Love built on beauty, soon as beauty, dies.
John DonneRead
All occasions invite His mercies, and all times are His seasons.
Interpretation
The quote reflects the idea that every moment and event in life brings opportunities for divine mercy and grace.
John Donne's quote suggests that every situation in life, regardless of its nature, presents an opportunity for experiencing and recognizing mercy. It emphasizes that divine compassion is available at all times and in all circumstances, inviting us to be aware of and responsive to these moments of grace wherever we find ourselves.
In practice
This quote can be shared during a reflective service or gathering.
Love built on beauty, soon as beauty, dies.
Reason is our soul's left hand, Faith her right, By these we reach divinity
If poisonous minerals, and if that tree, Whose fruit threw death on else immortal us, If lecherous goats, if serpents envious Cannot be damned; alas; why should I be?
Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
I call not that virginity a virtue, which resideth onely in the bodies integrity; much less if it be with a purpose of perpetually keeping it: for then it is a most inhumane vice. - But I call that Virginity a virtue which is willing and desirous to yield it self upon honest and lawfull terms, when just reason requireth; and until then, is kept with a modest chastity of body and mind.
And now good morrow to our waking souls, Which watch not one another out of fear; For love, all love of other sights controls, And makes one little room, an everywhere. Let sea-discoverers to new worlds have gone, Let maps to other, worlds on worlds have shown, Let us possess one world, each hath one, and is one.
Now the ears of my ears awake and now the eyes of my eyes are opened.
I find the whole business of religion profoundly interesting. But it does mystify me that otherwise intelligent people take it seriously.
God does not exist to answer our prayers, but by our prayers we come to discern the mind of God.
Listen, O drop, give yourself up without regret, and in exchange gain the Ocean. Listen, O drop, bestow upon yourself this honor, and in the arms of the Sea be secure. Who indeed should be so fortunate? An Ocean wooing a drop! In God's name, in God's name, sell and buy at once! Give a drop, and take this Sea full of pearls.
Many people in their teens wonder about these big questions - what's the meaning of life, what are we doing here - then somewhere in their 20s, they seem to say, 'I'll just get married. I'll just have kids. I'll get back to that later.' But they never do. For me, it kept boiling.
Thus every action must be due to one or other of seven causes: chance, nature, compulsion, habit, reasoning, anger, or appetite.
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