When darkness falls at eventide, ‘Tis evil’s fiercest hour: It’s then I’m tempted, sorely tried, All mustered is Hell’s power.
The ancient foe comes ‘gainst my soul With cunning hatefulness, To rob me full of self-control, And live in idleness.
‘Tis difficult to call on God To save me from this test, To walk where all the Saints have trod And never once to rest,
Because it seems He hears me not – This, too, I must confess – I sense no help where I had sought; Then comes paralysis.
And then because I turn not fast Away from evil thought, The time to fight will soon be past, And battle poorly fought.
And when I fall then into sin, I feel no hope for me, But Sacrament of Confession Is God’s Divine Mercy!
To confess sin with intention To never sin again: To combat Satan’s temptation With grace which God doth send.
And when the Priest gives his advice, I listen with intent, And do the penance to suffice And turn away from sin.
And then I make an act contrite In sorrow for my sin, And with his Priestly hand upright He gives absolution.
And when I kneel in church to pray, I thank the Lord above, For pardoning my sinful way In mercy and in love.
And then I go, resolved for this: Make restitution or To practice virtue opposite My sin, and please the Lord.
Pope Francis
I really love how Pope Francis draws the parallel between the Paschal Mystery, Divine Mercy, and the Sacrament of Confession. Check it out:
“The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation flows directly from the Paschal Mystery. In fact, on the evening of Easter the Lord appeared to the disciples, who were locked in the Upper Room, and after addressing them with the greeting, ‘Peace be with you!’, he breathed on them and said: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven’ (Jn 20:21-23). This passage reveals to us the most profound dynamic contained in this Sacrament.” (Pope Francis, General Audience, February 2014).
“Among the Sacraments, certainly Reconciliation renders present with particular efficacy the merciful face of God: it is constantly and ceaselessly made real and manifest” (Pope Francis, Internal Forum organized by the Apostolic Penitentiary, March 2015).
Divine Mercy and Confession are intimately connected. Understanding the Divine Mercy message apart from the Sacrament of Confession is impossible. However, the COVID-19 Pandemic and the attendant shutdown of Catholic Masses and gatherings across the United States gave me pause to reflect. It seems that while the Sacrament of Confession is the ordinary means of recovering or maintaining the state of sanctifying grace in our souls, in cases where it is impossible to get to Confession, the Divine Mercy Chaplet can be an extraordinary means of grace and a cause for hope in a dire situation. This Chaplet seems like it was provided to us by God by precisely our times. But the Chaplet is certainly no substitute for Confession, especially under normal circumstances. Strive to maintain the life of God's sanctifying grace in your soul; however, if you have lost sanctifying grace through sin, get to Confession now while you still can!
Samuel Anointing David; Francois-Leon Benouville; French, 1842; Columbus (OH), Museum of Art
PAD Challenge, Day 6 prompt: write a minimum poem. Some people only do the minimum; others like to pay the minimum. When I first started working, I earned minimum wage. My kids had to reach a minimum height requirement to ride roller coasters at amusement parks. When writing your minimum poem, you could write a super short form like a senryu or craft a one-sentence poem. And well, that's just the minimum of minimum-related topics out there.
I chose to write two acrostic poems.
Young David
Young shepherd anointed, Of Jesse descended, Upon whom the spirit rushed, Now ruddy and flushed, God was all his trust.
David's five stones Are the wonder of thrones, Victor against giants In spite of defiance, Delivered by God's holy Name.
St. Marcellinus
Martyrdom is one of the primary reasons, Add that you are relatively unknown, Right in the middle of the Roman Canon, Confirmation name chosen for your love for Christ known. Exorcist Peter shares a feastday with you, Little-known feast on the Second of June. Loving the Lord even to your physical detriment, It was your great glory to never relent, Not even when others offered you the world, Under no circumstances would deny Christ the Lord. So I chose you my patron many years ago.
N.B. Holy David, Prophet and King of Israel, has a feastday on December 29th in the traditional Roman Martyrology. In the modern Roman Martyrology, all the Ancestors of Jesus Christ are celebrated on December 24th, Christmas Eve.
PAD Challenge, Day 5 prompt: take the phrase "Tell (blank)," replace the blank with a new word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then, write your poem. Possible titles might include: "Tell It Like It Is," "Tell Me Something Good," "Tell the World What You're Thinking," and/or "Tell It Slant."
I wrote this poem as if I were giving this advice to my sons.
Tell Mom
When you fall on concrete And you scrape up your knee, Tell Mom; She'll make it all better With a mother's kiss tender, Tell Mom.
