W. H. Auden

Jay Panini has been for many years Professor of English and Creative Writing at Middlebury College in Vermont. He describes a melancholy time in his early life as a graduate student at Oxford University in England. After a day of tedious research at a London library, he stepped off the train and ran into W. H. Auden (1907-1973), an accomplished poet and author. W. H. had been raised in his early years as an Anglican, turned to atheism in his 20s, and embraced the Christian faith after reading Soren Kierkegaard, an accomplished intellectual who was also a Christian. W.H. could sense that Jay was feeling miserable, so he invited Jay to his cottage and offered him a stiff drink. During their conversation, Jay remembers W. H. offering him two words of advice: First, “There is no such thing as time,” he said. He explained that in our race against time, only what is eternal will last. Jay listened, somewhat confused, and then asked, “So, what’s the second thing?” “Ah, that,” he said. “Rest in God, dear boy. Rest in God.” W. H. invited him to join him at the college chapel for Sunday worship, and Jay accepted. And he’s been going ever since.
W. H. Auden’s advice, “Rest in God,” recalls Jesus’ words, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt.28).  Today’s prayer by W. H. is a portion of the anthem, “The Twelve: An Anthem for the Feast of any Apostle”: