The Sacramentals of the Easter Cycle

 

COOMPIA77/GETTY IMAGES

Throughout the Easter Cycle, which includes the Season of Lent, we are provided sacramentals much like in the Christmas Cycle. On Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent, we are given ashes. On Palm Sunday, we are provided blessed palms. At the Easter Vigil, we are given Easter Water specially blessed by the Priest. Just as during the Christmas Cycle, these sacramentals help bridge the gap between the parish church and the domestic church (the Christian family). When one takes these sacramentals for use in the home, one helps to sanctify the home.

Ash Wednesday

On Ash Wednesday, ashes are either applied to the forehead in the form of a cross or sprinkled in the hair, accompanied by the solemn admonition, "Remember, O man, that thou art dust, and into dust shalt thou return." The ashes for use on this day are made by burning the palms left over from the previous Palm Sunday. In a way, they are doubly blessed -- blessed both before burning (on Palm Sunday) and after burning (on Ash Wednesday). As Maria von Trapp says in her book Around the Year with the Trapp Family:

I am sure it would be the case in every family, as it was in ours, that the children are the ones who most eagerly want to carry into the home as much of the holy liturgy as they possibly can. For instance, when I answered their question as to how the ashes that are blessed on Ash Wednesday are obtained, telling them that the blessed palms from the previous Palm Sunday are burned, they asked a most logical question: "But, Mother, if you burn a blessed object, aren't the ashes already blessed? And if so, shouldn't we burn all the blessed palms around the place too and sprinkle the ashes over the garden?" And so we did! After we had established this as a firm family custom, I read that this is done in many places in the Austrian Alps; only there the people strew the ashes not over the garden but over the fields.

In our home, we burn the palms the Sunday before Ash Wednesday, known as Quinquagesima Sunday. Since they are not blessed by the Priest in the liturgy, these are not "doubly-blessed" ashes. Because of my starting time at work, I am unable to make it to Holy Mass in the morning on Ash Wednesday. For this reason, my wife and I bless eachother with the ashes, using the same solemn admonition. I am a big proponent of the ashes being crossed upon the forehead, so that one can be a witness to others in the workplace and elsewhere that the holy Season of Lent has begun. It can also spark some great conversations with those who have no idea what the ashes mean. In this way, it brings to life the old method of evangelization: face-to-face, one-on-one conversations. When I come home after work, we sprinkle the ashes from the blessed palms over the yard, and since I am now working on building an Our Lady of Victory Garden, I will sprinkle them over the garden next year.

Palm Sunday

The palms blessed by the Priest on Palm Sunday are sacramentals worthy of respect. There are two distinct blessings for the palms, one from the TLM, the other from the Novus Ordo, both of which make the palms a sacramental. From the TLM:

O Lord, bless + these branches of palm. Grant that the sincere devotion of Your people may make them victorious over their enemy and zealous in works of mercy, and thus spiritually complete the ceremony which they outwardly perform this day in Your honor. Through Our Lord...

From the Novus Ordo:

Almighty ever-living God, sanctify + these branches with your blessing, that we, who follow Christ the King in exultation, may reach the eternal Jerusalem through him who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

Then when the branches are brought home, they can be braided or formed into crosses. Since I was a child, I have made crosses with the palm branches every year (except for 2020 when the churches were shut down due to fear of the coronavirus; at that time, I was forced to cut branches from the tree outside our apartment and sprinkle them with holy water to have some semblance of order during those disordered days; I know this is not the same as a blessing by a Priest, but it was the only thing I could do as a layman without access to the Sacred Liturgy).

It is traditional to cut away a section of the palms to burn during storms to ask for God's intercession to lessen the severity of the storm, or to protect your property during the storm. In fact, the father of the von Trapp family used to put the blessed bouquets from Palm Sunday in every lot on their property "as a means of protecting his property against the influence of evil spirits, against the damage of hailstorms and floods" (Around the Year with the Trapp Family, by Maria von Trapp). Of course, one could also use the candles blessed at Candlemas during frightful storms because this also asks God's protection. And then there is this prayer for blessing against storms.

Finally, there is an Italian tradition I learned from my grandmother, that small sections of the blessed palms are sent throughout the year to various people. What it means is, "Please forgive me if I have offended you." It is a way to heal friendships and familial relationships by offering a token of apology. I imagine this has something to do with the words of Christ from the Cross when He asked God the Father to forgive those who crucified him. In any case, the crosses we make with the blessed palms will remain on our family altar until Ash Wednesday rolls around again next year.

Holy Saturday -- The Easter Vigil

Easter Candle

Our family Easter Candle from 2021.

The Easter Candle is a sacramental we most often associate with the Easter Vigil and it is lit in the sanctuary of the parish church throughout the Easter Season. But we least often think about this sacramental being in our homes. This can be built using a simple pillar candle and red ribbons with white lace and some sewing pins that are cut down in length. For now, I make the family's Easter Candle, but in future years, this will be our children's art project for Holy Week, since we are homeschooling. This year, we purchased a pillar beeswax candle and had it blessed at Candlemas, so being lit from the Easter Candle at the Easter Vigil will be a double blessing!

