With every face I glance at I’d love a face to face Delighting, laughing, glad to share What brightens us, or baits despair One day, by grace… We’ll have a face to face
Everyone I’ve seen One day, please God, I’ll meet To listen as they tell their story Feel with them the grief, the glory Hope to meet… With everyone I’ve seen
Every single person From posh to homeless poor Will face the choice to live as peers To give their voices; lend their ears For endless years… With every single person
I dreamt I awoke in a luminous place The King incandescent on Seraphim chair He said, “I am grateful you’vechanneled my grace My Kingdom for you is prepared…
“For when I was famished, you prepped me a plate When parched, you then poured me a glass Unknown, you gave welcome e’en when it was late All tattered, you bought me new slacks When lacking in health, you gave all for my healing And reeling in jail, you reached out”
I asked Him, while basking in love without measure “Sir, wherein and wherefore for you did I care? Just when did I see you, in work or in leisure? And whithersoever’d I serve you?”
“Yes, first I’d be grateful to know…
“When did I see You unfed; undernourished?”
With flourishing smile, He said…
“You fed me with gift cards to famishing fam’lies With snackbars for panhandlers straight from your car And cases of canned goods you’d cart to those pantries With funding you’d send near and far”
“And when did I see You unquenched or unwatered?”
With unfalt’ring joy, the Kingmentioned…
“My thirst you subverted with milk for your young Lemonade for your spouse while he cleaned out the stables With tea for those veterans, those heroes unsung And warm-ups while waiting on tables”
“And when did I see You unhailed or unknown?”
With cheer from His throne, He regaled…
“When aiding the migrants, the pre-born, the trafficked And desperate refugees spared from near death Supporting hurt vets, you disabled my sadness Your foster care spared me from meth”
“And when did I serve You unclothed or unwarm?”
With zeal like a storm, He disclosed…
“By purchasing work boots your friend couldn’t afford Crocheting bright hats for those neighbors in need By skipping the bar to give more to the poor And serving at S.V.D.P.” *
“And when did I see You uncared for; unwell?”
Then swelling with joy, He declared…
“Distressed with dementia, you’d answer my queries Over and over and over again When sick, you would visit; we’d watch that fun series Post-relapse, you sponsored Me, friend”
I begged, “Oh my King, I have just one more plea…
“When did I see You unfree, stuck in jail?”
His tale, with eyes beaming, I heeded…
“When thrown in the clink, you assailed me with visits Enduring with love countless forms; safety quizzes The darkness gave way to the faith you awakened Your calls proved I wasn’t forsaken”
Before I woke up, I spoke upone last time
“You’ve told me the ‘when’, Sir, but how ’bout the ‘how’?”
“Just how was I able to see You unfed? Unquenched and unwatered? Unknown and unhailed? And how could I notice you naked; unwarm? Unwell and unfree, stuck in jail?”
Undignified-like, the King sprang to His feet
And sang with elation, arms widening
“The ‘breaking of bread’ drew your eyes to My Host Exposing my face all around you Of the care you bestowed on so many, I’ll boast Through prayer, streams of love would surround you
“So enter My Kingdom made ready Already within you it’s bursting Long hence, you made room Your own gloom reversing Rehearsing for living and loving post-hearse
In My last-are-first
Lost-and-found
Least-of-these
Upside-down
Kingdom” ** *****
Matthew 25:31 (NIV) “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’”
*St. Vincent de Paul Society
**Matthew 21:31: “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.”
NB. Blessed Archbishop Fulton Sheen said that at the judgment before our Lord we will be disappointed with ourselves but also surprised at how much we have loved Him!
Sprawled out on grass, my pal and I stared skyward, analyzing Snugly dandwiched ‘tween the green and blue The impish clouds performed their acrobatics, mesmerizing I pointed up, “A Horse! I mean, a shoe!”
When ended that, up sat my friend and asked, “Will heaven be boring?” Tried keeping calm, but couldn’t, not one bit My inner eyes had pierced the skies to realms of light outpouring Therefrom, the unseen rays my face up lit
“Will heaven be boring?” he stated again Elated, I grinned, “Um, yes! That is, if..
