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

Merry Christmas New York City- An Event Not To Be Missed

I'll be MCing a very special Christmas concert at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall in New York on December 19th. You are all cordially invited. All the proceeds benefit The Faith and Family Foundation which offers assistance to families of special needs children. The Irish tenor, Mark Forrest will be performing as will The Broadway Youth Ensemble, and others. I may even warble a tune or three with the musical director, Rich Barretta (a wonderful pianist). It is a fantastic way to welcome in the Christmas season and the theatre could not be grander. All the info is below, and you can buy your tickets on line, direct from Lincoln Center. Bring your friends and family and I look forward to seeing you in New York on December 19th. Merry Christmas.

Happy Thanksgiving

First of all a Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. Amid reports that unemployment has hit 17% in the United States and heartbreaking stories from friends and family (including our viewing family), we have much to be thankful for on this week of Thanksgiving. Try to take some time with family this week to share your thoughts on the many blessings in your lives. We are often so busy running to appointments and meeting deadlines that we fail to appreciate the great gifts all around us. This is a wonderful time out to stop and recognize the blessings we receive throughout the year.

I am especially thankful for all of you, my television and print family. For your support, attention, and passion, I could never thank you enough. As a partial thank you we are working on a couple of special Advent and Christmas specials which will air on EWTN throughout December. To that end:

All of you in New York, Philadelphia, Jersey and all over the east coast are invited to a special concert in New York City on December 2nd:

The Priests, the international sensations will perform at St. Malachy’s Church (the Actor’s Chapel)
239 West 49th Street
New York, New York 10019 at 2:30 PM.

Seating is first come first serve and the concert is free of charge. You all are welcome. Please come if you can, and be part in this special musical event.

THE WORLD OVER HONORED BY CABLE INDUSTRY/ WHAT DOES THE CATHOLIC CHURCH REALLY TEACH ABOUT HEALTH CARE?

THE WORLD OVER HONORED BY CABLE INDUSTRY

This week, CableFax, a cable Industry magazine, honored "The World Over" by naming our program "Best Religious Show or Series in Cable Television for 2009." My producer Chris Edwards and I were in New York this week to receive the award.

We are so very thankful to the folks at CableFax and to all our loyal viewers (and listeners) who make the show what it is each week. It is an honor I share with my producer, Chris Edwards, our associate producer, James Faulkner, our Executive Producer, Doug Keck, and all the folks at EWTN who keep the show on the air each week: our directors, editors, and crew. How nice it is to be honored by the cable industry. At the awards luncheon, I kept thinking of Mother Angelica who first asked me to create the show and launch the news division thirteen years ago. Without her, the show (and the network) would not exist. As I told the crowd in New York during my acceptance speech: "It is said you shouldn't talk about religion and politics-- this honor demonstrates that we should talk about both with regularity."

Religion brings peace, causes war, and deeply guides man's every action, yet it is the most neglected area of reportage across the globe. What an honor it is to have the time each week to pull back the veil and examine the faith and teachings that drive so much of the surface news we cover. Thanks to all of you for allowing us to continue to do so.

WHAT DOES THE CATHOLIC CHURCH REALLY TEACH ABOUT HEALTH CARE?

In the midst of the never ending health care debate, partisans have suggested that the Catholic Church's (IE the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops') support of Universal Health Care means, de facto, that government run health care must be adopted. The argument has been advanced that aside from their concerns about abortion funding or conscience clauses, the Bishops support the "public option" making its way through the House of Representatives. Now a growing chorus of Bishops are clarifying exactly what the Church teaches about health care reform--and what She doesn't.

This is critical. Most people don't appreciate the fact that the Bishop's Conference in Washington merely puts forth principles to guide the debate. They do not endorse any one approach, nor do they have any canonical authority where Church teaching is concerned. It is up to the individual bishops to teach and guide their flocks.

On this week's "World Over Live" Archbishop Joseph Naumann and Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas will join us to explain their recently issued joint statement on Health Care. They raise concerns about the perception that Catholics are morally obligated to embrace a centralized bureaucratic approach to health care reform. They write: "The right of every individual to access health care does not necessarily suppose an obligation on the part of the government to provide it ... The teaching of the universal church has never been to suggest a government socialization of medical services." Their complete joint statement is worth reading. It is here:

http://catholickey.org/index.php3?gif=news.gif&mode=view&issue=20090911&article_id=5831

Other bishops have issued similar statements. Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver writes: "a proper government role in solving the health-care crisis does not necessarily demand a national public plan, run or supervised by government authorities. Real health-care reform need not automatically translate into federal programming."

Bishop Samuel Aquila of Fargo, N.D., is even more blunt, warning that it is wrong to think that "the national government is the sole instrument of the common good."

These are important observations and words worth heeding-- especially as politicians attempt to attach "moral" urgency to their specific plans. Church teaching, at least on health care reform, is a lot broader than some would like to admit.