Joyful Welcome, Baby Dear!

Gaudium Magnum Annuntio Vobis:

Natus Est Nobis Filiam!

Et Nomen Suum Est:

Elizabeth Therese Varella.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

First Visit with Deacon Denis from our Parish

First Yawn 

First Smile 

First Look of Contentment

Alert after First Bath

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

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Filicchi Portrait, 1804

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

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

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

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

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

Novena of Prayer for Christian Unity

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

The Novena of Prayer for Christian Unity

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

Hymn

Hymn I: Ubi Caritas Est Vera

Sundays during the Novena.

Text: Ancient Maundy Thursday Hymn
Tune: Traditional Gregorian Chant

1. Ubi caritas est vera, Deus ibi est.

    Congregavit nos in unum Christi amor.

    Exultemus, et in ipso iucundemur.

    Timeamus, et amemus Deum vivum.

    Et ex corde diligamus nos sincero.

2. Ubi caritas est vera, Deus ibi est.

    Simul ergo cum in unum congregamur:

    Ne nos mente dividamur, caveamus.

    Cessent iurgia maligna, cessent lites.

    Et in medio nostri sit Christus Deus.

3. Ubi caritas est vera, Deus ibi est.

    Simul quoque cum beatis videamus,

    Glorianter vultum tuum, Christe Deus:

    Gaudium quod est immensum, atque probum,

    Saecula per infinita saeculorum. Amen.

Hymn II: Lead On, O King Eternal

Days one, four, and seven.

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

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

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

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

Hymn III: Christ for the World We Sing

Days two, five, and eight.

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

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

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

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

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

Hymn IV: Jesus Shall Reign

Days three, six, and nine.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Psalm 132: Ecce quam bonum.

The happiness of brotherly love and concord.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Introit: Psalm 105(106):47

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

Gradual: Psalm 122(123):6-7

Tract: Psalm 75(76): 2-4

Alleluia: Psalm 72(73): 12, 14

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

Offertory: Romans 15:5-6

Communion: 1 Corinthians 10:17

The Christian Celebration of Easter and Its Symbols

by David Varella

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Fifty-Four Day Rosary Novena

I am part of the United States Grace Force. I am part of Operation: Reparation 54, which is the 54 Day Rosary Novena, lasting from February 21st (the first day of the special summit at the Vatican regarding the abuse crisis) through April 15th (Monday of Holy Week). It is very special to be a part of this. I invite all reading this to join us in this operation. 

If you are interested in joining Reparation 54 but have not started on day one, do not be afraid. Simply begin on whatever day the novena is at. Just as in the Holy Gospel for Septuagesima Sunday in the Extraordinary Form (which, providentially, was the Sunday preceding the beginning of Reparation 54), there are some who are called at the beginning of the day, some who are called at midday, and some who are called at the eleventh hour, yet all receive their payment.

At that time, Jesus spoke this parable to his disciples: The kingdom of heaven is like to an householder, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. And having agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour, he saw others standing in the market place idle. And he said to them: Go you also into my vineyard, and I will give you what shall be just. And they went their way. And again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did in like manner. But about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing, and he saith to them: Why stand you here all the day idle? They say to him: Because no man hath hired us. He saith to them: Go you also into my vineyard. And when evening was come, the lord of the vineyard saith to his steward: Call the laborers and pay them their hire, beginning from the last even to the first. When therefore they were come, that came about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first also came, they thought that they should receive more: and they also received every man a penny. And receiving it they murmured against the master of the house, saying: These last have worked but one hour, and thou hast made them equal to us, that have borne the burden of the day and the heats. But he answering said to one of them: Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst thou not agree with me for a penny? Take what is thine, and go thy way: I will also give to this last even as to thee. Or, is it not lawful for me to do what I will? is thy eye evil, because I am good? So shall the last be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen. (St. Matthew 20:1-16).

Remember that this is a novena of reparation to God for the sins of the clergy, and anything offered to God in reparation -- if offered with a sincere, upright, and pure heart -- is supremely pleasing to Him, no matter at what part of this novena you join in.

