Christian Meditation

Christians are to be forgiving and merciful; we are to live out the

unity Christ died to restore. In the early church, outsiders marveled

at the followers of Christ because of their love for one another.

Sadly, the unity that was the hallmark of the early Church

has been damaged, in some cases seemingly beyond repair. We

who are called to be “merciful” stand idly by while our brothers

and sisters in other parts of the world are offered up as scapegoats.

We who are to share the Good News huddle among our own,

contented to preach to the choir. The problem is this: Jesus died

for all, so that all might be saved. We who follow Our Lord must

live to accomplish his will.

As St. Peter points out, Jesus himself is our example. The

treatment that Jesus received on the cross was worse than most

of us can even imagine but his message of forgiveness did not

change. When Jesus rose from the dead, he did not declare a holy

war against those who had put him to death. Instead he proclaimed,

“Peace,” and sent his followers to the ends of the earth

to preach the gospel, teaching all to believe and trust in him.

-The Power of the Cross 

F

St. Bernadette - Pray the Rosary

Michael Dubruiel conceived and put together the small hardbound book, Praying the Rosary.  Click on the cover for more information.

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Here's an excerpt:

The Gospels show that the gaze of Mary varied depending upon the circumstances of life. So it will be with us. Each time we pick up the holy beads to recite the Rosary, our gaze at the mystery of Christ will differ depending on where we find ourselves at that moment.

Thereafter Mary’s gaze, ever filled with adoration and wonder, would never leave him. At times it would be a questioning look, as in the episode of the finding in the Temple: “Son, why have you treated us so?” (Lk 2:48); it would always be a penetrating gaze, one capable of deeply understanding Jesus, even to the point of perceiving his hidden feelings and anticipating his decisions, as at Cana (cf. Jn 2:5). At other times it would be a look of sorrow, especially beneath the Cross, where her vision would still be that of mother giving birth, for Mary not only shared the passion and death of her Son, she also received the new son given to her in the beloved disciple (cf. Jn 19:26-27). On the morning of Easter hers would be a gaze radiant with the joy of the Resurrection, and finally, on the day of Pentecost, a gaze afire with the outpouring of the Spirit (cf. Acts 1:14) [Rosarium Virginis Mariae, no. 10].

As we pray the Rosary, then, we join with Mary in contemplating Christ. With her, we remember Christ, we proclaim Him, we learn from Him, and, most importantly, as we raise our voices in prayer and our hearts in contemplation of the holy mysteries, this “compendium of the Gospel” itself, we are conformed to Him.

Also, check out this post from 2003, in which Michael Dubruiel narrates the events of one of his "rosary walks."

Michael Dubruiel Interview

You can listen to an interview program with Michael Dubruiel about his book, The Power of the Cross. The interview is with Kris McGregor of KVSS radio.


Episode 4 –
The Cross of Christ unites…
– Michael discusses:
 Day 15 – How We Worship Day
16 – How We See Jesus Day
17 – How We Forgive Day
 18 – Law and Love Day
 19 – Our Lives Day
20 – Our Priorities
Day 21 – How We See Ourselves

Daily Catholic Reflection by Michael Dubruiel

When our earthly life ceases, we will be welcomed into God’s
kingdom to the degree that we made him the Lord of our lives.
For many of us, that will mean some time along the purgative
way, learning to release all of our demands upon God. God has
found his rightful place in our hearts when we realize that whatever
he wills is best for us.

-The Power of the Cross 

Free Catholic Book

The cross is the school of love. It transforms how we look at God,
the world, and everyone around us. Nailed to the cross with
Jesus, we sometimes have faith enough to hear him promise,
“This day you will be with me in Paradise.” Others simply curse
God for not taking them down off of the cross.
If you are graced to be a student of the cross, it is your mission
to pray with all of your strength for those who are truants
of this school. The love of God compels us to love one another,

God has already lowered himself to our level, suffered
at our hands, and loved us through it all. Jesus is the perfect
example of being loved by God and loving God.
to carry one another’s burdens. Realizing that God alone really
matters is the first step to entering the kingdom of God. When
that kingdom comes, everyone will acknowledge God’s priority.
Until then, we live in a world where those who know must tell
those who don’t, and oftentimes those who know best are the
children. Fulton Sheen once said there will be only children in
the kingdom, something that we adults might want to reflect
upon from time to time.

