Feast of Santa Caterina da Siena

Santa Caterina da Siena, ora pro nobis

April 30th is the Feast of Santa Caterina da Siena (1347-1380), Virgin, Mystic, Stigmatic, Dominican tertiary, and Doctor of the Church. Invoked against fire, sickness, sexual temptation, and miscarriages, she is also the patron saint of nurses, firefighters and those who are derided for their faith. In 1999, along with St. Gertrude of Sweden and St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (St. Edith Stein), she was proclaimed co-patroness of Europe by St. Pope John Paul II, thus joining St. Benedict of Nursia, and Saints Cyril and Methodius as the continent's special protectors. In celebration, I’m posting a prayer to St. Catherine of Siena for expectant mothers. The accompanying photo was taken at St. Catherine of Siena Church in Franklin Square, Long Island. Evviva Santa Caterina da Siena!

Prayer to St. Catherine of Siena for expectant mothers

Humble virgin and Doctor of the Church, in thirty-three years you achieved great perfection and became the counselor of Popes. You know the temptations of mothers today as well as the dangers that await unborn infants. Intercede for me that I may avoid miscarriage and bring forth a healthy baby who will become a true child of God. Also pray for all mothers, that they may not resort to abortion but help bring a new life into the world. Amen.

Feast of Beato Benedetto da Urbino

Beato Benedetto da Urbino, ora pro nobis

April 30th is the Feast of Bl. Benedict of Urbino, Capuchin Priest. In celebration, we’re posting a prayer and petition from a Papal Zouave on February 10th, 1867, asking for the intercession of Bl. Benedict of Urbino, who had just been beatified by Bl. Pope Pius IX on January 15, 1867.

O thou who art now so glorious in Heaven, be not selfish in the midst of thy felicity! I expect a miracle at thy hands, for thy power is only equalled by thy compassion. Look down on a poor Zouave who has to fight and struggle, as thou didst during thy life on earth; make me a chaste and worthy soldier of Christ, detach me from this world, in order that I may be united to God. I desire to love the cross now, that I may win Heaven hereafter.

Bl. Benedict of Urbino, Pray for us!

By Brendan Cassell (Papal Zouave History @PapalZouaveUS)

John Rao's Latest Lecture, "Let the Spirit of the Times Be Damned!," is now Available on Soundcloud

The most recent lectures are available for free via Soundcloud.

A Look at the 1° Reggimento Re at the Real Sito di Carditello in Caserta

Photos courtesy of Angela Cuccillato (28 April)

Review: Briganti

Spoiler alert! I repeat, spoiler alert! If you haven’t already seen Netflix's Brigands: The Quest for Gold, this review will definitely spoil it for you. Do not read beyond this point.

Io sono un principe italiano illegalmente spogliato del suo potere, è qui l'unica casa che mi è rimasta, qui è un lembo della mia patria, qui sono vicino al mio Regno ed ai sudditi miei… vengono chiamati assassini e briganti quegli infelici che difendono in una lotta diseguale l'indipendenza della loro patria e i diritti della loro legittima dinastia. In questo senso anche io tengo per un grand'onor di essere un brigante! ~ Re Francesco II delle Due Sicilie (durante la permanenza in esilio nello Stato Pontificio) [1]

Not surprisingly, I have little good to say about Netflix’s new Italian ahistorical drama Briganti. Released on St. George’s Day (Tuesday, 23 April 2024), the six-episode miniseries tells the fanciful tale of the struggle between bands of brigands and occupying Piedmontese soldiers in Southern Italy looking for pilfered Bourbon gold. Buried somewhere in the “Badlands” of Basilicata two years after Garibaldi’s invasion of Sicily, the fabled treasure map unexplainably ends up in the possession of Don Clemente Degli Orti (Gianni Vastarella), a wealthy (and exceedingly violent) collaborator with the nascent Italian state.

As someone who enjoys period pieces, I thought the sets, scenery, and costumes were fantastic, though I’m not sure how authentic some of the firearms were. The one main exception to this is the cheering townspeople in the final episode. Dressed with heavy eye makeup, dyed beards, and braids, the menfolk looked a little too much like Captain Jack Sparrow from The Pirates of the Caribbean (2003-2017) for my taste.