Easter Water

In the TLM Easter Vigil, the water is exorcised and blessed, and then the Oil of Catechumens and the Chrism are mixed with it for the baptisms. The water with holy oils is kept in the baptistry, but the water we can take home does not have the holy oils. This is truly a great and sacred sacramental, and each family should get a bottle to take home. In our family, we use the Easter Water to bless the children every day during the Easter Season, as well as on baptismal anniversaries. This Easter Water can also be used for a special Easter blessing of the home.

Blackened Coals from the Easter Fire

Almost nobody does this, but if the container where the Easter Fire is burned is left out in the open, a coal can be saved by the father of the family for use in the fireplace or at an outdoor fire pit for use during storms. As Maria von Trapp says, "on the way out of church we take some of the blackened logs from the Easter fire and preserve them at the fireplace, where they work as sacramentals in times of danger from storms and lightning." This is the TLM blessing of the Easter Fire from the Vigil Liturgy:

Let us pray. O God, Who hast bestowed on the faithful the fire of Thy brightness by Thy Son, Who is the Cornerstone, hallow + this new fire produced from a flint that it may be profitable to us: and grant that during this Paschal festival we may be so inflamed with heavenly desires, that with pure minds we may come to the solemnity of perpetual light. Through the same Christ our Lord.

And why not take a coal? It may take some coordination with your pastor, but since the fire was blessed by the Priest, why not take from it for use in the home? As with all the other sacramentals from the Easter Cycle, it would make the most sense to use every sacramental available to us. There may yet come a time when we do not have access to the Sacred Liturgy, as happened during the Coronavirus. There may yet come a time when we do not even have the barest access to a Priest. Take advantage of all the graces and benefits now, so that if the time ever comes where these means of grace are taken from us, we will have stored up in our homes as many sacramentals as we can use to sanctify our time on earth and to bring us grace from God.

The Joy of the Lord in the Home

 

"As soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy" (St. Luke 1:44).

Introduction

Joy should be a decided feature in Catholic homes, which are domestic churches. Catholic parents should do all in their power to create a joyful atmosphere -- a joyful culture -- in the home. Joy is one of the fruits of the Holy Ghost, and it is one of those fruits that is most at risk of being lost when one is accustomed to fighting battles. Thus it is that among Traditionalist Catholics, it is the fruit that tends to be most lacking. Saint Teresa of Avila once remarked, "a sad saint is a bad saint." Saint Francis de Sales also said, "a sad saint would be a sorry saint." In the domestic church, parents should be striving to raise their children to be wholesome citizens and joyful saints. How else do we do that than to build a joyful Catholic culture in the home? Then, that Catholic culture in the home radiates outward and builds the Catholic culture in society.

The Liturgical Year

There is a joy unique among all joys to be discovered in living the Catholic Liturgical Year in the home. For some, this looks like praying the Breviary (also called the Divine Office [Vetus Ordo] or the Liturgy of the Hours [Novus Ordo]). For other families, this means praying according to the current Liturgical Season in the morning and the evening, for example, praying the weekly Collect before the morning offering or before the nightly examination of conscience. Still other families will cook their way through the Liturgical Year. Other parents will mix special drinks for certain feastdays. 

I remember that one year, the way my parents lived Lent was to pray daily the Fifteen Prayers of Saint Bridget. Since hauling five small children to the Good Friday Liturgy was out of the question for my parents, they nevertheless kept the three-o'clock hour as an hour of absolute silence. No one was to talk during that time, and my parents had the patience to direct all five of us to quiet activities. There are no wrong ways to celebrate the Seasons of the Liturgical Year, but each Season can be marked by different activities or different prayers. Whatever we do, the experiences we give our children in their short years under our guidance should be marked by wholesomeness and joy. These won't be their only experiences, but they will be their foundational ones.

Sacramentals

Another way to bring joy into the home is by the use of sacramentals. Sacramentals help us to "bridge the divide" between the domestic church and the parish church. The Christmas Season in the Vetus Ordo, for example, provides many blessings of sacramentals that can be used in our homes throughout the year:

1. the Blessing of Saint John's Wine on December 27th;

2. the Exorcism and Blessing of Water and Salt on the Eve of the Epiphany, January 5th;

3. the Blessing of Chalk, Gold, Incense, and Myrrh on Epiphany, January 6th;

4. the Epiphany Home Blessing that can be done between Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord, January 6th -- January 13th; and

5. the Blessing of Candles at Candlemas, February 2nd.

(If these rites and blessings were allowed in the same manner in the Novus Ordo and the new Book of Blessings, it would take away some of the sting of the Vetus Ordo being recently severely limited and nearly completely taken away, but I digress.)

The use of these sacramentals and others, such as Exorcised and Blessed Oil, the Oil of Saint Philomena, and Exorcised and Blessed Medals of Saint Benedict (all of which are used in my home), are a source of joy and gladness for both parents and children.

