Far as the Curse is Found (a Christmas Poem)

He comes to make his blessings flow
Far as the curse is found
He, on the move redeeming souls
Heaven has a hound

Who is this one whom grocery stores
And radio jingles speak
So casually acknowledging?
The Lord of lords and King of kings

God of God and Light of Light
Blessed mystery
The Son of God became a man
That man with God might be

Changeless in his glorious life
Abhorring not our frame
Never ceasing as eternal Son
Son of Mary he became

All hope renewed since Bethlehem
Held Mary’s sinless seed
He came and lived and bled and died
To harrow death and steal its sting

The ache we know for faces bare
Unveiled for smiles to see
‘Tis groaning for our soul’s chief end
The visio Dei

Heaven, earth, sky and sea
Adam’s cursed progeny
All in Advent once again
Awaiting Christ the King

Till then we shape our calendars
To reflect gospel light
From the heartland of America
To Arabian nights

We mourn the distance of our kin
We are not at home
We’re truly pilgrims in this world
Toward heaven we roam