I have added a couple of things to my Rosary during this novena. I am a member of the Rosary Confraternity, so I offer up this Confraternity prayer after the first decade. I am a member of the Archdiocese of San Antonio, so I offer up the Parents Prayer for Vocations after the third decade. I am also a member of the Confraternity of Saint Peter, so I offer up this Confraternity prayer after the fifth decade. 

I also include one or two verses of a hymn after each decade has been completed. For Operation: Reparation 54, I find some hymns more appropriate.

Hymns for Reparation

Dear Lord and Father of Mankind

God of Grace and God of Glory

God is Love, Let Heaven Adore Him

Son of God, Eternal Savior

Christ for the World We Sing

O Come and Mourn with Me Awhile

Hymns for Battle

O Jesus, I Have Promised

Jesus, Lover of My Soul

The God of Abraham Praise

Faith of Our Fathers

Lead On, O King Eternal

Hymns of Self-Offering

Take My Life and Let It Be

Marian Hymns

Daily, Daily Sing to Mary

For Mary, Mother of Our Lord

Sing We of the Blessed Mother

At the end of the Rosary, I also pray the Prayer to Saint Joseph after the Rosary, which was composed by Pope Leo XIII, who commanded in the encyclical Quamquam Pluries that this same prayer be added at the end of the Holy Rosary during the month of October. I also find the formula very fitting for this time in the Church.

To thee, O blessed Joseph, do we have recourse in our tribulation, and, having implored the help of thy thrice-holy Spouse, we confidently invoke thy patronage also. By that charity wherewith thou wast united to the immaculate Virgin Mother of God, and by that fatherly affection with which thou didst embrace the Child Jesus, we beseech thee and we humbly pray, that thou wouldst look graciously upon the inheritance which Jesus Christ hath purchased by His Blood, and assist us in our needs by thy power and strength. Most watchful guardian of the Holy Family, protect the chosen people of Jesus Christ; keep far from us, most loving father, all blight of error and corruption: mercifully assist us from Heaven, most mighty defender, in this our conflict with the powers of darkness; and, even as of old thou didst rescue the Child Jesus from the supreme peril of His life, so now defend God's Holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity; keep us one and all under thy continual protection, that we may be supported by thine example and thine assistance, may be enabled to lead a holy life, die a happy death and come at last to the possession of everlasting blessedness in Heaven. Amen.

May we who have begun this good work of Reparation 54 persevere through the last day. If one of the virtues we struggle with is constancy, let this be an exercise of the will. And let us never fail to ask God for the grace to persevere, because every virtue is attained partly through exercise and hard work, and partly through the grace of God. Let us knock daily -- even hourly -- at the door of the Mediatrix of all graces for the virtues we strive to possess.

Family Poetry: The Children's Hour

Image: "Christmas Time" by Eastman Johnson (1864).

I have decided to post good and wholesome family poems for the benefit of today's families. Today's poem is for all the fathers out there: may almighty God grant you the choicest of blessings -- fruitful leisure time with your children!

The Children's Hour

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Between the dark and the daylight, 

When the night is beginning to lower, 

Comes a pause in the day's occupations, 

That is known as the Children's Hour. 

I hear in the chamber above me 

The patter of little feet, 

The sound of a door that is opened, 

And voices soft and sweet. 

From my study I see in the lamplight, 

Descending the broad hall stair, 

Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra, 

And Edith with golden hair. 

A whisper, and then a silence: 

Yet I know by their merry eyes 

They are plotting and planning together 

To take me by surprise. 

A sudden rush from the stairway, 

A sudden raid from the hall! 

By three doors left unguarded 

They enter my castle wall! 

They climb up into my turret 

O'er the arms and back of my chair; 

If I try to escape, they surround me; 

They seem to be everywhere. 

They almost devour me with kisses, 

Their arms about me entwine, 

Till I think of the Bishop of Bingen 

In his Mouse-Tower on the Rhine! 

Do you think, O blue-eyed banditti, 

Because you have scaled the wall, 

Such an old mustache as I am 

Is not a match for you all! 

I have you fast in my fortress, 

And will not let you depart, 

But put you down into the dungeon 

In the round-tower of my heart. 

