Some people cannot preach
That is the long and the short of it
Usually the long!
Some can take off
But don’t know how to land
That was a special gift
Of one James Corrigan (God bless him!)
In training days
We were given set sermons to recite
To become familiar
With standing up in public
Out on missions
Some set sermons lasted for a lifetime
The stock in trade of seasoned missioners
Like musical hall entertainers
Touring the country with the same act
Before TV caught up
And swallowed them
CSsR the title we bore
Congregation of the same sermons repeated
Said the Jesuits
In Colombia
People travelled for miles and hours
To attend a misson
Noel Londono told me so
A sermon any lesson than an hour
Would be short changing them
Here in our fast world
Where everything is clipped
Short and sweet and to the point will do
I became a good preacher
I valued the moments and minutes
Don’t be sloppy in front of people
Say it well
Some people speak because they have something to say
Others speak because they have to say something
Which one are you?
Brian Fahy
6 June 2021
Erris Poetry 