Lenten reading acclaimed by Mother Teresa, Fr. Groeschel, & Fr. Hardon

In Gethsemane, Jesus begged His disciples to "watch one hour" with Him.   This Lent will you finally manage to watch one hour with Jesus, or even grow closer to him in prayer? If you're uncertain, then consider this remarkable book, written in Jerusalem in the 1920s by a Dominican priest who lived there. It will make it easy for you to watch not just one hour with Jesus, but many.   "By means of this book," said Mother Teresa of Calcutta, "we enter right into the Heart of Jesus and discover how precious we are to Him and how much He longs for our love in return."   *    The late John Cardinal O'Connor called this book "beautiful, devotional, and insightful." *   Fr. Benedict Groeschel proclaimed it "a powerful aid to meditation" and Dr. Alice von Hildebrand says "This book should be in the hands of every single Christian."  That's because its author, Rev. A.D. Sertillanges (1863-1948), wrote with the care of a scholar, the eye of a cinematographer, and the tenderness of a saint. In the pages of this book, What Jesus Saw from the Cross, you'll be jostled by crowds as you enter Jerusalem with Jesus, choke on the dust of the narrow streets, breathe the rich smells of the city at festival time, and share the Last Supper with the disciples.   You'll weep in Gethsemane, witness the kiss of Judas and the lying accusations made before Herod and Pilate. You'll stumble with Jesus through narrow streets, bumped by pack animals and hawkers selling wares to the thrill-seeking crowd, sneering at the Cross Jesus bears.   You'll weep as soldiers drive home the nails and tremble as darkness covers the earth when Jesus dies. So intense is Fr. Sertillanges' account of Jesus' last days --- and so faithful to the Gospel --- that generations of Catholics have used What Jesus Saw from the Cross to prepare themselves for Easter.   *    The late Fr. John Hardon said that: "Father Sertillanges' book immerses us into every detail, every event, and every emotion that accompanies the drama of Christ's suffering and sacrifice on the cross. After reading this book, every Christian will experience the vivid sense of being an eyewitness to the death of His Lord and view the Crucifixion as a personal event that touches his daily life. This is a book for all times, for all places, and for all people, especially our own age." * * *   Will your faith grow this Lent, or will you settle with "just getting by?"   Join Mother Teresa, Cardinal O'Connor, Fr. Benedict Groeschel, Dr. Alice von Hildebrand, and countless other good Catholics who have nourished their faith with What Jesus Saw from the Cross. What Jesus Saw from the Cross  by Fr. A.G. Sertillanges 252 pages $18.95 Available in Paperback and Ebook   Order online HERE   Save 30% when you order the set:   Regular Price: $35.90 Order the set  at this link for only $24.99   This is the book you need for thosetimes in your life when even your most strenuous efforts to follow Christ end in frustration. Christian Self-Masteryexplains why following Him can be so difficult — and how you can start now to make progress even in the most vexing areas of your life. Author Fr. Basil W. Maturin insists that no matter how hard you’re trying now, you can have a better relationship with God and greater self-mastery — if you follow his simple steps to getting your passions in check and improving your knowledge of your own motives, desires, and fears. Fr. Maturin emphasizes the crucial role that self-discipline plays in your spiritual life and gives you solid ways you can distinguish it from counterfeits and avoid common mistakes people make when they try to change their habits and live for God. This extraordinary book will help you in myriad ways to rise above your limitations and truly meet God! Start on the way to true self-mastery as you learn: Why it’s dangerous for you to try to adopt a large number of spiritual disciplines all at once   Two ways to avoid self-deception when you look at yourself (caution: you’ll probably be surprised at who you really are!)   Self-discipline: how it will restore your soul to its full power. Three things you must have in order to gain this power   The mistake many people make when trying to rid themselves of evil thoughts: are you falling into this trap too?   Love: the holy school that will purify and ennoble yours — and help you steer clear of prevalent modern counterfeits   And more that will show you the value of self-mastery — and give you solid directions for attaining it! “Recommended for all!” Most Rev. Fabian Bruskewitz Bishop Emeritus of Lincoln   “A thought-provoking guide to bringing all of life into conformity with Christ. Essential for everyone who wants to overcome sin.” Patrick Madrid “Wise, clear, specific, fully biblical, and fully Catholic.” Thomas Howard “Timeless advice for personal self-discipline and perseverance in the spiritual life. I recommend this classic to all who seek a deeper understanding of themselves and of the Lord.” Edward Cardinal Egan Archbishop Emeritus of New York Save 30% when you order the set HERE       Order online above, or call 1-800-888-9344 www.SophiaInstitute.com Save up to 40% when you join Sophia's

Rewrite your story..

