“[Jesus said,] ‘But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.'” – Luke 6:24
What’s new, Beatitudes?
Woe, woe, woe!
OK, Jesus. I’ll get serious with you,
since you’ve got serious with me.
I’m hardly rich, you know
(except by global standards).
I’m hardly full, except when I’ve
scraped bare my dinner plate.
Nor do I laugh, except, of course
at my own jokes (a punster’s lot).
And people don’t speak well of me,
or, well, I guess they do. From time to time.
What’s new, Beatitudes?
Woe, woe, woe!
I’d claim I do not need
this list of warnings if
I could maintain the case
that I would honor them without them.
And… as I’m relatively rich,
and definitely full, and able to
make merry, granted honor that
is probably beyond my worth,
it looks as if I haven’t taken heed
of warnings you have made.
What’s new, Beatitudes?
Woe, woe, woe!
Well, bring them on, these challenges
to what I’ve done and do.
Charge me once again to love
my enemies and pray for them,
to do them good and not bring harm.
I’ll note they do not do the same for me.
I’d rather not be struck upon the cheek,
but if it comes, I’ll not strike back.
I’ll turn the other way, and wait,
and hope my tears dissuade a second blow.
A poem/prayer based on Luke 6:20-31, the Revised Common Lectionary Gospel Reading for Year C, All Saints Day.
The image is a detail of the figure of Mary Magdalene in the sculpture The Entombment of Christ in the Church of St. Martin, Arc-en-Barrois, France. Photo by User:Vassil – File:Sépulcre_Arc-en-Barrois_111008_12.jpg, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16942922.
ordainedgeek 
Amen. amen … and now I feel guilty at taking a potshot at the East Wing boondoggle.
In fairness, we’ve had more than two blows from that particular source.
This is a beautiful, memorable poem. So how many people would know “What’s New Pussycat?”
Well, now we’re up to two.
This captures so well the ambivalence and complexity of our response to the Beatitudes from our relative good fortune.
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Thank you so much, Barbara!
I didn’t mean that anyone would need to know “What’s New Pussycat?”!!!! to love this.
I assumed you didn’t. Those familiar with the song might be more inclined to sing the refrain, though. Which might raise the level of cognitive dissonance.