And there will I keep you forever, 

Yes, forever and a day, 

Till the walls shall crumble to ruin, 

And moulder in dust away!

The Feast of the Epiphany

Image: "Adoration of the Magi" by Pieter Fransz de Grebber (1638)

Introduction to Epiphany

Epiphany is largely unheard of, due in part to the secular Christmas season ending the day after Christmas (in a few places, the secular Christmas season ends the day after New Year's Day -- an improvement, for sure, but still insufficient). The Catholic Christmas Season ends soon after the Feast of the Epiphany, which is January 6th. The Feast of the Epiphany is when Catholics around the world celebrate the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child (the Magi are also called the "Three Kings" and the "Three Wise Men").

Epiphany Customs

By custom, many Catholic homes (domestic churches) use blessed chalk to write the following inscription at the top of the main door of the home:

20 + C + M + B + 19

The first two numbers of the year are at the beginning, the second two at the end. The letters "CMB" represent two things: firstly, for the prayer, "Christus Mansionem Benedicat", which is translated, "May Christ bless this dwelling"; secondly, for the names of the Three Wise Men that tradition hands down to us, "Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar". Later, this inscription above the door is to be erased at the Feast of Pentecost.

Other customs of Epiphany are the Epiphany Proclamation and the Blessing of Epiphany Water.

The Epiphany Painting

The above painting is among my favorites for Epiphany. It is a simple image in that it has no ornate gold or festive patterns in the background, which is rather drab. I am generally a sucker for the ornate or festive or gold patterns when it comes to Christian religious art, so why do I find this particular painting so fascinating? 

Tradition hands down to us that the Magi were kings, and we know that kings are regal in appearance with crowns upon their heads; however, in this image the Magi are not wearing their crowns, nor are their crowns upon the ground, indicating that they removed their crowns before even entering the place where the Christ Child was. Thus we know that they acknowledged Christ as King of kings, and in this way, the painting recounts what the Magi themselves recognized by word: "Where is He that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East, and are come to adore Him" (St. Matthew 2:2). Later, they conceded to His Kingship by deed: "and falling down, they adored Him" (v. 11). They also placed gold before him, which is a kingly gift; therefore, through this gift also they acknowledged His Kingship.

The Magi were also prophets, because Myrrh was a spice used for burial, indicating their prophecy or understanding that he came to die (and die he would, for our salvation). I also like to think the purpose of their gift of gold to the Infant King was a prophecy of what was to follow soon after their departure: the Holy Family's flight into Egypt and the Infant King's escape from an untimely death. You see, through the gift of gold, God provided for all the needs of the Holy Family as they escaped Herod's wrath, and during their journeys there and back, it is doubtless that Saint Joseph put every piece of it to good use, as the Scripture relates, "and Joseph found favor in the sight of his master, and ministered to him: and being set over all by him, he governed the house committed to him, and all things that were delivered to him: and the Lord blessed the house of the Egyptian for Joseph's sake, and multiplied all his substance, both at home, and in the fields" (Genesis 39:4-5), and also, "He made him master of his house, and ruler of all his possession" (Psalm 104:21).

My favorite part of this painting is that the Magi are in the clothing and garb of priests! They brought incense to the Christ Child, and incense indicates that a Deity is present: Jesus Christ, both God and the Son of God -- a great Mystery, indeed! This painting intimates that not only did they offer the frankincense, but that they also burned it there before Jesus Christ, God and King. In the Temple, only a chosen priest could offer the sacrifice of incense in the Holy of Holies, as we know from the story of the just priest Zachary as told in the Gospel of St. Luke (1:5-25).

According to the painting, then, the Magi were the first Gentiles to be priests, prophets, and kings. Therein lies so much fodder for my feeble, finite, and weary mind.

Catholic Readings and Collect for the Holy Mass of the Epiphany

The Scriptural readings at the Extraordinary Form (EF) for Epiphany are the following:

Introit: Malachi 3:1; 1 Chronicles 29:12; Psalm 71:2

Lesson: Isaiah 60:1-6

Gradual: Isaiah 60:6,1

Gospel: St. Matthew 2:1-12 (genuflect at these words of verse 11: "and falling down, they adored Him").

