Fresh Vision

These past few months during the church season of Ordinary Time I have been using the book At the Still Point: A Literary Guide to Prayer in Ordinary Time by Sarah Arthur. You can read more about the book…HERE. The passages of poetry, prayers, fiction, and scripture have been a perfect fit. I have been challenged on the idea of “slow reading,” which is especially necessary when reading poetry. I will be writing more about that soon.

In the meantime, I wanted to share a poem and a prayer from the book that resonated with me this week. These passages from the section titled “Fresh Vision” are encouraging as I continue to embrace this year of “Patient Trust”.

Morning Reflections

Enuma Okoro

What is this unfolding, this slow-

going unraveling of gift held

in hands open

to the wonder and enchantment of it all?

What is this growing, this rare

showing, like blossoming

of purple spotted forests

by roadsides grown weary with winter months?

Seasons affected, routinely disordered

by playful disturbances of divine glee

weaving through limbs with

sharpened shards of mirrored light,

cutting dark spaces, interlacing creation,

commanding life with whimsical delight.

What is this breaking, this hopeful

re-making, shifting stones, addressing dry bones,

dizzying me with blessings,

intercepting my grieving

and raising the dead all around me?

Lord, purge our eyes to see

Lord, purge our eyes to see

Within the seed a tree

Within the glowing egg a bird,

Within the shroud a butterfly:

Till taught by such, we see

Beyond all creatures Thee;

And hearken for Thy tender word,

And hear it, “Fear not: it is I.”

~ Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)