Nov 14 – Mary Oliver “making the house ready for the Lord”

Tuesday,  November 14

After some wet and gray days, today just knocks me out with classic November sun on crisp November air.  Mary Oliver writes of buttoning down for winter’s coming.  Her poem is all about welcoming improbable visitors into one’s life.

I missed yesterday — my new MacBook pro only got operational (thank you Mark Paulik) last night.  Very sweet to have a fresh working system.

I’ll be flying to Santa Clara tomorrow, so no post then.  One more post one day this week, I hope.   Next week back to normal until Christmas break.

john st sj

 

Today’s Post,  “Making the House Ready for the Lord”

Dear Lord, I have swept and I have washed but

still nothing is as shining as it should be

for you. Under the sink, for example, is an

uproar of mice – it is the season of their

many children. What shall I do? And under

the eaves

and through the walls the squirrels

have gnawed their ragged entrances – but it is

the season

when they need shelter, so what shall I do?

And the raccoon limps into the kitchen and

opens the cupboard

while the dog snores, the cat hugs the pillow;

what shall I do? Beautiful is the new snow falling

in the yard and the fox who is staring boldly

up the path to the door. And still I believe

you will

come, Lord: you will, when I speak to the fox,

the sparrow, the lost dog, the shivering

sea-goose, know

that really I am speaking to you whenever I say,

as I do all morning and afternoon: Come in,

Come in.

 

Mary Oliver

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