Breviary Brief

It's that liturgically confusing time of year again. This year, I decided to get ahead of things little bit and make sure I was on the same page (pun intended) as Rome regarding the plan of the Hours in the Breviary surrounding the Epiphany.

If you're wondering what the heck I'm talking about, then go here and read my stream-of-consciousness narrative from last year when I worked through this problem ad nauseam. For some reason, though, it didn't occur to me last year that this problem would pertain annually to the liturgical celebrations of this season.

Sure enough, the Ordo for this year (which I have no copy of yet, but had a friend look up for me), contains the same note about the adjustment of the days following January 1. I'm permanently fixing my breviary to match the Latin one (and you can too!) by crossing out "Monday from January 1 to Epiphany" and writing "January 2." For "Tuesday &c.," the change is to "January 3"... and so on.

Trust me - it's not a sin to write in your breviary. And you'll have the sure confidence of praying what is put forth to be prayed by Mother Church.

Well, there's your public service announcement. Now back into obscurity. I may yet blog again before the end of break... we'll see.

Ite ad Ioseph

"Ite ad Ioseph et, quidquid vobis dixerit, facite." (Genesis 41:55)

I took for my patron and lord the glorious St. Joseph, and recommended myself earnestly to him.... I cannot call to mind that I have ever asked him at any time for anything which he has not granted; and I am filled with amazement when I consider the great favours which God hath given me through this blessed Saint; the dangers from which he hath delivered me, both of body and of soul. To other Saints, our Lord seems to have given grace to succour men in some special necessity; but to this glorious Saint, I know by experience, to help us in all: and our Lord would have us understand that as He was Himself subject to him upon earth — for St. Joseph having the title of father, and being His guardian, could command Him — so now in heaven He performs all his petitions. I have asked others to recommend themselves to St. Joseph, and they too know this by experience; and there are many who are now of late devout to him, having had experience of this truth.

From The Life of Saint Theresa of Avila, VI

Once upon a time, I gave voice to some personal reflections on why the figure of Joseph is important in my spirituality. These previous posts were somewhat affected with a certain style of rhetoric in order that they not seem too "preachy," since I have no office or mandate to preach about anything. Or, so was my thinking at the time. Two years later, I'm a little more secure in my understanding of my baptismal mandate to spread the Gospel, and even more determined than ever to spread devotion to Saint Joseph. I think that Saint Joseph's patronage is sadly neglected and undersold to those who need it most, and I think that the Church in the modern day would benefit particularly from his example and intercession - it was not for nothing that the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council named Joseph the patron of that Holy Synod, the implementation of which is by no means complete.

I'm currently reading a little booklet called Saint Joseph, Fatima and Fatherhood: Reflections on the Miracle of the Sun, by a Msgr. Cirrincione. The booklet draws attention to the figure of Joseph at that momentous apparition which astounded tens of thousands of witnesses. Along with Our Lady of Fatima, there appeared in the sky next to the sun before it did its miraculous dance, the figure of Saint Joseph holding the Child Jesus in his arms. At least one of the visionaries saw Saint Joseph and the Child blessing the world.

Now, being a seminarian, I'll anticipate here a question which could only occur to the mind of a seminarian long used to splitting straws in discussion ad nauseam, to wit: What right or office had Saint Joseph to bless, and is it not superfluous to the blessing of the Great High Priest being given simultaniously?

Now the answer to this is obvious, but the reason I pose the question is that it serves as a starting point for reflection and, I think, helps reveal to us the great role which Joseph plays in intercession for our Church.

To handle the first part of my question: Saint Joseph is a patriarch. In the Old Testament, both priests and patriarchs blessed the people. In fact, the office of blessing and bestowing gifts was more the role of the latter, while the former were primarily intercessors between men and God in sacrifice. This is one of the reasons that a reader is shocked to find Abraham receiving blessing from the mysterious Melchizedek in the fourteenth chapter of Genesis, left only to conclude that great indeed was the priesthood of that fatherless and ageless king.

Of course, the greatest blessing which could be bestowed by a Patriarch is the blessing of inheritance and prosperity, and this is context in which we find sons kneeling at their fathers' feet throughout the Old Testament. This point may be significant in light of the apparition, as I will point out later.

On to the second point of the question: it is important here that in the apparition, we see the Child Jesus in his father's arms. There are many lessons to be gleaned from this particular image, but I think that there is one which explains why both father and Son were giving blessing. Think of normal earthly relationships of fathers and children. Children imitate their fathers' examples; they are obedient to their fathers' demands. I believe that Saint Joseph is blessing the world and commending the act to His Son, who, as Saint Theresa teaches us, responds to Joseph's demands now in Heaven as He did on earth. I believe that one might interpret from the vision that Jesus is blessing the world at his foster-father's behest. (I think, further, that one might say both are responding to the will of Mary, but that is for another discussion.)

