The Writings of St. Francis · 20 of 27

Part III: Salutation of the Blessed Virgin

III. PRAYER TO OBTAIN DIVINE LOVE. The authenticity of this prayer, accepted by the Quaracchi editors, rests on the authority of St. Bernardine of Siena 1 and Ubertino da Casale, 2 both of whom are quoted in its behalf by Wadding. The prayer is here translated according to the text given by Ubertino in his Arbor Vitae Crucifixae composed on La Verna in 1305. 3 It follows:—

PRAYER. I beseech Thee, O Lord, that the fiery and sweet strength of Thy love may absorb my soul from all things that are under heaven, that I may die for love of Thy love as Thou didst deign to die for love of my love.

Footnotes 145:1 St. Bernardine died in 1444. See his Opera Omnia, t. II, sermo 60, art. II, c. II.

145:2 See Arbor Vitae, l. v, c. iv.

145:3 See Ehrle, Archiv, etc., vol. II, pp. 374-416, as to the writings of Ubertino.