The Father's Blessing

Another source of joy that I can attest to from my own family's practice is the daily blessing I, as a father, give to my children. I bestow this daily blessing on each of the children in the evening just before bed. My wife and I have found that the children become eager and ready for bed after this blessing. When tracing the Sign of the Cross upon the forehead of each of the children with holy water or blessed oil, I usually say the following blessing:

May almighty God, + Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, bless you in time and eternity, and may this blessing remain always with you. And may the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Mary Immaculate, Saint Joseph, [N.N. name saints], [N. patron saint for the year], and your Guardian Angel watch over you and protect you through the night. Amen.

The beginning part of the blessing above was inspired by Sam Guzman of The Catholic Gentleman, on one of his podcasts. Here is a great article from him regarding a father's blessing. Sometimes, if it is late, I use a shortened form to bless each child while tracing the Sign of the Cross on each one's forehead, again with holy water or blessed oil:

I bless you in the Name of the + Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

If I am away for work or on some other business, I allow my wife to bless them for me, and she uses her own words for this blessing. My wife and I have found that the children remind us of the daily blessing if we try to skip over it for a night. They are not ready for bed until they have been blessed. This is a source of joy to us because it has become such an important and permanent part of our evening ritual in the home.

Two Feasts

I would propose adding two feasts to be celebrated in every Catholic home: Saint Philip Neri, the patron saint of joy, on May 26th; and the Seven Joys of Mary on August 27th. The former is already on the universal Liturgical Calendar in both the Vetus Ordo and the Novus Ordo; the latter, however, is a Franciscan feast that has largely been forgotten. We have retained the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, so why not reclaim the Seven Joys of Mary? As the lay faithful, we do not have to wait for a feast to be initiated by the Church's Liturgy in order to celebrate it in our domestic churches. Often enough in the Church's history, feasts were instituted Liturgically only after extensive devotion was initiated and firmly established by the faithful. 

Conclusion

These, then, are the means that I propose for joyfully living the life of the domestic church. First, to live the Church's Liturgical Year in some way in the home. Second, to generously and freely make use of sacramentals in the home. Third, by blessing one's children often, even daily. Fourth, by devotion to Saint Philip Neri and to the Seven Joys of Our Lady. Now we must go out and live joyfully the life of the home, transforming it into a joyful domestic church.

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

 

The account of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Office of Readings for the day is a wonderful reading. Actually, the entirety of this Office is very beautifully arranged, and I highly recommend these readings. The only thing that it lacks is that it does not have the entirety of the consoling and inspiring words of Our Lady to St. Juan Diego.

One tradition that I love is that of singing the Mañanitas a la Virgen at sunrise or just before Holy Mass.

There is a beautiful account of these apparitions for children. It tells the story and lays the backstory very artfully. At the end of this account, there is a beautiful song to the Lady of the Roses.

A great CD that we listen to on this Feast is titled I Wait on Tepeyac. Since I was a child, these songs have been a staple to understanding the times of the Conquistadores in Mexico, the conflicts between the natives and the Spaniards, the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and the hope and consolation brought by Mary's words.

Words of Our Lady of Guadalupe

First Apparition: December 9

“Juanito, dearest Juan Diego. Juanito, my dearest son, where are you going? Know and understand well, you my most humble son, that I am the ever-virgin Holy Mary, Mother of the True God for whom we live, of the Creator of all things, Lord of heaven and the earth. I wish that a temple be erected here quickly, so I may therein exhibit and give all my love, compassion, help, and protection, because I am your merciful mother, to you, and to all the inhabitants on this land and all the rest who love me, invoke and confide in me; there I will listen to their lamentations, and remedy all their miseries, afflictions, and sorrows. And to accomplish what my clemency pretends, go to the palace of the bishop of Mexico, and you will say to him that I manifest my great desire, that here on this plain a temple be built to me; you will accurately relate all you have seen and admired, and what you have heard. Be assured that I will be most grateful and will reward you, because I will make you happy and worthy of recompense for the effort and fatigue in what you will obtain of what I have entrusted. Behold, you have heard my mandate, my humble son; go and put forth all your effort.”

Second Apparition: December 9

“Hark, my little son, you must understand that I have many servants and messengers, to whom I must entrust the delivery of my message, and carry my wish, but it is of precise detail that you yourself solicit and assist and that through your mediation my wish be complied. I earnestly implore, my son the least, and with sternness I command that you again go tomorrow and see the bishop. You go in my name, and make known my wish in its entirety that he has to start the erection of a temple which I ask of him. And again tell him that I, in person, the ever-virgin Holy Mary, Mother of God, sent you.”

Third Apparition: December 10

“Well and good, my little dear son, you will return here tomorrow, so you may take to the bishop the sign he has requested. With this he will believe you, and in this regard he will not doubt you nor will he be suspicious of you; and know, my little son, that I will reward your solicitude and effort and fatigue spent of my behalf. Behold, go now. I will await you here tomorrow.”

