Paradiso Faith Quotes Page 4

[St. Peter to Dante]: "What is the origin of the dear gem
that comes to you, the gem on which all virtues
are founded?" I: "The Holy Ghost's abundant
rain poured upon the parchments old and new;
that the syllogism that has proved
with such persuasiveness that faith has truth –
when set beside that argument, all other
demonstrations seem to me obtuse." (Par. XXIV, 89-96)

I answer: I believe in one God – sole,
eternal – He who, motionless, moves all
the heavens with His love and love for Him;
for this belief I have not only proofs
both physical and metaphysical;
I also have the truth that here rains down
through Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms
and through the Gospels and through you who wrote
words given to you by the Holy Ghost.
And I believe in three Eternal Persons,
and these I do believe to be one essence,
so single and threefold as to allow
both is and are. Of this profound condition
of God that I have touched on, Gospel teaching
has often asset the imprint on my mind.
This is the origin, this is the spark
that then extends into a vivid flame
and, like a star in heaven, glows in me." (Par. XXIV, 130-147)

That circle – which, begotten so, appeared
in You as light reflected – when my eyes
had watched it with attention for some time,
within itself and colored like itself,
to me seemed painted with our effigy,
so that my sight was set on it completely.
As the geometer intently seeks
to square the circle, but he cannot reach,
through thought on thought the principle he needs,
so I searched that strange sight: I wished to see
the way in which our human effigy
suited the circle and found place in it –
and my own wings were far too weak for that. (Par. XXXIII, 127-139)