“No one can look so deeply into the heart of his friend, and see the affection he feels for him, as my chosen ones can look into the innermost depths of my heart to discover there, with inexpressible joy, my affection for them.” (Jesus to St. Mechthild of Hackeborn)
What a tender invitation to all who wish to live in a close, loving relationship with our Father! Discovering His love for us in the depths of His heart is a profound encounter with our Father and already bears a certain resemblance to the beatific vision in heaven.
Certainly, if we have a really good friend — which, by the way, is not very frequent — we can know his heart much better than that of other people and realize how sincere his affection for us is. However, we will always encounter the limits inherent in creatures and how easily human beings can be tempted.
With God, it’s different. In His heart, we find an undivided love waiting for us to draw from. We come to know God’s ineffable love for us, which surpasses comprehension and brings us indescribable joy. This joy is so great that it enables us to do whatever this love calls us to do. We have no doubts to immerse ourselves into this “ocean of love.” We would like to remain in it forever, leaving everything else behind to live by it alone.
However, this blissful state of the soul does not last forever in earthly life. We are still on our way and must fulfill our mission in this “vale of tears.” However, the memory of this mystical experience leaves such a lasting impression that, unlike a passing emotional experience, we remember it and live from it. We go out again and again in search of our Father.