Dear Villagers,
Thank you to our faithful Director of Faith Formation, Monica Pope, for an inspiring talk on the Holy Trinity last night! Father Eric Weber, a past parochial vicar of St Thomas once said that it is nearly impossible for anyone to speak for more than 10 minutes on the Blessed Trinity without committing heresy. With that stern admonition, Monica did a beautiful job elaborating on the truths that God has revealed to us about His Trinitarian nature! We must be careful not to lose the gift and mystery of the Trinity by trying to reduce it into our own terms. The Church has continuously called the Holy Trinity the central mystery of the Christian faith! For your further meditation, please see the attached scriptural meditations on the Trinity.
Here are a few truths we talked about last night:
1. In the unity of the one God, there are three distinct Persons. (Catechism of the Catholic Church #253, 254)
2. The Triune God consists of three Persons who are but one essence. (Catechism of the Catholic Church #202)
3. The end of all things is the inclusion of God's creatures into God's Trinitarian unity. (Catechism of the Catholic Church #260)
This Sunday, we're focusing on Catholic Philosophy. Catholic Philosophy presents us with a set of basic principles with which to determine the morality of various actions. Drawing from St Thomas Aquinas, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and Veritatis Splendor, we’ll be examining some tough ethical questions through the lens of Catholic Philosophy and Moral Theology! Join us next Sunday from 5-6:30 for another great Village meeting!
---This Thursday Night from 7-8pm, our Dead Theologians Society is focusing on St Francis of Assisi.
---Your Question of the Week is, "What does the Church officially teach on homosexuality?"
You are in my prayers!
--------------------------------
The Village News
This Thursday: Dead Theologians Society
This week our dead theologian is Saint Francis of Assisi! Join us this Thursday from 7-8pm for our (now) regular DTS meeting! We will gather in Beth’s office for snacks and social time starting at 6:30, move to the Church Choir Loft at 7pm, and have more snacks and social time from 8 to 8:30pm. Through the Saints of yesterday, the Dead Theologians Society, or DTS, inspires the youth of today to become the saints of tomorrow!
Next Sunday: Catholic Philosophy 101
Catholic Philosophy presents us with a set of basic principles with which to determine the morality of various actions. Drawing from St Thomas Aquinas, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and Veritatis Splendor, we’ll be examining some tough ethical questions through the lens of Catholic Philosophy and Moral Theology! Join us this Sunday from 5-6:30 for a great Village meeting!
Next Sunday: Youth Council Meeting at 4pm Before Village
Attention Youth Council Members: Nealia Fil, Melissa Shelcusky, Erica Wells, Marina Argiero, Brendan Hufnagel, Tony Pilon, Ellen Dowling, Mike Megargle, Will Chavey, Sebastian Renteria, Tom Pilon, Danielle Arsenault, Chris Silva, Emma McClory, Robert Peters, Thomas Donahue, James Pope, and Isabel Pope.
Come by 4pm next Sunday, for the second (and last) Youth Council Meeting of the semester. The Youth Council meets 2x each semester to provide youth input to guide upcoming Village events. All those serveing as Team Leaders are a part of the Youth Council, as well as a number of teens who are not on any particular Team.
The Village Fall Retreat, December 11-13th
Did you know that every single Village Retreat has a late night Taco Bell run? This semester our retreat theme is “Lord, to whom shall we go?”! These words come from the Gospel of John Chapter 6, after Jesus promises to give His Body in the Eucharist. Many of his disciples think he has lost it, and stop following him. Jesus turns to his remaining disciples with the question- “Do you also want to leave?” The Apostle Peter replies, “Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
Your Question of the Week: What does the Church officially teach on homosexuality?
Having same-sex attractions does not change who someone is in God’s eyes! Even if you have had feelings of same-sex attraction, this does not change who you are. You are not the sum of your thoughts or feelings- you are God’s Beloved Son or Daughter. Let’s start with the very meaning of sex- our very bodies show that man and woman are made for each other. Sexual love is a participation in God’s work as Creator, and is a gift of self to the beloved, in marriage. It is designed to be a total, faithful, and fruitful gift of self. Sex outside of the marriage vows is not a total, faithful, and fruitful gift of self- therefore the sexual act becomes the antithesis of love- use.
