Vincent spoke on his bishop’s behalf (For his bishop’s speech was faulting) And the fervour of his brazen words Incensed his Roman lord. Did Vincent die from the truth that rung In every word he spoke? Did his God supply the words he said That pierced the governor’s ears? God’s reply was silent then; DiocletianContinue reading “Speech (For Vincent of Saragossa, Deacon and Martyr)”
Category Archives: Devotional
Clothe Me (For Agnes of Rome, Martyr)
Clothe me, the child cries. I am surrounded and afraid. I have stood firm and now My knees grow weak from standing. Clothe me, she cries, A little lamb lost among These wolves disguised as men. Clothe me now and take home. Clothe me, she cries, This child who, dying, counts it more To beContinue reading “Clothe Me (For Agnes of Rome, Martyr)”
Radiance: A Virelai (Second Sunday After Epiphany)
For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. (Psalm 36:9) His shining face Bright with redeeming grace And love radiates Into our darkest wastelands. You will not see a trace Or space Of what our dirtied hands Destroyed. He has replaced With grace All our dreams and hopes. HeContinue reading “Radiance: A Virelai (Second Sunday After Epiphany)”
The Confession of Saint Peter
Moments before an almighty blunder – No, Lord, you will not die; don’t talk of such things; Or words to that effect, the pride Of the day’s wisdom giving rise To thoughts that he knows better than The one whom he has just confessed – Before that, a striking second of clarity; Sight to pierceContinue reading “The Confession of Saint Peter”
Apathy, Writer’s Block, and All the Things We Can’t Put to Words
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the willContinue reading “Apathy, Writer’s Block, and All the Things We Can’t Put to Words”
The Temptations of Anthony (For Anthony the Great, Abbot)
If you stood in the desert with Anthony, The devil’s fire blazing around you And all his wiles wildly planned To keep you circulating mid-air, Suspended in tormenting spirals With demon-fish and firebrands; If you were beset with him by wolves And scorpions poised at you to sting, Or if the centaurs or satyrs raged,Continue reading “The Temptations of Anthony (For Anthony the Great, Abbot)”
Soldiers on the Holy Mountain (For Sava, Archbishop)
The prince had abandoned his family, they thought, Leaving his country to live among priests. Eager to bring him back to his duty, To mother and father and nation in wait, They ascended the holy mountain to find Him there in a vigil of prayer. What were their hopes when they came to the church?Continue reading “Soldiers on the Holy Mountain (For Sava, Archbishop)”
Terza Rima: Anxiety
My body’s tingles and its numbness say That what I’ve hoped is always proven false, That this will be like any other day. For when I cannot slow my frantic pulse And all my body’s signals shout the same, Then my remembered yesterdays convulse, Their story as familiar as my name: That way that allContinue reading “Terza Rima: Anxiety”
Hearts in Eternity (For Hilary of Poitiers, Bishop and Teacher)
For it seemed that the greatness of God so far surpassed the mental powers of His handiwork, that however far the limited mind of main might strain in the hazardous effort to define Him, the gap was not lessened between the finite nature which struggled and the boundless infinity which lay beyond its ken…Though theContinue reading “Hearts in Eternity (For Hilary of Poitiers, Bishop and Teacher)”
My Son (First Sunday After Epiphany: The Baptism of Our Lord)
The voice of the Lord shakes the trees, The voice of the Lord splits the flames, The voice of the Lord shakes the thunder’s reply, The voice of the Lord calls Your name… The voice of the Lord rides the waters, The voice of the Lord rides the waves, The voice of the Lord plumbsContinue reading “My Son (First Sunday After Epiphany: The Baptism of Our Lord)”
The Consolations of Writing 