Catholicism – Simon's still stanza

Praised Be

Praised Be

Praised be

The inspirational word

The sounding syllable

Evoking

our inner ear.

Praised be

The bountiful vision

Of life as gift

A verdant valley

Of repose from harm.

Praised be

The light of morn

Crescent moon of night.

Praised be

The call to community

The welcoming faces

Gathered on the day.

Praised be

The rain and the sun

The wind behind our ears

And the birdsong

Among the trees.

Praised be

The ones we love

Who both hurt and heal us

With the sharing

Of our lives as one.

Praised be

Those human hurts

Hitting our hearts

By humbling us

To pour out our love.

Praised be

That love given away

Sent along roadways

Across seas and airways –

Whether they know –

It’s sent to their hearth.

Praised be

The gift of recollection

To ponder the paradox

Our lives put to us.

Praised be…

Simon C.J. Falk 19 June 2015

In the Catholic Tradition that has long been my spiritual home, Pope Francis has recently published a circular letter, or encyclical, called Laudato si’ . It relies on the spirituality of creation and of St. Francis of Assisi . Francis, saw all life and the earth as gift: interconnected and all were his brothers and sisters. Francis would often praise the goodness around him, even those things that may seem dark or painful. The verse above is inspired by the life of Francis and of Laudato si’ (which I haven’t yet finished reading!). This verse is a thankful drawing together of things and people I have recently encountered.

The Preacher on the Clydesdale on Palm Sunday Night

The Preacher on the Clydesdale on Palm Sunday Night

In Barellan NSW there is a Clydesdale Festival each year. They have teams of bullocks and horses and it is a great day out! This poem was prepared for a school assembly at Barellan Central School to celebrate Easter. The idea was to make the Christian Palm Sunday connect with Barellan Clydesdales, Barellan Beer and country life.

The Preacher on the Clydesdale on Palm Sunday Night

When you go to bed at night,

And close your eyes, switch off the light;

Tuck up the bedclothes real tight,

For when the dreamtime comes.

The dreams come even in Holy Week,

When sleepy mouths do not speak;

And we never in the darkness peak,

So as not to disturb the dreamtime.

I heard a dream a while ago,

Something about a horsey show;

And a preacher, none who we would know!

Was one of the main characters.

It tells of a night within the calm,

A horse came up but did not harm,

Any person waving a palm,

On that Palm Sunday night.

In that week that we all call Holy,

There’s a story of Preacher Foley,

Who came a riding a Clydesdale foalie,

All the way in to town.

The people stood out on the street,

Waving their palms and tapping their feet,

To the beat of hoofen feet,

And of Foley astride his mount.

There was no donkey, mule or ass,

That the preacher could find after Mass,

So, to cheer up lad and lass,

He came upon a Clydesdale.

But that’s the way these Holy Days,

To celebrate Easter in Barellan ways,

For those olden times of gigs and drays,

Are what will steal the show.

As Foley’s Clydesdale came up near,

The crowd they gave a mighty cheer!

One said: “Get ‘im a Barellan Beer!”

As he trotted by.

He trotted past the young and old,

The aloof, shy ones and the bold,

He touched the hearts both warm and cold,

Bringing to all his cheer.

A kelpie’s bark made Foley look back,

But his plucky Clydesdale had the knack,

To keep his head upon the track,

And no one came to harm.

So the message of Christ’s great trip,

Along Jerusalem’s royal strip,

Still managed to find a grip,

In peoples’ hearts that day.

If you can’t find ass, donkey or mule,

Don’t worry, you can play it cool,

Get a Clydesdale to come past the school,

For Palm Sunday Barellan Style.

Simon C.J. Falk 31 March 2015

A Pope Francis Ethic?

‘Religious Police’

have me mending my ways.

There’s nothing like rattan [cane]

For helping one praise.

I’m halfway to heaven;

with God I’ve made peace.

He tells me hell’s full of

‘Religious Police’.

Geoff Page, ‘Religious Police’ in Cloudy Nouns, (2012: 54-55)

Excerpts from Geoff Page’s poem ‘Religious Police’ provide a handy preamble to this post on Pope Francis. As a Catholic I find Pope Francis refreshing. What follows is an impression of his life and recent interview with Jesuit media. It does not reflect official views. It was written some weeks ago, but, time… well… it gets away.

A POPE FRANCIS ETHIC

Mesmerised

by the man

Francis:

Pope

and person

Who speaks

with actions

as much

as with words.

Stunned

some were