A Journey of Faith

 The following is the 7^th in a series of talks by one of our employees relating the amazing healing power and love of God in her life.

Dear Readers,

Over the years, I have accumulated quite a collection of rosaries…some very old and well prayed, some very pretty, some having sentimental value. Some have hung on the walls in my home, but, it wasn’t until about 2 ½ years ago that I actually felt “Our Lady’s Lasso” tugging at me from the dark recesses of the dresser drawer. I pulled one out, found a “How to” booklet, and began to pray. And I prayed the rosary each day for the next 2 ½ years and continue this practice to this day. I have come to understand that the Holy Rosary, given to us by Our Lady in the early 13^th century, is one of the Catholic Church’s greatest treasures and a powerful weapon against evil, converting sinners and obtaining graces for the just. Praying the Rosary allowed my relationship with Christ to deepen as I meditated upon the mysteries of His incarnation, passion, death and resurrection, not to mention the prayers for others I could offer on each of the 59 beads. That covers a lot of intentions!

My prayer life was growing and deepening. Prayer became my language of love to the Lord. I began to count my blessings, rather than dwell on my sufferings. And He drew me closer and closer. I began to reach out from beyond myself to the needs of others. So many people need our prayers, yet we become so self focused in our day to day lives, we forget. God began to answer me in ways that made me so aware of the awesome power of prayer in my life. He was listening and answering, not always as I had hoped or expected, but He was answering, and I began trusting in Him, listening to Him and surrendering my will to His. This process certainly has not been easy for me.

The tug of war of my will vs. His will had just begun. I wanted to “let go and let God”, but my ego did not want to surrender to the unknown. I was holding on tight to that which was familiar and I needed to feel I was in control of my own life. I was too afraid of where God might lead me. What if I didn’t want to go there? The problem was, I wouldn’t find the peace and joy I was praying for as long as I held on to this need to control all the events of my life and I would continue to be weighed down by so much burden on a daily basis. I can be pretty strong willed, so God’s task was not an easy one with me. He tugged and I tugged back, for quite some time. Finally, I don’t know how it happened, I just let go, reached out for His hand and was consumed by an indescribable peace and joy and felt His infinite love envelop me. This was God’s gift to me on Christmas morning 2006. It was the most beautiful gift I had ever received. I was moving forward on my journey, but I would face many bumps in the road as I continued on.

May His Peace find you,

Aline

 

Don’t Ever Do Business With Catholic Online

After having to threaten legal action in order to get our Catholic Liturgical Library data released to us last month after they shut down the site without warning, Catholic Online (Catholic.org) has figured out a way to outdo themselves in the poor customer service realm.

Catholic Online created a company called Catholic Financial Services which is basically a Paypal knock-off. A couple of years ago we were in talks with them to use Catholic Financial Services as a payment option on our website. Fortunately, they broke all our agreements and we never implemented the integration. However, we did keep our account open for possible future testing.

When people give money to Catholic Online, they are given an option of giving money through Catholic Financial Services to a member business / charity. We have had a few people give us money in this manner. On the 17th of March we requested a withdrawal of funds from Catholic Financial Services. This last Wednesday our accountant said that the money never came through so I went on-line and found that the funds were “processing” – twelve days later.

I called CFS and left a voice message on Wednesday. I called and left a voice message on Thursday with both Catholic Financial Services and Catholic Online and sent CFS an email asking why the funds hadn’t been transferred. I also spoke to a rep at Catholic Online who said she would pass along the message. Today, still having not received a reply, I called CFS and actually got a live person. This is the first time in over a year that I have ever gotten a live person on the line there. I asked for a status on my funds and was put on hold. For HALF AN HOUR. I hung up and called Catholic Online again and was told to leave a message on the CFS voicemail. I asked to speak to Art Marquez, their director of IT and was put on hold for fifteen minutes before being dumped to voicemail.

Now all calls I make go directly to voicemail.

