Recently I was doing around locomote amongst the poesy of Thomas Merton, my favorite monk of the twentieth century. Merton wrote a huge total of poesy and, inward fact, saw himself kickoff in addition to initiatory of all every bit a poet. Many people who similar Merton a bully bargain create non know anything nearly his poetry. I am told his poesy is non great, but that is ok amongst me. I am non a poesy expert.
One of my regrets is non paying attending to a greater extent than inward those high schoolhouse English linguistic communication classes when the instructor was trying to prepare an appreciation for poetry. I am non certain what variety of stupid argue I would bring given for my lackadaisical engagement, but beloved of poesy did non happen. Clearly the occupation was non amongst poetry; it was amongst me! I bring been playing catch-up e'er since.
I was working amongst i of Merton’s most famous poems, entitled Hagia Sophia. Since I know Greek, I knew that translated “Holy Wisdom.” The biblical picture of Wisdom plays a fundamental constituent inward the spirituality of Thomas Merton. In biblical understanding, Wisdom is the Divine. Wisdom is i of the ways God is acquaint inward our world. Wisdom is creative in addition to inspiring. In many ways Wisdom is almost Christ-like.
One of my regrets is non paying attending to a greater extent than inward those high schoolhouse English linguistic communication classes when the instructor was trying to prepare an appreciation for poetry. I am non certain what variety of stupid argue I would bring given for my lackadaisical engagement, but beloved of poesy did non happen. Clearly the occupation was non amongst poetry; it was amongst me! I bring been playing catch-up e'er since.
I was working amongst i of Merton’s most famous poems, entitled Hagia Sophia. Since I know Greek, I knew that translated “Holy Wisdom.” The biblical picture of Wisdom plays a fundamental constituent inward the spirituality of Thomas Merton. In biblical understanding, Wisdom is the Divine. Wisdom is i of the ways God is acquaint inward our world. Wisdom is creative in addition to inspiring. In many ways Wisdom is almost Christ-like.
I was sharing this amongst a grouping to whom I was speaking. It turned out a adult woman inward the grouping is rattling much into poetry. It was fun to lookout her acquire in addition to then engaged. For her poesy was virtually a medium of revelation. To her poesy sometimes spoke the rattling words of Wisdom. I knew I had much to acquire from her. Then I laughed. In Greek, Sophia (Wisdom) is feminine. You would appropriately verbalize nearly “her.” Perhaps Divine Wisdom was using this adult woman I had precisely met to learn me. I merely said thank y'all to her---to the adult woman in addition to to Wisdom!
Later that same black I had a complaint from the woman. She talked nearly how she was connecting Merton’s poesy to around other Catholic poet of the nineteenth century, Gerard Manley Hopkins. I don’t know every bit good much nearly Hopkins. I know he converted to Catholicism, became a Jesuit, was ordained in addition to was i of the leading Victorian poets.
My novel friend also talked nearly the poet, Denise Levertov. I don’t know much nearly her except around feel of her long, agonizing entry into the Catholic Church. My novel friend shared a slice of Levertov’s poem, to which she gave the title, “Flickering Mind.” I was grabbed past times this poem, every bit if Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) were speaking to me.
At i indicate Levertov writes, “Not for i instant volition me self deal still, but wanders anywhere, everywhere it tin dismiss turn.” That resonated deeply amongst how it sometimes seems to live on amongst my self---my soul. Then to God, she confesses, “Not you, it is I am absent.” Mea culpa, I desire to say---my fault. Even when I squall upwards to attend to Wisdom who is inside us, I fail. My hear volition wander. I volition chase whatever distraction that comes my way. Vowing stability, I select to live on instable inward attending in addition to inward action.
I tin dismiss concord amongst Levertov when she writes nearly God: “You the unchanging presence, inward whom all moves in addition to changes.” This affirms God to live on the creative Source of the universe, of y'all in addition to of me. Without Holy Wisdom, nosotros die. Without Holy Wisdom, nosotros locomote mad in addition to are insane.
Finally, I came to a passage inward Levertov’s verse form that has acquire fundamental for me inward my pilgrimage inward faith. Delightfully she asks a question, rather than brand a pronouncement. I squall upwards much spiritual increment comes from questions, rather than pronouncements. Levertov asks, “How tin dismiss I focus my flickering, perceive at the fountain’s middle the sapphire I know is there?” As I ponder this question, ii things hitting me.
