The CatholiCity Message

Volume VIII, Number 4 – May 10, 2004

"I don't believe a person can remain in mortal sin while praying the Rosary."
Pope John XXIII

"Thank you, my God, for placing in my heart such love for the pope."
Saint Josemaria Escriva

"Mary is about Yes's and No's that matter. No to sin. Yes to Jesus."
David Peterson

Dear CatholiCity Citizen,

We have arranged a special Easter gift for you from the Holy Father by way of a talented Catholic family. Every so often we line up an astounding offer from another Catholic apostolate. The discount is achingly steep because CatholiCity never takes a "cut" and the organization involved either breaks even or loses money. The offer below is a perfect example.

May is Mary's month, so we're giving the gift of the Rosary. Hang in there too for Burying Saint Joseph and a poem that beat Simon and Garfunkel to the punch...

But first, the offer, then the extraordinary explanation:

JP II ROSARY CDS FOR $5 EACH
Until May 30, 2004, Spirit Song Ministries is offering their incredible four Rosary recordings (in CD or Audio Tape) exclusively to CatholiCity Citizens and your friends for $10 for the first CD or tape, and $5 for as many additional titles as you want without limit. Free shipping. Here are the titles:

The Rosary of Joy
The Rosary of Light
The Rosary of Sorrow
The Rosary of Glory

Yes, four beautifully produced, full-length Rosary CDs or tapes for only $25, free shipping. Normally, including shipping and handling, each recording sells for around $20 (or $80 for all four recordings). There are three ways to order:

BY EMAIL
Email your phone number to Spirit Song and they will call you to take your order using a credit card. Or email your name, shipping address, title, CD or tape, quantity desired and Spirit Song will ship your order and send you a bill:

Mercysong@aol.com

BY PHONE
Call Spirit Song Ministries at 888.549.8009. (If you get a recording, leave your phone number and Spirit Song will call you back to take your order. They'll be quite busy over the next few days, so call back if the line is busy.)

BY MAIL
Send a check or money order made out to "Spirit Song Ministries" (or your VISA or Mastercard–name on card, card number and expiration date). Specify which titles, how many, CD or tape, and mail to:

Spirit Song Ministries
PO Box 486
Stockbridge MA 01262

Your CDs/tapes should arrive in 1 to 4 weeks.

Now for the story of how these four amazing recordings came to be and why they are so wonderful.

"To recite the Rosary is nothing other than to contemplate with Mary the face of Christ."
Pope John Paul II, Rosarium Virginis Mariae

A. THE POPE WAS QUITE SPECIFIC
In October of 2002 when the Holy Father introduced the Luminous Mysteries to the world in his apostolic letter, "Rosarium Virginis Mariae," Vinny Flynn's life changed forever.

Vinny and his family are well known for their beautiful Catholic music CDs from Spirit Song Ministries. As Vinny read the pope's letter, he was struck by the very specific requests the pope asked of all Catholics when they prayed the Rosary, including that as we pray, we should:

-Use an "unhurried pace."
-Meditate on "fruit of the mystery" prayers
-Sing the "Glory Be"
-Meditate on Scripture relating to the Mystery

Vinny and his incredibly talented musical family (who are akin to a modern version of the Von Trapps without the movie or being chased by Nazis) answered God's challenge to produce the first Rosary recording to comply with these specific requests of the Holy Father.

The Rosaries of Joy, Light, Sorrow, and Glory were born, and have been exploding in popularity every since, far surpassing any other recordings the Flynns have produced over the past two decades.

SOUND REASONS
There are very sound reasons why these are perhaps the best Rosary recordings ever produced for learning how to truly pray the Rosary in a contemplative union with Christ.

1. LIVE THE LIFE
Each recording is tantamount to watching or participating in the very Mysteries themselves. That is, the very design of the recordings fosters mystically living through the birth, ministry, passion, and resurrection of Christ. The genius of the Holy Father's plan shines through.

2. PLUNGE INTO THE SCENE
First, the Flynns carefully selected just-right Scripture passages following each Mystery. Then, with the help of composer Harry King, they produced background music in the manner of a movie soundtrack.

