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Vacation to EWTN and Mother Angelica's Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament (Part 1)
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My family and I returned from a wonderful vacation in early August to Mother Angelica’s EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network) in
Many people make a “Eucharistic pilgrimage” to the area, as the shrine offers Mass, Adoration, Confession, talks, and the angelic singing of the nuns as they sing the Divine Office, among other prayers throughout the day. For my family with four young children and the littlest just turning four, it wasn’t so much of a pilgrimage but a vacation. I certainly prayed that we would have a spiritual aspect to the trip, but trips to the zoo, botanical garden, and other kiddie attractions discount from this being a true pilgrimage for us this time.
So what can you do when you go to EWTN? First of all, you can go to the daily Mass, which for me was heaven on Earth. My children and I usually watch the Daily Mass on weekdays, and especially we listen to the homily. In my opinion EWTN has some of the best homilists available in
Also, we were blessed to be at the Mass of Father Thomas Eitenauer, the president of Human Life International. I like to think that when Fr. Etenouar speaks, those who want to hear the truth listen, as he pulls no punches but speaks of the hard truths of our Catholic lives- about the evils of contraception, abortion, euthanasia, and homosexual “marriage,” yet he does so with the love and mercy of God in mind.
During the evenings, we were able to catch two of the live shows- EWTN Live, and Life on the Rock. This was quite an experience because not only did we get to talk to the brothers, like Brother Leo and Brother Louie, monks that the boys see on the EWTN kids shows, but we were all able to see how a live show was filmed and prepared for. My sons were ecstatic because they were invited to take pictures with Deacon Bill and Father Mark, host of LIFE on the Rock.
One day we took a tour of the EWTN studio, and the approximately 1 hour 15 minute tour was lead by the very humorous and knowledgeable Brother Tarcisio, from
I have to say that this was part of an answer to my prayer, as I did want this trip to EWTN to make an impression on my sons and daughter, in whatever way to meet them where they are. I pray that spiritual benefits will come for many years.
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I'm familiar with some of the people who do the LIFETEEN there. They got it going on...! They helped us start our LIFETEEN in our parish, and it's really helping the youth and us adults.
September 17, 2008 at 6:28 p.m.I think I understand what you're saying about the 45-minute Mass. We have a 6:30 a.m. one on Sunday that's a snoozer, but it's still Mass- hallelujah!
It's funny you should mention Our Lady of Sorrows,my close friends are always telling me to come back home..lol .....I have been going to OLV for about 50 years now ,so that is home now....My friends claim OLV it's too dull (they call it a protestant Catholic church),but I tease them ,telling them I am guaranteed a 45 minute mass without all the hugging........lol
September 17, 2008 at 5:25 p.m.have a good one
Hello Mike,
September 17, 2008 at 5:17 p.m.So sorry to hear about your sister. How tragic.
As far as pilgrimages, I didn't know about them until about 15 yrs. ago, and I had certainly never went on one. They are coming back though!
I envy your charismatic upbringing. I never had that....but I'm working on that and helping my kids along too. I went on a Holy Spirit retreat with some people from Our Lady of Sorrows, and well, it was phenomenal.
Thanks Mike for your story.
Actually, I've been quite genial and trying to avoid a fight. You obviously are not aware of the history of Christianity and why some lists of the Decalogue differ. It's not my task to educate you today.
September 17, 2008 at 5:14 p.m.I wrote this blog for those interested in EWTN or the shrine in Hanceville. While it's been interesting trading posts, I don't think your'e interested in true dialogue. So... thanks for commenting.
Very informative maryann(blog) but I didn't know pilgrimages still existed...I remember going to Matamoros a couple of times for a pilgrimage, but all during the same period....My sister burned to death when I was 15 ...We went shortly after, to pray for her during her hospital stay,then a second time to give our family strength to cope with the loss...We had a few losses since then ,but a pilgrimage was not even considered...In fact until I read your blog ,I completely forgot they even existed...I guess I am losing my charasmatic upbringing.
