Honest Rust and Gold: A Second Collection of Poetry and Prose

Honest Rust and Gold: A Second Collection of Poetry and Prose

Honest Rust and Gold: A Second Collection of Prose and Poetry

by Francis Etheredge

Honest Rust and Gold: A Second Collection of Prose and Poetry. Rust is the breaking down of metal, owing to water, air and other factors, whereas gold does not deteriorate; and, therefore, these metals sum up the difference between the destruction of sin and the ennobling action of God – as beautiful, precious and permanent as the poverty of our lives pleads for His help (cf. Psalm 34: 6). “Honest” speaks to the truth of these findings! At the same time, however, just as the Church’s second collection is often for the needs of the world, so this book is about the wide ranging reality of the times in which we live: both timely to our generation and, at times, transcending time and addressing life’s persistent questions. Moreover, as you will find, the book is bespeckled with the many guest-gifts that this prospector has received through inviting others to contribute!

Paperback: $17.95 | Kindle $9.99

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Foreword: Bishop Fintan Monahan of Killaloe Diocese, Ireland

General Introduction

Part I: Before
Nothing
Osmosis
Beginning

Guest Poet and Poem: Ravi Shankar
The Three Christs
-for Doug Andersen

Part II: Awareness
Guest Poet and Poem: Russell Rogers
Where is He?

A Trilogy of Cases:
Part I: Locked
Part II: Naked
Part III: Rat-to-Bird
Sharing
Flowers
The Picture
Vulnerable
News
A Trilogy of Tones:
Black
White
Grey
Awakening

Guest Poet and Poem: Fr. Antoine Altieri:
La Grand Santé (Great Health)
Part III: Technological Leaping
Skin Deep
Flitting
Phoneheads

Guest Poet and Poem: Richard Bowdery
Nomophobia No More

Part IV: Grace
Denatured
Boiling Point
Changing
You and I
Aftermath

Guest Poet and Poem: Annabelle Moseley
A Prayer for Setting the Table
For Annabelle Black, in honor of her 100th Birthday

Part V: The Sacraments
Bread of Love, Wine of Glory
Immersion
Regenerative
Part I: A Ringed Pair
Part II: Whirlpools
Part I: The Priest-Shepherd
Part II: The Domestic Shepherd

Guest Poet and Poem: Teresa J. Herbic
Marks of Eternity

Part VI: Writing
Words Torn from Tears
A Pain-Breaking Word
Failure’s Fog
Clots
Gaps
Soundings
Matter

Guest Poet and Poem: Dr. Mary Anne Urlakis
The Empty Lot

Part VII: After
Three times – Now a Fourth, Fifth and Sixth:
Part I: Dying…
Part II: The Plight of All
Part III (I): Visiting
Part III (II): The Plight of Passing
Part IV: He was Among Us
Part V: One Life Uprooted
Immobile
Comfort
Unreachable

Guest Poet and Poem: James Sale
Could I But

Epilogue

End Word: John O’Brien, Frater at OFM (Franciscan)
“How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth.”

"Denatured: A Witness"
A First Reading from "Honest Rust and Gold"

Reviews

“Lord: Do you mean me? A father-catechist!” in The Catholic Weekly (March 10, 2022), click here
For Christine Sunderland’s review, click here.
For reviews on Goodreads, click here.
For Dr. Eileen Quinn Knight’s review, click here.
For Word Digest, Vol. 13, click here, or see below.

Testimonials

“I was recommended this book by a friend. It’s a series of Poetry & Prose both from the author & guest writers. There is a brief introduction of the guest writer which gives an insight into their faith & perception on life. The book is laid out in individual topics and of a life that anyone of us might face. I would also say that they could be used as prayer in some instances. Sometimes, it’s hard to put prayer into words, but these writings bring the concept of Christ and God a little closer to ourselves. These are also reflections on life, family, friends and times enjoyable or times of sorrow. The book is an easy read and the pieces are thought provoking & inspiring. Also, the honesty of the author about his path to faith and how it was achieved can encourage others who are still unsure about themselves. One piece that inspired me was: ‘Sitting in front of the cross of Christ I realised that He was immobilised, pinned to it by nails, metal, wood & wounds as unforgiving as deterioration due to illness & injustice. Pray for us to remember them; & in remembering them, I beg you to help them.'” – Gillian Cockwill

“Our times can be described as one enthralled by the quickening, with the passing of time seemingly accelerating amid the buzz of modern technology. In Honest Rust and Gold, Francis Etheredge and his guest writers offer heartfelt poetry as a means to pause and make sense of our hectic world – and indeed, ourselves. Underlining the many penetrating themes encompassed throughout this work is a sense of vulnerability, which for the Christian is a reminder of our constant need to trust and lean on God, especially when we are hurting. As Etheredge reflects in the introduction to the poem “Bread of Love, Wine of Glory,” “God is not remote […] but is so close as to take into Himself all our pain.” Honest Rust and Gold provides a beautiful collection of faith-filled poems for anyone seeking a spiritual oasis of consolation. — Eric Manuel Torres, BHlthSci, MOrthoptics (LaTrobe), MNSc (Melb), GradDipTheol, MTS (CTC/UDiv), CertIIIBAdmin (S.Russo), AOBR, MOA, RN, Assoc. Member CMAV. Catholic theologian and bioethicist.

“In Attention and Will, Simone Weil stated ‘Attention, taken to its highest degree, is the same thing as prayer. It presupposes faith and love.’ This insight has never been better realized than in Francis Etheredge’s transcendent Honest Rust and Gold: A Second Collection of Prose and Poetry. Just reading this exceptional collection of poetry and prose is a spiritual experience that brings us closer to the infinite beauty of God.”Gordon Nary, Editor of Profiles in Catholicism

“How heavy and uninviting the term “lay spirituality” can seem! But what if it were written by a poet-theologian who could present needed insights in images so beautiful you couldn’t resist the invitation to grow. On marriage, for example, this very realistic part will help any who can’t stand just looking at ideal couples and feeling rotten in comparison! Honest Rust and Gold: A Second Collection of Prose and Poetry is deep, incisive, penetrating! Get it! Read it!” — Ronda Chervin, Emerita Professor of Philosophy at Holy Apostles College and Seminary, author of more than fifty books about spirituality, presenter on TV and Radio.