Those with homosexual desires are called, like all Christians, to live the virtue of chastity. Chastity means abstaining from sex outside of marriage, adopting a lifestyle that recognizes the true meaning of sex, and recognizing the goodness of being made male and female in God’s image. Homosexual desires are not in themselves sinful- it is only when one acts on the desires, or encourages the desires, that they become sinful. The homosexual act, acts intended to arouse or stimulate a sexual response from a person of the same sex, is opposed to God’s plan.
Sexual love is designed for a man and a woman in the context of marriage for two reasons. 1. We’re Called to be Fruitful: “God has willed to give the union of man and woman a special participation in his work of creation…“Be fruitful and multiply” (Gen 1:28). Homosexual acts close the sexual act to the gift of life. 2. We’re Called to be Complementary: “Man, the image of God, was created “male and female” (Gen 1:27). Men and women are equal as persons and complementary as male and female. Marriage is instituted by the Creator as a form of life in which a communion of persons is realized involving the use of the sexual faculty.” (PBenedict)
Old and New Testament consistently condemn the homosexual act- Genesis 19:13, Leviticus 20:13, Romans 1:26-28, 32. “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God" -1 Cor 6:9-10
Scientific studies on what leads people to embrace a gay lifestyle have produced mixed results. Some suggest there may be a genetic predisposition- so the actions cannot be sinful or unnatural, but many are born with a genetic disposition to alcoholism, but that does not mean these desires should be fulfilled. Some say that they were born with the desires; so the actions cannot be sinful or unnatural, but we are all born with many desires that are unnatural- alcoholism, masturbation, self-centeredness, etc. Having these desires is not wrong- but acting on them is.
Therefore, we are called to LOVE: those who have same-sex attractions and those who act on them “must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.” (Catechism 2358) Still, the Church’s effort to love and accept those with homosexual desires does not mean approving of their choices to act on these desires.
More Support + Resources: Courage- an outreach of the Church that ministers to those with same-sex attractions. Encourage- an apostolate of the Catholic Church which ministers to relatives and friends of persons with same-sex attractions. Check them out online!
26 October 2009
21 October 2009
The Holy Trinity
Dear Villagers,
Thank you to Village Volunteer Laura, for an inspiring talk on Worship this past Sunday! Worshiping God is acknowledging our own littleness and recognizing God as infinite- as merciful Love itself. We are called to worship God through the Mass, through praise and worship music, and through vocal prayer. That said, St Paul challenges us to live our whole lives as worship- “I urge you therefore, brothers, remembering the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, dedicated and acceptable to God; that is the kind of worship for you, as sensible people.” In order to offer our very lives to God, we had a beautiful time of Eucharistic Adoration following Laura's talk with our Pastor, Father Bill. We can all use more time in front of the Jesus- present in the Eucharist!
This Sunday, we're focusing in on the Holy Trinity: Gift & Mystery. The mystery of the Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life (Catechism of the Catholic Church #234). In addition, God's inmost Being as Holy Trinity is a mystery that is inaccessible to reason alone (Catechism of the Catholic Church #237). In other words, the Trinity is both the most essential teaching of our faith and a mystery about which we cannot know everything. That said, we can certainly know more than we do now! Join us at Village this Sunday to hear Guest Speaker and St Thomas Director of Faith Formation, Monica Pope, on the beauty and truth of the Most Blessed Trinity.
---This Thursday Night from 7-8pm, our Dead Theologians Society is focusing on St Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr.
---Your Question of the Week is, "Is it a sin to think about sex?"
You are in my prayers,
Beth
The Village News
This Thursday: Dead Theologians Society
This week our dead theologian is Saint Cecilia! Join us this Thursday from 7-8pm for our (now) regular DTS meeting! We will gather in Beth’s office for snacks and social time starting at 6:30, move to the Church Choir Loft at 7pm, and have more snacks and social time from 8 to 8:30pm. If things are busy, feel free to skip social time. Through the Saints of yesterday, the Dead Theologians Society, or DTS, inspires the youth of today to become the saints of tomorrow!