(L-R) Giuseppe Schiavone (1838-1864), Carmine Crocco (1830-1905),
and Filomena Pennacchio (left) with two other female freedom fighters

To their credit, the filmmakers mostly steered clear of the current darkened cinema trend (e.g. Ridley Scott’s Napoleon (2023)) and the bright sunny colors of the Southern Italian countryside and picturesque traditional folk costumes shine through beautifully.

Perhaps, at times, a little too much in the case of Michelina Di Cesare (Matilda Lutz). While eye-catching, the crimson dress and warpaint she wore in the season’s penultimate episode was more than a little over the top. Standing on the “altar” of a ruined church with ciborium and bucranium she looked like a savage Amazon more suitable for Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto (2006) or George Miller’s upcoming Furiosa (2024) than the famed Brigantessa her character was supposedly based off of.

Top: Matilda Lutz as Michelina Di Cesare. Bottom: (L-R) Anya Taylor-Joy (Furiosa, 2024) and Charlize Theron (Fury Road, 2015) as Imperator Furiosa 

Replete with sex and violence, the storyline was very formulaic and predictable, not to mention vulgar and obscene. For example, Pietro (Orlando Cinque) voicing his plans for the Monaco Gang in mid-coitus with his wife Ciccilia (Ivana Lotito) was silly and unnecessary. The same goes for the gratuitous “outing” of the artist used to paint the propaganda posters for the "Council of Terra di Lavoro." It was irrelevant and detracting. 

Even more ludicrous was the sex scene with Filomena (Michela De Rosa) and Giuseppe Schiavone (Marlon Joubert), aka Sparrowhawk (Sparviero). After protecting her from being raped by their cellmates, the battered and bloody “Murderess” and “Curse,” as she is often called, seduces him in the cage next to the sleeping prisoners and guards.

Since they aren't following the true story of Filomena and Giuseppe, I don’t understand why he didn’t just kill her when they were forced to fight each other to the death by the bloodthirsty Stonebreaker Gang (Spaccapietre). It was totally out of character for the self-serving double-dealing cad to sacrifice himself for her, especially when, as it turned out, he was really in love with another woman the whole time.

Alas, we already know the reason why. Predictably, in season two, Giuseppe's girlfriend will betray him and he will end up with Filomena.

(L) Michelina posing with guns. (R) "Aiming higher," Briganti's Michelina
posing for a portrait dressed as the Blessed Mother with a rifle

Dressing and painting the tattooed brigand chieftess as the Blessed Mother to capitalize on the fervent religiosity of the people also seemed unnecessarily irreverent and unwarranted. As far as I am aware, there were only photos of the real-life Michelina bearing arms to help incite rebellion. Later, the Piedmontese took pictures of her naked and battered corpse to dishonor her memory and strike fear in the hearts of the people they were "selflessly liberating." The pictures also showed that she dressed more modestly and was not covered with tattoos like some common trollop.

(L) Michelina with a bouquet of flowers. (R) The Piedmontese's handiwork

While I think it is always good to shine a negative light on the Risorgimento and Italian Unification, the show romanticizes the scummiest aspects of brigantaggio, which truly had nothing to do with the loyalist uprisings that took place in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies after the Northern conquest. Briganti was a derogatory term meant to demean and delegitimize the cause of the Bourbon die-hards. The two phenomena were purposely conflated at the time to undermine support for the resistance. Unlike today, where it was reappropriated as a badge of honor, the legitimists back then never referred to themselves as “Briganti.” Nor for that matter did they refer to themselves as “Southerners.” They were proud Duosiciliani (Neapolitans, Sicilians, Calabrians, etc.).

The more I think about the show, the more confusing and inane I find it. The storyline is dumb and the writing is terrible. Why would Don Clemente marry lowly Filomena, an orphaned peasant girl beneath his station and whom he has nothing but contempt for? Why would he murder Filomena’s friend over a cup of water and then throw his wife into a well? If the water was so valuable, why would he risk contaminating the cistern with his wife’s body? None of it makes any sense.