Fourth Apparition: December 12

“Hear me and understand well, my little son, that nothing should frighten or grieve you. Let not your heart be disturbed. Do not fear this sickness, nor any other sickness or anguish. Am I not here, who am your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not happily within my fold? What else do you wish? Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything. Do not be afflicted by the illness of your uncle, who will not die now of it. Be assured that he is now cured. Climb, my dear son, to the top of the hill; there where you saw me and I gave you orders, you will find different flowers. Cut them, gather them, assemble them, then come and bring them before my presence. My dear little son, this diversity of roses is the proof and the sign which you will take to the bishop. You will tell him in my name that he will see in them my wish and that he will have to comply to it. You are my ambassador, most worthy of all confidence. Rigorously I command you that only before the presence of the bishop will you unfold your mantle and disclose what you are carrying. You will relate all and well; you will tell that I ordered you to climb to the hilltop, to go and cut flowers; and all that you saw and admired, so you can induce the prelate to give his support, with the aim that a temple be built and erected as I have asked.”

Triduum to Our Lady of Guadalupe

 

Hymn: Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming

Text: 15th Century German, transl. by Theodore Baker (1894)

Tune: “Es Ist Ein Ros Entsprungen” German from Köln (1599)

1.  Lo, how a rose e’er blooming,
From tender stem hath sprung.
Of Jesse’s lineage coming,
As men of old have sung;
It came, a flow’ret bright,
Amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night.

2.  Isaiah ‘twas foretold it,
The Rose I have in mind,
With Mary we behold it,
The virgin mother kind;
To show God’s love aright,
She bore to men a Savior,
When half spent was the night.

3.  O Flower, whose fragrance tender
With sweetness fills the air,
Dispel with glorious splendor
The darkness everywhere;
True man, yet very God,
From Sin and death now save us,
And share our every load.

Prayer of Pope St. Pius X

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mystical Rose, make intercession for holy Church, protect the sovereign Pontiff, help all those who invoke you in their necessities, and since you are the ever Virgin Mary and Mother of the true God, obtain for us from your most holy Son the grace of keeping our faith, of sweet hope in the midst of the bitterness of life, of burning charity, and the precious gift of final perseverance. Amen.

Canticle: Ecclesiasticus 24:16-25

Antiphon: I am the Rose of Sharon. I am the Lily of the valleys. (Cant. 2:1)

V. And I took root in an honorable people, and in the portion of my God his inheritance, and my abode is in the full assembly of saints. 

R. I was exalted like a cedar in Libanus, and as a cypress tree on mount Sion. 

V. I was exalted like a palm tree in Cades, and as a rose plant in Jericho: 

R. As a fair olive tree in the plains, and as a plane tree by the water in the streets, was I exalted.

V. I gave a sweet smell like cinnamon. and aromatical balm: I yielded a sweet odor like the best myrrh:

R. And I perfumed my dwelling, and my odor is as the purest balm. 

V. I have stretched out my branches as the turpentine tree, and my branches are of honor and grace. 

R. As the vine I have brought forth a pleasant odor: and my flowers are the fruit of honor and riches. 

V. I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope. 

R. In me is all grace of the way and of the truth, in me is all hope of life and of virtue.

Antiphon: I am the Rose of Sharon. I am the Lily of the valleys. (Cant. 2:1)

TLM Collect for Our Lady of Guadalupe

V. O Lord, hear my prayer.

R. And let my cry come unto Thee.

V. Let us pray. O God, Who hast willed that, under the special patronage of the blessed Virgin Mary, we be laden with perpetual favors, grant to Thy suppliants that, as we this day rejoice in her commemoration on earth, we may enjoy the vision of her in heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, for ever and ever. 

R. Amen.

The 2021 Advent Season

 

Introduction

In the Advent Season, we prepare for Christmas. In our family, our domestic church, there are some things we do differently. For example, at the beginning of the O Antiphons on December 17th, the Legionaries of Christ used to begin setting up Christmas decorations, a little bit each day at a time. Our family has taken this (and other things) and adapted it for our own use. There are various things from the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms that I have taken together, like "a householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure new things and old" (St. Matthew 13:52). So much treasure has been lost throwing away the old, and so much refreshment has been lost rejecting the new, so I strive to revive the good that is old and accept the good that is new. This is the plan for our domestic church, striving to live the Advent Season of the Church's Liturgical Year.

Our Domestic Church's Advent

First Sunday of Advent: Begin writing annual Christmas Letter. Begin reading from Dom Gueranger’s The Liturgical Year for each day of Advent (after dark, light the appropriate amount of candles depending on the day, and read those excerpts by candle-light; as we light more candles in our approach of Christmas, it should get easier to read said excerpts).

November 29th, St. Saturninus of Toulouse. The Novena to the Immaculate Conception begins. When I was a Legionary of Christ, this Novena became one of my favorite novenas due to the beauty and timeliness of the prayer of Pope Pius XII.

December 1st, St. Edmund Campion. The Jesse Tree story begins.

Second Sunday of Advent: Finalize Christmas Letter and send out Christmas cards. This was previously done on Gaudete Sunday, but when the mail service announced delayed deliveries earlier this year, we moved it up a week.

