An Introduction to George Herbert
On a lively jaunt to Half Price Books in Robinson Township, PA, I found a delightful gem. It’s a book of poetry by metaphysical giant George Herbert called The Temple. As far as I can tell he’s not Catholic, but his poetry can definitely be interpreted through a Catholic lens (I believe he was an Anglican minister). I’ve only read a few of the poems, because they’re a little heavy for casual reading. The focus of the book is on his sermons to his congregation, and they all deal with the Church, the sacraments, and salvation. Appropriate. Here’s one I thought I’d share:
A broken ALTAR, Lord thy servant rears,
Made of a heart, and cemented with tears:
Whose parts are as thy hand did frame;
No workmans tool hath touch’d the same
A HEART alone
Is such a stone,
As nothing but
Thy pow’r doth cut.
Wherefore each part
Of my hard heart
Meets in this frame,
To praise thy Name:
That if I chance to hold my peace,
These stones to praise thee may not cease.
O let thy blessed SACRIFICE be mine,
And sanctify this ALTAR to be thine.
I particularly like the way he lays out the poem visually in the shape of an altar. Some people take issue with that, saying it’s unecessary, but I think it’s appropriate here. I’ll probably post more of his work as I read through the book. Have a great holiday!