Offertory: Psalm 71:10-11

Communion: St. Matthew 2:2

The Scriptural readings at the Ordinary Form (OF) for Epiphany are the following:

Introit: Malachi 3:1; 1 Chronicles 29:12; Psalm 71:1,10,11

First Reading: Isaiah 60:1-6

Gradual: Isaiah 60:6,1 ~or~ Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13 (Response: cf. v.11)

Second Reading: Ephesians 3:2-3a,5-6

Gospel: St. Matthew 2:1-12

Communion: St. Matthew 2:2

The EF Collect for the Feast of Epiphany:

O God, Who on this day by the leading of a star didst manifest Thine only-begotten Son to the Gentiles; mercifully grant that we who know Thee now by faith, may be brought to the contemplation of the beauty of Thy majesty. Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.

Hymns for Epiphany

There are many beautiful hymns for Epiphany, some in Gregorian Chant (GC), some in polyphony, and some common hymns in the vernacular. In GC, a very beautiful and complex piece is Illuminare, Illuminare Jerusalem. 

In a particular hymn that is in both Latin and English, Adeste Fideles/O Come, All Ye Faithful, verse 8 can now be added to the rest of the hymn.

Other great hymns are We Three Kings of Orient Are, The First Nowell, As with Gladness Men of Old, and Songs of Thankfulness and Praise.

One hymn for the Feast of Epiphany that I cannot pass up without a comment is a hymn we all know, yet commonly the second part of each verse is replaced by a chorus (the chorus is only the second part of the first verse). This hymn is so much more beautiful in its original form, and yet ominous in a way, too. This hymn is called, What Child is This, by William Chatterton Dix (1865).

1. What Child is this who, laid to rest

On Mary's lap is sleeping?

Whom Angels greet with anthems sweet,

While shepherds watch are keeping?

This, this is Christ the King,

Whom shepherds guard and Angels sing;

Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,

The Babe, the Son of Mary.

2. Why lies He in such mean estate,

Where ox and ass are feeding?

Good Christians, fear, for sinners here

The silent Word is pleading.

Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,

The cross be borne for me, for you.

Hail, hail the Word made flesh,

The Babe, the Son of Mary.

3. So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh,

Come peasant, king to own Him;

The King of kings salvation brings,

Let loving hearts enthrone Him.

Raise, raise a song on high,

The Virgin sings her lullaby.

Joy, joy for Christ is born,

The Babe, the Son of Mary.

With that, I hope that you have a blessed and happy Feast of the Epiphany in all your homes, and may God bless each and every one of you now and throughout the Ordinary Time after Epiphany.

The Forty-Day Christmas Season and Feasts

In the Holy Catholic Church, following the Season of Advent (the Season of preparation preceding the celebrations of Christmas), the Christmas Season begins on Christmas Day and ends after the Feast of Epiphany (liturgically) or on Candlemas Day (traditionally). In the secular sphere, the Christmas season begins in the United States the day after Thanksgiving and ends the day after Christmas. Think about this: the secular Christmas season begins on Black Friday, the day of greed and materialism, and ends suddenly the day after Christmas! This very noticeable difference is beautifully addressed in an unforgettable quote: "Never forget that there are only two philosophies to rule your life: the one of the cross, which starts with the fast and ends with the feast. The other of Satan, which starts with the feast and ends with the headache" (Fulton J. Sheen, Seven Words of Jesus and Mary: Lessons from Cana and Calvary).

In the Catholic Church, the Christmas Season used to be celebrated from Christmas Day (December 25th) until Candlemas Day (February 2nd). Now the Christmas Season has been significantly shortened liturgically to end just after Epiphany (January 6th). In our home (domestic church), we celebrate until Candlemas Day, although by that time it is no longer celebrated as intensely as during the Christmas Octave (by the way, it is interesting to note that the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" refers to the twelve days beginning on Christmas Day and ending on Epiphany).

