other deepening places
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Once again I draw from the rich collection of poems on the Art and Theology website for tonight’s post. The reminder of the humanity of this divine moment in time, specifically surrounding Mary, Joseph, and the Christ child, kindles a more fervent faith in me. This REALLY HAPPENED! It’s not just some lofty story in…
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Brilliant! That’s all I can say about this wonderful juxtaposition of an ordinary, selfless act of love on behalf of the powerless performed by Cardinal Konrad Krajewski and the work of Jesus Christ, the Word of God made flesh on behalf of all humanity. My wife and I wept as I read it aloud over…
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In looking for a Christmas-themed short story for my AP English Literature class, I came across Art & Theology’s post from November 22, 2022: “25 Poems for Christmas.” What a fantastic collection it is! Of course, their first poem from Wendell Berry’s collection of Sabbath poems remains one of my favorites. I referenced it here…
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Tonight, in the search for my copy of Edith Hamilton’s Mythology, serendipity led me to my copy of Philip Terman’s Our Portion: New and Selected Poems published in 2015. Sometimes we forget the gifts we have sitting on our shelves or within miles of our home. Years ago, I invited Philip Terman to speak to…
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If you haven’t read yesterday’s post, you won’t fully appreciate what Wendell Berry offers in this haikuesque poem of just three lines. Come away from modernity to be still enough to catch this passing moment before the looming shadows of daily life hide, once again, the extraordinary deepening grounds waiting in plain sight. XX (2012)…
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Flipping through my copy of Wendell Berry’s This Day: Collected & New Sabbath Poems, I found myself drawn to the poems that conclude the volume, echoes of the Mad Farmer filling the pages. Try as I might to find a softer piece for this post, I kept returning to this poem and the haunting refrain,…
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Moving into a new week, I find Mary Oliver’s poetry rich with invitations to live life more fully, to deepen in the places where we have been planted, and to radiate joy in the midst of suffering, remembering our part in the glorious tapestry of life. I almost packed a few poems into this post,…
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Nursing a rough case of writer’s block. Summer has been full (as always), and time to write and reflect upon all that’s happened or sit in the still of a quiet day and just soak in the moment has been rare indeed. My mind has turned towards teaching, selecting new works to share with my…
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Midsummer passed without much fanfare. Yet for me, it’s a harbinger of late summer and the beginning of another school year. Like nearly every summer, the days flit by without much structure, despite attempts to bring order to the wonderful chaos, and now I begin to feel that growing sense of unpreparedness. I haven’t even…
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Savoring the pace of summer here at home with my family! Sure, there are projects that need to be addressed such as the “new” doors that need to be stained from the addition we put on back in 2020. I need to touch up the rust spots on the van and the garlic needs to…
the deepening ground 