In his poem, “on the edge of holy week,” Jeffrey Essmann considers our ambivalent yet joyous embrace of the Passion. Continue reading on the edge of holy week

In this Petrarchan sonnet, “The Silence Before Pilate,” Jeffrey Essmann considers Jesus’ silence before Pilate in the moments before His death sentence. Continue reading The Silence Before Pilate

In his poem, “Agony,” Jeffrey Essmann considers the dreamlike aspects of the Passion as it begins in Gethsemane. Continue reading Agony

In his poem, “Up to My Waist,” Jeffrey Essmann imagines Peter’s point of view on a stormy encounter with Christ. Continue reading Up to My Waist

In his poem, “Distraction (Morning Prayer)” Jeffrey Essmann looks at a common plague of the praying life. Continue reading Distraction (Morning Prayer)

In his poem, “He Found Them in a Wilderness,” Jeffrey Essmann reminds us that in humanity’s encounter with God, we didn’t “meet cute.” Continue reading He Found Them in a Wilderness

In his poem, “The Missionary,” Jeffrey Essmann considers the unlikeliness of his call to mission. Continue reading The Missionary

In his Pushkin sonnet, “The Madman,” Jeffrey Essmann considers a fellow-worshiper: a very troubled man from the neighborhood who keeps coming back to church. Continue reading The Madman

In his poem, “Word Made Flesh,” Jeffrey Essmann considers how scriptural prayer can segue from the contemplative to the incarnational. Continue reading Word Made Flesh

In his poem, “First and Second,” Jeffrey Essmann reflects on the two comings of Christ in his Petrarchan sonnet. Continue reading First and Second

In this set of cinquains, “Heaven Scent,” Jeffrey Essmann offers a Marian-centered Advent reflection on the mystery of the Incarnation. Continue reading Heaven Scent

In paired sonnets, Jeffrey Essmann reflects on St. Paul’s insight that redemption is grounded in blood and grace. Continue reading Ephesians 1:7