What Happens in Your Church Before Mass Begins?

Amy would blame me for either of us being able to answer this one...Let Mary Jane know what happens at your church at Sacred Miscellany: Preludes, Anyone?

Franciscan Friars of the Renewal Redesigned Website

Franciscan Friars of the Renewal

Final Day of the 30 Day Appeal--Be a Customer Evangelist!

Today is the final day of our 30 day appeal in which I'm asking the readers of this blog and Amy's Open Book to consider buying one copy of her excellent book Here. Now. A Catholic Guide to the Good Life.and of my How To Get The Most Out Of The Eucharist--two books that can help you or your Catholic friends find true joy by deepening their relationship with God as Catholics.

Our recent journey to Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Washington was a great confirmation of the good that we Catholics can do if we decide to become a proactive force in the Church as opposed to a reactive drain. There are many good and holy people in the pews out there and there are good and holy bishops and priests out there as well! Support them with your prayers and with good materials such as the two books I'm recomending.

If you already own a copy of both books, thank you again and again! I'm sure you have found them to be both challenging and an excellent way to get more from your Faith. Please consider buying another copy of both to give as a gift to your Catholic friends, you might even consider organizing a study group built around both books. At the end of this appeal I'm asking you to be a customer evangelist...ask your local bookstore to carry our books, ask your parish bookstore to carry the books, invite us to come and speak to your groups.

At the end of the thirty-day period Amy and I will donate whatever royalties we earn from the sales of these books to Food for the Poor. We will keep you abreast of how much there is to donate daily!

Thank you and may God bless you!

Pope John Paul on Sacrifice and the Mass (Subject of "How to Get the Most Out of the Eucharist"):

It is true that the sacrifice of Calvary was enough to obtain all the graces of salvation for mankind: the Eucharistic sacrifice but gathers the fruits. But Christ willed that His oblation should become continually present to join the Christian community together. The Eucharist is at one and the same time Christ's sacrifice and the Church's sacrifice, because in it Christ unites the Church with His redemptive work and lets the Church share His oblation.

How important it is, then, for the faithful, as they take part in the Eucharist, to assume a personal attitude of offering. It is not sufficient that they listen to the word of God, not that they pray in common. It is necessary for them to make Christ's oblation their own, offering up their pains, their difficulties, their trial, and even more themselves, together with Him and in Him as to make this gift rise even to the Father, with the gift which Christ makes of Himself.

Update: To date $249.82 will be donated to Food for the Poor...THANKS!

Amy on the NBC Today Show This Morning

If you are on the West Coast you can catch it at 7:39...open book: No, I wasn't there!

For a Touch of the Pope's Hand

Pilgrims reach out to touch the Pope's hands at todays General Audience.

Charges with Video

Monsignor is 79! She is 46...her husband hired a private investigator.



New York Daily News - Home - Affair charge rocks cleric

Update

After car trouble sidelined everyone but Amy on Thursday night and a quick battery replacement at a service station after a Pep Boys in Cherry Hill, NJ said it would take two hours to replace one there we rushed to make it to the National Gallery of Art where Dr. Jem Sullivan was waiting to give us a very nice overview of the religious art on exhibit there.