If anyone out there is considering doing business with either Catholic Online (catholic.org) or Catholic Financial Services (catholicfs.org), think twice. These people have no qualms in breaking their word and have a total disregard for customer service. They make honest Catholics look bad.

Can You Trust Alexa Rankings?

Alexa is an Amazon-owned company that ranks websites based on traffic and page views. The quality of these rankings has been greatly debated and the best that can be said about them is that the closer the ranking is to the top, the more accurate it is. (Yahoo, MSN and Google are the top three).

For the past couple of years our Alexa traffic rankings have hovered around 250,000 after being up around 30,000 in 2004. I have never understood this since our traffic and sales have been increasing, not decreasing. This past week our traffic rank skyrocketed up to 80,000. Did we experience a flood of new customers? Did we get linked to by some really big sites? Nope. The only thing we did was move our site to a new server. The site is much faster than before but we did not do anything that should have improved our traffic ranking by a multiple of three. Do I trust Alexa? Nope. Am I glad our “ranking” is improving? Yep. I just wish I could explain why.

An Advent Thought for Holy Week

It is Advent. All our answers remain fragmentary. The first thing we have to accept is, ever and again, this reality of an enduring Advent. If we do that, we shall begin to realize that the borderline between “before Christ” and “after Christ” does not run through historical time, in an outward sense, and cannot be drawn on any map; it runs through our own hearts. Insofar as we are living on a basis of selfishness, of egoism, then even today we are “before Christ”. But in this time of Advent, let us ask the Lord to grant that we may live less and less “before Christ”, and certainly not “after Christ”, but truly with Christ and in Christ: with Him who is indeed, Christ yesterday, today, and forever.

– What it Means to Be a Christian, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI

Easter, the Great Feast is April 8th

Easter, the Great Feast, is Sunday, April 8

“In the acute pain of the Suffering Servant we already hear the triumphant cry of the Risen Lord. Christ on the cross is King of the new people ransomed from the burden of sin and death. However twisted and confused the course of history may appear, we know that, by walking in the footsteps of the Crucified Nazarene, we shall attain the goal. Amid the conflicts of a world often dominated by selfishness and hatred, we, as believers, are called to proclaim the victory of Love. Today, Good Friday, we testify to the victory of Christ Crucified….

Yes, we adore you, Lord, lifted up upon the cross between heaven and earth, the sole Mediator of our salvation. Your cross is the banner of our victory!”

– words of Pope John Paul II in the Coliseum at Rome during the Way of the Cross, March 29, 2002, excerpt from the book Lent and Easter: Wisdom from Pope John Paul II

a selection of books on prayer for this Holy Season:

Earthen Vessels: The Practice Of Personal Prayer According To The Church Fathers Author: Fr. Gabriel Bunge, O.S.B.	Holiness: A Guide For Beginners Author: Dom Hubert Van Zeller	Prayer Primer: Igniting A Fire Within Author: Fr. Thomas Dubay, S.M.
Hungry for God Author: Ralph Martin	Sign Of The Cross: Recovering the Power of the Ancient Prayer Author: Bert Ghezzi	The World Of Prayer Author: Adrienne von Speyr

We feature and highly recommend the Navarre Study Bible for both personal study and devotional use:

Gospels & Acts Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts of the Apostles The Navarre Bible – Text and Commentaries	The Letters of Saint PaulNavarre Bible – Texts and Commentaries	Revelation, Hebrews, And Catholic Epistles Navarre Bible – Texts and Commentaries
Pentateuch The Navarre Bible – Text and Commentaries	Major Prophets Navarre Bible – Texts and Commentaries	The Psalms And The Song Of Solomon Navarre Bible, Text and Commentaries

 

 

For our complete selection of other volumes in the Navarre Study Bibles series and other recommended study Bible resources, please click here.

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“Christ has become our Paschal Sacrifice; let us feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, alleluia.” – the Communion Antiphon from the Easter Vigil liturgy of the Roman Rite.

