This short treatise is attributed to the 13th-century German Dominican friar St. Albert the Great. Cleaving to God is a mystical and contemplative work, explaining how God’s love will help one stay united with Him.
Selections from Cleaving to God by St. Albert the Great
“He who cleaves to God is indeed translated into the light, while he who clings to the world is in the dark. So the supreme perfection of man in this life is to be so united to God that all his soul with all its faculties and powers are so gathered into the Lord God that he becomes one spirit with him, and remembers nothing except God, is aware of and recognizes nothing but God, but with all his desires unified by the joy of love, he rests contentedly in the enjoyment of his Maker alone.”
“Let your spirit therefore arm itself against all temptations, vexations, and injuries so that it can persevere steadily in God when attacked by either face of fortune. So that when some inner disturbance or boredom or mental confusion come you will not be indignant or dejected because of it, nor run back to vocal prayers or other forms of consolation, but only to lift yourself up in your intellect by a good will to hold on to God with your mind whether the natural inclination of the body wills it or not.”
“Love itself is a great will to serve God, a sweet desire to please God, and a fervent wish to experience God.”
