Hymn to Saint Joseph

Saint Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church

 

Reason

Last year, in 2020, I was working toward my consecration to Saint Joseph. I was to make the consecration on May 1st, the feastday of Saint Joseph the Worker. The day before my consecration, I could not find any suitable traditional English hymn to this wonderful man, this protector of the Holy Family and patron of the Universal Church. So I did what anyone would do: I wrote my own. It is meant to be sung to the tune Regent Square by Henry T. Smart (1867). The text is now under copyright through the Library of Congress.

Hymn Text

1. Holy Joseph, great defender
Of God’s holy Mysteries,
Who didst guard the Bread of Heaven
From the evil enemy,
Holy Joseph, holy Joseph,
Do thou guard our family. 

2. Silent Joseph, humble servant
Of the greatest plan Divine,
When the angel brought the message
Thou didst do the task assigned.
Silent Joseph, silent Joseph,
Help us all God’s will to find.

3. Noble Joseph, kingly leader
Of the Holy Family,
Thou didst rule the Virgin-Mother
And God's Son, the Prince of Peace.
Noble Joseph, noble Joseph,
Help our virtue to increase.

4. Purest Joseph, faithful husband
Of the Blesséd Virgin Queen,
Thou whose heart rejoiced to greet her
In thy fam’ly life unseen,
Purest Joseph, purest Joseph,
Help us treasure purity.

5. Skillful Joseph, clever tradesman,
Carpenter at Nazareth,
Model of all those who labor,
Teaching Christ, thy work was blest!
Skillful Joseph, skillful Joseph,
Help us always give our best.

6. Peaceful Joseph, little Jesus
Calmly sleeps upon thy breast,
Showing us that after labor,
In thine arms we’re not distressed.
Peaceful Joseph, peaceful Joseph,
Help us live the Sabbath rest.

7. Hardy Joseph, strong and valiant,
Terror to the fiends of hell,
Grasp the demons by the tail and
Cast them under Mary’s heel!
Hardy Joseph, hardy Joseph,
Help us fight temptation well.

8. Blesséd Joseph, thou didst speak with
Christ and Mary ev’ry day,
And as thou wast wont to love them,
Show us thine exalted way:
Blesséd Joseph, blesséd Joseph,
Teach us how like thee to pray.

 9. Dear Saint Joseph, to thy keeping
We entrust our family: 
Guard, protect, and lead us onward
To the final victory!
Dear Saint Joseph, dear Saint Joseph,
Bring us to eternity!

© 2021 David Varella

St Lawrence Giving the Wealth to the Poor, painting by Palma il Giovane, 1581-1582.

 

The National Treasure

St. Lawrence, whose feastday is August 10th, was asked by the Roman Prefect to gather together the treasures of the Church and submit them to the Roman government. When confronted in this manner, he gathered together all the poor and the forsaken, telling the Roman Prefect that these poor and forsaken are the true treasures of the Church. For that, he was sentenced to Martyrdom by fire. It is also devoutly believed that he, in humor (an aspect of joy), told his executioners to turn him over because he was already done on one side.

The story of St. Lawrence producing the "true treasures of the Church" has been on my mind as of late. There is an attempt going on to require women to register for the draft. There is a quote from the linked article:

“By reforming the Selective Service to be gender-neutral based registration, we draw on the talents of our entire nation in the time of a national emergency,” [Rep. Chrissy] Houlahan said. “The current male-only registration sends a message to women not only that they are not vital to the defense of the country, but also that they are not expected to participate in defending it.”

This is a dangerous and insidious lie. Women are vital to the defense of the country without having to register for the draft. If both men and women are drafted during a national emergency or for a state of war, what will happen to our children? Will they be left to themselves? Will they be cared for? By whom, by the state? Put in foster homes? Making both men and women register for the draft is dangerous because it leaves the care and education of our children entirely in other people's hands. I am reminded of a quote by the Venerable Joseph Cardinal Mindszenty:

The Most Important Person on earth is a mother. She cannot claim the honor of having built Notre Dame Cathedral. She need not. She has built something more magnificent than any cathedral — a dwelling for an immortal soul, the tiny perfection of her baby's body... The angels have not been blessed with such a grace. They cannot share in God's creative miracle to bring new saints to Heaven. Only a human mother can. Mothers are closer to God the Creator than any other creature; God joins forces with mothers in performing this act of creation... What on God's good earth is more glorious than this: to be a mother?

Maybe it is time we follow in the footsteps of St. Lawrence and gather together our grandmothers, our mothers, our wives, and our daughters, and all go to the steps of Capitol Hill and say, "These are the true treasures of our homes and our Country, these are the reason we are willing and bold to fight, so that we may put an end to the evil before us in order to defend what is behind us: our homes, our children, our mothers, our wives, our daughters. We choose to fight in order to defend them, and to prevent them from having to experience the horrors and evils of war." Of course, we cannot do that because to go to Capitol Hill right now would be to witness a defense in preparation of war: there are still fences topped with concertina wire and guarded by the National Guard.