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On April 2, 2005, our Holy Father of blessed memory, Pope John Paul II died. In honor of this anniversary, we feature the following selected items by and about the late and great Pope John Paul II:

Go In Peace: A Gift of Enduring Love Author: Pope John Paul II	John Paul the Great: Maker of the post-conciliar church Author: William Oddie	John Paul II: The Great Mercy Pope Author: Rev. George W Kosicki, CSB
Pope John Paul II Tribute T-Shirt	The Teachings of Pope John Paull II: A Personal Guide Through the Life and Work of Pope John Paul II, CD	The Gospel Rosary Of Pope John Paul II, CD Author: Still Waters
Credo DVD John Paul II	Pope John Paul II DVD	Witness to Hope (DVD) The Life of Karol Wojtyla – Pope John Paul II
Brass Papal Crucifix Rosary Box	John Paul II Pewter Commemorative Rosary	Silver Plated Pewter Papal Crucifix Necklace

Browse our huge selection of beautiful rosaries by clicking here.

 

“The Bishops – successors of the Apostles”

“In order that the mission entrusted to them might be continued after their death, (the Apostles) consigned, by will and testament, as it were, to their immediate collaborators the duty of completing and consolidating the work they had begun, urging them to tend to the whole flock, in which the Holy Spirit had appointed them to shepherd the Church of God. They accordingly designated such men and then made the ruling that likewise on their death other proven men should take over their ministry.

Just as the office which the Lord confided to Peter alone, as first of the Apostles, destined to be transmitted to his successors, is a permanent one, so also endures the office, which the apostles received, of shepherding the Church, a charge destined to be exercised without interruption by the sacred order of bishops. Hence the Church teaches that ‘the bishops have by divine institution taken the place of the apostles as pastors of the Church, in such ways that whoever listens to them is listening to Christ and whoever despises them despises Christ and him who sent Christ.”

– from the Catechism of the Catholic Church # 861, 862

We carry a large selection of Catechisms and catechetical resources, please click here to view.

Why We Don’t Carry Certain Books

Why we don’t (and won’t) carry certain authors: Its all about orthodoxy and being faithful to the teachings of the Church. Here’s a great website to get more information about authors whose works we simply won’t carry:

www.ourladyswarriors.org/dissent/disspeop.htm

A Journey of Faith

 This is the 6^th in series of talks by one of our employees relating the amazing healing power and love of God in her life.

Dear Readers,

At home, I have a t-shirt that reads: Have you talked to your Mother lately? On the back, it reads:

Hail Mary, full of grace
the Lord is with thee
Blessed art thou amongst women
and Blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus
Holy Mary, Mother of God
Pray for us sinners
Now, and at the hour of our death
Amen

I don’t really know how to explain to you what drew me to Mary as the means by which I could begin to develop a close relationship with Jesus without remembering Jesus’ words to John from the Cross and, likewise, His words to Mary:

“Woman, there is your son.” In turn He said to the disciple, “There is your mother.” John 19:26-27

At that moment, we, as children of God, would never be left without a mother, a mother honored by God while on earth and exalted in Heaven after her death. The time had come to talk to my Mother.

I spent time thinking about the extraordinary love of the Blessed Mother for her Son, our Savior, and the example she set for all of humanity during her life, submitting herself entirely to the will of the Father, trusting Him in everything, no matter the personal cost to her. I imagined the tenderness and beauty of Mary, a mother not unlike any other expectant mother as she worked to prepare the nest for the Infant soon to enter her life. I imagined the humility and love she must have felt toward the unborn Child, Jesus. Within a short time, this mother would kiss the very Face of God. She, with St. Joseph, would nurture and raise to adulthood, the very Creator of the Universe!

