# Sext explained — Verses on Various Occasions

> Chapter companion for Verses on Various Occasions by John Henry Newman.

## What happens

A midday prayer to God as the unchanging, powerful guide of time, asking for the quenching of hate and strife, protection from perils, and the gift of peace, concluding with a doxology to the Trinity.

## Themes in this chapter

### Time and Memory

The prayer acknowledges God as the guide of the hours and the passage of time, from morning to midday, emphasizing divine sovereignty over temporal progression.

### The Church and Tradition

The structure of the prayer follows the liturgical tradition of the Divine Office, specifically the hour of Sext, rooted in the Church's daily cycle of worship.

## Character check-ins

### Lord

Addressed as the unchanging, powerful God who guides the hours and is asked to quench strife and grant peace.

### Father, Son, and Paraclete

Invoked in the concluding doxology as the triune God to whom all glory is given.

## Key lines

> Quench Thou the fires of hate and strife, The wasting fever of the heart; From perils guard our feeble life, And to our souls Thy peace impart.

Extinguish the flames of hatred and conflict, the consuming illness within us; protect our weak lives from dangers, and grant tranquility to our spirits.

_A petition for inner peace and divine protection from both external conflicts and internal turmoil._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/verses_on_various_occasions_se/chapters/cxli-sext
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/verses_on_various_occasions_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/verses_on_various_occasions_se/chapters