“Cold as it was, he stood there a long time. The color of it moved something in him long forgotten. Make a list. Recite a litany. Remember.”
"The Road," Cormac McCarthy
He lit the small votive candle at the offertory
Pressing his prayer into the light of God.
The Mass over, the Church dark, but
Being in the Octave of Christmas,
The lights on the trees flanking the altar
Illumined the Holy darkness nearby.
Time gone; his mind rushed back
Through the years to a small child
Laughing, extending her arms,
Wanting to be tossed into the air
And caught again.
Laughter and the pine scent of the tree
Swirled round him as he studied the
Dancing candles before him.
Crossing himself he rose and stared
At the helpless body on the Cross
Behind the altar.
The corpus limp, the head drooping
Towards the left shoulder, but the
Eyes alive, peering through the ages
To the promise of hope.
Turning, he pulled his neck scarf tight,
Zipped up his jacked and strolled
Into the eternal and every Holy Night
Comforted that through it all,
He would still keep the light.
The Epiphany is one of my favorite days in the Christmas season. Wise men, following stars, avoiding political intrigue to come to worship the Messiah. Men of science bending to the gravitational pull of faith. I hope you enjoy this little piece! And as we enter “ordinary time” as my Church calls it, I wish all of you a fantastic 2025. I, for one, was not sad to put 2024 into the history books…though not sure what will be said by those that will follow us. Thanks again for subscribing and reading.
Happy New Year!