The CatholiCity Message
Volume XI, Number 4 – May 1, 2007
"What is strength without a double share of wisdom? Strength's not made to rule, but to subserve, where wisdom bears command."
John Milton
Dear CatholiCity Citizen,
Welcome, readers, new and not-so-new. It is truly a fine time of year. A late winter has finally departed in the northern states and provinces. The sun stays up later (Cost of 45 SPF sunscreen: $3). Baseball is being played by little boys and grown men (Cost of new leather baseball mitt: $30). Best of all, today is the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker (Donation at Mass today: $2). And, May is the month of Mary (Priceless).
Everything is going to be okay. God is all-powerful. God is faithful. Ponder the combination of those two truths. Take a moment to peacefully ask for His help. Take heart.
In honor of Saint Joseph, we shall keep our items practical.
1. MAG MAG
Here are two Catholic magazines we read, ahem, religiously. You should subscribe to both to strengthen your faith, your mind, and your heart:
First Things
http://www.firstthings.com/article.php3?id_article=55
Crisis Magazine
http://www.crisismagazine.com
The fine folks who run these magazines did not ask us for this recommendation. We simply believe that it will help you be a better Catholic if you read them.
2. WE LOVE MARIE BELLET'S MUSIC
Our longtime readers will recognize the name of Marie Bellet, pretty much our favorite Catholic singer ever. Her wonderful fourth album, A New Springtime, is now available. You can find out more here:
3. TOY BOX OR NOT TOY BOX?
The following parenting innovation, for the record, was developed by a dad. The problem with the traditional toy box is that it is too big. Toys get "lost" into the bottom. Unrelated toys get jumbled together. The solution is to replace one large toy box with several small toy boxes. You can buy relatively inexpensive plastic or wooden boxes at the usual places such as Target or Wal-Mart. Line them up along a wall in a play room. Sort the toys into the smaller boxes by type (actions figures in one, cars and trucks in the next, balls into the third box, and so on). Keep the large box for the extra large toys. By the way, the smaller the child, the easier access to the toys will be.
4. WHEN IN DOUBT, LAMINATE
One way to help your school-aged children memorize and pray morning prayers is to print out the prayers of your choice on a small piece of paper, laminate enough copies for all your children, then keep these "cards" on the breakfast table. Most Catholic adults have memorized the Nicean Creed, but it still helps us to read it along as we recite it at Sunday Mass. The same principle applies for your children. You can find the full text of some excellent morning prayers on the link below, but here are a few prayers we recommend (for kids and adults alike):
Morning Offering
Saint Michael Prayer
Act of Contrition
Miraculous Medal Prayer
Guardian Angel Prayer
http://www.catholicity.com/prayer/prayers.html
5. BULK IS BEAUTIFUL
What's more practical and workmanlike than ordering life-changing Catholic CDs in bulk for your parish, school, conference or organization? (Nuthin'.) We'll supply more details for you on this in a future message, but for now you can find out more about how to get bulk quantities of Mary Foundation CDs for a laughably tiny donation, starting with as few as 100 CDs. Find out more here:
http://www.catholicity.com/cds/evangelization.html
6. OOOPS
Recently, we mistakenly wrote that Easter Duty called for Catholics to go to Confession once per year. In fact, Easter Duty refers to the obligation of Catholics to receive Holy Communion at least once per year. Of course, if you have committed mortal sin, you will need to go to Confession first before receiving Communion.
7. BLAST FROM THE PAST
The following is an excerpt about Saint Joseph from a Volume VII edition of the CatholiCity Message, entitled Saint Joseph, Terror of Demons:
We were prompted to ponder this title while visiting the Oratory of Saint Joseph in Montreal, Quebec. There is a fresco (a carved stone tablet) there portraying Joseph holding his hand up, a family behind him, as he keeps a cowering, ugly, simpering, petrified group of demons at bay. "Why is Joseph so calm? Why are the demons terrified?" we asked in prayer.
Our first clue is Mary. In Genesis 3:15, Yahweh promises to put enmity (total separation) between the mother of the promised messiah and the serpent. This separation is complete because of Mary's Immaculate Conception--that is, she is not subject to Original Sin in any way. Joseph is her husband, her beloved groom, and their marital union and his virtue places him apart from demonic influence. It is part of Sacred Tradition that Joseph, although born into Original Sin, led a sinless life.
But evil shrinks from Joseph for a related reason. He is pure. Joseph is pure of body. Pure of heart. Pure of intention. Pure and sinless because he battled Original Sin. This is just our armchair theological speculation (as usual), but we're coming to believe that demons cannot "see" a man who is pure. All demons know is force, lies, degradation, and filth. That is their world, and they want to make our lives just as ugly. Their sin blinds them, just as sin blinds us mortals.
We are afraid not of the dark, actually, but rather the dangers which the darkness does not allow us to see. The demons can't "see" Joseph because he is pure. Purity makes him invisible, just as pure water is perfectly clear. Evil spirits don't know when, how, or from which direction Joseph is going to hammer them. Joseph's job, when Christ was a child and up to this very day, is to protect the Holy Family, and through our baptisms, we are part of his family. So Joseph protects us. He will calmly raise his hand and keep the demons away, if you but ask him.
7. LET'S PRAY TOGETHER, ALL OF US
Prayer changes the world, so let's change it together, right now, by praying the following sweet and beautiful prayer, which is reputed to be over 1900 years old...
"O Saint Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the Throne of God, we place in you all our interests and desires. O Saint Joseph do assist us by your powerful intercession and obtain for us from your Divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, Our Lord; so that having engaged here below your Heavenly power we may offer our Thanksgiving and Homage to the most Loving of Fathers. O Saint Joseph, we never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms. We dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press Him in our name and kiss His fine Head for us, and ask Him to return the Kiss when we draw our dying breaths. Saint Joseph, Patron of Departing Souls, pray for us, and for all our fellow CatholiCity Citizens. Amen."
Thank you. We'll be back before the end of the month.
With Christ,
Your Friends at CatholiCity
