Be a Happy Home, or Be Sent to the Happy Home
A couple of months ago, I came across a small card in the pamphlet rack on the Blessed Mother side entrance of the church. Some anonymous person left a piece of “holy propaganda,” and I am grateful for it. We never know what people might leave around. We certainly wouldn’t appreciate anti-Catholic pamphlets—but this card was a keeper, for reasons instructional and nostalgic.
Let me explain: Father Anthony Ricapito, of blessed memory, was the longtime pastor of the former St. Barbara Parish in Minersville. His birth sister, Mary, is known in religion as Sister Joseph Annetta. She is a Sister of Saint Joseph, and taught English for many years at Nativity High School in Pottsville; I was truly blessed to be one of her pupils. Fr. Ricapito held an annual Novena to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal at St. Barbara’s every Wednesday at 5:30pm, and every year for nine straight days in a more solemn fashion. As you may know, the Miraculous Medal was the image that Our Lady revealed to St. Catharine Labouré in 1830. On one side of the medal, she is pictured inside an oval frame, standing upon a globe. Mary is wearing rings that shed rays of light over the globe. Around the margin of the frame appeared the words Ô Marie, conçue sans péché, priez pour nous qui avons recours à vous, in English O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.” (These words are part of Central Catholic’s daily prayers, because the Sisters of Christian Charity claim Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception as their community’s patroness.) On the other side of the medal there is a circle of twelve stars, a large letter M surmounted by a cross, and the stylized Sacred Heart of Jesus crowned with thorns and Immaculate Heart of Mary pierced with a sword underneath.” Some of her rings did not shed light; according to Our Lady, “Those [lightless rings symbolize] the graces for which people forget to ask.” Catherine then heard Mary ask her to take these images to her father confessor, telling him that they should be put on medallions, and saying “All who wear them will receive great graces.” (Thanks to Wikipedia for this information.) This revelation was a catalyst in the eventual proclamation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary in 1854, when Pope Pius IX pronounced and defined that the Blessed Virgin Mary "in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was preserved exempt from all stain of original sin." (Thanks to the New Catholic Encyclopedia for this information.) I mention this holy card primarily because of what is found on the reverse: on the top, the question “Is Your Home Happy?” followed by nine indicators of a happy home, and an invitation to “seek these blessings for your home at the Miraculous Medal Solemn Novena.” According to the card, a home is happy if: The man is a hard-working, self-sacrificing, temperate, unselfish husband and father; The woman is an industrious, devoted, unselfish wife and mother; Children honor, love, and obey their parents; All go to Confession and Communion often; All cooperate and help each other be a success in his chosen vocation; Those married and those anticipating marriage realize that marriage is a sacrament inaugurating a holy state; All continue to remember their dead with Masses, indulgences, and prayers; The spirit of Christian Charity permeates the actions of all; All persevere in prayer to Mary Immaculate. No doubt each of these conditions merits its own consideration, not to mention a thorough self-examination and family-examination. The unknown author of this holy card (perhaps Fr. Ricapito himself!) has left us with a fairly comprehensive plan for personal and family prosperity. Two things are noteworthy: First, we are all too conscious of families affected by separation, divorce, and death. The Church is particularly solicitous of their situation, and extends them the Lord’s own support and guidance. Second, spouses of different faiths can and do have happy marriages and families. Many of them can be found in our parish. While the author presupposes unity of religious belief and practice, it is not absolutely necessary, though it is definitely helpful. In any case, most of these conditions apply to every family of “mixed religion”: certainly the conditions that describe the virtues of the man, woman, and children; the common interest in vocational success; and the permeating spirit of Christian Charity. Of course, charity is not confined to Christians, but Christians above all recognize their call and responsibility in that regard. Keep in mind also that these conditions merit the consideration not only of families, but of schools, organizations, and workplaces as well. Our Catholic elementary and high schools are founded on such principles, and Catholic organizations such as the Holy Name Society and the Knights of Columbus stake a claim to them. Consider these principles in the light of the weekend’s Scripture readings. The prophet Elijah was being hunted down by Queen Jezebel, who was upset that Elijah had slain the prophets of the false god Ba’al. He feared for his life, even prayed for his death. After Elijah hid in a cave, God warned him that He would be passing by. A strong and heavy wind, an earthquake, and a fire did not seem to convey God’s Presence; only a “tiny whispering sound” convinced the prophet that the Lord was at hand. Soon Elijah ceased to fear for his safety, because he knew that God was near. Certain disciples were out on a boat in the midst of a stormy sea. Jesus interrupted His prayer to the Father to be present to the disciples, who by this time were rather afraid. They were still more terrified when Jesus appeared to them; they thought He was a ghost, but He convinced them otherwise through an invitation to Peter to join Him on the sea. As long as Peter paid attention to God’s Presence on the waters, his steps were sure; when his consciousness shifted to the storm, he grew fearful and his strides unstable. Jesus’ presence and action soon convinced the disciples that the Son of God was in their midst, and not some kind of ghost. For Elijah, Peter, and the other disciples, faith in God’s presence took the forms of an adherence of mind and heart, and the actions of their bodies—in either case, a total attentiveness to God and to their own necessary response. People who desire to remain stable on stormy seas would do well to imitate the kind of active faith that these biblical figures displayed. They are no different from any of us; the more different we try to make them, the less important their words and actions become to our own lives. In his letter to the Romans, Saint Paul was disturbed because his fellow Jews were not responding to the Presence of God in Jesus as he was. He boldly asserted that he would rather go to hell if it meant that his kindred would receive Christ as their Savior. Of course, it is never a case of one or the other. Families are meant to strive for heaven together: that’s why they exist. As individuals and family members, we must become attentive to God’s Presence in our daily lives, and respond accordingly by actions, words, and thoughts of true charity—a charity that by nature extends outside of itself, ever desiring the inclusion of others, to everyone in the boat and everyone floundering outside of it. The Church is often called “the Bark of Peter,” because it is the safe and secure vessel that carries people on the way to salvation—unless, of course, they jump off. As individuals, families, and as a parish, let’s stay on the boat. We pray that the Immaculate Mother may help us to remain united in our loving service to God and to each other.