“Not bland or monotonous?” he cautiously blustered Smiling, I mustered, “No way! Unless…
“Michelin” dining; “Grand vin” wining Story sharing; laughing; caring Friendship making, gift exchanging, etc….
Are monotonous!”
“Won’t it be passively static?” he asked Ecstatic, I laughed, then cried, “O no, if…
Kingdom-building; brick road-gilding
Thanking, praising, Love-embracing
For the hellbound, interceding, etc.…
Are not passive!”
“We’ll never feel badly or lonely, I reckon!” “Heck no!” I said gladly, “with umpteen new friends, like… Eve and Adam, garden-tending Noah, bird and boa-nesting Sarah, heavenly hostess-training Jacob, coaching angel-wrestling Paul and Peter, stories; teaching Forbears, Saints and angel fleets Loved ones saved by grace outreaching
She whose prayer all snares defeat Mother, Queen; with care she’ll mind us
Last to mention (but not least) The One, Who’ll from our tears, unblind us…”
“You see, my friend? All loneliness and pain unseen– O Glory Be!-
Will be…
… deceased!”
We started hiking; neither heard the striking Parson’s bell Well lost in thought of celestial locales Is Larson’s “Far Side” heaven just as silly as Larson’s hell? (1) Heav’ns Yes! We’d glimpsed a Glory plain unboring
We’d felt a good despair that earthbound hopes could quell that pain That ache which points toward a higher story We’ll claim that tale in tandem since unclouded hope is gained By boldly looking heavenward… …As pals
“Two roads” diverge throughout each day (1) Of death to self, or selfishness A mystic from Mount Carmel’s way (2) About these roads has much to say To train us all in lasting happiness
This champion of the Cross advises To choose the roads “to life” though thorn’d* To shun the widened roads, is wisest But loud and sharp the flesh-cry rises Steep and prickling paths by all are scorned
To borrow from a ‘Frosty’ bard To pick the trails “less traveled by” Makes “all the difference”, though so hard Christ’s narrow way is gain, regard To tread the Master’s steps, there treasures lie
So give your friend the final word And sprint, not slink, the extra mile* Give ear to folks most leave unheard Who heist your time (your plans deferred) Make light this Cross: see Christ in them and smile
Your preferences let others steal Relieve their pains; their burdens bear For only string-less love can heal The wounds they may not see, but feel Such love transmits the Bridegroom’s balm and care
These higher roads will end in vain Without the alchemy of prayer That turns to grace the offered pains Denying self with Him Who reigns * The diff’rence such roads make?
Beyond compare
*****
(1) Poem inspired by Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken” (link) and by certain words of Jesus Christ oft quoted by St. John of the Cross (2) St. John of the Cross *Quotes from Jesus in the Gospels
The “Beatific Vision”? Or worm and flame eternal? (Mk. 9:48) The intended joy of sainthood? Or rebelhood infernal? Rejoicing all together? Or gnashing teeth alone? (Lk. 13:28) God’s paradise regained? Or misery full-blown?
Toward one of two destinies all folks are going Consider the path that you’re on! What’s it showing? Is heaven’s light shining through all of your deeds? The “spade” of repentance uprooting sin’s weeds?
Is Christ living in you to further heav’n’s goals, The glory of God and salvation of souls? Do poor and oppressed ones through you find a voice? Your destiny starts here and now! What’s your choice?
Will we be surprised, or not? When meeting God above He says the man we helped by placing food in his torn glove Was God’s own self in human form with every pain thereof (Mt. 25) ‘Twas Christ disguised in reeking rags and begging for our love (Jn. 19:28)
Will we be surprised, or not? When meeting Christ the Lord He gratefully reveals that hidden ‘neath the suff’ring faces Of folks we visited at home or psychiatric ward, ‘Twas His own Face! Still pleading from His Cross in countless places (Col. 1:24)
Will we be surprised, or not? When meeting Christ our God We then discover that each soul We served unshrinkingly Was His live image: poor, unhoused, un- fed, unborn, unshod He’ll look into our eyes and say, “You did those things for Me” (Mt. 25)
But Christ has also promised that for Needs we would NOT meet For folks we would NOT serve (or, at least pray for with concern) “What you did not do for these least, you did not do for me” At last, the fire of God’s love Will either thrill… or burn
Rhymes for the Rejoiceful 