THE TRUTH AND LIFE DRAMATIC AUDIO BIBLE

It is with great pride that I announce the release of my latest project, and a national audio event. 
The Truth and Life Dramatic Audio Bible is the only Catholic, word-for-word, dramatized audio Bible available anywhere.  It is a powerful production that you will want to have and treasure for years to come.  Here are some of the world's great actors:  Michael York, Blair Underwood, Malcolm McDowell, Julia Ormond, Neal McDonough, Kristen Bell, Brian Cox, Sean Astin, Stacy Keach, John Rhys-Davies and many others performing the characters of Scripture like never before.  This is the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition of the Bible brought to life through compelling performances, incredible sound effects, and an original score. 

I am co-producer of this dramatic audio Bible which has been endorsed by the Vatican and enjoys the Imprimatur of the Archbishop of New York, Timothy Dolan. 

This is the audio Bible so many of you have been seeking.  Now it is yours to own.  For a complete preview, audio clips, and behind the scene video go here (truthandlifebible.com).  Then come back to Raymondarroyo.com, click on the banner above and order your copy of the special EWTN edition of The Truth and Life Dramatic Audio Bible.  It contains an exclusive CD of Mother Angelica's teachings on the Scripture that you will not want to miss. 

Whether as a Christmas gift, a personal devotional, or an addition to your family library, The Truth and Life Dramatic Audio Bible is a rare treasure.  It contains the entire New Testament on 18 CDS and is available at bookstores everywhere including Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Borders.  But the special EWTN edition is only available from the EWTN Religious Catalogue (here).

Prepare to experience the New Testament like never before.  I hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think at raymond@raymondarroyo.com.
Yours,
aymond      

Pope Benedict's UK Visit: The News Everybody Missed

The Pope saved the most important news of his visit to the United Kingdom for the end. Most people didn't even hear or see it. But I imagine Thomas More and John Henry Newman were smiling…

In November of 2009, Pope Benedict issued an extraordinary invitation to Anglicans disaffected by the changes taking place in their communion. The failure to affirm traditional Christian orthodoxy, the ordination of gays, the recent push to create female Anglican bishops have splintered the communion and caused heartbreak among both clergy and laity. Anglicans all over the world, parishes, and some dioceses had petitioned Rome to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church. As a "pastoral response" the Pope released his Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus. It allows individual Anglicans, clergy, even whole dioceses to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church while retaining their traditions, devotions, and liturgical practices.

The Archbishop of Canterbury (according to a few Anglican officials I recently spoke with) felt "ambushed by the constitution" and was frustrated that there wasn't more "consultation" before its release. Standing shoulder to shoulder with the Archbishop of Canterbury at an ecumenical prayer service at Westminster Abbey last week, the Pope made the case for "Christian unity" while recalling the real world challenges that block the way. The Pope said "fidelity" which demands obedience to God's "true word" was needed: "an obedience which must be free of intellectual conformism or facile accommodation to the spirit of the age." The Pope was clearly referencing the recent actions by the Anglican church which had “accommodated the spirit of the age” and created lasting barriers to the goal of full unity. But the Pope was so genial, and his delivery so mild, that the tough talk received little coverage and was largely ignored.

Then came the last speech of the Pope's visit, a meeting with his Bishops of England, Scotland and Wales. Near the end of the address, Pope Benedict made his intentions plain, and cast new light on all that he had said and done since his arrival in Britain. He told his bishops:

“I asked you to be generous in implementing the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus. This should be seen as a prophetic gesture that can contribute positively to the developing relations between Anglicans and Catholics. It helps us to set our sights on the ultimate goal of all ecumenical activity: the restoration of full ecclesial communion in the context of which the mutual exchange of gifts from our respective spiritual patrimonies serves as an enrichment to us all. Let us continue to pray and work unceasingly in order to hasten the joyful day when that goal can be accomplished.”

In other words, the Pope sees his Anglican"fast pass" into the Catholic Church as the fruit of ecumenism—a chance for Anglicans to return to the faith of their fathers before the Reformation and to protect themselves from an insidious secularism that is plaguing society at large and their communion in particular.

