Thursday, August 8, 2002
Feast of Dominic, Priest, Founder of the Order of Preachers, 1221

If it be all for naught, for nothingness

At last, why does God make the world so fair?

Why spill this golden splendor out across

The western hills, and light the silver lamp

Of eve? Why give me eyes to see, and soul

To love so strong and deep? Then, with a pang

This brightness stabs me through, and wakes within

Rebellious voice to cry against all death?

Why set this hunger for eternity

To gnaw my heartstrings through, if death ends all?

If death ends all, then evil must be good,

Wrong must be right, and beauty ugliness.

God is a Judas who betrays His Son,

And with a kiss, damns all the world to hell,—

If Christ rose not again.

... Anonymous, Unknown soldier, killed in World War I, included in Masterpieces of Religious Verse, James Dalton Morrison, ed., New York: Harper & Bros., 1948, p. 205 (see the book; see also 1 Cor. 15:13-17; John 11:25-26; Acts 17:31; Rom. 4:24-25; 8:11; 10:9; 1 Thess. 4:14; 1 Pet. 1:3-5; more at Beauty, Death, Easter, Eternity, Resurrection, Sight, Wrong)

 
Compilation Copyright, 1996-2024, by Robert McAnally Adams,
        Curator, Christian Quotation of the Day,
        with Robert Douglas, principal contributor
Logo image Copyright 1996 by Shay Barsabe, of “Simple GIFs”, by kind permission.
Send comments to curator@cqod.com.

Last updated: 04/11/19

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