-The Power of the Cross 

Michael Dubruiel Interview

You can listen to an interview program with Michael Dubruiel about his book, The Power of the Cross. The interview is with Kris McGregor of KVSS radio.


Episode 3
 – The Cross of Christ unites…

 – Michael discusses:

 Day 8 – The Temporal and Eternal
Day 9 – Those Divided by Sin
 Day 10 – In Humility
Day 11 – In Sin
Day 12 – Those Who Suffer For Justice
Day 13 – Us in the Work We Have to Do
 Day 14 – God’s Mercy and Love

You can find out more about The Power of the Cross here, including a free download of the book. 

How to Pray at a Catholic Mass

The late great Orthodox liturgist Alexander Schmemann felt that the meaning of “thanksgiving” the literal translation of the Greek word Eucharist had been lost on modern people. We tend to limit giving thanks for the what we perceives as the good things that we receive. But Schmemann argues that for the early church “giving thanks” was something the Christian did because the Kingdom of God had been restored in Jesus Christ. Our very inclusion in Christ is reason enough to give thanks, that God has spoken to us in the Word is another reason to give thanks, that Christ has saved us and shares His Body an Blood with us is another reason to give thanks, and finally that Christ has given us a mission is also a reason to give him thanks! You will recognize that at each of those points in the celebration of the Eucharist we express our thanks either as a congregation when we say, "Thanks be to God" or through the presider when he says to God, "We give you thanks…"!

            Because of what Christ has done we now have a vantage point in life that those who live in the world do not. The liturgy is a mystery of light, we are on the mountain and know that Christ rises from the dead—that he is victorious over our enemies. Therefore we can as St. Paul tells the Thessalonians, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you,” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

From How to Get the Most out of the Eucharist by Michael Dubruiel.

How to Get the Most Out of the Eucharist gives you nine concrete steps to help you join your own sacrifice to the sacrifice of Christ as you:

• Serve: Obey the command that Jesus gave to his disciples at the first Eucharist.
• Adore: Put aside anything that seems to rival God in importance.
• Confess: Believe in God’s power to make up for your weaknesses.
• Respond" Answer in gesture, word, and song in unity with the Body of Christ.
• Incline: Listen with your whole being to the Word of God.
• Fast: Bring your appetites and desires to the Eucharist.
• Invite: Open yourself to an encounter with Jesus.
• Commune: Accept the gift of Christ in the Eucharist.
• Evangelize :Take him and share the Lord with others.

How to Get the Most Out of the Eucharist

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. 

How to Get the Most Out of the Eucharist gives you nine concrete steps to help you join your own sacrifice to the sacrifice of Christ as you:

• Serve: Obey the command that Jesus gave to his disciples at the first Eucharist.
• Adore: Put aside anything that seems to rival God in importance.
• Confess: Believe in God’s power to make up for your weaknesses.
• Respond” Answer in gesture, word, and song in unity with the Body of Christ.
• Incline: Listen with your whole being to the Word of God.
• Fast: Bring your appetites and desires to the Eucharist.
• Invite: Open yourself to an encounter with Jesus.
• Commune: Accept the gift of Christ in the Eucharist.
• Evangelize :Take him and share the Lord with others.

Filled with true examples, solid prayer-helps, and sound advice, How to Get the Most Out of the Eucharist shows you how to properly balance the Mass as a holy banquet with the Mass as a holy sacrifice. With its references to Scripture, quotations from the writings and prayers of the saints, and practical aids for overcoming distractions one can encounter at Mass, this book guides readers to embrace the Mass as if they were attending the Last Supper itself.

