SEEDS OF BEATITUDE: Proverbs 2019-2021

In these three years of personal pursuit of the truth, a path can be traced. The author begins by fighting against various evil for the sacredness of his conscience, including his assaulted mind, with special helps. In year two, as the helps recede, or become less interesting or forgotten, the author flails to preserve even a partial sense of self; but his deep broken self still rolls on from the Encounter he had in his high school experience of Communion and Liberation. By year three, the author’s sense of self has been betrayed by something foundational he has missed or lost – is it his illness? His forgotten previous conclusions? Both?—and his sense of self continues to decay. He still hopes, boundlessly, especially on the Eucharist, humble service, and the Christian community. “It’s never too late to start over again” (Book of Hours, 85). Compared to the Seeds of Beatitude poem collection from 2018, Patrick is writing in more pain and more darkness. In 2018, Patrick went big after the big questions, after the Big Picture—especially asking 1) What is right action? 2) Why is there evil? And 3) Who am I? However, in this 2019-2021 anthology, he focuses on “Who am I?” and groans after the answer in the dark, comparatively, while somehow deep in his heart knowing that the quest is relevant to the hope of society.