Chivalry and truth are not dead among the common citizens, but it is evident that they are dead among the ruling elite, that elite which seeks to destroy the family by any and every means possible, including the UN's "Sustainable Development Goals" and the requirement of women to register for the draft. The family is what they aim to destroy because the family is what Satan aims to destroy.

We must resist this evil of their requirement of women to register for the draft. It is unconscionable for us to remain silent in the face of this evil. We may not be able to physically be at Capitol Hill in order for us to show our representatives our true treasures, but we definitely should contact them: speak up, speak out, and then also storm Heaven with prayer. John Stuart Mill once wrote, “Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” Let us not be among such cowardly "good men", but let us be courageous. Silence is not an option for truly good men.

We are not telling women that they are unimportant for national defense, but that they are very important precisely where they are. Whether they are homemakers or have chosen some other profession (and yes, homemaking is a profession), then they must serve faithfully wherever they are. That is where they serve the best in a national emergency. Such women are vital for national defense, and they know their worth — they do not need a political elite to tell them their worth by voting to require them to register for the draft.

Joyful in Tribulation

Aragorn laughing in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

 

Joy: The Purpose of This Article

Last week, Pope Francis issued the Motu Proprio Traditionis Custodes (TC), in which all the Faithful who attend the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) were grouped together as those who resist Vatican II (V2) and the Liturgical Reform called for by the Council. There is a small faction of those who do resist V2, but most of us do not. There is a vast difference between V2, which did call for some reform, and those changes made in the "spirit of V2". The former can boast of formulating documents of varying degrees of importance, while the latter in many cases cannot boast of actually following the documents. What we got in the way of reforms was very often tragic, especially in the area of ecumenism.

Nonetheless, my purpose here is to articulate neither a defense of V2 nor an understanding of right reforms, both of which are being done by others more capable than I and more intelligently gifted. What I really want to stress here is the fruit of the Holy Spirit called joy. In these times, joy cannot be underestimated or overstated. It is difficult to find joy when we feel that we have been beaten by the crook of our shepherd or lashed by the pen of one who is our father and yet who does not understand us. Joy is our true patrimony as Christians, and we should not underestimate its power: with joy, we become the bonus odor Christi, the sweet fragrance of Christ through which we attract others to the truth. 

Collect for Holy Joy 

In the Ordinary Form of the Holy Mass, there is a Collect for the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time, a Collect we would all do well to remember and to pray:

O God, who in the abasement of your Son have raised up a fallen world, fill your faithful with holy joy, for on those you have rescued from slavery to sin you bestow eternal gladness. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

There is an entire Apostolic Exhortation of Pope St. Paul VI devoted to the topic of Christian Joy, called Gaudete in Domino. An entire Apostolic Exhortation! Add to that the section of Pope St. John Paul II's Apostolic Letter Dies Domini in which he discusses the holy joy of Sundays.

Joy in the Scriptures

Here is a list of ten Scriptures with regard to holy joy.

1. "Go, eat fat meats, and drink sweet wine, and send portions to them that have not prepared for themselves: because it is the holy day of the Lord, and be not sad: for the joy of the Lord is our strength" (Nehemiah 8:10, DRB).

Let us not be sad or downcast. Let us rejoice exceedingly in the God who made us, and who has fitted to us this yoke of suffering. This is "the holy day of the Lord", and Satan will do all he can to steal from us the sense of holiness and the joy of the Lord. Satan wants us weak and divided, and we must not give him the opportunity to achieve his nefarious ends.

2. "Let my tongue cleave to my jaws, if I do not remember thee: if I make not Jerusalem the beginning of my joy" (Psalm 136:6, DRB).

Even though we endure the present affliction, we must make Jerusalem the beginning of our joy. At the TLM, the beauty is such that heaven, the heavenly Jerusalem, bends down and touches earth once again. The beauty of the TLM is the heavenly Jerusalem whence our joy springs forth: it is the beginning of our joy, our joy which should be carried out from Holy Mass into the world in which we live and work.

3. "Then was our mouth filled with gladness; and our tongue with joy. Then shall they say among the Gentiles: the Lord hath done great things for them. The Lord hath done great things for us: we are become joyful." (Psalm 125:2-3, DRB).

The Lord hath done great things for us! Was not Summorum Pontificum a great thing? Was not Ecclesia Dei a great thing? If God has done these great things for us, then we rejoice at what he has done, and we look forward with joy to the full freedom of the TLM once again.

4. "Thy wife as a fruitful vine, on the sides of thy house. Thy children as olive plants round about thy table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord." (Psalm 127:3-4, DRB).