Easter Season Reflection by Michael Dubruiel

Coming to the tomb of Jesus that first Easter morning, the
women discovered an angel there, the rock rolled away. It was a
shocking and unexpected sight. The guards, who were there to

This is the power of
the cross for the follower
of Christ, no matter
what happens to us or can
happen to us we are not
defeated.
make sure that the disciples did not steal the body of the Lord,
were also witnesses to this. They were overcome with fear—to the
point of being “like dead men.”
One experience, two groups of people, two different reactions.
One group looks at the empty tomb and rushes to tell what
they have witnessed. The other group is paralyzed by the life
event. This wasn’t just something that happened thousands of
years ago; it happens every moment of every day. Those who see
the cross as the end of their life, meet death there; those who
believe and place their trust in God, find in the cross life and victory.

Feast of the Annunciation - celebrated April 4

Michael Dubruiel conceived and put together the small hardbound book, Praying the Rosary.  Click on the cover for more information.

. 

Here's an excerpt:

The Gospels show that the gaze of Mary varied depending upon the circumstances of life. So it will be with us. Each time we pick up the holy beads to recite the Rosary, our gaze at the mystery of Christ will differ depending on where we find ourselves at that moment.

Thereafter Mary’s gaze, ever filled with adoration and wonder, would never leave him. At times it would be a questioning look, as in the episode of the finding in the Temple: “Son, why have you treated us so?” (Lk 2:48); it would always be a penetrating gaze, one capable of deeply understanding Jesus, even to the point of perceiving his hidden feelings and anticipating his decisions, as at Cana (cf. Jn 2:5). At other times it would be a look of sorrow, especially beneath the Cross, where her vision would still be that of mother giving birth, for Mary not only shared the passion and death of her Son, she also received the new son given to her in the beloved disciple (cf. Jn 19:26-27). On the morning of Easter hers would be a gaze radiant with the joy of the Resurrection, and finally, on the day of Pentecost, a gaze afire with the outpouring of the Spirit (cf. Acts 1:14) [Rosarium Virginis Mariae, no. 10].

As we pray the Rosary, then, we join with Mary in contemplating Christ. With her, we remember Christ, we proclaim Him, we learn from Him, and, most importantly, as we raise our voices in prayer and our hearts in contemplation of the holy mysteries, this “compendium of the Gospel” itself, we are conformed to Him.

Also, check out this post from 2003, in which Michael Dubruiel narrates the events of one of his "rosary walks."

Divine Mercy Sunday

Divine Mercy....through the Sacrament of Reconciliation   If you need a refresher... For a brief, pointed and helpful guide,

All of Michael Dubruiel's books listed on Amazon.

The Power of the Cross free download and audio files.

The New Version of the Stations of the Cross link

Divine Mercy Sunday

Pope Benedict at  a Regina Caeli address, from Asia News Italy:

A few days shy of the anniversary of John Paul II’s death, Benedict XVI announced during the Regina Caeli today that he would preside over a Mass in memory of the great Polish pope. The Mass will open the First World Congress on Apostolic Divine Mercy in Rome. Card Christoph Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna, is among the organisers.

“Mercy,’ said Benedict XVI, ‘is in reality the core of the Evangelical message; it is the name of God itself, the face with which He revealed Himself in the Ancient Covenant and fully in Jesus Christ, incarnation of Creative and Redemptive Love. This love of mercy illuminates the face of the Church as well, and manifests itself via the Sacraments, in particular that of the Reconciliation, and charity, community and individual works. All that the Church says and does is a manifestation of God’s mercy for man. When the Church has to reiterate an unrecognised truth or a good thing that was betrayed, it does so driven by a merciful love that men may have life and have it more abundantly (cf Jn, 10:10). From Divine Mercy, which pacifies the hearts, comes true peace in the world, peace among different peoples, cultures and religions.”