September 17, 2008 at 3:58 p.m.Wrong- It's the Eighth Commandment about bearing false witness. Sheesh! Get it right, Lume.
September 17, 2008 at 12:50 p.m.Moreover, back yourself up and prove that the atheistic communist government was NOT responsible for the deaths of millions. Unless you do that, the charge you leveled comes right back at you.
While you're at it, I got a book here by Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn that you can counter. It's called the Gulag Archipelago. That's where Solzhenitsyn, a believer in God who wouldn't shut up, spent several years of his life. He has hundreds of accounts of the atheists persecuting religious and political prisoners.
You want to hear about some of them?
So you say that atheists have never killed anyone to support their godless regimes? Some people deny the Holocaust today, I hope you are not denying that the atheistic regimes have killed millions and are still doing so.
That's what happens when your rights and dignity come from MAN- man can take your rights away at the drop of a hat.
I
That's your opinion, Luminary. I'm not in the habit of slinging gratuitous cheap shots.
September 17, 2008 at 12:26 p.m.The fact is that Lenin was an avowed atheist who was responsible for the deaths of thousands before his follower Stalin took over, then the death toll under that atheist leader was in the millions. http://freedomspeace.blogspot.com/200...
I'll say it again: it IS compatible with the atheist ideology to kill in the name of the state: it's going on NOW in China with their 1-child policy. It WAS compatible with atheist thinking to kill dissidents (especially religious dissidents) for praying in public in Russia in the late 1920s and 1930s.
Freethinker and I have had this discussion a few times. I'm surprised he still tries to level any attacks on Christians when the atheistic regimes still have such bloody hands today.
It is quite Christian to point out the unjust deaths, especially when the perpetrators have not repented of their crimes and are still killing, imprisoning, and torturing those who are inconvenient or who they disagree with.
Freethinker, Christianity has a 2000-yr. history of spreading the Gospel, with some inhumane episodes. The tares do exist alongside the wheat.
September 17, 2008 at 11:19 a.m.I could ask you the question about the violent history of the atheists of the last two centuries, and you could say that it is consistent with their message of man being his own authority. At least I can say that those who kill in the name of "God" are mislead. Your people kill (such as Vladimir Lenin) in the name of the state and it's compatible with their ideology.
I could ask you to show me the GOOD done in officially atheistic societies (Communist Russia, Communist China, Communist Cuba) and you would have to mention that Cuba is still suppressing freedoms, and the Chinese are killing girl babies in the womb, and also by abandonment of newborns, among other wrongs.
There are no Christian militias today representing Christianity, other than prayer warriors. We've learned... somewhat.
Hello Luminary,
September 17, 2008 at 11:09 a.m.That's a good question, and I think you're sincere about it.
I can give my personal opinion. My answer that pride blinds these people. I think that those who have bombed abortion clinics- killing the doctors, nurses, policemen, and other people have lost sight of reality and common sense, much less what "religion" is about. They've become their own authority, and they know better than those around them. In their sick way, they think they are making progress.
So you kill someone and try to teach others to not kill children in the womb? Sounds wacko to me.
As for the Muslims extremists, I think it is written in the the latter books of the Koran that the infidel must be killed, yet in the earlier texts Mohammed writes that the infidel should be respected. That causes a problem for me, as an "infidel" when they choose to follow certain verses and justify the violence.
God is love, and when Jesus looked down on the cross at those who tortured and were killing him, he didn't see killing them in return as the ultimate answer.
It's taken many in Christianity a long time to learn this, but through some of the great saints, St. Francis, who went to the Muslims to suffer a martyr's death, and even with JPII who knew bringing down Communism in Poland through violence would not be a lasting peace, we can see that violence begets violence.
(BTW, there is such a thing as a just war, such as when the Christians intercepted and defeated the Turks at the gates of Vienna in the 1680s. I'm glad the Christian kings came together and defeated the Muslims, as I would be wearing a burka now, and not communicating with strange men (strangers)..... like you!)