Poetry

The power and beauty of religious poetry - Cast fear behind thee, I am come!

Marion and Delia Craig

Contents - Jun 2004 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Pentecost: As it was in the beginning ... - Michael Gilchrist Abortion: 'Pro-choice' issue emerges in US presidential campaign - Michael Gilchrist News: The Church Around the World Marriage: Statistics highlight the precarious state of marriage and family - AD2000 REPORT Theology of the Body: Why the silence on the Church's moral teachings? - Audrey Dillon Society: Why Chesterton is needed now more than ever - Dale Ahlquist Education: Chavagnes en Paillers: a Catholic college with a Catholic culture - Paul Russell The importance of beauty in the Liturgy - Christopher Pearson Poetry: The power and beauty of religious poetry - Star-Life, Identikit, Ministers - Bruce Dawe Poetry: The power and beauty of religious poetry - Cast fear behind thee, I am come! - Marion and Delia Craig Letters: New Liturgy document (letter) - John Schmid Letters: Disrespect (letter) - John Casamento Letters: Behaviour at Mass (letter) - Michael Ryan Letters: Options (letter) - Maryse Usher Letter: Signs of hope (letter) - Daniel Attard Letters: Priestly vocations (letter) - Monsignor Robert Egar Letters: The Passion - Suffering (letter) - Dr Arnold Jago Letters: The Passion - Not overdone (letter) - Monique Onezime Letters: The Passion - No ordinary man (letter) - Jony Joordens Letters: Faith and reason (letter) - John Kelly Letters: Gospel Dating - The Jesus Papyrus (letter) - Paul R. Smith Letters: Media Standards Australia (letter) - Denise Den-Bakker Letters: Name changes? (letter) - Frank Mobbs Letters: US Survey (letter) - Errol P. Duke Letters: Catholic books (letter) - Frank Carleton Events: Window Shopping for Non-Catholics - Fr Paul Newton Books: The Free Press, by Hilaire Belloc - John Ballantyne (reviewer) Books: The Outline Of Sanity, by G.K. Chesterton - Peter Westmore (reviewer) Books: Catharine With An 'A', by Edna Keir - Joan Graham (reviewer) Books: Looking Again at the Question of the Liturgy, Reform of the Reform? - Paul Russell (reviewer) Books: More new titles for 2004 from AD Books Reflection: The Holy Spirit: like a bed for the weary traveller - Fr Leo Duck

Poetry, like other art forms, has the power to inspire us spiritually through its beauty and insights. The following religious poems possess these qualities.

The first three (here) are by one of Australia's foremost poets, Bruce Dawe, who has been a regular contributor to this journal and has had several of his collections published. The other two (below) were written by Melbourne-based sisters, Marion and Delia Craig, whose religious poems have appeared regularly in 'AD2000' since its beginning.

Cast fear behind thee, I am come!

Sits Lucretia heavy hearted
'Mid her spinning maids, when lo!
Stands her Lord with words of greeting.
"Pone metum, Venio!"

Ah, those words hold richer meaning
Than the antique heart could know,
Fearing, longing, and delivered.
"Pone metum, Venio!"

All creation groans and travails,
Now as in that long ago,
For one hope and one redemption.
"Pone metum, Venio!"

And the Christian soul with longing
Knows the clouds of fear and woe
Bear the Lord Who cometh quickly.
"Pone metum, Venio!"

Delia Christian Craig

* * *

Lord shall I feel afraid?

Yet Thou, O God, art kinder than cold man
I grasp Thy living hands in my utter fear
Their palms and wrists punctured by a nail's span.
In the sickening throb of tortured nerves that seer
Thy hallowed Heart: deep dug, indelible, Lord,
Compassionate and strong, O gentle Lord,
Thus Thou wilt be at death's dawn, stark and terrible.
If but I cry, call, cling and wait thy word.
It will be different in the latter hour;
A sword* across Thy lips, Thy garments white
As sun-shot snows in dread and splendid power,
Thou descend to scan and sift aright.
Then, when I creep from mine earth's quivering shade
Up in these hands - Lord, shall I feel afraid?

* Apocalypse Chap xxx Verse 15
The Apocalypse Christ out of whose mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword.

Marion Constance Craig

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 17 No 5 (June 2004), p. 12