It was thanks to John Paul II that the second Sunday of Easter (Dominica in Albis) became the ‘Sunday of Divine Mercy’. “This occurred at the same time as the canonisation of Faustina Kowalska, a humble Polish nun born in 1905 who died in 1938, a zealous messenger of the Merciful Jesus.”

“Like Sister Faustina,” the Pope added, “John Paul II was several times the Apostle of Divine Mercy. That unforgettable Saturday, 2 April 2005, when he closed his eyes to this world, was the eve of the Second Sunday of Easter, and many noted the singular coincidence with its Marian dimension, that of being the first Saturday of the month and that of Divine Mercy. In effect the heart of his long and multifaceted pontificate lies in that; his entire mission in the service of the truth about God and man and peace in the world is summarised in this announcement, which he made himself in Krakow-Łagiewniki in 2002, when he inaugurated the Shrine of Divine Mercy: ‘[A]part from the mercy of God there is no other source of hope for mankind.’ His message, like that of St Faustina’s, leads back to the face of Christ, the supreme revelation of God’s mercy. Constantly contemplating that face, that is the heritage he left us, and which we welcome and make our own with joy.”

At the end of his reflection, Benedict urged the faithful to place the congress that opens tomorrow in Rome “under the celestial protection of Mary, Holiest Mater Misericordiae. To her we trust the great cause of peace in the world so that God’s mercy may accomplish what is impossible to human forces alone, and inspire courage for dialogue and reconciliation.”

The Divine Mercy Novena continues:

The Church's Most Powerful Novenas is a book of novenas connected with particular shrines.  Michael Dubruiel wrote in the introduction to this book he compiled:

When Jesus ascended into heaven, he told his Apostles to stay where they were and to "wait for the gift" that the Father had promised: the Holy Spirit.  The Apostles did as the Lord commanded them. "They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers" (Acts 1:14). Nine days passed; then, they received the gift of the Holy spirit, as had been promised. May we stay together with the church, awaiting in faith with Our Blessed Mother, as we trust entirely in God, who loves us more than we can ever know. 

Divine Mercy Novena

Easter Meditation by Michael Dubruiel

St. Peter Chrysologus (the “golden-worded”) was known for

his clear and simple style of preaching. About the angel’s appearance

at the tomb, he preached, “Pray that the angel would

descend now and roll away all the hardness of our hearts and

open up our closed senses and declare to our minds that Christ

has risen, for just as the heart in which Christ lives and reigns is

heaven, so also in the heart in which Christ remains dead and

buried is a grave.”

For those who do not believe, life unfolds as a series of accidents.

When a follower of Christ sees his life in exactly the same

way, Jesus calls that person foolish, slow to believe. Someone like

that needs to redirect his attention to the cross.

Divine Mercy Novena

The Divine Mercy Novena continues:

The Church's Most Powerful Novenas is a book of novenas connected with particular shrines.  Michael Dubruiel wrote in the introduction to this book he compiled:

When Jesus ascended into heaven, he told his Apostles to stay where they were and to "wait for the gift" that the Father had promised: the Holy Spirit.  The Apostles did as the Lord commanded them. "They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers" (Acts 1:14). Nine days passed; then, they received the gift of the Holy spirit, as had been promised. May we stay together with the church, awaiting in faith with Our Blessed Mother, as we trust entirely in God, who loves us more than we can ever know. 

Divine Mercy Novena

A Meeting with Mother Angelica

This actually happened about three weeks ago, not sure how I missed it. Father Benedict Groeschel was in Alabama filming some episodes and spent one day in Hanceville where he met with Mother Angelica. Here is his account:

This past week I had the great blessing of visiting with Mother Angelica at
the shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama. After visiting
the marvelously beautiful shrine, we met Mother at the room with the grill
dividing the cloistered sisters from the visitors.