When you're going to school And your friends all look cool, Tell Mom; She won't make you like them, But by virtue like Him, Tell Mom.
When your voice starts to change And you're feeling all strange, Tell Mom; She'll help you feel fine, 'Cause all things change in time, Tell Mom.
When you're out on life's road And you bear heavy load, Tell Mom; For a load borne by two Makes it light, heart renewed, Tell Mom.
When life makes you confused And unsure what to do, Tell Mom; Then hear her advice, For love makes her wise, Tell Mom.
When she's old and afraid And all set in her ways, Love Mom; Take her into your home So she's not so alone, Love Mom.
Her love is a treasure, You'll hardly do better, Love Mom; Make her latter days prized, You'll be blessed to the skies, Love Mom.
From the Scriptures
Taken from Sirach (3:1-16):
Listen to me your father, O children; and act accordingly, that you may be kept in safety. For the Lord honored the father above the children, and he confirmed the right of the mother over her sons. Whoever honors his father atones for sins, and whoever glorifies his mother is like one who lays up treasure. Whoever honors his father will be gladdened by his own children, and when he prays he will be heard. Whoever glorifies his father will have long life, and whoever obeys the Lord will refresh his mother; he will serve his parents as his masters. Honor your father by word and deed, that a blessing from him may come upon you. For a father’s blessing strengthens the houses of the children, but a mother’s curse uproots their foundations. Do not glorify yourself by dishonoring your father, for your father’s dishonor is no glory to you. For a man’s glory comes from honoring his father, and it is a disgrace for children not to respect their mother. O son, help your father in his old age, and do not grieve him as long as he lives; even if he is lacking in understanding, show forbearance; in all your strength do not despise him. For kindness to a father will not be forgotten, and against your sins it will be credited to you; in the day of your affliction it will be remembered in your favor; as frost in fair weather, your sins will melt away. Whoever forsakes his father is like a blasphemer, and whoever angers his mother is cursed by the Lord.
Regarding the wisdom of a mother's advice, my wife has a sign on her side of the bed that says, "A mother understands what a child does not say." The mother has an intuition about what is going on in the minds and hearts of her children, and I can attest to having seen this many times in my life when mothers are taking care of their children, especially in my mother and in my wife. Many times I have been able to exclaim like Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings movie, "[That's] an eye opener and no mistake!" It is truly amazing.
A world that looks to the future without a mother’s gaze is shortsighted. It may well increase its profits, but it will no longer see others as children. It will make money, but not for everyone. We will all dwell in the same house, but not as brothers and sisters. The human family is built upon mothers. A world in which maternal tenderness is dismissed as mere sentiment may be rich materially, but poor where the future is concerned.
On the grace and office of motherhood, Venerable Jozsef Cardinal Mindszenty had this to say:
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?
There are many other beautiful instances of what the Catholic Church has to say about mothers (including Pope Pius XI's encyclical Casti Connubii). But for now, may the above quotations give us great material for reflection, a renewed tenderness towards mothers, and a venerable esteem for the office of motherhood.
Me as a novice with the Legionaries of Christ, before I left them and went into the archdiocesan seminary mentioned in today's poem.
PAD Challenge, Day 4 prompt: "write a mistake poem. Everyone makes mistakes. Yes, even that person standing in the corner shaking their head to the contrary. And even those people who don't admit to making mistakes have seen others make them. So whether it's the mistakes you've made, witnessed in others, etc., write a poem about it today."
Hard To Believe
A great mistake that I did make Was to give someone too much power, When I was going through priestly discernment In diocesan seminary's bower.
When I first started at that place, By a seminarian I was solemnly warned To not go to the Archbishop or The superiors if I'm alarmed.
He said if I did so, He'd make sure I would be Treated accordingly By him and other students there, Who'd ensure I'd never be a Priest.
At one point in the course of that year, Two invited me to come To watch an unrated movie with them In the common room for Collegians' fun.
But suspecting vice, I rightly declined, Then th' invitation turned to a threat: They said to join them in minutes fifteen Or from my room they would drag me instead.
I gave in out of fear and not knowing much option Just to make it to Ordination, But as I suspected, the movie was smut; A few days later I made my decision.
As hard as it was, that place I would leave In a voluntary manner, Though I knew that I would have to give up my dream, That wasn't to me what had mattered.
Most important to me was obeying God's law, And that meant that I had to leave; I gave up seminary to live moral life, And that is what's hard to believe.
