Jesus, The Very Thought Of Thee
Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee
Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills my breast;
But sweeter far Thy face to see,
And in Thy presence rest.
Nor voice can sing, nor heart can frame,
Nor can the mem’ry find
A sweeter sound than Thy blest name,
O Savior of mankind!
O Hope of every contrite heart,
O Joy of all the meek,
To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How good to those who seek!
But what to those who find? Ah, this
Nor tongue nor pen can show:
The love of Jesus, what it is
None but His loved ones know.
Jesus, our only joy be Thou,
As Thou our prize wilt be:
Jesus, be Thou our glory now,
And through eternity.
Translated by Edward Caswall (1814–1878)
KNOWING GOD is a matter of the heart. This truth dominated the life of Bernard of Clairvaux. At a very early age Bernard was drawn to spiritual things, largely influenced by the piety of his mother. At twenty-two he entered a monastery at Citeaux, and three years later he founded a monastery at Clairvaux, serving as its spiritual leader until he died in 1153.
In spite of his many pressing responsibilities and frequent travel, Bernard never lost sight of what he prized most—the love of Jesus. God’s love was Bernard’s lifeblood, pulsing through everything he said and did. His knowledge of God was deeply personal, a mystical love affair that not only gave meaning to his life on earth but formed his vision of heaven. As Bernard said, “[God] is Himself the reward of those who love Him, the eternal reward of those who love Him for eternity.”
I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
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