“This is an excellent book of personal heartfelt reflections and poems that have awakened in me strong feelings and deep thoughts about many similar life experiences lived, explored and shared by the author. His prose and poetry have inspired me to think and feel my own life’s journey, with its challenges, hardships, joys and sorrows. Every reader will relive their life’s experiences, for that is the power of poetry.His meaningful prose and poetry covers a wide range of human experiences and relevant truths today. It is about existence, the meaning of life, family love, the problem of evil, COVID-19, homelessness, technology and its influence on mankind today and much more. His images are moving. A dew drop hanging on a blade of grass, brings us close to the beauty of nature and God. Francis Etheredge has given us a gem in Honest Rust and Gold: A Second Collection of Prose and Poetryto be treasured and read many times.” — Shay Cullen, www.preda.org

“Everyone sees life a bit differently. Much in the same way, everyone reads a book a bit differently. In being granted the opportunity to review Honest Rust and Gold – A Second Collection of Prose and Poetry, I was struck by the depth and thoughtfully piercing nature of this book. In the General Introduction, the author writes, ‘Maybe this book is like that moment of stepping out of the busyness of life in order to notice what is around us.’ That was, in fact, my experience with this book. It is a ‘stepping out’ but also a ‘stepping up’ to consider greater things, deeper things, more profound things. It is a challenge to touch life, even when it’s a bit dangerous to do so. To explore life knowing that to embark on such a journey is to risk being changed by the journey. And to ask questions that may reveal within us that which we prefer to hold in the shadows. The blend of prose and poetry lends a gentle depth and enhanced flavor to each chapter. If you wish to notice what is around you in order to transform that which is within you, this book will certainly assist in that endeavor.” — Craig D. Lounsbrough, M.Div., LPC craiglpc4@gmail.comwww.craiglpc.com

“Personally, reading this book was like visiting an art gallery; viewing each piece of work as unique, yet part of an overall collection. Each poem, or work, a separate portrait; overall a collection of very detailed portraits of the life of the author. Nothing is hidden. Even the most painful moments of his life are laid bare or ‘Naked’ – one of his works. ‘Failure’s Fog’ is a very moving account of the author’s journey. Etheredge takes his readers on a guided tour of his work, giving a personal insight into his lifelong pilgrimage. He is unafraid to show readers the truth. Each piece of work is intricately linked to the other, with thoughtful and compelling additions from guest artists. On closing the book, I felt as if I’d attended a beautiful yet haunting exhibition that left me pondering the meaning of life. The Christian walk isn’t always easy, but God is always with us. Ever present, His grace sees us through the most desperate and vulnerable moments of our lives. Honest Rust and Gold is a powerful testimony of this truth. Themes include: covid-19, God, death, vocation, meaning in life, abortion, suicide, marriage, family, faith, loneliness, emptiness, brokenness, nature, wisdom, finding purpose in life, failure, angst, poverty, and the dislocation between our own existence and that of others. Etheredge tells us, ‘the book is a dialogue between grace and nature’. I highly recommend reading Honest Rust and Gold, especially if you enjoyed reading The Prayerful Kiss and The Family on Pilgrimage by the same author.  ‘… leaving is very different from being left behind.’ (Etheredge) — Kelly Jayne Lazell

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mr. Francis Etheredge is married with eight children, plus three in heaven.

Francis is currently a freelance writer and speaker and his “Posts” on LinkedIn can be viewed here. Poetry; short articles; autobiographical blog; excerpts from books; and “Philosophize: A Ten Minute Write.”

For a list of all of Francis’ books published by En Route Books and Media, click here.

See Francis’ other books, too, entitled Scripture: A Unique WordFrom Truth and truth: Volume I-Faithful ReasonFrom Truth and truth: Volume II: Faith and Reason in DialogueFrom Truth and truth: Volume III: Faith is Married Reason.

He has earned a BA Div (Hons), MA in Catholic Theology, PGC in Biblical Studies, PGC in Higher Education, and an MA in Marriage and Family (Distinction).

Enjoy these additional articles by Francis Etheredge:

OTHER CATHOLIC POETRY BOOKS

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It is My Soul that Sings: Selected Poems of Charles Gordon Rex

It is My Soul that Sings: Selected Poems of Charles Gordon Rex

It is My Soul that Sings: Selected Poems of Charles Gordon Rex

Ed. by Charles Gordon Rex, Jr.

Poet and composer Charles Gordon Rex’s style of writing, finally being published in the 21st Century, is that of a bygone era. He was the product of the first half of the Twentieth Century with the bulk of his works being written in the 1930s and 1940s. His preferred form was the venerable sonnet. For other forms, a major influence was the poetry of A. E. Housman, many of whose poems Rex as a composer set to music. Thus, it is unfortunate that during his own lifetime, he rarely bothered with the publication of either his poetry or his music. It is the hope of the editor that this volume will help fill the void Charles Gordon Rex left behind and that lovers of poetry will enjoy his work as represented in this collection.

