"How is Your Mother, Son?"

Holy Week greetings to all. May God bless our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI, preserve him and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies. Amen.

CREDO

“I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, and was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell, the third day He rose again from the dead and ascended into Heaven, where He is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting, amen.”

A sincere ‘thank you’ to my wife, who brought the following beautiful poem to my attention.

LIMBO by Sister Mary Ada

The ancient greyness shifted
Suddenly and thinned
Like mist upon the moors
Before a wind.
An old, old prophet lifted
A shining face and said :
“He will be coming soon.
The Son of God is dead;
He died this afternoon.”


A murmurous excitement stirred
All souls.
They wondered if they dreamed ---
Save one old man who seemed
Not even to have heard.

And Moses standing,
Hushed them all to ask
If any had a welcome song prepared.
If not, would David take the task?
And if they cared
Could not the three young children sing
The Benedicite, the canticle of praise
They made when God kept them from perishing
In the fiery blaze?

A breath of spring surprised them,
Stilling Moses’ words.
No one could speak, remembering
The first fresh flowers,
The little singing birds.
Still others thought of fields new ploughed
Or apple trees
All blossom - boughed.
Or some, the way a dried bed fills
With water
Laughing down green hills.
The fisherfolk dreamed of the foam
On bright blue seas.
The one old man who had not stirred
Remembered home.

And there He was
Splendid as the morning sun and fair
As only God is fair.
And they, confused with joy,
Knelt to adore
Seeing that he wore
Five crimson stars
He never had before.

No canticle at all was sung.
None toned a psalm, or raised a greeting song.
A silent man alone
Of all that throng
Found tongue ----
Not any other.
Close to His heart
When the embrace was done,
Old Joseph said,
“How is Your Mother,
How is Your Mother, Son?”

(‘The Mary Book’ an anthology by F.J.Sheed. Published by Sheed and Ward 1950.)


Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
St Joseph, pray for us.
St Alphonsus, pray for us.