December 6th, St. Nicholas. The tradition is for the children to place their shoes outside or next to the fireplace so that St. Nicholas can fill them with chocolate coins and oranges and candy canes. The chocolate coins and oranges are to remind us of the story that St. Nicholas gave away some of his money to a woodcutter so that his daughters would not be sold into slavery: St. Nicholas dropped some bags of gold coins through the chimney so there was enough to save his daughters from a wretched life. The candy canes are because they are in the shape of a Bishop’s crosier, and St. Nicholas was a Bishop. There is a Blessing of Candy Canes done on this feast. We leave out some cookies for St. Nicholas, and also a carrot for his horse. One tradition I would like to begin when the children get older is the tradition of the scrolls from St. Nicholas to each child.

December 7th, St. Ambrose of Milan, Vigil of the Immaculate Conception. Conclusion of the Novena to the Immaculate Conception.

December 8th, The Immaculate Conception. A consecration of our family to the Immaculate Conception is made on this day. 

December 9th, St. Juan Diego. The Triduum to Our Lady of Guadalupe begins.

December 10th, Our Lady of Loreto. Pope Francis ordered that this feast be inserted into the General Roman Calendar as an Optional Memorial for the Ordinary Form. 

December 11th, St. Damasus I. Conclusion of the Triduum to Our Lady of Guadalupe.

December 12th, Our Lady of Guadalupe. This day, we read the story of the appearance of Our Lady to Juan Diego. It is especially wise to meditate this day on the consoling and beautiful words of Our Lady. On this day, we also make a consecration to Our Lady of Guadalupe. 

December 13th, St. Lucy. Lucy means “Light”. On the Sunday before this feast, we bring our strands of Christmas lights to the church to be blessed by a priest. On the feast itself, we check the strands of lights, replacing any bulbs as needed. Then, we put them aside as we wait for the great Christmastide, when we will enjoy them on the tree, lighting up the family room in a most glorious fashion. On this feastday in Italian homes, it is also the Feast of Lights. The young girls in the family dress in white and wear a wreath around the head with lit candles on it (if we were to follow this practice as our daughter gets older, we would not include lit candles on the wreath, but we could do a lit candle in her hand). In our home, there is a special blessing for the little girl from me, the father of the family, on this day. The Italian song Santa Lucia is among my favorites. I sang at least one verse of this beautiful song when I was a Legionary of Christ. This is also a special day because it is the wedding anniversary of my parents.

Gaudete Sunday (Third Sunday of Advent), Advent Embertide. We begin the week reminded of joy, and we end the week in fasting and in abstinence. It seems to me that the revival of Embertides (and Rogationtide) would go a long way to renewing a healthy respect for nature, not the neo-pagan worship of nature that we seem to be evolving towards as of late.

December 16th, The Christmas Novena begins.

December 17th, The O Antiphons begin. Christmas decorating begins. Christmas tree goes up today.

December 18th, The Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Put Christmas lights on the tree. Once on, leave lights off until the evening of Christmas Eve (or after Midnight Mass when the whole family attends). 

December 19th. Put ball ornaments on the tree.

December 20th, Vigil of St. Thomas the Apostle. Put other ornaments on the tree.

December 21st, St. Thomas the Apostle; Winter Solstice, First Day of Winter. Replace fall decor with Christmas decor.

December 22nd, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. Put up Christmas wreathes, especially on the front door as a witness to the nations (O Rex Gentium – O King of the Nations).

December 23rd, O Emmanuel. Change liturgical color of, and assemble Nativity set on, home altar or fireplace mantle.

December 24th, Christmas Eve, Sts. Adam and Eve. Jesse Tree story ends. Christmas novena ends. Put tree skirt under tree. In the evening, after the Vigil Mass in the Ordinary Form (which I call the “Mass of Saint Joseph” due to the Gospel reading), add the angel to top of the tree. Then there is the family blessing of the Christmas tree (this one really isn't a blessing of the tree but of all of us who enjoy it) followed by this blessing (which really is a blessing of the tree). During the first blessing, the tree lights are lit. Before the children go to bed, they leave cookies for Santa Clause (the Christ Child’s delivery man) and apples for his reindeer. 

Immaculate Conception Novena

 

This novena runs from November 29th through December 7th, the Vigil of the Immaculate Conception.

Part I: Hymns

Hymn I: O Purest of Creatures

For days 1, 4, and 7.

Text: Fr Frederick William Faber (1814-1863)
Tune: “Maria Zu Lieben”, from Paderborn Gesangbuch (1765)

O purest of creatures! sweet Mother, sweet Maid;
The one spotless womb wherein Jesus was laid.
Dark night hath come down on us, Mother, and we
Look out for thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea.

Deep night hath come down on this rough-spoken world.
And the banners of darkness are boldly unfurled;
And the tempest-tossed Church - all her eyes are on thee.
They look to thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea.

He gazed on thy soul, it was spotless and fair;
For the empire of sin, it had never been there;
None had e'er owned thee, dear Mother, but He,
And He blessed thy clear shining, sweet Star of the Sea.