Paperback $19.95 | Kindle $9.99 | Hardback: $29.95

TESTIMONIALS

“Charles Rex, Jr., has compiled and introduced this volume of his father’s poetry, a fitting tribute to the many aspects of life that touch and help us in our own dialogue of faith and experience. The work is all the more extraordinary in view of the limits the author overcame; as Charles Gordon Rex says of himself: ‘My body, broken, would have tried to bind me/ Had not my mind reached out to nobler things./ Now I am conscious of nought else but beauty;/ Forgetting self, it is my soul that sings’ (from “Listen to My Song”). The work pauses at a piece called ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ and brings to the fore the background of Christian Faith which, like a fellow wrestler, wrestled with him throughout his life. One of my favourite pieces is “The Last Bloom,” the longest and the more beautiful for its bare honesty and pain; but, by way of a counterpoint, there are touching lines about one of his children: ‘I wait the sound of a quick light tread’ (from “Little Feet”) and the many glistening moments of his turn to love and to nature. Charles Rex, Jr., has compiled and introduced this volume of his father’s poetry, a fitting tribute to the many aspects of life that touch and help us in our own dialogue of faith and experience. In his verse, there is a kind of melancholy theme of being alone which surfaces intermittently, allowing the reader to appreciate that in addition to the poet’s wrestling with physical trials, he wrestled with loneliness, fear, and love. His romantic works are not without suffering and to which, in a sense, the song is an answer and even an antidote!” Francis Etheredge, author of The Prayerful Kiss and Honest Rust and Gold.

“The act of putting together the lost poems of one’s deceased father into a book to be read by new eyes, as Charles Gordon Rex, Jr., a shining musical light of the philharmonic has done, is in itself a poem: one that tells the story of a son whose agapic love transcends years, pain, and loss. And what soul sings? The poet’s? The reader’s? That question is for each gentle reader to decide. But one thing is clear: through this generational act of mending what was once lost, the editor of this collection’s soul surely sings.” —Annabelle Moseley, Award-Winning Poet and author of Sacred Braille and Our House of the Sacred Heart

 
 
 
 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Charles Gordon Rex was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, on June 20, 1909, into a family of nine brothers and sisters. His father, Charles George Rex, an immigrant from England, was a carpenter who worked on some of Springfield’s largest buildings. Ill health struck early in the younger Charles’ life when at the age of three he came down with polio which left him paralyzed from the waist down and partially paralyzed in his right hand, thereby virtually confining him to a wheelchair for most of his life, although for a time he was able to use heavy braces and crutches. However, the polio had also caused severe scoliosis of his spine with the result that he was often in great pain. In spite of these handicaps, it became obvious in childhood that he was gifted with extraordinary intelligence and musical ability, but due to the complete lack of educational facilities for the handicapped in his area, his early schooling and musical studies were virtually self-taught. Nonetheless, he was an avid reader from an early age and started writing poetry in his teenage years. He managed to learn piano and violin and acquired a remarkable amount of proficiency on these instruments in spite of the partial paralysis of his right hand, enough so that he played violin as a member of a local orchestra.

However it was in his vocal abilities that he first achieved success. With the financial backing of a patron of the arts who recognized his talent, he studied voice in Springfield with RCA Victor recording artist Royal Dadmun for five years starting at the age of eighteen. At this time, Rex started writing poetry, a handwritten note on a penciled manuscript revealing that his first poem was “The Thrush’s Song,” written in 1928. He later started giving solo vocal recitals as a baritone, earning praise from newspaper critics for his “volume and unusual beauty of tone.” Dadmun himself wrote to him, “I count on you as an exponent of whatever value my ideas may have.” Rex was also a vocal soloist for the Travelers Insurance Symphony Orchestra under conductor Moshe Paranov, co-founder and dean of the Hartt School of Music, on WTIC AM radio out of Hartford, Connecticut for the NBC Red Radio Network.

In 1935, he married his first wife, Miriam, and moved to New York City where he studied voice with well-known vocal instructor Alfredo Martino who later made him his first assistant. Eventually Rex had his own studio and an assistant teacher through Martino’s helpfulness and also collaborated on a book with Martino entitled “Today’s Singing.” According to personal notes, Rex also often went through periods where he would write a poem a day, a favorite form being the sonnet.

His ultimate ambition being music composition, however, he came to the conclusion that he needed a formal education, and so, with no previous academic schooling, he finished high school in nine months and entered Amherst College, where he was a member of Theta Xi national social fraternity and Pi Kappa Lambda Honor Society. There he studied with American composer Ross Finney. Rex later transferred to Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, where after a little over three years he graduated in 1946 with both Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Arts degrees while sustaining a 98% grade-point average as well as winning the college’s highest award, the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award for outstanding achievement. After graduation, he became part of the music faculty of Rollins College for two years. During this time, he was also involved in a weekly radio program of dramatized plays for children for which he composed the music and acted.

After a divorce, Rex married his second wife, Betty, in 1948 with whom he had three children. In the early 1950s, he was director of bands and choruses for the Mt. Dora High School in Florida while continuing to compose music and poetry. However, increasing ill-health during this time started severely curtailing his musical activities with the result that after fulfilling some isolated commissions from the Florida Symphony and composing some short piano works, his musical life had to virtually cease, although he still continued to write poetry. In 1964, he developed colon cancer that was cured by surgery. In 1966, the family broke up, and Rex moved to Tallahassee, Florida to be near one of his sons who was attending Florida State University. Suffering from increasing depression, he barely survived a suicide attempt in August of 1970. After his recovery, he still continued to write poetry. He ultimately moved back to Springfield in 1972 and died of a stroke on April 23, 1973.

Charles Gordon Rex’s children, Charles, Jr., Christopher, and Cathy, have carried on their father’s musical tradition. Charles Rex (Jr.) became a concert violinist and was a first violinist in the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy after graduating from Florida State University on a full scholarship. He was later the Associate Concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta and Leonard Bernstein as well as serving as interim Concertmaster of the London Symphony Orchestra on a concert tour of England under Sir Colin Davis. For a sample performance, see Instant Encore’s collection.

Christopher Rex became a cellist and was also in the Philadelphia Orchestra after graduating from the Curtis Conservatory. He later became the Principal Cellist of the Atlanta Symphony under Robert Shaw and Robert Spano, and also served as substitute Principle Cellist of the New York Philharmonic on a European concert tour by the NYP under Maestro Mehta. Cathy Rex was proficient on piano but decided not go into music professionally.

OTHER CATHOLIC POETRY WORKS

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Help Dante Help Italy

Help Dante Help Italy

Help Dante Help Italy

A new translation by Daniel Fitzpatrick accompanied by the new sculptures of Timothy Schmalz

Donate today!

Canto 100 Revealed!

The Inferno is now available in Paperback and Kindle! Click a link below to order your copy today! And, as you’re ordering, listen to the latest interview between the translator and the sculptor. 

The Purgatorio is now available in Paperback and Kindle! Click a link below to order your copy today!

“Fitzpatrick’s is a translation that first and foremost honors Dante through a willingness to be literal. This is Dante’s poem, and so the translator lets the poet speak and signify through English words that match the Italian ones. But that restriction provokes Fitzpatrick to be all the more lyrically resourceful as the verse is lovely and the diction is lucid.” – Dr. Andrew Moran, Professor of English, University of Dallas

“Marvelous–clear and direct in Dante’s way without sacrificing beauty of language.” – Dr. Gregory Roper, Associate Professor of English, Department Chair, and Director of the Shakespeare in Italy program at the University of Dallas

“Brilliant! Fitzpatrick and Schmalz have provided an incredible demonstration of talent in their innovative handling of this timeless masterpiece.” — Dr. Sebastian Mahfood, OP, author of The Narrative Spirituality of Dante’s Divine Comedy

The Paradiso is now available in Paperback and Kindle! Click the link below to order your copy today!

Translator Danny Fitzpatrick graduated with his MA in Philosophy from Holy Apostles College & Seminary on May 8, 2021.

About the Project
(Traduci in italiano)

Celebrating the Septuacentennial of Dante’s Divine Comedy

Dante Alighieri began writing his Comedy, which traces a pilgrim’s progress to our true home in heaven, in the year 1308 and completed the work in the year 1320, publishing the final canticle in 1321, the same year he died. The Comedy begins in a Dark Wood of Despair and ends with the Beatific vision as Dante enters fully into the mind of God.

In this new translation, written in this interim septuacentennial anniversary period between completion and publication, and beautifully illustrated with the sculptures of Timothy Schmalz, Daniel Fitzpatrick makes the work accessible to the 21st century reader in celebration of Dante’s septuacentennial anniversary.

The translation and artwork will begin to be distributed via email at the pace of two cantos per week (Wednesdays and Sundays) on March 25, 2020, the first Dantedì, a day dedicated by the Italian government to celebrate the accomplishments of the Florentine poet, and will be completed by March 25, 2021, in time for the celebration of the septuacentennial.

To receive it in your email, please make  a donation of at least $5 through our GoFundMe by clicking here. Those who donate $50 or more will also receive a free copy of the first printed book – The Inferno – that will be published in the summer of 2020.  Those who donate $100 or more will receive a free copy of The Inferno and of The Purgatorio. Those who donate $150 or more will receive a free copy of The Inferno, The Purgatorio, and The Paradiso.   Those who donate $250 or more will receive free copies of all three books plus a larger sculpted gift item.

Note: the free copies will be mailed as each is completed over the course of the year. Just send your physical address to Sebastian Mahfood at mahfood@wcatradio.com.

Edward and Melanie McCormick receiving the statue and first printing of Dante Alighieri’s Inferno, translated by Daniel Fitzpatrick and illustrated by Timothy Schmalz

Dante Alighieri

(1265-1321)

The Dark Wood – March 25, 2020
to
The Mind of God – March 25, 2021

About the Translator

Daniel Fitzpatrick grew up in New Orleans, LA, studied Philosophy at the University of Dallas and Holy Apostles College & Seminary, and lives in Hot Springs, AR, with his wife and two children. His poems and essays have been widely published. His first novel, Only the Lover Sings, was published by En Route Books and Media in 2020.

About the Illustrator

For over 25 years, Timothy Schmalz has been sculpting large scale sculptures. He is a figurative artist with his pieces installed worldwide. Some of his most reputed pieces are installed in historical churches in Rome and at the Vatican. Timothy describes his most important work as visual translations of the Bible. In this sculpture collection, Timothy provides visual translations of one of the greatest love poems Italy ever produced. Visit Timothy’s website today! https://www.sculpturebytps.com/

Reviews

Giangravé, Claire. “Catholic sculptor re-creating Dante’s ‘Divine Comedy’ aims to shift the emphasis off hell.” Religion News Service. July 21, 2020. Read the article here.

Hanson, Aprille. “Arkansas translator hopes new project will support hospital.” Arkansas Catholic. May 5, 2020. Read the article here.

Editorial. “Inspired by Dante, Alumnus Raises Funds for Italian Hospital.” The University of Dallas. April 6, 2020. Read the article here.

Editorial. “The Dante 700 Project by Timothy Schmalz.” La Gazzetta Italiana. April, 2020. Read the article here.

Schiffer, Kathy. “Celebrate Dante and Help Fight the Coronavirus: New sculptures and a new translation bring Dante’s Divine Comedy to life.” National Catholic Register. March 30, 2020. Read the article here.

Timothy Schmalz, Sculptor

Ignacio Travella and Juan Della Torre, Promotional Team

Inferno – Canto I (March 25, 2020 – Dantedì!)

In the midst of the journey of our life
I returned to myself through a shadowy wood,
for the right way was barred.

Ah! How very hard it is to tell
the way of that wood, so savage and harsh and strong
that to dwell in it renews the fear!

Death itself can barely be more bitter.
But to tell you all the good I found,
I will speak of the other things I saw.

How I came to that place I can’t well recount,
filled with sleep as I was at that point
where I forsook the fine way.

But then I found the foot of a hill,
there where that valley that pierced
my heart with fear had failed.

I looked to the height and saw its shoulders
clothed in the early rays of that planet
that takes us straight through every road.

And now the fear that had burned
in the lake of my heart through that night
I’d passed with such distress was quieted a bit.

And as one who, with labored breathing
escapes from the fury of the sea to the shore
and turns to gaze on the perilous water,

so my soul, still fleeing,
turned around to marvel more at the pass
no living person ever left.

