Advent Jottings

E.B. Wakham, CFC

It is time
To clean up
The stable
Of my mind
And the manger
Of my heart
For the coming
Of Mary
And Joseph
And the infant
Jesus.
Maybe the two sisters,
Mary and Martha,
Will help me
To get rid of
The clutter
Of thoughts,
Resentful
And unkind,
Of rash judgments
And dislike;
To brush around
The manger
Of my heart
And fill it
With love
Overflowing
For others
And fit
For the
New born king.

COME, LORD JESUS

E.B. Wakeham, CFC

Come, Lord Jesus,
Come, we pray.
But will He come?
And will He stay?
That depends on you,
Jesus may say.

For I want to come
And with you to be
But you are always free,
You see.
You may say “Come!”
Then close your door,
As you have done
Many times before.
You failed TO SEE ME
In the poorly clad.
And nd I was hidden
In that uncouth lad.
You did not find me
In the sad old man
Who wanted a kind word.
But from him you ran.
So when you say “Come!”
Better open your eyes,
Or you may not see me
If I come in disguise.

...et incarnatus est...

Brother George E. Fitzpatrick, CFC

In what depths of mystery
We come to mother earth:
We share with all our commonness-
The magic of a birth.

At Christmas time we further see
What none can understand:
A loving God Almighty
Took human by the hand.

Hand-in-hand we walk with God
Wach a part of each
Aware that in our Christ-ness
We can the Father reach.

Christmas

Brother George E. Fitzpatrick, CFC

It’s hushing time! The world
Awaits expectantly...
God will surprise-perplex..
Not everyone will “see”.

A birthing time’s unique:
A mold-someone new..
What could this new life bring
For many and for few?)

Mary’s time has come!
No flags are there unfurled;
What can her Newness bring?
God’s thrust upon our world!

Ironic Time

Brother George E. Fitzpatrick, CFC

The birthplace of the Prince of Peace
Held Muslim-Christian-Jew,

Rosary beads and weapons Projected something new!

The Christmas space was open
For all who own their sin.
Terror and the warlike times
Forced all to enter in.

Christmas is the Holy Time
For impossible to be..
The birth of God’s beloved
Is God fulfilling me!

For the grace of specialness
I’m proud that I can boast
And let the world receive my wish
In this my grateful toast:

“Peace and warmth and cheerfulness
To each young girl and boy;
To men and women everywhere
I ask Redemptive Joy.”