"At this time in human events
The world is going through
'Her change of life.'
In this period of vast dislocation
Words are violent!
Some call it treason
Some call it freedom
Some say it's calvary
Some say it's Easter
No one says it's easy.
Damned if you do
Damned if you don't
Insecurity is a fact of life
And everyone is caught
in the cross fire of rage
In the middle of free-floating hate.
Something has died
No one knows what!
Something is born
With difficult birth!
The faithful have scattered
To cover their hurt
Each to his own fall-out shelter
Everyone is to blame
Except the one who is to blame
God:
He is the one who has brought us out
Into this desert to die!
Or to trust!
Despite the creeds we mouth
Despite the prayers we say out loud
We are wary of what He is doing to us
By all He has let happen to us
And gingerly we follow
where He leads us
Covering our tracks
In case we want to come back.
Like a teenager the whole human race
Is being dragged screaming
To our adult place
In a world come of age.
Tell the fishers of men
The good times have come
Their God is too small
The ballgame has changed
Another brand of saint
Is sought
With soul that is world size
This cut of man is
not too large to live
He is happy washing feet
A loving servant
Who serves God's underworld
All he knows is that he doesn't know
All that is meant by what is said
He will never claim to understand
What men mean by what men do!
Yet indeed, it is a different kind of day
When we wake up to find
Our times up to something great
Around the world
Again shall rise
The loud laugh of hope
That comes from faith in something
Greater than ourselves.
We shall live again
Like children playing
Accepting total joy
As our destined lot
We shall feel again love
come alive in everyone.
The world will be the same
Yet living here will be different.
We will celebrate in wild fiesta
The promises already made
The promises already kept.
Our blood will boil again
with gusto for a world saved.
We will dance together in the streets
And sing together in our parks.
When once again the impossible is real
Then again shall awe and wonder reign
Fascination and surprise
Excitement will invade
The churches
jumping up and down in the pews
Waltzing in the aisles.
Cynics will melt to smiles
'Til tears run down their cheeks
We will be saved from ourselves
When we realize we are already saved
All we have got to do
Is celebrate!
And so:
And so:
The world waits,
Some for Godot!
Some for the Second Coming!
Oh! reader of words
Whoever you are
A word to remember
Is Easter!"
(Joe McCarthy, Papal Bulls and English Muffins, Paulist Press, 1974)
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