News from The Catholic Prayer Club

… spreading the message of our Lord one word at a time..

December 2006

CPC’s Mission Statement: CPC shall be a worldwide apostolate with a mission of propagating the Roman Catholic faith as the principal means for humankind to achieve Salvation. To achieve its mission CPC shall advocate and support education in the Catholic faith in parish, school, college and university communities; advance the educational and catechetical mission of the Church; help individuals achieve a deeper more meaningful prayer life engendering a closer, more intimate relationship with God and; acknowledge that our Salvation, as well as that of our neighbors, is paramount, and thus go forth to evangelize the teachings of the Catholic faith among all humankind. Visit us on the worldwide web www.catholicprayerclub.org

“ Just one small step on our journey to Salvation”

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Our feature article this month….

Quo Vidas Humanity

By Rebecca S. Barrido

God gives each one of us a pattern in life, which we cannot perceive no matter how perfect our goals are, because no power, prestige or possession can compare to the power of God who controls and rules the universe. God gave us "free will" to choose our course in life but those who are open to His will, receive cascading graces to do good things for humanity. He owns our lives thus, once in a while He dips His fingers into our plans. Sometimes our plans go well and sometimes they seem to fail, however, the outcome is always part of God’s plan for us. If we face trials it is still a manifestation of His love for us for even gold does not become gold until it undergoes different development processes. Sometimes the road of life has many bumps and obstacles nevertheless a beautiful plan ultimately unfolds if we believe and truly trust Him, hence we must follow the path He lays down for us. After all he is the Great Emancipator and Savior of humankind.

Today science and technology play an important role in almost every aspect of life. Machines take over the work in the labor force and are deployed on battlefields and in institutions, laboratories, schools and various work establishments as well as our homes and communities. Our environment is full of play stations, televisions, computers and gadgets of every conceivable type that make life easy and more pleasurable. The media trumpets this element of our daily lives because it showcases the apparent brilliance and unlimited capacity for mankind to always create bigger and better things. Researches continually seek cures for Cancer, AIDS, SARS and the effects of aging. Explorations are routinely conducted in Space to discover whether there is life on other planets.

Who knows, perhaps in the days to come the dead will be buried on the Moon. Scientists now also perform cloning and genetic engineering. Moreover, the world becomes smaller and smaller as modes of transportation and communication methods are improved and modernized. The mere click of a mouse now instantly sends information from one side of the planet to the other. Our brain is taxed less because of the help from modem technology, why even robots can do many of the tasks of the human beings. Yes much has been achieved by modern man thus making life more efficient, easier and enjoyable.

When I was small my father told me that the day would come when I would encounter people that mistakenly believed in the power of their individual self will rather than in the power of God. With innocence I told him that man might be able to build cars, planes, roads and even submarines but he can’t create a bird, or an ocean or a sunset and he most certainly cannot engender inner joy, fulfillment and peace unless his spirit rests and achieves complete union with the Lord.

In mans’ quest to control all aspects of destiny he has made war on others and pursued a life which more often than not worships wealth, material gain and rampant consumerism. This culture of materialism, modernism and consumerism is injected into the minds of both young people and adults in subtle ways that are almost undetectable.

We can easily witness the degeneration of values and morality throughout society.

Our world is a cauldron of problems including civil unrest, diseases, social and economic decline, religious confusion, euthanasia, drug abuse, pollution, terrorism, broken marriages and political division. In consequence the very future of the human race is at risk. Our youth and even adults are continuously assaulted with the openness of the sins of pornography, and immorality. Today there are thousands of premarital pregnancies rampant drug addiction, and adultery and other sinful actions that impact our society.

Quo vadis humanity? Where is the world leading? What have we done to face the challenges of the modem times? Are we frozen like statues unable or perhaps unwilling to try to make the world a better place? As parents we help our youngsters to form good values including a deep love of God and neighbor as well as honesty, responsibility and a good work ethic. In addition to these family taught values the different sectors of society must also take action. Among the institutions, corporations, companies, schools, and government sectors there is a need for the reinforcement and teaching of good Christian values. Materialism and the creation of wealth should not be our ultimate goal. Instead our teachers, business and government leaders should be on the forefront along with our Ministers and Church leaders helping all members of society to embrace the appropriate values in life.

