All day long I like fountain flow
From thy hand out, swayed about
Mote-like* in thy mighty glow.
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| Hopkins in his early years |
What I know of thee I bless,
As acknowledging thy stress
On my being and as seeing
Something of thy holiness.
Once I turned from thee and hid,
Bound on what thou hadst forbid;
Sow the wind I would; I sinned:
I repent of what I did.
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| Hopkins as a young priest |
Father, be thou reconciled.
Spare thou me, since I see
With thy might that thou art mild.
I have life before me still
And thy purpose to fulfil;
Yea a debt to pay thee yet:
Help me, sir, and so I will.
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| Hopkins in later years |
Me shew mercy from my heart
Towards my brother, every other
Man my mate and counterpart.
--Gerard Manley Hopkins, S.J., 1885
*speck-like
**should not be taken as a call to wallow in poor self-esteem; rather, this recognition of original sin helps us understand the lack of perfection in all of us and our need for God's forgiveness. We all want to go off our own ways, and we are not naturally altruistic and loving towards others.
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2 comments:
Happy new year to you!
Interested to read this of Hopkins; we all have to reach that "Bad am I", as you say, without staying there. The younger son in Luke 15 would rejoice to be suitable to the father in the best robe.
Hi, Dave! Thanks for visiting. Happy New Year back at ya!
I find the teaching of original sin comforting rather than depressing. We're in the same boat with St. Paul, who would have freely admitted it. The modern mind takes the admission of being an original sinner to a different place than intended. Indeed, medieval Europe did the same thing but for opposite reaons.
Anyway, hope your 2025 is blessed.
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