Clare of Assisi ( 1194 -1253 )

 On the Joy of Contemplation

That is why you, too, dearest, must always rejoice in the Lord, and not let bitterness and confusion envelop you, O Lady most beloved in Christ, joy of the angels, and crown of your sisters. 

Place your mind in the mirror of eternity;
Place your soul in the splendor of glory;
Place your heart in the figure of the divine substance;
And, through contemplation, transform your entire being into the image of the Divine One himself,
So that you, yourself, may also experience what his friends experience when they taste the hidden sweetness that God alone has kept from the beginning
For those who love him.

And completely ignoring all those who in this deceitful and turbulent world ensnare their blind lovers, you might totally love him who gave himself totally out of love for you,  whose beauty the sun and moon admire, and whose rewards, in both their preciousness and magnitude, are without end.  I am speaking about the Son of the Most High,

 (an excerpt from Clare's 3rd letter to Agnes of Prauge, the language in Clare's letters is so rich and full of exquisite imagery oozing with compassion ) 

graphic: Icon of St Clare