Heathen darkness
Hovers over France,
Whose kings called themselves
Most Christian, once.
Unbelief, cacodoxy,
And Islam tear
Her flesh and rip
Her tender bowels.
She writhes and shudders
In her agony;
She cries aloud
To her self-made trinity –
Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité –
But it brings her no relief.
***
Deep within
The Jura Mountains
Two lantern-lights
Still flicker,
Lit long ago
By the Holy Ghost
In the first flowering
Of the Gallican Church:
The glorious
Ascetic strivers
St Lupicinus
And his younger brother
St Romanus.
By the Cross and their prayers
The demons were driven
From the rocky crags.
The roiling passions, too,
Through fasting and modesty,
Were calmed inside
The caverns of their hearts.
Having found healing
For themselves,
They were able to give it
Also to others,
. . .
The rest is at https://www.newenglishreview.org/custpage.cfm?frm=190887&sec_id=190887 .
A life of Sts Romanus and Lupicinus may be read in the PDF available here:
https://startingontheroyalpath.blogspot.com/2012/06/vita-patrum.html
--
Holy Ælfred the Great, King of England, South Patron, pray for us sinners at the Souð, unworthy though we are!
Anathema to the Union!
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