The CatholiCity Message
Volume XVI, Number 3 – March 27, 2012
We hope your Lent has been going as well as ours. Please do not miss the cyber-prayer at the conclusion.
IF YOU LIVE IN NORTHEAST OHIO
You are invited to join us at Catholic Advocate's "A Call to Catholic Citizenship" Workshop this Saturday, March 31, 6-8 pm, at Padre Pio Academy, 12920 Madison Ave, Lakewood, OH 44107. Catholic Advocate has been building a nationwide network over the past two years to support policies that are consistent with the teachings of the Catholic Church regardless of political party (www.catholicadvocate.com). I will be giving a short talk on the future of the Church in America after the workshop, followed by a social. We will have free Mary Foundation materials on hand, including copies of my novels, which I will be happy to autograph for you. Bring your spouse or a friend, and please RSVP with the number attending as soon as you can to:
webmaster@catholicity.com
ONE SIMPLE QUESTION LEADS TO CONVERSIONS
The process of helping a soul enter our beloved Catholic Church can gently begin by asking someone you know the following simple question:
"Have you ever considered becoming a Catholic?"
According to Father John McCloskey, who has helped numerous people enter the Church, you will be surprised by how often non-Catholics answer Yes. This has been my experience as well. Then, simply follow up by providing friendship and solid Catholic materials. If the answer is No, you could then ask, "Are you interested in finding out more about Catholicism?" For much greater detail on helping people find the grace and supernatural happiness of the one, true, holy, and apostolic faith, we recommend Father John's classic essay, "Winning New Converts," which you can read here:
http://www.catholicity.com/mccloskey/winningconverts.html
THE CULTURE OF DEATH
The American Life League recently published an article by my father supplying statistics concerning the stupendous toll surgical abortions combined with abortifacient contraceptives such as the pill have taken on human life in our country and on our planet. We are approaching a sad milestone whereby "we will soon have killed more human beings in the womb than the total number of people now inhabiting the earth." To read his article:
http://www.all.org/article/index/id/MTAwMzQ/
THE CULTURE OF LIFE
Did you know that there are more priests in the United States than in the three largest Catholic countries combined (Brazil, Philippines, Mexico)? In fact, we are blessed with roughly 180,000 daily Masses, and more Americans attend daily Mass than in any other country in the world. So remain faithful to daily Mass, for your desire to do so is a gift of the Holy Spirit, especially this year, when the future of our religious liberty seems to hang in the balance. And if you need motivation or inspiration to attend (or return) to Mass every day, we have four free CDs on the Eucharist and Mass available which will surely help you answer the call of the Spirit:
https://secure.catholicity.com/
PUSHING FIVE HUNDRED
I am not just the founder of the Mary Foundation--I also give away our free stuff just like most of you, and I am closing in on five hundred Seven Daily Habits booklets given away at the two grocery stores and three Catholic parishes where I keep them stocked. My sons and I shop and attend Mass at all five locations regularly, so it really has been quite easy. I am genuinely looking forward to meeting souls in heaven who otherwise, of their own free will, might have not gone there, as a result of the changes in lives and graces merited as initiated by this powerful little booklet. Use the link above to order a couple of hundred booklets for your own area for a laughably tiny donation. Also, we would love to get your input on how you have fared giving out the booklets:
http://www.catholicity.com/about/contact.html
SMILE AND WAVE, BOYS, SMILE AND WAVE
While living in rural New Hampshire many years ago, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the locals never failed to wave hello to drivers from their lawns or cars and vice versa. At first I thought this was pure friendliness, which it was, but it also served as a kind of informal security system, because it instantly identified strangers, who, not accustomed to the practice, did not wave back. I have since discovered that the system can be applied anywhere, so you can get your own neighborhood started by simply smiling and waving until everyone catches on.
QUOTATIONS
"This man's spiritual power has been precisely this, that he has distinguished between custom and creed. He has broken the conventions, but he has kept the commandments."
G.K Chesterton, from his novel, Manalive
"Everybody loves a Cadillac."
John Sonne
"He who understands the truth without loving it, or loves without understanding, possesses neither the one nor the other."
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux
"God to his promise, not to our practice, gives."
John Dryden
TENS OF THOUSANDS PRAYING TOGETHER
As the United States Supreme Court hears arguments on a health care law that our bishops have condemned for allowing the trampling of our religious freedom, let us pray for the justices on the court, simply, and with great faith, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit:
"Dear Father in Heaven, we confidently ask to send your and your son's Holy Spirit to Washington to descend upon the high court during the current hearings and subsequent deliberations, to vouchsafe forth true justice and to vanquish all evil efforts, either from man or dark spirit, for all civil authority comes from You, and all true power and goodness pours forth from your Trinity. Amen."
Thanks. Hope to see you at the Catholic Advocate workshop on Saturday!
With Immaculate Mary,
Bud Macfarlane
Founder