William Stearns Davis

God Wills It! William Stearns Davis

"[...]earth passes away, -the Church sits down to the marriage supper with the Lamb: for the gates of hell shall not prevail against her!" Gregory saw the priest lift his eyes from the writing-desk. "Is it written?" "It is written, Holy Father." "Bring it to me, and bring the chalice and the pen; for I will sign." The archbishop brought the vellum and the holy cup, and knelt at the bedside; and others had brought lighted candles, twelve in number, each held by a prelate or priest who stood in semicircle about the bed. Then while they chanted the great psalm of wrath, they heard the bell of the castle tolling, -tolling, -not for the death of the body, but for the more grievous death of the soul. "In consummatione, in ira consummationis"-"Consume them, in wrath[...]."