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Monday, April 20, 2020
4.12.2020
Thou Answerest Them Only with Spring
One of my all-time favorite poems (and one that I have had committed to memory since high school - thank you, Mrs. Parsons) is “O sweet spontaneous” by E.E. Cummings. This short poem is well worth a read, blocked out in Cummings’ distinctive style that almost tells you, visually, how to read it with the intended cadence. (You can read the whole thing here.) The gist of it, at least from my admittedly layman’s understanding, is that for all of our striving to understand the earth, nature, life, they remain so much a mystery to us. The only response we seem to get in answer to all our “pinching, poking, prodding, squeezing and buffeting,” Cummings concludes, is spring. The last line of the poem thus reads, “but true to the incomparable couch of death thy rhythmic lover thou answerest them only with spring.” Still faced as we are with this global pandemic, I have been thinking a lot about this poem, especially with the odd juxtaposition of the emergence of spring and the coming of Easter. This is a time of new life, of hope and of carefreeness, and yet we feel surrounded by death, despair and worry. If I may gently twist Cummings’ original meaning of this poem (as it was written in reference to the physical earth), and think of it for a moment in reference to God, I think God answers all of our present consternation with spring. And not just physical spring, but spiritual spring. Precisely in the midst of all our sorrow and anxiety, we see signs of hope and life: green tufts of grass, trees budding out, bright-breasted robins hopping about foraging for food. (If anything, we have all been more attentive in these past few weeks to the beauty of nature around us). We see an even greater appreciation for our common humanity and for life itself. We see examples of truly heroic love and a renewed desire among people to connect with one another and with God. We see, at least in some places, the “curve” beginning to bend, fewer instead of more cases being reported day to day, and the cautious reopening of places where this virus first began. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying we are “out of the woods” yet, especially here in Iowa (a couple of weeks, at least, it seems removed from the “waves” on both coasts). There may still be much more Calvary to endure before there is resurrection, but there is resurrection, and that is the point. To all who read this, know of my sincerest prayers for you and your loved ones in this time. As always, I think first and foremost of our students. And let us all be reminded, despite everything, that we are an “Easter people” and “Alleluia!” is our song. --Fr. Thom
Did you know Fr. Thom has a podcast? Fr. Thom and Megan Grady have started a podcast to discuss pop culture as well as topics regarding faith.
This Holy Week will certainly be different than any we've ever experienced; still we are invited to lean ever closer to the Lord. Take this week as an opportunity to unite the suffering of the world with the suffering of the Cross.
For a list of parishes in the Diocese of Davenport that will be live streaming Triduum Masses, clickhere.
Fr. Thom will be celebrating the Triduum and Easter Masses at St. Andrew's Church in Blue Grass. Those Mass times are listedhere.
An Easter message from Bishop Zinkula
Tune in to KALA on 88.5FM or click here at 12:00 noon on Sunday, April 12th to hear Fr. Thom celebrate the Easter Mass!
Give Us This Day:Give Us This Day has made available at no charge a digital file of their periodical, which includes daily Mass texts. Visit GUTD.net and select "Digital" in the upper right of the screen.
The Diocese of Davenport: The Diocese has been posting updates about how COVID-19 has affected the Diocese as well as spiritual care resources.
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The USCCB: The USCCB has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and suggested several online resources, live-streamed Masses, and prayers, especially seeking the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
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One of my all-time favorite poems (and one that I have had committed to memory since high school - thank you, Mrs. Parsons) is “O sweet spontaneous” by E.E. Cummings. This short poem is well worth a read, blocked out in Cummings’ distinctive style that almost tells you, visually, how to read it with the intended cadence. (You can read the whole thing 