Next Sunday 10/25: The Holy Trinity: Gift & Mystery
The mystery of the Holy Trinity is the most fundamental of our faith! The Trinity is a mystery in the sense that it is a religious truth about which we can't know everything. That said, we can certainly know and understand more than we do now! Join us Sunday from 5-6:30 to discover the Most Blessed Trinity and the surprising implications for our social & personal lives.
The Village Fall Retreat, December 11-13th
Did you know that every single Village Retreat is modeled after a World Youth Day? This semester we’re focusing on World Youth Day, 1996, “Lord, to whom shall we go?”! These words come from the Gospel of John Chapter 6, after Jesus proclaims Himself to be the living bread sent down from heaven to give life to the world! Jesus promises to give His Body in the Eucharist, and many of his disciples think he has lost it. Many of his disciples stopped following him, and Jesus turns to his remaining disciples with the question- “Do you also want to leave?” The Apostle Peter replies, “Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
More about The Village
Our mission is to prepare each of us for our encounter with the Risen Christ, especially in the Blessed Sacrament. Some of us may have doubts like our patron St Thomas did. Others have already joined St Thomas in those words of faith, "My Lord and My God!” Like St Thomas, we are asking real questions, having real dialogue, and developing real faith. The Village meets on Sunday nights from 5-6:30pm, in addition to having socials and service days. The highlight over and above all of these activities will be our Fall Retreat! Check us out online at www.findthevillage.com for more info. Youth Minister Beth Spizarny can be reached at St Thomas at 761-8606. For anything of an immediate nature you can call or text her cell, (734) 545-0827.
Your Question of the Week: Is it a sin to think about sex?
Each week I answer one of the very real questions you have asked me about living our Catholic Faith. This week, our question is a bit stickier than usual! Just thinking about sex is not a sin. We are sexual beings, and part of that is human nature and perfectly normal. Even St Augustine, a Bishop and Doctor of the Church, (and our Dead Theologian from last week!) struggled with thoughts about sex and lust. That said- we are also intelligent and spiritual beings, and we have the ability to control our fantasies and emotions. Many of our thoughts are random, but we have to learn to quickly discard those that can potentially be sinful. If sexual thoughts arise, we need reject these thoughts, recognizing that these thoughts may lead us to sin.
As Catholics we need to especially remember that we are created to know, love, and serve God. In addition to this call, we know from Theology of the Body that we are also called to love as He loves. Loving as God loves means that in the context of our vocation (marriage, religious life, single life, and priesthood) we are called to love faithfully, totally, and fruitfully. In the context of marriage, loving as God loves is possible through the faithful (loving your spouse for life!), total (not holding anything back!) and fruitful (open to life) gift of self in sexual love.
When we nurture thoughts about sex we objectify the opposite sex, wrongly see sexual love as self-gratification instead of a gift of self to your spouse, and we can even be tempted to self-centered forms of sexual love. Continually thinking about these things can create an unhealthy attachment to some pretty fleshly and lust-centered sins!
We need to learn to control our thoughts. Unlike animals, we as humans can not act on each and every urge that come along. St Alphonsus Liguori advised, “When an evil thought is presented to the mind, we must immediately endeavor to turn our thoughts to God, or to something which is indifferent. But the best rule is, instantly to invoke the names of Jesus and Mary, and to continue to invoke them until the temptation ceases."
Here’s another good prayer for times of temptation: "Father God, please wash my thoughts with the blood of Jesus and help me die to any sinful pleasure I have in them. Please forgive me for any sin I have committed in my thoughts. Thank you, Father. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen."
Thank you to Village Volunteer Laura, for an inspiring talk on Worship this past Sunday! Worshiping God is acknowledging our own littleness and recognizing God as infinite- as merciful Love itself. We are called to worship God through the Mass, through praise and worship music, and through vocal prayer. That said, St Paul challenges us to live our whole lives as worship- “I urge you therefore, brothers, remembering the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, dedicated and acceptable to God; that is the kind of worship for you, as sensible people.” In order to offer our very lives to God, we had a beautiful time of Eucharistic Adoration following Laura's talk with our Pastor, Father Bill. We can all use more time in front of the Jesus- present in the Eucharist!
