Tuesday, December 18, 2012

she is the candor of God's light, the expression of His simplicity

From the NASA Space Advent Calendar which is HERE.

 The barred spiral galaxy NGC 1073, found in the constellation of Cetus (The Sea Monster). Our own galaxy, the Milky Way, is thought to be a similar barred spiral, and the study of galaxies such as NGC 1073 can help astronomers learn more about our celestial home.
(NASA/ESA)

O blessed, silent one, who speaks everywhere!

We do not hear the soft voice, the gentle voice, the merciful
     and feminine.
We do not hear mercy, or yielding love, or non-resistance,
     or non-reprisal.
In her there are no reasons and no answers.
Yet she is the candor of God's light, the expression of His
     simplicity.

We do not hear the uncomplaining pardon that bows down
the innocent visages of flowers to the dewy earth.
We do not see the Child who is prisoner in all the people,
and who says nothing.

She smiles, for though they have bound her,
she cannot be a prisoner.
Not that she is strong, or clever,
but simply that she does not understand imprisonment.

The helpless one, abandoned to sweet sleep, the gentle one
     will awake: Sophia.

All that is sweet in her tenderness will speak to him on all
     sides in everything, without ceasing,
and he will never be the same again.
He will have awakened not to conquest and dark pleasure
but to the impeccable pure simplicity of One
     consciousness
in all and through all:
one Wisdom, one Child, one Meaning, one Sister.

-Thomas Merton,  "Hagia Sophia' II. Early Morning. The Hour of Prime.  Collected Poems pp. 365-366 

2 comments:

  1. I have finally given in, Beth. Your current series is to blame, and today's post was the tipping factor.

    My order for Thomas Merton's Collected Poems has just gone through!

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    Replies
    1. There's a lot in that book, J - after all these years, I can still pick it up and find new things. In many ways I find Merton's poetry less "serious" than his more formal writing. There is much play and absurdity there. He's not writing for an audience.

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