There are three levels of intensity in the celebration of the Christmas Season. The first and greatest level is the Christmas Octave, which is spans Christmas Day through January 1st (New Year's Day). The next and second level lasts from January 2nd through January 13th (the Baptism of the Lord). The third level of celebration spans the days from January 14th through Candlemas Day.

Below, I will list the important feasts of the Christmas Season, beginning with the Christmas Vigil, along with all the other major and minor feasts we celebrate in our family. In the spirit of Pope Benedict XVI's Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, I will include the following indicators of which calendar the feasts fall in: "EF" indicates the Extraordinary Form (Traditional Latin Mass), "OF" indicates the Ordinary Form (Novus Ordo Missae), and "H" indicates feasts that were historically in the Sacred Liturgy but are no longer celebrated as such. The arrangement here has the feasts on their proper, fixed dates, before the minimalism of many Bishops in the United States had some of the important ones transferred to the Sundays nearest the dates of their actual feasts.

The Greatest Intensity in the Christmas Season: The Christmas Octave
December 24th (Christmas Eve): The Vigil of Christmas, a day of fasting and abstinence (EF)
December 25th (Christmas Day): The Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ (EF & OF)
December 26th: Saint Stephen, Protomartyr (EF & OF)
December 27th: Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist (EF & OF)
December 28th: The Holy Innocents (EF & OF)
December 26th: Saint Thomas Becket (EF & OF); Saint David the King of Israel (H)
December 30th: Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas (EF & OF)
December 31st: Saint Sylvester I, Pope, baptized Emperor Constantine (EF & OF)
January 1st (New Year's Day): Octave Day of the Nativity (EF & OF); The Circumcision of Our Lord Jesus Christ (EF); The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God (OF)
Sunday within the Octave: The Holy Family (or December 30th if there is no Sunday between Christmas and New Year's) (OF)

The Middle Intensity in the Christmas Season: Through the Baptism of Our Lord
January 2nd: The Most Holy Name of Jesus (EF)
January 3rd: The Most Holy Name of Jesus (OF)
January 4th: Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton (U.S.A.) (OF)
January 5th: Saint John Nepomucene Neumann (U.S.A.) (OF)
January 6th: Epiphany (EF & OF); Saints Caspar, Balthasar, & Melchior, the three Wise Men (H)
First Sunday after Epiphany: The Holy Family (EF)
January 13th: Commemoration of the Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ (EF); The Octave Day of the Epiphany (H)

The Lowest Intensity in the Christmas Season: Through Candlemas Day
January 15th: Our Lady of Prompt Succor (EF, some places); Saint Maurus, First Disciple of Saint Benedict (EF)
January 16th: Our Lady of Refuge (H)
January 18th: Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter at Rome (H)
January 19th: Saints Marius, Martha, Audifax, & Abachum (parents and two sons, martyrs) (EF); Saint Canute, King of Denmark (EF)
January 20th: Saint Sebastian, Patron of soldiers, archers, and athletes (EF & OF)
January 21st: Saint Agnes, Patroness of the Children of Mary (EF & OF)
January 23rd: The Espousals of the Blessed Virgin Mary (H)
January 24th: Saint Timothy, Patron against stomach disorders (EF)
January 25th: Conversion of Saint Paul (EF & OF)
January 27th: Saint John Chrysostom, Patron of orators (EF)
January 28th: Second Feast of Saint Agnes (EF); Saint Thomas Aquinas, "The Angelic Doctor", Patron of Catholic schools, scholars, theologians, and booksellers (OF)
January 29th: Saint Francis de Sales, Patron of writers (EF)
January 31st: Saint John Bosco, Founder of the Salesian Order, Patron of editors, apprentices, and young boys (EF & OF)
February 1st: Saint Ignatius of Antioch (EF); Saint Brigid of Ireland (H)
February 2nd (Candlemas Day): The Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ (OF); The Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary (EF); Our Lady of Good Success (Ecuador, EF & OF)

Books: Family Life

Tobias and Sarah Praying, by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld (1794-1872)

Article Updated: 07 April 2024

I want to start off this blog by creating a list of excellent books that I have found (and read) that relate to family life. There is too much confusion in the Catholic Church today regarding authentic Christian family life, the life of the ecclesia domestica, the domestic church (the Catholic term for the family). I will close after the list with two prayers composed by Pope Pius XII. I hope that this list helps all those in the coming Year of the Lord Two Thousand Nineteen (2019).

