iCatholicRadio is an iPhone app that not only delivers streaming audio of the EWTN Radio signal, but also offers a helpful link to the EWTN schedule. And best of all: It’s FREE! Get it today!

The name Quasimodo to me was only the name of the character in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Having never read the novel, but seen the Disney animated feature, I was not familiar with why that character was given that name.

The Sunday after Easter is called Quasimodo Sunday because the words of that day’s traditional introit read “Quasi modo geniti infantes…” (“As newborn babies…”) (1 Peter 2:2).

In the novel, the abandoned child is given the name Quasimodo because he is found on the steps of Notre Dame cathedral on Quasimodo Sunday.

The Wikipedia entry explains:

Quasimodo’s name can be considered a pun. Frollo finds him on the cathedral’s doorsteps on Quasimodo Sunday and names him after the holiday. However, the Latin words “quasi” and “modo” also mean “almost” and “the standard measure” respectively. As such, Quasimodo is “almost the standard measure” of a human person.

The cover features icons that most Catholics will recognize, since they also adorn the cover of the Book of Gospels used in the Catholic liturgy. However, many people, including some Catholics, might not understand what these icons represent.

The quick explanation is that the cover shows Christ the Teacher surrounded by the Four Evangelists (i.e., the writers of the four gospels). Here’s a more detailed explanation of what they represent:

• Christ the Teacher – the large icon in the center depicts Jesus blessing the viewer with his right hand and holding a Bible in his left. The Bible shows His words from John 8:12: “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” This icon is commonly called “Christ the Teacher,” although it is also called “Christ Pantocrator” meaning “Christ, Ruler of All.” Also in the artwork are the abbreviated Greek words for Christ (abbreviations are indicated by the horizontal lines above the letters; Iota and Sigma (which look like IC) represent the first and last letter of the name Jesus in Greek; Chi Sigma (XC), the first and last letters of the title Christ).

Tradition has long associated the “four living creatures” mentioned in Rev. 4:7 with the four Gospels in the Bible:

• St. Matthew (upper left) – the winged “living creature with the face of a man” is the symbol for Matthew, since his Gospel narrative traces Jesus’ human genealogy.
• St. Mark (upper right) – the “living creature like a lion” is associated with Mark, whose Gospel begins with “the voice of one crying in the wilderness” (Mark 1:3), suggesting the roar of a lion.
• St. Luke (lower left) – the “living creature like an ox” is the emblem of Luke, since his account of Christ’s life emphasizes the atoning sacrifice of Jesus.
• St. John (lower right) – the “living creature like a flying eagle” symbolizes John, whose high-soaring narrative takes us to lofty heights in understanding Christ’s nature.

More interesting insight into the Four Evangelists can be found on Wikipedia and Catholic Resources.

The National Archives has a nice online version of the Declaration of Independence including both a transcript and high resolution image of the document.

Proper etiquette on the display of the nation’s flag can be found at USHistory.org. This page not only shows proper use of the flag, but highlights some shameful violations reported in the news. Another resource is a PDF brochure on the flag prepared by my dad a few years ago.