I know I focus a lot on Michelina, but Filomena De Marco is the story's main protagonist. Her character is based on Filomena Pennacchio (1841-1915)

Considering the relative ease Murillo (Federico Ielapi) secretly met with General Fumel’s (Pietro Micci) daughter Lissandra (Alida Baldari Calabria) and enter their domicile, why didn’t the brigands kidnap and ransom them? Why would the general risk bringing his daughter south in the first place? Why didn’t they just sneak into his home and assassinate him? If the real resistance was this inept, it is no wonder they lost the war.

During the big battle scene outside the church, why didn’t Michelina retreat with everybody else when they made off with the gold? Declaring, “We want victory,” she foolhardily advances toward the general and gets shot and captured. I get her wanting to kill Fumel, but while lying on the ground wounded her very next line was, “We have already won.” [!?!] If that was the case, then why didn’t she flee?

Even crazier, is why the briganti didn’t just open fire on the soldiers standing guard. Not only did they allow them to get into position, they let them shoot first. [!?!] A barbarous occupational force, the Piedmontese had no qualms about murdering innocent civilians or burning whole villages to the ground. For heaven’s sake, they collected severed human heads for Lombrosian experiments, so the hesitancy to obey their general’s command to shoot the populace was one of the most historically inaccurate parts of a series glutted with inaccuracies.

(L-R) The corpses of Nicola Napolitano, executed "Briganti," and Ninco Nanco

I could go on and on [I cut about a third of the review], but let me wrap this diatribe up with the most glaring problem with the show. This, of course, is the omission of all the socio-political aspects of the popular resistance to the Piedmontese invaders. The “Briganti” were legitimists fighting for their true King, SG Francesco II (1836-1894). They fought tooth and nail for their native land, traditional way of life, and faith. They were not, as portrayed by the show, revolutionaries or feminists, and they certainly weren’t motivated solely by greed and lust for gold.

Mindful of their poor track record and today’s progressive climate, I never really expected Netflix to air a good show. We also saw the way Pasquale Squitieri’s far superior and much more accurate Li Chiamarono…Briganti (They called them Brigands) was received and suppressed in 1999. Other than affording us the opportunity to discuss the lawless period, there is little value in the show. In fact, Briganti's one saving grace is the rendition of Brigante Se More by Gennaro “Raiz” Della Volpe, which serves as the series theme song. Maybe I’m being overly critical, but not since Amazon’s abhorrent Rings of Power (2022) have I sat through something this awful.

~ Giovanni di Napoli, April 28, Feasts of St. Vitalis of Milan and St. Paul of the Cross

Notes:

[1] I am an Italian prince illegally stripped of his power, here is the only home I have left, here is a corner of my homeland, here I am close to my Kingdom and my subjects...those unfortunates who defend in an unequal struggle the independence of their homeland and the rights of their legitimate dynasty. In this sense, I also consider it a great honor to be a brigand! ~ King Francesco II of the Two Sicilies (during his stay in exile in the Papal States)

Feast of San Severo di Napoli

San Severo di Napoli, ora pro nobis

April 29th is the Feast of San Severo di Napoli, Bishop (363-409), Confessor and Miracle worker. Credited with founding several churches in Naples, including the Basilica di San Giorgio Maggiore, San Severo also built the monumental Battistero di San Giovanni in Fonte, the oldest baptistery in Western Christendom. It is often alleged he had San Genaro’s relics translated from Pozzuoli to the catacombs of Naples, but that honor actually belongs to Giovanni I, the city’s fourteenth Bishop.

According to an eleventh century account of the saint’s life, San Severo brought a dead man back to life to save his wife from an unscrupulous creditor. Threatening a poor widow and her young children with slavery, the man claimed her deceased husband put them up as collateral for a loan. Unable to convince the man to reconsider, San Severo brought him and several witnesses to the late husband’s sepulcher, and raised him from the dead. Confronted by the husband, the fraudster was forced to admit he lied about the debt and quickly made himself scarce.

Together with the Madonna del Soccorso and San Severino Abate, he is the patron saint of San Severo in Provincia di Foggia, Apulia. 

In celebration, I’m posting a prayer to St. Severus of Naples. The accompanying photo, courtesy of Andrew Giordano, was taken at the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta in Napoli. Evviva San Severo di Napoli!

