Friday, December 24, 2010

THEOTOKOS (Luke 1:46-55)


SINCE PARENTHOOD BEGAN

MOTHER AND CHILD ARE INSEPARABLE

SINE QUA NON



MARY WAS GIVEN THE TITLE THEOTOKOS

WHICH MEANS GOD BEARER

HER MAGNIFICAT PREDICTS

THAT ALL GENERATIONS SHALL CALL ME BLESSED

WE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK

WOULD DO WELL TO PAY HEED

THE CHILD THAT MARY BORE IN HER WOMB

HAD TWO NATURES

HUMAN AND DIVINE

A FACT IF WE BELIEVE IN THE INCARNATION



MANY WOULD RELEGATE MARY TO OBSCURITY

EXCEPT FOR THE SINGING OF AVE MARIA

FEW KNOW THE MEANING OF THE WORDS

OR ITS RELEVANCE



BUT AS GOD AT THE BEGINNING SAID BEGIN

CREATION CAME INTO BEING

MARY SAID FIAT

AND GOD-MAN BECAME FLESH IN MARY’S WOMB



SHE IS THE MODEL FOR ALL OF US

TRUSTING IN GOD

AND HIS WORD

EVEN WHEN THE FUTURE LOOKS DARK

HOLD ONTO HIS WORD



WE LIKE MARY

ARE IN GREAT TRAVAIL

FOR GOD WILL BE BORN INTO THE WORLD

THROUGH US



GOD WAITS OUR FIAT



FRANK A VOLLMER

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

PIGTAIL (Luke 2:4)



WITH ONE EAR

AND THE OTHER ONE DOWN

A TAIL THAT CURLED

LIKE A PIG

HE WASN’T A PROMISING ARTICLE



NE MATTER WHAT THE DONKEY MERCHANT SAID

HE KEPT IT TO BUILD UP SALES ON THE OTHER MULES

AT WHICH HE WAS MOST ADEPT



SO WHEN THE CARPENTER CAME

NEEDING A RIDE

HE COULDN’T AFFORD THE BEST



NOR THE MEDIOCRE



BUT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL WAS PIGTAIL



NOW HE WASN’T A BAD MAN

BUT A BUSINESSMAN

A SALE WAS A SALE

RATHER A RENT WAS A RENT



HE ONLY NEEDED IT

TO GO TO BETHLEHEM FOR CENSUS



HIS WIFE WAS PREGNANT

THE ROMANS DIDN’T CARE

IF SHE MISCARRIED

ONE LEST JEW TO MAKE TROUBLE



WHEN THE TRIP WAS OVER

THE MULE MERCHANT

NOTICED A CHANGE IN PIGTAIL



PHYSICALLY HE WAS THE SAME

BUT HE CARRIED HIMSELF

WITH AN AIR OF WORTH

AND CONFIDENCE

THAT CHILDREN RESPONDED TO



HE BECAME THE VILLAGE TOY

MAKING MANY A CHILD

FEEL LIKE A KING

RIDING HIM



STRUTTING PROUDLY

BAYING LOUDLY



BUT HIS FAVORITE

WAS THE CARPENTER’S SON

WHO GAVE HIM THE NAME PIGTAIL

HE WORE IT WITH DIGNITY

AND LOVE



FRANK A VOLLMER


Saturday, December 11, 2010

CHILDREN (Matthew 18:6) (Mark 9:42)


HERE

WHEN SOMETHING IS BAD FOR CHILDREN

WE SHIELD THEM

LEST THEIR YOUNG MINDS BE HURT



BUT IF A HUNGRY CHILD

IS SHOWN ON TV

WE LET IT RUN



SHOULD WE NOT CARE FOR THAT CHILD TOO



WHEN I WAS A CHILD

WE WERE SENT TO BED WITHOUT SUPPER

FOR ANY FORM OF DISOBEDIENCE



WHAT FORM OF DISOBEDIENCE

DID THIS HUNGRY CHILD DO



TO BE BORN POOR

TO BECOME POOR

TO BE RACIALLY DIFFERENT

TO SING PRAISES

TO A FOREIGN GOD

TO BE UNECONOMICALLY FRUITFUL

TO BE PAWNS IN A POWER GAME



WHATEVER THE REASON

WHAT CHILD

SHOULD BE DENIED

A WARM BED

A FULL BELLY

A LIFETIME OF PROMISE

AND OPPORTUNITY



IT IS WELL TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN



BUT ALL ARE OUR CHILDREN

WE WOULD DO WELL TO REMEMBER THAT




AS CHRIST SAID





IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR THEM

TO BE THROWN INTO THE SEA

WITH A MILLSTONE

TIED AROUND THEIR NECK

THAN TO CAUSE ONE OF THESE LITTLE ONES

TO STUMBLE





FRANK A VOLLMER



Monday, December 6, 2010

THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE (2 Samuel 11:1)


IN SPRING

WHEN KINGS GO OFF TO WAR



SO MANY THINGS IN LIFE

ARE CYCLIC



TIDE

SEASONS

PLANTING

HARVESTS



THE BIG ONE

FROM BIRTH TO DEATH

WHICH WE ALL MUST SHARE

AND GIVES MEANING TO ADVENT



THE YEARLY CYCLE

OF THE LIFE OF THE CORN KING

THE WHEAT KING

THE FISH KING

THE LIFE KING



THE CIRCUMFERENCE

OF THE WHEEL OF LIFE

IS VARIABLE



SOME

SO SMALL

AS TO BE A SPECK

OTHERS

HUGE

OLD

AND CREAKING

GRIND UNGRACEFULLY

TO A HALT



WE ARE GUILTY

OF WAITING MESSIAH

AS IF HE WERE A MAGICIAN

WHO WILL HEAL ALL OUR WOUNDS



NO EFFORT

ON OUR PART

BUT A WAVE OF A HAND



WHICH LEAVES US IN DARKNESS

LOOKING FOR LIGHT

BUT THE LIGHT IS IN US

WE WON’T LET IT SHINE



WE’D RATHER SIT IN DARKNESS

ASKING HIM TO COME

WHEN HE’S ALREADY HERE



FRANK A VOLLMER

Sunday, December 5, 2010

SNOW (Matthew 27:46)

THE SMELL OF JEW WAS IN THE AIR



AND FLAKES LIKE SNOW CAME FALLING DOWN



CRISP PIECES OF FLESH



LIKE SNOW FELL DOWN



THE SLAVES KEPT FILLING THE OVENS



WITH AN UNENDING SUPPLY OF BODIES



NO EMOTION ALLOWED



IF THE NEXT ONE WAS KNOWN



PARENT



CHILD



FRIEND



SPOUSE



LIKE A LIFELESS MACHINE



THEY HAD TO KEEP ON WORKING







DEATH WAS A HARRASED GATHERER

AS SHOWER HEADS DID THEIR WORK







THE CHILDREN ASKED THEIR PARENT WHY



THE PARENT STRUGGLED TO REPLY



BUT FOUND NO WORDS ADEQUATE



TO EXPLAIN



WHY THE CHILD WOULD NEVER FIND SOMEONE



AND PLAN A FUTURE







BUT WITH CHRIST



IN WHOM THEY DO NOT BELIEVE



CRY OUT



WHY







FRANK A VOLLMER