This Sunday, we're focusing in on the Holy Trinity: Gift & Mystery. The mystery of the Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life (Catechism of the Catholic Church #234). In addition, God's inmost Being as Holy Trinity is a mystery that is inaccessible to reason alone (Catechism of the Catholic Church #237). In other words, the Trinity is both the most essential teaching of our faith and a mystery about which we cannot know everything. That said, we can certainly know more than we do now! Join us at Village this Sunday to hear Guest Speaker and St Thomas Director of Faith Formation, Monica Pope, on the beauty and truth of the Most Blessed Trinity.
---This Thursday Night from 7-8pm, our Dead Theologians Society is focusing on St Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr.
---Your Question of the Week is, "Is it a sin to think about sex?"
You are in my prayers,
Beth
The Village News
This Thursday: Dead Theologians Society
This week our dead theologian is Saint Cecilia! Join us this Thursday from 7-8pm for our (now) regular DTS meeting! We will gather in Beth’s office for snacks and social time starting at 6:30, move to the Church Choir Loft at 7pm, and have more snacks and social time from 8 to 8:30pm. If things are busy, feel free to skip social time. Through the Saints of yesterday, the Dead Theologians Society, or DTS, inspires the youth of today to become the saints of tomorrow!
Next Sunday 10/25: The Holy Trinity: Gift & Mystery
The mystery of the Holy Trinity is the most fundamental of our faith! The Trinity is a mystery in the sense that it is a religious truth about which we can't know everything. That said, we can certainly know and understand more than we do now! Join us Sunday from 5-6:30 to discover the Most Blessed Trinity and the surprising implications for our social & personal lives.
The Village Fall Retreat, December 11-13th
Did you know that every single Village Retreat is modeled after a World Youth Day? This semester we’re focusing on World Youth Day, 1996, “Lord, to whom shall we go?”! These words come from the Gospel of John Chapter 6, after Jesus proclaims Himself to be the living bread sent down from heaven to give life to the world! Jesus promises to give His Body in the Eucharist, and many of his disciples think he has lost it. Many of his disciples stopped following him, and Jesus turns to his remaining disciples with the question- “Do you also want to leave?” The Apostle Peter replies, “Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
More about The Village
Our mission is to prepare each of us for our encounter with the Risen Christ, especially in the Blessed Sacrament. Some of us may have doubts like our patron St Thomas did. Others have already joined St Thomas in those words of faith, "My Lord and My God!” Like St Thomas, we are asking real questions, having real dialogue, and developing real faith. The Village meets on Sunday nights from 5-6:30pm, in addition to having socials and service days. The highlight over and above all of these activities will be our Fall Retreat! Check us out online at www.findthevillage.com for more info. Youth Minister Beth Spizarny can be reached at St Thomas at 761-8606. For anything of an immediate nature you can call or text her cell, (734) 545-0827.
Your Question of the Week: Is it a sin to think about sex?
Each week I answer one of the very real questions you have asked me about living our Catholic Faith. This week, our question is a bit stickier than usual! Just thinking about sex is not a sin. We are sexual beings, and part of that is human nature and perfectly normal. Even St Augustine, a Bishop and Doctor of the Church, (and our Dead Theologian from last week!) struggled with thoughts about sex and lust. That said- we are also intelligent and spiritual beings, and we have the ability to control our fantasies and emotions. Many of our thoughts are random, but we have to learn to quickly discard those that can potentially be sinful. If sexual thoughts arise, we need reject these thoughts, recognizing that these thoughts may lead us to sin.
As Catholics we need to especially remember that we are created to know, love, and serve God. In addition to this call, we know from Theology of the Body that we are also called to love as He loves. Loving as God loves means that in the context of our vocation (marriage, religious life, single life, and priesthood) we are called to love faithfully, totally, and fruitfully. In the context of marriage, loving as God loves is possible through the faithful (loving your spouse for life!), total (not holding anything back!) and fruitful (open to life) gift of self in sexual love.
When we nurture thoughts about sex we objectify the opposite sex, wrongly see sexual love as self-gratification instead of a gift of self to your spouse, and we can even be tempted to self-centered forms of sexual love. Continually thinking about these things can create an unhealthy attachment to some pretty fleshly and lust-centered sins!