Prayer to St. Severus of Naples

O Glorious St. Severus of Naples you served God in humility and confidence on earth, now you enjoy His beatific vision in Heaven. Help me to strengthen my faith and protect me in conflict. Obtain for me the grace to live a holy life, so that one day I may join you in the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen

Novena & Consecration to San Michele Arcangelo

The Archangel Michael smiting Lucifer, 16th century painting by Giovanni Angelo d'Amato da Maiori, Duomo di Ravello, Campania. Photos by New York Scugnizzo

Pray Novena to San Michele Arcangelo for nine consecutive days, April 29th to May 7th, in preparation for the Feast of the Apparition on May 8th.

Consecration to St. Michael

St. Michael the Archangel, invincible prince of the angelic hosts and glorious protector of the Universal Church, I greet thee and praise thee for that splendor with which God has adorned thee, especially to remain faithful when Lucifer and his followers rebelled, and to battle victoriously for the honor of God and the divinity of the Son of Man.

St. Michael, I consecrate to thee my soul and body. I choose thee as my patron and protector and entrust the salvation of my soul to thy care. Be the Guardian of my obligation as a child of God and of the Catholic Church as again I renounce Satan, his works and pomps. Assist me by thy powerful intercession in the fulfillment of these sacred promises, so that imitating thy courage and loyalty to God, and trusting in thy kind help and protection, I may be victorious over the enemies of my soul and be united with God in Heaven forever. Amen.

San Michele Arcangelo by Renato Rossi,
1931, Vietri sul Mare, Salerno

Novena Prayer

St. Michael the Archangel, loyal champion of God and His people, I turn to thee with confidence and seek thy powerful intercession. For the love of God, Who made thee so glorious in grace and power, and for the love of the Mother of Jesus, the Queen of the Angels, be pleased to hear my prayer. Thou dost know the value of my soul in the eyes of God. May no stain of evil ever disfigure its beauty. Help me to conquer the evil spirit who tempts me. I desire to imitate thy loyalty to God and Holy Mother Church and thy great love for God and men. And since thou art God's messenger for the care of His people, I entrust to thee this special request: (Here mention your request).

St. Michael, since thou art, by the will of the Creator, the powerful intercessor of Christians, I have great confidence in thy prayers. I earnestly trust that if it is God's holy will, my petition will be granted.

Pray for me, St. Michael, and also for those I love. Protect us in all dangers of body and soul. Help us in our daily needs. Through thy powerful intercession, may we live a holy life, die a happy death and reach Heaven where we may praise and love God with thee forever. Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

A Look at the Napoli Ottocento Exhibit On View at the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome

Reclining Woman Reading, Gioacchino Toma, c.1880
Photos courtesy of Cav. Danny Toma

A small sampling of the fantastic exhibit, "Napoli Ottocento" taking place at the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome until mid-summer. If you are anywhere around Rome before July, take the time to see this! There is much, much more!

Rosina, John Singer Sargent, 1878

Country Road - A Hot Day in Sicily!, Francesco LoJacono, 1877

The Iconoclasts, Domenico Morelli, 1855

A Wall in Naples, Thomas Jones, c.1782

A View of Naples through a Window, Franz Ludwig Catel, 1824

View of Naples from Sant'Antonio a Posillipo, Ercole Gigante, 1840

The Painter's Studio in Naples, Massimo D'Azeglio, c.1827

View of Mergellina, Silvestr Feodosievich Shchedrin, 1826

Capri, Karl Theodor Boehme, 1896

Aurora Borealis Effect, Salvatore Fergola, 1848

Riviera di Chiaia from Mergellina, Anton Smink van Pitloo, 1829

Eruption of Vesuvius from the Maddalena Bridge, Pierre-Jacques Volaire, 1782

Photo of the Week: Neck-Amphora of the Aphrodite Painter, 340-330 B.C., Archaelogical Museum of Paestum

Photo by New York Scugnizzo

May Crowning at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Shrine in East Harlem, New York

28 aprile 2024, IV Domenica dopo Pasqua: S. Messa cantata nel Santuario di San Gaetano, ore 11.30

www.messatridentinanapoli.com

Feast of the Madonna Incoronata

Madonna Incoronata, ora pro nobis

The last Saturday of April is the Feast of the Madonna Incoronata (Our Lady Crowned), an ancient tradition dating back to the beginning of the 11th Century A.D. In celebration, I'm posting Praise to the Queen of Heaven (Salvi Rigina), a traditional Marian prayer from Prayers and Devotional Songs of Sicily, edited and translated by Peppino Ruggeri.(1) The accompanying photo was taken at St. Rocco's Church in Glen Cove, New York.

