Death and the Love of God

Two things have been on my mind a lot lately: death, and the love of God. Every morning I pray this prayer:

“O my Jesus, Thou knowest well that I love Thee, but I do not love Thee enough. Grant that I may love Thee more. O love that ever burnest and never failest, my God, thou Who art charity itself, enkindle in my heart that divine fire which consumes the saints and tranforms them unto thee.”

This afternoon, I saw the following quote on Face Book, taken from St. Therese of Lisieux. It touched me more than any other quote I have read from St. Therese (which, I admit, does not include a whole lot of quotes…).

"Deign, O Lord, to grant me the experience of true love before You take me from this life, for it will be a great thing at the hour of my death to realize that I shall be judged by One whom I have loved above all things. I shall be able to meet You with security, certain that I shall not be going into a foreign land, but into my own country, for it belongs to the One whom I have loved so truly and who has loved me in return."  

I want to make that my prayer, too.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.