02 November 2009

Lies in the Media!

Dear Villagers,

Last night we got into Catholic Philosophy in some very practical ways! First we all competed in The Amazing Race which went all through the parish offices and school, and included some unethical ways to get ahead. Next, drawing from St Thomas Aquinas, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and Veritatis Splendor, we studied a number of basic principles that can be used to determine the morality of various actions in everyday life.

Here are 6 principles for moral decision making:
---Principle 1: Good is to be done, evil is to be avoided.
---Principle 2: Some acts are objectively wrong all of the time.
---Principle 3: It is not acceptable to do evil in order to achieve some good end. (The ends don’t justify the means.)
---Principle 4: Avoid acts which are permissible for you but may cause scandal to others.
---Principle 5: The object, motive and circumstances must all be good for an act to be good.
---Principle 6: In certain cases, it is permissible to do a good action that causes a negative side effect. (Double Effect)

This Sunday, we're focusing on Lies in the Media. Those in marketing find your weaknesses, your insecurities, and exploit them to their advantage– to sell magazines, makeup, clothes, anything! This Sunday we’re having some quality men’s and women’s time to deconstruct some of the lies put forward by today’s media about who we are called to be as men and women!

----Join us Thursday from 7-8pm for the Dead Theologians Society, meditating on the life of St Therese of the Little Flower!

----Your Questions of the Week are: "Why did God make the Trinity?" and "What is a Novena and Where can I find one?"

You are in my prayers!
---------------------

The Village News

This Thursday: Dead Theologians Society
This week our dead theologian is Saint Therese of Lisieux! She is one of the most beloved Saints of all time. Through the Saints of yesterday, the Dead Theologians Society, or DTS, inspires the youth of today to become the saints of tomorrow! Come on out and join us this Thursday!

--At 6:30pm we have social time in the Parish Offices
--From 7-8pm we gather in the Church choir loft for prayer with the Saints! (the Elizabeth St door is always open)
--Stay as late as 8:30pm enjoying hot cocoa, a yummy baked good and more snacks!

Next Sunday: Lies in the Media- Men’s and Women’s Time
Those in marketing find your weaknesses, your insecurities, and exploit them to their advantage– to sell magazines, makeup, clothes, anything! This Sunday we’re having for some quality men’s and women’s time to deconstruct some of the lies put forward by today’s media about who we are called to be as men and women! Inspired by a speaker at the Franciscan University of Steubenville Youth Conference, we’re going to strip away the myths we’ve been fed about what we should strive to be like– replacing the untruths with the truth found in our identity as men and women of God!

Upcoming Events
-----Service Day, Saturday 11/14, 9am-1pm:Last month 10 Villagers dropped fliers at over 300 homes, asking them to participate in our Collection Drive this Saturday, 11/14! At our Service Day Saturday (11/14, from 9-1pm!) we’ll celebrate morning Mass with the Parish, invite God’s blessing on our service with a prayer, collect donations for the Pregnancy Help Center, drop them at the Pregnancy Help Center, and have a short time for debriefing back at St Thomas over a pizza lunch.

-----Jason Evert, Sunday 11/15 in place of Regular Village Meeting: Nationally renowned Catholic Speaker Jason Evert is coming to speak here at St Thomas, sponsored by the Respect Life Committee! Teens will be coming here from across the Diocese of Lansing to hear him speak on Chastity, Dating, and Theology of the Body. Meet us in the Parish Hall for pizza at 6:30pm, and listen to Jason from 7pm to 8pm! Come early, parking will be scarce! Volunteers are needed to help setup for this event, serve food, direct visitors, and provide general hospitality- contact Barbara Grant-Yopko at bgyopko@att.net.

-----The Village Fall Retreat, December 11-13th:Did you know that there is a big ridiculous give-away for those who attend Fall Retreat? In ’06 we gave away 70 pounds of Tootsie Rolls, and in ’07 it was 20lbs of Big League Chew!! Last year we gave away 5 pounds of Fun Dip and 8 pounds of Bugle Chips!

Your Questions of the Week: Why did God make the Trinity?
God did not make the Trinity. God simply is three distinct persons in one essence. God the Father was not created- He existed from eternity. Similarly, the Son was not created- He was eternally begotten from the Father. Finally, the Holy Spirit was not created- He eternally proceeds from the Son and the Father.

Now if your question was why is God triune? We simply cannot know why God is triune, any more than we can know why God decided on a blue sky instead of a yellow one. The Holy Trinity is a deep mystery- what we do know we must hold fast, lest we stumble into untruth! We know that: God is One, God is three persons in one essence. We know that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are co-equal, and we know that The Trinity is a mystery that cannot be grasped by reason alone.

Your Questions of the Week: What is a Novena, and Where Can I find one?
A novena is a prayer/devotion that is repeated for nine days to obtain special graces. Novena’s are encouraged by the Catholic Church, and are a beautiful form of prayer. The goal of going through a novena is to ask for grace, and to deepen one's spiritual connection with God. Novenas are especially useful when one has a specific prayer request or needs help discerning a life decision.

Typically, people pray to specific saints when they make a novena. Someone who has lost something might pray to Saint Anthony, for example, asking for assistance with finding the item again. People can also pray to the Virgin Mary or to God. There are hundreds of novenas published in various collections of Catholic prayers and meditations, and people can also make up their own prayers. The prayer may be said at home or in Church, and some people meditate on the rosary as they say their novenas.

One of the most popular novenas is the Novena to the Little Flower- to Saint Therese of Lisieux. (She is our Dead Theologian this Thursday from 7-8pm in the Church choir loft!) It is a beautiful prayer of joining in the total surrender of Saint Therese, and asking God for spiritual purification and an answer to a specific question. Many who have prayed the Novena to Saint Therese have their prayer answered in the affirmative on the 9th day by receiving roses!

Here is the opening prayer to the Novena to Saint Therese: St. Thérèse, privileged Little Flower of Jesus and Mary, I approach you with childlike confidence and deep humility. I lay before you my desires, and beg that through your intercession they may be realized. Did you not promise to spend your heaven doing good upon earth? Grant me according to this promise the favors I am asking from you. Intercede for us all the days of our life, but especially during this Novena and obtain for us from God the graces and favors we ask through your intercession. Amen.

Great places to find a Novena- www.ewtn.com www.fisheaters.com

4 comments:

mr. peters the younger said...

Great Village Beth!
I'm finally squared away on the whole "Do Good, Avoid Evil" Thingy.
:-P

Minni-Mo said...

Woah, Beth... I don't know if this will work but would it be ok to get a group of people to come hear Jason Evert's talk?!

DucInAltumBeth said...

Of course, Dominica!

DucInAltumBeth said...

Nice, Rob. I have a feeling you already knew that one!!