Quotation

He who learns must suffer, and, even in our sleep, pain that we cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, and in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God. - Aeschylus

Sunday, July 8, 2018

The Humble Gate of Sion

Lend me your hand, dear Lady
and we shall walk together to
the dwelling place of the Lord
whose seat is found upon Sion.

Let me not be drawn far away
from the City of God, and rue
the day when I sought to ford
the stream of the aged Jordan.

Lo!  The gates of those cities
of transient pleasure and easy
comforts are open wide, wide
like the roads that lead inside.

Over hills and through fields
of flourishing vines, fig trees
and cedars we walk together
towards the Son, my brother.

Old men and women showed
me the way; their gentle eyes
and their weary backs bowed
by heavy burdens tell of love.

Oh!  What love is this broken
body showing, what signifies
this Word whose final spoken
words recall our Father above?

Verily, He says unto us of that
gate which opens into Heaven
from Earth, the way is narrow
and we must leave any burden.

Vengeance is far too heavy; the
selfish rage seeking no pardon
is such a poison; it is an arrow
of the Enemy, an evil weapon.

Vanquish thy desire for wealth
and comfort, seek not strength
nor power, set aside thy sword
and anger, wait upon thy Lord.

Even the words revealed to us
by the Prophets, such glorious
words fulfilled by a carpenter,
point us to Logos and Creator.

Eagerly I seek Christ the Way,
the Truth who as Word is true
and Life to whom I'm moored
like a boat on the aged Jordan.

Ever hold my hand, dear Lady
as I let go of every earthly joy
emptying myself like my Lord
to pass the humble gate of Sion.




The above picture is one I took of an icon of Our Lord entering Jerusalem on a donkey that was painted on papyrus and purchased in Egypt.

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