The April Fool

April 1, 2020 at 10:54 pm (Poetry, Theology) (April Fool, Jester King, poem)

The April Fool

The following poem was written by a friend of mine Father Jacob Boddicker SJ a Jesuit priest (a rare breed of Jesuit for these times – one who’s actually a Christian and not a Marxist) whose parish consists of serving several communities on the Lakota Sioux reservation in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

I first came to know Father Jacob (we’ve never met in person) when he was a young seminarian and noviciate in the Jesuit order when he had a blog at the Xanga blogging site back in 2009 where I also had my primary blog at the time.

When my dad died from cancer in June of 2010, every few days for the next year I’d get a message from Jacob asking me how I was doing.

We still keep in touch.

He was finally ordained a priest about 3 or 4 years ago.

And has been serving the people of the Lakota Sioux First Nation ever since where he was assigned after ordination.

This is his poem that he wrote today and posted on his Facebook page entitled The April Fool:

The April Fool 
By Father Jacob Boddicker SJ

“Tear down this temple,” the April Fool cried,
“And on the third day shalt I raise it up.”
On an ass did he come, crowd-hailed, then hied 
to a quiet place with his friends to sup.
“This bread is my Flesh; this wine is my Blood,” 
yet to all ’twas no change in look or taste.
Though claimed he divine, heeded not ill-brood 
of one there, silver-swayed, who’d lay him waste.
The Fool, who dared to trust, abandoned was to mock and spit, blood and bone, agony, 
then though innocent bore he his own cross 
‘fore enthroned a sad lord on Calvary.
“The jester king!” laughed they, those people cruel;
but on day three proved they the April fools.