{"id":1248,"date":"2010-05-05T00:01:00","date_gmt":"2010-05-05T00:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/yimcatholic\/2010\/05\/%e2%80%9cthe-habit-of-perfection%e2%80%9d-a%c2%a0few%c2%a0words%c2%a0for%c2%a0wednesday\/"},"modified":"2017-01-24T19:03:29","modified_gmt":"2017-01-25T00:03:29","slug":"the-habit-of-perfection-a-few-words-for-wednesday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/yimcatholic\/2010\/05\/the-habit-of-perfection-a-few-words-for-wednesday.html","title":{"rendered":"\u201cThe Habit of Perfection\u201d (A\u00a0Few\u00a0Words\u00a0for\u00a0Wednesday)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

<\/a>Twice in the past week I said or wrote something deeply embarrassing\u2014hurtful words about someone else that I have regretted with a stab in the heart. The first time was with someone very close to me. The second was in a recent post<\/a>. In the first case, my embarrassment led to a reconciliation with the person involved: we have never been closer. It is too early to predict what will happen in the second case, but I\u2019m praying about it. Meanwhile, I\u2019ve taken a vow of silence.
<\/a>
Yeah, I know, you\u2019ve probably heard that one before, especially if you know me personally or have hung around this virtual soapbox for any length of time. Like many people with a certain minor gift of eloquence, I suffer from foot-in-mouth disease. I get too smart for my own britches, and my mouth runs all the same, and then I feel awful about it.<\/p>\n

Which is why I\u2019ve chosen another poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins, S.J.<\/a>, for this week\u2019s installment. I suppose it is about taking literal vows; but it has a lot to say to all of us, especially me, and right now.<\/p>\n

The Habit of Perfection<\/b>
Elected Silence, sing to me
And beat upon my whorled ear,
Pipe me to pastures still and be
The music that I care to hear.<\/p>\n

Shape nothing, lips; be lovely-dumb:
It is the shut, the curfew sent
From there where all surrenders come
Which only makes you eloquent.<\/p>\n

Be shelled, eyes, with double dark
And find the uncreated light:
This ruck and reel which you remark
Coils, keeps, and teases simple sight.<\/p>\n

Palate, the hutch of tasty lust,
Desire not to be rinsed with wine:
The can must be so sweet, the crust
So fresh that come in fasts divine!<\/p>\n

Nostrils, your careless breath that spend
Upon the stir and keep of pride,
What relish shall the censers send
Along the sanctuary side!<\/p>\n

O feel-of-primrose hands, O feet
That want the yield of plushy sward,
But you shall walk the golden street
And you unhouse and house the Lord.<\/p>\n

And, Poverty, be thou the bride
And now the marriage feast begun,
And lily-coloured clothes provide
Your spouse not laboured-at nor spun.<\/p>\n

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Twice in the past week I said or wrote something deeply embarrassing\u2014hurtful words about someone else that I have regretted with a stab in the heart. The first time was with someone very close to me. The second was in a recent post. In the first case, my embarrassment led to a reconciliation with the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":143,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n\u201cThe Habit of Perfection\u201d (A\u00a0Few\u00a0Words\u00a0for\u00a0Wednesday)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Twice in the past week I said or wrote something deeply embarrassing\u2014hurtful words about someone else that I have regretted with a stab in the heart. 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