It took a few years and some anger and tears To get over the hurt that I felt, But I learned to trust in Divine Providence, And in peace, play the hand I was dealt.
Hindsight is funny, it makes things so clear: I should have punched them in the nose, And if they spoke of it, they'd have had to reveal Their warped consciences and be exposed.
But now they are Priests anointed of God, And I'd never lay my hand upon The anointed of God, just as David had said When he truly could have harmed Saul.
Despite all my hurt, I have not left the Church, For I could not abandon my King; I know He is there in the Tabernacle, And like me, He knows deep suffering.
In the Latin Mass from the Missal of past God touched me with His healing balm; Some say it's not right, but I'd rather not fight In the "liturgy wars" that go on.
I know it's more blessed to obey and to stay Than to leave o'er liturgical form, For Christ's in Peter's Barque, there I lean on His Heart, For He sleeps there in peace on the storm.
I recommend the Memoirs of Don Bosco To seminarians surrounded by vice, For he has there great truths that will help you get through, If you would only heed his advice.
Be bold and be kind, but be keen as the hind, For if the priesthood's your calling, you must With prudence and might carry on in the fight, For in you many souls need to trust.
Saint John Bosco to Seminarians
from Memoirs of the Oratory of Saint Francis de Sales, by Saint John Bosco (Part II, Ch. 19)
And as for my companions, I stuck to my beloved mother's advice. That is, I fraternized only with companions who had a devotion to Mary and who loved study and piety. Here I must give a word of warning to seminarians. In the seminary there are many clerics of outstanding virtue, but there are others who are dangerous. Not a few young men, careless of their vocation, go to the seminary lacking either the spirit or the goodwill of a good seminarian. Indeed, I remember hearing some companions indulging in very bad language. Once, a search amongst some students' personal belongings unearthed impious and obscene books of every kind. It is true that these later left the seminary, either of their own accord or because they were expelled when their true character came to light. But as long as they stayed, they were a plague to good and bad alike.
To avoid such dangerous associates, I chose some who were well known as models of virtue. These were William Garigliano, John Giacomelli of Avigliana and, later, Louis Comollo. For me, these three friends were a treasure.
Just to note, I do not think it was a mistake to have left the seminary, especially because God worked it out for my own good: omnia in bonum. He provided me a virtuous wife, with whom I have built a very good life. We have three wonderful children here on earth, and we have two little saints in Heaven. What I do believe was a mistake, however, is not having done something to stand up to the seminarians who threatened me. But perhaps it was God's way of showing me where my true vocation was; after all, I am very happy, and being a father has helped me to come to know the love of God the Father in ways that I otherwise would have been unable to experience. And for sure, there is a need for virtuous Catholic fathers and mothers who will raise their children to become the next generation of virtuous Catholics, whether married or religious or Priests. This kind of renewal of the domestic church will lead to a true renewal in the whole Church.
PAD Challenge, Day 3 prompt: pick a musical act or artist and either make that the title of your poem or incorporate into the title of your poem; then, write your poem.
David Michael Moses Saving Lives
Out in greater Houston there’s A man I’d love to meet. As I listen to his music, I think he’s really neat: He writes up his own poems put To music on his sheet, And performs special concerts for Both moms and little feet.
By his concerts I can tell that He’s a joy to be around, And videos he makes are mostly Short, and yet profound. Though he’s got a sense of humor, He is not a senseless clown; His zeal and joy and smile prove In darkness, grace abounds!
He is so very young, his youthful Vigor is not spent; In him I see belovéd John Trail Jesus where He went, Who at that Supper, leaned on Christ To ask Him who’d offend; Or David with his youthful heart Like God’s, beyond all men.
He must maintain humility In God’s presence to thrive, For good and wholesome virtue He must never cease to strive. His concerts help some mothers’ plight, In this he’s most alive, For he is a Priest of God Who’s saving babies’ lives.
If we were fortunate enough To have him in our house, I’d introduce him promptly to My children and my spouse. If he could spend the eve with us, I know he would not grouse, Perhaps he’d bless our home, our walls With holy water douse.
When and where I meet him, At a concert or at church, I know we’ll have a thing to share: Our love for rhyming words; How we do oft communicate Through poems sung and heard, And in this way, participate In Christ, the living Word.
Two Original Songs by Father David Michael Moses
The first is one of the best videos of priests and seminarians using their talents to help pregnancy centers in the Houston area. The second is a song about the Church as his wife, since he is a Priest. For more information on how to help the cause, visit his website: FatherDavidMichael.com. Enjoy the songs!