The blessing of family for the just man is a source of great joy. It is also true for the Catholic Priest, who is alter Christus, another Christ, because his spouse is the Church, the Bride of Christ, and her children are also his spiritual children.

5. "Hitherto, you have asked nothing in my name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full" (John 16:24, RSV-CE).

Let us ask for what is good for us, spiritually and corporally (for we are not pure spirits as are the angels). In the 54-day Rosary Novena, the first half is praying in petition, and the second half is praying in thanksgiving that God has granted our prayer even before it is answered. If we have this attitude of thanksgiving regardless of whether our prayers are answered in the manner we wish them to be, how can joy not exude from our very being?

6. "I have said this to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." (John 16:33, RSV-CE).

In the world we have tribulation, but what is most difficult to accept is that much of our tribulation also comes from those who are our shepherds and fathers, because they do not understand us. So be it. God sees all. Let us rejoice in our suffering, knowing that Christ has already overcome and conquered the world.

7. "But the fruit of the Spirit is, charity, joy, peace, patience, [kindness], goodness, longanimity, [gentleness], faith, modesty, continency, chastity. Against such there is no law." (Galations 5:22-23, DRB).

Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Let us pray for the gifts and the fruits of the Holy Spirit, especially the fruit of joy.

8. "Brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever modest, whatsoever just, whatsoever holy, whatsoever lovely, whatsoever of good fame, if there be any virtue, if any praise of discipline, think on these things" (Philippians 4:8, DRB).

"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good" (Luke 6:45), so if we fill our minds and hearts with good things, we will rejoice exceedingly in the good.

9. "You shall draw waters with joy out of the saviour's fountain" (Isaiah 12:3, DRB).

This one is from the Easter Vigil Mass, but this translation reveals that it is at the Savior's fountain that we will draw waters with joy. What is that fountain but His most Sacred Heart, whence flowed blood and water?

10. "And he saw his children's children to the fifth generation. And after he had lived ninety-nine years in the fear of the Lord, with joy they buried him." (Tobit 14:15d-16).

Has anyone heard of burying a beloved man with joy? It is that way for a just and virtuous man, that even when he is gone from us, so much of his wisdom and joy remain with us and in us.

Joy in the Catechism of the Council of Trent

This excerpt is taken from the Catechism of the Council of Trent, and sheds glorious light on what I am trying to convey.

Patience and Joy under Continued Affliction

Next we must remember that if by prayers and supplications we are not delivered from evil, we should endure our afflictions with patience, convinced that it is the will of God that we should so endure them. If, therefore, God hear not our prayers, we are not to yield to feelings of peevishness or discontent; we must submit in all things to the divine will and pleasure, regarding as useful and salutary to us that which happens in accordance with the will of God, not that which is agreeable to our own wishes.

Finally, the pious hearers should be admonished that during our mortal career we should be prepared to meet every kind of affliction and calamity, not only with patience, but even with joy. For it is written: All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution; and again: Through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God; and further: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and so enter into his glory? A servant should not be greater than his master; and as St. Bernard says: Delicate members do not become a head crowned with thorns. The glorious example of Urias challenges our imitation. When urged by David to remain at home, he replied: The ark of God, and Israel, and Juda, dwell in tents; and shall I go into my house?

If to prayer we bring with us these reflections and these dispositions, although surrounded by menaces and encompassed by evils on every side, we shall, like the three children who passed unhurt amidst the flames, be preserved uninjured; or at least, like the Machabees, we shall bear up against adverse fortune with firmness and fortitude.

In the midst of contumelies and tortures we should imitate the blessed Apostles, who, after they had been scourged, rejoiced exceedingly that they were accounted worthy to suffer reproach for Christ Jesus. Filled with such sentiments, we shall sing in transports of joy: Princes have persecuted me without cause; and my heart hath been in awe of thy words; I will rejoice at thy words, as one that hath found great spoil.

Poetry, the Language of the Heart

I once heard it said that love is the deeds of the heart, but poetry is the language of the heart. We need to make the pursuit of joy not simply an intellectual matter, but a matter of the heart. So without further ado, a poem on joy by John Keble (1792-1866), an Anglican priest and contemporary of St. John Henry Cardinal Newman:

A fragment of a rainbow bright
Through the moist air I see,
All dark and damp on yonder height,
All bright and clear to me.

An hour ago the storm was here,
The gleam was far behind;
So will our joys and grief appear,
When earth has ceased to blind.

Grief will be joy if on its edge
Fall soft that holiest ray,
Joy will be grief if no faint pledge
Be there of heavenly day.

There are plenty of other poems, but this one contrasts sorrow and joy in a way that we can very much feel deep within ourselves these days. Joy is likened to a rainbow, and sorrow to a storm -- and what a storm we find ourselves in! Nonetheless, we can find some joy within, even if it is like the fragment of a rainbow, not a full rainbow.

