Davide Melodia's writings

Emmanuel

      (Texts : Isaiah 7:14,15; Matthew 1:23 )

          "God is with us" - it is written -
    but for my part, who am I with?
    With Him, with myself, with others,
    with pleasure, with worldly idols?

  What have I made of my life,
  how have I dealt with pain, with fear,
  with loneliness?

    Have I relieved my neighbour's suffering?
    Have I recognised Christ in the hungry one?

  Have I brought words of hope
  to the desperate, of peace to the besieged?
  Have I struggled against wrongdoing and violence
  with Him?

    Still, He is here, by my side,
    Friend who is always there,
    divine Comforter.



        "But I have other solutions,
        resources of technology,
        inventions of science.

      "I, thinking Man,
      have no need of Emmanuel.
      I am my own God,
      my ego is God.
      I can do anything,
      simply if I want to!

        And look, I am starting to conquer
        matter, death, suffering.
      So let Emmanuel wait
      another few years ..."


    But then I wake up
    from that proud, sacrilegious dream,
    and I realise
    that I've wasted my life,
    that I've driven away the only
    loving Friend.

  And I'm alone, on the edge of the abyss,
  and He is coming,
  no, He's right here,
  behind the door of my heart,
  and He's knocking,
  and whispering: "I am Emmanuel!"

Davide Melodia - trans. Simon Grant


Original Italian

Davide Melodia's writings