For instance, for the Wedding at Cana on the Rosary of Light CD, you will hear the related bible passage while subtly being drawn in by the festive, pitch-perfect "wedding" music unobtrusively playing in the foreground. Then (as the pope also requested) a musical pause continues as you imaginatively "attend" the Wedding Feast of Cana.

3. NEVER THE SAME
Your decades will then be crowned by a beautifully composed sung Glory Be. (Listeners tell Spirit Song Ministries that after praying with these recordings, not only do they feel as if they have lived through the Life of Christ, but they also report that the Glory Be will never be the same to them again.)

We can all thank the Holy Father. The Flynns answered his call, and because you're a part of CatholiCity, so can you.

We could go on an on about how wonderfully well-thought out these recordings are for those of us who have mumbled through our Rosaries for years while struggling mightily to stay contemplatively focused on the Mysteries. If you do take advantage of this offer, we urge you to order all four recordings for $25.

If you're struggling a bit in the cash-flow department, perhaps you can order the Rosary of Light CD or tape for only $10 (half price) to introduce yourself and your family to the new Luminous Mysteries.

FINAL TOUCH
And here is a nice touch: Each CD/tape features both a 25 and a 35 minute version of the particular Rosary–the longer version for deeper meditation and more complete Scripture passages to help you learn the Mysteries, plus a shorter version for everyday use.

There is no pressure. If you want to receive this gift, call or write to Spirit Song Ministries today.

B. FRUSTRATION FRUIT
On a related topic, there is a little gem of a page in CatholiCity called "A Beginners Guide to the Rosary." We composed this page out of frustration with the ordinary "guides" which leave out all the stuff nobody every tells folks who are new to praying in general, and new to praying the Rosary in particular. You'll find answers to not so obvious questions such as:

What is a novena?
What does it mean to "offer it up"?
What is a Plenary Indulgence?
What is a "full" Rosary?
Do you have to use Rosary beads?
How do you "meditate" on a Mystery?
Which Mysteries do you say on which weekday?

http://www.catholicity.com/prayersdevotions/rosary.html

C. PEPPER AND PAPRIKA
If the Spirit Song Ministries is the BMW of Rosary Recordings, then the Mary Foundation Rosary (always free in CD or audio tape) is the Ford F-150 Pick-Up with roll-down windows and a manual gearbox. No music. No extra prayers. Only one version: just 17 minutes long. Ideal for every-day use and right-sure hauling of grace during your commute. Help yourselves:

https://secure.catholicity.com/order.html

D. RIGHTSIDE UP
We have a comment on the so-called "tradition" of burying a statue of Saint Joseph upside-down in hopes of selling your house. We suggest he be dug up, cleaned off, and placed with care and ceremony on the mantle piece. Follow with sincere daily prayers to have him teach us how to be like Jesus. (Your house will sell.)

E. CLICK CHANGE
Consider joining many others who now make CatholiCity their homepage. On most Windows browsers, you can make it so with one click here:

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

QUOTE OF THE MONTH
"Skill and confidence are an unconquered army."
George Herbert

POEM OF THE MONTH
Have you heard silence singing in the twilight,
When all is hushed and gray,
When black and still across white pools
Unrippled shadows lay?
When from the marshlands rose the mists uncurling,
And not a wind-breath stirred,
And not a cricket quavered from the meadow,
Nor note of bird--
Have you not heard silence murmurously singing
Into your ear,
A magic music wrung from depth of shadow
And of fear?
(from "Transmutation" by Eleanor Downing)

F. NOT JUST FOR DINNER
The Holy Trinity has prepared graces for us today, if we but ask, and in the asking, we receive what is needed for spiritual sustenance, and in receiving we are grateful, so in anticipation of the Father's gift, let us pray a simple prayer of Thanksgiving together, all of us together...

"Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive, from Thy bounty, through Christ, Our Lord. Amen."

Out.

With Our Lady,

Your Friends at CatholiCity