Christ, You good Shepherd and most faithful Keeper of Your sheep, for Your tender care for the salvation of souls, and for Your ardent longing to bring to men glad tidings of good things; in that, on leaving the wilderness, You went forth to proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven, and did sound the trumpet of salvation throughout Judaea, urging all men to repent, to despise the things of this world, and to make haste to lay up for themselves treasures in heaven. O most sweet Jesus, with what earnest care did You go about the villages and the streets, the cities and the towns, busy in the conversion of sinners, in healing the contrite of heart, and in forgiving the sins of the truly penitent.

From the bottom of my heart I praise and glorify You for Your most sweet Doctrine; for Your fervent preaching of the Gospel throughout all Galilee and Judaea; and for Your fame so gloriously spread abroad among the people which sat in darkness.

Blessed be those sacred lips and that most gracious tongue, with which You did so often proclaim the sweetness of heavenly life, and speak maxims of eternal truth; and with a voice that all might understand, did declare Yourself to be, that which indeed You are, the true and marvellous Light that had come into the world!

O most loving Jesus, of all Masters the best, grant to me, I beseech You, that I may with a thirsting heart drink in the streams of Your saving Doctrine; that I may diligently give my mind to, wisely discern, and lovingly delight in, the words which then fell from Your sacred lips. Grant, I beseech You, that I may fashion all my ways conformably thereto; for no otherwise can I find the way of perfection so brightly and so clearly made plain to me, as in the shining mirror of Your most holy Gospel set up before me, and before all men, to be read by us. In You, O Lord, Who are the Fountain of eternal wisdom, are to be found in never-ceasing abundance the light of life, and the fullness of joy. Incline, therefore, I beseech You, my heart unto Your testimonies: open You mine ear to the words of Your mouth: turn away mine eyes that they may not behold vanity, and quicken You me in Your way. For although the meaning of the Gospel may appear simple and easy to be understood, yet is it so deep and lofty, and so full of heavenly mysteries, that the whole world would not be large enough to contain them.