Hymn II: Hail, Queen of Heaven, the Ocean Star

For days 2, 5, and 8.

Text: Fr. John Lingard (1771–1851)
Tune: “Stella” by Henri Frederick Hemy (1818-1888)

Hail, Queen of heaven, the ocean star,
Guide of the wanderer here below,
Thrown on life's surge, we claim thy care,
Save us from peril and from woe.
Mother of Christ, Star of the sea,
Pray for the wanderer, pray for me.

O gentle, chaste, and spotless Maid,
We sinners make our prayers through thee;
Remind thy Son that He has paid
The price of our iniquity.
Virgin most pure, Star of the sea,
Pray for the sinner, pray for me.

Sojourners in this vale of tears,
To thee, blest advocate, we cry;
Pity our sorrows, calm our fears,
And sooth with hope our misery.
Refuge in grief, Star of the sea,
Pray for the mourner, pray for me.

And while to Him Who reigns above
In Godhead one, in Persons three,
The Source of life, of grace, of love,
Homage we pay on bended knee:
Do thou, bright Queen, Star of the sea,
Pray for thy children, pray for me.

Hymn III: O Maid Conceived Without a Stain

For days 3, 6, and 9.

Text: Author Unknown (1871)
Tune: “Horsley” by William Horsley (1844)

O Maid conceived without a stain,
O Mother bright and fair;
Come thou within our hearts to reign,
And grace shall triumph there.

Hail, Mary, ever undefiled,
Hail, Queen of purity!
Oh! make thy children chaste and mild,
And turn their hearts to thee.

Thou art far purer than the snow,
Far brighter than the day;
Thy beauty none on earth can know,
No tongue of men can say.

O Mother, of all mothers best,
Who soothest every grief,
In thee the weary find their rest,
And anguish'd hearts relief.

Oh! then for us, thy children, plead,
Thy pity we implore;
That we, from sin and sorrow freed,
May love thee more and more.

Part II: Prayer and Responsories

Prayer of Pope Pius XII

Enraptured by the splendor of thy heavenly beauty, and impelled by the anxieties of the world, we cast ourselves into thine arms, O Immaculate Mother of Jesus and our Mother, Mary, confident of finding in thy most loving heart appeasement of our ardent desires, and a safe harbor from the tempests which beset us on every side.

Though degraded by our faults and overwhelmed by infinite misery, we admire and praise the peerless richness of the sublime gifts with which God hath filled thee, above every other mere creature, from the first moment of thy conception until the day on which, after thine assumption into heaven, He crowned thee Queen of the Universe.

O crystal Fountain of Faith, bathe our minds with the eternal truths! O fragrant Lily of All Holiness, captivate our hearts with thy heavenly perfume! O Conqueress of Evil and Death, inspire in us a deep horror of sin, which makes the soul detestable to God and a slave of hell!

O well-beloved of God, hear the ardent cry which rises up from every heart. Bend tenderly over our aching wounds. Convert the wicked, dry the tears of the afflicted and oppressed, comfort the poor and humble, quench hatreds, sweeten harshness, safeguard the flower of purity in youth, protect the holy church, make all men feel the attractions of Christian goodness. In thy name, resounding harmoniously in heaven, may they recognize that they are brothers, and that the nations are members of one family, upon which may there shine forth the sun of a universal and sincere peace.

Receive, O most sweet Mother, our humble supplications, and above all obtain for us that, one day, happy with thee, we may repeat before thy throne that hymn which today is sung on earth around thy altars: 

V. Thou are all fair, O Mary.

R. Thou art all fair, O Mary.

V. And the original stain is not in thee.

R. And the original stain is not in thee.

V. Thou art the glory of Jerusalem.

R. Thou art the joy of Israel.

V. Thou art the honor of our people.

R. Thou art the advocate of sinners.

V. O Mary.

R. O Mary.

V. Virgin, most prudent.

R. Mother, most tender.

V. Pray for us.

R. Intercede for us with Jesus our Lord.

V. In thy conception, Holy Virgin, thou wast immaculate.

R. Pray for us to the Father Whose Son thou didst bring forth.

Part III: Collect

TLM Collect for the Immaculate Conception

V. O Lord, hear my prayer.

R. And let my cry come unto Thee.

V. Let us pray. O God, Who, by the foreseen merits of the death of Christ, didst shield Mary from all stain of sin and preserve the Virgin Mother immaculate at her conception so that she might be a fitting dwelling place for Thy Son, cleanse us from sin through her intercession so that we also may come to Thee untainted by sin. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, for ever and ever. 

R. Amen.

Family Hymn

The Holy Family

Reason

I was inspired to write this hymn/poem after reading Dear Newlyweds: Pope Pius XII Speaks to Married Couples and studying the work of Fr. Mateo Crawley-Boevey and the Enthronement to the Sacred Heart in the home. We finally did the Enthronement of the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts on Laetare Sunday during the pandemic shutdown in 2020.

The hymn is meant to be sung to the tune Rustington by Charles H. Parry (1897). The text is now copyrighted through the Library of Congress.

