We’ve all been treated to allegory and poetry here recently, and the following is probably one of the most referenced poems on the internet, by Stephen Crane, who wasn’t known for a poet in his day:
In the desert
I saw a creature, naked, bestial,
who, squatting upon the ground,
Held his heart in his hands,
And ate of it.
I said, “Is it good, friend?”
“It is bitter—bitter,” he answered;
“But I like it
Because it is bitter,
And because it is my heart.”
That’s a bit better, for bitter butter batter.
And the holiday season is upon us, O fellow benighted neocons. I do not think, Catholic that I am, these will offend any of you:
Corporal works of mercy
Corporal works of mercy are those that tend to bodily needs.
Feed the hungry
Give drink to the thirsty
Clothe the naked
Shelter the homeless
Visit the imprisoned
Visit the sick
Bury the dead
Spiritual works of mercy
The spiritual acts of mercy provide for the needs of the spirit.
Admonish the sinner
Instruct the ignorant
Counsel the doubtful
Comfort the sorrowful
Bear wrongs patiently
Forgive all injuries
Pray for the living and the dead
Prayer of St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
I know that, like me, you are all evil neo-cons, and that John Kerry would have expressed it more elegantly, but there you have it.
Raised in Disciples of Christ, went to Catholic high school, Methodist university and now I’m Baptist. I’ll probably have to shovel a little coal for it but this Baptist says the St. Francis prayer every morning. It works.
Well, I’m not one for ‘official prayers’ but I must say that’s very nice, Dan.
I don’t remember that paricular prayer from my childhood, but I remember my mom would have us say a prayer to St. Francis every time we had to flush another goldfish or tadpole down the toilet! Also the teeny tiny baby rabbits that I tried to feed with a little eyedropper.
I don’t care where you are from, where you are. I’m just grateful that you listen, understand and believe.
Do you know the story of St. Francis and the wolf of Gubbio, Dan? You folks’d be the first to call him an appeasing surrender monkey if he was around these days.
Seriously.
I remember writing an explication of that poem as a junior in high school. It took me a while to make sense of it, which is one of the reasons I liked it.
The acts of mercy are, when you think of it, acts of humanity. If it’s not who were are, it’s who we should be.
I love the language of the “official” prayers and liturgy (mine is the Book of Common Prayer, Rite I). I find great comfort in unchanging beauty.
I like that statement. Personally, I say to myself it’s who I want to be, not who I should be, but I believe the underlying sentiment is the same.
Anyway, it’s positive and it’s definitely humanity and I like it!
And the holiday season is upon us, O fellow benighted neocons. I do not think, Catholic that I am, these will offend any of you:
Interesting.
“Pope John Paul, in his first public comment on the outbreak of hostilities in Iraq, said on Saturday that the war threatens the whole of humanity, and that weapons could never solve mankind’s problems.”
I always thought the Prayer of St Francis was sublime, but with you quoting it, Jeff, well…
Matthew 7:15-23
Did I quote it?
Or was this post written by someone else? Go ahead, do some research. It’ll be good practice for when you grow up.
Incidentally, Phlebas posted here previously under the name “Phoenician in a Time of Romans.”
Some people just can’t get enough of me, I guess—even after I thoroughly reject their overtures.
wooooooow, what did you do Jeff? it’s like Homecoming week!
I was always partial to the Prayer of St. Augustine, myself. Can’t quote it directly, but I think it was an appeal to the Holy Spirits.
Maggie —
Somehow, all my previous bans—IP addresses, usernames, email addresses—got wiped out. I noticed it when I went to add monky to the list.
So there might be some unpleasant odors in here in the next few weeks.
Phlebas sounds like Philebus, which is ancient Greek for boy-lover, or so I was told by my professor when I took a grad seminar on Plato’s dialogue of that title.
Just thought I would share that bit of trivia.
You banned monky? I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. How about actus? You can’t even get close to actus’ point without a tongue depressor and a dental probe.
Optimist.
Actually, you are starting at the wrong end.
I’d suspected as much, cause I would swear that semanticleo had been banned long ago.
“Jeff Goldstein”â€â€if that is your real name, “Dan”â€â€come off it already! There’s no reason to ban trolls, especially when you can 1) mock them mercilessly or 2) have them mock themselves. (And now I’m moved14 to resume my lurking.)
Actually Crane wrote a couple of pretty good little poems:
Once I saw mountains angry,
And ranged in battle-front.
Against them stood a little man;
Aye, he was no bigger than my finger.
I laughed, and spoke to one near me,
“Will he prevail?”
“Surely,” replied this other;
“His grandfathers beat them many times.”
Then did I see much virtue in grandfathers—
At least, for the little man
Who stood against the mountains.