By The Traveling Troubadour
Word Count: 721
Rating: G (suitable for all audiences)
Summary: A testimonial poem about a pilgrim’s journey to the shrine of St. Philomena in Italy.
In Your Divine Time, Lord, in your Divine Time,
One chime at a time, in Your Divine Time
–
Thy Will be done on earth as in Heaven…
–
In Mother Mary’s month
We honor Joseph, too
On that first of May
Patron of workers’ day
And Head of our Homes
–
I had a dream that night
A distant, lucent view
A scene beyond belief
Of one entombed beneath
Engraved stones
–
A sweet serenity
Was flowing through the breeze
I didn’t see her face
Wasn’t e’er a trace
To explain her
It seemed I knew the name
Of she who once was there
Before her soul took flight
Into Heaven’s light
Filomena
–
Eternal rest grant to her, O Lord…
–
I was a princess
With my family
When to visit Rome
Far away from home
We were Grecian
–
An evil emperor
Wished to marry me
Possessed with envious pride
I vowed to be Christ’s bride
Not Diocletian’s
–
For thirty-seven days
Imprisoned, tortured too
Then Our Lady came
Three days more of pain
And sacrifice
–
The arrows turned around
Anchors ropes unbound
Though they beheaded me
God saved my purity
To Paradise
–
Santa Filomena, ora pro nobis!
–
There is a sacred place
In old world Italy
High up near the clouds
Where the faithful crowds
Ascend and pray
–
This ancient pilgrimage
To Monte Virgine
From the valley goes
Through Avellino’s Village Archway
–
On our Queen’s vigil
In St. Anne’s Hospital,
An answered novena
Our beloved Bambina
Sunday was born
–
We heard the chapel bells
Echo in the eve
While processing priests
Rang in the August Feast
Of Assumption morn
–
Ave Maria, Gratia Plena!
–
Blessed be the Holy Trinity!
You’ve come into our lives with your charity!
The first fruit of our new family tree
This precious gift you have given
We offer to thee
–
Through the anointed hands of Padre Giuseppi
Baptized into Heaven was she, Santa Filomena Marie
As we lift up our voices to Thee
With Avellina Marie
–
In Your Divine Time, Lord, in Your Divine Time,
Once chime at a time, in Your Divine Time
–
In Your Divine Time, Lord, in Your Divine Time,
One chime at a time, in Your Divine Time
Amen.