The CatholiCity Message
Volume V, Number 11 – June 5, 2001
Dear CatholiCity Citizen,
We have several important items for you today, including a prayer for Ireland and England. You're gonna love the Catholic Grout List. But first, something a little different...
A. POP QUIZ, HOTSHOT
We recently ran into a man we know at a bachelor party. As a Mary Foundation Saint Jude Media CatholiCity kind-of-guy, this man had corresponded with us a few times. He was a convert to Catholicism, and during conversations at the bachelor party prompted by what Saint Thomas Aquinas termed a "morally acceptable state of inebriation," we discussed how converts and reverts to the faith are unaware of the little things that cradle Catholics "absorb" as children that make day-to-day Catholic living run smoother.
While not as essential to the Faith as doctrinal belief and sacramental participation, these "little things" are the grout that holds the mosaic of Catholic living together, giving it context and texture. We decided to compose a list of this group. And so, with no further adieu, we offer to you a list of some of these little things, which we'll hereby dub:
THE CATHOLIC GROUT LIST
1. No, you don't have to wear your scapular in the shower. But keep it handy, so you can lunge for it in case you have a heart attack.
2. Yes, say grace in restaurants out loud, whether alone or with others even for breakfast and lunch. You can say it in an understated way–Catholics are not ostentatious in public.
3. When you genuflect, you can pray this simple prayer: "I love you, Jesus."
4. The Big Five Intercessors are Saint Joseph, Saint Jude, Saint Anthony, Saint Therese the Little Flower, and Saint Michael the Archangel. Just about every good Catholic we know relies on them, often daily. Why? They really, really work. Please note: Saint Philomena and Blessed Escriva seem to be trying to crack this list in recent decades–please give them every opportunity to do so.
5. Yes, when you drive by a church, whether alone or with others, (and whether they are Catholic or not), make the sign of the cross, and tell Jesus you love Him interiorly. Only explain if you are asked.
6. Carry rosary beads with you at all times. You never know when Our Lady is going to need your help (and we hers). Some Catholics hunt for just-the-right-sized leather carry pouch so it's more comfortable in your pocket (for men) and doesn't get tangled in your purse (for women). What if you don't have rosary beads? Yes, it's okay to use your fingers; that's why God gave you ten. Make a habit of giving your rosary beads away at the slightest prompting.
7. At minimum, here are prayers that every Catholic should know by heart: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Memorare, Hail Holy Queen, the Angelus, Saint Michael Prayer, Divine Mercy Chaplet, Act of Contrition, the Miraculous Medal Prayer (O Mary, Conceived...), Guardian Angel Prayer, Grace Before Meals, the Anima Christi, and the Apostles Creed. If you want to show off at parties, also memorize them in Latin. Most of these prayers are available on the free Mary Foundation Rosary tape or CD, or you can read them online here:
https://secure.catholicity.com/order.html
http://www.catholicity.com/prayersdevotions/commonprayers.html
8. Make a pilgrimage to Fatima or Lourdes or Saint Peter's in Rome or all three at least once in your lifetime. Short on cash? See Grout #4; the Big Five love to finance your pilgrimages. Still short on cash? There are shrines to drive to in just about every state, including Fatima and Lourdes shrines, and the National Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC will substitute for Rome in a pinch.
9. If you meet the pope, kiss his ring. You can also kiss the ring of your bishop or cardinal (it makes the liberal ones squirm, but hey, that's not your problem–you're honoring Christ, not them). Optional: we've been known to kiss the sacred hands of priests.
10. When you walk or drive by a Catholic Church, even if you're running late, stop. Walk in. Pray for someone. Tell Jesus you love him. Your visit doesn't have to last more than a few seconds. If the door is locked, genuflect and pray.
11. Keep a bottle of holy water in your house. Keep a small bottle of holy water in your travel kit–sprinkle it on your hotel bed and make a sign of the cross with water on the door of the room. Pray the Saint Michael Prayer.
12. Invite the priests, nuns, brothers, and deacons you know to dinner. If you take them out, insist on buying. This Catholic tradition has fallen woefully out of favor in recent years. Reverse the trend!
13. Holy pictures and statues in your home and office are good for you. They remind you to pray. Buy according to your own tastes. Make your own little rules: have at least one crucifix, picture or statue of Mary or a saint, or of the pope, in every room. A stranger should be able to visit your house and be able to tell if you're Catholic in less than a minute. Keep Saint Jude Media novels and Mary Foundation recordings handy in case they make comments.
14. To keep your scapular from flapping all over the place inside your shirt or blouse, cut a small slit in the fabric at one end and slide a Miraculous Medal and/or Saint Benedict Medal in there. It will weigh down the front and relieve you from having your medal(s) tangle in the scapular cords. Keep a back-up scapular in your travel kit.
15. If you're not in a state of grace–especially if you're not in good health or have to travel–walk up to any priest, knock on any rectory door, call up any priest, and ask them politely if they are willing to hear a "quick Confession." Good priests will be glad to accommodate you, and you'll keep it short. In these days of sadly empty confession lines and truncated confession schedules, it's only just.
2. 28,000 PRAYING FOR IRELAND
Did you know that the preamble to the Irish Constitution starts with these words: "In the Name of the Most Holy Trinity, from Whom is all authority and to Whom, as our final end, all actions both of men and states must be referred, we, the people of Eire, humbly acknowledging all our obligations to our Divine Lord, Jesus Christ, Who sustained our fathers through centuries of trial..." Wow. On June 7th (this Wednesday in the U.S. in real time), the people of Ireland are being asked to ratify the Treaty of Nice. Legal scholars have reviewed these documents and conclude that the ratification of this treaty will subordinate Ireland to the European Union Government and courts, opening the way for wholesale abortion in Ireland and the destruction of the Irish culture. Ireland has been a fountainhead of the Christian evangelization of the world from approximately 450 A.D. through the 20th century. Devout Catholics and the hierarchy in Ireland are against ratification, and they need our prayers. Right "next door," England is holding an election for Prime Minister on the same day, June 7th. Just as CatholiCity Citizens prayed for God's will for the U.S. presidential election last November, let's pray for our brothers and sisters in Ireland and England. Let's begin in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit...
"Dear Saint Patrick, you, like most of us, were not even born in Ireland, and yet you, like the Irish people, through love of Christ and His Church, have touched our lives as Catholics through the many graces and missionaries and forefathers which have come through that beautiful Catholic homeland. With the confidence you must have had as you cast the serpents from Ireland, we beg you to intercede on behalf of Ireland, and to procure God's will and God's will only regarding the Treaty of Nice ratification vote. We commend Ireland to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on June 7th, and we beg you, Jesus, for Your mercy for this country dedicated so openly to the Holy Trinity. We also pray for England on the eve of her election, and ask You, Jesus, for Your Father's will for this influential country with so many ties to the United States and Canada. Bring forth the Culture of Life! We ask this in the name of all the saints and martyrs who have shed blood on English soil on behalf of the Church. Saint George, pray for us! Saint Edmund Campion, pray for us! Saint Thomas More, pray for us! All Irish, English, Welsh, and Scottish saints, pray for us! Amen."
For more information on the Ireland situation, go here:
http://www.nicetreatyonline.com/
http://www.ireland.com/special/nice/
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Work hard. Play hard. Pray hard."
Mike Latz, ND '84
JOKE OF THE WEEK
Two vultures board an airliner, each carrying two dead raccoons, and the stewardess stops them and says, "I'm sorry, gentlemen, only one carrion allowed per passenger."
We've got a fairly big announcement regarding the future of CatholiCity coming in the next message, about two weeks from now. Enjoy the summer weather. Thanks for being a part of CatholiCity.
With Christ,
Your Friends at CatholiCity
