Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
Carolyn GrassiJuly 30, 2001

The war blew out your stained glass windows
and tore the infant from your arms. Now the dove’s

 

wide wings beat again above your heart. Reds
brighten the background of your dark blue dress.

Yellow and green trees dance. Palm leaves
breathe by your side. Chagall has given you

an ordinary chair to be your throne. On this,
the eve of the Assumption, the last rays of sunlight

flood the vestibule as Peruvian flute music
mixes with bells echoing across the city.

A blind woman in a simple flowered dress grips
the pew. “Yahweh,” she sings, “you know me

when I lie down, and when I stand.” She whispers
the words that will change bread and wine

into Christ’s body and blood. Slowly
she makes her way toward the sanctuary,

touching the raised edge of each pew. Her face
is radiant as she turns to leave, singing

the final hymn, reminding me of the way
I used to be for the God who would be mine.

Carolyn Grassi 

Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.

The latest from america

A Homily for Easter Sunday, by Father Terrance Klein
Terrance KleinMarch 27, 2024
As Catholics around the world observe Holy Week, the hosts of “Inside the Vatican,” Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell, take a look at Pope Francis’ Holy Week plans.
Inside the VaticanMarch 27, 2024
A Reflection for Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord, by Sam Sawyer, S.J.
Sam Sawyer, S.J.March 27, 2024
Catholics: Think twice before you bury poor St. Joseph upside down in your front lawn when trying to sell your house.
Simcha FisherMarch 27, 2024