Lent, Learning to Be Holy, and the Lone Star State
Dear Friends:
In two days, on Ash Wednesday, Lent 2016 will begin. With it comes an opportunity to renew our resolve to become saints (by God’s grace), worthy representatives — indeed, ambassadors of sorts — here on earth of our heavenly King, Our Lord Jesus Christ. I have a couple of suggestions.
As I mentioned last week, a TV star recently raved to me — two Sundays ago — about the tremendous spiritual benefit he's received from our 12-CD set, "Victory Through Virtue," which is based on the thorough (40 double-column pages!), classic pre-Vatican II examination of conscience by famed Redemptorist priest and retreat master Donald F. Miller. His is but the umpteenth of the rave reviews I consistently receive, even from folks who've been traditional Catholics their entire lives and yet who say they've never received such in-depth spiritual direction before.
I urge you to order a copy of "Victoty Through Virtue" for yourself and/or your loved ones for Lenten listening from our online store, www.gerrymatatics.org/shop. There you can also read more about what this 12-CD set covers.
As a bonus to the first seven customers who order a set, I will include a free, brand-new copy of the 561-page Penguin Classics edition of John Henry Cardinal Newman's classic spiritual autobiography, Apologia Pro Vita Sua, which recounts his conversion from Protestantism to Catholicism, a book that was instrumental in my own conversion 30 years ago — an $18 value, absolutely free! I just received one such order this morning, February 8, from a man in Houston who's looking forward to my talks there (see below), so I now only have 6 copies left.
Speaking of Houston, before I mention my second suggestion for spiritual growth this Lent, let me reiterate last week’s announcement of my upcoming speaking engagements in the Houston TX area March 2-5 — now less than a month away.
On Wednesday, March 2 (exactly three weeks after Ash Wednesday) I will return once again to the Lone Star state — land of the Alamo, Ted Cruz, ranches larger than the state of Rhode Island, the Presidents Bush, barbecues and chili, the Astros, Comets, Cowboys and Rockets, jalapeño pepper jelly, and my birth (in Harlingen TX, April 8, 1957).
I will be there for private meetings and talks March 2-3 in Shiner TX, a public talk on Friday evening, March 4 in Houston entitled “Three-Dimensional Catholicism: How to Biblically Build a Well-Rounded Faith for These Troubled Times,” and on Saturday I’ll be giving an all-day Scriptural Lenten retreat for young men ages 18-45 on the theme “Battle Tested: Following Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant, to Victory through the Fifteen Spiritual Skirmishes Recounted in the Rosary.”
As always, my monthly donors will receive a free copy of CD recordings of these talks, while others can purchase them from our online store at www.gerrymatatics.org/shop
Exact details of time and place will be posted here on Ash Wednesday, and fliers for the two public events will be posted on my website and Facebook page as well as emailed (and mailed, for those for whom I have no email address) to those on my mailing list who live within an hour or two drive from Houston. If you can’t wait until this Wednesday to learn more you’re welcome to email me at gerrymatatics@gerrymatatics.org or call me at (570) 969-1724.
Because my second suggestion for Lent will involve several key quotes from Dom Gueranger’s masterpiece The Liturgical Year (also available from our online store), which I have been busily transcribing over the past few days but have not quite completed compiling, I will add this information along with the information about my Houston talks in a couple of days, on Ash Wednesday.
Until then, I pray that this Lent will be one of unprecedented fruitfulness and spiritual success for you and yours. Please pray the same for me and mine.
God bless,
Gerry Matatics