Dives’ Revelation

 
“Cogito ergo Sum”…    

was  Descartes’ awakening,  [i]
but, “Our Father”  [ii]
sees Martin Buber’s I and Thou, complete,  [iii]
“who art in Heaven”
we live our separation in a Finity
whether now, or in eternity, we call
 
Lazarus [iv]  begged each day on earth  [v]
“Give us this day our bread”....
Dives, who never listened,  [vi]  
cries from Death’s abyss,  [vii]  
“Deliver us from Evil,”
But lacks “Forgive our trespasses,”
neither giving nor forgiving
 
“Thy Kingdom come”
 – we are here but call to you there
in the Eternity before and beyond,
while all the Prophets Dives rejected,  [viii]
(each soul carrying a Word of Creation)
travel through History’s liturgy, warning:
“Lead us not into Temptation.”

Faith says... “Credo in unum Deum”            

(2010s) 
 

[i]   “Cogito, ergo sum”.  Wikipedia.org.   {https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cogito,_ergo_sum } (accessed December 1, 2021).  –  “The Latin cogito, ergo sum, is a philosophical statement that was made in Latin by René Descartes, usually translated into English as ‘I think, therefore I am.’  ”  

[ii]   The Our Father prayer given by Jesus  –  from this point on the phrases from this prayer are mixed into the poem, using quotation marks.

[iii]   “Martin Buber, I and Thou”.  Wikipedia.org. {https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_and_Thou} (accessed December 1, 2021).
“Ich und Du, usually translated as I and Thou (You), is a book by Martin Buber, published in 1923, and first translated from German to English in 1937 …. In Buber's view, all of our relationships bring us ultimately into relationship with God, who is the Eternal Thou.  Martin Buber said that every time someone says Thou, they are indirectly addressing God.”

[iv]   Lk 16:19-31,  Jesus taught “The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus.”  (USCCB footnote:  “Dives” of popular tradition is the Latin Vulgate’s translation for “rich man.”)     

[v]   Lk 16:19-21  –
“There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day.  And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus,  covered with sores,  who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.”

[vi]   Lk 16:22-23  –  
“When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side."

[vii]   Lk 16:24-26  –   
“And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.’  Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.  Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’  ” 
 
[viii]   Lk 16:27-31  –   
“He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’   But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’  He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’  Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’  ”