Saturday, April 20, 2024

Michael Dubruiel on the Catholic Mass

    Eucharist means..."thanksgiving"


Michael Dubruiel wrote a book to help people deepen their experience of the Mass.  He titled it, How to Get the Most Out of the Eucharist.  You can read about it here. 


Excerpt


H E N O U R I N D WA N D E R S
One of the most frequent complaints that people who genuinely want to get more out of the Eucharist raise is that they find that their mind wanders at Mass. The cause of their distraction may be as simple a question as “Did I turn off the car lights?” or as weighty a concern as “I wonder how I’m going to pay the mortgage or rent this month?” It is understandable, given the hectic pace of life, that when we try to quiet ourselves in the presence of God we often find that our minds are cluttered with many distracting thoughts.
ELP FROM THE FATHERS OF THE HURCH
For often in the very sacrifice of praise urgent thoughts press themselves upon us, that they should have force to carry off or pollute what we are sacrificing in ourselves to God with weeping eyes. Whence when Abraham at sunset was offering up the sacrifice, he was troubled by birds of prey sweeping down on the carcasses, but he diligently drove them off,so that they might not carry off the sacrifice being offered up (cf. Gen. 15:11). So let us, when we offer a holocaust to God upon the altar of our hearts, keep it from birds of


37
prey that the evil spirits and bad thoughts may not seize upon that which our mind hopes it is offering up to God to a good end.
— S T. G REGORY THE REAT

When Jesus came to visit the two sisters of Lazarus, the sister named Mary sat at Jesus’s feet and listened to him while the other sister, Martha, feverously worked in the kitchen to entertain their houseguest. Finally Martha came to Jesus and complained about the fact that Mary wasn’t helping her. Wandering minds, worriers, and a host of others don’t like what Jesus told Martha: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful.Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41–42).
I was discussing the topic of this book with a priest and he told me that in his many years of presiding at the Eucharist in churches around the world he thought that the organist was the most distracted member of almost every parish, “always fiddling with the music for the next piece, kind of a visual mind wandering.” It is easy to be caught up in worrying about doing a good job to the point that we forget why we are doing the job. Jesus tells the Martha in all of us, “One thing is needful.”




When we come to the Eucharist, are we adoring God, or worshipping something else?

Friday, April 19, 2024

Michael Dubruiel: Book on Catholic Social Teaching (3)

     To help emphasize the role of the Works of Mercy in the Life of the Christian!


"Michael Dubruiel"

While this book was being written, Father Benedict was involved in a horrific accident that nearly took his life. At the time of the accident the text he was working on was in his suitcase. He had just finished the introduction to "When I was a stranger..." as you read over the text for that section you might sense that he was having a premonition of what was about to happen in his life-where he would soon be in an emergency room under the care of doctors, nurses and as well as his family and religious community.
You will find that this book provides you with keys to finding Our Lord in the poor, and to overcoming the fears and obstacles (represented by the seven deadly sins in each section) that prevent you from responding to His call.

Thursday, April 18, 2024

Michael Dubruiel: Book on Catholic Social Teaching (2)

    

Books by Michael Dubruiel

To help emphasize the role of the Works of Mercy in the Life of the Christian!


"Michael Dubruiel"

While the Bishop and Father Benedict were working on the written text of the book I came across a stunning work of iconography one day while visiting an Eastern Catholic church. On the back wall of the church was an icon of the Last Judgment taken from Matthew 25. I found that the great iconographer Mila Mina had written the icon. I immediately contacted Mila and asked if the icon might be used as an illustration for this book, her response was "anything to make the Gospel known!" Thanks to Mila and her son Father John Mina for allowing Joyce Duriga and David Renz to photograph the icon at Ascension of Our Lord Byzantine Catholic Church, Clairton, PA.
Fr. Groeschel has written the introductory text that begins each section as well as the final "What Should I Do?" at the end of the book, and Bishop Baker has written the individual meditations and prayers contained in each of the six sections.

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Michael Dubruiel: Book on Catholic Social Teaching (1)

   To help emphasize the role of the Works of Mercy in the Life of the Christian!

The genesis of this book was inspired by a set of talks that Father Benedict J. Groeschel C.F.R., gave several years ago in the Diocese of Manchester, NH. At the time while researching material for a project I was working on I came across an advertisement for the talks and found both the title and topic striking. The topic seemed to fit Father Benedict's lifetime of working among the poor and raising money to help their plight. I approached him, shortly after listening to the tapes and asked him to consider doing a book version. He liked the idea but was reluctant to pursue the project alone due to the shortage of time available to work on it.
"Michael Dubruiel"
Unwilling to let go of the project, I approached another friend of the poor, Bishop Robert J. Baker of the Diocese of Charleston. I knew that Bishop Baker's priestly ministry had been devoted to finding Christ in the poor and with a wealth of experience he had in this area that if I could join his thoughts with Fr. Groeschel' s we would have a book that would be of great benefit to the rest of us. After approaching Bishop Baker with my request he agreed and then Father Benedict agreed to collaborate on this book.

Monday, April 15, 2024

Eucharistic Revival Resources

  Maybe you are a recent convert, or perhaps you've attended Mass your whole life, but there are still things that puzzle you, like: when you should genuflect and when you should bow; what the different books used at Mass are and what they contain; the meaning of words like "Amen," "Alleluia," or "Hosanna"; what to do during the sign of peace.

You aren't alone.

The How-to Book of the Mass by Michael Dubruiel  not only provides the who, what, where, when, and why of the most time-honored traditions of the Catholic Church, but also the how. All in an easy-to-read, easy-to-understand format.

In this complete guide to the celebration of the Eucharist you get: Step-by-step guidelines to walk you through the Mass

Biblical background of the prayers of the Mass. 

Insights from the Tradition and teaching of the Church

Practical aid to overcoming distractions

Concrete ways to grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ at every Mass

A handy study guide for individual or group use


"michael Dubruiel"


A sample:


WHERE DOES THE TERM "MASS" COME FROM?

It is very possible that you may not know what "Mass" means. After all, you probably have always heard the Mass said in your own language. But "Mass" is derived from the way the Mass was ended in Latin.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

"Mass" is an English rendering of the Latin term "missa.” In Latin the Mass ends with "Ite missa est,” which translated into English means "Go, it is sent" the "it" being the Church.
From the Latin word "missa" comes the English word "dismiss." So "Mass" means "dismissal." The celebration takes its name from the sending forth that occurs at the end of every Mass.

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Sunday, April 14, 2024

Eucharistic Revival

  A Pocket Guide to the Mass by Michael Dubruiel walks you through the biblical basis of prayers, the meaning behind gestures, and a brief overview of the spirituality that brings Catholics together for Eucharist each week.

Reenergize your time at Mass or help those who are new or returning to the Church with this quick and insightful overview. Rediscover the fullness of the Mass today!


"michael Dubruiel"


Saturday, April 13, 2024

Eucharistic Revival

  

"michael Dubruiel"


Consider this book as a way to deepen your love for the Eucharist during this year of Eucharistic Revival. 


Serve-Adores-Confess-Respond-Incline-Fast-Invite-Commune-Evangelize.


SACRIFICE.


Filled with stories, solid prayer-helps, and sound advice, HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THE EUCHARIST by Michael Dubruiel shows you how to properly balance the Mass as a holy banquet with the Mass as a holy sacrifice. This books guides readers to embrace the Mass as the most powerful way to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ.