If anyone objects to this unionlet them know that I will not touch youuntil the child is born.Let no one say that he is mine,and not the offspring of a vision.Everyone will look at us strangely.They will whisper “his new wifehas seduced him with her ecstasies,he is enticed by mania.”Even my friends will say“You are … Continue reading St. Joseph’s Wedding Vows
I, like all angels, am a scatter of words,half startling with great profundities,half absurd, I flash the shape of many wings,I sing, and like all angels, am sometimes heard. My task, now, is to introduce,to appear to that slight girlwho will carry a chorus in her womb.If flesh can reverberate with the cries of prophets,or … Continue reading A Song Within and Beyond Mary
This is my son John.In summer, he will wear a buffalo robe,or bury himself in an anorak or a ski-jacket,snow pants and a hat with ear flaps.In winter he’ll walk naked.His skin will be blue.When he’s out in the wildernesshe might sit on a pole,or roll himself up like a hedgehogand live in a tree.He … Continue reading Elizabeth Names Her Son
A friend asked me for my definition of hope, and I found myself talking about covenant. Hope is the love of neighbor and the world that keeps you going, despite all of the reasons for despair. During an interfaith panel that I sat on a student asked how the panelists different traditions maintained hope in … Continue reading “A Psalm” by Thomas Merton
Published in Foreshadow Magazine on July 7, 2025: https://www.foreshadowmagazine.com/magazine/a-creed-in-santa-cruz. Illumination A year after my mother’s death, we went to visit my brothers in Santa Cruz during the week after Christmas. Ohio was cold and snowy, and California was vibrant with life. Little pools of water along the shore line were rich with creatures and color. We … Continue reading A CREED IN SANTA CRUZ
KPB Stevens 