How amiable is this law

Man is the perfection of the universe; the spirit is the perfection of man; love, that of the spirit; and charity, that of love. Wherefore the love of God is the end, the perfection and the excellence of the universe. In this, Theotimus, consists the greatness and the primacy of the commandment of divine love, which the Saviour calls the first and greatest commandment. This commandment is as a sun which gives lustre and dignity to all the sacred laws, to all the divine ordinances, and to all the Holy Scriptures. All is done for this heavenly love, and all has reference to it. From the sacred tree of this commandment grow all the counsels, exhortations, inspirations, and the other commandments, as its flowers, and eternal life as its fruit; and all that does not tend to eternal love tends to eternal death.

— St. Francis de Sales, Treatise, X.i

Thoroughly enjoying The Rings of Saturn and Sebald’s meandering, introspective style got me interested in Proust’s Swann’s Way, so that’s inbound from Amazon and I’ll have something to chew on for awhile.

The quince and medlar are showing some signs of life. I’m always a little nervous planting bare-root trees, but each of them has tiny little buds in all the right places.

The puppies are asleep in a pen adjacent to my office and I about have all the changes down for the Exsultet. Further reports as events warrant.