I am attempting the Poem-A-Day (PAD) Challenge for April 2024, which is hosted by Robert Lee Brewer on Writer's Digest. April is National Poetry Month, which was begun in April 1996 by the Academy of American Poets.
In doing some research about celebrations of poetry, I also discovered that UNESCO established World Poetry Day in Paris in 1999; since then, this day occurs every year on March 21st (a day special to me because it is the anniversary of my baptism).
PAD Challenge, Day 1 prompt: write an optimistic poem. Here goes:
The Challenge
I am optimistic: A poem every day, Some a meager stanza, Some with more to say.
With grit and perseverance And discipline of self, I will have thirty poems to Increase my notebook's wealth.
While often life's a fury, Some things get left behind, Yet still my goal is thirty To exercise my mind.
King Saint Ferdinand III is largely forgotten in our time. Even in my hometown (San Antonio, Texas) where the Cathedral, or Mother-Church of the Archdiocese, is named after him, his feastday on May 30th is not observed. In the 1962 Roman Missal, May 30th was a First Class Feast (the equivalent of today's Solemnity) in the Archdiocese of San Antonio precisely because the Cathedral is named after him. Today in Spain, his feastday has been downgraded to an optional memorial (indicated by the lower-case "m" on the Spanish liturgical calendar), while here in the US, it seems that the optional memorial of Saint Joan of Arc has taken precedence lately. While we do have a strong culturally-French background in parts of the U.S., we also have strong Spanish roots (which may be even stronger now due to immigration). To resolve this discrepancy of feastdays, I believe we should have both St. Joan of Arc and King St. Ferdinand III as Optional Memorials here in the U.S. so that different areas may avail themselves of whichever one is more suited to the location and to the faithful. After all, isn't that the goal of inculturation? Additionally, St. Ferdinand's reconquest of his homeland from the enemies of Christianity, specifically the enemies of Catholicism, are the perfect reason for Catholics (and all Christians) to seek his heavenly intercession today.
As we watch our homelands in the West fall, one country at a time, to the unreasoning and demonic forces of evil, we need to look to this Saint who had reconquered his homeland from the enemies of Christianity centuries ago. We need to look to his example so that we also can take back our own homelands today, and although we do not fight this battle today taking up physical arms because "our war is not against flesh and blood, but against...the spirits of wickedness in the high places", we do need to take up our spiritual arms and fight: the Holy Mass, the Seven Sacraments, the Divine Office, Lectio Divina (praying with the Bible), the Holy Rosary, the sacramentals, family prayer, and so forth. There are many opportunities to keep the life of grace alive in our souls, and to raise our children in the joy and mirth of our holy Faith and in the Liturgical Year.
In two short months, June will again be upon us, the month we Catholics have for centuries dedicated to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. The demonic forces of evil have striven for the last few decades to wrest this month from us and dedicate it to sinful pride. It is time for a spiritual reconquest, one that the great Saint Ferdinand III, the Reconqueror, can help us to achieve. There were two things that Saint Ferdinand always did: first, he always spent the night in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament before any battle; second, he always brought an ivory statue of Our Lady with him into battle, hanging from his saddle (his first wife, Beatrice, gave that ivory statue to him just after their marriage as a token of her virtue). Thus, the first thing we can learn from him in time of battle is to run to our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and to do battle with and through Our Lady. One last thing to mention is that Saint Ferdinand shares one thing in common with the Little Flower, Saint Therese of Lisieux: Our Lady smiled on him just as she would smile on Saint Therese centuries later.
I wrote this hymn to St. Ferdinand to ask his intercession in our fight to reclaim our homeland for Christ today.
San Fernando, King Victorious
Text: David D. Varella
(2023)
Tune: CWM RHONDDA by John Hughes (1907)
1.San
Fernando, King victorious,
King reclaiming Christendom,
King whose sword’s name means “wolf-slayer”,
Slay the wolves Christ’s flock surround.
San Fernando, San Fernando, Raze proud Satan’s kingdom down! Raze proud Satan’s kingdom down!
2.San
Fernando, noble ruler,
Greatest King on Spanish shores,
Help us to reclaim our homeland
As you did in days of yore!
San Fernando, San Fernando, Help ‘gainst evil spirits’ war! Help ‘gainst evil spirits’ war!
3.San
Fernando, all-night vigils,
Kneeling ‘fore God’s altar-throne,
Great on earth your holy fervor,
Prayer before each battle done:
San Fernando, San Fernando, Thus were all your battles won! Thus were all your battles won!
