Formalities just weren't working

I had kind of planned to go to mass on Easter (after a few years of hardly any mass attendance, I've kind of become a Christmas & Easter Catholic ... if that). Mom always sends a little package for Easter and this year included a book called Love Poems from God edited by Daniel Ladinsky, in which he collected spiritual thoughts in the form of poetry from "12 sacred voices from the East and West." Reading some of these lit up my soul and my desire for mass lessened. Here are a few that I really like. The first 2 are from Meister Eckhart and the 3rd is from Rumi.

They are always kissing, they can't

control themselves.

It is not possible

that any creature can have greater instincts

and perceptions than the

mature human

mind.

God

ripened me.

So I see it is true:

all objects in existence are

wildly in

love.

And another:

Knowledge always deceives.

It always limits the Truth, every concept and image does.

From cage to cage the caravan moves,

but I give thanks,

for at each divine juncture

my wings expand

and I

touch Him more

intimately.

And one more:

The grass beneath a tree is content

and silent.

A squirrel holds an acorn in its praycing hands,

offering thanks, it looks like.

The nut tastes sweet; I bet the prayer spiced

it up somehow.

The broken shells fall on the grass,

and the grass looks up

and says,

"Hey."

And the squirrel looks down

and says,

"Hey."

I have been saying "Hey" lately too,

to God.

Formalities just weren't

working.