With this understanding, the symbolic and stated message of Pope Benedict during his British sojourn comes into stark relief. His meeting with the Catholic and Anglican bishops at Lambeth Palace, the home of the Archbishop of Canterbury for 800 years (the first 70 Archbishops of Canterbury were Catholics), his visit to Westminster Abbey (built by the Catholic king, Henry III and home to Benedictine monks until the Reformation), his moving speech at Westminster Hall (where Catholic martyrs Thomas More, Edmund Campion, Bishop John Fisher and others were condemned to death for their refusal to disavow their faith), and finally his beatification of the 19th century Anglican convert to Catholicism, Blessed John Henry Newman suddenly all seems one piece. Benedict’s visit was a stand against relativism in the heart of Europe and a plea for Britain to return to herself—to return to her Catholic roots. In a visit worthy of his predecessor, Pope Benedict, with precise language and symbols, communicated a message that will long be felt in England. It was a message controversial and reasonable, bold, and utterly faithful—a simple call, really: England, come home to what you were meant to be, and truly are.

Let me know what you think at Raymond@raymondarroyo.com

ANOTHER NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

This week THE PRAYERS AND PERSONAL DEVOTIONS OF MOTHER ANGELICA becomes the fourth Mother Angelica book to land on the New York Times Bestseller list. It premiered this week on the very difficult to reach Advice/How To NYT Bestseller List. My thanks to all of you for your support and embrace of this precious book. As so many have already discovered, it is a wonderful Easter gift and one of those books that is sure to be a treasure for years to come. This collection is filled with Mother's original prayers and time tested devotions. For more background on the book check out the Must See Clip on the homepage (raymondarroyo.com).

Here for the first time you'll find:

* A complete prayer journal composed during Mother’s personal dark night of the soul
* Handwritten meditations offered to her sisters
* Two moving versions of the Stations of the Cross composed for her community
* Devotions and petitions from her early religious life

I hope you'll buy your copy today and urge your friends to do the same. And if you are in the DC area I will be at the Catholic Information Center later this week. Come see us, and drop by raymondarroyo.com for the latest.

Yours,

Raymond

A Special Lenten Gift

Signed Bookplates If You Purchase The Book Before March 20th

The new Mother Angelica book is now in bookstores everywhere and available for home delivery (click the banner above). As a special gift to those of you who watch the program and have long supported my work, I will send you a signed bookplate for each copy that you purchase between now and March 20th. Simply drop me an e-mail at raymond@raymondarroyo.com. Please write Book Offer in the subject line and include your:

Name

Address

And the place where you purchased the book.

We'll send you a signed bookplate and a special bookmark for your trouble.

THE PRAYERS AND PERSONAL DEVOTIONS OF MOTHER ANGELICA makes a wonderful Easter gift and is one of those books that is sure to be a treasure for years to come. All of Mother's books have landed on the New York Times Best seller List, and we are hoping this newest installment will as well. This collection is filled with Mother's original prayers and time tested devotions. It also includes:

* A complete prayer journal composed during Mother’s personal dark night of the soul
* Handwritten meditations offered to her sisters
* Two moving versions of the Stations of the Cross composed for her community
* Devotions and petitions from her early religious life

I hope you'll buy your copy today and urge your friends to do the same. Here is a beautiful prayer from the book, one of Mother's original compositions, that you will surely benefit from repeating:

FOR AN INCREASE OF FAITH

Lord Jesus, increase my faith.

I want so much to have the kind of faith that moves mountains.

I want to believe with such intensity that only a thin veil separates me from seeing You Face to Face.

I want to see the Father’s Will and providence in everything that happens.

You had such a serene confidence in the Father’s guiding hand as it manifested His Will in the circumstances of life.

Give me that gift, Lord and Master, that I too may have the joy of beholding the Divine Presence in everything that happens to me.

I look forward to seeing you folks in New Orleans, Cleveland and Springfield, Mass in the weeks to come. Check out Raymondarroyo.com for my complete book tour schedule.

I look forward to seeing you folks in New Orleans, Cleveland, and in Springfield, Mass in the weeks to come. Check out my complete book schedule below.

