26 April 2010

The Condiment Fight Club


Dear Villagers,

Hope this finds you well. We had a great time last night at Village- we had a great time discussing Batman, Metropolitan Orlando, and Mountain Dew! Father Bill joined us for a time of Eucharistic Adoration, and we ate tons of pizza afterward. :)

Join everyone at Village this Sunday from 5-6:30pm for the Top Ten Prayer Tips- ten practical ways to improve your prayer life.

Following the Top Ten Prayer Tips will be a much beloved staple of Village life: The Condiment Fight Club!!! This Sunday come on out for the third annual Condiment Fight Club at Village. To compete in this epic one-on-one tournament, bring your own condiment and wear grubby clothes. No mustard allowed- it stains! Even if you aren’t a gladiator, come as you are to watch one of the messiest, most exciting tournaments ever!


St Gertrude @ Dead Theologians Society this Thursday, 7-8pm
This Thursday we'll discover the virtuous life of Saint Gertrude the Great, religious sister and mystic! The Dead Theologians Society is a national movement to incorporate the lives of the Saints into the prayer life of the Church– that we would answer the call to live as they did.

* 7-8pm: gather in the Church choir loft for prayer with the Saints! (Elizabeth St door is always open)
* 8-8:30pm: snacks in the Parish Offices


Fundraiser Night @ Big Boy this Wednesday from 5-9pm for St Vincent de Paul

Eat dinner at Big Boy this Wednesday night and 10% of all proceeds along with 100% of the tips will go to support the St Vincent de Paul Thrift Store! Come and hangout with other parishioners and families and interact with loads of "Celebrity Waiters" like Father Selvam, Father Bill, Deacon Warren, Deacon Jim, Beth Spizarny, and more!

Prayer & the Condiment Fight Club This Sunday, 5-6:30pm
Come on out this Sunday for the Top Ten Prayer Tips, followed by the third annual Condiment Fight Club! If you wish to be a Competitor in this epic one-on-one tournament, bring your own condiment and wear grubby clothes. No mustard is allowed, it stains! Even if you aren’t interested in becoming a Gladiator, come as you are to watch one of the most exciting tournaments of our time! The winner of each round is the person who gets the other person on the front and on the back with their condiment, first! Chat with older Villagers and Volunteers to get the low-down on strategies before the big night! :)

Serving @ the Detroit Rescue Mission Soup Kitchen, Saturday 5/8
In two weeks we’ll be joining our Christian brothers and sisters to serve lunch to 100-150 people in need! We’re leaving St Thomas at 10:30am, serving until 1pm, and back at St Thomas by 2pm. Volunteer drivers are needed to transport our group to Detroit. To ensure we have enough parent drivers, you must RSVP by Wednesday 5/5 to bspizarny@sta2.org. The Detroit Rescue Mission has been sharing the Gospel by providing hope to the hopeless, abused, disadvantaged and homeless men, women and children for over 100 years.


Your Question of the Week: Is using illegal drugs a mortal sin for a Catholic?


First, let’s discuss what might be behind a question like this...perhaps someone has offered you drugs...perhaps you’re simply wondering what the Church’s position is...perhaps you’re wondering how much you can get away with as far as your relationship with God is concerned. It’s kind of sad that so often we reduce our relationship with God to a game of how much we can get away with without getting burned.



Mortal sin destroys the grace of God in our heart– destroying our relationship with God and (if unrepented) depriving us of eternal life with God in heaven. If you really knew deep in your heart the reality of Hell and Heaven, would you continue to commit mortal sins? Would you do anything even remotely close to being a mortal sin?



There are three conditions for a sin to be a mortal sin- it must be grave matter, committed with full knowledge, and committed with full consent. (Catechism #1857) Without knowing whether or not the person had full knowledge or committed the act with full consent, the only condition we can address properly here is whether or not using illegal drugs is grave matter.



According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “The use of drugs inflicts very grave damage on human health and life. Their use, except on strictly therapeutic grounds, is a grave offense.” (#2291) So yes, using illegal drugs is grave matter! If committed with full knowledge and full consent, it would constitute a mortal sin.



