Saturday - 4th Week of Ordinary Time

Our Roman Catholic lectionary sometimes recognizes Saturday by arranging a scripture reading that reminds us of the Blessed Mother or of the Sabbath, the Jewish day of rest.

Today we hear Jesus’ invitation to his disciples, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” 

The great English poet and Anglican priest George Herbert wrote a wonderful poem called, The Pulley, about rest. In it he plays with the two meanings of the word, rest as in repose, and rest as in leftovers; and reminds us that rest is a very precious gift. Without it all other gifts may be lost.

He called the poem The Pulley because as the one meaning rises, the other sinks.  The first rest lies in the bottom of the first stanza; the second in the middle of the second stanza; and the last one floats on top of the third stanza. But there is one more rest hidden in the bosom of the last word, which is where we find must it. The poem is a lovely meditation for Saturday.

The Pulley

When God at first made man,

Having a glass of blessings standing by,

"Let us," said he, "pour on him all we can;

Let the world's riches, which dispersed lie,

Contract into a span."

So strength first made a way;

Then beauty flow'd, then wisdom, honour, pleasure;

When almost all was out, God made a stay,

Perceiving that alone of all his treasure,

Rest in the bottom lay.

"For if I should," said he,

"Bestow this jewel also on my creature,

He would adore my gifts instead of me,

And rest in Nature, not the God of Nature:

So both should losers be.

"Yet let him keep the rest,

But keep them with repining restlessness;

Let him be rich and weary, that at least,

If goodness lead him not, yet weariness

May toss him to my breast."

George Herbert

1593-1632