April 12 Poetry: The Catholic Thing-


I love to describe the catholic church as a people who love smells, bells and whistles. Sure you can find the body haters in the church, but Catholics love art, incense, bells, music...It makes sense right...Jesus was a person with all the trappings of personhood...all the nerve endings and senses. Surely God's humanity in Jesus is an affirmation of the physical. Thus, including our senses.

So today, I have a poem about exactly that. From a Benedictine Monk. Benedictine's make vows of conversion, obedience, and stability(meaning they don't move). They pray a lot, work a lot, and struggle and love their communities a lot (sometimes it's compared to marriage to a whole group of people).

Their prayer is all rooted in scripture and ritual. This poet's work is just that- rooted in scripture and ritual. So as much as this church drives me crazy, breaks my heart, makes my spirit drown in patriarchy- I am offered hope in words of wisdom, reinterpreted word, and a God who really was a person! Cool stuff- and crazy stuff!

The Catholic Thing


Catholicism isn't for the lotus eaters:
we put a body on the cross.
Like all dysfunctional families
We tear flesh, spill blood
before we eat.

To celebrate the naked Christ between
the thieves: jeweled crosses, purple
cassocks, lace cuffs, ermine capes.
Popes and bishops draw the line
at rouge.

We're big on things we can touch:
wine, bread, oil, votive candles,
and, sometimes, the palpable
body of man. The Word made flesh
weeps.



McDonnell, Kilian. God Dops and Loses Things.(St. John's University Press, Collegeville, MN 2009.

Comments

  1. Not to be a Benedictine nerd or anything, but the vows are actually stability, obedience and conversion.
    Poverty and chastity might fall into the category of "conversion of life," but they are not a part of the vows.
    (love the poem) :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Amy! I kind of suspected it was wrong but didn't have a chance to google it...thanks for the info!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Rachel, I LOVE this. The line

    Like all dysfunctional families
    We tear flesh, spill blood
    before we eat.

    will be in my head and heart for quite some time. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete

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