Friday, March 22, 2013

A rhythmic chant on God's omnipresence

I read this poem in Kent Hughes's book on Genesis. An absolutely beautiful and astonishing poem, by Hildebert, the twelfth-century Archbishop of Tours.

First and Last of faith’s receiving, 
Source and sea of man’s believing, 
God, whose might is all potential, 
God, whose truth is truth’s essential, 
Good supreme in thy subsisting, 
Good in all thy seen existing;
Over all things, all things under,
Touching all, from all asunder;
Centre thou, but not intruded, 
Compassing, and yet included;
Over all, and not ascending, 
Under all, but not depending;
Over all the world ordaining, 
Under all, the world sustaining;
All without, in all surrounding, 
All within, in grace abounding;
Inmost, yet not comprehended, 
Outer still, and not extended;
Over, yet on nothing founded, 
Under, but by space unbounded;
Omnipresent, yet indwelling.
~ Hildebert

pearlie

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