4.San
Fernando, now in Heaven,
Praying Christ the Lamb before,
Hear the prayers of Christian people,
As we fight a valiant war:
San Fernando, San Fernando, Help us here on earth once more! Help us here on earth once more!
5.San
Fernando, just and pious,
Patron Saint of governors,
Pray for all th’Executive Branch
That to Christ the King they turn!
San Fernando, San Fernando, Help them Christ the King to learn! Help them Christ the King to learn!
6.San
Fernando, chosen patron,
Our devotedness is vast.
Intercede for our salvation,
And our kin ere time is past.
San Fernando, San Fernando, Guide us while our life shall last! Guide us while our life shall last!
I recently discovered that March is "Women's History Month". I suppose that means that we are supposed to celebrate the liberties that women have received in the workforce and in society over the past 100 years or so. If we really want to go back to the beginning, we can state that Eve was the first woman, and the first woman to become independent of her husband, stepping out from under his authority and leadership. In doing so, she took the lead in the disobedience that has obtained for us the mark of Original Sin, causing Adam to fall (at the same time, it was not only Eve's fault: Adam stood there and, out of fear, did not dispel the demon from the garden which it was his duty to guard; however, since the focus is on women's history month, the focus here is on women).
Woman as Wife and Homemaker
There are many awards for women who make a difference in the workforce, in politics, in climate activism, but where are the awards for women who choose to stay home and joyfully live under their husband's authority? They are the ones who make the greatest difference for society, especially if they take care of the children and homeschool them. They are the ones who give joy to the home or make home life miserable. The author of Sirach says it best:
Happy is the husband of a good wife; the number of his days will be doubled. A loyal wife rejoices her husband, and he will complete his years in peace. A good wife is a great blessing; she will be granted among the blessings of the man who fears the Lord. Whether rich or poor, his heart is glad, and at all times his face is cheerful. A wife’s charm delights her husband, and her skill puts fat on his bones. A silent wife is a gift of the Lord, and there is nothing so precious as a disciplined soul. A modest wife adds charm to charm, and no balance can weigh the value of a chaste soul. Like the sun rising in the heights of the Lord, so is the beauty of a good wife in her well-ordered home. A pious wife is given to the man who fears the Lord. A wife honoring her husband will seem wise to all. Happy is the husband of a good wife; for the number of his years will be doubled. (Sirach 26:1-4, 13-16, 23, 26).
And for the proper understanding of what subjection of wife to husband means, Pope Pius XI had this to say in his encyclical Casti Connubii, On Christian Marriage (paragraphs 26-29):
Domestic society being confirmed, therefore, by this bond of love, there should flourish in it that “order of love,” as St. Augustine calls it. This order includes both the primacy of the husband with regard to the wife and children, the ready subjection of the wife and her willing obedience, which the Apostle commends in these words: “Let women be subject to their husbands as to the Lord, because the husband is the head of the wife, and Christ is the head of the Church” (Ephesians 5:22-23).
This subjection, however, does not deny or take away the liberty which fully belongs to the woman both in view of her dignity as a human person, and in view of her most noble office as wife and mother and companion; nor does it bid her obey her husband’s every request if not in harmony with right reason or with the dignity due to wife; nor, in fine, does it imply that the wife should be put on a level with those persons who in law are called minors, to whom it is not customary to allow free exercise of their rights on account of their lack of mature judgment, or of their ignorance of human affairs. But it forbids that exaggerated liberty which cares not for the good of the family; it forbids that in this body which is the family, the heart be separated from the head to the great detriment of the whole body and the proximate danger of ruin. For if the man is the head, the woman is the heart, and as he occupies the chief place in ruling, so she may and ought to claim for herself the chief place in love.
Again, this subjection of wife to husband in its degree and manner may vary according to the different conditions of persons, place and time. In fact, if the husband neglect his duty, it falls to the wife to take his place in directing the family. But the structure of the family and its fundamental law, established and confirmed by God, must always and everywhere be maintained intact .
With great wisdom Our predecessor Leo XIII, of happy memory, in the Encyclical on Christian marriage which We have already mentioned, speaking of this order to be maintained between man and wife, teaches: “The man is the ruler of the family, and the head of the woman; but because she is flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone, let her be subject and obedient to the man, not as a servant but as a companion, so that nothing be lacking of honor or of dignity in the obedience which she pays. Let divine charity be the constant guide of their mutual relations, both in him who rules and in her who obeys, since each bears the image, the one of Christ, the other of the Church.” (Encyclical Arcanum Divinae Sapientiae).
