Since this is “back to school” time, I’d like to share the following poem by Sr. Pat Ryan of San Francisco:
X
I nearly threw in the towel
It was May, my first year teaching
After Algebra class, Carleen whispered in my ear
Sister, when are we going to learn what X is?
O Carleen, so many years later
I can tell you a lot more about X
It not only marks the spot
It symbolizes every unknown, any mystery
It’s the letter that everyone is looking for
I’ve learned so much
Since you stunned me with that question
My answer right now would be “Never”
We are never going to learn what X is
It is the nameless essence of an eternal search
The magnet pulling the evolutionary process
It is totally available and open to any brain
That needs a marker to hold on to
The Infinite reality passing through
We are never going to learn what X is
But we will never stop trying (By Patricia Ryan, RSM.)
God beyond all knowledge, give us the grace to always remember that we are students of mystery.—AMEN