When comparing actions of non-Catholics and Catholics- the gravity of sins remains the same for both groups. The only condition that might vary is that non-Catholics may not be equipped with full knowledge that what they are doing is sinful.


Part 2: What would the Church teach about marijuana if it was legal?


Great question. Let’s unpack some of the reasons it is wrong to use marijuana right now: it’s illegal, it can be highly addictive, it can be a gate-way drug leading to more serious drug use, it often leads to loss of interest in everything (studies, relationships, sports, etc), and generally speaking parents forbid using marijuana. In addition, the Catholic Church is very clear in paragraph #2291 that drug use outside of medicinal purposes is morally wrong and Pope John Paul II campaigned for the illegalization of marijuana.



So even if marijuana was legal, wouldn’t we still be left with all the other bad stuff? Marijuana might not be the worst drug out there but there are some seriously bad things that come with drug use of any kind. Pray to St Joseph for strength!!

19 April 2010

Eucharistic Adoration!

Dear Villagers,

Hope all is well with you! We had a great time last night with Mark and Sarah and Matt and Louise. They played the Newlywed Game and we all got to laugh together about the ridiculous questions! After racing each other down a cluttered hallway in a relay of sorts, we got to hear the 2 couples advice for Dating Well. Since we typically focus on what *not* to do in dating relationships, we were excited to finally showcase how to have healthy-fun-holy relationships!

Join us this Sunday for games, our monthly night of Eucharistic Adoration and pizza! Now that we're (mostly) all squared away on dating relationships- the topic you've requested for this Sunday is "Improving Relationships with Family & Friends." So come on out for some great dialogue and discussion!

See below for more on:

Your Question of the Week: How can I share my faith with my Muslim friends?
This Thursday: Our Guest Speaker shares on St Maximilian Kolbe at Dead Theologians!
This Sunday: Eucharistic Adoration Night!


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The Village News 4/18

This Wed, 4/21 is Parish Life Night come on out for a great meal!

This Thurs, 4/22 Beth Ann Smith shares on St Maximilian Kolbe @ Dead Theologians

Come out this week to hear Parishioner Beth Ann Smith share on the virtuous life of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, hero of the Nazi Concentration Camps. The Dead Theologians Society is a national movement to incorporate the lives of the Saints into the prayer life of the Church– that we would answer the call to live as they did!
6:30pm: socializing in the Parish Offices
7-8pm: gather in the Church choir loft for prayer with the Saints! (Elizabeth St door is always open)
8-8:30pm: snacks in the Parish Offices


This Friday, 4/23 is a regular Grown-Up Soda Meeting. Volunteers, are we thinking Bubble?


This Sunday’s Village: Eucharistic Adoration Night

J R R Tolkien once said, "Out of the darkness of my life, so much frustrated, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament...There you will find romance, glory, honor, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves on earth.” The Village has a special devotion to the Eucharist– and we have a time of Eucharistic Adoration once each month! Don’t miss the social time with pizza afterward!


Contact Youth Minister Beth Spizarny at bspizarny@sta2.org or 734-545-0827.


Your Question of the Week: How can I share my faith with my Muslim friends?

The basic method is the same as sharing the gospel with any of your friends. The content of the gospel is the same for everyone: "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him" (John 3:16–17).

Tell your Muslim friends that God loves them and that, as a result, he sent his Son, Jesus, to make atonement for their sins so that they could spend eternity with God in heaven. Love is a keynote of Christianity that Islam lacks. In the words of one Muslim convert to Christianity, "Christianity is a religion of love; Islam is a religion of fear." Muslims do not have the kind of loving, intimate relationship with God that Christians do. Show that to them, talk about it—about how much you love God and want them to share in the feeling of God’s love, and that will help show them the light of the gospel.

