A Plea for Peace.

Give us peace, Lord God, for you have given us all else; give us the peace that is repose, the peace of the Sabbath, and the peace that knows no evening. This whole order of exceedingly good things, intensly beautiful as it is, will pass away when it has served its purpose: these things too will have their mornign and their evening. But the seventh day has no evening and sinks towards no sunset, for you sanctified it that it might last for ever. You willed your book to tell us this as a promise that when our works are finsihed we too may rest in you, in the Sabbath of eternal life. Lord our God, all that we have you have given us. Give us peace, the peace of tranquillity, the peace of your Sabbath rest, the peace without sunset. For this most beautiful order of things so excellent will complete its course and pass away: it will have its sunset as it had its dawn. Your Sabbath knows no evening or no sunset because you have sanctified it to last forever. May we too share your Sabbath Rest of unending life. (Conf XIII 35. 50- 51)