Mother was in
great form; she laughed a great deal and was able to communicate, even at times
in complete sentences. She has done the miraculous work of establishing the
largest religious television network in the world. She has also established a
cloistered convent, which now numbers over thirty sisters—most of them young.
The convent also has two other foundations. She also established the Franciscan
Missionaries of the Eternal Word with over twenty-five friars. You may have had
the opportunity to read Raymond Arroyo’s book on Mother Angelica. You would
really enjoy this book.

I offered Mass at the shrine in the
morning and left for a busy day of television at EWTN in Irondale, Alabama. I
was accompanied on this journey by a volunteer, Timothy Pida, who has worked for
years for the Missionaries of Charity and has very generously helped me for the
better part of this year. We both came away with a profound sense of gratitude
for all that EWTN does for souls and for the church, and also grateful that we
had spent this precious time with this great woman.

From the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal

In other Father Groeschel news, please check my post below about a new book and how you can contribute to it by asking your questions about the spiritual life.

Mother Angelica's Monastery.

Mother Angelica's Monastery.

If you have been to Medjugordje, you know the story about the church and the painting. The church it seems was built to accomodate a huge crowd that didn't exist in the tiny village. The painting of Our Lady appearing over the village was painted years before anyone ever claimed to have seen the virgin.

A visit to the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament reminds me of both. The complex nestled well off the beaten path (or in this case cow patch), likely one day will reflect Mother Angelica's visionary foresight. This is a place that was built to hold a liturgy of papal proportions--will that happen one day here.

On this cold January day there were six cars in the parking lot that could easily accommodate 1,000's. The piazza that could rival St. Peter's was empty. The large Church included three novices, a professed, three young men, a Franciscan and me.

I was here to attend Vespers, but had left my copy of the Office in the car thinking that there would be books available in the Church similar to what you would find if you visited a Benedictine monastery. There were none though, and despite the reminders of Our Lord's Passion visible--I poor sinner that I am, did not feel like walking that 3/4 of a mile back to my car in the cold to get it.

Enter Deacon Bill Steltemeier who graciously got out of his wheel chair (a sight right out of the Gospels or at least a Holy Ghost revival) and walked over and offered me his extra. Then stood beside me to help me negotiate the specific feast for the Franciscan martyrs (something I would not have known otherwise since it was a feast pecular to Franciscans). Deacon Bill also helped me to see where the nuns were since, I confess for the first ten minutes I could not understand what they were saying--their chant was indecipherable to me, until I finally tuned my ears to the high pitched tone--then I could follow, although still with great difficulty.

At the conclusion of Vespers, we immediately did Compline. I was a little surprised at this--I wonder if it is a Franciscan practice? That was followed by the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

The magnificence of the Shrine itself is something to behold. The central focus is the Eucharistic Lord and it is a real blessing to all who visit. And if you are there for Vespers--you might even have a Deacon to help you!

Mother Angelica's Nuns in the Desert

In the diocese of Phoenix....desertnuns

Easter Meditation by Michael Dubruiel

Coming to the tomb of Jesus that first Easter morning, the
women discovered an angel there, the rock rolled away. It was a
shocking and unexpected sight. The guards, who were there to

This is the power of
the cross for the follower
of Christ, no matter
what happens to us or can
happen to us we are not
defeated.
make sure that the disciples did not steal the body of the Lord,
were also witnesses to this. They were overcome with fear—to the
point of being “like dead men.”
One experience, two groups of people, two different reactions.
One group looks at the empty tomb and rushes to tell what
they have witnessed. The other group is paralyzed by the life
event. This wasn’t just something that happened thousands of
years ago; it happens every moment of every day. Those who see
the cross as the end of their life, meet death there; those who
believe and place their trust in God, find in the cross life and victory.

Holy Saturday

And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all his work which he had done in creation.

Genesis 2:2-3