The Christian Marriage

Dear Newlyweds: Pope Pius XII Speaks to Married Couples, by Pope Pius XII

Three to Get Married, by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
Married Saints and Blesseds Through the Centuries, by Ferdinand Holbock

Some Aids for Christian Marriage

The Temperament God Gave You, by Art and Laraine Bennett
The Temperament God Gave Your Spouse, by Art and Laraine Bennett
The Love Dare, by Stephen and Alex Kendrick with Lawrence Kimbrough

The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts, by Dr. Gary Chapman, Ph.D.
That's Not What I Meant! How Conversational Style Makes or Breaks Relationships, by Deborah Tannen

The Christian Family

Around the Year with the Von Trapp Family, by Maria Augusta von Trapp
The Catholic Family Handbook, by Fr. Lawrence G. Lovasik

The Catholic Family Handbook, by Rev. George A. Kelly, Foreword by Francis Cardinal Spellman

The Christian Husband and Father

Manual for Men, by Thomas J. Olmstead, Bishop of Phoenix, compilation by Dr. Travis Cook

Father: The Family Protector, by James B. Stenson

The 7 Secrets of Effective Fathers, by Dr. Ken R. Canfield, Ph.D.

The Resolution for Men, by Stephen and Alex Kendrick with Randy Alcorn

The Christian Wife and Mother

By Love Refined: Letters to a Young Bride, by Dr. Alice von Hildebrand, Ph.D.

Chosen and Cherished: Biblical Wisdom for Your Marriage, by Kimberly Hahn

Graced and Gifted: Biblical Wisdom for the Homemaker's Heart, by Kimberly Hahn

Beloved and Blessed: Biblical Wisdom for Family Life, by Kimberly Hahn

Manhood

The Three Marks of Manhood, by G.C. Dilsaver

Behold the Man: A Catholic Vision of Male Spirituality, by Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers

Terror of Demons: Reclaiming Traditional Catholic Masculinity, by Kennedy Hall

The Catholic Gentleman: Living Authentic Manhood Today, by Sam Guzman, Foreword by Dale Ahlquist

The Art of Manliness – Manvotionals: Timeless Wisdom and Advice on Living the 7 Manly Virtues, by Brett and Kate McKay

Raising Children

Family Virtues: A Guide to Effective Parenting, edited by Jose M. Martin, Foreword by Mike Aquilina

Discipline That Lasts a Lifetime: The Best Gift You Can Give Your Kids, by Dr. Ray Guarendi

Lifeline: The Religious Upbringing of Your Children, by James B. Stenson

The Temperament God Gave Your Kids: Motivate, Discipline, and Love Your Children, by Art and Loraine Bennett

The 5 Love Languages of Children: The Secret to Loving Children Effectively, by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell

The Sins of Parents: The Common Mistakes Parents Make in Raising Their Children -- and How to Avoid Them, by Charles Hugo Doyle

Raising Boys

Defending Boyhood: How Building Forts, Reading Stories, Playing Ball, and Praying to God Can Change the World, by Anthony Esolen

Bringing Up Boys: Practical Advice and Encouragement for Those Shaping the Next Generation of Men, by Dr. James Dobson

Raising a Modern-day Knight, by Robert Lewis

Boys to Men: The Transforming Power of Virtue, by Tim Gray and Curtis Martin

Boys Should Be Boys: 7 Secrets to Raising Healthy Sons, by Dr. Meg Meeker, M.D.

Strong Mothers, Strong Sons: Lessons Mothers Need to Raise Extraordinary Men, by Dr. Meg Meeker, M.D.

Raising Girls

Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know, by Dr. Meg Meeker, M.D.

Lifeskills for Men: How A Man Prepares His Daughters for Life, by Michael Farris

Infant Loss, Stillbirth, and Miscarriage

Letters to Gabriel: The True Story of Gabriel Michael Santorum, by Karen Garver Santorum, Foreword by Mother Teresa

Prayer for Christian Families 

Composed by Pope Pius XII.

