Meridiunalata: “E I’ Te Vulette Bene Assaje” by Cav. Charles Sant’Elia

Reprinted from Cav. Charles Sant'Elia's Meridiunalata / Southernade, an evocative bilingual collection of poetry written in Neapolitan and translated to English between 1989 and 2010.*

E I’ Te Vulette Bene Assaje

Quann’i’ partette ‘a Gaeta,
Nun guardavo manco ‘o cielo,
Tenevo l’uocchie nterra
E po me ne jevo usemanno l’addore ‘e mare,
Ciento suonne cupe
Passanno pe copp’’a pella
Cu ‘e carezze d’’o viento.
A Lisbona t’aggio veduta p’’a primma vota,
Nnanz’a na funtana,
E te secutavo, ncopp’’a na via,
E sentevo n’acqua nova
Ca schezzecchejava.
Tu me tenive mente
E me dunave nu surriso,
Dentezzulle mmiez’’e labbra curalline,
E me chiammaste zíngaro
E i’ te vulette bene assaje.

And I Loved You So

When I departed Gaeta,
I didn’t even look at the sky,
I had my eyes downward
And then I went away sniffing the odour of the sea,
A hundred dark dreams
Passing over my skin
With the caresses of the wind.
In Lisbon I saw you for the first time,
Before a fountain,
And I followed you, up a lane,
And I felt a new water
For it was drizzling.
And you were watching me
And you gave me a smile,
Little teeth between coral-like lips,
And you called me a gypsy
And I loved you so.

* Self-published in 2010, Meridiunalata / Southernade is a treasury of poems gleaned from Cav. Sant'Elia's previous collections (Nchiuso dint''o presente, 'A cuntrora, and 'O pino e l'éllera), which were circulated among friends in New York City and Naples. Special thanks to Cav. Sant'Elia for allowing us to reprint his poetry and translations.

Photo of the Week: The Venus Callipyge

The Venus Callipyge, Roman, 1st or 2nd century BC. Museo
Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli. Photo by New York Scugnizzo

Feast of the Madonna della Visitazione

Madonna della Visitazione, ora pro nobis

July 2nd is the Feast of the Madonna della Visitazione, or the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, patroness of Enna, Sicily. Commemorating the pregnancies of the Blessed Mother and Saint Elizabeth, the feast also celebrates the cleansing of the unborn Saint John the Baptist from original sin.

Following the Annunciation, Mary went to Judea to visit her elderly cousin Elizabeth and her husband Zachariah. Childless and too old to conceive, Elizabeth was miraculously pregnant with John, the holy prophet and herald of our Lord Jesus Christ. When Elizabeth greeted Mary, the unborn John leaped for joy in his mother’s womb.

In celebration, I’m posting a prayer for the Feast of Our Lady of the Visitation. The accompanying photo of The Visitation by Belisario Corenzio, courtesy of Andrew Giordano, was taken in the Duomo di Salerno. Evviva Madonna della Visitazione!

Prayer for the Feast of Our Lady of the Visitation

Bestow upon Thy servants, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the gift of Thy heavenly grace: that as the childbearing of the Blessed Virgin was the beginning of our salvation, so the solemn feast of her Visitation may bring us an increase of peace. Through our Lord.

Feast of the Madonna delle Grazie

Madonna delle Grazie, ora pro nobis

July 2nd is the Feast of the Madonna delle Grazie (Our Lady of Grace), patroness of Santa Caterina Villarmosa (CL), Verbicaro (CS), Toritto (BA) and Cautano (BN), among others. In celebration, I'm posting a Prayer to Our Lady of Grace. The accompanying photo of the statue of the Madonna delle Grazie, patrona di Santa Caterina Villarmosa, was taken at Most Precious Blood Church (113 Baxter Street) in New York City's historic Little Italy. Evviva Madonna delle Grazie!

Prayer to Our Lady of Grace

O heavenly treasurer of all graces, Mother of God and my mother Mary, since you are the first-born daughter of the Eternal Father and hold in your hands his omnipotence, be moved to pity my soul and grant me the graces which I fervently ask of you.

O merciful dispenser of divine graces, Mary most holy, mother of the Eternal incarnate Word who has crowned you with his immense wisdom, look upon the greatness of my sorrow and grant me the graces I need so much.

O most loving dispenser of divine graces, immaculate Spouse of the Eternal Holy Spirit, most holy Mary, who have received from him a heart which is moved to pity by human misfortunes and which is constrained to offer consolation to those who suffer, be moved to pity my soul and grant me whose graces which I await from you with full confidence in your immense goodness.

O my mother, treasurer of all graces, refuge of poor sinners, consolation of the afflicted, hope of those who despair and most powerful help of Christians, I places all my confidence in you, being sure that you will obtain for me from Jesus the graces which I so much desire, if they are good for my soul.