Another little quatrain illustrates the importance of joy in Catholic life:

Wherever the Catholic sun doth shine,
There’s always laughter and good red wine.
At least I’ve always found it so.
Benedicamus Domino!

It was written by Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953), and it perfectly illustrates the joy we should have as Catholics. That does not mean that we don't feel sadness, but that we choose to act with cheerfulness and joy and affability, as St. Philip Neri would say.

The Patron Saint of Laughter and Joy

St. Philip Neri is the patron saint of laughter and joy. I highly recommend this article about him, from which comes this prayer:

St. Philip, you converted countless souls to a greater love for God by befriending them and treating them with courtesy and kindness. Please pray for us to grow in the virtue of affability and joyfulness, which shone through all your words and actions, so that we, too, may win many souls for Christ. Amen.

Let us strive to live by these quotes of St. Philip Neri:

“Cheerfulness strengthens the heart and makes us persevere in a good life; wherefore the servant of God ought always to be in good spirits.”

“The true way to advance in holy virtues is to persevere in a holy cheerfulness.”

“First let a little love find entrance into their hearts, and the rest will follow."

It is said that at one point, St. Philip cut off half his beard so that he would remember not to take himself too seriously. Imagine a Priest giving a sermon with half a beard -- the laughter that would ensue even from the Priest himself would have been contagious holy joy!

St. Thomas More's Prayers for Good Humor

St. Thomas More also used to pray for good humor, which is one aspect of holy joy.

Lord, grant me a holy heart, that sees always what is fine and pure and is not frightened at the sight of sin, but creates order wherever it goes. Grant me a heart that knows nothing of boredom, weeping, or sighing. Let me not be too concerned with the bothersome thing I call myself. Lord, give me a sense of humor, and I will find happiness in life and profit for others. Amen.

Pope Francis uses one prayer for good humor written by this same Saint, and even though we are hurt right now by him who is our Holy Father, we must not cease to pray for him despite the pain we feel. Sirach tells us, 

He that honoureth his father shall have joy in his own children, and in the day of his prayer he shall be heard.... Honour thy father, in work and word, and all patience, that a blessing may come upon thee from him, and his blessing may remain in the latter end. The father's blessing establisheth the houses of the children.... Son, support the old age of thy father, and grieve him not in his life; and if his understanding fail, have patience with him, and despise him not when thou art in thy strength: for the relieving of the father shall not be forgotten. (Sirach 3:6,9-11a,14-15, DRB, emphasis mine). 

May we still honor our Holy Father, and relieve him by our prayers and our holy joy, and not judge him harshly, because we must not return evil for evil, but instead we must be merciful.

Conclusion: Perseverance in Holy Joy

I hope we can all persevere in the virtue of joy. It is needed much more than ever now, when the temptation of current events is to discouragement and despondency. We can even be tempted to a spirit of fighting those who misunderstand us, but "our war is not against flesh and blood", so it would be counterproductive and even against the will of God for us to fight them. Let us persevere instead in cheerfulness and holy joy, despite what we may feel inside, and maybe one day those who misunderstand us will be changed and made better by the goodness within us.

How To Have A Godly Exodus 90

The Law, Scripture, Prayer, and Penance

I have observed and attempted the Exodus 90 (E90) program. I did it for a while last year, but I discussed it with my spiritual director (a priest), and then decided that the program was not for me (I came to this conclusion after some prayer and the realization that it was negatively affecting my health). A short time later, I ended up in the hospital with pneumonia, in large part due to the cold showers, and then I missed days at work due to the pneumonia. 

There are many who have chosen to do the E90 program, and it can be of great benefit to men, but I have noticed some flaws in the program. If any decide to undertake the program, these are my recommendations for making a good E90.

1. Everything must be ordered to charity. If someone goes out of their way to bake you some dessert, or they prepare a meal for you on your fast day, or they buy you a soda, accept it humbly and silently. Especially if you are a seminarian or a priest, many cultures will go out of their way to offer you their best, and it would be offensive not to accept it. This does not mean that you go out seeking it, but if it comes your way, do not refuse it. The sacrifice of your own will for the sake of charity is more pleasing to God than fulfilling every one of your E90 commitments flawlessly.

2. The program must be tempered by silence about that fact that you are doing the E90 program. I am not saying that you must be super secretive about it, but that you do not openly offer the unnecessary information that you are doing it. I see lots of Facebook profile pics with the E90 logo, and I hear talk of people refusing foods or girlfriends with the explanation that, "Oh, no, I cannot.... I am on Exodus 90." Such a statement only engenders pride. My advice is to definitely not say that. When I was on it, a simple, "No, thank you," sufficed, while members of my family marveled and wondered what had gotten into me. I chuckled slightly, but moved on without a word. Why? Because our Lord told us, "Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father." Three times in the same chapter of Saint Matthew, our Lord says to give alms and pray and fast in secret, assuring us that, "your Father who sees in secret will repay you." Simple, but difficult. 

