Sextilhas by Fagundes Varela (in Portuguese)

Amo o cantor solitário

Que chora no campanário

Do mosteiro abandonado,

E a trepadeira espinhosa

Que se abraça caprichosa

À forca do condenado

Amo os noturnos lampírios

Que giram, errantes círios,

Sobre o chão dos cemitérios,

E ao clarão das tredas luzes

Fazem destacar as cruzes

De seu fundo de mistérios

Amo as tímidas aranhas

Que lacerando as entranhas

Fabricam dourados fios

E com seus leves tecidos

Dos tugúrios esquecidos

Cobrem os muros sombrios

Amo a lagarta que dorme,

Nojenta, lânguida, informe,

Por entre as ervas rasteiras

E as rãs que os pauis habitam

E os moluscos que palpitam

Sob as vagas altaneiras

Amo-os, porque todo o mundo

Lhes vota um ódio profundo,

Despreza-os sem compaixão

Porque todos desconhecem

As dores que eles padecem

No meio da criação.

"The Book of Exodus" - Chapter XVIII (translated into English)

Chapter 18

1 Now Moses' father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for his people Israel: how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2

So his father-in-law Jethro took along Zipporah, Moses' wife, whom Moses had sent back to him, 3 and her two sons. One of these was called Gershom; for he said, "I am a stranger in a foreign land." 4 The other was called Eliezer; for he said, "My father's God is my helper; he has rescued me from Pharaoh's sword." 5 Together with Moses' wife and sons, then, his father-in-law Jethro came to him in the desert where he was encamped near the mountain of God, 6 and he sent word to Moses, "I, Jethro, your father-in-law, am coming to you, along with your wife and her two sons." 7 Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down before him, and kissed him. Having greeted each other, they went into the tent. 8 Moses then told his father-in-law of all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for the sake of Israel, and of all the hardships they had had to endure on their journey, and how the LORD had come to their rescue. 9 Jethro rejoiced over all the goodness that the LORD had shown Israel in rescuing them from the hands of the Egyptians. 10 "Blessed be the LORD," he said, "who has rescued his people from the hands of Pharaoh and the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the LORD is a deity great beyond any other; for he took occasion of their being dealt with insolently to deliver the people from the power of the Egyptians."

12 Then Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, brought a holocaust and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to participate with Moses' father-in-law in the meal before God.

            13 The next day Moses sat in judgment for the people, who waited about him from morning until evening. 14 When his father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he inquired, "What sort of thing is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone while all the people have to stand about you from morning till evening?" 15 Moses answered his father-in-law, "The people come to me to consult God. 16 Whenever they have a disagreement, they come to me to have me settle the matter between them and make known to them God's decisions and regulations." 17 "You are not acting wisely," his father-in-law replied. 18 "You will surely wear yourself out, and not only yourself but also these people with you. The task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. 19 Now, listen to me, and I will give you some advice, that God may be with you. Act as the people's representative before God, bringing to him whatever they have to say. 20 Enlighten them in regard to the decisions and regulations, showing them how they are to live and what they are to do. 21 But you should also look among all the people for able and God-fearing men, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain, and set them as officers over groups of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22 Let these men render decisions for the people in all ordinary cases. More important cases they should refer to you, but all the lesser cases they can settle themselves. Thus, your burden will be lightened, since they will bear it with you. 23 If you do this, when God gives you orders you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied."

            24 Moses followed the advice of his father-in-law and did all that he had suggested. 25 He picked out able men from all Israel and put them in charge of the people as officers over groups of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 26 They rendered decisions for the people in all ordinary cases. The more difficult cases they referred to Moses, but all the lesser cases they settled themselves.

27 Then Moses bade farewell to his father-in-law, who went off to his own country.

"JLA Databank Dossier- Hawkman" by Bob Rozakis (in English)

art by Eduardo Barreto, Dave Simons, and Todd Klein - World's Finest Comics #261 - DC Comics, February-March 1980.

 

Angélus - Fête de saint Étienne protomartyr par Pape Benoît XVI (translated into French)

Lundi 26 décembre 2005

Chers frères et sœurs !

           

Après avoir célébré hier avec solennité le Noël du Christ, nous faisons aujourd'hui mémoire de la naissance au ciel de saint Etienne, le premier martyr. Un lien particulier unit ces deux fêtes et il est bien résumé dans la liturgie ambrosienne par cette affirmation : "Hier le Seigneur est né sur la terre pour qu'Étienne naisse au ciel" (À la fraction du pain). Comme Jésus sur la Croix s'est entièrement remis au Père et a pardonné à ses bourreaux, de même Étienne, au moment de sa mort, prie en disant : "Seigneur Jésus, reçois mon esprit" ; et encore : "Seigneur, ne leur impute pas ce péché" (Cf. Ac 7, 59-60). Étienne est un authentique disciple de Jésus et son parfait imitateur. Avec lui commence une longue série de martyrs qui ont scellé leur foi par l'offrande de leur vie, en proclamant à travers leur témoignage héroïque que Dieu s'est fait homme pour ouvrir le Royaume des Cieux à l'homme.