By: Bobby Quitain

I read a story once about a man named Alfred.

He was a Swedish chemist who made quite a fortune from his work of licensing weapons of mass destruction. One day, his brother died. A newspaper editor thought that the one who died was Alfred. The next day, Alfred sat at breakfast stunned while reading his own obituary. It indicated his name and a short description of him --- "a man who licensed weapons of mass destruction". Alfred thought to himself, "If I die today, this is how I will be remembered..."

On that day, Alfred came to a decision. He resigned from his job, and used his fortune to put up a foundation which worked for global peace. Today, this foundation awards people who work for peace. This foundation is known today as the Nobel Peace Prize. Such was the lasting legacy of Alfred Nobel.

Alfred Nobel decided to rewrite his story in order to determine how his story would end. The good news is this: Just like Alfred, we all have the power to rewrite our stories in order to determine how it would end.

And the Lenten Season is one of the best times to do just that.

Just because you were born in a broken family doesn't mean you should live a broken life. Rewrite your story now.

Just because you failed that board exam doesn't mean you're a failure. Rewrite your story now.

Just because you committed that big sin doesn't mean your soul is forever damned. There is still time. Rewrite your story now.

Just because you made some fatal mistakes doesn't mean you are sentenced to a lifetime of regrets. Rewrite your story now.

Jeremiah 29:11 says: "'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord 'Plans to prosper you and not to harm and to give you a future full of hope'..."

Claim this promise in this season of new beginnings.

Rewrite your story now!

Prayer to Heal a Relationship

Dear Lord,

I offer you this prayer, to help me with my current relationship situation. Please take away all the pain and hurt in my heart. Fill it with love, joy, patience, and understanding. Bless me and my partner, so that we may never surrender to whatever challenges that come our way. 

Fill our hearts with love for each other, and may you make each one of us realize each other’s worth. Please touch the heart of my partner, fill it with much love for me. Make our complicated relationship become uncomplicated. I seek for your mercy and blessing that you may allow us to spend the rest of our lives with each other. Please make this feeling mutual for both of us. Lead us not into temptations. Guide us wherever we go. Always put us in each other’s heart and mind. Thank you Lord for hearing my prayer. I love you. 

Amen.

The miracle of the Eucharist in Santarem, Portugal

Around the year 1225 there was a woman living in Santarem, who was very unhappy with her marriage. She was convinced that her husband did not love her, and was unfaithful. She initially tried numerous things to win back the affection of her husband, but to no avail. As a desperate last attempt, she went to a sorceress. The sorceress promised the wife that her husband would return to his loving ways, if the wife would bring her a Consecrated Host.

This of course greatly frightened the woman, because she knew it was sacrilege, but nevertheless she finally gave in. She went to Mass at the Church of St. Steven, and received Communion, but did not consume the Host. Instead, she left the Church immediately, and took the Host out of her mouth, putting It into her veil. She then went to the sorceress.

Along the way, the Host began to bleed inside the veil. The wife was not aware of it until passersby brought it to her attention, thinking she herself was bleeding. Panic struck the woman and instead of going to the sorceress’ house, she rushed home. She then put the bloody veil containing the Host into the bottom of a trunk, not knowing what else to do. When her husband came home, she said nothing.

Later in the night they were awakened by mysterious bright rays of light coming from the trunk, penetrating the wood and illuminating the entire room. The wife then confessed her sin to her husband and both of them knelt in adoration for the remaining hours until dawn, when the parish priest was summoned.

News of the mysterious event spread quickly and attracted countless people who wanted to contemplate the miracle. Because of the furor, an episcopal Church investigation was promptly organized.

