Angeli et amici: In festo S. Raymundi Nonnatus

The following salutation, benediction and felicitation escapes one's lips when one is introduced to a blushing bride in her first pregnancy "Congratulations on your second child!"

At first, the lovely lady's countenance betrays a sentiment of bewilderment but in an instant an intuitive illumination opens wide her emotive eyes and, knowingly nodding, she resignedly replies: "Oh yeah, you're right!"

 In virtue of his birth by caesarean section, the magnificent Mercedarian monk, who marvelously emancipated members of the Church Militant from Moorish minions, is invoked as the celestial champion of childbirth. In fact, the extraordinary Roman Ritual contains an optimally opportune order of:

BLESSING OF CANDLES IN HONOR OF ST. RAYMOND NONNATUS

(meant especially to be lit for a safe delivery)

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

R: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

R: And with your spirit.

 Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, light of everlasting life, who have given us candles to dispel the darkness; we humbly beg you to bless + these candles by the merits of Blessed Raymond, your confessor. By the power of the holy cross bestow a heavenly + blessing on them. Let them be so empowered by the sign of the holy  cross, that the spirits of darkness will flee in fear and trembling from all places where their light shines, and nevermore disturb or molest those who serve you, the almighty God, who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.

 Let us pray. Almighty everlasting God, who enable us, your servants, in our profession of the true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the three Persons in the eternal Godhead, and to adore their oneness of nature, their co-equal majesty; grant, we pray, that by steadfastness in that faith we may ever be guarded against all adversity; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 Let us pray. We entreat you, Lord God, grant us the enjoyment of lasting health of body and mind; and by the glorious intercession of blessed Mary, ever Virgin, free us from present sorrow and give us everlasting joy; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us pray. God, who endowed Blessed Raymond, your confessor, with the wondrous power to deliver your faithful from captivity under impious men; grant by his intercession that we may be absolved from the bonds of our sins, and then tranquilly perform only those things that are pleasing to you; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 May the blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, + and Holy Spirit, come upon these candles and remain forever. Amen.

 He sprinkles them with holy water.

 

Then, of course, there is the retiring rubric that instructs the mighty midwife, for the preservation of life and limb, to remove from the critical chamber of confinement the hapless husband! 

 

Mr. Screwtape