The weekend of February 4, 2006 I was in Canada, in the little, and I mean LITTLE village of St-Edouard-du-Kent, New Brunswick. I was visiting with Fr. Bernard Gauthier, CSSR*, a friend of some years through the Ahearn Memorial Pilgrimage. Anyway, I went to church at the parish church in Bouctouche, a little south of...Where I was staying. On the back of the bulletin was this really great poem. It got me to thinking and chuckling. Those of you who know, this is NOT a pretty sight, especially since the red in my face clashed with everything else around me. It is also not necessarily a quiet experience.....oy. That's all I'm going to say about that. Of course, the people around me looked at me funny, but what the heck, its not my problem if they don't have a sense of humor!
I hope you enjoy it. I've included both the original French as well as my translation of it.
| Français | English |
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Seigneur, que je sois comme mon automobile
Mon auto est patiente, elle est la devant ma porte. Elle m’attend aussi longtemps qu’il faudra. Seigneur, fais que je soi patient. Mon auto est toujours disponible : quand j’ai besoin d’elle, Elle est prête a servir. Seigneur, fais que nous soyons disponibles. Mon auto est accueillante : ses quatre portes s’ouvrent Sur quatre bons fauteuils. On peut s’y installer à quatre ou six, On est peut-être un peu serres, mais elle nous a accueillis. Seigneur, fais que notre foyer soit accueillant. Mon auto est obéissante : quand j’accélère, elle avance. Je freine, elle s’arrête. Je tourne a droite, elle tourne a droite. Seigneur, fais que je sois obéissant. Mon auto sait même faire marche arrière. Seigneur, fais que je sache reconnaître mes torts, Que je sache, moi aussi, faire marche arrière. Mais si j’oublie l’essence et l’huile, mon auto est sans valeur. Fais moi comprendre, Seigneur, que sans toi, Moi aussi, je perds ma valeur. Et quand, par hasard, mon auto démarre toute seule, Elle ne fais que des bêtises, elle écrase les gens et les fleurs. Et quand je suis maladroit, brutal ou méchant, Quand je fais du mal autour de moi, N’est-ce pas, Seigneur, que j’ai oublie mon chauffeur? Seigneur, fais qu’entre tes mains, je sois comme mon auto. |
Lord, that I should be like my car.
My car is patient; she is always at my door. She waits for me as long as it takes. Lord, make me patient. My car is always available to me. When I need her, she is always ready to serve me. Lord, make us always to be at your service. My car is welcoming: her four doors open on four good seats. We can seat four or six. We might be crowded, but she welcomes us. Lord, make our homes welcoming. My car is obedient: when I accelerate, she goes; when I brake, she slows down; when I turn right she turns right. Lord, make us obedient. My car also knows how to go in reverse. Lord, help me to know my faults. When I know them, help me also to back up. But, if I forget gas and oil, my car is worthless. Help me to understand, Lord, that without you, I also am worthless. And when, by accident, my cars starts on its own, she becomes a mindless monster, crushing people and plants alike. And when I am blundering, brutal or evil, when I hurt those around me, is it not true, Lord, that I have forgotten Who drives me? Lord, when I am in your hands, make me like my car! |