A miracle upon a miracle

The bloody Host was taken in procession to the Church of St. Stephen, where it was encased in wax (to contain the blood and the Host) and secured in the tabernacle. Some time later when the tabernacle was opened, another miracle was discovered. The wax that had encased the Host was found broken into pieces, and the Host was found miraculously enclosed in a crystal pyx, along with the precious Blood. This was later placed in a gold and silver pear-shaped monstrance with a “sunburst” of 33 rays, in which it is still contained today.

After the investigation and approval by the Church authorities, the Church of St. Stephen was renamed “The Church of the Holy Miracle.” The little house where the miracle occurred was on Via delle Stuoie in Santarem.

The Chance to Live a Life

by Father John McCloskey

You may wonder why laws promoting ultrasounds before abortion don't have the impact that abortion opponents expected.

It is true that many people whose opinions about abortion have changed cite sonograms as critical to their confronting the reality of the unborn, and many pregnancy counseling centers find sonograms useful in this regard. However, even now, large numbers of pregnant women and their partners duck the implications of those prenatal images if the pregnancy is unwelcome.

The ultimate answer to the opening question derives, as all blindness to sin does, from the Original Sin of our first parents. As a result of that sin, in the words of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "human nature is weakened in its powers; subject to ignorance, suffering, and the domination of death; and inclined to sin" (CCC #418).

Fallen human beings now want what we want when we want it, and in order to avoid uncomfortable sensations of guilt, we want to think that what we want is good. In our owholy-innocentsn especially self-indulgent times, the unruly desires that are a consequence of the Fall have drawn our nation into the culture of death.

How did we come to such a pass? Mankind has traveled so far from Eden that man has now generally lost sight of God, as witnessed by the enormous killing fields of the last century's horrendous World Wars! Life became cheap rather than priceless and consciences were deformed, not only in the totalitarian countries whose ideologies launched aggression in the two "hot" world wars and the Cold War that followed, but to a lesser degree in the nations that, in resisting totalitarianism, accepted large-scale premeditated deaths of civilians in, for example, the Dresden bombings and the atomic blasts at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The decline of traditional Christianity in developed countries has spread throughout the world, and what is known as natural law (i.e., the Ten Commandments) is ignored or simply forgotten. However, without God-given rules, as a popular song put it, "Anything Goes"; even mothers who actually experience sonograms where they see their babies in the womb, ready to be delivered into the fullness of life, can resist accepting what they see in order to remain "free" of the consequences or their actions. Who has benefitted most from all the lies? Predatory men who take advantage of women as objects of their lust, counting on the Pill or abortion to escape responsibility for unwanted repercussions of their actions.

Only God and Satan know the whole story of how human beings let themselves be drawn into actions so brutally inhumane that monumental self-deception is necessary. But the broad outline of Satan's strategy is clear: Gradually, the new standard of the Good for many people became Technology: whatever could be done should be done, in hopes that some time in the future, thanks to medical technology, we will be able to live forever. Once we accept that life is made for pleasure rather than service of God and neighbor in preparation for the true life in heaven, the measure of a successful life becomes the absence of pain and the experience of pleasure.

But there is hope for our country and the world. After all, those that abort or contracept inevitably will decline in numbers, and the millions who are open to life, following the natural law and St. John Paul's Theology of the Body, will inevitably grow. In addition, many of our fellow Christians in denominations that have been conforming to the spirit of the age will likely abandon what is left of Luther and Calvin and reunite with the Church built on the Rock of Peter and with our Orthodox brethren.

What is most important for the Catholics in this year of the family is for the Church in America to clearly proclaim at every level the dignity of the human person from conception to natural death and the true foundation of religious liberty in the traditional family, open to life.

At the same time, we must continue to save this era's Holy Innocents by every legal means, including continuing the successful ventures in states to restrict abortions, with the eventual goal of circumscribing them out of legal existence.

Remember, a presidential election is coming up and we need to help elect a true pro-lifer (and not one in name only who will cave when the going gets tough). In addition, we need to extend ourselves in love and mercy toward those women who have been deceived by the siren songs of our time into procuring one or more than one abortion. Judge not so you may not be judged!