Then when I’d composed my weary body a bit,
I took up the way through the desert slope again,
my firm foot always the lower.

And look! Close to the start of the steep
was a leopard, light, so swift,
and covered with a spotted pelt;

and it refused to turn from me
and so much impeded my path
that I was often turned to descend.

It was the time of the morning’s return,
and the sun was climbing with those stars
that were with him when divine love

first moved those beauties;
so that despite that beast in its gaudy pelt
there still was cause to hope

in the time and in the sweet season;
but hardly had the fear left
when the sight of a lion appeared to me.

He seemed to come against me
with his head held high and with rabid hunger;
even the air appeared to tremble.

And a wolf, full of all longing,
who seemed a carcass in her thinness
and makes many live in wretchedness,

this so yoked my soul with the weight
of the fear that rushed up at the sight of her
That I lost the hope of the summit.

And as much as the one who soars in his gains
when the time comes that he must lose them
begins to weep in all his thought,

so did the pacing beast make me,
that, coming against me, little by little
repelled me to where the sun is silent.

While I retreated to the low ground,
there, ahead, a faint figure was shown to my eyes
through the long silence.

When I saw him in that great desert
I cried out to him, “Have mercy on me,
whatever it is you are, whether shade or certain man.”

He replied: “Not a man, though man I was,
and my parents were from Lombardy,
both Mantuans by birth.

I was born beneath Caesar, though it was late,
and I lived in Rome under good Augustus
in the time of the false gods.

I was a poet, and I sang that just
son of Anchises who came from Troy
then when proud Ilium was burned.

But why are you returning to such suffering?
why do you not ascend the delightful mountain,
the source and cause of all joy?”

“Are you then Vergil, that fountain
pouring forth so rich a flow of speech?”
I answered him, my brow clouded with shame.

“O honor and light of other poets,
let the long study and the great love
that made me so search your work avail me.

You are my master and my maker,
you alone are him from whom I took
the lovely style that made my fame.

You see the beast from whom I turned;
protect me from her, famous sage,
from her who makes my blood and pulses falter.”

“For you there is another way to be taken,”
he said on seeing me weeping,
“if you wish to escape this savage place;

since this beast by whom you cry
allows no man to pass her way
but harries him so harshly as to kill him;

and her nature is so wicked and fierce
that her yearning want is never appeased
and after the feast is more famished than before.

many are the beasts by which she mates,
and still there will be more before the hound
should come to make her die hatefully.

This hound won’t eat of lands or riches
but of wisdom, love, and strength,
and his birth will be between felt and felt.

He will be the salvation of lowly Italy
for which the virgin Camilla, Euryalus
and Turnus and Nisus died by iron.

this hound will hunt her in every village,
until he’s returned her to the fire
from which the primal envy loosed her.

Thus for your sake I think you ought
to follow me, and I will be your guide,
and I will lead you from here through an endless place;

there you’ll hear the desperate shrieks,
you’ll see the ancient suffering souls,
crying out in their second death;

and you will see those content
in the flame for hope of coming among the blessed,
whenever that should be.

If then you should wish to rise to those,
you’ll find a worthier soul than I:
I’ll leave you with her in my parting;

for that emperor who reigns on high,
because I was a rebel to his law,
wills not that I should come into his city.

He reigns in every part and there he rules,
there is his city and the high seat;
oh, happy is he elected to be there!”

And I to him: “Poet, I entreat you
by that God you knew not,
that I might flee this evil and worse,

guide me to that city you’ve described,
that I might see St. Peter’s door
and those you call so sorrowful.”
And so he moved on, and I came close behind.

Sacred Braille: The Rosary as Masterpiece through Art, Poetry, and Reflections

Sacred Braille: The Rosary as Masterpiece through Art, Poetry, and Reflections

Now in BRAILLE!!! In partnership with the Xavier Society for the Blind, En Route is proud to present a Braille version of this book, free to Society members.
Annabelle Moseley interviews Malachy Fallon, the Executive Director of the Xavier Society for the Blind concerning his apostolate to the blind and the work he did transcribing Annabelle’s book into Braille. For more on Malachy, visit his interview on CatholicTV’s Our Common Home by clicking play below:

En Route would like to join with Titian in the Presentation of Mary through a wonderful, full-color book that’s also available in Braille. It’s a book for the sighted as well as for the blind!


Sacred Braille: The Rosary as Masterpiece through Art, Poetry, and Reflections

by Annabelle Moseley

 

What better gift could Our Lady have given us than the Rosary? The Rosary is sacred braille in that it is a miraculous juxtaposition of a language of prayer we can feel with our hands, joining word to touch. It is the Rosary to which our fingers may cling, as our flesh craves something tangible. The decades of the Rosary can be thought about, and, quite literally, felt, at the same time. While contemporary society separates the ideas of “thinking” and “feeling,” Scripture unites all functions in the heart. If we meditate on the words, “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart,” (Lk 2:19) the thinking and feeling functions are joined. The Rosary, through engaging both thought and touch, unites our spiritual and physical natures; our thinking and feeling faculties.

Hardback: $25.99 | Paperback: $17.99 | Kindle: $9.99

The Most Holy Rosary: The Joyful Mysteries
The Most Holy Rosary: The Sorrowful Mysteries
The Most Holy Rosary: The Glorious Mysteries
The Most Holy Rosary: The Luminous Mysteries

Annabelle’s WCAT Radio Shows – “Destination: Sainthood” and “Then Sings My Soul”

Morning Air Interviews

Catch Annabelle Moseley every First Monday of the Month at 7:30 am on Relevant Radio’s “Morning Air”

John Harper, Morning Air, “Annabelle Mosely discusses the redemptive spirit of Easter and keeping it alive as we honor the saints in the month of April” (April 5, 2021)

John Harper, Morning Air, “Annabelle Moseley discusses the importance of Marian Devotion while she share 8 ways to honor the Immaculate Conception” (December 7, 2020)

John Harper, Morning Air, “Annabelle shared about her family’s personal devotion to St. Joseph” (November 4, 2020)

John Harper, Morning Air, “Annabelle Moseley gives us reasons to rely on Our Lady of Sorrows” (September 25, 2020)

John Harper, Morning Air, “Annabelle Moseley gives us 4 ways to celebrate Augustine on his Feast day” (September 1, 2020)

John Harper, Morning Air, “Annabelle Moseley discusses ways to honor the Immaculate Heart of Mary” (August 5, 2020)

John Harper, Morning Air, “Annabelle Moseley on devotion to the Precious Blood” (July 16, 2020)

John Harper, Morning Air, “Hour 2-Sacred Heart Devotion, Catholic School Closures??, Fatherhood, Sunday Gospel Reflection” [starts after the 2-minute mark] (June 19, 2020)

John Harper, Morning Air, “Pandemic Small Business Impact, Families returning to new “Normal, The Ascension, Honoring Mary” [starts after the 37-minute mark] (May 21, 2020)

John Harper, Morning Air, “Power of Divine Mercy, COVID-19 Stories from the Field, Honoring the Holy Eucharist, Quarantine Update from Italy” [starts after the 15-minute mark] (April 15, 2020)

John Harper, Morning Air, “Monday Lenten Group and keeping routine during pandemic, Writing Letters to God” [starts after the 25-minute mark] (March 30, 2020)

John Harper, Morning Air, “The psychology of pandemics, Lenten booster shot, Honoring St Joseph” [starts after the 35-minute mark] (March 11, 2020)

John Harper, Morning Air, “Bishop Stika and his Ad Limina Visit, Love in your Marriage, Holy Family Devotions” [starts after the 14-minute mark] (February 11, 2020)

John Harper, Morning Air, “Helping Persecuted Christians, Siblings Closer Together, Holy Name Devotion, OneLifeLA” [starts after the 24-minute mark] (January 15, 2020)

John Harper, Morning Air, “David Daleiden Case, Gift of Priestly Celibacy, The Presentation of Mary, Role of Health Sciences in our Catholic culture” [starts after the 34-minute mark] (November 21, 2019)

John Harper, Morning Air, “Religious Education, Newman Centers, Our Lady of the Rosary, Helping Those with Addictions” [starts after the 25-minute mark] (October 8, 2019)

REVIEWS

SACRED BRAILLE – The Rosary as Masterpiece through Art, Poetry, and Reflections by Annabelle Moseley. A review by Deacon Marty McIndoe. (May 13, 2020). Available online here.

TESTIMONIALS

Sacred Braille is the vade mecum of initiation to beauty in art, religion and prayer for the Catholic family. I am giving it to my 10-year-old granddaughter who has a yen for painting and poetry.” — Jacques Cabaud, author of Is Mary Appearing Today?

“I’ve read hundreds of books, articles and papers about Mary…but nothing like this. Moseley’s work is not just deeply beautiful poetry that is lovely to read, it’s life-changing poetry packed with life changing insights–life changing because you will come out of this knowing Mary and her Son better, you will be more intimate with them in a way you did not expect, and you will know yourself better in the process. All of this was a big surprise, books like this are rare, and there is no other Rosary book like this: Moseley has realized that the Rosary is divine poetry and her book taps into that amazing reality. And her book is not just poetry! The reflective questions she has toward the end truly lead to critical insights about one’s relationship with God and with Our Lady. I should add I almost inevitably find questions like this lacking in some way, if not simply shallow, and that was another surprise: that these questions are not only not shallow, they are profound and so very sweetly sharp. There are many more surprises: artwork, music (yes, music!), a Marian retreat for individuals or groups, meditations on her Seven Sorrows, and on and on, all leading into Mary’s Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart. As that famous song asks, ‘Mary did you know?’ The Catholic Church’s answer to that song’s question is of course a resounding Yes, she knew her Son is God, the Lord, the great I AM, that He would suffer out of love for us, and by diving into Moseley’s poetic Rosary you will know too, and you will know it with Mary and through her eyes…you will come to know Mary and her Son in a new way that will astound you.” — Keith Berube, author of Mary, the Beloved

“Sacred Braille by Annabelle Moseley is vastly more than a ‘how to’ guide for praying the Rosary. Perfect for beginners and devotees alike, this treasury of sacred poetry, prose and art takes a most refreshing and delightfully novel approach to meditation on the sacred mysteries of the Rosary – those deep truths which, all too often, our triple concupiscence ‘blinds’ us. Not unlike De Montfort’s “The Secrets of the Rosary,” Moseley’s book seems destined to become a classic, and is an essential addition to every public and private Catholic library.” — Jayson Brunelle, author of Apostles of Light of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

“One of the most profound books I have been graced to read. The depth of Annabelle Moseley’s reflections and the beauty of her carefully chosen words reveal the Rosary for the complete school of spirituality that it is.” — Shane Kapler, author of Marrying the Rosary to the Divine Mercy Chaplet

“Annabelle Moseley’s Sacred Braille: The Rosary as Masterpiece through Art, Poetry, and Reflections is a masterpiece about a masterpiece! I love this book’s title, themes, and artwork, not to mention its lovingly lyrical poetry. Its pages exude truth, beauty, and goodness, and all in a such a graceful way, befitting our Blessed Mother. Whether this is your first or your forty-first book on the rosary, I wholeheartedly recommend that you behold it, read it, relish it, and pray it repeatedly.” – Kevin Vost, Psy.D., author of twenty books, including Memorize the Mass! and 12 Life Lessons from St. Thomas Aquinas.

“St. Thomas Aquinas once wrote that ‘nothing is in the intellect which was not first in the senses.’ Annabelle Moseley has created a marvelous manifestation of this truth in her book, Sacred Braille, which entices the soul to experience beauty through Sacred Art, poetic stanzas, and, of course, the divine touch we experience through the recitation of the most holy rosary. Read it, and be inspired.” – T.J. Burdick, author of The Rosary in Kid Speak

“A trademark of Annabelle Moseley’s poetry is close attention to detail and a sympathetic imagination. Sacred Braille includes an ingenious use of the mirror sonnet form which Moseley originated. Even more impressive are her emotional range and the deep compassion of her poems. Her poems are suffused with feeling and are the product of the poet’s deep faith in the face of profound loss—the sort of loss that art exists to help us endure.” Ned Balbo, American Poet, Translator and Essayist

AMAZON REVIEWS – 100% 5 Stars!

Tommy 9.6
An inspired reflection on the jewel of prayer with our Blessed Mother. The author’s love of art and of the rosary both shine forth from this beautifully illustrated book. I love how she was able to incorporated paintings and photos from a variety of artists to illustrate visually each mystery. I recognize many of the paintings as classics of Western Art. What I find especially nice are the incorporation of many images found at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception located in Huntington, NY. I am so very pleased to see that this book includes not only the Joyous, Glorious, Luminous and Sorrowful Mysteries but also the Seven Sorrows of Mary, and meditation on the Divine Mercy chaplet. Both are sorely lacking in any other book on the Rosary I have seen. Thank you for this.

Clear-Cut Computing Corp
“There are few books that one uses over and over again. I realized this as I prayed the Joyful Mysteries  of the rosary, outside by my statue of Mary today. Beginning each decade with the poetry of Annabelle Moseley, from her book, “Sacred Braille,” launched me into a deeper connection with each mystery. The book is well laid out; one can focus on any section of the book and match it with their prayer activity. During the pandemic lock-down, I asked for permission to run a group prayer of the Sorrowful Mysteries, every Tuesday, via a virtual connection with many of my Catholic brothers and sisters. Many people I knew, some I had never met, but all became my friends. Using the art from the book and the poetry by Annabelle, everyone felt drawn closer to God through Mary. “Sacred Braille” is one book that will forever be in my library and frequently off the shelf to be put in use.” – Paul J. Montenero

Matthew P. Ryan
Meditative book great for reflection read and viewed to be savored prepare to go over 2 or 3 pages at a sitting- great!!

Chick
Superb book- profound, thought- provoking work.

Niclas
This book came as a blessing at the right time. We are surrounded with so much sorrow and pain that I needed something to bring me closer to God and prayer. The book is so beautifully written, so poetic and loving, witty and charming at the same time. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to feel closer to God. Very inspiring, thank you Annabelle!

Carolynn Lucca
A wonderful book and a beautiful way to approach the Rosary. Beauty converging with grace-food for the heart and soul!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Annabelle Moseley is an award-winning American poet, author of nine books, Professor of Theology and host of the Catholic radio shows and podcasts on Sacramental Living: “Then Sings My Soul,” and “Destination: Sainthood — Journey to the Great Cloud of Witnesses,” on WCAT Radio. Moseley’s work as a poet is featured as one of five artists profiled in the 2019 Documentary Film, Masterpieces, about the vocational call of the arts. This film is available to view through Amazon Prime and Formed On Demand (formed.org).

Moseley has won the titles of Walt Whitman Birthplace Writer in-Residence (2009-2010) and 2014 Long Island Poet of the Year. She teaches at St. Joseph’s College in New York and at St. Joseph’s Seminary (Dunwoodie, NY) where she specializes in the field of Theological Aesthetics with an emphasis on the intersection between theology and literature. Moseley has led various retreats and workshops for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York, and is the founder of Desert Bread (desertbread.org), a series of lectures on faith and the arts that concludes with sharing a meal and taking a collection of canned food donations for local food pantries. Moseley is a frequent columnist for the Catholic online magazine, Aleteia.

Born on the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, Annabelle Moseley was baptized at the Church of St. Louis de Montfort (a saint known for his special devotion to the Rosary). Raised on the North Shore of Long Island, Moseley continues to reside there, grateful for the domestic church she has built with her husband and their children.

OTHER CATHOLIC POETRY BOOKS

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The Prayerful Kiss (A Collection of Prose and Poetry) by Francis Etheredge

The Prayerful Kiss (A Collection of Prose and Poetry) by Francis Etheredge

The Prayerful Kiss (A Collection of Poetry and Prose)

by Francis Etheredge

Are a “Prayer” and a “Kiss” irreconcilable? This is the question Francis Etheredge examines through this medley of “moments,” both painful and beautiful, which are laid out as a kind of word-quilt that ranges over many years of life and writing. A theme among these “impressionistic” accounts of life is the “sharp thread” of an almost endlessly repetitive pain of “passing through” relationships. Marriage emerges as a triumph of God, reconciling the apparent contradiction between the “prayer” and the “kiss.”
 

Paperback: $17.95 | Kindle: $9.99

Introduction and Poem "The Prayerful Kiss"
"Oh Flaming Fire" from "The Prayerful Kiss"

Contents

Preface by Helen Williams

General Introduction

A Reader-Writer Dialogue

Joseph: Husband of Mary, Mother of The Son

Part I: Today

The Prayerful Kiss
A Philosophical Psalm 139
Christ

Part II: Spiralling Upwards?

The Four Seasons

Autumn Triptych (I)
Winter’s Frosty Days (II)
Spring-a-Light (III); and
Summer Clothes us All (IV)

Part III: Searching

A Trilogy in Search of Self
Running Speech (I)
Particularism (II); and
Water from the Rock (III)
Why Did I Look?
Dew

Part IV: Pain and Joy

Indelible
Suicide
Hidden
The Prayer in our Search for Work
Losing her
Freezing
The Family Tree

Part V: Passing Through

Psalm 151
Loneliness
Mud
A Friend
In the Church Wood
Experience
A Trilogy of a Kind
Grape Juice (I)
Blossom (II)
The Question (III)

Part VI: Writing

My Words Bled
Day-Broken-Bread
Word-Lights
The Gambler
A Bluesy Day
I Wrote
Word-Work
After-words
Without Words

Part VII: Christ and His Church

A Trilogy: Exhausting Human Experience
Part I: The Endless Cycle of “Relationships”
Part II: Psychological, Philosophical and Theological Answers
Part III: The Answer of God in Action
A Crib Trilogy
Christmas (I)
A Christmas Present (II)
The Children’s Gift (III)
Ecumenism (2002)
An Angel
The Domestic Church
Oh Flaming Fire
Let us Pray

Evangelization


AUTHOR ARTICLES

“Conception: A Contradiction?” by Francis Etheredge, Homiletics and Pastoral Review (December 11, 2020), available here.

