In the Midst of Her Longing
By Jacob Hopper
As she journeys
she realizes her inmost yearning
is not for something of this world.
She is seeking a place
she is seeking a face
a King whose throne is not here.
Yet on this way
she cannot simply run without delay
for she will miss all the wonders on the road.
Part of the beauty of the pilgrim soul
is knowing that even in a foreign land, she is fully known
by the Person she encounters in the bread.
All pilgrim souls share this longing
and in the midst of Her longing
He comes.
He comes to show Her the path
that will lead her soul to rest at last
in green pastures where He reposes.
Until then
She must fix her eyes on Him
not to the left or right
but on the One who is Truth and Light.
Artist Statement:
In the Midst of Her Longing expresses the desire of the Church to be unified with God in the Heavenly Jerusalem. This longing can sometimes cause her to lose sight of the fact that She is living within the world and therefore must interact with the world to help the world also realize humanity's universal call to communion with God. It is only by fixing her eyes on Jesus Christ that the Church and all her members can realize that this world is a ship and not a home but at the same time, we must all care for this ship so that we can reach our eternal home.
About the Artist:
Jacob is a young poet from Illinois, currently residing in Tampa, Florida. He grew up in a small Midwestern household and lived a happy simple life. In seminary, Jacob discovered a newfound way to pray through writing poems to the Lord. Recognizing that he couldn’t draw or paint, Jacob found words as a way to express the images and encounters he had during times of prayer. Now as a graduate student at the University of Notre Dame, Jacob works in faith formation at a local parish and seeks to help other young people find the language of their heart with which to speak with the One who knows each of us intimately. This collection of poems seeks to express each person’s desire for intimacy with the Lord and each other. Realizing that the Synodal way is not meant to be divisive but unitive, these poems also express different views of different hearts all yearning for the same Person, Jesus Christ.