The CatholiCity Message

Volume XV, Number 1 – January 28, 2011

Dear CatholiCity Citizen,

Welcome to the fifteenth year of the CatholiCity Message! We will start with something that can definitely change your life right away, concretely. Then, after a short update on our annual appeal, we have quotes, insights, our mystical group prayer, and the usual assortment of unusual assortments. As usual, we abstained from sending you the CatholiCity Message during the busy Christmas and New Year holidays--you had enough on your plate, right?

CHANGE-YOUR-LIFE CHALLENGE, PART ONE
Many of you already examine your conscience every night, but we assume you all know how to go about it: make a brief, prayerful, and frank inventory of your actions and decisions during the day. If you have sinned, make an act of contrition. Where you have fallen short in prudential matters, make a plan and resolve to improve the following day.

There is a saying in business: That which is measured is that which is accomplished. This maxim applies to our moral and spiritual lives. Measure yourself every night. Examining your conscience is not only about finding error in the past day, but also about putting into place a method for improving for the next day.

We warmly challenge those of you who are not examining your conscience to begin doing so tonight, and make it a goal to continue the practice every night for 2011 and beyond. You might even find it helpful to place a note by your bedside right away as a reminder to form the habit. Remember, it can take weeks to form a good habit.

Results? Your behavior will typically improve the following day, if only to make the next evening's examination more pleasant, and because you have "prepped" your mind to discern temptation. Next, you will find yourself better able to recognize minor corrections needed in your behavior, pinpoint areas where you need to apologize to others, and gather insights (with God's grace) into how to make practical adjustments to improve. You will also be able to make better Confessions (which you are hopefully already doing once or twice a month). Go for it!

TRULY BRIEF CHRISTMAS APPEAL UPDATE
Good news: we are slightly ahead of last year for our annual Christmas Appeal, but still short by thousands of dollars. For the sake of all the souls who will be influenced because of your generosity, we are truly grateful.

Our custom-made Divine Mercy lapel pins and gorgeous art-house prints are still available if you want to put us over the top. Remember, everyone gets a Fridge Magnet! Your kitchen must have a Divine Mercy Fridge Magnet! To take a gander, go here:

http://www.catholicity.com/support/donation.html

WHAT THE POPE WANTS THIS YEAR
As long as we are on good stuff to put on your fridge, the good folks over at the Apostleship for Prayer have posted Pope Benedict's prayer intentions for 2011:

http://www.apostleshipofprayer.org/english2011.html

THE 18-25 PRINCIPLE
Most young people from more or less practicing Catholic families lose their faith while they attend college and in the years directly after. You know why: a pervasive sexual culture and substance abuse combined with amoral, relativistic, or nihilistic undergraduate courses that do not hold truth and virtue as the highest goal of education. Whatever you remember from your college years, accept that things are much worse today.

There is a secular mindset among many parents that their job is essentially complete when their young adult children turn 18 and head off to college. We respect that each faithful Catholic family has unique circumstances, financial considerations, educational goals, and so on for each particular child--this is your domain as a parent. Along these lines, here is an alphabetized list from First Things magazine of the "Most Catholic" Catholic Colleges in America:

Aquinas College (Nashville TN)
Ave Maria University (Ave Maria, FL)
Benedictine College (Atchison KS)
Belmont Abbey College (Belmont NC)
Christendom College (Front Royal VA)
DeSales University (Center Valley PA)
Franciscan University of Steubenville (Steubenville OH)
Holy Apostles College and Seminary (Cromwell CT)
John Paul the Great Catholic University (San Diego CA)
Magdalen College (Warner NH)
Mount St. Mary's University (Emmitsburg MD)
Providence College (Providence RI)
St. Thomas More College (Fort Worth TX)
Thomas Aquinas College (Santa Paula CA)
Thomas More College (Merrimack NH)
University of Dallas (Irving TX)
University of St. Thomas (Houston TX)
Wyoming Catholic College (Lander WY)

