SALVE

the sage of boston says the only escape from the petty tyrannies of life is praise of the lord for only in that praise can we forget ourselves ... if this is true then praise must be more subtle than we allow ... even with an open mind perhaps especially with an open mind ... and must imply wonder simple admiration by surprise and the persistent indictment I knew this why do I forget it ... who is this self-obsessed forgetful one locked alone in some control room at the back of the mind who thinks self-expression is for the sake of self-consumption and doesn't know what communication means ... picking up meaning and then letting it go you thought you were being most meaningful and profound when you thought some puzzle through ... when in truth it was visiting the sick and those in prison ... you thought your finest moments were the most clever when it was giving comfort to those who mourn ... you sought to solve the world to bring it to salvation ... an easy error when you really meant salve and as in salve regina ... but this you know is nothing new ... each of us is a screech and scrape just beginning to sing

kreeft ycuot p104 on the psalms; mccabe god matters ch 10 on communication