Yours,
Raymond

A Prayer for the Saints

I will cast aside all notions of impartiality for this blog. My hometown team, the New Orleans Saints are headed to the Superbowl. I (along with with all native born New Orleanians) could not be more proud. In fact we are ecstatic.
There are firm Catholic roots attached to the New Orleans Saints. When the first owner wanted to name the team, he approached then Archbishop Philip Hannan. The Archbishop had no objection to the name, but warned the owner that in the New Testament "many saints were martyrs." The martyrdom has predominated for more than 40 years. But not this year.

As the Saints head to the Superbowl, a friend from home, Mimi Kelly sent me this prayer composed by Archbishop Hannan. It is a prayer for the Saints. We will all be praying it regularly in the coming days, and a few more supplications couldn't hurt. So join in. Geaux Saints!

(Delivered by Most Reverend Philip M. Hannan at the first Saints and Sinners Banquet, 1968.)

God, we have asked your blessing upon all who participate in this event, and all who have supported our Saints. Our heavenly Father, who has instructed us that the "saints by faith conquered kingdoms. . . and overcame lions", grant our Saints an increase of faith and strength so that they will not only overcome the Lions, but also the Bears, the Rams, the Giants, and even those awesome people in Green Bay. May they continue to tame the Redskins, and fetter the Falcons as well as the Eagles (AND ESPECIALLY THE COLTS!). Give to our owners and coaches the continued ability to be as wise as serpents and gentle as doves, so that no good talent will dodge our draft.

Grant to our fans perseverance in their devotion and unlimited lung power, tempered with a sense of charity to all, including the referees. May our beloved "Bedlam Bowl" be a source of good fellowship and may the "Saints Come Marching In" be a victory march for all, now and in eternity. AMEN.

Let me know what you think at raymond@raymondarroyo.com

A Contest to Commemorate the Publication of “The Prayers And Personal Devotions Of Mother Angelica”

This March 2nd, for the first time, we will all have an opportunity to pray the private prayers and devotions of Mother Angelica. This is the third book I have had the honor of editing for Mother and her monastery. You can pre-order your copies HERE. Contained in this brand new keepsake are Mother’s personal compositions and time tested devotions that you can experience and utter-- the very words that have shaped her incredible life.

This treasury, much of it never before published, includes:

• A complete prayer journal composed during Mother’s personal dark night of the soul

• Handwritten meditations offered to her sisters

• Two moving versions of the Stations of the Cross composed for her community

• Devotions and petitions from her early religious life


More than a collection of prayers, this special volume is an intimate portrait of one of the world’s great women of faith. For devoted fans of Mother Angelica as well as for those just coming to know her, this inspiring guide will be a cherished companion along the path to holiness.

The Contest

Over the next few weeks I will be accepting e-mails from anyone who can tell me what devotion to Jesus Mother Angelica prayed before entering the cloister. Send your guess to raymond@raymondarroyo.com. Please type: “Contest” into the subject line and include your name, address and telephone number, so we can contact the winners. The first 100 people who answer correctly will get signed, first editions of “The Prayers and Personal Devotions of Mother Angelica” and a special bookmark.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Raymond

A Religious Conscience Exception In The Health Care Bill – For The Amish

Both the Senate and House Health Care bills have one religious conscience clause. Unfortunately it only applies to the Amish and a few other religious sects. According to the Watertown Daily Times, the exception would allow the Amish to avoid the health insurance mandate and a fine should they refuse to carry health insurance.

So get this straight: the Amish, Old Order Mennonites and possibly Christian Scientists can opt out of the health care plan, with no penalty, while Catholics and other Christians are bound to pay premiums that fund abortion. How is that fair? Hundreds of Christian, pro-life hospitals, doctors and nurses may soon be forced to violate their consciences and offer or perform procedures they consider morally objectionable. The Congress could care less.

If the pro-life community fails to demand conscience clause protections, and loudly, they could find themselves morally compromised by this new health care regime. Even the leading voice for conscience clauses, the US Catholic bishops, have been muted in recent days, preferring to convey their desires via letters and statements issued by their Conference. Now is the time for a full throated, public discussion of this critical issue. The ethical future of health care is being negotiated now in the back rooms of Capitol Hill.

Of course if everyone would rather focus on Harry Reid's comments, I suppose there is the option of riding a horse and buggy to work. Though some Catholic doctors I know will look pretty silly in those straw hats.

Let me know what you think at raymond@raymondarroyo.com