The readings from the Mass of Ash Wednesday are perfect for E90; if you are preparing for this challenge, I strongly recommend that you reflect on them. 

• The first reading of Ash Wednesday is from Joel, and it has more to do with you and your fraternity doing E90 together: "Blow the trumpet in Zion! Proclaim a fast, call an assembly; gather the people, notify the congregation...." 
• The second reading is a reminder of why you are doing E90 in the first place: "be reconciled to God." 
• The Gospel, from Saint Matthew, has much more to do with you individually, and how you begin and live the E90 program: "Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. ... But when you give alms...when you pray...when you fast...your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."

3. There is a requirement on no dating. This should definitely be the case for seminarians and priests (no kidding!), but for the common layman? Instead of no dating, perhaps it would be good to give a series of talks on how to be a gentleman, on how to live holy purity while dating (including on setting up safeguards to defend holy purity), or on how to communicate respectfully and maturely with the feminine sex, or on what the purpose of dating and/or courtship should be (it's for discerning marriage, for discovering whether the woman one is dating is a suitable candidate to become one's wife and the mother of one's children; any prolonged dating without this express purpose becomes dangerous to the moral virtues of purity and chastity).

Proper etiquette in dealing with the feminine sex is a desirable and necessary quality. Opening doors for women, getting up and offering them the seats when there is only standing room left, tipping one's hat to them, doffing one's hat to kiss one's girlfriend/fiance on the cheek, avoiding the use of foul language in the presence of women (foul language should be avoided anyway, but especially in front of women): these and other such skills are called common courtesy, and they show women that you are capable of being a good husband to them and a good father to their children.

4. Married men must exercise prudence in how they live the daily commitments of E90. If one is prone to respiratory illnesses (as I am), they should state up front to their fraternity that they cannot do the cold showers (my mistake was not having done this up front). If a married man is considering doing E90, it is required that he talk to his wife about it. My suggestion: if you are married, listen to your wife's advice, because she should be your closest adviser. Often, when a man truly listens to his wife's prudent advice on matters such as this, even if she is suggesting that now may not be the right time to do E90, the man usually will not regret having heeded this advice.

5. Finally, if you are going to do this program, it is best to do it sometime during or soon after high school, before you get married. And if you have ever been a Catholic seminarian, especially a novice of the Legionaries of Christ (which I was for two years), then chances are, you've already met and exceeded the E90 program, and you are not missing anything if you decide not to do it. A priest once told me that priests should not have to do this because they should already be giving everything they have to God for the salvation of souls, that the priest's whole life should be a sacrifice and a daily offering to God.

Most importantly, I am not saying not to do it at all, but I am warning that, if not done with the right intention interiorly and with the right comportment exteriorly, the E90 program can actually become a danger to the soul because of the high level of pride it can engender. So if you do it, do it well, do it in a way that doesn't make others around you have to mortify themselves, and do not publicly and gratuitously tell everyone you meet that you are doing this program. Wait to tell others until after you are done.

Joyful Welcome, Baby Dear!

Gaudium Magnum Annuntio Vobis:

Natus Est Nobis Filiam!

Et Nomen Suum Est:

Elizabeth Therese Varella.

Translation: A great joy I announce to you: a daughter has been born to us! And her name is: Elizabeth Therese Varella.

I chose the title, "Joyful Welcome, Baby Dear!" for this article because when my grandmother would embroider blankets for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, that was always the message. And why not be joyful at the birth of a little one? "Lo, sons are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward" (Psalm 127:3). And also, Psalm 128 is also a good one to know, because children are a blessing, and those who have children are blessed more than they who have monetary riches:

1. Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways!

2. You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.

3. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.

4. Lo, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.

5. The Lord bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life!

6. May you see your children's children! Peace be upon Israel!

First Visit with Deacon Denis from our Parish

First Yawn 

First Smile 

First Look of Contentment

Alert after First Bath

We have chosen the name Elizabeth after Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821), a great educator and saint, and the foundress of Catholic schools in America.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Filicchi Portrait, 1804

We have chosen the name Therese, after Saint Therese of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face (1873-1897). She became a Carmelite novice at an unusually early age, made vows as a Carmelite nun, and died very young. She preserved her innocence throughout her short life, and she was very devoted to the Child Jesus. At one time, she said that if one is afraid of approaching Jesus the Judge, let him approach Jesus as a Child, because who is afraid of a little child? She has been given the title of "Doctor of the Church" because of her "Little Way." Her autobiography, Story of a Soul, is truly a delight to read, and I highly recommend it.

