Category Archives: prayer

At the intersection, revisited

Posted on July 10, 2022 by Rosalind C Hughes

Listening to this morning’s Gospel of the parable of the Good Samaritan, envisioning the steep and scary road from Jerusalem down to Jericho, I was moved to revisit also the intersection referenced in yesterday’s prayer poem, to seek hope in the mercy that Jesus related. Where is our mercy? Where is our hope? Continue reading →

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At the intersection

Posted on July 9, 2022 by Rosalind C Hughes

At the intersection of futility and ragehangs a monument to discord,its anthem the harsh horn punctuatedby arguments, epithets, and gunshots.It is not rooted in earth or tarmac,not rendered in stone or broken glass.You will breathe it unknowing in air hung … Continue reading →

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#GunstoGardens

Posted on June 29, 2022 by Rosalind C Hughes

Pistols into ploughshares Starve a fever, feed cold steel barrels into the forge Beneath scorched earth cool claythe kiln at earth’s core;creation’s heart of stone Beneath the concrete floorreverb of the hammer starts a rumour – revolution, evolution, healing – over the anvil, fever … Continue reading →

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He descended into hell

Posted on May 24, 2022 by Rosalind C Hughes

He ascended into heaven,and sitteth at the right hand of God … Thence shall he cometo judge the quick and the dead,he who sitteth at the righthand of God who sees the sparrowin flight and will not leta feather fall … Continue reading →

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Recognition

Posted on April 27, 2022 by Rosalind C Hughes

Resurrection plus ten:is the shock wearing off or setting in?That time when the child was lostthree days,three hours,three minutesthat were once a lifetimethen found; the heartdoes not readily recover;it skips each timethe beloved is seenor imagined from the cornerof a … Continue reading →

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Peter denies the Christ

Posted on April 11, 2022 by Rosalind C Hughes

Peter denies the Christ(John 18:1-27) Malchus It was dark. Smokefrom torches refused to rise, hung about the olives and our eyes,flames close to dying as though lightitself were loath to bear witness Servant girl It was cold;the kind of springmorning … Continue reading →

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The Friday Fast: Do not rush to Easter

Posted on April 8, 2022 by Rosalind C Hughes

Do not rush to Easter You may stumble over someone slowlycarrying their cross, might miss the quiet wordsof sacrifice: my body for you, my blood.Do not sleepwalk past the garden, where olive grovesgroan and dream of peace. Do not rush, … Continue reading →

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The Friday Fast: Sabbath

Posted on April 1, 2022 by Rosalind C Hughes

Sabbath Don’t kill time.Sit with it a little;wait for it to see you watching, slow its stride.Let it tell its story;it has been too longsince you had timeto listen. “Once,” says time,“I was at the beginningof every tale; wordswere built upon … Continue reading →

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The Friday Feast: Annunciation

Posted on March 25, 2022 by Rosalind C Hughes

We interrupt the Friday Fast series for the Feast of the Annunciation, the story itself of a glorious interruption … Annunciation What strange boldness to announce the Wordto his astonished Mother; Auden had it right,the falling star blitzing its way … Continue reading →

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The Friday Fast: But not consumed

Posted on March 18, 2022 by Rosalind C Hughes

Spare a prayer for the shrub living on cloudbursts and sand; the will of iron would not withstand the attentions of this living fire that melts the ground to glass and on it stands mirrored in its own image kindling … Continue reading →

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