What Really Matters
Volume XXII, Number 4 – April 26, 2018
Dear CatholiCity Citizen,
You can change the world. That’s today’s theme, so let’s get to it. Please don’t forget to pray with us at the end!
Who, When, How, and Why
Who? Souls—there are real people, likely millions, we can influence together today, and every one has the freedom to choose how they want to burn forever: in the excruciatingly painful fires of hell or the sweet loving fire of God’s Sacred Heart.
When? Right now, by receiving this message with an open heart, by offering your daily challenges to Jesus, by praying with us, by listening-reading-distributing our materials, and by sacrificing financially. Jesus is extending his hand to you. Take it, then extend your grasp to others.
Have you noticed I never get distracted (or distract you) with worldly politics or troubles in the Church? (And friend, there's Big Trouble!)
Why? Because “The harvest is great but the workers are few,” as Jesus told us. Does anyone ever quote the second part? “So ask the harvest master to send more workers.” That is the Why. He sent you to me today, to this little project of Immaculate Mary to invite tens of millions of people to enjoy true eternal happiness.
Jesus knows you are reading this right now. He is watching you right now. Let’s go harvesting!
How? There are lots of hows. Today I’m going to present two ways that have been burning in my heart every day since Easter—especially after I receive Holy Communion and pray for you.
Two Ways to Help
As I mentioned in January, because of the sacrificial generosity of a small portion of heroic CatholiCity Citizens, CatholiCity.com and the Mary Foundation (our parent organization) have just enough money to keep our doors open in 2018. I am grateful beyond words! Amen.
My longtime readers know I rarely mention money outside the annual Christmas appeal, yet the Lord will not leave me alone unless I mention to you that the Holy Spirit has practically forced me to become intimately involved with two big projects. One is a major television production and the other involves what I believe is the most important conversion story of the new millennium.
My three decades in the harvest field tell me that tens of millions of souls will be impacted. Tens of millions! Right now, this year, and every year to follow.
We need tens of thousands of dollars right away and hundreds of thousands over the next year or two to reach these souls.
You know I don't like asking for money, yet the Lord won’t leave me alone until I offer you a chance to participate.
He wants me to address two kinds of readers who can help. First…
Everyone
I call upon the Holy Spirit to invite every person reading my words today to seriously consider participating in these two projects by becoming a monthly donor or making a one-time donation. Monthly?
Every month, around two hundred of you help us pay for the mundane yet absolutely essential stuff like rent and the electric bill by donating by credit card automatically. Easy peasy.
More of you simply send us a check or money order, and then put the “reply envelope” which comes with our Thank You letter (which I sign personally) into their stack of next month’s bills. Then they use the pre-addressed reply envelope to donate again the following month.
There is nothing to sign up for: no “accounts” or “passwords” or superficial “memberships.” You begin by mailing us a gift or donating online one time. (Some even include us in their “autopay” banking programs).
The amount is up to your judgement and your situation.
Simply follow the honor system when your first reply envelope arrives. You can vary amounts whenever you like. Skip a month. Or donate twice a month. Here’s the address:
CatholiCity
Monthly Donation
PO Box 26101
Fairview Park OH 44126
As always, I will send you a lovely little Thank You Gift when you get started and an inspiring work of Catholic religious art for your home (or a friend) around Christmastime.
For a Few Readers Only
(If you are struggling financially, skip this part.)
Have you been blessed by God financially? It has been on my heart (especially at Mass, like I mentioned) that the Holy Spirit is “poking” a handful of you “in the ribs” to donate hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, or even a hundred thousand dollars or more.
You know who you are. Like me, you have a rare gift. In your case the world rewards you handsomely. I also know first-hand about the long hours, savvy, risk, years of perseverance, and courage required for that gift to bear abundant fruit.
You probably been exchanging treasure on earth for treasure in heaven for a while now and the Lord keeps refilling your coffers. Tens of millions of souls!
Please ask Our Lady to guide you. Is the Harvest Master calling you today to help us bring tens of millions of souls to heaven through these two projects? Can you give from your bounty? What is your Widow’s Mite? When was the last time you put enough zeros on a check to feel a pinch? (If you’re the generous soul Mary occasionally sends our way, probably not too long ago!)
You have the address above. Or donate online. Thank you.
You and God Decide
Whether you make one small gift, become an “honor system” Monthly donor, or Go Big, I am quite aware that God is making these two projects your decision. This has been His way for the last thirty years.
If the Harvest Master confirms the projects through you, my faithful coworkers and I will get them done.
Thank you, all of you, for considering this invitation. Now for more cool stuff in our Message…follow me…
Searching for Catholic Fiction?
There is a growing new apostolate called Catholic Reads dedicated to helping you discover the many treasures in the incredibly exciting and expanding world of Catholic publishing (including self-publishing) with a special focus on fiction for adults and children. My reading-fanatic friends there review hundreds of titles and faithfully recommend dozens worth reading with detailed descriptions.
Catholic Reads then provides monthly updates, discounts, and where and how to buy hardcopy and electronic versions.
It’s a completely free service!
The reviews are spot on; completely trustworthy relative to the True Faith. All you do is sign up with your email here:
Another “Way”
It is striking to me that one of our most effective tools for changing the world, our Powerful Prayers Booklet, is so misunderstood relative to just how powerful it is. Of course, by the numbers, there is no better way to help a thousand people for 10 cents each than to distribute these at your local parishes, business venues, and events. Powerful Prayers fly off the shelves!