I cannot even begin to imagine the pain and anguish Mary felt when the time came for Jesus to fulfill the will of the Father. Yet, she was so completely united with Him that she would desire to feel within her own mind and body His pain and suffering, to be one with Him during His Passion. Mary gathered the strength and courage out of such an intense love to follow her Son to the very end of His earthly life. Like Jesus, Mary would never stop praying for those who tortured and murdered her Son, perfectly imitating Christ by her example.

…”He is the life of my soul and the soul of my life…His suffering became my suffering, because His Heart was mine…And just as Adam and Eve sold the world for an apple, so in a certain sense my Son and I redeemed the world with one Heart.” Excerpt from The Life of Mary as seen by the Mystics

And so, as I meditated on the Passion of my Savior, His mother always close, contemplating the intimacy of this relationship, the profound love, grief, suffering and forgiveness displayed for all of mankind, my heart swelled with love and the closeness I felt to Christ was indescribable. I came to understand the intimate relationship He desires with each of His children whom He created in His own image. He truly was becoming for me the Light of the World, and His Light began to fill my soul.

God bless you,

Aline

The Easter Season Is Near

 

The Easter Season is near …

“The Paschal Mystery has two aspects: by his death, Christ liberates us from sin; by his Resurrection, He opens for us the way to a new life. This new life is above all justification that reinstates us in God’s grace, ‘so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in the newness of life.’ Justification consists in both victory over death caused by sin and a new participation in grace. It brings about filial adoption so that men become Christ’s brethren, as Jesus himself called his disciples after his Resurrection: ‘Go and tell my brethren.’ We are brethren not by nature, but by the gift of grace, because that adoptive filiation gains us a real share in the life of the only Son, which was fully revealed in his Resurrection.”

– Catechism of the Catholic Church, 656

A selection of titles for growing in the Faith through the study of Sacred Scripture this Easter Season:

 

The Seven Last Words Of Christ: A Bible Study On Jesus’ Passion Author: Rich Cleveland	The King, Crucified And Risen: Meditations On The Passion And Glory Of Christ Author: Fr. Benedict J Groeschel, C.F.R.	The Words of the Risen Christ A Bible Study on Jesus’ Resurrection Author: Rich Cleveland
Behold, God’s Son! Author: Christoph Cardinal Schonborn	Mystery Of The Kingdom: On The Gospel Of Matthew Author: Edward Sri	Scripture Matters: Essays On Reading The Bible From The Heart Of The Church Author: Dr. Scott Hahn, Ph.D

A selection of our best Catholic Bibles for personal devotional use and for gift-giving:

Oxford Hardcover New American Study Bible, Second Edition	Black Bonded Leather Indexed New American Bible	The Catholic Bible: Personal Study Edition, NAB, Second Edition, Hardcover
Douay-Rheims Bible	Ignatius Catholic Bible, RSV, Second Catholic Edition	Burgundy Indexed Leather Catholic RSV Bible

 

To browse our complete selection of Catholic Bibles, click here.

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“Christ has become our Paschal Sacrifice; let us feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, alleluia.” – the Communion Antiphon from the Easter Vigil liturgy of the Roman Rite.

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A selection of beautiful religious art for the Easter Season:

The Incredulity of Saint Thomas Fine Art Print, By Caravaggio Author: Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio	San Damiano Style Sterling Silver Crucifix With Gold Accents	Return of the Prodigal Son Author: Rembrandt
Resurrection Icon	Resurrection Icon	Good Shepherd Icon

A selection of books for children for this Easter Season:

Story Of Jesus Author: Fr. Lawrence G Lovasik, S.V.D.	Easter Author: Fiona French	Burgundy Catholic Picture Bible
Come And See – The Life Of Jesus: Catholic Bible Study For Children Author: Laurie Watson Manhardt, Ph.D.	Magnifikid April 2007	10 More Good Reasons to Be a Catholic Author: Jim Auer

To view the remaining items on final markdown in our annual clearance sale, please click here:


A selection of beautiful music on CD for the Easter Season

O Love Divine, CD Author: His Majesty’s Musicians

John Rutter Gloria And Other Sacred Music/Polyphony, CD

Shining Like the Sun: The Chants of Transfiguration, CD

To browse through more of our extraordinary music selection, please click here:

 

“On this (day) of Resurrection everything begins anew; creation regains its authentic meaning in the plan of salvation. It is like a new beginning of history and of the cosmos, because Christ is risen ‘the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep’ (1 Corinthians 15:20). Christ, the ‘last Adam,’ has become ‘a life-giving spirit’ (1 Corinthians 15:45).