And later, Pope Pius XII wrote the following:
The family is illuminated by its own radiant sun, which is the wife. The wife and mother is indeed like the sun shining in the family. She shines by her generosity and the way she gives herself to others. She shines by her alertness and watchfulness and by her wise and gentle providing of all that can give joy to her husband and children. She radiates light and warmth.
A marriage will prosper if each partner goes into it not for his own happiness but the other’s happiness – but although it belongs to both partners, this emotion, this goal is particularly a quality of the woman. Her very nature as a mother entails it. Her wisdom and prudence mean that even if she encounters troubles she will respond to them with joy; if she is belittled, she will respond with unaltered dignity and respect. She is like the sun that brightens a cloudy morning with the dawn; the sun that illuminates the shower-clouds at dusk.
The wife is like the sun shining in the family with the brightness of her glance and the ardor of her speech. Her looks and words enter into the souls of her family, softening them, touching them, raising them up from the tumult of emotion. They recall her husband to joy in good things and delight in family life after his uninterrupted and often heavy work of the day, whether in an office, in the fields, in trade or in industry.
The wife is like the sun shining in the family by her unforced, transparent sincerity, by her simple dignity, by her decent Christian behavior; by her inward thoughts and her upright heart; and also by the appropriateness of her dress and bearing, adorned by her open and honest way of life. Subtle signs of feeling, shades of expression, silences and unmalicious smiles, little nods of approval – all these give her the grace of an exquisite but simple flower opening its petals to reflect the colors of sunlight.
If only you could know the full depth of the feelings of love and gratitude that such a perfect wife and mother inspires in her husband and children!
It is both Feminism and Communism that push a hyper-egalitarianism on our society, and we must stand up to reject that notion. Pope Pius XII had some words to say in an address to women shortly after the end of World War II.
Equality: Dignity, Role, or Ability?
Men and women are equal in dignity, but in role they are complementary and not the same. Men and women have different roles and abilities that are complementary for the good of the family and the peace of the home. Father Ripperger has some interesting things to say in the following video, Feminism: Women and the Natural Order.
I have already written something about women and the military draft because I believe it is important to put women as wives and mothers into the proper context and to see through the insidious lies of our politicians. Anyone who wishes women to register for the draft is either a willful Communist or a useful idiot of the Communists. The late Colonel John W. Ripley, USMC Ret. (may he rest in peace), also had some forceful, clear comments about women serving in combat, candid comments which cannot be refuted by anyone possessing right reason and common sense.
Feminism: Stunted Roots and Rotten Fruits
Since the beginning of its history, Feminism in the United States has been involved in Satanism and the Occult. Check out these two interviews with Dr. Carrie Gress:
The great thinker G.K. Chesterton had some reflections about women's suffrage, explained in this article, from which I have taken the following relevant excerpt:
The main problem that Chesterton saw with women having the vote was that it would shift the power of society from the home to the state. He was not afraid of women having more power, but of the state having more power.
He argued that women could not possibly be more powerful than they are in the home, where the most important decisions are made, where children are born and raised, and where people eat and drink and live and die.
The basic unit of society must be the family. If the family is atomized into smaller units, “individual rights” take precedence over the needs of the family. But those individuals will regroup into other interest groups, according to race or class or sex, and the rights of those groups tend to undermine the family.
No one today suggests that women should not vote, and few suggest that they should not work. But families have broken up and government has grown, just as Chesterton said.
Femininity, Not Feminism
St. Peter said, "Let not yours be the outward adorning with braiding of hair, decoration of gold, and wearing of robes, but let it be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable jewel of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious" (1 Peter 3:3-4). An attitude of disdain for certain "lowly people" makes a woman less beautiful, because beauty is as beauty does. The feminine heart is truly beautiful; the feminist heart is not.
Favorite Country Songs on Femininity
Being a die-hard country music fan, this post would be incomplete without a few country songs related to the topic at hand.
She Keeps the Home Fires Burning, by Ronnie Milsap
St. Thomas Aquinas says that grace does not destroy nature, but perfects it. My wife and I have chosen "Grace Builds on Nature" as our family motto (it is in Latin on our coat of arms). Since this is true, what better way is there for providing good nature than wholesome music? There are many father-daughter country songs, but these are my favorites.
1. Cinderella, by Stephen Curtis Chapman
Although technically not country, the instruments and the lyrics sound like country, and the message is so true. Time spent with those one loves is time never wasted.
