26 juillet 2007
Prior of the pilgrim
Dust, mud, sun and rain,
That is the pilgrims' road to Santiago.
Thousands of pilgrims have crossed it
Under a thousand of years.
Pilgrim, who is calling you ?
What inner strength is spelling you ?
It's not the spangle of the stars It's not the people on the way And the voice that is calling me Eugenio Garibay Baños
Or the large cathedrals.
It's not the bravery of Navarra
Or the Riojans' wine.
Neither the Galician seafood
Nor the fields of Castille.
Pilgrim, who is calling you ?
What inner strength is spelling you ?
Nor the rural customs.
It's not the history and culture
Or the cock in Calzada,
Neither the Gaudí palace,
Nor the castle of Ponferrada.
I see them all when passing by,
It is a real joy.
Is coming even deeper.
The power that's pushing me,
The strength that's spelling me.
I can't explain.
Only He up there will know.
28 mai 2007
Life (from Mère Térésa)
Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is a beauty, admire it.
Life is bliss, taste it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is costly, care for it.
Life is wealth, keep it.
Life is love, enjoy it.
Life is mystery, know it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it !
The french translation is in this blog in "Poêmes"
21 avril 2007
A prayer of intercession
A prayer of intercession
Flow over your creation this day, O God.
offering to the world the living water of your life
so that the seeds of compassion may break forth,
in the greening of new possibilities for good
and the blossoming of justice.
Warm our cold hearts with the flame of your Spirit
so that we may feel again the passion of caring for others,
leaping up in the sharp colour of action for trade justice,
moving outwards in the fires of determination
that all the world may know a different day.
Take our hands, Jesus Christ,
leading us in courage to confront with courage
the forces which oppress and divide,
which exploit and tear from the people the fruits of their harvests.
Take our hearts, Jesus Christ,
and open them to the truth which will set others free to live.
Amen.
Dorothy McRae-McMahon
For our French translation of this prior, see in chapter "Prière d'intercession" the article named "Intercession pour une société plus juste".
09 mars 2007
Kipling's "IF" or Saint Paul's
" IF " is abeautiful poem written by Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936);
It has always been an incentive for young people to develop their will-power, That's well and good. But we must keep in mind that the ultimate purpose a Christian should have in mind while developing his or her will-power is to submit oneself to the law of God, which is the law of love. It would be interesting to compare Kipling's "IF" (an hymn to will-power) with Saint Paul's IF (an hymn to the power of love). Try it.
I give you the two poems, in English, as in "poemes" in their translations in French
IF (an hymn to the will-power)
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise,
If you can dream, and not make dreams your master,
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss ;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the will which says to them "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you but none too much ;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With "sixty seconds" worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything in it,
But - which is more - You' ll be a Man, my son !
Rudyard Kipling
If I speak in human and angelic tongues,
but do not have love,
I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal ;
If I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and knowledge,
If I have all faith so as to move mountains
but do not have love,
I am nothing ;
If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast
but do not have love,
I gain nothing.
Saint Paul
01 février 2007
Love George Herbert
Here is a beautiful poem which is a true christian prayer.
It was written by George Herbert ( 1593 - 1633 )
Love bade me welcome ; yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me,sweetly questioning
If I lacked anything.
"A guest", I answered, "worthy to be here".
Love said, "you shall be he".
"I, the unkind, the ungrateful ? Ah, my dear,
I cannot look on Thee".
Love took my hand, and smiling, did reply,
" Who made the eyes but I ? "
" Truth, Lord, but I have marred them : let my shame
Go where it doth deserve."
" And know you not," says Love, "who bore the blame?"
"My dear, then I will serve."
"You must sit down," says Love, "and taste my meat."
So I did sit and eat.
The french translation is in this blog in "Poêmes"