The booklet itself is a masterwork of comprehensive prayers and types of prayers in an easy-to-read and compact portable format. (I will list all the prayers below.)
For me, though, the real power is the grace that comes into the world when you help people pray using this booklet. Morning prayers are memorized. People grow closer to Jesus after receiving Communion. Real people become lifetime friends with the saints when they pray the novenas. Miraculous cures. Impossible situations—solved. Jobs, found. Children and adults learn about prayers that Catholics have prayed for centuries—and they pray! People who would not have prayed learn to pray every day for years on end!
God responds. Embers in souls enflame. Conversions!
Order Powerful Prayers
Nothing changes in this world without prayer. Your life. The lives of others. All via a booklet that we get to your door for 10 cent each when typical, poorly-designed booklets from other publishers cost $1 or $2 each!
If you want an “easy way” to change the world, then stocking this booklet everywhere can be your personal act of Love for Jesus and the souls He seeks (along with distributing our Rosary CD, which has the same grace-expanding dynamic). Here are the Categories and Prayers in this amazing 16-page booklet:
Categories
Common Prayers
Prayers for Mass
Marian Prayers
Novenas and Saints
Prayers
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be
Sign of the Cross
Grace Before Meals
Traditional Morning Offering
Unfathomable Plans Morning Offering
Guardian Angel Prayer
Saint Michael Prayer
Act of Contrition
Hail Holy Queen
Memorare
The Fatima Prayer
The Jesus Prayer
Apostles Creed
Prayer Before Study
Miraculous Medal Prayer
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
The Angelus
Regina Caeli
Spiritual Communion Prayer
Prayer Before Mass
Prayer After Communion
Anima Christi
Intercessory Prayer After Communion
Prayer After Mass
First Century Novena to Saint Joseph
Novena to Saint Jude
Miraculous Novena to Saint Anthony of Padua
Novena to Saint Therese of Lisieux
Miraculous Medal Novena
Prayer of Saint Patrick
Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi
How to Pray the Rosary
How to Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet
Quotation
“Ninety-five percent of all problems can be solved with one answer: More Jesus. The other five percent can be solved by going to bed on time.”
G.K. MacBrien
Upcoming Feast Days
- Monday, May 1, Saint Joseph the Worker
- Thursday, May 10, Ascension of the Lord (Holy Day of Obligation)
- Sunday, May 13, Mother’s Day (I love you, Mom: Patricia Irene Macfarlane, mother of twelve, including my nine sisters, and the Best Mom in the Whole World!)
- Sunday, May 20, Pentecost
- Sunday, May 27, Most Holy Trinity
- Thursday, May 31, Visitation of Mary (“All generations shall call me blessed,” the Mother of God foretold in Luke 1:48. Isn't it an honor to be one of this generation to call Mary blessed every time we say the Hail Mary?)
Pray with Me, Brothers and Sisters
It is unlikely you woke up today thinking you would be invited to be a part of new Catholic evangelization projects that could help millions go to heaven. Yet it happened. Someday we will discuss why Our Loving Father reveals most of His plans for us so slowly.
Before we pray together, tens of thousands of us, I share a final thought and a true story about why the once-lost Unfathomable Plans Morning Prayer below is spreading in popularity around the world.
First, if you are suffering, take heart. I suffer too. If you make a spiritual act of mercy to join your pain for the sake of others, to Christ’s eternal Passion and Resurrection, you march with the most truly powerful force in the universe. We are advancing on the enemy, seeking souls for eternal life. When the Father sees your wounds, He sees Jesus, so open your arms, do not hide them. Show them to the Father, and know you loved beyond words.
As for the true story, after I graduated from Notre Dame in 1984 I went into the seminary for several months. Although I poured my entire crazy self into it, my time there led to excruciating mental agony. I had to leave. I found myself waiting in the chapel for my mother to come pick me up, sobbing, alone, confused, and a failure.
Then, a worn-out book caught my eye. An ancient, out-of-print missal. Drawn by a serene prompting, I cracked it open my gaze fell upon the prayer we will prayer together below.
This prayer consoled me beyond words. With only minutes remaining before my mother arrived, I put all my mental energy into memorizing that prayer.
Even in the age of the Internet, I have never found this prayer in any book or on any website since. For many years the only place it existed was in my soul; I recited it every day and experienced its truth and power. On that watershed day thirty-three years ago, it turned one of my darkest days into one of my brightest.
On that day it was beyond impossible for me to envision that this particular prayer would be prayed by countless millions of people over the coming decades because it was destined to be included on the Mary Foundation Rosary CD and Powerful Prayers booklet. You did that. Jesus did that. Your faithfulness. His faithfulness. Your work. His work. Your financial sacrifices. His ultimate sacrifice.
Let this prayer console you today. So please join me now, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…
Dear Lord, I do not know what will happen to me today—I only know that nothing will happen that was not foreseen by you and directed to my greater good from all eternity. I adore Your holy and unfathomable plans and submit to them with all my heart for love of you, the Pope, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Amen.
And Amen. Thank you for being a part of our work and a part of my life. I’m honored. You read to the end! Wow. In May I’ll tell you about Xavier Aquinas Macfarlane, my son, the seminarian. Peace.
With the Risen Lord,
Bud Macfarlane
Founder and President
