Greetings everyone!
At long last, a brand new poem for you to read. “Palms” is specifically for the commencement of Holy Week, though of course it can be read at any time. I had hoped to use it for a Local Group meeting of the Third Order, Society of St. Francis, which had to be cancelled in view of the current lockdown due to Covid-19.
However, it can be read alongside “Road” which can be found in Part One of “Triduum”. I had hoped to use the poems in tandem to signify a triumphant road to Jerusalem, which would later result in a road out of that city to Calvary. Although Calvary could appear to some to be a defeat, it was in fact the greatest victory in human history, and the climax of salvation history on earth. Maybe you might like to use the poems as a reflection this Holy Week? I’ll leave that up to you. In the meantime, here it is:
PALMS
(Based on Matt 21: 1-11, Luke 19: 28-44 & Zech 9: 9-10)
A holy pilgrimage to celebrate
The Hebrew Passover, and to recall
When the Angel of Death, in days long past
In Egypt’s foreign land, which had become
A hostile snare, ruled by oppressive hands,
Struck down the first-born of Egyptian birth.
The blood of lambs that pleaded to the skies,
For death’s dark angel to pass over all
The Israelites, did spare their lives, so that,
Spared from the striking down of the first-born
And from the cruel Egyptian tyranny,
Went to a Promised Land flowing with milk
And honey, this was their inheritance
As promised to their forefathers which now
From Yahweh’s hand was given unto them.
But now, a Lamb, unblemished, made His way
With his disciples to that holy place
Jerusalem, in preparation for
A sacrifice most holy which would take
Once and for all the sins of humankind
Away from Yahweh’s presence and to free
Us all from the captivity of sin.
At Bethphage two disciples were sent by
The Lamb of God to a village where they
Would find a donkey as yet unridden
And which was needed by the Lamb of God
To mark His entry to Jerusalem.
This was to fulfil prophecy foretold
By Zechariah, that the Daughter of
Zion would see her king that comes unto
Her, gentle and riding upon a beast
Of burden, on a colt, a gentle foal.
And He, the king, would scatter chariots
Of Ephraim, and war-horses put to flight
Out from Jerusalem, and He would break
The battle-bow and so proclaim peace to
The nations, His rule would extend to all,
From sea to sea, and mighty Euphrates
Unto the ends of all the earth. But now
The journey He now makes upon the colt.
No stranger is He to the gentle beast
For yet, by paradox, the first journey
Unknown would have been to Him, for He was
At that time, being carried in the womb;
In secret did he lie until his birth
Was proclaimed, now the path to death He rode
To make a temple dwelling in the hearts
Of humankind who would but welcome Him
To stay and sup with Him and He with them.
Yet great there was a crowd that had gathered
To welcome Him, a noise of rejoicing
And acclamation, hailing Him as once
The psalmist said: “Blessed is He who comes
In the name of the Lord! Hosanna in
The highest!” So they shouted, laying down
Their cloaks upon the ground. Yet others climbed
The trees to cut the branches down and lay
The branches mingled with the cloaks to make
A royal carpet of lush verdancy
Majestic road unto Jerusalem!
Alas poor city, you were unable
To recognise the man from Galilee
Your eyes were blinded to the prophecy
Of Zechariah, foretold long ago
Now fulfilled before you. Before the gates,
The Lamb of God, with sorrow in His heart,
Broke down and wept, mindful was He of what
The prophet had foretold concerning peace,
But now it was hidden from them and they
Would be ensnared, hemmed in from every side,
Their enemies would dash them to the ground,
Not one would be spared, all would be cut down
Who lived within the walls of that city.
Jerusalem itself would be destroyed,
A scattering of stones upon the ground,
A memory of what once was but would
No more be, human blindness to the Lord’s
Coming among them. Thus the Lamb’s entry
Was not of palms and branches made, rather
Of human cruelty yet which would take
Away the consequences of sin and
Restore us in the sight of Him who made
And loves us. Blessèd be His name for all
Time and for evermore. Amen. Amen.
Copyright 2020 Peter Thompson TSSF.
Dominus-Iesus-est 