This seems appropriate right about now, a Lament for Our Lady's Shrine at Walsingham:
In the wracks of Walsingham
Whom should I choose
But the Queen of Walsingham
to be my guide and muse.
Then, thou Prince of Walsingham,
Grant me to frame
Bitter plaints to rue thy wrong,
Bitter woe for thy name.
Bitter was it so to see
The seely sheep
Murdered by the ravenous wolves
While the shepherds did sleep.
Bitter was it, O to view
The sacred vine,
Whilst the gardeners played all close,
Rooted up by the swine.
Bitter, bitter, O to behold
The grass to grow
Where the walls of Walsingham
So stately did show.
Such were the worth of Walsingham
While she did stand,
Such are the wracks as now do show
Of that Holy Land.
Level, level, with the ground
The towers do lie,
Which, with their golden glittering tops,
Pierced once to the sky.
Where were gates are no gates now,
The ways unknown
Where the press of peers did pass
While her fame was blown.
Owls do scrike where the sweetest hymns
Lately were sung,
Toads and serpents hold their dens
Where the palmers did throng.
Weep, weep, O Walsingham,
Whose days are nights,
Blessings turned to blasphemies,
Holy deeds to despites.
Sin is where Our Lady sat,
Heaven is turned to hell,
Satan sits where Our Lord did sway --
Walsingham, O farewell!
The Cure D'Ars said England would return to its former glory, and he knew a thing or two.
Salve,
LSP
England can return to the breast of Holy Mother Church, as the Cure D'Ars fortold, but only if we get more Urban-ish popes than Frances popes.
ReplyDeleteAnd, looking it up, the good Cure, known for out-talking the Devil himself, would be a fascinating story to put out in a film format, but it's only available as a French-only film on Region 2 DVD so there goes that.
Wife and I have been building up our 'faith' library of DVDs for the last couple years. There's always yet another thing our Church never taught us. Understandable for her as she came from Church of Christ (an insular cultish church...) and then Judaism before she turned Catholic for me. But I grew up in the Church and my instruction was boring and full of the same stupid things every year from 1st grade till 10th grade.
Never heard about the simple priest who prayed so hard he floated (yes, Joseph of Cupertino, there's a movie with Ricardo Montalban as a doubting priest.)
Never heard about the Blessed St. Dunnes, who successfully argued for the Virgin Mary to be recognized for her greatness and holiness.
Never heard of the saints who stood up to and suffered under the Nazis, or the ChiComs, or all the other oppressive regimes.
Never heard about the greatness and suffering of Vlad Tepes, who is a true martyr of Christianity. And did some fabulous decorating of his borders.
Never heard about The Virgin of Guadalupe, which is quite a fairy-tail, but true.
I was robbed of the greatness of Christianity by my lessers.