The kickoff matter is the conviction Levertov has that nosotros each possess a sapphire. To me this agency that nosotros each bring at our essence something incredible, valuable in addition to beautiful. That sapphire powerfulness good live on our deep soul, the truthful self, the youngster of God inward whose picture nosotros bring been created. Merton uses the picture of a diamond. It seems to me they both are i inward the same thing. We are beautiful at our core.
Secondly in addition to sadly, nosotros cannot remain at that topographic point at the essence in addition to alive from it. We create movement away in addition to nautical chart our ain agenda. That is why I am arrested past times Levertov’s serious query: how tin dismiss I focus my flickering? I beloved the picture of “flickering.” We squall upwards of the perilous candle flickering inward the wind. Will it locomote out? Or volition it behave the low-cal for which it is intended? That is a soulful question.
Flickering suggests both jeopardy in addition to promise. On our own, the flickering in all probability volition cease inward extinction. But if nosotros tin dismiss focus that flickering, nosotros bring a chance. We bring a gamble to know in addition to live on known past times Holy Wisdom. Teach me, O Wisdom. Teach me to focus my flickering.
Later that same black I had a complaint from the woman. She talked nearly how she was connecting Merton’s poesy to around other Catholic poet of the nineteenth century, Gerard Manley Hopkins. I don’t know every bit good much nearly Hopkins. I know he converted to Catholicism, became a Jesuit, was ordained in addition to was i of the leading Victorian poets.
My novel friend also talked nearly the poet, Denise Levertov. I don’t know much nearly her except around feel of her long, agonizing entry into the Catholic Church. My novel friend shared a slice of Levertov’s poem, to which she gave the title, “Flickering Mind.” I was grabbed past times this poem, every bit if Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) were speaking to me.
At i indicate Levertov writes, “Not for i instant volition me self deal still, but wanders anywhere, everywhere it tin dismiss turn.” That resonated deeply amongst how it sometimes seems to live on amongst my self---my soul. Then to God, she confesses, “Not you, it is I am absent.” Mea culpa, I desire to say---my fault. Even when I squall upwards to attend to Wisdom who is inside us, I fail. My hear volition wander. I volition chase whatever distraction that comes my way. Vowing stability, I select to live on instable inward attending in addition to inward action.
I tin dismiss concord amongst Levertov when she writes nearly God: “You the unchanging presence, inward whom all moves in addition to changes.” This affirms God to live on the creative Source of the universe, of y'all in addition to of me. Without Holy Wisdom, nosotros die. Without Holy Wisdom, nosotros locomote mad in addition to are insane.
Finally, I came to a passage inward Levertov’s verse form that has acquire fundamental for me inward my pilgrimage inward faith. Delightfully she asks a question, rather than brand a pronouncement. I squall upwards much spiritual increment comes from questions, rather than pronouncements. Levertov asks, “How tin dismiss I focus my flickering, perceive at the fountain’s middle the sapphire I know is there?” As I ponder this question, ii things hitting me.
The kickoff matter is the conviction Levertov has that nosotros each possess a sapphire. To me this agency that nosotros each bring at our essence something incredible, valuable in addition to beautiful. That sapphire powerfulness good live on our deep soul, the truthful self, the youngster of God inward whose picture nosotros bring been created. Merton uses the picture of a diamond. It seems to me they both are i inward the same thing. We are beautiful at our core.
Secondly in addition to sadly, nosotros cannot remain at that topographic point at the essence in addition to alive from it. We create movement away in addition to nautical chart our ain agenda. That is why I am arrested past times Levertov’s serious query: how tin dismiss I focus my flickering? I beloved the picture of “flickering.” We squall upwards of the perilous candle flickering inward the wind. Will it locomote out? Or volition it behave the low-cal for which it is intended? That is a soulful question.
Flickering suggests both jeopardy in addition to promise. On our own, the flickering in all probability volition cease inward extinction. But if nosotros tin dismiss focus that flickering, nosotros bring a chance. We bring a gamble to know in addition to live on known past times Holy Wisdom. Teach me, O Wisdom. Teach me to focus my flickering.
Buat lebih berguna, kongsi:
