The CatholiCity Message
Volume IV, Number 31 – December 6, 2000
Dear CatholiCity Citizen,
We've got lots of stuff for you today, including an Election Update and a new Novena, so let's get started...
1. IN EVERY STOCKING
Every Catholic reading this should stock up on free Mary Foundation recordings and especially our brand new Rosary CDs for Christmas. We ship 'em the day we get your request, so you'll get them in time if you request them now. To make your request online or via snailmail, go here:
ONLINE:
https://secure.catholicity.com/order.html
PRINT OUT SNAILMAIL FORM:
http://www.catholicity.com/orderform.pdf
2. WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES
More than one unsuspecting relative visiting for the holidays has been converted/reverted after a CatholiCity Citizen has given him our free Saint Jude Media novels as a Christmas gift. To request your free novels online or via snailmail, both with same day shipping, go here:
ONLINE:
https://secure.catholicity.com/order.html
PRINT OUT SNAILMAIL FORM:
http://www.catholicity.com/saintjude/requestform.html
3. SUPREME COURT SURPRISE
Most of you read about our grueling trip–propelled by your prayers and lots of caffeine–down to Tallahassee to bring the True Cross into the lion's den during the historic Presidential Certification. After physically recovering on Monday morning, we sent our photos and report to the home office on Monday afternoon and led a Rosary with a small band of CatholiCity Citizens after Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More in Tallahassee on Monday evening. On Tuesday we drove to the cradle of Catholicism in the United States, the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche in Saint Augustine, Florida, where we prayed for the election and your intentions.
We then motored back north for twelve hours and arrived at the imposing Supreme Court Building in Washington, DC, late Wednesday night. It was clear and cold. We were alone as we made our way up the white marble steps to the ornate bronze doors beyond the sixteen gigantic pillars that you've all seen on television. Our plan was to place a medal of Our Lady of America on the building itself just two days before the pivotal oral arguments. On one of the pillars, we found a Miraculous Medal!
A few seconds later, as we reached our hand underneath a carved indentation to tuck in this medal and our own medal, we found a medal and chaplet of Saint Therese, the Little Flower. Cool. Taking turns holding the True Cross, we then walked around the enormous building, praying a heartfelt Rosary for the members of the Supreme Court, the election, CatholiCity Citizens, and the United States of America.
There were many more hours of driving ahead of us, but our journey of faith was complete. Now that we're all the way home, we're trying to respond to the hundreds of encouraging messages which you sent during our mission.
4. THE FAT LADY
Most of you realize, as we gather from your emails, however, that it ain't over 'til it's over. CatholiCity Citizens have played a key role during the past month simply by praying together. We can't help but recall how Father Larry Richards, representing the intentions of CatholiCity Citizens, concelebrated a Mass with the Holy Father in Rome on the Feast of the Holy Rosary, October 7th, on the eve of the pope's consecration of the New Millennium to Immaculate Mary. We now believe this Mass with the Holy Father was a foreshadowing of the role you, the Citizens of CatholiCity, have played in this controversial election with your prayers. Our Lady's heel is now on the serpent's head, and it's time to crush it into oblivion...
ONLINE ELECTORAL COLLEGE NOVENA 12/10 THRU 12/18
For the third time since before the election, starting on December 10th and continuing through December 18th, the day the Electoral votes are scheduled to be opened and counted in Congress, CatholiCity will send out a daily online Novena to you and the rest of our 23,000 Citizens. Again we are asking you to forward this Novena to your friends and family members.
THE EXPECTATION OF THE VIRGIN MARY
In one of those amazing "calendar coincidences," one of our Citizens recently informed us that the 18th of December was the day when the Catholic Church celebrated the ancient Feast of the Expectation of Mary in the pre-Vatican II calendar in many countries, especially Spain. This feast recognized Our Lady's joyful anticipation of the arrival of Jesus on Christmas Day. Another CatholiCity Citizen, after reading an article we posted on the CatholiCity homepage, looked up God's promise to Jerusalem in the Book of Nehemiah that He would "restore" the nation after 52 days. What day is 52 days from the November 7th election? The Feast of the Holy Innocents.
With our favorite day of the year, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8th, and Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas and the Unborn, on December 12th (not to mention Christmas), we can't help but think that old sparky just plain picked the wrong month this time around.
5. GORE CONCEDES
You read it here first. Actually, this is the title of the latest hilarious editorial cartoon we've posted on our homepage by Pulitzer Prize winner Steve Breen, along with serious, cogent articles and commentaries on the election from around the Net, which we've updated daily. Go to:
(ARTICLE AND CARTOON NO LONGER AVAILABLE)
6. A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME
It's hard to find a Catholic online who hasn't heard the amazing story of Saint Chad, the 8th century English bishop who happens to be the patron saint of controversial elections. Let's all 23,000 of us say a prayer to him now...
"Dear Saint Chad, intercede on behalf of the controversial election in the United States. Please secure from the Sacred Heart of Jesus the grace needed for the candidate who God desires to concede to do so with grace and dignity. Amen."
"Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in the day of battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, cast into hell satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen."
"Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, pray for us.
Ss. Katharine Drexel, Elizabeth Seton, Frances Cabrini, and John Neumann, pray for us.
Saint Thomas More, Patron of Politicians, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, Patron Saint of Canada, pray for us.
Immaculate Mary, Patroness of the United States, pray for us.
Jesus Christ, King of Kings, we adore you!"
Thanks for being a part of it all, and look for your first online Novena prayer on the 10th. Here are a few quotes before we go:
"The world is satisfied with words. Few appreciate the things beneath."
Blaise Pascal
"No one can write decently who is distrustful of the reader's intelligence, or whose attitude is patronizing."
E.B. White
"Hitler said that he always knew you could buy the press. What he didn't know was you could get them cheap."
Mort Sahl
"The difference between the men and the boys in politics is, and always has been, that the boys want to be something, while the men want to do something."
Eric Severeid
"You can observe a lot just by watching."
Yogi Berra
Yours in Christ,
Your Observers at CatholiCity