REVIEWS

“Lord: Do you mean me? A father-catechist!” in The Catholic Weekly (March 10, 2022), click here

“Profound, Touching, and Beautiful” by Christine Sunderland. (February 27, 2022), available here

“Amazon Review” by Aimee O’Connell at Amazon.com. (December 7, 2020), available here.

“Kelly’s Reviews” by  Kelly Jayne Lazell at Goodreads. (June 5, 2020), available here.

“The cure for loneliness the world won’t tell you about” by Fr. Robert McTeigue, SJ. Aleteia (February 10, 2020), available here.

The Prayerful Kiss, Reviewed by Eileen Quinn Knight, Ph.D.Profiles in Catholicism (January 31, 2020), available here.


TESTIMONIALS

The Prayerful Kiss is a prolonged, transcendental and theological – Catholic – meditation on God, Christ and Mary. The meditation assumes many forms: poetry, reflection, confession, philosophy, abstractions, reminiscences, and prayer. If I have missed a category out – so be it; it is a dense and complex book! Perhaps the starting point to understanding it is contained in the Preface where Etheredge is compared to GK Chesterton, and particularly Chesterton’s wonder at life. I think it true to say that Etheredge marvels that existence exists (’Out of what impenetrably white lightness suddenly spoke Existence?’), and part of his quest is to search for its meaning, its deeper layers of meaning. Indeed, the arrangement of the book in that sense is like an onion as Etheredge unpeels, strips back, and determines to reach the still point where his longings are satisfied. For the collection veers from profound abstractions to highly personal anecdotes and stories. It could be said that Etheredge is a Christian for our times, for out on social media we have a plethora of people going on about their problems, mental health issues, vulnerabilities and uncertainties, etc., but in an entirely secular way in which somehow underlying most of the griping is the complaint that the State should do more in supporting them. There is none of that with Etheredge: it is from the living God that salvation is to be found, salvation in all things. The most moving and pivotal incident in the whole collection, and which underpins most of it, is the abortion of his first child, whom he perceives to be still alive in heaven; and also whom he equates, in terms of its emotional intensity, with the dead Christ in the arms of Mary. As he says, ‘Thirty years on, however, this child is as present to me as every other child [he currently has 8 other children and 2 further ones who are ‘in heaven’]; and, even if I cannot explain it, I am conscious of a fatherhood that I cannot forget.’ This loss is something that Etheredge, or anyone else, can barely come to terms with; but unlike most people who, for one reason or another, decide to move on, Etheredge won’t move on: he has to confront the demons of this devastating tragedy, again and again. He has to wrestle – as I imagine Jacob did with the angel on the ladder to heaven – until finally all is reconciled: in his mind, emotions, spirit; and the great reconciler is his imagination as he explores all the nuances of his tragedy. To say it is his ‘imagination’ which is the great reconciler is not here to be secular: for the imagination is the creative spirit itself that God imbued all humanity with in the original Creation. Thus, it is God speaking and reconciling through him. All this, however, can make for heavy work – it is so intense, one finds it difficult to read in large chunks. That said, there are moments of simple beauty too: ‘A beautiful singing, / Of Love being the beginning.’ So I strongly recommend this book: if you are struggling with your faith, then this is for you; if you have no faith and think the world has done you down, then read what happened to Etheredge; if you are looking for a deep affirmation of life and creation, then this book will not disappoint.” – James Sale, Amazon.co.uk review

“The One, the Good, the True, and the Beautiful are transcendental attributes of God. The Prayerful Kiss is a reflection of true beauty and connects us to God in a way that no other book has ever done.” – Gordon Nary, Editor, Profiles in Catholicism

A Prayerful Kiss is an astounding book! I never thought I would find a 21st century Catholic metaphysical poet, but now I have. Besides that, you can actually understand the poems, which is rather rare for readers like myself! In what might be a new genre, Etheredge alternates sets of poems with autobiographical material, and his commentaries are as potentially life-changing as his poetry. Get it, read it, and let the Spirit flow!” – Ronda Chervin, Ph.D. is the author of numerous books on Catholic spirituality and a professor of philosophy

“I enjoyed the video of Francis reading “The Prayerful Kiss.”  We should all spend much more time than we do lost in the wonder of ‘simple’ things, the things we take for granted.”Julia D. Hejduk, Reverend Jacob Beverly Stiteler Professor of Classics, Associate Dean, Honors College, Baylor University

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mr. Francis Etheredge is married with eight children, plus three in heaven.

Francis is currently a freelance writer and speaker and his “Posts” on LinkedIn can be viewed here. Poetry; short articles; autobiographical blog; excerpts from books; and “Philosophize: A Ten Minute Write.”

For a list of all of Francis’ books published by En Route Books and Media, click here.

See Francis’ other books, too, entitled Scripture: A Unique WordFrom Truth and truth: Volume I-Faithful ReasonFrom Truth and truth: Volume II: Faith and Reason in DialogueFrom Truth and truth: Volume III: Faith is Married Reason.

He has earned a BA Div (Hons), MA in Catholic Theology, PGC in Biblical Studies, PGC in Higher Education, and an MA in Marriage and Family (Distinction).

Enjoy these additional articles by Francis Etheredge:

OTHER CATHOLIC POETRY BOOKS

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