Comforter of the Afflicted
The Penitent Thief Speaks to Christ on the Cross.
My Lord and King, know that I do not know
How choked with gore I now confess Thy reign,
Or sense, through all those streams of blood that flow
Across Thy face, Thy majesty so plain.
Or how my noxious blood now cleanses me
Where only ere I turned to Thee its curse
Had added torment to my cries, as we,
From our two crosses, suffer, yet converse.
For, I, not knowing Thee before this hour,
Repentant, baptized, pardoned and absolved,
Feel consolation, like a summer shower,
Refreshing me. Yet, something’s unresolved:
That Woman at Thy feet? She seemed to pray
For me… who will see Paradise, this day.
From “Sonnets for the Queen of Heaven” © Joseph Charles MacKenzie. All rights reserved.
Vary profound and moving poem? Have you written one yet on the Miracle at Cana?
Sorry, I meant “Very profound and moving poem!” Haste makes waste….
A fine Good Friday sonnet that is just as appropriate for the Easter season, once we read down to the third quatrain. I particularly admire two things about the language. In the first two lines, the complex syntax takes some pondering to clarify the speaker’s meaning. This is, of course, quite suitable when that speaker’s mouth is “choked with gore.” And then in line 10, we understand how Jesus absolved the penitent thief, but “baptized”? The situation of both penitent and priest would seem to preclude baptism, but this is where the reader is told to imagine the omnipotence of Christ even on the Cross. He can call for legions of angels, and one of them can administer the sacrament, just as angels gave Holy Communion to the Fatima children, with no usual minister of that sacrament being present. And it is the Woman beneath the Cross who obtains these favors, both of acknowledging Christ the King, and of being received into His Church. Marvelous!
It is truly edifying to read such a erudite response from a reader who is evidently well versed in sacramental theology. Because, yes, the foundation of the poem is indeed the opening of the imagination to the means of salvation.