Storms Eye (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, originally from January 20, 2021, feast day of Our Lady of the Miracle, Our Lady of the Tables, and Blessed Ursula Haider. In 2025, this same date is also Theophany/last day of Christmas season (Orthodox, old calendar). Image from here.)

On my Mother's passing January 20, 2025, I looked back at poems written on that same date in other years, found 2. Here's one, posted now in her memory:

Storm's Eye

(for the feast day of Blessed Ursula Haider, whose psalmody brings shelter from the storm*)

          There is the music of 

          heaven in all things.      

          The soul is symphonic.

          -- Saint Hildegard of Bingen,

              two quotes compiled

          

Storm's eye,

inner-most Sky,

what births and keeps thee,

(between you and I)?

'Tis Heaven that births me,

spun from God's heart.

'Tis earth that keeps me,

singing her part.

*"During a monstrous storm, her [Saint Ursula's] praying of the Psalms and willingness to give herself in place of the townspeople led to a vision of Mary and the Infant Jesus, placing the town of Villingen under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which saved it from the storm, and explains why the town has never been overrun in the wars that have plagued the region for centuries; the Psalms were prayed at the cloister every Lent as a commemoration of this blessing. From here.

**Prompted by Kayleen Asbo (of Mythica)'s recent classes on Christian Mysticism, January 2021; and by encouragement from women's retreat group at Saint Mary's Catholic Church (Tulsa, Oklahoma) to pay special attention to the Saint of the Day this next week.