This night bestowed peace on the whole world; so, let no one threaten; This is the night of the Most Gentle One – let no one be cruel; This is the night of the Most Humble One – let no one be proud. Now is the day of joy – let us not revenge; Now is theContinue reading “This night bestowed peace on the whole world”
Author Archives: Stefan Gramenz
Now the angels honor us as friends
The Angel announces that a King is born, and the choirs of angels unite their voice with his, and rejoicing all together they sing: “Glory be to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will.” Before the Redeemer was born in the flesh, there was discord between us and theContinue reading “Now the angels honor us as friends”
The true gain and fruit of the angel’s message
When I die I shall see nothing but black darkness, and yet that light, “To you is born this day the Savior,” remains in my eyes and fills all heaven and earth. The Savior will help me when all have forsaken me. And when the heavens and the stars and all creatures stare at meContinue reading “The true gain and fruit of the angel’s message”
Friday
We nailed the hands long ago,Wove the thorns, took up the scourge and shoutedFor excitement’s sake, we stood at the dusty edgeOf the pebbled path and watched the extreme of pain. But one or two prayed, one or twoWere silent, shocked, stood backAnd remembered remnants of words, a new vision,The cross is up with itsContinue reading “Friday”
Tossed and Shaken by the Tempests
Meanwhile, the ship which carries the disciples, that is, the Church, is tossed and shaken by the tempests of temptation; and the contrary wind, that is, the devil her adversary, rests not, and strives to hinder her from arriving at rest. But greater is He who makes intercession for us. For in this our tossingContinue reading “Tossed and Shaken by the Tempests”
The Country Clergy
I see them working in old rectoriesBy the sun’s light, by candlelight,Venerable men, their black clothA little dusty, a little greenWith holy mildew. And yet their skulls,Ripening over so many prayers,Toppled into the same graveWith oafs and yokels. They left no books,Memorial to their lonely thoughtIn grey parishes; rather they wroteOn men’s hearts and inContinue reading “The Country Clergy”
The Other
There are nights that are so stillthat I can hear the small owl callingfar off and a fox barkingmiles away. It is then that I liein the lean hours awake listeningto the swell born somewhere in the Atlanticrising and falling, rising and fallingwave on wave on the long shoreby the village, that is without lightandContinue reading “The Other”
In a Country Church
To one kneeling down no word came,Only the wind’ s song, saddening the lipsOf the grave saints, rigid in glass;Or the dry whisper of unseen wings,Bats not angels, in the high roof. Was he balked by silence? He kneeled longAnd saw love in a dark crownOf thorns blazing, and a winter treeGolden with fruit ofContinue reading “In a Country Church”
The Wicked Fairy at the Manger
My gift for the child: No wife, no kids, home;No money sense. Unemployable.Friends, yes. But the wrong sort –The workshy, women, wimps.Petty infringers of the law, personsWith notifiable diseases.Poll tax collectors, tarts:The bottom rung.His end?I think we’ll make it public, prolonged, painful. Right, said the baby. That was roughlywhat we had in mind. U. A. Fanthorpe
Praise
I praise you becauseyou are artist and scientistin one. When I am somewhatfearful of your power,your ability to work miracleswith a set—square, I hearyou murmuring to yourselfin a notation Beethovendreamed of but never achieved.You run off your scales ofrain water and sea water, playthe chords of the morningand evening light, sculpturewith shadow, join together leafbyContinue reading “Praise”
Locus Communis 