James Primosch

II.  Gloria

Praise the wet snow
   falling early.
Praise the shadow
  my neighbor's chimney casts on the tile roof
even this gray October day that should, they say,
have been golden.
                         Praise
the invisible sun burning beyond
   the white cold sky, giving us
light and the chimney's shadow
Praise
god or the gods, the unknown,
that which imagined us, which stays
our hand,
our murderous hand,
                                 and give us
still,
in the shadow of death,
                our daily life,
                and the dream still
of goodwill, of peace on earth.
Praise
flow and change, night and
the pulse of day.
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Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Et in terra pax
 hominibus bonæ voluntatis.
Laudamus te; benedicimus te; 
adoramus te; glorificamus te.

Gratias agimus tibi 
propter magnam gloriam tuam.
Domine Deus, Rex coelestis, 
Deus Pater omnipotens.

Domine Fili unigenite Jesu Christe.

Domine Deus, Agnus Dei,
Filius Patris.
Qui tollis peccata mundi,
miserere nobis.

Qui tollis peccata mundi, 
suscipe deprecationem nostram.
Qui sedes ad dextram Patris, 
O miserere nobis.
Quoniam tu solus Sanctus, 
tu solus Dominus, 

tu solus Altissimus, Jesu Christe.

Cum Sancto Spiritu 
in gloria Dei Patris.
Amen.

Glory be to God in the highest.

And on earth peace 
to men of good will.
We praise you; we bless you; 
we adore you; we glorify you.

We give you thanks for your great glory.
Lord God, Heavenly King, 
God the Father Almighty.

O Lord Jesus Christ, only begotten Son. 

Lord God, Lamb of God, 
Son of the Father.
You that take away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
You that take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer.

You that sit at the right hand of the Father, 
have mercy upon us.
For you only are the Holy One, 
you alone are the Lord, 

you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ.

Together with the Holy Ghost 
in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.

excerpts from poems by Denise Levertov; Latin Ordinary of the Mass

“Mass for the Day of St. Thomas Didymus” by Denise Levertov, from CANDLES IN BABYLON, copyright ©1982 by Denise Levertov. Reprinted by permission of New Directions Publishing Corp.

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