We need to learn to control our thoughts. Unlike animals, we as humans can not act on each and every urge that come along. St Alphonsus Liguori advised, “When an evil thought is presented to the mind, we must immediately endeavor to turn our thoughts to God, or to something which is indifferent. But the best rule is, instantly to invoke the names of Jesus and Mary, and to continue to invoke them until the temptation ceases."
Here’s another good prayer for times of temptation: "Father God, please wash my thoughts with the blood of Jesus and help me die to any sinful pleasure I have in them. Please forgive me for any sin I have committed in my thoughts. Thank you, Father. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen."
12 October 2009
Time to Refuel
It seems as though with the advent of October, the semester is in full force! The cold weather has come, and with it- exams and heavy homework. Villagers are busier than ever this month, with loads of schoolwork, fall sports, and the excitement of school plays and homecoming dances. Sometimes we can become so consumed with anxiety and busyness, that we think we'll get ahead if we skip regular prayer time, Village meetings, or even Sunday Mass! The frustrating thing is, when we stop nourishing our bodies with spiritual food, we start running low on energy and joy.
When we make time for Jesus, or better yet- when we surrender all of our time to Jesus, He will take care of everything else. Jesus calls to each of us in our busyness:
"If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?' or 'What are we to drink?' or 'What are we to wear?' All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil." (Gospel of Matthew 6:30-34)
This Sunday, you're all invited to come and take a load off. Jesus said, "Come to me all you who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest" (Gospel of Matthew 11:28). God knows that we need rest from all of our activities, and He comes to each of us in the Eucharist to nourish us and give us strength to go on! As the Catechism says, “the church and the world have a great need for Eucharistic worship. Jesus awaits us in this sacrament of love.” [Catechism of the Catholic Church #1380]
Come this Sunday for our monthly time of Eucharistic Adoration, and some real discussion on Whole Life Worship!
You are in my prayers,
Beth
The Village News
Next Sunday 10/18: Whole Life Worship
Join us this Sunday from 5-6:30pm for our monthly night of Eucharistic Adoration! “The church and the world have a great need for Eucharistic worship. Jesus awaits us in this sacrament of love.” [Catechism of the Catholic Church #1380] This Sunday we’ll be discussing Whole Life Worship! When we experience times of worship as being boring, it’s because we just don’t understand what we’re doing. We were made to worship, and when we do we are fulfilling God’s highest vocation for man! Transform your experience of worship from just singing to just living for Him.
This Thursday: Dead Theologians Society
Join us this Thursday from 7-8pm for our (now) regular DTS meeting! We will gather in Beth’s Office for snacks and social time starting at 6:30, move to the Church Choir Loft at 7pm, and have more snacks and social time from 8 to 8:30pm. If things are busy, feel free to skip social time. DTS is an opportunity for you to encounter the Saints and receive the graces you need to become a Saint yourself!
Saturday's Service Day Recap
On the morn of October the 10th, 2009 Anno Domini, eight lonely sojourners set out on the ultimate journey. Vitalized by the 9 o’clock morning Mass, we set out to spread the word of a great ministry, The Pregnancy Help Center. Giving out more than 299 pamphlets to area residents, we entreated them to assist with physical or monetary donations to be collected next month! We then traversed to the aforesaid Pregnancy Help Center to witness firsthand the destination of next month’s collections. After the enlightening journey, we famished travelers returned to St Thomas the Apostle Parish for vittles; pizza, cheesy doodles, and an eclectic collection of beverages to celebrate our hard work! Join us next month, Saturday, 11/14, as we amass the munificent donations and transport them to the Pregnancy Help Center.
More about The Village:
Our mission is to prepare each of us for our encounter with the Risen Christ, especially in the Blessed Sacrament. Some of us may have doubts like our patron St Thomas did. Others have already joined St Thomas in those words of faith, "My Lord and My God!” Like St Thomas, we are asking real questions, having real dialogue, and developing real faith. The Village meets on Sunday nights from 5-6:30pm, in addition to having socials and service days. The highlight over and above all of these activities will be our Fall Retreat! Check us out online at www.findthevillage.com for more info.