Virtually all of these are linked on our CatholiCity Best Catholic Links page:

http://www.catholicity.com/links/

First Things also published rankings and descriptions of top secular and Christian colleges (including the Catholic spiritual resources available at the secular colleges), but you do need a subscription to First Things (which we recommend for all our readers):

http://www.firstthings.com/article/2010/10/college-rankings

The Cardinal Newman Society also provides numerous resources and an excellent guide for choosing Catholic higher education:

http://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org

SAINTS AND DATES
This is a new feature. Here is a quick and by no means comprehensive survey from the Church calendar of way cool holy guys and gals coming up over the next few weeks.

Feast of Saint Thomas Aquinas. Today, Friday, January 28. Perhaps the greatest combination of genius and holiness ever. His confessor testified that he probably had not committed even a venial sin during his adult life. A very big guy who levitated during prayer, making it all the more miraculous.

Saint Blaise. Thursday, February 3. The Sore Throat Guy.

Our Lady of Lourdes. Friday, February 11. Need we say more?

Ss. Cyril and Methodius. Monday (Valentine's Day), February 14. We need to christen more of our sons Methodius, and nickname them Thodie or Odie.

Saint Polycarp. Wednesday, February 23. Great name. Great death. Converted the Roman guards sent to bring him to his execution. Underrated intercessor. Ask him for something today.

SOMETHING TO READ
We think many of you, especially our young female readers, will find this touching and insightful:

http://www.catholicity.com/commentary/sahm/08610.html

APOCALPSE YEOW: HOT SAUCE FOR 2020
If you do not like hot sauce or End Times trading items, stop here. Tobasco, our favorite hot pepper sauce, mellows with age. We are currently enjoying a 1998 vintage. Now is the time to buy your stash for the 2020s, and date them with a sharpie. As a bonus, in the event of a worldwide cataclysm or economic collapse, or man-made or supernatural, Tobasco makes a perfect bartering item. Like gold coins, the bottles are small, easy to store, and easy to transport. Like gold, Tobasco is virtually impossible to reproduce since the particular peppers used can only grow on Avery Island, Louisiana. Finally, when foodstuffs are in short supply, anything that adds flavor to otherwise drab dietary fare will be quite valuable.

QUOTATIONS

"You just cited 'they' to support your point. Who are these 'they' persons? They are those to whom one refers when one does not know who they are."
William N. Macfarlane Sr.

"The truth always sounds like lies to a sinner."
Boyd Crowder, TV character in "Justified"

"The evil that surrounds us today, the disorders that plague our society, man's inconsistency and brokenness, are not only the results of original sin, but also the result of satan's pervasive and dark action."
Fr. Gabriele Amorth

"There are two kinds of people in this world, and I am not one of them."
G.K. McBrien

"Christmas is not a fairytale for children, but rather God's answer to the drama of humanity in search of peace. Even if we do not fully understand it, let us entrust ourselves to His wisdom and goodness."
Pope Benedict XVI

"February sunshine is as exhilarating as an unexpected holiday."
William Feather

LET US PRAY, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF US TOGETHER
We are all beset by temptation, from our broken natures, the world, and the evil one. We all need supernatural help to overcome it. Let us all pray together, with each other and for each other, calling upon Saint Joseph and Saint Michael, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit...

Saint Michael, the Archangel, defend us in 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 throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Saint Joseph, holy and pure protector of the Holy Family, Patron of the Church, and our loving friend and mentor, we call upon you under your providential titles, Terror of Demons and Protector of the Family, to guide and protect us, and to vanquish our supernatural enemies, completely and immediately.

Holy Spirit, we know you must come when we call you, so we call you now with perfect confidence. Come, dwell, and place your perfect peacefulness into our homes tonight, and every night. Amen.

HANG IN THERE
Whew, you hung with us until the end, and for those of you in cold climes pining for spring and more sunlight, we share your longing. Hang tough. Together, we remain...

With Immaculate Mary,

Your Friends at CatholiCity