Mixed Wildflower Field #1. Image Source: wanderingYew2/Flickr.
PAD Challenge, Day 10 prompt: take the phrase "(blank) Better," 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: "Be Better," "Write Better," "Wanting Better," and/or "There's Nothing Better."
Love is Better
"So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13).
Better than the roses red: Words both calm and gently said.
Better than a pink carnation: Angry words that go unspoken.
Better than gold chrysanthemum: Willing help with cheerful hum.
Better than blue forget-me-not: Petty fight that goes unfought.
Better than the bright sunflower: Kindly words in needful hour.
Better than yellow daffodil: Work that’s done with love and skill.
Better than Texas bluebonnet: Heartfelt words formed into sonnet.
Better than all this world’s flowers: Faith, hope, love in life’s short hours.
Me as a Legionary novice, on the day I put on the cassock for the first time, 2005.
PAD Challenge, Day 8 prompt: write a major event poem. The major event could be something historical. Or it could be something personal (like a wedding or graduation).
Receiving the Cassock
On evening great of September Fourteenth, After retreat in both silence and peace, The moment for which we prepared had arrived: We received the cassock of the Legion of Christ.
I reverenced the cassock when handed to me, I was filled with great joy intermingled with peace. I went to my bed, for the next day was eager, For then I would don it for the first time ever.
That night I remember, slept barely a wink, With longing much stronger than a child's Christmas Eve. The morning lights went on, and quick as a flash, Prepared and was ready for cassock and sash.
I went to the chapel then hurriedly, Thanked God for that moment so excitedly. God blessed me abundantly in those two years, That time of great peace, but also some tears.
The novitiate on Our Lady of Sorrows began, And out of the world to the good Lord I ran. Because my own heart at first might have some sadness, He gave me His Mother to help me find gladness.
Little did I know then how smitten I'd be By beauty of Christ's Bride in Sacred Liturgy: The seasons with their colors, incense, bells, and candlelight, Would bring into my heart and soul both longing and delight.
Jesus in the Eucharist to my own self became The fire which kindled my cold heart with flame; His Heart within the Sacred Host was always my first care, As daily adoration was my portion and my share.
But I gave in to scruples in that first year because Offending God was my deepest horror and fear; But soon I discovered that this idea was wrong Because the Fear of God's simply respect we give as sons.
The fear of sin and fear of making any small mistakes Lead me away from love to sinking in the stormy waves. I had to learn to trust in my novitiate-director As son, and by so doing, embraced God as my own Father.
And though I am not now a seminarian or priest, I know Christ is in Peter's Barque on high and stormy seas. I fell in love with Jesus through His one and holy Bride, And I'll still let her lead me on and be my holy guide.
PAD Challenge, Day 7 prompt: write a luck poem. The luck could be good luck or bad luck. Maybe it's just the luck of the draw, or a contemplation of whether luck even exists.
Quoting the ancient Roman stoic philosopher Seneca, my father once told me that there is no such thing as luck, except when "preparedness meets opportunity." He went on to explain that I must do my own part no matter what, and never wait around for "luck". This poem is a tribute to that wise advice.
Not Lucky, But Blessed
Believing in and relying on luck More than once has got a man stuck, It's far more important to be well prepared So that all of one's goals be attempted and dared.
On luck are too many to often relied, And often they blame it for ventures untried. But preparedness, grit, and some stubborn ol' pluck Far outweigh in merit all random, pure luck.
The virtues form character (diligence, too), But luck forms a laziness hard to undo. One must not put all of the eggs in one basket, Or else face defeat if things fail what one ask it.
Some say it's not what, but it's who that you know That often gets one to where one wants to go, But I disagree, for it's best to prepare: Opportunities often catch one unaware.
Luck makes empty promises, precipitates woes, And often can place one at mercy of foes. If you find results far exceed e'en your best, Consider that you are not lucky, but blessed!
Despite all this praise for the merit of effort, Sometimes one can find all one's goals at the scaffold, So we must remember Divine Providence When all of our efforts seem useless and spent.
Depend not on luck, but on God's providence, And have ye strong faith in His own faithfulness, For He keeps His word and revokes not His call, And He'll remain with you through failures and falls.
Our God is the King and all things do His will, And He has a plan for our good, not our ill. He does not ask us to always have success, But to put in our effort with great faithfulness.
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
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