            Dans le climat de joie de Noël, la référence au martyr de saint Étienne ne doit pas sembler déplacée. En effet, sur la mangeoire de Bethléem s'étend déjà l'ombre de la croix. Elle est déjà annoncée par la pauvreté de l'étable où pleure l'Enfant, par la prophétie de Siméon sur le signe de contradiction et sur l'épée destinée à transpercer l'âme de la Vierge, par la persécution d'Hérode qui rendra nécessaire la fuite en Égypte. Il ne faut pas s'étonner qu'un jour cet Enfant, une fois devenu adulte, demande à ses disciples de le suivre sur le chemin de la Croix avec une confiance et une fidélité totales. Attirés par son exemple et soutenus par son amour, de nombreux chrétiens, dès les origines de l'Église, témoigneront de leur foi par l'effusion du sang. Aux premiers martyrs, d'autres suivront au cours des siècles jusqu'à nos jours. Comment ne pas reconnaître qu'encore à notre époque, dans diverses régions du monde, professer la foi chrétienne exige l'héroïsme des martyrs ? Comment ne pas dire ensuite que partout, même là où il n'y a pas de persécutions, vivre avec cohérence l'Évangile implique de payer un prix élevé ?

            En contemplant le divin Enfant dans les bras de Marie et en regardant l'exemple de saint Etienne, nous demandons au Seigneur la grâce de vivre avec cohérence notre foi, toujours prêts à répondre à quiconque nous demande raison de l'espérance qui est en nous (cf. 1 P 3, 15).

Au terme de l'Angélus

            Je vous salue cordialement, chers pèlerins francophones. En la fête de saint Étienne, premier martyr, et dans la joie de Noël que vous avez pu vivre en famille, puissiez-vous être artisans de paix et témoins de l’amour infini de Dieu pour nous.

            J'adresse enfin mes salutations cordiales à vous tous, pèlerins de langue italienne, et je vous souhaite de conserver ces prochains jours l'atmosphère spirituelle de joie et de sérénité de Noël.

Sonnet XXXIX by William Shakespeare (in English)

O how thy worth with manners may I ſinge,
When thou art all the better part of me?
What can mine owne praiſe to mine owne ſelfe bring;
And what is't but mine owne when I praiſe thee,
Euen for this,let vs deuided liue,
And our deare loue looſe name of ſingle one,
That by this ſeperation I may giue:
That due to thee which thou deſeru'ſt alone:
Oh abſence what a torment wouldſt thou proue,
Were it not thy ſoure leiſure gaue ſweet leaue,
To entertaine the time with thoughts of loue,
VVhich time and thoughts ſo ſweetly doſt deceiue.
   And that thou teacheſt how to make one twaine,
   By praiſing him here who doth hence remaine.

“Mocidade e Morte” by Castro Alves (in Portuguese)

E perto avisto o porto

Imenso, nebuloso e sempre noite

Chamado — Eternidade—

(Laurindo)

 Lasciate ogni speranza, voi ch'entrate.

(Dante)

Oh! eu quero viver, beber perfumes

Na flor silvestre, que embalsama os ares;

Ver minh'alma adejar pelo infinito,

Qual branca vela n'amplidão dos mares.

No seio da mulher há tanto aroma...

Nos seus beijos de fogo há tanta vida...

— Árabe errante, vou dormir à tarde

A sombra fresca da palmeira erguida.

Mas uma voz responde-me sombria:

Terás o sono sob a lájea fria.

Morrer... quando este mundo é um paraíso,

E a alma um cisne de douradas plumas:

Não! o seio da amante é um lago virgem...

Quero boiar à tona das espumas.

Vem! formosa mulher — camélia pálida,

Que banharam de pranto as alvoradas,

Minh'alma é a borboleta, que espaneja

O pó das asas lúcidas, douradas ...

E a mesma voz repete-me terrível,

Com gargalhar sarcástico: — impossível!

Eu sinto em mim o borbulhar do gênio,

Vejo além um futuro radiante:

Avante! — brada-me o talento n'alma

E o eco ao longe me repete — avante! —

O futuro... o futuro... no seu seio...

Entre louros e bênçãos dorme a glória!

Após — um nome do universo n’alma,

Um nome escrito no Panteon da história.

E a mesma voz repete funerária:

Teu Panteon — a pedra mortuária!

Morrer — é ver extinto dentre as névoas

O fanal, que nos guia na tormenta:

Condenado — escutar dobres de sino,

— Voz da morte, que a morte lhe lamenta —

Ai! morrer — é trocar astros por círios,

Leito macio por esquife imundo,

Trocar os beijos da mulher — no visco

Da larva errante no sepulcro fundo,

Ver tudo findo... só na lousa um nome,

Que o viandante a perpassar consome.

E eu sei que vou morrer... dentro em meu peito

Um mal terrível me devora a vida:

Triste Ahasverus, que no fim da estrada,

Só tem Por braços uma cruz erguida.

Sou o cipreste, qu'inda mesmo florido,

Sombra de morte no ramal encerra!

Vivo — que vaga sobre o chão da morte,

Morto — entre os vivos a vagar na terra.

Do sepulcro escutando triste grito

Sempre, sempre bradando-me: maldito! ~

E eu morro, ó Deus! na aurora da existência,

Quando a sede e o desejo em nós palpita..

Levei aos lábios o dourado pomo,

Mordi no fruto podre do Asfaltita.

No triclínio da vida — novo Tântalo

O vinho do viver ante mim passa...

Sou dos convivas da legenda Hebraica,

O estilete de Deus quebra-me a taça.

É que até minha sombra é inexorável,

Morrer! morrer! soluça-me implacável.

Adeus, pálida amante dos meus sonhos!

Adeus, vida! Adeus, glória! amor! anelos!

Escuta, minha irmã, cuidosa enxuga

Os prantos de meu pai nos teus cabelos.

Fora louco esperar! fria rajada

Sinto que do viver me extingue a lampa...

Resta-me agora por futuro — a terra,

Por glória - nada, por amor — a campa.

Adeus... arrasta-me uma voz sombria,

Já me foge a razão na noite fria! ...