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His Greatest Seal: Poems by the Rev. Francis Quintin-Arthur
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 The Triune God
Acclamation for you, my God, is apt,
Bounteous in mercy are you, and clement;
Consider, man, his forgiveness, how prompt!
Do we decipher how benevolent?
Each day your deep wisdom I contemplate,
For even if man, so frail, can create,
Gather, surmise and on it cogitate,
How great He who creates those who procreate.
Indeed, mortal man, how tiny you looked—
Judge for yourself what a trifling you were,
Kept discreetly in a womb and nourished,
Lulled with abundant celestial care.
Merrily you led me out to praise you,
Not with force but with absolute option.
O Father, if I withhold praises due,
Perverse should be my entire action.
Questioning my faith in you, I dare to
Rather that very faith goad on duly
So that in believing I may know you—
That, then, is wherefore I believe strongly.
Ungrateful man, trees, without cessation
Vociferate all His sweet attributes.
Winged creatures and the entire creation,
Xylophones, oboes, harpsichords, e’en brutes
Yell, and effecting this the quatrain break.
Zoe, Alpha and Omega, even mute stones, arise and shout!
I found something
I started to call it a “treasure”
But that was too weak a word—
Many of us call
“treasure”: watches, jewels and gems
Then I thought of “gift”
I felt it equally weak
Because very many things—
pins and needles and cars—
Are referred to as “gifts”
Then I thought of a word
One that can’t be shared
By gems and cars and men
It’s only a three-letter word
But it does say it all
The Word is God
On which creation itself waited
Send down your Spirit
To illuminate my mind
That I may the better know you
To shine forth your light
So the more clearly I may see you
To guide my steps aright
Avoiding crooked ways
To keep holding your hand
That I may feel the more secure
And that being so very close
I may be another you
For what use at all is it
To think, “I know,”
Without knowing you
To have sight
Without seeing your light
To walk about
And not walk with you
And to be able to touch
Without holding your hand
So as to always be with you
And learn to do the things you do
That my actions would reflect your ways
And my goal to spread your love
To share your divinity
With your Son and Holy Spirit
Is too great for my mind to fathom,
And that you are all mighty—
You alone can exist by yourself,
You really need no one to share anything with,
You alone are sufficient unto yourself.
But, Lord, you are one and you are three in one,
For your Son and Spirit share of your might,
And equally at that, Lord—how awesome!
If man had this unique power
He’d use egocentrically—just for himself
And would not share such wondrous might
With another being right here on this earth.
For, Lord, such great power is too delicate,
Too tough for mortal man to handle—
To will anyone to do anything at any time.
Lord, such power—what man would agree
To share in equal parts with others
With no fear of sabotage at any time?
Lord, no doubt you are Almighty God.
Such great joy to share this love
Is too lofty for my thinking.
Lord, your love, how very great!
I praise you, my God, my King and all
For the secret wonders of your works
They open wide mouths to sing your praise
Resounding throughout your earth below
Should my voice be melodious, Lord
I employ it to sing your praise
Be it even not that great a sound
I still make joyful noise to you, my God
So much have I talked of your wonders
I feel like singing them aloud
For those who may not have heard my speech
To respond to your praise with voices clear
You create all I see around
Just for the beauty of the earth
May all the earth sing to your praise
You made it be for mortal man
Flowing, flowing like a river
Into the heart
For that which flows is peace
Peace changeless
The immutability of divinity
Automatically balancing
Perfection unimaginable
And power boundless
Flowing like a river
Into loving hearts
Come,
O God’s Spirit
Master brain of all that is great
Enter my heart and dilate
Hurry, my belief to invigorate
Ordering the stony heart of mine to innovate
Leaving in me only Your renewed spirit to emulate
Your reputable deeds, O gift we most appreciate
So for Your wisdom do I supplicate
Put in me Your self to sublimate
Infinite Spirit, active and compassionate
Reigning with Father and Son incarnate
It is not late
Triune God, come
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