Poetry of Bridegroom & Bride
Do not draw back from My Love
A lone young shepherd lived in pain
withdrawn from pleasure and contentment,
his thoughts fixed on a shepherd-girl
his heart an open wound with love.
He weeps, but not from the wound of love,
there is no pain in such affliction,
even though the heart is pierced;
he weeps in knowing he’s been forgotten.
That one thought: his shining one
has forgotten him, is such great pain
that he bows to brutal handling in a foreign land,
his heart an open wound of love.
The shepherd says: I pity the one
who draws herself back from my love
and does not seek the joy of my presence,
though my heart is an open wound with love for her.
After a long time he climbed a tree,
and spread his shining arms,
and hung by them, and died,
his heart an open wound with love.
~ St. John of the Cross
Photo from Edenpics
A Nun is a Woman…
Powerty of God,
~ Catherine de Hueck Doherty
- Comments(11)
Prayer for Vocations
Ora pro nobis!
Ora pro nobis!
Ora pro nobis!
Ora pro nobis!
Ora pro nobis!
Ora pro nobis!
Ora pro nobis!
Ora pro nobis!
Ora pro nobis!
Ora pro nobis!
Ora pro nobis!
Ora pro nobis!
Ora pro nobis!
Ora pro nobis!
Ora pro nobis!
Dear Sister,
This poem is so lovely! Even thought I’m not a nun, I feel that I can relate to it in my own vocation. Do you mind if I reprint it on my blog (with a link to this post, of course)?
Of course you may! As you saw it is an inspiration of Catherine Doherty whom I admire very much.
I just visited your site last night – I was telling someone about what you are aspiring to…its great to see all the holy movements of the Spirit of God! God reward you for your response to His call in your life; it takes courage to put out into the deep waters!
Dear Sister, I too found this beautiful,it has really touched me and I would like to share it with our bloggers too if I may please?
We are an enclosed Benedictine community in England, I am a novice and we started our own blog last year. It is great to read your blog, I have been following the entries of your new postulants with joy, I pray for many blessings on them and your community,
Pax Sr Marie-Therese n.osb.
Hey Sister!
May I also be permitted to post this on my blog as well? My blog is design for young women discerning the call to religious life.
Pax and God Bless!
Kate
Praised be Jesus Christ!
Dear Kate – by all means, you may post this on your blog!
How wonderful to “meet you” another Hoosier discerning God’s radical call. It was a delight to visit your blog. I too love Bl. Elizabeth of the Trinity!
Ever considered a Passionist vocation??
May the spousal gifts mentioned in Hosea one day be yours.
Let us be united in His passion & Her sorrows,
Sponsa Christi
Hey Sister!
Thanks for letting me post the poem. I am glad you enjoyed my blog
…yes, Bl. Elizabeth of the Trinity is wonderful; I love her writings!…I did consider a Passionist vocation at one point in time but I think our Lord is calling me to be a Dominican and an active Sister…
May our Lord bless you and enfold you in His arms,
Kate
Dear Kate, that is wonderful news! We need all the Domincans we can get – to bring Veritas – Jesus who is Truth! – to our schools and society at large.
May God reward you for mentioning us on your blog and for listing ours. God bless you and Mary keep you close!
Sponsa Christi
Sister, Thank you for these poems and especially for the poems of St. Paul of the cross. I’m mentioning St. Paul’s poems on THIS page in hopes of interesting other readers in reading at least part of them.
SO:
To other readers of this page: On the page with some of the poetry of St. Paul of the Cross, I saw that no one has made any comments there, and I wondered if that means no one is reading it. So I’m mentioning it here (where apparently more readers visit!), hoping to interest you in it — It’s a real treasure! If you haven’t read it, check it out — the poetry is SUBLIME… certainly “rich food” for meditation and prayer.
Don’t be intimidated by the number of verses; each verse is a spiritual “GEM” and many of them can stand alone (as well as in context) in meaning and in the devotion expressed.
Blessed reading!
s.s.
When I was first considering the Catholic faith fifteen years ago, I bought John Michael Talbot’s album, “Heart of the Shepherd.” My favorite song on that album was “Young Shepherd.” I was enchanted from the very first moment that I heard it.
To make a long story short, I lost that album some years ago and have yearned to hear that song ever since. I finally downloaded the song this evening with i-Tunes. It still penetrates my heart like nothing else ever has because I know that I am the one who has so foolishly withdrawn myself from wound of love. Yet the Shepherd of my soul has so pitied me as to do the unimaginable in order to draw me to himself. If I can ever grasp the depth of that love, my soul will at last be free…
Peace and prayers, dear sisters.
Bruce Sullivan
Bruce, so good to hear from you! Have you heard of his album “The Lover and the Beloved”. A lot of the songs are the poetry of St. John of the Cross. Very inspiring! Hope all is well there! God’s peace.
Sister,
I have not heard that particular work of JMT, but I will definitely look for it.
It has been far too long since my family and I visited the Passionists at Whitesville. Please pray that another opportunity will be provided in the near future.
I’m already praying! The Lord give you all His peace.
Dear Sister,
I have just found your website and was very inspired by these poems. I’m eighteen and have been discerning religious life since I was twelve. I always thought I would be an active religious sister but in the past three months have been prompted to look into cloistered life more deeply. I don’t really have any clear idea where my life is going at this point, which is scary for me because I’ve always had a plan, but I just keep on trying my best to trust in God. I have been very touched by your blog and your spirituality really resonated with me. I hope to be in contact with you more as I continue to discern. God bless you many times over for saying yes to Him.
JMJ+
~Betsy
Totus tuus Maria! Let’s see what the good God wills.
Jesus bless you Betsy. May Our Lady guide your journey!
Your poetry is breathtakingly beautiful. We love it!
Sister -
I am assuming that the poetry is your own, finding its inspiration in the writings of Catherine Doherty. I seem to remember a quote from one of her books that I read long ago: “To fall in love with the crucified one is to be nailed to the other side of the cross for your wedding bed.” I’m not sure which book… That is a dominant theme for me right now. I am a perpetually vowed hermit under the Rule of Augustine, with very strong Passionist influences in my life. My profession ring is a crucifix ring, as is the ring of the Augustinian nuns in Lecceto, Italy.
God bless you in all you do!