Even Thy own Mother (who alone did faithfully honour Thee, and with grievous Sorrow share Thy Passion), even she, I say, could not by reason of the height of the Cross, reach up unto Thee, but the Lady Poverty in all her Penury, like a most dear Servitor, did there hold Thee in an ever closer embrace, and join herself more and more nearly to Thy Sufferings. For the which reason she did not wait to smooth Thy Cross, nor to give It even the rudest preparation; nor, it is thought, did she even make sufficient Nails for Thy Wounds, nor sharpen or polish them, but furnished three only, all rough and jagged and blunted, to support Thee in Thy Martyrdom. And when Thou wast dying of a burning Thirst, Thy faithful Spouse was careful lest Thou shouldst have one drop of Water even, and by the hands of the impious Soldiery, prepared Thee a Cup of such bitterness, that Thou couldst only taste, but not drink of it. And in the close Embrace of this Thy Spouse, Thou didst yield up the Ghost. But so faithful a Spouse was not absent at Thy Burial and would not suffer Thee to have anything of Thy own, either Sepulchre or Ointments or Linen, for these were all borrowed from others. Nor did she fail to be present at Thy Resurrection; for rising gloriously in her Embrace, Thou didst leave behind in the Sepulchre all those things which had been borrowed. And then Thou didst take her up into Heaven with Thee, abandoning all earthly things to those that are of the Earth, and bequeathing unto the Lady Poverty the Seal of the Kingdom of Heaven, wherewith she might seal the Elect who desire to walk in the Way of Perfection. O who would not love the Lady Poverty above all things! Of Thee, O Jesus, I ask to be signed with this Privilege; I long to be enriched with this Treasure; I beseech Thee, O most poor Jesus, that, for Thy sake, it may be the Mark of me and mine to all Eternity, to possess no thing of our own under the Sun, but to live in penury upon the goods of others, so long as this vile body lasts. AMEN. NOTE