There is nothing untoward about this observation. I am not saying that Christ is compelled in any way by the desires either of Joseph or Mary. Christ's will is entirely the will of His Father in Heaven, and that is completely sovereign. Rather, one might say that it is perfectly Christ's own will that He continue to be obedient to his earthly parents: it is part of the mystery of His infinite humbling in the incarnation. And since those two souls are perfected in grace, there is no disparity to be feared.

So, I think that the vision at Fatima implies Joseph's powerful intercessory role as he "instructs" his foster-Son to bless the world. But what is this blessing that Joseph wills? Well, the blessing most fitting to a Patriarch: the blessing of inheritance and prosperity. Here, I think, we discover a rationale for why we must honor Saint Joseph second only to Mary in the communion of saints. We know from our catechism that we are God's adopted sons and daughters by grace of our Baptism. But there is an intimacy to this reality that I think we fail to appreciate: we have truly been adopted into the household of the Holy Family! Our adopted inheritance is as incarnational as the other mysteries of our faith. We are truly members of the earthly family of which Saint Joseph is the head by his auspicious vocation, with Mary as our true earthly mother and Joseph as our patriarch and guide. This is not some ephemeral relationship that must wait for the life beyond: it is as real and legal as the family relationships into which we were born. Hence, I venture to conclude that devotion to Mary and Joseph is not merely a supplemental exercise to our life in faith, but a heavenly mandate. We must honor our father and mother.

This obligation is to our benefit ultimately. The intercessory power of Saint Joseph is, I believe, typified in the story of the Old Testament patriarch Joseph. Joseph of Israel was a steward of the King (Pharaoh) who had the right to bestow the King's graces as he deemed fit. It is significant that the primary distribution of which Joseph was in charge was the allotment of grain during the famine. Further, it is through Joseph's intercession that the family of Israel was welcomed into the King's rhealm and given a land of prosperity. And we must not forget the compelling command which Pharoah gives to his starving subjects: "Go to Joseph; whatsoever he says to you, do."

Surely, Saint Joseph holds sway over the treasure houses of Heaven in like manner to his Old Testament type. In humble service to Jesus through Mary, Saint Joseph has a unique power of governance and protection over the Church which we do well to invoke as often as we approach the altar (this was truly the sentiment of Blessed Pope John XXIII when he added Joseph's name to the Roman Canon, which was then the only Eucharistic Prayer in usage in the Latin Rite).

I would encourage all of my readers to read the final chapters of Genesis with prayerful consideration, and to take to heart the advice of Saint Theresa with which I opened this post. Many are the benefits to be gained from contemplating our place as adopted members of the Holy Family. How ought we to act, if we have truly been raised in that household? And to whom should we run in time of need, fear, excitement, or joy? It is often said that an essential Catholic motto is, "You can choose your friends: but you're stuck with your family." Indeed. Deo gratias!

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph: bless and assist us.

And They Blessed God In The Furnace...

O, let the earth bless the Lord: let it praise and exalt him above all for ever. O, ye mountains and hills, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. O, all ye things that spring up in the earth, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. O, ye fountains, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. O, ye seas and rivers, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. O, ye whales, and all that move in the waters, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. O, all ye fowls of the air, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. O, all ye beasts and cattle, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. O, ye sons of men, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all for ever.

Daniel 3:74-82

I don't know a whole lot about global warming.

I can't say that I've put a very concerted effort into understanding the issue, so I'm unable to make any really educated judgment as to how much scientific evidence there is for either the phenomenon or its most popularly proposed causes (among which natural causes never seem to be entertained). I can say this much, though: that, while I'm as "plugged in" to the main-stream media as any, and the efforts of concerned individuals are substantial; yet, I haven't been frightened from my complacency. Indeed, from my perspective (which I hope is reasonably openminded), all of their work has seemed like so much frenzied fearmongering, spattered with agenda-driven vituperations. I'm given the impression that the "Inconvenient Truth" of which I'm unable to be convinced is glaringly obvious, such that even a cursory consideration will indubitably confirm one in belief.

Oh, well, I guess I'm slow.

And as I watch their efforts - and many a kindly heart laboring amongst them - my conscience is stirred by the eco-friendly crowd. Sometimes, even, it bitters the sweetness of my joy as I watch the smoke waft from my cigar's end, knowing that it may smother a happy butterfly. If I am to be so troubled by this inconvenient truth, I wish at least that I might be convinced! But, as yet, the evidence has not gained me a supporter to their ranks, and I'll continue to puff my puros in defiance of unreasonable doubt.