Hymn Text

1.  Joyfully to celebrate we
Come, Lord, singing unto Thee,
Asking Thee to bless our fam’ly
Through Thy holy Wisdom’s Seat.*
Unto Thee we come for healing,
Unto Thee we come for love,
Unto Thee we come for blessing
From Thy holy Throne above.

2.  And we come with supplication
For our humble fam’ly life:
Save us from all vain contention,
Save us from all selfish strife.
May our arms embrace each other,
May our lips speak kindliness;
May our labor and our leisure
Be in Thee true godliness.

3.  Sacred Heart, Thou King of our home,
Keep us all in harmony,
As the organ and the voices
Blend together beauteously.
Make our home a place of bounty
And of understanding love;
May our hearts trust in each other
And in Thine unending love.

4.  Mother Mary, Queen of our home,
Reigning here, show forth thy pow’r!
Graciously dispense all graces
To these hearts and souls of ours!
Be thou here, who art our Mother,
Keep us in thy folded arms,
Grant us joy and banish anguish,
Be our refuge from all harm.

5.  May we imitate the goodness
Of the Holy Family,
Where Saint Joseph ruled with meekness
Jesus and His Mother sweet.
Good Saint Joseph, faithful guardian;
Mother Mary, purest Maid;
Little Jesus, Who, obedient,
Grew in wisdom and in age.

6.  Praise we sing to God the Father,
And His Sole-begotten Son,
And to God the Holy Spirit,
Everlasting Three-in-One!
May we ever sing Thy goodness,
May we ever bless Thy Name,
And in one unceasing chorus
All Thy glorious wonders claim. Amen.

 

* This line may be replaced by any of these lines:

     Christmas and its Octave: On this merry Christmas Feast.

     Epiphany and its Octave: At Thy great Epiphany.

     Feast of the Holy Family: On this Holy Fam’ly Feast.

     Eastertide: At Thy Resurrection Feast.

     Ascensiontide: At Thy great Ascension Feast.

     Pentecost and its Octave: At descent of Paraclete.

     Sacred Heart of Jesus: Through the Heart of Christ the King!

     Christ the King: On this Feast of Christ the King.

     American Thanksgiving: On this grateful harvest feast.

     Wedding Day: At our joyful wedding feast!

     Wedding Anniversary: On our anniversary.

     Other family feasts: On this day of special feast.

© 2021 David Varella

Great Saint Dymphna

The Beheading of Saint Dymphna, by Godfried Maes (1688)

About Saint Dymphna

Saint Dymphna is the patroness of the mentally ill, those who suffer from depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders. This was because of the depression of her father, who wanted to marry her after his wife died. Because of her refusal to marry him, he beheaded her. Mental illnesses abound in our day, and we must pray for all those who suffer from such disorders. Loyola Press has this to say about Saint Dymphna's story:

Born during the 7th century to Irish royalty, St. Dymphna’s mother, the queen, had the girl baptized and raised in the faith in secret because of her husband’s pagan beliefs. When Dymphna was only fourteen, her beloved mother died and the king went mad in his great state of grief. He decided that he wanted to marry Dymphna, his own daughter, because she looked so much like her mother. Dymphna, who had made a vow of virginity before God, was horrified by her father’s proposal and adamantly refused.

To escape the king’s inevitable outrage over her rejection, Dymphna fled the kingdom. She was accompanied by her confessor, Fr. Gerebran as well as several faithful servants from her father’s court. The group settled in Belgium in a city called Gheel near a shrine of St. Martin of Tours. While there, Dymphna used her wealth to care for the sick and poor of the region.

Unfortunately, her father discovered her whereabouts and he sailed to Gheel in the hopes of bringing her back with him. Upon his arrival, the king continued his attempts to convince Dymphna to marry him, promising great wealth and esteem if she accepted his offer. Still, she would not change her mind, staying true to her vow of virginity and refusal to enter an incestuous relationship. In his anger, the king ordered his men to kill Fr. Gerebern while he himself beheaded Dymphna. She was only fifteen years old at the time.

Reason

There is an excellent novena to Saint Dymphna for those who are suffering mental illness, as well as one traditional novena to her for all the Christian world. When I pray novenas, I like to add hymns to the beginning before the prayers. To me, adding hymns to novenas is an expression of Christian joy, and it follows the precepts of Saint Paul, "be ye filled with the holy Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual canticles, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:18-19). I found an interesting song to Saint Dymphna, but no hymn, so I wrote a hymn of my own. It is meant to be sung to the tune Aurelia by Samuel S. Wesley (1864). The text is under copyright.

Hymn Text

1.  We hail thee, great Saint Dymphna,
O hear our fervent plea
For all the Christian people
Who now do cry to thee:
Help us attain to Heaven,
Ask God, His grace to send,
To persevere in virtue
And ordered peace within.

2.  We hail thee, great Saint Dymphna!
Please intercede for all
Who suffer great depression
And bitterness of soul.
Let us not be despondent
Who call upon thine aid,
But quell the great depressions,
And anxious minds allay.