According to tradition, the Count of Ariano got lost while hunting in the forest near the River Cervaro in Foggia, Puglia. He took refuge in a nearby cottage when the woods turned unusually dark. At dawn the Count noticed a bright light shining through the trees. Drawn to the mysterious radiance, the Madonna appeared before him wearing a magnificent crown and levitating above a large oak tree. She revealed a statue of the Black Madonna perched in the branches. Awestricken, the Count promised to build a chapel to house her miraculous image.

Soon after, a shepherd named Strazzacappa, who was grazing his oxen close by, was also drawn to the light. Immediately recognizing the vision as the Blessed Mother, the humble herdsman set up a makeshift votive lamp with his caldarella in her honor beneath the tree. It is said that the oil was not consumed by the flame.

The Count fulfilled his vow and news of the miracle spread far and wide. The shrine quickly became a popular destination for devotees and those making the pilgrimage to the nearby Sanctuary of the Archangel Michael at Monte Sant'Angelo in the Gargano peninsula. Today, after several renovations, the Basilica Santuario Madre di Dio Incoronata is a major religious center visited by thousands annually. The Black Madonna and a branch from the oak are still on display. Ave Maria.

Praise to the Queen of Heaven

Hail to you Mary, Mother of Mercy
Life, sweetness, and spring of joy
In you we trust when in trouble or pain
To you we come when we are in tears
In affliction your comfort we obtain.

Hear our pleas, our sweet defender
Virgin Mother with all sorrow laden
To our God you prayers direct
Because our actions have no effect
The door of paradise open to all
When death for comes to call. Amen. 

(1) Prayers and Devotional Songs of Sicily, edited and translated into English by Peppino Ruggeri, Legas 2009, p.139

Feast of the Madonna di Monserrato

Madonna di Monserrato, ora pro nobis

April 27th is the Feast of the Madonna di Monserrato, Patroness of Catalonia, Spain and Vallelonga in Provincia di Vibo Valentia in Calabria. According to tradition, the miraculous wooden statue of Our Lady was carved in the 1st century by St. Luke and brought to Catalonia from Jerusalem by St. Etereo, disciple of St. James and first Bishop of Barcelona.

In the 8th century, the statue was hidden in a grotto atop Mount Montserrat in order to protect it from being desecrated by the invading Umayyad infidels who were laying waste to the Visigoth Kingdom of Hispania. 

Lost over time, the secret location was eventually discovered in 880 AD by shepherd boys tending their flock. Reporting strange lights and Seraphic music emanating from the mountain to the Bishop of nearby Manresa, they uncovered the small statue in a cave. Unable to remove it from Montserrat, a Benedictine sanctuary was built on the mountain to enshrine the statue in accordance to Our Lady's wishes.

Devastated during the Napoleonic Peninsular War (1807-1814), restoration of the monastery began in 1844. Damaged again during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), many of the monks were executed by the Republicans. Anticipating these savage attacks, the sacred image was hidden before the murderous swine could destroy it. Returned to the chapel, the Basilica was restored and monastic life returned, keeping the holy mountain a major destination for pilgrims today. 

A prayer card with a photograph
of the Madonna dl Monserrato
statue in Craco Vecchio

Naturally, the devotion to La Moreneta, the Dark Little One, as she is affectionately called by the Catalans, spread with Spanish expansion and found its way to Southern Italy. For example, in the hilltop town of Craco Vecchio in Basilicata there is a private 16th century chapel and cemetery dedicated to the Madonna di Monserrato. The Crachesi in turn brought their devotion with them to America and at the beginning of the 20th century helped restore the old chapel by sending donations back to the old country. Her feast is celebrated in Craco on the third Sunday in September. 

In Vallelonga, the Feast of the Madonna di Monserrato is also celebrated on the second Sunday in July. While the town's devotion to her can be traced back to at least the 1550s, the commemoration has existed since 1783 when Our Lady miraculously saved the townspeople from a violent earthquake. 