05 October 2009
Respect Life & Service Day
Dear Villagers,
Wow! What a big weekend we had, with 83 Grown-Up Soda & Village teens at the Corn Maze on Friday night, and bunch of us at Life Chain- not to mention our regular Village meeting on Sunday. Last night we had Respect Life Night at Village, and we had special guests Beth Ann Smith and Paul Schulz join us from the St Thomas Respect Life Committee to field some of your questions! Mother Teresa once said of abortion, 'It is a poverty that a child must die so that you may live as you wish."
You asked some tough questions about the right to choose abortion in cases of rape- such a horrible situation. Rape is *never* okay, and a woman in this situation is certainly a victim of a morally reprehensible crime. All the same, women in this situation are encouraged to consider the many alternatives to aborting the life of the child. The innocent child should not be killed to make up for the sins of the father- especially when Adoption and Free Parenting Resources are so readily available.
Instead of just debating these issues- or simply sweeping the problem under the rug with indifference- we are going to do something to help! At our first Village Service Day this Saturday, we are going to do a clothing & supplies drive for the Pregnancy Help Center here in Ann Arbor. We will be putting fliers in people's doors letting them know about these local resources- and inviting them to make donations to the Pregnancy Help Center which we will be picking up next month.
---ArborVitae is a free medical clinic (below Starbucks on Liberty St, 734-994-8863) providing pregnancy testing, counseling, and ultrasounds all free of charge!
---The Pregnancy Help Center (at Packard and Platt, 734-975-4357) provides cribs, diapers, formula, and clothing free of charge!
---The Pregnancy Counseling Center provides free anonymous counseling support via their free hotline (734-434-3088)
Come this Saturday from 9am-1pm to reach out and make a difference in our community! We will meet for 9am Mass, pray together, perform some real service, visit the Pregnancy Help Center, and debrief over a pizza lunch here at St Thomas. Join us as we raise awareness about the *many* resources available to help those at risk of choosing abortion while supporting these local centers by collecting baby clothes. Please pray for this outreach, especially if you are unable to join us!
God Bless, Beth
The Village News 10/4
This Thursday Oct 8: First Dead Theologians Society
Join us this Thursday October 8th from 7-8pm for our (now) regular DTS meeting! We will gather in the Youth Room for snacks and social time starting at 6:30, move to the Church Choir Loft at 7:10pm, and have more snacks and social time from 8 to 8:30pm. If things are busy, feel free to skip social time. DTS is an opportunity for you to encounter the Saints and receive the graces you need to become a Saint yourself!
This Saturday Oct 10 from 9am-1pm: First Village Service Day
Join us this Saturday from 9-1pm for morning Mass, quick prayer, real service, and a short debriefing at the Parish over pizza. Please bring a note from your parents giving permission for you to come! We’ll be running a clothing drive for the Ann Arbor Pregnancy Help Center, and putting together care packages for our graduated Villagers off at college! Drivers & Volunteers are needed.
Taking inspiration from last year’s Spring Retreat, we now have monthly Service Days as an outreach of The Village! Pope John Paul promises us that “life flourishes in the gift of self to others…so that all can share the gifts they have received, in a spirit of solidarity, especially with the poor and the needy.”
Next Sunday: The Good News & Bad News about Free Will
Join us Sunday from 5-6:30pm for the real scoop on free will– why it is the best gift God gave to humanity and at the same time the hardest thing about being human! We’ll also delve into some of your questions...Why did God give us free will? Why does God allow evil in the world? How was free will weakened by Adam and Eve? Why did Protestant Reformers Calvin & Luther deny the existence of free will? Is it really free will if God already knows what we will choose?
Your Questions of the Week:
How do you explain modesty to an agnostic?
We live in an over sexualized world, and are constantly bombarded with the message that our body matters more than who we are inside. This can lead many of us, especially women, to a need for external validation about our appearance. We are called to dress modestly to guard our dignity as men and women. If we were explaining modesty to a Catholic, I would spend more time explaining where our dignity comes from- being made in the image of God and designed for relationship with Him. I would encourage your friend to know that whether she/he knows it or not, she/he is deeply loved by the God of the universe, and has incredible worth!
We are called to dress modestly to guard the sacredness of our own sexuality. Whether or not your friend believes as we do that sex is intended to be a promise made to one’s spouse to love them faithfully for life, freely, totally, and with an openness to having children- most people believe that sex is special. When we dress immodestly, we can encourage others to objectify us- to think of us as merely an object for their own sexual pleasure.