Finally, we need to offer up prayers and sacrifices large and small for an end to the killing of innocent children inside or outside the womb and for conversion of heart for our country and the world.

First appeared on The Truth and Charity Forum in February, 2015.

Today's Mass Readings - Sunday, February 22, 2015 with Reflection

1st Sunday of Lent

1^ST READING - Genesis 9:8-15

8 God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 9 “See, I am now establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you: all the birds, and the various tame and wild animals that were with you and came out of the ark. 11 I will establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed by the waters of a flood; there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth.” 12 God added: “This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come, of the covenant between me and you and every living creature with you: 13 I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth, and the bow appears in the clouds, 15 I will recall the covenant I have made between me and you and all living beings, so that the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all mortal beings.”

P S A L M - Psalm 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R: Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.

4 Your ways, O Lord, make known to me; teach me your paths. 5Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior.(R) 6 Remember that your compassion, O Lord, and your love are from of old. 7 In your kindness remember me, because of your goodness, O Lord. (R) 8 Good and upright is the Lord; thus he shows sinners the way. 9 He guides the humble to justice, he teaches the humble his way. (R)

2^ND READING - 1 Peter 3:18-22

18 Beloved: Christ suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the Spirit. 19 In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison, 20 who had once been disobedient while God patiently waited in the days of Noah during the building of the ark, in which a few persons, eight in all, were saved through water. 21 This prefigured baptism, which saves you now. It is not a removal of dirt from the body but an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

Mark 1:12-15

12 The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, 13 and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him. 14 After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: 15 “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

SABBATH

HOW’S YOUR DEFENSE? On the night of March 3, 2014, NBA player LeBron James of the Miami Heat scored a 61-point career-high against the Charlotte Bobcats. But not everyone was impressed. NBA Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins went on a Twitter rant, downplaying LeBron’s career night. He tweeted, “No denying he put on a shooting display. He was hot... But where is the defense? No close outs on defense, doubles were late, rotations were slow. It was too easy to score. At 54 years old, I could drop 40 on that defense.”        While I have my own opinion on Wilkins’ rant and analysis, in a nutshell, Wilkins was saying this: LeBron scored 61 not because he was unstoppable but because the defense was weak.        On this First Sunday of Lent, we read Mark’s account of the temptation of Jesus on the mountain. This Gospel account teaches us some things on the reality of temptation. One thing with sin is that the temptation is not always strong but that, at times, our defenses are simply weak, sometimes even non-existent. And when our defenses are weak, “the tempter” will always have a career scoring night against us.        How do we fortify our defenses? First, through the defensive power of prayer. When the devil tempted Jesus, He was in a 40-day retreat in the desert. Prayer surrounds us with God’s shield and protection. Second, through the defensive shield of God’s Word. After each and every temptation, Jesus rebuked the devils’ wiles by countering with a quote from Scriptures.          How do we resist the devil? How do we make him flee from us? It is by fortifying our inner fortress with the shield of God’s Word. I end with an old sage advice: “Unless we have within us that which is above us (i.e., God and His Word), we will easily yield and fall to everything that is around us.” I say it again, when our defenses are weak, “the tempter” will always have a career scoring night over us. Fr. Joel Jason REFLECTION QUESTION: How much time do you invest for prayer and Scripture reading? Surround me always, O Lord, with the shield of Your Word. Amen. Do you want to receive this in your email. To get Bo Sanchez to send it to you personally, register and log-on to http://kerygmafamily.com.

A Prayer for Hope

Heavenly father, I am your humble servant, I come before you today in need of hope. There are times when I fell helpless, There are times when I feel weak. I pray for hope. I need hope for a better future. I need hope for a better life. I need hope for love and kindness.

Some say that the sky is at it's darkest just before the light. I pray that this is true, for all seems dark. I need your light, Lord, in every way. I pray to be filled with your light from head to toe. To bask in your glory. To know that all is right in the world, as you have planned, and as you want it to be.

Help me to walk in your light, and live my life in faith and glory.

In your name, O Lord, I pray, Amen.

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Prayer to Saint Anthony, Performer of Miracles

Dear St. Anthony, your prayers obtained miracles during your lifetime. You still seem to move at ease in the realm of minor and major miracles. 

