The CatholiCity Message

Volume XVII, Number 4 – May 31, 2013

Dear CatholiCity Citizen,

I missed you. We need your prayers, and I believe many souls hang in the balance. Here we go...

SEVEN GIFTS OR SIX EFFECTS?
My third oldest son, Xavier Aquinas Macfarlane (no pressure with that name) was recently confirmed by the Bishop of Cleveland. For review, here are the famous Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit:

Wisdom
Understanding
Counsel
Fortitude (Courage)
Knowledge
Piety
Fear of the Lord

And here are the lesser-known Six Effects of Confirmation:

Increases and deepens baptismal grace.
Causes us to cry out "Abba, Father."
Unites us more firmly to Christ.
Increases the Spirit's gifts.
Bonds us more to the Church.
Strengthens us to proclaim our faith boldly.

GETTING MORE ON GETTING MORE HOLY SPIRIT
CatholiCity has long been the home of the Catechism of the Catholic Church Simplified, and you might enjoy a two-minute refresher on the Sacrament of Confirmation found therein. Just keep clicking on the "next" link:

http://www.catholicity.com/catechism/confirmation.html

CATHOLIC STAT YOU DID NOT KNOW
Did you know that 500,000 Catholics go to Mass every day in the United States? This is impressive and comforting, yet only equals one out of every six hundred Americans. I pray for you after Communion, every day, year after year. I have never been shy about encouraging you, if at all possible, to attend daily Mass to receive Jesus. I recently spoke with a longtime Mary Foundation benefactor in Indiana who had this insight: his growing conviction that the best hope for America if for us to remain faithful to the basics: morning prayer, praying the Rosary, fasting, and going to daily Mass.

CATHOLIC QUOTES

"My religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to be always ready. That is the way all men should live, and then all would be equally brave."
Stonewall Jackson

"If there were no other proof of the infinite patience of God with men, a very good one could be found in His tolerance of the pictures that are painted of him."
Thomas Merton

"The Church's mission, simply put, is to help as many people on earth to get to heaven as possible before the world is shut down and Jesus comes in glory to judge the living and the dead."
Fr. John McCloskey

"Jesus' secretary of His Mercy, Saint Faustina, was taken during her life to hell by an angel, and was amazed to learn that the majority of souls suffering in hell for all eternity, didn't believe in hell while they lived on earth."
Bud Macfarlane Sr.

"Praying is singing half."
G.K. MacBrien

"Are we not perhaps all afraid in some way? If we let Christ enter fully into our lives, if we open ourselves totally to him, are we not afraid that He might take something away from us? Are we not perhaps afraid to give up something significant, something unique, something that makes life so beautiful? Do we not then risk ending up diminished and deprived of our freedom? No! If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful and great. No! Only in this friendship are the doors of life opened wide. Only in this friendship is the great potential of human existence truly revealed. Only in this friendship do we experience beauty and liberation. And so, today, with great strength and great conviction, on the basis of long personal experience of life, I say to you, dear young people: Do not be afraid of Christ! He takes nothing away, and he gives you everything. When we give ourselves to him, we receive a hundredfold in return. Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ -- and you will find true life. Amen."
Pope Benedict XVI

"No one loses heaven except by human fault."
Saint Thomas Aquinas

MORE CONVENIENT?
I am quite sure most of you do not know you can support the Mary Foundation and CatholiCity on a monthly basis via credit card donation. For some of you, this is a helpfully convenient option. It is easy to "drop out" at any time. Your support allows others to change lives using our free CDs, novels, and booklets. Learn more here:

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

SOME JUNE FEASTS AND SAINTS
Sunday, June 2, Feast of Corpus Christi (Holy Body and Blood of Christ)
Wednesday, June 5, Saint Boniface
Friday, June 7, Sacred Heart of Jesus
Saturday, June 8, Immaculate Heart of Mary
Thursday, June 13, Saint Anthony of Padua (The WD-40 of Saints!)
Saturday, June 29, Saints Peter and Paul

PRAYING THE ANIMA CHRISTI TOGETHER
As you read above, the Feast of Corpus Christi is this Sunday, so there is no better time to review one of the most edifying post-Communion prayers ever composed, and for all of us to pray it together, tens of thousands of us, for the special intention for the Mary Foundation I mentioned at the start. In sum, we have four booklets ready to go to print and have run into a delay that is frustratingly beyond our control. I expect you will use these booklets to convert more souls than all our other materials combined. Usually we pray together for your intentions, and although this prayer will help all of us by bringing grace into our lives, I come to you for help, begging on behalf of souls who may otherwise not choose heaven, knowing no other way to overcome the delay. Please pray with me and your tens of thousands of fellow CatholiCity Citizens for this delay to be overcome swiftly, with supernatural intervention as needed, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Spirit...

Soul of Christ, make me holy.
Body of Christ, be my salvation.
Blood of Christ, let me drink your wine.
Water flowing from the side of Christ, wash me clean.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
Kind Jesus, hear my prayer,
Hide me within your wounds,
And keep me close to you.
Defend me from the evil enemy,
And call me at the hour of my death
To the fellowship of your saints
That I might sing your praise with them for all eternity. Amen.

MORE ON THE ANIMA CHRISTI
Thank you, I am truly grateful! The Anima Christi was composed by Saint Ignatius of Loyola, who literally laid the spiritual foundations of the Jesuits, one of the most influential religious orders in the history of the world, upon the contemplation of the Passion of Christ. It is said that Saint Ignatius could not gaze upon a Crucifix without being moved to tears of joy by his ardent desire to suffer and die with Our Lord in anticipation of heaven.

As with the Saint Michael Prayer, there are several closely-related English translations floating around, with a version by Cardinal Newman we just prayed the most poetic. A contemplative recitation of this prayer directly after receiving the Holy Eucharist can be truly mystical. Poetry aside, this is a gritty, carnal prayer.

Consider making a firm commitment to memorize the Anima Christi. Your goal should be to know this prayer as well as you know the Our Father and the Hail Mary. You will imbibe graces for the length of your life if you invest in this little bit of memorization.

Thank you for being a part of our work. CatholiCity Citizens are the best!

With Immaculate Mary,

Bud Macfarlane
Founder