Remember that the opposite of love is not hate, but rather use. When others use us for what we can give, it is worse than if they were to hate us! We are each worthy of being loved for our own sake and not for what we can give. When we dress primarily to attract the opposite sex, we send the message that we are unsure of our own dignity, and might accept those who wish to use us instead of love us. When we dress primarily to be attractive, we send the message that we have dignity, and are worthy of being loved for our own sake and not just for what we can give to others.When we dress modestly we guard our dignity as men and women, we guard the sacredness of our own sexuality, and we encourage others to love us rather than simply use us!!
Is plastic surgery for cosmetic reasons a sin?
The Church does not have a specific teaching on elective (unnecessary) plastic surgery, but here’s what the Catechism does say, “If morality requires respect for the life of the body, it does not make it an absolute value. It rejects a neo-pagan notion that tends to promote the cult of the body, to sacrifice everything for it's sake, to idolize physical perfection and success at sports.” [#2289] The idea here is that getting plastic surgery probably entails idolizing physical perfection, and seeing the body as a full representation of who you are as an individual. You are so much more than your appearance! You are created with incredible dignity- made in God’s image and designed for relationship with him! Let us work towards accepting our bodies as they are, realizing that our dignity comes from God and not in comparing ourselves with overly photoshopped magazine covers! Beyond these reasons not to have plastic surgery, there are some pretty high costs and serious health risks that come along with it. Talk to your parents for more!
More about The Village
Our mission is to prepare each of us for our encounter with the Risen Christ, especially in the Blessed Sacrament. Some of us may have doubts like our patron St Thomas did. Others have already joined St Thomas in those words of faith, "My Lord and My God!” Like St Thomas, we are asking real questions, having real dialogue, and developing real faith. The Village meets on Sunday nights from 5-6:30pm, in addition to having socials and service days. The highlight over and above all of these activities will be our Fall Retreat! Check us out online at www.findthevillage.com for more info.
Wow! What a big weekend we had, with 83 Grown-Up Soda & Village teens at the Corn Maze on Friday night, and bunch of us at Life Chain- not to mention our regular Village meeting on Sunday. Last night we had Respect Life Night at Village, and we had special guests Beth Ann Smith and Paul Schulz join us from the St Thomas Respect Life Committee to field some of your questions! Mother Teresa once said of abortion, 'It is a poverty that a child must die so that you may live as you wish."
You asked some tough questions about the right to choose abortion in cases of rape- such a horrible situation. Rape is *never* okay, and a woman in this situation is certainly a victim of a morally reprehensible crime. All the same, women in this situation are encouraged to consider the many alternatives to aborting the life of the child. The innocent child should not be killed to make up for the sins of the father- especially when Adoption and Free Parenting Resources are so readily available.
Instead of just debating these issues- or simply sweeping the problem under the rug with indifference- we are going to do something to help! At our first Village Service Day this Saturday, we are going to do a clothing & supplies drive for the Pregnancy Help Center here in Ann Arbor. We will be putting fliers in people's doors letting them know about these local resources- and inviting them to make donations to the Pregnancy Help Center which we will be picking up next month.
---ArborVitae is a free medical clinic (below Starbucks on Liberty St, 734-994-8863) providing pregnancy testing, counseling, and ultrasounds all free of charge!
---The Pregnancy Help Center (at Packard and Platt, 734-975-4357) provides cribs, diapers, formula, and clothing free of charge!
---The Pregnancy Counseling Center provides free anonymous counseling support via their free hotline (734-434-3088)
Come this Saturday from 9am-1pm to reach out and make a difference in our community! We will meet for 9am Mass, pray together, perform some real service, visit the Pregnancy Help Center, and debrief over a pizza lunch here at St Thomas. Join us as we raise awareness about the *many* resources available to help those at risk of choosing abortion while supporting these local centers by collecting baby clothes. Please pray for this outreach, especially if you are unable to join us!