St. Anthony, Performer of Miracles, please obtain for me the blessings God holds in reserve who serve Him. Pray that I may be worthy of the promises my Lord Jesus attaches to confident prayer.

(Mention your special intentions.)

Thirty Days Prayers To St. Joseph For Special Requests

Ever blessed and glorious Joseph, kind and loving father, and helpful friend of all in sorrow! You are the good father and protector of orphans, the defender of the defenseless, the patron of those in need and sorrow. Look kindly on my request. My sins have drawn down on me the just displeasure of my God, and so I am surrounded with unhappiness. To you, loving guardian of the Family of Nazareth, do I go for help and protection.

Listen, then, I beg you, with fatherly concern, to my earnest prayers, and obtain for me the favors I ask.

I ask it by the infinite mercy of the eternal Son of God, which moved Him to take our nature and to be born into this world of sorrow.

I ask it by the weariness and suffering you endured when you found no shelter at the inn of Bethlehem for the holy Virgin, nor a house where the Son of God could be born. Then, being everywhere refused, you had to allow the Queen of Heaven to give birth to the world’s Redeemer in a cave.

I ask it by that painful torture you felt at the prophecy of holy Simeon, which declared the Child Jesus and His holy Mother future victims of our sins and of their great love for us.

I ask it through your sorrow and pain of soul when the angel declared to you that the life of the Child Jesus was sought by His enemies. From their evil plan you had to flee with Him and His Blessed Mother to Egypt. I ask it by all the suffering, weariness, and labors of that long and dangerous journey.

I ask it by all your care to protect the Sacred Child and His Immaculate Mother during your second journey, when you were ordered to return to your own country. I ask it by your peaceful life in Nazareth where you met with so many joys and sorrows.

I ask it by your great distress when the adorable Child was lost to you and His Mother for three days. I ask it by your joy at finding Him in the Temple, and by the comfort you found at Nazareth, while living in the company of the Child Jesus. I ask it by the wonderful submission He showed in His obedience to you.

I ask it by the perfect love and conformity you showed in accepting the Divine order to depart from this life, and from the company of Jesus and Mary. I ask it by the joy which filled your soul, when the Redeemer of the world, triumphant over death and hell, entered into the possession of His kingdom and led you into it with special honors.

I ask it through Mary’s glorious Assumption, and through that endless happiness you have with her in the presence of God.

O good father! I beg you, by all your sufferings, sorrows, and joys, to hear me and obtain for me what I ask.

(make your request)

Obtain for all those who have asked my prayers everything that is useful to them in the plan of God. Finally, my dear patron and father, be with me and all who are dear to me in our last moments, that we may eternally sing the praises of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

Thought of the day

It's time to get back to some old fashioned values like commitment and sacrifice and responsibility and purity and love and the straight life.

- Dr James Dobson

Prayer for Employment

God, our Father, I turn to you seeking your divine help and guidance as I look for suitable employment. I need your wisdom to guide my footsteps along the right path, and to lead me to find the proper things to say and do in this quest. 

I wish to use the gifts and talents you have given me, but I need the opportunity to do so with gainful employment. Do not abandon me, dear Father, in this search, but rather grant me this favor I seek so that I may return to you with praise and thanksgiving for your gracious assistance. Grant this through Christ, our Lord.

Amen.

THE POWER OF CHOICE

 

One time, I was invited to attend the thanksgiving Mass of a newly ordained priest-friend from another diocese. During his thanksgiving speech, he introduced every member of his family but mentioned that another member was absent. His younger brother, to whom he was very close growing up, wasn’t there because he was serving an eight-year prison sentence for a crime he committed. He said that he will spend a good deal of his priesthood in prison ministry.

       That brought me to reflection: two brothers, same parents, same religious education, but totally different life orientation. In the First Reading today, we see a similar case. We have two brothers, Abel and Cain. They had the same parents. Presumably they had the same formation. One chose to be godly, the other chose to be a murderer. It all boils down to what we do with our power to choose.

       Didn’t the same happen to Judas and Peter? Judas chose to hold on to his guilt; Peter chose to hold on to God’s mercy. Judas ended up hanging himself; Peter ended up a saint, hanged on a tree upside down for the sake of Christ.