St. Therese of the Child Jesus
A.K.A. St. Therese of Lisieux

Little Elizabeth Therese was admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) the day she was born due to dropping oxygen saturation levels in her blood. While the oxygen saturation levels have been resolved and stabilized, she is still in the NICU because she prefers to sleep now rather than anything else, including eating, so an NG tube was put through her nose to her stomach to feed her with. This should resolve in a couple of days.

Due to the unknown duration of her stay in the NICU, the date of her baptism has not yet been set, but we have already selected the couple who will be her godparents. The Catholic Church has always supported infant baptism, in obedience to the Lord's command, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven" (St. Matthew 19:14). It is also worth noting that, although infants and small children do not have the reasoning ability to make a formal act of faith, the faith of the parents suffices and speaks for the faith of the child. Such is a Scriptural stance: in the Old Covenant, the circumcision of infant males on their eighth day of life outside the womb made them children of Abraham and partakers of the Old Covenant laws, rituals, and customs. The infant males were not able to make a formal act of faith and acceptance of the Jewish way of life, but the faith of the parents sufficed and spoke for the faith of the child. And yet circumcision in the Old Covenant was merely a shadow and a type of the Sacrament of Baptism in the New Covenant.

To all who have been walking with us, especially those praying for our family -- and for Baby Elizabeth and Nicole in particular -- we extend hearty thanks. Words do not suffice to express our gratitude to you for the gift of your prayers, a gift often overlooked. We have felt so much love and support from family, friends, and coworkers that we are overwhelmed with gratitude!

Novena of Prayer for Christian Unity

Every January, many people pray the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity. In February, our domestic church prays this as a Novena in the following manner.

The Novena of Prayer for Christian Unity

The Novena of Prayer for Christian Unity concludes on the vigil of the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter (February 22nd).

Hymn

Hymn I: Ubi Caritas Est Vera

Sundays during the Novena.

Text: Ancient Maundy Thursday Hymn
Tune: Traditional Gregorian Chant

1. Ubi caritas est vera, Deus ibi est.

    Congregavit nos in unum Christi amor.

    Exultemus, et in ipso iucundemur.

    Timeamus, et amemus Deum vivum.

    Et ex corde diligamus nos sincero.

2. Ubi caritas est vera, Deus ibi est.

    Simul ergo cum in unum congregamur:

    Ne nos mente dividamur, caveamus.

    Cessent iurgia maligna, cessent lites.

    Et in medio nostri sit Christus Deus.

3. Ubi caritas est vera, Deus ibi est.

    Simul quoque cum beatis videamus,

    Glorianter vultum tuum, Christe Deus:

    Gaudium quod est immensum, atque probum,

    Saecula per infinita saeculorum. Amen.

Hymn II: Lead On, O King Eternal

Days one, four, and seven.

Text: Ernest W. Shurtleff (1888)
Tune: “Lancashire” by Henry T. Smart (1836)

1.     Lead on, O King eternal,
The day of march has come;
Henceforth in fields of conquest
Thy tents shall be our home.
Through days of preparation
Thy grace has made us strong;
And now, O King eternal,
We lift our battle song.

2.     Lead on, O King eternal,
Till sin’s fierce war shall cease,
And holiness shall whisper
The sweet amen of peace.
For not with swords’ loud clashing,
Nor roll of stirring drums;
With deeds of love and mercy
The heav’nly kingdom comes.

3.     Lead on, O King eternal,
We follow, not with fears,
For gladness breaks like morning
Where’er Thy face appears.
Thy cross is lifted over us,
We journey in its light;
The crown awaits the conquest;
Lead on, O God of might.

Hymn III: Christ for the World We Sing

Days two, five, and eight.

Text: Samuel Wolcott (1869)
Tune: “Italian Hymn” by Felice de Giardini (1769)

1.     Christ for the world we sing,
The world to Christ we bring,
With loving zeal,
The poor and them that mourn,
The faint and overborne,
Sin sick and sorrow worn,
Whom Christ doth heal.

2.     Christ for the world we sing,
The world to Christ we bring,
With fervent prayer;
The wayward and the lost,
By restless passions tossed,
Redeemed at countless cost,
From dark despair.

3.     Christ for the world we sing,
The world to Christ we bring,
With one accord;
With us the work to share,
With us reproach to dare,
With us the cross to bear,
For Christ our Lord.

4.     Christ for the world we sing,
The world to Christ we bring,
With joyful song;
The newborn souls, whose days,
Reclaimed from error’s ways,
Inspired with hope and praise,
To Christ belong.

Hymn IV: Jesus Shall Reign

Days three, six, and nine.

Text: Isaac Watts (1719)
Tune: “Duke Street” by John Hatton (1793)

1.     Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
Does his successive journeys run;
His kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
Till moons shall wax and wane no more.

2.     Behold the islands with their kings,
And Europe her best tribute brings;
From north to south the princes meet,
To pay their homage at His feet.

