Mad Messiah

by Edmond Grace SJ

My faith in God and in Christ has always been simple, but that does not mean that I am simple, which is why these poems are dedicated to Vladimir and Estragon in Samuel Beckett’s play Waiting for Godot. After this Dedication, the Prologue introduces the themes of the Four Cycles: Dublin south-sider, aging Jesuit, bewildered male, and Irish Catholic.

Click first for PDF (left column) and then for Audio (right column).

Dedication »
Prologue »

Mad Messiah

First Cycle: Reptiles and the rising sun

March 21, 2019

The First Cycle – Reptiles and the Rising Sun - is a satirical take on middle class Dublin.

Mad Messiah

Second Cycle – Floating Eyes in Venice

March 21, 2019

The Second Cycle – Floating Eyes in Venice – a satirical take on the Jesuits, including himself.

Mad Messiah

Third Cycle: Two Dead Israelites

March 21, 2019

The Third Cycle – Two Dead Israelites – is about manhood – satirical or simply accurate?

Mad Messiah

Fourth Cycle – Saving Jonah

March 21, 2019

The Fourth Cycle – Saving Jonah – is a study of hatred. Of course, it’s also about Irish Catholicism

Called to the frontiers

May 20, 2026 - "What is God calling us to do today?" A question posed by Jesuit Fr General Arturo Sosa SJ on his recent visit to Poland.

Art as prayer: Evie Hone and the Ignatian vision

May 20, 2026 - The Loyola Institute TCD hosted an illuminating lecture exploring the intersections between modern Irish art, patronage, and Ignatian spirituality.

‘Community, punishment, forgiveness’

May 18, 2026 - The importance of 'not knowing' was a key theme of prison chaplain Pieter De Witte's lecture at the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice.