Liturgical Entanglements

David Russell Mosley

• Publisher: Resource Publications
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN: 9781666737004, 9781666796025
• eBook ISBN: 9781666796032
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Rituals & Practice

In the church year, in prayer, in liturgy we find a comingling of time and eternity. Without leaving our experience of time, we somehow, mystically, enter into God's eternity. And God, without leaving his eternity, has entered into our time. The poems in Liturgical Entanglements seek to engage with these strange realities. Starting with Advent, the sonnets in this collection look to both the human and the divine, everyday occurrences, and the spiritual realities that uphold all of reality. Read these poems as prayers and let them help you see the world around you in a new way.

Mysteries of the Rosary

Glorious Mysteries

“Resurrection”

A poor man buried in a rich man’s tomb behind

A stone so large there are few who could move it.

Guarded by soldiers as though they feared the Wind

Might blow the body away and so remove it.

But on that Sunday morning the angels rolled

The stone to let the Living Man walk out.

Death had made an attack that was too bold,

His forces recoiled like an army in a rout.

Like snow in the Spring, Death’s power melted away,

Melted into water that lets the seeds

Once dead now spring to life and blossom and play.

They drink the water and on the Sun they feed.

The Son of Man and Son of God is risen,

And he has made a palace of our prison.

“Ascension”

For forty days the risen Lord went feasting,

Even cooking breakfast for his apostles.

But then the day arrived for his ascending,

And he blessed his friends, his dear disciples.

He had to go prepare a place for us,

A place he will bring at his returning.

Somehow he will, that day, transform our dust

Into a life of infinite enduring.

But we needn’t look up to see where he has gone,

For he has gone beyond both time and space.

Instead we must look into our hearts for his throne,

For that is where he made his resting place.

We take him with us throughout the entire world,

And preach the Good News of the living Word.

“Descent”

He ascended to send down the Spirit,

The Paraclete, the Helper for his siblings.

The Hidden Fire descended and appeared

As tongues of flame that set the people trembling.

They breathed in the Spirit then breathed out the Word,

Speaking in the tongues of all the nations

To spread the news of Christ to all the world,

And offer everyone eternal salvation.

So why do I still hide myself away,

Acting like this belongs to someone else?

Lead me through the fear and show me the way

To bring the Truth to others and to myself.

Descend on me, sweet Spirit from above,

And lead me to the final sphere of Love.

“Assumption”

An old woman on her deathbed tells

Her friends and family that the...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• Introit
• Advent
• Christmas
• Lent
• Triduum
• Easter
• Ordinary Time
• Stations of the Cross
• The Planets
• Mysteries of the Rosary