Poetry

The Sermon at Templestowe

Bruce Dawe

Contents - Sep 2008 - Buy a copy now Editorial: World Youth Day 2008: the challenge ahead - Michael Gilchrist WYD08: World Youth Day 2008: what the media missed - Deborah Baker WYD08: Impressions of youth - Bridget Pati and Berni Sullivan WYD08: Faith: alive and well! - A pilgrim's progress - Catherine Sheehan WYD08: A reflection on WYD - Tim Cannon WYD08: Memories of homestay hosts - Emidio and Phyllis Restall News: The Church Around the World WYD08: Theology on Tap: young Catholics' response to relativism - Patrick Langrell The physical and mental scars of abortion - Charles Francis Foundations of Faith: Priesthood and the sacraments: Divine help for eternal salvation - Br Barry Coldrey Liturgy: No smoke without fire: Benedict XVI and true liturgical reform - David Birch Vatican: Restoration work completed near tomb of St Peter Letters: World Youth day (letter) - M. & L. MORRISSEY Letters: Courage of young Jozef Ratzinger (letter) - Frank Bellet Letters: Invaluable work of Anne Lastman (letter) - Errol Duke Letters: Moral equivalence (letter) - Leo McManus Letters: Abortion grief - Anne Lastman Letters: Buddha in church (letter) - E. Makaus Letters: Sex abuse apology (letter) - M.J. Gonzalez Letters: Vatican II (letter) - Frank Mobbs Poetry: The Sermon at Templestowe - Bruce Dawe Books: Saving Those Damned Catholics, by Judie Brown - Catherine Sheehan (reviewer) Books: THE WISDOM OF NAZARETH: Stories of Catholic Family Life - Siobhan Reeves (reviewer) Books: SAINT BENEDICT'S RULE: A New Translation for today, by Patrick Barry OSB - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Books: FAITH AND FIDELITY, by Anthony Meredith SJ - Michael Daniel Books: Books available from AD2000 Books Reflection: Archbishop Burke of St Louis: the responsibilities of a bishop - Archbishop Raymond Burke

The finest sermon that I ever heard
Was at a monastery once at Templestowe
- It wasn't just what was said, but every word
Pointed beyond itself the way to go ...

I couldn't if I saw him now be sure
if it was him at all (except to say
that in speaking he would open the self-same door
through which the Spirit entered on that day).

For what was said was simply like a cloak
Giving body to invisibility
(You knew he lived the life for which he spoke
And whose order thus had bound him to be free).

I imagine when the disciples heard Our Lord
Speak there was often then a similar sense
Linking the past in memorable accord
To the present and yet-to-be-lived-through future tense.

So, too, through time and flesh we've known the Word
speak as it said to Matthew, 'Follow me ...'
- guilty as tax-gatherers we've heard
and the rest (as the saying goes) is 'history'.

-Bruce Dawe-

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 21 No 8 (September 2008), p. 15