The Fountain of Life

Note, lastly, what the Truth must be;

1. In the first Hierarchy:

evoked by the utterance of prayer, work of the Angels;

heard in study and reading, work of the Archangels;

announced through example and preaching, work of the Principalities.

2. In the second Hierarchy:

joined with refuge and place of indulgence, work of the Powers;

apprehended through zeal and emulation,

work of the Virtues;

conjoined with self-deprecation and mortification,

work of the Dominions.

3. In the third Hierarchy:

worshipped through sacrifice and praise,

work of the Thrones;

admired through ecstasy (going out of oneself)

and contemplation,

work of the Cherubim;

embraced in kiss and dilection (amplectanda per osculum et dilectionem),

work of the Seraphim.

Note diligengly what I say here,

because this is the fountain of life.

St Bonaventura, De triplici via, iii, 14