2. Handprints on the Wall, by Kenny Rogers
My father always loved Kenny Rogers. Now that I am an husband and a father, I understand why.
3. Daddy's Hands, by Holly Dunn
This country song is about a daughter's realization of the love her father had for her. Though there are times when a father must discipline his children, he always loves them. We, as fathers, need to pray for the wisdom to lead by example, to teach with our words, and to back up our words with appropriate discipline.
4. The Girl You Think I Am, by Carrie Underwood
It is always important for a father to have faith in his daughter (and in all his children). This faith allows them to hold higher standards for themselves and also allows them to believe in themselves.
5. Just Fishin', by Trace Adkins
This is another great song about spending time with one's daughter while she is still young.
6. I Wish I Could, by Collin Raye
This is how every man feels who knows that the children he raises will be the greatest legacy he leaves behind and the greatest testament to his well-lived life.
7. Through the Eyes of My Father, by Brianna Haynes
Every father must know that he will be the image of God the Father in his children's life. This is a great calling, and one that would be daunting but for the grace of God. Let us pray that, despite our deficiencies, the grace of God will still work in us and shine through us to our children.
8. The Best Part of Me, by Lee Brice
This is a very interesting song, an attempt to explain the relationship between fathers and daughters -- a relationship that defies even the most eloquent words. And Catholics would like this music video: watch and find out why!
9. My Little Girl, by Tim McGraw
This is a great song explaining some things in a father's heart that are often too deep for words.
10. I Loved Her First, by Heartland
This is a great song for a father-daughter dance at a wedding. This will be a theme song for me when my daughter one day falls in love.
I hope you all have enjoyed this song list. Some of these songs are lesser-known, but they are from this father's heart, so full of love for his daughter -- and that love is filled to overflowing! I find myself thanking God daily for each member of my family, starting with my wife and then extending out to all our children. Deo gratias!
My early-childhood parish, St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Peru, Indiana. Image from https://cassmiamicatholic.org/.
During this time of the Eucharistic Revival in the US, I have for a while been considering the role of my parents in my faith in the Holy Eucharist. It was they who gave me this faith, both complementing each other in ways they were not even aware of. My mother taught me the Baltimore Catechism (BaltCat), especially before I received my First Holy Communion. It was she who fed my intellect in understanding, to the extent possible, the Mystery of the True Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.
I have read some comments online where people call the BaltCat “anemic”, whatever that means. Even this article on the Catholic Culture website seemed to denigrate what it called “rote catechesis”, which I take to mean the BaltCat's methods of memorizing questions and answers. One friend of mine commented succinctly, “There isn’t anything wrong with [the Baltimore Catechism]. In fact, we depended on it heavily during my seminary experience, and I found it extremely useful to have information so readily available in my memory to call upon when needed.” I find that to be truly the case. I had other various texts to study for CCD and Religious Education at various parishes (like the Faith and Life Series from Ignatius Press), while at home we used the BaltCat. It seems to me that the other various texts I was exposed to in my religious education were aimed at the heart, while the BaltCat is excellent for the intellect. We should never sacrifice the intellectual side of our Faith in order to reach the heart, nor should we ignore the heart to form only the intellect.
In my early childhood, both the heart and the intellect were formed by my parents. My mother, as I said before, formed my intellect with the use of the BaltCat. My father, however, reached my heart through one particular experience. I was about five years old when the following account took place. My father had just received Holy Communion during Mass. As soon as we returned to the pew, I asked him when I could receive Communion. He told me that I would have to be older, but then asked me if I wanted to smell Jesus. I said Yes, so he breathed in my face. Since he had received Holy Communion under both Species, what I smelled was the scent of wine. But my father had told me it was Jesus, and so I knew that it was not just wine. In that moment, in that pew just after my father received Holy Communion, he bequeathed to my heart the precious gift of faith in the True Presence. I did not yet know terms like “the True Presence” or “the Consecration of the Mass” or “Transubstantiation” or anything like that – all that would come later through my mother – but I did know without a doubt that it was Jesus that my father received. I also remember that on that particular occasion, my father did not get angry with me for interrupting his prayer with Jesus, he just loved me and answered my questions patiently. From that point on, I have never doubted that Jesus Christ is truly present in the Holy Eucharist.
