{"id":1655,"date":"2015-12-18T00:00:06","date_gmt":"2015-12-18T05:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/mission-and-identity\/?p=1655"},"modified":"2019-09-18T16:49:04","modified_gmt":"2019-09-18T20:49:04","slug":"dec-18-4-days-til-solstice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/poetry\/2015\/12\/18\/dec-18-4-days-til-solstice\/","title":{"rendered":"Dec 18 – 4 days til Solstice"},"content":{"rendered":"

Friday December 18 \u00a0– \u00a0\u201cto ease attention off when overtight”<\/strong><\/p>\n

We are 4 days out from the winter solstice, the shortest day, the sun rising as far south as it gets before turning round to begin its 6 months march of sun rises across the eastern horizon to the summer solstice, the longest day. \u00a0 But that\u2019s for the future. \u00a0Now is a season to treat the dim light of long nights with respect. \u00a0 Robert Frost writes about dim light as an essential need. \u00a0Here is his poem, posted to celebrate this time in our year, and this specific day when many of us at the university treat our students to our care about the quality of their intellectual achievements, grading papers time. \u00a0 \u00a0{Note: \u00a0when Frost writes \u201cmore divine than any bulb or arc\u201d he refers to arc lights and light bulbs. \u00a0Arc lights were the first economically feasible source of electrical power based artificial light. \u00a0Immensely bright, they hurt your eyes to look at and so were hard to manage. \u00a0Hard to breathe around them too, they gave off what people often called \u201cnoxious fumes.\u201d \u00a0Back in 1875, though, people thought of them as the march of progress. \u00a0 R Frost had another idea, as poets often do.}<\/p>\n

Have a great weekend.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

john sj<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Post: \u00a0\u00a0Robert Frost \u201cThe Literate Farmers and the Planet Venus\u201d<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

Here come the stars to character the skies,
\nAnd they in the estimation of the wise
\nAre more divine than any bulb or arc,
\nBecause their purpose is to flash and spark,
\nBut not to take away the precious dark.
\nWe need the interruption of the night
\nTo ease attention off when overtight,
\nTo break our logic in too long a flight,
\nAnd ask us if our premises are right<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

O Antiphon # 2 \u00a0– “O Adonai”<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cO Lord above and ruler of the house of Israel,
\nwho appeared to Moses in the flaming bush,
\nwho gave the Law to him on Mt Sinai
\nComel and save us with your strong arm\u2019s reach.<\/p>\n

\"Die<\/a><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Post: \u00a0\u201cO Adonai\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

To listen to the Antiphon sung in Gregorian Chant<\/strong><\/p>\n