Nine o’clock: the host has not been put away.
The church decants its parishioners,
leaving the Saint-Sacrement unadored, trapped
in the wide-angled eye of its monstrance.
The priest forgot, distracted by the fire
in the presbytery, the church triathlon,
and social media posts of the diverting kind.
All night, God peers from his gilded case,
nothing to do but wait for morning
and soak up the prayers of the world—
Help me, Lord—I’m trapped in the boondocks,
in the city, in a sump of a marriage, in a toxic job,
in the clamp of debt, in sickness. Don’t forget me.—
then to be sheepishly rescued and, quite understanding,
wafted back to the ambry, safe in human hands.
Sin of Omission
Show Comments ()
The latest from america
The lie that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute persisted for centuries. A new play reclaims her story.
"Magdalene: I am the utterance of my name" is advocating for setting the record straight on one of Christianity’s most vital disciples.
This week on “Jesuitical,” Zac and Ashley struggle to resist the temptation to “type” each other as they learn about the Enneagram from Liz Orr, author of “The Unfiltered Enneagram: A Witty and Wise Guide to Self-Compassion.”
Keeping President Biden on the ballot is like telling voters: “Trust us. Don’t believe your eyes and ears.”
Many watching last night’s debate wondered if this was the end for Joe Biden. But I could not help but wonder if this was the end of presidential debates.