A God Desperate to Be Loved: A Poetic - Artistic Spiritual Journey

By Fr. Ed Graves

Like John the Baptist, the author is one crying out in the desert of a transient world indifferent to its ultimate goal -- a world of rushing commuters, hypnotic gadgets, clamorous socials, political bickering, and spirit-deadening amusements -- a world where death pilots myriads down the fading stream of mortality, farther and farther from its true goal, the bright haven of peace where God-lovers laugh at death -- lying defeated on Calvary -- and forever raise gleaming goblets of Christ-love in the sun-smile of their loving Lord.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jan 23, 2012
• ISBN: 9781467876827

Fr. Ed Graves

Fr. Ed Graves, a Catholic priest, shares his experiences of God, a passionate God desperate for our love; a God who took him for his intimate, who has guided him from his teenage years on a journey to mystical bethrothal, then impelled him to share his discoveries through art and poetry. A trained painter, Fr. Graves strives to convey the spiritual vision that, to the lover of God, the world, in every aspect, in every person, gleams with mystery - for every one is a precious brushstroke of God, the master painter. God reveals his love by creating us and the dazzling world for us -- and, ultimately, in one majestic display, by divesting himself of his majesty to clothe himself in our mortality, and, on a storm-rent hill of shame and rejection, attempt to rip our hearts free from the grip of pride and remake them like his own. To Fr. Graves, the world is steeped in mystery, charged with beauty, eternal in purpose. Only poetry and art -- the language of spirit, often complex, often obscure -- can convey this perception, for it eludes reason and the casual observer it and unveils its grace only to the quiet contemplative.

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© 2012 by FR. ED GRAVES. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 06/22/2012

ISBN: 978-1-4678-7684-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4678-7683-4 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4678-7682-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011960742

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them

Contents

TO A SKEPTIC

The Master Painter- A Parable

Introduction

I A GOD DESPERATE TO BE LOVED

A God Desperate To Be Loved

Revelation?

Prodigal God

The Night-Covered Sea

There Is A Tree In Eden

The Day Is Born

What Dark Monolith Is This?

Resurrection

Mother Of Sorrows

We Reverence Your Cross

II CALL OF THE BELOVED

The Secret Streams

Priest

The Heart Of A God-Gilded Universe

The Call

Cry Of The Gentle Prophet

Earth Sleeps

Morning Praise

Obscure Places

Out Of The Depths

Your Own Psalm

A Sparrow’s Song

III BETROTHAL

Embrace

Wing

The Irrepressible Wing

Abduction

IV EXILE

Why?

What Is A Door But A Way

Alone

Far Beyond

The Runner

Here--Where I Am

Transience

Sunbright Carmelite

Is

Dismembered Lead

O Maker, Let Me See!

Silence!

Fun

Brief Encounter

To Her

I Do Not Pine For Paris

My Loved Ones Live In Me

V WE TWO BROTHERS (To A Lifetime Friend, John Smith)

We Two Brothers

Wanderers Now Reborn 1

VI THE BIRTH OF LOVE

The Hidden Mystery

Melchior

The Father’s Gift

I Far Outshone The Stars

I Am Emmanuel

As We Pray At Your Crib

VII RAPTURE

Rapture

Woman, Do You Not Hold The World In Your Hands?

VIII EVENING APPROACHES

Evening Approaches

You Are Important

Your Work Cannot Define Your Worth

Every Tree Is A Burning Bush

So Be It!

I Have Taken Life On My Own Terms

What Is So Bad About Old Age?

My Life

I Think I Shall Have Lived Well

A POSTSCRIPT-MY ART AND POETRY

FATHER ED GRAVES

WORKS BY FR. ED GRAVES

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I have loved you with an everlasting love, so I drew you to me, taking pity on you.

Jeremiah 31: 3

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"There are more things in heaven and on earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy, Horatio

Shakespeare, Hamlet

TO A SKEPTIC

I don’t believe in God, Tom, my college schoolmate, said as he and I sat that bright September day on a stone bench in the shade of a mammoth oak. We had agreed to meet here after his last class.

I had merely said, "God is wonderful--to make so beautiful a day! Although shocked, I continued to admire the campus a while, then turned to him. Tom, I said, no guy ever looked into the eyes of a girl he loves and said, ‘I don’t believe in love!’ No one ever looked at this beautiful campus, or, admired, as we did last night, a clear starry sky, and said, ‘I don’t believe in beauty!’ We believe in love and beauty--why not in God? Did someone not have to create them?’ How can you see all this beauty and deny its maker?

"I don’t have to prove God exists, Tom. I don’t have to prove Jesus is God, that he loves me: I know it. I’ve experienced it. I don’t believeJesus is alive, that he rose from the dead. I’ve met him. He’s my friend, my lover."

"Oh, I’ve heard all the arguments, as you have; I’ve walked the ivied halls, heard the rabid professors. But I’ve also sat, still and long, and listened to the wind whisper through the trees. I have known the boundless, the sometimes ravishing presence of a loving God. And I’ve looked into his eyes. On Calvary. I’ve been bathed, as in the sunlight of this day, by his unconditional love. He is with me--a person, a friend, who gives my life meaning.

And--just think, Tom! Jesus says that if we believe in him we will live forever. (John 6:40) Can you imagine only doing what you love, when you want--forever?

"These poems and drawings are my love songs to God-- praising of his beauty and love. They are a witness, not a defense, a song, not an argument. As birds must sing and breezes must flow--as God’s beloved, I must sing--write poetry and draw.

Here, Tom. Take this book. Maybe we can sing the same song.

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"In the beginning...God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesisl: 1

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I do not paint what I see; I paint what I feel.

Pablo Picasso

The Master Painter- A Parable

Sunrise glimmered gold behind the the Master