Not for the fingers And not for the eyes, I was made to distract you Away from the skies.
Author Archives: Br. Francis Maluf, M.I.C.M.
The Poor Man’s Response
O Prince of the realm of happiness and mirth! Who reigns unseen in gentle majesty; O Lord and God of all in heaven and earth, That is or was and all that ever shall be.
Appreciation
All the stars Must shine on high To make the sky.
The Sky
O, Dear God why so much sky? The birds don’t need that much to fly, And far less is more than fills the eye.
Learning Unreality
You have read and read and read some more, History, fiction, science, lore,
Saint Joan of Arc
O valiant maiden of Orleans, Leader in armies, model for heroines, Inspirer of kings and queens; O heaven instructed shepherdess
A Translation of “Mon Chant d’Aujourd’hui”
My life is just one instant, one passing hour. My life is just a moment, that skips and runs away.
The Poets
Let not the poets fool us, They do not fly; they climb. For even were they birds of flight, Their wings are struck in lime.
Virtue and Religion
Virtue is the science Of how not to annoy. Religion is the art Of how to suffer with Joy. From Divine Alchemy
Apostrophe to Saint Joseph
(whose name means ‘increase’) Blessed are you, O man of benediction May the treasures you guard be ever multiplied. God the Father to you, his Son entrusted, God the Son, his Mother, the Holy Ghost, his Bride. Joseph, the keeper … Continue reading
The Prayer of the Gerasenes
The Gerasenes certainly Know how to pray In polite dignity and Solemn display,
Andalusian
Oh! What glory I have seen in your eyes! Oh! What beauties you have made me realize! I shall see you with the flowers of heaven I shall meet you in the courts of Paradise.
The Versifier
I cannot run the open mile It puts me out of breath. I consider skiing parties As the close approach of death.
The Heart
Whence come those anguished works of art, Those songs of man’s distress? You find the secret in our heart, That entity of restlessness; The heart that is meant to be on fire Whose death is just to be cold; The … Continue reading
Eucharist
This is the dew which falls from heaven To bring God’s life to earth.