Cenacle Journal
The Christmas season continues through Epiphany (January 6, but celebrated this year on Sunday the 3rd) and the Baptism of the Lord (January 10).
May the peace that passes all understanding, the peace of Emmanuel, God-with-us, be yours during this holy season.
For a child has been born for us,
a son given to us;
authority rests upon his [...]
I was delighted to discover, in the Atlantic Monthly a few years ago, W. S. Merwin’s lovely translation of the last Canto of Dante’s Paradiso. Canto XXXIII presents the final vision of the poet, and concludes with the famous line about “the love which moves the sun and the other stars” (l’amor che move il [...]
Posted in All Shall Be Well, Christmas, In God's Hand on Feb 9th, 2009
(This is a second reflection on the topic of stumbling into the Reign of God.)
Two years ago, with the help of Sister Elizabeth, the county housing authority, and a number of generous people, Carol — the mentally ill homeless woman about whom I have written before — finally moved into her own apartment. One day [...]
An old Jewish story goes something like this:
A wise rabbi once asked his students, “How do you know when the night is over and the day has dawned?
One answered, “When you can look at an animal in the distance and tell whether it is a sheep or a dog?”
“No,” said the rabbi.
Another said, “Is it [...]
Posted in Acceptance, Christmas, Grace on Dec 23rd, 2008
The poet U. A. Fanthorpe pictures the shepherds and the Magi – those familiar visitors to the infant Jesus – walking “haphazard by starlight straight/Into the kingdom of heaven”:
This was the moment when Before
Turned into After, and the future’s
Uninvented timekeepers presented arms.
This was the moment when nothing
Happened. Only dull peace
Sprawled boringly over the earth.
This was [...]
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