The CatholiCity Message
Volume VIII, Number 2 – February 16, 2004
Dear CatholiCity Citizen,
Buzz, buzz, buzz.
A comment. A resource. An interview. A prayer. A quote...
1. THE BUZZ
Everyone is excited about The Passion. (Duh!) We'll continue posting News and Commentary links about the movie on the CatholiCity homepage:
2. HELP THE BUZZ
Today, we posted a link to a timely website called Catholic Passion Outreach (a partnership between Ascension Press and CatholicExchange.com), which has free downloads including a Small Group Manual which you can print out at home, as well as how to order a new book called "A Guide to the Passion" which features 100 questions that prompt insightful scene-by-scene analysis from a Catholic perspective. This books retails for $5.95,
but it's available in bulk orders for as low as $1 each so you can distribute it at your parish and to family and friends:
(OVER 1,000,000 COPIES HAVE SOLD)
http://passion.catholicexchange.com/
3. HORSE'S MOUTH BUZZ
If you haven't heard already, ABC is going to air an interview of Mel Gibson tonight, Monday 16 February at 10:00 pm Eastern.
4. SUPERNATURAL BUZZ
There are 70,000 people receiving this message.
Yes, we should hope and pray for the commercial success of this movie because it means that more souls will be exposed to an artistic, realistic (and from all reports, emotionally jarring) portrayal of Our Lord during the final hours of His life. Many of you have done and will continue to do your part in this regard.
Yet we should also pray for each other and for the intention that we receive individually whatever it is God wants us to receive when we view this movie during Lent. Let's begin in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit...
"Dear Father in Heaven. It was your holy will Jesus was fulfilling when He suffered and died for us. Give us the grace and the courage to truly accept your will for us–in all things–and if we see The Passion. Teach us to pray, Father. Teach us that prayer is about receiving what You have to offer us. Teach us. Teach us, Father. O Father, O Father, O Father, teach us. Amen."
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"The faithful, therefore, should be recommended to recognize in such chastisements the fatherly love of God, and ever to have in their hearts and on their lips the saying of Job, the most patient of men: 'He woundeth and cureth; he striketh and His hands shall heal.'"
Catechism of the Council of Trent
See you on the other side of Ash Wednesday.
With Christ,
Your Friends at CatholiCity
