Category Archives: Mother Mary Francis
Cold
A Sunday-poem by Mother Mary Francis: Cold This is the season of snows, when the sky, all in pieces, is falling, and bells from invisible towers are soundlessly tolling. Over the carpeted earth, footsteps are coming and going, leaving no tracks on a land where winter is snowing. Where are they hanging, the bells? Whose are the feet …
Petal upon pink petal
A Sunday-poem from Mother Mary Francis: On Beholding a Field of Pink Lilies Go, toss your pretty heads! And who shall blame you, Seeing your image in the eyes of God? Petal upon pink petal, Flirt with breezes Leaning from dawn to watch your coquetry. But suddenly my smiles Of kind indulgence Melt into tears …
Queen of Craftsmen: An Advent Song
Queen of Craftsmen: An Advent Song Blow on, exquisite blow, The crystal hammers of her love, Fasten the careful joinings of His bones. Prophets have sung this craft: How man may number These bones, but never break any one of them. What blueprint guides you, Queen of architects, To trace sure paths for wandering veins …
“Advent Summons”
Advent Summons Come forth from the holy place, Sweet Child, Come from the quiet dark Where virginal heartbeats Tick your moments. Come away from the red music Of Mary’s veins. Come out from the Tower of David Sweet Child, From the House of Gold. Leave your lily-cloister, Leave your holy mansion, Quit your covenant ark. …
“The Mending”
A Sunday-poem by Mother Mary Francis: The Mending There is no shattering love cannot mend, No shards its gentle hands shall not make whole. Healing, its glances brush like wings across The deepest rawness of the heart, and leave At last, at last no trace of briney woe. What though we walked in ruins of …
Room in this inn
A Sunday-poem from Mother Mary Francis, from a longer poem entitled “The Mysteries of the Rosary”: XIII. The Descent of the Holy Spirit Fiat! there’s room in this inn Of huddled community, Mary, For you and your telling of Jesus Over and over again Until there’s a splitting of heavens And fire comes and Spirit, …
“Our Lady of the Ascension”
A singular poem about what it was like for our Lady after the Ascension. How could she stand this separation? Our Lady of the Assumption Fold your love like hands around the moment. Keep it for conference with your heart, that exit Caught on clocks, by dutiful scribes recorded Less truly than in archives of …
Be still and see that I am God
A Sunday-poem from Mother Mary Francis: “Be Still, and See That I Am God” (Psalm 46:10) Grief went to serve sub-poena upon God: Come to the witness stand. Defend Yourself From accusation that You’ve sudden grown Inadequate to parenting Your world Or me or all whomevers. Where went Abba? Has no one seen Him? …
Rescue
Many times God rescues us in ways different than perhaps we would like. “My ways are not your ways . . .” Rescue I prayed for a lifting out of distress, A setting down on the shore With sweet warm sand beneath my feet And storm-slashed waves no more Breaking upon me. A ripe fig …
Advent: the season of the woman
As we begin Advent, I would like to share an excerpt from a newly published collection of Advent meditations by Mother Mary Clare PCC: I am quite confident all of us have a deep sense of expectation, joy, and wonderment that Advent is about to begin. We look at the different facets of this season, …
