| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Barlaam and Ioasaph by St. John of Damascus: face from its former bloom of youth; for Ioasaph was black with
the sun's heat, and overgrown with hair, and his cheeks were
fallen in, and his eyes deep sunken, and his eyelids seared with
floods of tears, and much distress of hunger. And Ioasaph
recognised his spiritual father, for his features were, for the
more part, the same. So the old man stood, and, facing the East,
offered up to God a prayer of thanksgiving; and, after the
prayer, when they had said the Amen, they embraced and kissed
each other affectionately, taking their full fill of long
deferred desire.
But, when they had done with embracing and greeting, they sat
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Tanach: Exodus 20: 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath unto the LORD thy God, in it thou shalt not do any manner of work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates;
Exodus 20: 11 for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested on the seventh day; wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Exodus 20: 12 Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Exodus 20: 13 Thou shalt not murder.
Exodus 20: 14 (20:13) Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Exodus 20: 15 (20:13) Thou shalt not steal.
Exodus 20: 16 (20:13) Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Exodus 20: 17 (20:14) Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house; thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
Exodus 20: 18 (20:15) And all the people perceived the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the voice of the horn, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled, and stood afar 
The Tanach |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Divine Comedy (translated by H.F. Cary) by Dante Alighieri: Who as thou tell'st, are in such dismal plight."
Onward he mov'd, I close his steps pursu'd.
CANTO II
NOW was the day departing, and the air,
Imbrown'd with shadows, from their toils releas'd
All animals on earth; and I alone
Prepar'd myself the conflict to sustain,
Both of sad pity, and that perilous road,
Which my unerring memory shall retrace.
O Muses! O high genius! now vouchsafe
Your aid! O mind! that all I saw hast kept
The Divine Comedy (translated by H.F. Cary) |