O Lord God of goodness and mercy, Who in the midst of an evil and sinful world hast presented to the society of the redeemed the Holy Family of Nazareth as a spotless mirror of piety, justice and love, behold how the family is being undermined on all sides, every effort being made to desecrate it by stripping it of faith, religion, and morals.

Regard the work of Thy own hands. Safeguard in our homes the domestic virtues, for these alone will ensure us harmony and peace.

Come and stir up the champions of the family. Bestir the modern apostles so that in Thy Name, bearing the message of Jesus Christ and exhibiting holiness of life, they may revive the doctrines of conjugal fidelity for married couples, the exercise of authority by parents, obedience on the part of children, and modesty on the part of girls. Grant also through the efforts of these apostles, that the home favored by Thee with many blessings may again become an object of esteem and love in the minds and hearts of all.

It is through the examples of the Divine model of Nazareth that the Christian family is to be restored in Jesus Christ and to recover its former respect and dignity. Then every home will again become a sanctuary and in every household will be rekindled the flame of faith to teach patience in adversity and moderation in prosperity and to promote order, peace, and harmony in all things.

Under Thy paternal gaze, O Lord, and with confidence in Thy Providence and in the loving patronage of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, the family will become a sanctuary of virtue and a school of wisdom. It shall prove, as Christ has promised, a haven of rest against life's burdens. In the sight of the world it shall render glory to Thee, O Father, and to Thy Son, Jesus, until the day when, through Him, we shall, together with all His members, sing the Divine praises in the eternal ages to come. Amen.  

Prayer for Members of a Christian Family 

Composed by Pope Pius XII.

O Holy Family, Trinity of the earth, O Jesus, Mary and Joseph, sublime models and protectors of Christian families, to Thee do we have recourse, not only to find comfort in the sweet contemplation of Thy loving examples, but also to implore Thy protection and to promise constant fidelity in the paths Thou hast pointed out to us.

Thy peace, Thy unalterable serenity refreshes our troubled souls in the midst of the continuous stress and strain of life's burdens. We are thus given eloquent proof that only in a home adorned and embellished with the virtues Thou hast exemplified can our hearts find the peace and happiness they so earnestly desire.

But how could such a tender plant as the family be defended against the burning heat of unbridled passions, against the insidious spirit of rebellion that asserts itself almost everywhere, against the raging storm of present-day life which seems bent on overthrowing everything? How else except by causing its roots to penetrate deeply into the noble soil of Christian piety; by imploring for it continuous streams of Divine grace, especially through the reception of the Holy Sacraments in common; by animating it with a true spirit of faith which will enable us to surmount the materialistic concept of life; by joining all its branches closely together through the strong bonds of a love which, were it not also supernatural, would pass away like all things here below; by strengthening it, from within through the firm resolution, made by each one, to fulfill our duties in everything that the right order of the family requires; by supporting it in the severe trials of this earthly exile where sometimes people are without even a decent home or suffer from a lack of the bare necessities of life.

In the midst of the present confusion of ideas with which minds are often disturbed, we loudly proclaim the sanctity, the unity and Divine mission of the Christian family as the cell of society and of the Church, and each at our post – parents and children – humbly but firmly pledge ourselves to do all in our power in order that such holy ideals may become a reality in the world.

Help us, O Joseph, mirror of the most admirable paternity in the diligent concern that thou didst manifest for the Savior and for the Virgin, ever faithful to the Divine inspirations; come to our aid, O Mary, the most loving, the most faithful and the most pure of all spouses and mothers; assist us, O Jesus, Who, as our light and model in all things, didst will to become the most submissive of children. Be always near to us, all ye three, in times of joy and in times of sadness, in our work and in our rest, in our anxieties and in our hopes, be near to those who are born and to those who die.

Finally, obtain for us that all homes, made holy through the imitation of Thine, may become for all their members schools of virtue, sanctuaries of holiness, a sure way to that eternal happiness which we confidently hope for through Thine intercession. Amen.