I think part of my reluctance is because of the word environment. I hate the word. It is a sign of our contraceptive culture that people can say, "We have a wonderful environment," and such things, and others actually will be moved by the phrase. There's a sterility and a lack of romance in the way that environmentalists talk about the thing they're trying to protect, and that makes me wonder about motives. Is it utilitarianism? How are we to feel about these "biomes" and "ecosystems" which are so neatly cataloged without a single adjective worthy of a good poem? It cannot be true love. Infatuation, maybe. Cupidity at best. But it is not the true love of Creation that so many poets and prophets have spoken about, is it? These latter might not always have seen the Creator behind creation; but even then, they exalted creation itself as sublime: the worshipped nature in earnest. The modern naturalist isn't even a nature worshipper: he thinks nature is a mathematical chimera, a soul-less oddity born in chaos and falling back into the void with only an ostensible appearance of intelligent ordering. And somehow that is supposed to command our affection and allegiance!

Anyway, all of these thoughts came to mind yesterday morning when I came across this story over at American Papist. The news story struck me, although it's not really a surprise: the Vatican is dedicated to safeguarding the Environment. If, like me, you choose to replace that loaded yet lifeless word with "Creation," then the headline no longer seems odd or even noteworthy, but rather an obvious statement. And I'm O.K. with that. Because then we understand that our "environment" is truly ours; that it is part of creation and that it has been ordered for our proper use. We are its stewards. Thus we must make good use of it and use it reasonably. Reasonable, too, must be the means we take in order to care for Creation: they must not be disordered in their own right, or transplant human rights with lesser dignities.

Be it merely apropos or truly providential, tomorrow is the feast of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha. And she is the patroness of ecology (although, I'm sure, in her native language she had much warmer ways of expressing the same idea). Let us pray to her for wisdom in our stewardship guided by knowledge of the truth, inconvenient or irksome or otherwise.

Yeah, perhaps the earth is getting warmer. It certainly feels like it, lately. Who's to blame? I blame aerosol cheese. Before the fall of the Soviet Union, we might have blamed the Russians. Before the Fall of mankind, we might have blamed nobody. We are forever looking for new alibis and placing blame for phenomena over which we might have no control, if only to distract ourselves from real problems which are our doom to counteract. Maybe God's good earth is simply heating up a bit like a self-cleaning oven to wash itself of some filth naturally accumulated from years of not necessarily improper use. The three young men in the furnace were not thwarted by warmth in their celebration of creation, however; so, neither let us despair, but lead all things on earth to praise the Lord.

Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, pray for us.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, pray for us.

Gyve me thy grace good lord...

Happy Feast of Saints John Fisher and Thomas More, Martyrs.

If you haven't read Fisher's Defense of the Priesthood, give it a go.

And from Saint Thomas More, courtesy of Father Z:

(Written while imprisoned in the Tower of London, 1534)

Give me thy grace, good Lord:
To set the world at nought;
To set my mind fast upon thee,
And not to hang upon the blast of men’s mouths;
To be content to be solitary,
Not to long for worldly company;
Little and little utterly to cast off the world,
And rid my mind of all the business thereof;
Not to long to hear of any worldly things,
But that the hearing of worldly phantasies may be to me displeasant;
Gladly to be thinking of God,
Piteously to call for his help;
To lean unto the comfort of God,
Busily to labor to love him;
To know mine own vility and wretchedness,
To humble and meeken myself under the mighty hand of God;
To bewail my sins passed,
For the purging of them patiently to suffer adversity;
Gladly to bear my purgatory here,
To be joyful of tribulations;
To walk the narrow way that leadeth to life,
To bear the cross with Christ;
To have the last thing in remembrance,
To have ever afore mine eye my death that is ever at hand;
To make death no stranger to me,
To foresee and consider the everlasting fire of hell;
To pray for pardon before the judge come,
To have continually in mind the passion that Christ suffered for me;
For his benefits uncessantly to give him thanks,
To buy the time again that I before have lost;
To abstain from vain confabulations,
To eschew light foolish mirth and gladness;
Recreations not necessary — to cut off;
Of worldly substance, friends, liberty, life and all, to set the loss
at right nought for the winning of Christ;
To think my most enemies my best friends,
For the brethren of Joseph could never have done him so much good
with their love and favor as they did him with their malice and hatred.

These minds are more to be desired of every man than all the treasure
of all the princes and kings, Christian and heathen, were it
gathered and laid together all upon one heap.

I think that Saint Thomas More is too undervalued in our day and age. He is a great example of Christian leadership, heroic virtue in statesmanship, loyalty, duty, and holiness in the married state.

He also had a wonderful, ironic sense of humor and good taste for bawdy carousing, all the while with a hairshirt under his regal garb. What a guy!

In his honor, I think a glass of good wine and A Man For All Seasons are in order.