Category: Uncategorized

Royalty

Sr. Dorcee, belovedLeave a comment

This week’s Sunday poem is by Luci Shaw, still writing poetry in her late 90’s. (Shouldn’t we all?) I have been reading her poetry for at least four decades, if I remember correctly, have copied numerous of her poems in my poetry journals, and go back to them regularly. (Her prose is as good as her poems. My favorite.)

“Royalty” is actually about Christ on Palm Sunday, but it came to my mind today on this Feast of Christ the King. I won’t be surprised if at the Second Coming Christ will still look more like this than any other depiction of him as King of kings.

Royalty

He was a plain man
and learned no latin.

Having left all gold behind
he dealt out peace
to all us wild ones
and the weather.

He ate fish, bread,
country wine and God’s will.

Dust sandaled his feet.

He wore purple only once
and that was an irony.

Adam Chmielowski

(Follow me on Substack.)

Epiphany

Sr. Dorcee, beloved3 Comments

They have brought gold and spices to my King,
Incense and precious stuffs and ivory;
O holy Mother mine, what can I bring
That so my Lord may deign to look on me?
They sing a sweeter song than I can sing,
All crowned and glorified exceedingly:
I, bound on earth, weep for my trespassing,–
They sing the song of love in heaven, set free.
Then answered me my Mother, and her voice
Spake to my heart, yea answered in my heart:
‘Sing, saith He to the heavens, to earth, Rejoice:
Thou also lift thy heart to Him above:
He seeks not thine, but thee such as thou art,
For lo His banner over thee is Love.’

Christina Rossetti

20 January 1852

You can touch God

Sr. Dorcee, beloved1 Comment

A reflection by Ann Voskamp:

Rejected at the inn, holy God come in small to where you feel rejected and small. God is with you now. Whever you are–in a soundless cry or hidden brokenness or in your ache–God always wants to be with you. You are not ever left alone in this. We are never left alone in this; God is with us.

This is Love you can’t comprehend. You can only feel and touch this kind. There, in the place where you feel rejected, you can be touched by God. There, in the places you feel small, you can touch God. He came in the flesh.

Come kneel close.

Let the warm breath of heaven fall on you.

God waits to be held.

God waits for you to draw close.

My friend, Benjamin Embley, at Contemplative in the Mud wrote a beautiful reflection on touch as the most religious sense. You can read it here.