In celebration, I’m posting a prayer to Our Lady of Montserrat. The accompanying photo of La Moreneta was taken at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola (980 Park Avenue) in New York City. The image of the prayer card comes courtesy of the Craco Society. Evviva Maria!

Prayer to Our Lady of Montserrat

My Lord Jesus Christ, who has been pleased to give into the hands of Thine Immaculate Mother Mary distribution of the graces merited for us by thy Life, Death and Resurrection; and Who hast answered the recommendations of Her Loving Heart by favors granted to numberless saints and sinners at Her Shrine of Montserrat; listen, I beseech Thee to her pleadings on my behalf: And do Thou, O Mother of Jesus – Mine also – present my plea before His Throne for all the graces that I need, but especially for the favor I now implore... [Mention your intentions here...] May His glory and the renown of Thy intercession be everywhere known and extolled. Amen.

Feast of Santa Zita

Santa Zita, ora pro nobis

St. Zita, pray for us that we will patiently accept the daily chores Almighty God asks of us and that we will give generously of our time to the poor.

April 27 is the Feast of Santa Zita (1212-1272), Virgin. She is the patron saint of domestic workers, bakers and housewives. According to tradition, Zita was a humble and pious maidservant who, at the age of twelve, was sent to work for a wealthy family in the Serene Republic of Lucca. One day, losing track of time while in prayer at church, she returned late to her master’s kitchen and found the bread she was supposed to bake already made. Thanking her fellow servants for their assistance, they each told her they had not done so and that it was the angels who had baked the loaves for her. 

In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to St. Zita. The pictured prayer card was a gift from a friend. Evviva Santa Zita!

Prayer to St. Zita

 

Almighty and glorious God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we ask that through the intercession of your servant, St. Zita, we may grow in grace and virtue as she did. By her steadfast prayers may we find a renewed love for the poor and heartfelt compassion towards those less fortunate than ourselves. By her example of hard work done with great joy and diligence, may we learn how to serve you through earnest fidelity to our state in life and a spirit ready to embrace your will for us in our daily duties. Amen.

L'Associazione di Rievocazione Storica 1° Reggimento Re

 In San Tammaro CE

Feast of Santi Cleto e Marcellino

Santi Cleto e Marcellino, orate pro nobis

Gregem tuum, Pastor ætérne, placátus inténde: et per beátos Cletum et Marcellinum Mártyres tuos atque Summos Pontifices perpétua protectióne custódi; quos totíus Ecclésiæ præstitísti esse pastóres. Per Dóminum.

April 26th is the Feast of St. Cletus (Anacletus), Third Bishop of Rome, after Peter and Linus from 79-90; and Pope St. Marcellinus, who was elected on June 30, 296 and martyred in 304 during the persecution of Diocletian.

In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to Saints Cletus and Marcellinus in Latin and English.  The accompanying photo comes courtesy of Father Eugene Carrella. The polychrome wood sculpture of San Cleto is part of Father Carrella’s impressive collection of religious statuary and relics. Evviva Santi Cleto e Marcellino, Papi e Martiri!

Prayer to Saints Cletus and Marcellinus

O Eternal Shepherd, do Thou look favorably upon Thy flock, which we beseech Thee to guard and keep for evermore through the blessed Cletus and Marcellinus Thy Martyrs and Supreme Pontiffs, whom Thou didst choose to be the chief shepherds of the whole Church. Through our Lord.

Feast of St. Monica at St. Augustine Church in Ossining, New York

Feast of San Marco Evangelista

San Marco Evangelista, ora pro nobis

April 25th is the Feast of San Marco Evangelista (St. Mark the evangelist), patron saint of notaries. Widely venerated across Southern Italy, he is the principal protector of San Marco Evangelista (CE), San Marco Argentano (CS), Futani (SA), San Marco in Lamis (FG), Rionero in Vulture (PZ), and Pacentro (AQ), among others. In celebration, I'm posting a prayer in honor of Saint Mark. The accompanying photo of San Marco was taken at the Basilica Santa Trofimena in Minori. Evviva San Marco Evangelista!

Prayer to Saint Mark

O Glorious St. Mark, through the grace of God our Father, you became a great Evangelist, preaching the Good News of Christ. May you help us to know Him well so that we may faithfully live our lives as followers of Christ. Amen.