Come Out, Lazar

Come out, Lazar!Come out, Lazaro, what so befall.Then might not the fiend of hellLonger make that soule to dwell.So dreadful was that ilke cryTo that feloun, our enemy.The kinges trumpet blew a blast;Come out! it said, be not aghast.With that voice the find gan quake,As doth the leaf when windes wake.‘Come out’ is now aContinue reading “Come Out, Lazar”

Leaf from Leaf

Leaf from leaf Christ knows;Himself the Lily and the Rose: Sheep from sheep Christ tells;Himself the Shepherd, no one else: Star and star He names,Himself outblazing all their flames: Dove by dove, He callsTo set each on the golden walls: Drop by drop, He countsThe flood of ocean as it mounts: Grain by grain, HisContinue reading “Leaf from Leaf”

The Church Fathers on Racism

“We ought to understand that while the names of God may differ among the various nations, nevertheless, since we are all of the same origin, we ought to consider ourselves as of one family, and not despise the kinship of the human race.” (Gregory of Nyssa, Great Catechism, 32) “God has made all races ofContinue reading “The Church Fathers on Racism”

Maria Walks amid the Thorn

Maria walks amid the thorn,Kyrie eleison,Maria walks amid the thorn,Which seven years no leaf has born.Jesus and Maria. What ‘neath her heart doth Mary bear?Kyrie eleison,The little Child doth Mary bear,Beneath her heart He nestles there.Jesus and Maria. And as the two are passing near,Kyrie eleison,And as the two are passing near,Lo! roses on theContinue reading “Maria Walks amid the Thorn”

Aelfric on Pentecost

The Holy Ghost appeared over the apostles in semblance of fire, and over Christ, at his baptism, in likeness of a dove. Why over Christ in semblance of a dove? Why over the followers of Christ in likeness of fire? In books it is read concerning that kind of birds that its nature is veryContinue reading “Aelfric on Pentecost”

Bede on Pentecost

When the children of Israel had been freed from slavery in Egypt by the immolation of the paschal lamb, they went out through the desert so that they might come to the promised land, and they reached Mount Sinai. On the fiftieth day after the Passover, the Lord descended upon the mountain in fire, accompaniedContinue reading “Bede on Pentecost”

For the Shepherd Who Is Also the Path the Sun Makes in Daytime

A good shepherd is a wonder in contrapposto, an artistmapping the Serengeti with kingdom lines. A good shepherd angles a lion’s eye, traps gazellesin dry fields, copies a cheetah’s spots one leg at a time. A good shepherd does not give you stoneswhen you ask for toast, does not ask you to work without a burningContinue reading “For the Shepherd Who Is Also the Path the Sun Makes in Daytime”