3.     There Persia, glorious to behold,
There India shines in eastern gold;
And barbarous nations at His word
Submit, and bow, and own their Lord.

4.     To Him shall endless prayer be made,
And praises throng to crown His head;
His name like sweet perfume shall rise
With every morning sacrifice.

5.     People and realms of every tongue
Dwell on His love with sweetest song;
And infant voices shall proclaim
Their early blessings on His name.

6.     Blessings abound where’er He reigns;
The prisoner leaps to lose his chains;
The weary find eternal rest,
And all the sons of want are blest.

7.     Where He displays His healing power,
Death and the curse are known no more:
In Him the tribes of Adam boast
More blessings than their father lost.

8.     Let every creature rise and bring
Peculiar honors to our King;
Angels descend with songs again,
And earth repeat the loud Amen.

Psalm 132: Ecce quam bonum.

The happiness of brotherly love and concord.

Antiphon: That they all may be one, as Thou, Father, in me and I in Thee; that they also may be one in Us; that the world may believe that Thou hast sent me.

Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell in unity.

Like the precious ointment on the head, that ran down upon the beard, the beard of Aaron, Which ran down to the skirt of his garment:

As the dew of Hermon, which descendeth upon mount Sion. For there the Lord hath commanded blessing, and life for evermore.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Antiphon: That they all may be one, as Thou, Father, in me and I in Thee; that they also may be one in Us; that the world may believe that Thou hast sent me.

V. I say unto thee, thou art Peter.
R. And upon this rock I will build my Church.

Here is brought to mind the intention for the day’s prayer.

February 13: For the return of the “other sheep” to the One Fold of our Lord Jesus Christ.

February 14: For the return of the Eastern Orthodox Christians to communion with the Apostolic See.

February 15: For the return of Anglicans to the authority of the Vicar of Christ.

February 16: For the return of all Protestants throughout the world, especially those of my own family, to the unity of the Catholic Church.

February 17: For the return of all Traditionalist Catholics, Old Catholics, and Sedevacantists to the fullness of communion with the Vicar of Christ.

February 18: That lapsed Catholics, especially those of my own family, will return to the Sacraments of the Church.

February 19: That the Jewish people will be converted to the Catholic Faith.

February 20: That missionary zeal will conquer the world for Christ.

February 21: For all Catholics, that by the goodness of our life, words, and works, we may attract others to the “bonus odor Christi,” the “sweet fragrance of Christ” that exists within the holy Catholic Church united to the See of Peter.

The following Collect, taken from the 1962 Roman Missal’s “Votive Mass for the Unity of the Church,” is then said by the leader.

Let us pray. O God, who settest straight what has gone astray, and gatherest together what is scattered, and keepest what Thou hast gathered together: we beseech Thee in Thy mercy to pour down on Christian people the grace of union with Thee, that, putting disunion aside and joining themselves to the true Shepherd of Thy Church, they may be able to render Thee worthy service. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, forever and ever. Amen.

In the 1962 Roman Missal, there is a Votive Mass for the Unity of the Church. The readings from that Mass are the following, and deserve careful consideration and prayerful meditation during this Novena.

Introit: Psalm 105(106):47

Epistle: Ephesians 4:1-7; 13-21

Gradual: Psalm 122(123):6-7

Tract: Psalm 75(76): 2-4

Alleluia: Psalm 72(73): 12, 14

Gospel: St. John 17:1, 11-23

Offertory: Romans 15:5-6

Communion: 1 Corinthians 10:17

The Christian Celebration of Easter and Its Symbols

by David Varella

I was just going over some emails from a month ago, and I got one from Robert Ritchie of America Needs Fatima. This is part of that email:

"Easter is a truly magnificent time, full of the pomp, splendor and beauty of Holy Mother Church… So, I ask you, what do fuzzy chicks and fluffy bunnies have to do with Easter?"

Allow me to politely disillusion those who believe the secular celebrations and traditions surrounding Easter have nothing at all to do with Christianity. One of my acquaintances recently began attacking the Catholic season of Easter. At the heart of her arguments was a fixation on the word "Easter." In her mind, Easter is a pagan holiday which has nothing whatsoever to do with the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. I responded that the word "Easter" is derived from an early Germanic word for "spring" (modern Germans also have a similar word for this time of year). The true Catholic title for the Feast of the Resurrection is "The Paschal Feast," Eastertide being called "Paschaltide" or "The Paschal Season".

I argue that the secular celebrations and traditions of Easter mean a lot, if understood properly as symbols and not as ends in themselves, and I exhort everyone to baptize these celebrations and traditions into Christian symbols in their own homes. The key here is a proper catechesis in the domestic church, which is the Christian home.