The same sin of our forefathers is sung in the Easter Proclamation as felix culpa. ‘O happy fault, which gained for us so great a Redeemer!’ Where sin abounded, grace now abounds all the more, and ‘the stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone …’ (Psalm 118:22) of an indestructible spiritual edifice.

On this holy (day) … a new people is born with whom God has sealed an eternal covenant in the blood of the Word made flesh, crucified and risen.”

– words of Pope John Paul II in his Easter Vigil homily 2003 – from the book “Lent and Easter: Wisdom from Pope John Paul II.”

New Document on the Eucharist, Sacramentum Caritatis, Has Been Released

I have posted the entire text at The Catholic Liturgical Library. You can also read it at the Vatican website.

A couple of thoughts which I hope to follow up with some more analysis later.

• If you were hoping for a document that was going to be as strong and encouraging as the list of propositions presented to the Pope by the bishops from the eucharistic synod, you are going to be disappointed.
• If you were hoping for something that would address liturgical problems in some fashion that may curtail some of the silliness that still persists, you are going to be disappointed.
• If you like the fact that recent Church documents have expressed a preference for the tabernacle to be in a highly visible place within the sanctuary, you are going to be disappointed.
• If you hoped that the document would do something to promote the use of Latin and sacred music in the parish setting, you are going to be mostly disappointed.
• If you were hoping for a theological treatise on the meaning and importance of the Eucharist, you are going to enjoy this document.

A couple of interesting things I noticed:

• The document calls for the creation of a Eucharistic Compendium that “will assemble texts from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, prayers, explanations of the Eucharistic Prayers of the Roman Missal and other useful aids for a correct understanding, celebration and adoration of the Sacrament of the Altar”. This could be a very good book on its own.
• A footnote mentions the possibility of moving the sign of peace to a different part of the Mass.
• There is a very nice discourse on the complementarity of pastoral care and Church law and how the two, when properly understood are not in conflict. I have frequently heard “being pastoral” as an excuse for breaking Church law as if the two are somehow opposed to each other.

A Journey of Faith 5

Dear Readers,

 

This week, the Lord is remaining quiet with me, but I wish to share with you a beautiful reading on the back of a holy card. It speaks to me so deeply of how we can imitate Christ in our daily lives, thus glorifying Him during our brief stay here on earth. I hope it will touch your hearts as well.

 

“Learning Christ”

Teach me, my Lord, to be sweet
and gentle
in all the events of life –
in disappointments,
in the thoughtlessness of others,
in the insincerity of those I trusted,
in the unfaithfulness of those on whom
I relied.
Let me put myself aside,
to think of the happiness of others
to hide my little pains and heartaches,
so that I may be the only one to suffer
from them.
Teach me to profit by the suffering that
comes across my path.
Let me so use it that it may mellow me,
not harden nor embitter me;
that it may make me more patient, not
irritable.
That it may make me broad in my
forgiveness, not narrow, haughty and
overbearing.
May no one be less good for having come
within my influence.  No one less pure, less
true, less kind, less noble for having been
a fellow-traveler in our journey toward
ETERNAL LIFE.
As I go my rounds from one distraction
to another, let me whisper from time to
time, a word of love to Thee.  May my life
be lived in the supernatural, full of power
for good, and strong in its purpose of
sanctity.

 

May God continue to bless you,

Aline