Cause of All Our Joys

O Cause of all our joys! 1
Queen, merciful and kind,
What makes our girls and boys
So precious in your mind?

From heaven you still have yearned
For this our lonely place.
With all that you have earned
In glory and in grace,
What keeps you so concerned
About our race?

O Mary, Chosen One 2
Eternal Father’s boast,
Mother of God the Son,
Spouse of the Holy Ghost.
Queen raised above the stars,
Exalted, set apart,
What do our wounds and scars
And all our hurts impart?
What thoughts and what memoirs
To your dear heart?

  1. Brother Francis composed these verses to a lovely Arabic song he knew from his youth.
  2. Brother Francis’ Arabic name was Fakhri Boutros Mukhtaara Maluf. The “Mukhtaara” are a branch of the Maluf family, named after a very prominent woman many generations back. The name means “Chosen One,” and is an Arabic title of the Blessed Virgin.