Easter Bread: My aunt makes Easter Bread every year, and distributes this bread after the Solemn Easter Vigil Mass. This bread has an egg in the center and there is a cross made of bread "sealing" the egg into the bread, as Christ was sealed in the tomb by the stone rolled over the entrance, preventing anyone from going in or coming out. When the bread is eaten, this cross over the top must be broken in order to get the egg out, which has a twofold symbolism: Christ defeating death (the destruction of the cross), and Christ "breaking out" of the tomb as the "firstborn from the dead" (Colossians 1:18).

Easter Eggs: The boiled Easter Egg has a rich symbolism indeed. The shell represents the tomb of Christ, the egg whites represent the burial cloth around His Body, and the yolk represents Christ Himself. As the egg is eaten, the eggshell is cracked, representing both the earthquake at the death of Christ and the earthquake at His Resurrection. The eggshell also represents the tomb being opened and Christ coming out of both the burial cloths and the tomb.

Easter Lamb (also called "The Victorious Lamb"): Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God who was slain for us, who paid the penalty we owed for our sins. The lamb was the central part of the meal during the Paschal celebrations of ancient Israel -- this was under the old law and the old covenant. The paschal lamb of the old covenant was a type of Christ, the Paschal Lamb of the new covenant; this covenant was ratified in His Blood on the Cross and given life through His resurrection. This is also why some families eat lamb on Easter, and the lamb to be cooked is brought to a church for a special blessing by the priest after any of the Easter Masses. The Victorious Lamb symbol (like at the top of this page, where Christ the Lamb has a standard with a flag that has the Cross on it, which was the tool He used for the salvation He won for us) is often seen atop cakes and pastries on Easter Sunday and also throughout the Octave of Easter.

Easter Egg Hunt: This reminds us of the women who went to the tomb early in the morning to put the spices of burial upon Christ's Body, but they did not find Him there because He had risen from the dead. It reminds us of Mary Magdalen, who went searching for her Lord, and when she did not find Him, she wept so much that the tears in her eyes caused her to suppose that Jesus was the gardener. Thus, we have eggs that are difficult to find during the hunt. There were two other disciples also, on the road to Emmaus, who encountered Jesus even though they were not looking for Him. Thus, we have eggs that are easy to find during the hunt.

Rabbits (also called "bunnies"): If you've ever heard the phrase, "breed like rabbits," you'll know why this is so important as a symbol of Easter for Catholics. Many enter the Catholic Church through the Sacrament of Baptism, and others are brought into the fullness of communion in the Catholic Faith, at the Easter Vigil. Thus, at the Easter Vigil, the Catholic Church truly "breeds like rabbits" by the rebirth of so many souls in the waters of Baptism, and through others entering the fullness of unity in the Catholic Church. Rabbits also breed in the spring, and spring is the season of nature wherein the Jewish Feast of the Pasch and the Catholic Season of Paschaltide occur.

Newly-Hatched Chicks: The simple beauty of watching a chick hatch from its shell is, unfortunately, not the experience of many today. It symbolizes Christ breaking out of the tomb. But what does not readily meet the eye is that no one can help the chick to break the shell or to come out of the shell; those chicks that are helped in any way through this process usually die soon thereafter. That the chicks must hatch on their own and not have any outside help is a reminder that the Lord Jesus Christ, through His own power as God, was the only one capable of breaking out of the tomb and crushing death forever: "O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:55).

Coloring or Decorating Easter Eggs: Springtime is the most magnificent time wherein nature shows us the beautiful hand of God, who created her. In the mind of God, all things came into being and order, and all the colorful, beautiful flowers of the field bring to our mind the beauty of God who created them. During Holy Week, Catholics are reminded of the ugliness of sin, and its hideousness is brought to the fore as Pilate presented the scourged and thorn-crowned Body of our Lord to the Jews. Coloring the boiled eggs in the bright, beautiful colors of spring, we are reminded that our Lord Jesus Christ restored our souls to beauty through His grace, which comes to us through all the Sacraments, beginning with Baptism.

The Paschal Candle: During springtime, the days begin to get longer and warmer after a dark, cold winter. The Paschal Candle represents the Light -- Jesus Christ -- who came into a dark, sinful world, which grows darker and colder as it drifts further from God. The light and warmth of the Paschal Candle represent just that! And after Catholics have gone through the Offices of Tenebrae after dark during Holy Week (wherein a candle is extinguished after each Psalm until there is only one candle left, which is removed from the candelabrum for a time and then replaced to its position at the top), the light of the Paschal Candle (and of the small candles that are held by each individual), is especially poignant.

So, we must not too readily dismiss the secular culture: we Christians must strive to bring it into the Light of Christ. We should not withdraw into isolation from the secular culture we live in, or we will not yield the fruit that Christ commanded us in His missionary mandate; rather, we must be the salt, light, and leaven of the world.

What other celebrations and traditions of Easter are in the culture around you? Can those celebrations and traditions be baptized as Christian symbols? Feel free to post in the comments below!