It seems that today there are so many people who are suffering in some way. It could be from all the natural disasters, wars, or loss of employment, but people are hurting. It's not just in a physical way, but spiritual, as well. We can help out in many ways through volunteering or giving to Catholic organizations, but we don't have to stop there. Prayer is a powerful tool to help those in need and one of the most powerful is the Rosary. It was this thought that came to Catholic singer Susanna, sister to Dana, and she approached her brother, Gerry Brown, to help write a musical Rosary for those needing prayer. Together, they made the CD Rosary For Those In Need. Susanna shares the mic with Fr. Timothy J. Sheedy and together we get a beautiful rendition of classic prayer and meditations spoken or sung to gentle music that accents the meaning and never distracts. All four Mysteries are here as well as a bonus track called "Song For Those In Need." This is an up tempo song where Susanna and Gerry remind us of Jesus asking St. Peter "Do you love Me?" and Peter answering, " Yes, You know I love You." Jesus then asked Peter to watch over his flock. The song's message is that we are all Peter, and Jesus asks each of us to watch over our troubled brothers and sisters. Rosary For Those In Need is packaged in a two-CD set and is an easy way to follow Christ's teaching in the Beatitudes to care for our brothers who are suffering.

If you love CDs that are prayer-based, make sure you check out the new CD called Seven Sorrows of Mary. This CD is by a nun from the Flower of Carmel Hermitage who simply goes by the name Hermit Sister. Her inspiration was a book by the Servite Fathers called, "Behold Thy Mother." The meditations on the CD are a way of sharing in the major sorrows of Our Lady's life. As we pray one Our Father, seven Hail Marys, and one Glory Be for each sorrow, we ponder the pain she endured along with her Son. We ask her to help us understand the evil we have done and to lead us to repentance. By joining our sorrows with Mary's, as she joined her sacrifices with her Son's, we participate in the work of our Redemption. The dolors on this CD are:
First Dolor: The Prophecy of Simeon
Second Dolor: The Flight into Egypt
Third Dolor: Jesus Remains in the Temple
Fourth Dolor: Mary Meets Jesus on the way to Calvary
Fifth Dolor: Jesus Dies on the Cross
Sixth Dolor: Mary Received the Body of Jesus in her Arms
Seventh Dolor: Jesus is Placed in the Tomb
Other songs on the CD include, "The Silence of Her Heart," "Hide Me In His Heaven," "Lady of Good Voyage," and more. Many of these other songs are sung by tenor John Purcell, with music by Hermit Sister. The dolors are beautifully done as the Sister reads the meditations over quiet piano music and each prayer is sung to the same music. Seven Sorrows of Mary is a nice way to get closer to Jesus through His Mother Mary.

Mair Rathburn's CD title, How Can I Keep From Singing: Sacred Classics For Voice and Harp, says it all. Rathburn is a self-taught harpist and has a Bachelor's Degree in voice. Being in constant demand as a soloist throughout California, mostly in the Sacred Music field, she was asked to put together some of her most requested pieces on a CD. Rathburn has a talent with the harp and a beautiful voice to match. She has taken much-loved classics like Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," Schubert's "Ave Maria," and Pachelbel's "Canon in D" and turned them into wonderful harp music. She does wonders with the popular "On Eagles Wings" and Irish tune "Be Thou My Vision." Rathburn also has a few original pieces like "How Blessed Is She," a Rosary-inspired song for Mary, and the instrumental "Dance Of The Blessed," which sounds like an Irish jig. Rathburn has some wonderful accompaniment by violins, flutes, cellos and even an ab whistle, but the harp never gets lost. How Can I Keep From Singing is a joyful sound and calming to the soul.

Take a trip to the soulful sounds coming for down under with Blair McWhinney. His new CD Stand Your Ground combines honest and intense lyrics over laid-back, rhythm-based acoustic guitar playing. It reminds me of a cross between the Counting Crows and Blues Traveler. McWhinney works with Catholic Youth Ministry, which is an agency for youth and youth ministry in the Archdiocese of Melbourne, Australia. The title track of the CD reminds us that we influence so many people around us and that we must not block God's light to them. We must stand our ground and be strong in what we believe in and share it with others. McWhinney mixes acoustic guitar and harmonica in an awesome fashion on the song, "Hand." It tells of the love Christ has for us and of how He will lift us high if we let Him. Even if we are at our lowest point you can look at Him in the Eucharist and know that He is there. And knowing that Christ is indeed there for us no matter what is the message in the song, "Don't Hold Back." He's there for us no matter the condition of our souls-we need only turn back to Him. Blair McWhinney has a sound that appeals to the youth or to those that are young at heart.

Get ready to be blown away by the new single from Fr. Stan Fortuna. Have you ever heard of a single that lasts for over an hour? The Rappin' Father has done it with The Great One. This is an awesome new tune that is about our new, soon-to-be saint, as Fr. Stan gives tribute to one of the greatest Popes of all time-John Paul II. He is joined by fellow Catholic rapper Righteous B. The rapping is not a hard, in-yo-face kind of rap, but more of a pleasant, mellow type. The rappers sing of how JP2 was a man devoted to God and to the Blessed Mother, and of how he was a man of forgiveness and suffering. They also let it be known that he is one to be looked up to and that we should pray for his help for the many problems that we are facing today. The CD also has Fr. Stan reading some of the late Holy Father's words and homilies, as well as a rap session or dialogue with the two rappers about JP2. Lastly, if you do karaoke there a TV mix of the song for you to make your own tribute to Pope John Paul II. Make sure you check out The Great One.

If you are a fan of the popular Catholic band Backyard Galaxy then you must give a listen to the solo works from singer Bob Rice. Rice has been making music for over ten years and has issued several CDs, many of which are hard to find. It was through these CDs that the regular musicians that played or toured with Rice became a band. You can hear the beginnings of Backyard Galaxy on these early tunes. Rice was asked to gather the most requested of his songs together for an anthology of his music, and the result is Shining Like The Son: The Best of Bob Rice. Rice has captured the frequency of the soul of Catholic youth with this collection. The tunes are all Christ-centered in lyrics and lean toward a rock music style. Infuse your spirit with songs like "I Will Serve The Lord," Behold The Lamb," "Mighty" or "Prodigal." Let the quieter side of Rice wash over you with "To Walk With God Again," "Goin' Home," or "The Open Door." The collection also features two new songs. "Shining Like The Son" was written just after Rice recorded Drive-Thru Jesus. It focuses on three people: the prophet Isaiah, Elijiah, and Rice. "It takes a look at how God set those lives on fire," says Rice, "and how, because of them, I'm set on fire myself. They are two of my favorite people in the Old Testament. We immediately wished we could have included it on the Drive-Thru Jesus album, it got such a great response. We've been playing that song for about two years now, and fans have been dying to get a recording of it." The other new song is called "King of Kings (Alleluia)" and it's a worship tune. Rice has been leading praise and worship at all the Steubenville Summer Conferences (youth and adult) and has found that people tend to vibe on the sound of it.
It's the touching song "Christopher Augustine" that will move your heart as Rice sings about the loss his first child due to miscarriage. It's very pro-life and reiterates that God has a purpose for every event in our lives. Rice says: "My heroes are the teenage girls who decide to give birth to their babies and keep them or give them up for adoption. I experienced that a few times in my 10 years of youth ministry, and I always had such great admiration for them. The world wants to make it so easy for them to have an abortion and hide their shame. I am almost brought to tears when I think about the courage that these young women have. They are real heroes." Shining Like The Son: The Best of Bob Rice is a must have for your library.
 

--Jeff Burson