The Cord of Compemplation

In this month of the rosary, I was to share with you this beautiful poem by my Dominican Brother Peter Joseph Gautsch O.P.  It was originally published at dominicanablog.com.  You can subscribe to the blog to receive a daily essay - thought and occasional poem written by the men who are in formation to be the next generation of the Order of Preachers.  Enjoy!

The Cord of Contemplation

Barren beads in fumbling fingers of fools, fallen, absurd,
in crazed haze of word after empty word:
pitiful piety brings no aid,
naught but far-fetched fancies made
to deceive naïve nuns, whose prayers, never heard,
would be better, too, never prayed.

Can it be? Surely Truth tricks not, nor can disdain
pleas of hearts heavy, weak with pain
and sorrow—for well He knows
it, bore it, and for my sake chose.
Her heart, too, racked, rent with His, yet by the Cross remains—
ever full of grace, now on her children to flow.

O Mary, Mary, maiden yet Mother, most blessèd!
Faithful Virgin, and fruitful! when thy Fiat confessèd:
to thee, in haste, I fly,
under thy mantle to hide, to lie:
as Jesus—newborn babe, then mangled man—on thy breast rested,
dear Mother, so may I!

And how happy, having striven, failed, re-striven,
strength strainèd, sin-stainèd, am I, who live in
grace (and not the Law to bear),
in Habit, and on cincture wear
that cord, of Mystic Rose to Rose of Patience given,
that ever-efficacious prayer!

She, Queen of angels, heaven, and Preachers proclaimed,
New Eve, inviolate, of all women most famed,
Mater omnium, digna prædicari,
et Regina sacratissimi rosarii,
Life, Sweetness, Hope, is named:
Gratiam tuam, Mater mea, gaudeo contemplari!

O Mary, be a Mother to me now, protect and pray
for your poor child, exiled, to see dawn of eternal day:
thy sweet succor swiftly bring,
that I, life and light diminishing,
be found faithful—and then, lasting Life living, I may
the praises of thy Son with thee ever sing.

The Storm Named Sandy

               If you live on the East Coast of the United States, the name Sandy suddenly has a new meaning.  Before last week, when I thought of the name Sandy, I thought of Sandy Duncan who played Peter Pan when I was a child.  Now I think of a tropical storm/hurricane coming to our Nation’s Capital.  The weather reports have shut down the schools, the county government and the federal government.   I made the mistake of stopping by the grocery store today for orange juice and yogurt and found long lines at the checkout.  My Eagle Scout husband made sure that both of our cars are filled with gas!

                Saturday morning, at Mass, my pastor prayed a Collect for averting storms.  In it the prayer reads, “Still this awesome storm that it may become an occasion for us to praise you.”  What a beautiful phrase and a hopeful way to look at this impending weather event.  This event helps me to realize that there are many occurrences in life over which I have little control. And it is good to take time to praise our Lord and pray for our needs.

               And if we lose power, then there will be time for our family to unplug and spend time playing board games (I think a massive Monopoly game may be on the horizon) and hang out together.  Potentially a great blessing in this all too busy life that we life!  

              Yet this prayer is just as applicable when confronting many of the storms of life.  A parent with cancer, the sudden death of a young person, a tragic accident resulting in a loved one in the hospital, the loss of a job and the list could go on and on of the storms that we face in life.  With each storm, we can pray for the Lord to still it that we may use the occasion to praise Him.