       In the Old testament, we are encouraged to orient our choices to life-giving choices. “This day, I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live,” says the book of Deuteronomy (30:19). In the New Testament, Jesus encouraged us: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

       What we do with our power to choose determines the difference between life and death, between being a sinner or a saint.

       What will it be for you? Fr. Joel Jason

Today's Mass Readings - Sunday, February 15, 2015 with Reflection

1^ST READING - Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46

1 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “If someone has on his skin a scab or pustule or blotch which appears to be the sore of leprosy, he shall be brought to Aaron, the priest, or to one of the priests among his descendants. 44 If the man is leprous and unclean, the priest shall declare him unclean by reason of the sore on his head. 45 “The one who bears the sore of leprosy shall keep his garments rent and his head bare, and shall muffle his beard; he shall cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’ 46 As long as the sore is on him he shall declare himself unclean, since he is in fact unclean. He shall dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp.”

P S A L M - Psalm 32:1-2, 5, 11

R: I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.

1 Blessed is he whose fault is taken away, whose sin is covered. 2Blessed the man to whom the Lord imputes not guilt, in whose spirit there is no guile. (R) 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, my guilt I covered not. I said, “I confess my faults to the Lord,” and you took away the guilt of my sin. (R) 11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you just; exult, all you upright of heart. (R)

2^ND READING - 1 Corinthians 10:31–11:1

31 Brothers and sisters, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. 32 Avoid giving offense, whether to Jews or Greeks or the church of God, 33 just as I try to please everyone in every way, not seeking my own benefit but that of the many, that they may be saved. 11:1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

A great prophet has arisen in our midst, God has visited his people.

Mark 1:40-45

40A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” 41Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.” 42The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. 43Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once. 44He said to him, “See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” 45The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere.

SABBATH

JOIN THE LEPER Our thoughts and expectations influence our external state of affairs. While we do not always get what we deserve in life, we usually get no more than what we expect. As the principle says, we receive what we believe.         In today’s Gospel, we hear of Jesus healing a man with leprosy. If you want to know how the ancient world of the Bible treated people and looked upon people with leprosy, read the First Reading and you will no doubt feel what a leper in those times most likely felt, which is as good as dead. A leper is rejected, isolated, stripped of his rights to community, and barred from considering himself a member of humanity. Every leper should know his place and remind himself of these as he is required by law to shout “unclean, unclean” (Leviticus 13:44) whenever he finds himself within hearing distance of people.        I find it surprising that we see none of these in the leper of Mark’s Gospel. He resisted to be treated as a living dead. He refused to be isolated and marginalized. Against what I imagine to be resistance of the people to let him get near Jesus, he boldly approached the Lord believing within what is rightful to every believing Jew.        His external circumstance tells him he is as good as dead. His internal image tells him he is a child of God. The leper believed he is more than what society says and thinks him to be. Jesus affirmed his faith.        Psychologists and sociologists teach that 20 percent of our life is determined by what happens to us. What comprises the 80 percent? What we make happen, that is, how we respond to the 20 percent that happens to us. I believe the leper belonged to the 80 percent group. In this regard, it’s good to be in the company of the leper.        Make things happen — in God’s gracious way and in His perfect time! Fr. Joel Jason REFLECTION QUESTION: What dominates your life direction right now — those things that happen to you or those that you can make happen? Give me, Lord, the freedom of a child of God. Arouse in me the power that I can, with Your grace, chart my destiny. Amen. St. Claude la Colombiere, pray for us. Do you want to receive this in your email. To get Bo Sanchez to send it to you personally, register and log-on to http://kerygmafamily.com.