I share this story because I don’t think parents really understand the power they have in the lives of their children. I never stepped foot into a Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) until I was twenty-five years old, so I know that the TLM is not the only way to receive that faith. Sure, the TLM is more reverent, and it is more obvious that Jesus is there on the altar. Yet the true power parents have in forming their children’s hearts and minds is without measure, even in the current Novus Ordo Mass (NOM). One thing I can say that impresses me as I look back upon my childhood is that my father was always there with us in the pews (at times there were exceptions because my father was in the military, but those exceptions were rare). Some fathers have told me that they leave religion to their wives, but my father was not like that; rather, he lived the Faith the best he knew how, and that provided a great foundation for me. As an example, one Lent, my parents prayed the fifteen prayers of Saint Bridget every day. Every Good Friday, the three-o’clock hour was to be maintained in the most solemn silence (and they came up with creative ways to keep us five small children well occupied to make that happen). So not only the True Presence at Mass, but also the seasons of the Liturgical Year came alive for me.
As parents, we have an awesome power in the lives of our children. We must wield that power to instill in our children a love for Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist – not just in their intellects, but also in their hearts. One of the ways my wife brings alive the True Presence for our children is by having them tell Jesus something at the Elevations. At the Elevation of the Host, the children say, "I love You, Jesus!" At the Elevation of the Chalice, the children say, "Thank You, Jesus!" It is a small but important gesture, planting the seeds of faith. At Holy Mass just recently, my four-year-old son jumped up onto the kneeler of the Communion rail and said out loud and full of enthusiasm, "Hi, Jesus!" I instinctively pulled him back because I did not know what he was doing and did not want him to grab at the ciborium or the Communion paten; meanwhile, the Deacon let out a small grin as he proceeded to give me Holy Communion.
The Liturgy is not something that should be lived only at church, but also in our homes! As parents, we need not be perfect to wield the influence we hold in the lives of our children, and we need not do anything complicated or elaborate – something small to mark the turns of the Liturgical Seasons will suffice. And I highly recommend the use of the BaltCat, together with something for the heart. More than anything, we must never forget that we must also teach them from the heart. We must be patient with them, and even if we cannot do something that they want (like my father could not let me receive Holy Communion because I was not yet of age), nevertheless, we need to provide something for them to fill that gap and help their understanding. Like my father for me, it is imperative that we be patient even if our children interrupt our prayer, for our anger will only push them away. However we respond to them, we must always remember that we are the face of God for them: if we treat them angrily, they will see God as an angry God; but if we treat them with appropriate respect (a respect founded on the truth that they too are children of God through Baptism) and seek to understand them, they will see God as a loving Father. I am not saying that we respect them to the point of spoiling them, but that we need not use harshness or discipline in every situation. There are more than plenty situations in which it is proper to discipline them for their instruction and for their temporal and eternal good, but there are also appropriate times to be patient and let the grace of God work through us as parents, as it worked through my father for me.
Saint Benedict receiving Totila, King of the Ostrogoths; painting by Gaspar de Crayer, 1633; Art Gallery of Ontario
I found this hymn, by Father Faber, at the end of the book The Medal or Cross of Saint Benedict, by Dom Gueranger (it can be read online here). I am about to become a Benedictine Oblate novice, so this hymn has special meaning to me. Interestingly, Tuesday is traditionally set aside for Benedictines to honor Saint Benedict, just as Wednesday is traditionally set aside to honor Saint Joseph.
Hymn to Saint Benedict
by Fr. Frederick William Faber
1. Father of many children! in the gloom Of the long past how beautiful thou art! And still, dear Saint! the weary nations come To drink from out thine unexhausted heart.
2. There are sweet waters in thy fountains still; In every changeful age they have been flowing; While faithful sons thy destinies fulfil Through the wide world, like rivers in their going.
3. Kings, with thy wisdom in their hearts, dear Saint! Have grown more royal 'neath thy Christlike rule; And, when the earth with ignorance was faint, Learning found shelter in thy tranquil school.
4. Deserts have blossomed, where thy feet have trod; Thy homes have been safe shelters for the weary; And in dark times the glory of our God Fled to thy houses to find sanctuary.
5. O Benedict! thy special gifts are peace, Freedom of heart, and sweet simplicity; They fail not with the ages, but increase, As thine own graces grew of old in thee.
6. Give us great hearts, dear Father! hearts as wide As thine that was far wider than the world; Hearts by incessant labor sanctified, Yet with the peace of prayer within them furled.
7. Thou art the Christian Abraham; to thee, Saint of insatiate love! thy God hath given For thy grand faith a saintly family, Countless as are the crowded stars in heaven.
8. Kind Shepherd! tend us with thy pastoral love Across the mountains to our heavenly rest; Father! we see thee beckoning from above; We come! we come! to bless thee, and be blest!
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.
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