God Bless, Beth
The Village News 10/4
This Thursday Oct 8: First Dead Theologians Society
Join us this Thursday October 8th from 7-8pm for our (now) regular DTS meeting! We will gather in the Youth Room for snacks and social time starting at 6:30, move to the Church Choir Loft at 7:10pm, and have more snacks and social time from 8 to 8:30pm. If things are busy, feel free to skip social time. DTS is an opportunity for you to encounter the Saints and receive the graces you need to become a Saint yourself!
This Saturday Oct 10 from 9am-1pm: First Village Service Day
Join us this Saturday from 9-1pm for morning Mass, quick prayer, real service, and a short debriefing at the Parish over pizza. Please bring a note from your parents giving permission for you to come! We’ll be running a clothing drive for the Ann Arbor Pregnancy Help Center, and putting together care packages for our graduated Villagers off at college! Drivers & Volunteers are needed.
Taking inspiration from last year’s Spring Retreat, we now have monthly Service Days as an outreach of The Village! Pope John Paul promises us that “life flourishes in the gift of self to others…so that all can share the gifts they have received, in a spirit of solidarity, especially with the poor and the needy.”
Next Sunday: The Good News & Bad News about Free Will
Join us Sunday from 5-6:30pm for the real scoop on free will– why it is the best gift God gave to humanity and at the same time the hardest thing about being human! We’ll also delve into some of your questions...Why did God give us free will? Why does God allow evil in the world? How was free will weakened by Adam and Eve? Why did Protestant Reformers Calvin & Luther deny the existence of free will? Is it really free will if God already knows what we will choose?
Your Questions of the Week:
How do you explain modesty to an agnostic?
We live in an over sexualized world, and are constantly bombarded with the message that our body matters more than who we are inside. This can lead many of us, especially women, to a need for external validation about our appearance. We are called to dress modestly to guard our dignity as men and women. If we were explaining modesty to a Catholic, I would spend more time explaining where our dignity comes from- being made in the image of God and designed for relationship with Him. I would encourage your friend to know that whether she/he knows it or not, she/he is deeply loved by the God of the universe, and has incredible worth!
We are called to dress modestly to guard the sacredness of our own sexuality. Whether or not your friend believes as we do that sex is intended to be a promise made to one’s spouse to love them faithfully for life, freely, totally, and with an openness to having children- most people believe that sex is special. When we dress immodestly, we can encourage others to objectify us- to think of us as merely an object for their own sexual pleasure.
Remember that the opposite of love is not hate, but rather use. When others use us for what we can give, it is worse than if they were to hate us! We are each worthy of being loved for our own sake and not for what we can give. When we dress primarily to attract the opposite sex, we send the message that we are unsure of our own dignity, and might accept those who wish to use us instead of love us. When we dress primarily to be attractive, we send the message that we have dignity, and are worthy of being loved for our own sake and not just for what we can give to others.When we dress modestly we guard our dignity as men and women, we guard the sacredness of our own sexuality, and we encourage others to love us rather than simply use us!!
Is plastic surgery for cosmetic reasons a sin?
The Church does not have a specific teaching on elective (unnecessary) plastic surgery, but here’s what the Catechism does say, “If morality requires respect for the life of the body, it does not make it an absolute value. It rejects a neo-pagan notion that tends to promote the cult of the body, to sacrifice everything for it's sake, to idolize physical perfection and success at sports.” [#2289] The idea here is that getting plastic surgery probably entails idolizing physical perfection, and seeing the body as a full representation of who you are as an individual. You are so much more than your appearance! You are created with incredible dignity- made in God’s image and designed for relationship with him! Let us work towards accepting our bodies as they are, realizing that our dignity comes from God and not in comparing ourselves with overly photoshopped magazine covers! Beyond these reasons not to have plastic surgery, there are some pretty high costs and serious health risks that come along with it. Talk to your parents for more!
More about The Village
Our mission is to prepare each of us for our encounter with the Risen Christ, especially in the Blessed Sacrament. Some of us may have doubts like our patron St Thomas did. Others have already joined St Thomas in those words of faith, "My Lord and My God!” Like St Thomas, we are asking real questions, having real dialogue, and developing real faith. The Village meets on Sunday nights from 5-6:30pm, in addition to having socials and service days. The highlight over and above all of these activities will be our Fall Retreat! Check us out online at www.findthevillage.com for more info.
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