Stupendous Wonders

Today is the feast of St. Elizabeth of Hungary. Read up on her, she's a good egg. Incidentally, at one point I decided to "adopt" an Elizabeth as my namesake, since I was told my middle name was chosen for its ring rather than its associated saints, but I was never able to decide between Elizabeth of Hungary and Mary's cousin Elizabeth. I tend to passively assume they're both watching out for me.

It's an optional feast, so the sisters and I skipped it and read the regular Friday-in-the-32nd-week-of-ordinary-time readings, of which the first was this gem from Wisdom (ignore the implication that all of Wisdom isn't a gem). I was struck by how positively literary it is. Of course, the entire Bible has caves of meaning you could spelunk through forever, but the translations don't always sound pretty, if you know what I mean. These verses, on the other hand, sound like way cool. Copy/pasted from the USCCB.

Wis 18:14-16; 19:6-9

When peaceful stillness compassed everything
and the night in its swift course was half spent,
Your all-powerful word, from heaven’s royal throne
bounded, a fierce warrior, into the doomed land,
bearing the sharp sword of your inexorable decree.
And as he alighted, he filled every place with death;
he still reached to heaven, while he stood upon the earth.

For all creation, in its several kinds, was being made over anew,
serving its natural laws,
that your children might be preserved unharmed.
The cloud overshadowed their camp;
and out of what had before been water, dry land was seen emerging:
Out of the Red Sea an unimpeded road,
and a grassy plain out of the mighty flood.
Over this crossed the whole nation sheltered by your hand,
after they beheld stupendous wonders.
For they ranged about like horses,
and bounded about like lambs,
praising you, O Lord! their deliverer.