“God is my first love’s duty,
To whose eternal Name
Be praise for all thy beauty,
Thy grandeur and thy fame;
But ever have I reckoned
Thine, native flag, my second.”
– Fr. Charles Constantine Pise, S.J.,
“The American Flag”
“Unless the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it. Unless the Lord keep the city, he watcheth in vain that keepeth it.”
– Psalm 126:1
“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”
– Ephesians 5:11
“An indomitable pride incessantly leads them to overthrow everything they have not made; and to create anew they separate themselves from the principle of all existence.” – Joseph de Maistre
“In the ancient is wisdom, and in length of days prudence.” – Job 12:12
“And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled: and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” – Matthew 23:12
Some thoughts about a very moving element of European folklore.
“Pistoia! Pistoia! why have you not decreed
to turn yourself to ashes and end your days,
rather than to spread the evil of your seed!”
– Inferno, XXV. 10-12 (trans. by Ciardi).
Put not your trust in princes…nor princesses.