First Fridays at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Staten Island, New York

Feast of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Blood of Christ, save us

July 1st is the Feast of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The Feast was extended to the whole church in 1849 by Blessed Pope Pius IX who, in the wake of the 1848 Revolution, was living in exile at Gaeta in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. After the French Army toppled the vile Roman Republic and restored the Holy See’s temporal power, His Holiness assigned the Feast to the first Sunday of June. This was later changed to June 1st by Pope Pius X in order to reduce the number of feast days allocated to a Sunday. Sadly, the feast was removed from the new Church calendar in 1969, but it is still in the traditional Roman calendar of 1962 usage. The month of July is dedicated to the Most Precious Blood. In celebration I’m posting the Litany of the Most Precious Blood. The accompanying photo of the tympanum with genuflecting Angels and the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ was taken at the Shrine Church of the Most Precious Blood in Little Italy, New York. 

Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ:
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.
Blood of Christ, only-begotten Son of the eternal Father, save us.
Blood of Christ, Incarnate Word or God, save us.
Blood of Christ, of the New and Eternal Testament, save us.
Blood of Christ, falling upon the earth in Agony, save us.
Blood of Christ, shed profusely in the Scourging, save us.
Blood of Christ, flowing forth in the Crowning with Thorns, save us.
Blood of Christ, poured out on the Cross, save us.
Blood of Christ, price of our salvation, save us.
Blood of Christ, without which there is no forgiveness, save us.
Blood of Christ, Eucharistic drink and refreshment of souls, save us.
Blood of Christ, stream of mercy, save us.
Blood of Christ, victor over demons, save us.
Blood of Christ, courage of Martyrs, save us.
Blood of Christ, strength of Confessors, save us.
Blood of Christ, bringing forth Virgins, save us.
Blood of Christ, help of those in peril, save us.
Blood of Christ, relief of the burdened, save us.
Blood of Christ, solace in sorrow, save us.
Blood of Christ, hope of the penitent, save us.
Blood of Christ, consolation of the dying, save us.
Blood of Christ, peace and tenderness of hearts, save us.
Blood of Christ, pledge of eternal life, save us.
Blood of Christ, freeing souls from purgatory, save us.
Blood of Christ, most worthy of all glory and honor, save us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Lord.
V. You have redeemed us, O Lord, in Your Blood.
R. And made us a kingdom for our God.
Let us Pray:
V. Almighty and eternal God, You have appointed Your only-begotten Son the Redeemer of the world and willed to be appeased by his blood. Grant, we beg, that we may worthily adore this price of our salvation and through its power be safeguarded from the evils of the present life so that we may rejoice in its fruits forever in heaven. Through the same Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.

Feast of San Nicasio Camuto de Burgio

San Nicasio Camuto de Burgio, ora pro nobis

July 1st is the Feast of San Nicasio Camuto de Burgio, Knight of Malta and Martyr. Born in Sicily circa 1135, San Nicasio is descended from a Saracen Emir who converted to Christianity following the Norman reconquest of the isle. Joining the Knights Hospitaller, he fought to defend Christendom at Acre and was captured at the Battle of Hattin in 1187. Refusing to renounce his faith, the devout Crusader, along with his brother Ferrandino and other prisoners, were beheaded in the presence of the Sultan Saladin. San Nicasio is the patron saint of Caccamo (PA), Sicily. In celebration, I’m posting a Prayer to St. Nicaise.(1) Pictured are a pair of Sovereign Order of Malta postage stamps depicting the glorious martyr.(2) Evviva San Nicasio!

Prayer to St. Nicaise

O God, every year you give us joy in the commemoration of your martyr, blessed Nicasius: grant that through his prayers and example the companions of our Order may grow in faith and always follow you with all their hearts. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

(1) Prayer courtesy of the Sovrano Military Ordine di Malta

(2) The stamps show the painting of the Madonna di Constantinople and detail of San Nicasio by the great Cavaliere Calabrese, Mattia Preti (1613-1699). An ex-voto for freeing Naples from the plague of 1656, the painting portrays the Blessed Mother crowning Santa Rosalia with San Giuseppe, San Gennaro, San Rocco and San Nicasio in attendance. The painting is held at the National Museum of Capodimonte in Naples.

Feast of St. Junipero Serra

St. Junipero Serra, ora pro nobis

“Siempre adelante, nunca atrás” ~ St. Junipero Serra*

July 1st is the Feast of St. Junipero Serra, Spanish Franciscan friar and Missionary. Known as the Apostle of California for his evangelization of the Indian tribes of North America, he is also the patron saint of vocations. In 2015 he became the first saint to be canonized in the United States. In celebration, I’m posting a prayer to St. Junipero Serra. The accompanying photo is a screen capture of the statue of St. Junipero Serra in San Francisco, California being toppled by a violent mob of Marxist vandals during the iconoclastic tantrums allowed to take place by cowardly and ineffectual leaders across these United States in 2020.

Prayer to St. Junipero Serra

O God, who by your ineffable mercy have been pleased through the labors of your priest Saint Junipero Serra to count many American peoples within your Church, grant by his intercession that we may so join our hearts to you in love, as to carry always and everywhere before all people the image of your Only Begotten Son. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

* “Always forward, never backward”

Happy National U.S. Postage Stamp Day!

In celebration of National U.S. Postage Stamp Day, I thought it would be fun, since I don't have many stamps from these United States, to share a Spanish stamp from my private collection honoring El Gran Capitán Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba (1453-1515) from 1958.