Their Quiet Company – Christian Poetry

Their Quiet Company

At first, I felt the warmth of an angel watching
So I surrendered to consolations gentle blessing
Then found Christ loves beyond a piece of bread
Time went by as I accepted this truth in my head

While Christmas Mass unfurled its actual intent
A table shared, now-not yet of what love meant
Light flickered and danced to move beyond a feel
Intellect let the community of saints become real

Imagination tricked above the cross but I believed
The moment a trigger for a lesson to be weaved
Clearly they delight in joining with us in the feast
Time intensified, their joy being noticed increased

Extraordinarily, around the altar they moved about
Belief turned to awe as they began to reach out
Dancing among their friends of flesh and blood
then fade away to go in faith to serve the Lord

I looked forward to every mass to see them play
quite shocked one day when they did not go away
They briefly stayed near until I left the walls behind
Amazed, I realized how far Church was redefined

Imagine how I felt to be awakened within their white
So they could pray with me before morning daylight
Bolder still they became as I glanced up at the office
to sense divinity in everything that I had not noticed

Courage asked in deep prayer for them to be with me
As you might guess, they now appear quite frequently
But there is more as I am not alone in this community
They want us to know they too want our quiet company

I have gotten used to virtually everything becoming triggers to see God’s action in my life.  In this case, I had been dealing with “Floaters” an age related phenomena of tiny pieces inside your own eye that break off and move around the fluid in your field of view.  I have to admit that these connections I make are sometimes a little farfetched but it is quite profound to pursue them from one reality to the next. I was feeling particularly close to God at Mass a couple of years ago when the floaters decided to make their appearance. I could not help but notice the significance of them being above the Cross.  Almost instantly I realized I was about to cross another boundary so I let it happen.  Logically, I came to the conclusion that the subtle whitish/blue background of the wall explained the physical contrast for the floaters to show up only there.

But then like in many things over time my intellect begins to soften the hard edges within these moments to let me sense God and all of divinity.  So many things began to become clear.  In Mass I am in a community of not just living beings, but all of God’s creation, all the precious souls past and present.  When I begin to let this thought drift into clarity it was easy to see that the community extends far past the walls of the Church well into the remainder of my life.  All I have to do is let it.  Their quiet company changes everything.

For further reflection: The Apostles’ Creed

Additional Thoughts about my Poetry

I believe my writing fits snugly into the category of grounded mystical Christian theology. I have studied, written, and spiritually and physically applied this practical concept in my life for nearly two decades. I have never seen or participated in what some might call a vision or phenomenon. However, I appreciate that they may be a reality for the person or group, and God has provided them with deep consolation. For me, consolation is the beginning of a two-way relationship with God.

My own experiences are more intellectual in nature because I lean toward engineering and science. The reality for me is that God is always present because we are his tabernacles. We constantly miss His surfacing of lighter than a feather touch because we are a physical people. We talk about opening our hearts to this love, but technically, our intellect gets in the way. I have been trying to prove this virtually every day for well over a decade by documenting what I believe are grounded mystical thoughts in various ways.

The tragedy of 9/11 was a significant transformative moment in my spiritual life because of a first hand experience. I am re-dedicating the thoughts and prayers associated with my Christian Poetry to all those affected.

Would you like to contribute related thoughts to these reflections of the contemplative material of this Web-based ministry? Do you see God’s grandeur everywhere and unconditionally enjoy sharing the love of Christ that you have inside? Are you willing to be anonymous in what you would share? If so, email me.

Prayer for young families:

Lord, let the young families of our communities get to know your joy, peace, comfort, and love despite the world’s distractions.

Attributions:

This site has written permission from New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) to use Bible passages.

This website follows the guidelines for image web use at the website of the Brooklyn Museum, the Jewish Museum and this Immersive Prayer website.

Peace,

Jerry