3.  We praise thee, great Saint Dymphna,
For all thy courage bold,
Resisting thou thy father
When his own mind went cold:
When in his great depression,
And heeding ill advice,
He would not bend to reason,
And took thy youthful life.

© 2021 David Varella

Petitions to Saint Joseph

 

Ite ad Joseph! Go to Joseph!

Reason

This hymn was written as a prayer to Saint Joseph, Light of Patriarchs. The time has come for a resurgence of true Christian patriarchy, based on the Catholic Faith and the attitude of chivalry. There is a vast difference between worldly patriarchy and Christian patriarchy. When feminism proclaims to be against patriarchy, it rejects worldly patriarchy and starves for Christian patriarchy. The lack of distinction between the two is the reason feminism indiscriminately rejects all patriarchy, and it thereby starves itself of Christian patriarchy.

In this age of relativism (denial of any objective truth), feminism (rejection of patriarchy), and effeminacy (men living for pleasure and comfort), it is now more important than ever to run to Saint Joseph, the Light of the Patriarchs. We have an uphill battle in front of us to reclaim surrendered ground, but if we run to Saint Joseph, we can be confident of plenty in spite of famine.

The text is meant to be sung to the tune Ellacombe (1784) and is now under copyright in the Library of Congress.

Hymn Text

1.  Saint Joseph, as a husband,
Like thee, I made a vow
To cherish, love, and honor,
As only love knows how.
Help me be pure and faithful
And patient as thou art,
And help my understanding
The seasons of the heart.

2.  Saint Joseph, as a father,
Thou knowest my own care,
To raise my children rightly,
With strength of character,
To form in them good conscience
All pure, upright, and just;
Saint Joseph, help me to be
The father that I must.

3.  Saint Joseph, in our culture
The Christian life has waned,
And with it, shriveled manhood
Has tried to stake its claim.
The time has now arisen
For patriarchs once more –
O win us grace and virtue,
True manhood to restore.

4.  Help us to be courageous,
To stand for truth and life,
Where e’er the Spirit leads us
To shine our holy light,
To keep the flame still burning
Of our Baptismal grace,
And ne’er through sin to lose it,
Nor Holy Ghost displace.

© 2021 David Varella

The Sorrows and Joys of Saint Joseph

The child Jesus leaning into Saint Joseph for security. Source unknown to the author of this blog.

 

Reason

During an email exchange with a priest acquaintance of mine, I shared with him my first hymn to Saint Joseph, and he mentioned that he and his friend were looking to write one on the topic of the Seven Sorrows and Joys of Saint Joseph. I had not heard from him in a while, and I thought the topic interesting for a hymn, but to my knowledge, not much more came of it.

Due to the winter storms in Texas in February this year, the house we were renting had burst pipes in several places, causing the ceiling to collapse in four different rooms. With the house flooded and most of our belongings damaged, we were living out of a hotel for one month. During that time, I asked Saint Joseph to help us quickly find a new place to stay, as our landlord let us out of the lease due to the damage in the house. I promised Saint Joseph that if he were to help us find a house quickly, I would write him a hymn on the topic of his seven sorrows and joys. The move-in date for a new lease on a new property was March 19th, his feastday. This is the poem I wrote in fulfillment of that promise. It is meant to be sung to the tune Lancashire, by Henry T. Smart (1836). The text is now under copyright through the Library of Congress.

Hymn Text

1.  O Joseph, man of silence, how heavy was thy care
When thou didst find the Virgin, by God a Son to bear.
Thy sorrow turned to joy when, at the angel’s command,
Thou welcomed her to thy home and took her sweetest hand.

2.  O Joseph, man of duty, how saddened was thy heart
When thou couldst find no dwelling, e’en though thou didst thy part;
And Christ was born in stable so lowly, crude, and bare,
But great thy joy to greet Him as angels sang Him there.

3.  O Joseph, man obedient to all the angel said,
Who, at His circumcision, witnessed His first Blood shed –
A vision of the Passion gave sorrow to thy soul,
But great thy joy when naming “Jesus” the Infant Lord.

4.  O Joseph, mighty ruler of Holy Family,
Thy sorrow was the greatest upon the prophecy
That Christ would suffer greatly and Mary’s soul pierced through,
But great thy joy to hear Christ as Light and Glory, too.

5.  O Joseph, faithful guardian of Christ, the Bread of Life,
Thou savedst God the Savior from Herod’s wicked strife;
Thy sorrow at this hatred towards God the King of all
Was turned to joy when thou didst see Egypt’s idols fall.

6.  O Joseph, man of vision, from exile to return,
The cruél Archelaus was ruling in his turn;
How great thy joy in hearing to go to Nazareth,
Where thy delight was home life until thy blesséd death.

7.  O Joseph, man of patience, how sorely wast thou tried
When thou didst lose the Christ Child, and sought the Lord to find.
How great thy joy, Him finding, and thou wast filled with awe
At Christ teaching in wisdom the doctors of the Law.

© 2021 David Varella

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.