Untitled Trova by Alcy Ribeiro Souto Mayor (in Portuguese)

Os dilemas venceremos
com firmeza em nossos passos: 
- remador que perde os remos
faz remos dos próprios braços...

"Quemadmodum Deus" by Pope Pius IX (translated into English)

Decree from The Sacred Congregation of Rites 

communicating the decisions of Pope Pius IX About St Joseph on December 8, 1870.

As almighty God appointed Joseph, son of the patriarch Jacob, over all the land of Egypt to save grain for the people, so when the fullness of time had come and He was about to send to earth His only-begotten Son, the Savior of the world, He chose another Joseph, of whom the first had been the type, and He made him the lord and chief of His household and possessions, the guardian of His choicest treasures.

            Indeed, he had as his spouse the Immaculate Virgin Mary, of whom was born by the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ our Lord, who deigned to be reputed in the sight of men as the son of Joseph, and was subject to him.

            Him whom countless kings and prophets had desired to see, Joseph not only saw but conversed with, and embraced in paternal affection, and kissed. He most diligently reared Him whom the faithful were to receive as the bread that came down from heaven whereby they might obtain eternal life.

            Because of this sublime dignity which God conferred on his most faithful servant, the Church has always most highly honored and praised blessed Joseph next to his spouse, the Virgin Mother of God, and has besought his intercession in times of trouble.

            And now therefore, when in these most troublesome times the Church is beset by enemies on every side, and is weighed down by calamities so heavy that ungodly men assert that the gates of hell have at length prevailed against her, the venerable prelates of the whole Catholic world have presented to the Sovereign Pontiff their own petitions and those of the faithful committed to their charge, praying that he would deign to constitute St. Joseph Patron of the Church. And this time their prayer and desire was renewed by them even more earnestly at the Sacred Ecumenical Council of the Vatican.

            Accordingly, it has now pleased our Most Holy Sovereign, Pope Pius IX, in order to entrust himself and all the faithful to the Patriarch St. Joseph’s most powerful patronage, has chosen to comply with the prelates’ desire and has solemnly declared him Patron of the Catholic Church.

            He has also ordered that his feast on March 19th by henceforth celebrated as a double of the first class, without any Octave, however, because of Lent. He arranged, moreover, that a declaration to this effect be promulgated through the present decree of The Sacred Congregation of Rites on this day sacred to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God, the most chaste Joseph’s Spouse.

All things to the contrary notwithstanding.

"Avaricious and Envious" by Aesop (translated into English)

     

       Two neighbours came before Jupiter and prayed him to grant their hearts' desire. Now the one was full of avarice, and the other eaten up with envy. So to punish them both, Jupiter granted that each might have whatever he wished for himself, but only on condition that his neighbour had twice as much. The Avaricious man prayed to have a room full of gold. No sooner said than done; but all his joy was turned to grief when he found that his neighbour had two rooms full of the precious metal. Then came the turn of the Envious man, who could not bear to think that his neighbour had any joy at all. So he prayed that he might have one of his own eyes put out, by which means his companion would become totally blind.

                                                       Vices are their own punishment.

Untitled Poem by José Thiesen (in Portuguese)

Cai o verde dos teus olhos
no pano macio de minha pele,
rolam os beijos macios de tua
boca nos meus lábios ávidos.
Caem de ti sobre mim o teu olhar, os
teus beijos, que eu colho, com amor.

"Plain Jane" by Unknown Author (in English)

art by Amador Garcia - The Twilight Zone #70 – Western, May 1976.

 

"Amor e Vinho" by Fagundes Varela (in Portuguese)

Cantemos o amor e o vinho,
As mulheres, o prazer;
A vida é sonho ligeiro
Gozemos até morrer
Tim, tim, tim
Gozemos até morrer

A ventura nessa vida
É sonho que pouco dura
Tudo fenece no mundo,
Na louça da sepultura
Tim, tim, tim
Na louça da sepultura

Não sou desses gênios duros,
Inimigos do prazer,
Que julgam que a humanidade
Só nasceu para morrer
Tim, tim, tim
Só nasceu para morrer

"Adeste Fidelis" by Uncertain Author (original text in Latin)

Adeste fideles læti triumphantes,

Venite, venite in Bethlehem.

Natum videte

Regem angelorum:

Venite adoremus (3×)

Dominum.

Deum de Deo, lumen de lumine

Gestant puellæ viscera

Deum verum, genitum non factum.

Venite adoremus (3×)

Dominum.

Cantet nunc io, chorus angelorum;

Cantet nunc aula cælestium,

Gloria, gloria in excelsis Deo,

Venite adoremus (3×)

Dominum.

Ergo qui natus die hodierna.

Jesu, tibi sit gloria,

Patris æterni Verbum caro factum.

Venite adoremus (3×)

Dominum.

"Adeste Fidelis" sung by Luciano Pavarotti.