$5 Catholic Book Sale

We're out of space again! Nearly every square foot of our warehouse is filled with fine Catholic books.     Soon, dozens of pallets stacked high with our 2015 new releases will be pulled off delivery trucks—and we have no place to put them! This is your chance to own wonderful and holy Catholic books at up to 75% off! Plus, you can order as many books as you want and still pay $5 Flat Fee Shipping . (to U.S. addresses only) Click HERE to see our $5 and $10 Books Limited Time Offer. Cannot be combined with other discounts. All sales are final. Sophia's books are perfect as gifts or for your own enjoyment. Please forward this email to others who may be interested. This is a great opportunity to help Sophia place solid, reliably Catholic books in the hands of those who are searching for the Truth or desire to grow in holiness.   Order online above, or call 1-800-888-9344 www.SophiaInstitute.com Click HERE to see our $5 and $10 Books

How to make this your holiest Lent yet

Do you struggle to keep your Lenten sacrifices year after year?   Do you enter Easter Mass feeling guilty  that you’ve neglected your Lenten devotions?   Are you committed to  making this your holiest Lent yet?   Lent is hard, and it's so frustrating when we lose focus and surrender to our weaknesses time and time again. That’s why all the great saints encouraged meditation as a sure-fire way to place yourself in God’s presence and grow closer to Him. Through meditation, we take our eyes off ourselves, and we walk faithfully in the hands of God. There is no better time to begin — or to renew — the habit of meditation than during the Season of Lent. So if you want to combine the spiritual benefits of a holy Lent with the bountiful harvest that regular meditation brings, then your soul is crying for Meditations for Lent. These brief but powerful meditations are collected from the voluminous writings of 17th Century Bishop Jacques-Benigne Bossuet. Bishop Bossuet is considered to be among the best homilists in the history of the Church, and his great piety and eloquent writings have been cherished by Catholics for hundreds of years. Now they're available to you in English, for the very first time! In these pages, Bishop Bossuet will take you on a stunning inner pilgrimage to an unforgettable encounter with Jesus’ tender love for you as he freely gave His life for you on the Cross. Each meditation is short, and it is a robust complement to the daily readings at Mass during the Lenten season. Read Meditations for Lent and you won't arrive at Easter Mass distracted, exhausted, and frazzled, having neglected your sacrifices and your ordinary prayers, too. Instead, you'll find yourself walking joyfully into church, ready and eager to adore the resurrected King. And your soul will be what it should be: a fit dwelling place for the Redeemer. "Bossuet is a hidden treasure of profound spiritual insight, and his meditations will transform your Lenten experience." Dan Burke Executive Director, The National Catholic Register   "Classic wisdom in a crisp new translation that will be of great spiritual value to everyone seeking to live the Faith more fully." Robert Royal Faith & Reason Institute "These meditations will help you 'enter by the narrow door' just as Jesus urges us." Fr. Paul Check Director of the Courage Apostolate Meditations for Lent Jacques-Benigne Bossuet List Price: $12.95 - 224 pages Order Online HERE Save 30% when you order The Treasury of Catholic Meditations!   Order at this link for only $39.99! Without regular reminders of God and a steady routine of prayer and meditation, your inner life shrivels up, your prayers grow listless, sacramental grace becomes inaccessible, and even the Mass feels fruitless. Daily meditation is a proven remedy for dangerous spiritual lethargy. That's why we've compiled this four-volume Treasury of Catholic Meditations to help you manage your spiritual readings and to achieve the glorious aim of all prayer: union with God! Written by some of the Church's greatest theologians, these meditations will teach you to be ever attentive to the presence of God in you, to remember that He wants you to be a saint, and that He stands ever ready to help you attain that lofty goal. Follow these prayers and you'll soon find yourself reaping the rich spiritual harvest that regular meditation brings - a stronger will, an even greater love of God, and a divine peace and joy that no person or circumstance will take from you. Meditations for Lent will lift you to God and help you enter into the spirit of mortification called for by the Church during the Season of Lent. Meditations Before Mass  offers practical, straightforward advice that will help you overcome distractions and restlessness during Mass. Everyday Meditations will help you discern God's voice daily, rest in it, and respond to it according to each day's opportunities and needs. Meditations for Advent will keep you prayerful amidst the worst distractions of the holiday season. “Everyday Meditations is the kind of book that, if taken to heart, draws us into the arms of God.” Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. Archbishop of Philadelphia   “These meditations will change your life—helping you to grow in faith, hope and love.” James D. Conley, S.T.L. Bishop of Lincoln  Order The Treasury of Catholic Meditations  at this link for only $39.99!   Order online above, or call 1-800-888-9344 www.SophiaInstitute.com Save up to 40% when you join Sophia's