Peace emanates from the hearts of those who love God and their neighbors regardless of color, race, creed or status in life. Sacred Scripture tells us how to live as God's people, so that peace will reign in our land. "I will sprinkle clean water upon you to clean you of your impurities and idols and I will give you a new spirit for your stony hearts to become natural hearts. I will make you live by my statutes and decrees and you will be my people and I will be your God."(Ezk 36: 24-28) Our impurities and idols make us unclean and they lead us away from God. No power can bring true peace unless the Spirit of God lives within us. Lest we forget that everything comes from God and what we achieve must be returned to God by serving humanity. No one is above God. If this is forgotten our world will sink to ashes and we will become will be like wild animals without souls. To be at peace, God’s Spirit must always be the guest of our souls. The Lord is calling us to be around Him for He is our rock and our fortress, our beginning and end. We must not close our ears to what he is telling us in the Scriptures. He is our Savior, defender, protector, and healer. His words are our guide for a lasting peace, for He listens to prayers (Matt.7: 7-11)

Our journey can be compared to the journey of Moses when he led the Israelites out of Egypt for forty years to reach the Promised Land. (Ex 13:1-21). Along the way many souls were lost to the lure of the flesh and power. (Ex: 32:1-8) But God loved them so much that He provided the faithful with manna and water in the dessert. Today many people forget their Covenant with God and desert Him. Some are overcome by arrogance, sloth, avarice and immorality. They lose the sense of sin. Humility, love of neighbor and sacrifice are not a part of their life. As a result they wander in the dessert and experience pain, loneliness and discontent.

On the other hand there are those who allow the Spirit of the Lord to live in their hearts, minds and souls engendering inner joy and peace. Their good deeds blossom and are recognized by the Lord as he allows their recordation in our Book of Life.

Regardless how often we falter God is always waiting to welcome us back into His loving arms. He tells us to love and forgive one another." Come to me the Prince of Peace for I am the King of the Divine Mercy." God's love for mankind is a living flame that does not extinguish for it burns day and night and it is lasting.” We cast our burdens upon Him for He is a merciful and forgiving God We hope for the coming of peace in the hearts of all nations. There is a need for intense prayers, conversion, reconciliation, penance and sacrifice so that families will be intact, societies will be united and God’s love will manifest among all of humankind. God will welcome us into the promised land of infinite justice, truth, and love. There will be no gnashing of teeth, remorse and wailing because Salvation and peace will reign supreme forever.

Other Musings This Month

The CPC website continues to gain recognition and has now been granted direct links on the web pages of the Archdiocese of New York and America magazine.

A new CPC Home Based Prayer Community, located in New York City, is slated to hold its inaugural meeting in mid December.

Plans are underway to launch a Bible phone line and a 15-minute daily radio broadcast by Fr. Al Lauer. Both programs will be accessible through the CPC website 24/7.

The CPC Prayer Intention For This Month

For all of the world’s children, particularly those that suffer from poverty, exploitation and war.

Lord Hear Our Prayer

You can help us spread the good word of our Lord…by becoming a CPC Prayer Ministry Leader in your home area.

As a CPC Prayer Minister (PM) you will form and lead a small Home Based Prayer Community (HBPC) in your hometown.

It’s easy to get started. All you need to do is invite several friends, co-workers or family members to join your HBPC. Local communities are generally comprised of from 3 to 15 members who gather in community every other week to pray, reflect and share our faith. The Catholic Prayer Club will provide you with all of the materials you need to form, organize and lead your ministry and Home Based Prayer Community.

So if you feel called to a ministry in the service of the Lord, please contact Steve Macy or Aurora Ragaza Co-Stewards of The Catholic Prayer Club at