Muslims are people of the Qur’an, much as Evangelical Christians are people of the Bible. Because the Qur’an is the basis of Islam, including its philosophy, we could discuss with them how the Qur’an came to be the basis. They believe that an angel gave the book to Mohammed while he was alone in the desert, who then dictated it to a secretary. They claim that they know the Qur’an is the word of God because people remembered it perfectly, it has been unchanged for so many years, and it uplifts their spirits when they read it. The Qur’an itself says that miracles are not necessary to prove a divine connection. We might discuss with Muslims that the Dead Sea Scrolls show that the Old Testament has been unchanged for more years than has the Qur’an

Discussing differences of faith must be done in the spirit of love, even if the questions are sharp or probing. In evangelization, we must always be "speaking the truth in love" (Eph. 4:15). Be sensitive to Muslim’s needs. Muslims are not allowed to eat pork or drink alcoholic beverages; and during the holy month of Ramadan (which often falls in August/September) they abstain from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset.

Many Catholics believe and pray that the conversion of Muslims will come through the Blessed Mother. The Qur’an has an entire chapter praising her. The Muslims hold her in great esteem as the mother of Jesus, but they have no devotion to her and no commemorations of her. In fact, Muslims have no devotion to anyone other than Allah. Intercessory prayers to the Blessed Mother are our best avenue. Our discussions may provide a seed.

Visit www.catholic.com, talk with Beth, or borrow Peaceable Witness Among Muslims from Beth’s library to learn more.

12 April 2010

How to Date Well

Dear Village Family,

Hope you are all doing well, so sad to return to school after such a wonderful Spring Vacation! Some of us celebrated the freedom by wandering at the Mall and getting frozen yogurt. :) Also great to see a number of Villagers at the Divine Mercy Sunday events yesterday in the Church! There was Eucharistic Adoration, and Confession, in addition to the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

This Sunday our regular Village Meetings are back on from 5-6:30pm! Our topic for this Sunday's meeting is How to Date Well. Over the past couple of years we've focused mainly on what not to do in dating relationships- now we'll focus on what to do! Anyone can date, but it takes character and discernment to date well! Two newlywed couples will be joining us this Sunday- Matt and Louise Vasievich along with Mark and Sarah Meinhart to share their stories and tips for how to date well. Both couples are longtime parishioners and active leaders at Generation Christ!

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How to Date Well, Sunday 4/18, 5-6:30pm


Join us this week in the Parish Offices for a night on Dating! Anyone can date– but it takes character and discernment to date well. Don’t miss this week’s Village meeting- we’re bringing in Matt and Louise Vasievich and Mark and Sarah Meinhart to share with us their tips for dating well! Get the tips from those who have already braved the dating world and emerged happily married.


Saint Irenaeus @ the Dead Theologians Society


Come out this Thursday to discover this holy man, who declared “The glory of God is man, fully alive!”

· 6:30pm: socializing in the Parish Offices

· 7-8pm: gather in the Church choir loft for prayer with the Saints! (Elizabeth St door is always open)

· 8-8:30pm: snacks in the Parish Offices


Retreat @ Franciscan University of Steubenville!
Spaces and partial scholarships are still available! Cost for participation is $235, all-inclusive. Registration is due ASAP. Final payments for those already signed up is due this Sunday, April 18th.

This July 9th-11th, join The Village @ St Thomas for our annual roadtrip to the Franciscan University of Steubenville High School Youth Conference!

The Village has been attending these Youth Conferences since 2008, and our teens have unanimously found them to be challenging, inspiring, and lots of fun. This Youth Conference will feature at least one powerful hour of Eucharistic Adoration, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass each day, nationally-renowned Catholic speakers, men’s and women’s time discussing the call to chastity, and two workshop sessions addressing a broad spectrum of topics.

07 April 2010

Divine Mercy Events!


Dear Village Family,

I hope this finds you well and refreshed after a beautiful Holy Week! Our Lord has risen from the grave, and conquered death. This is so exciting! I imagine your excitement is amplified by a week off of school- woot! Vacation is always wonderful. :)

Thank you, thank you to the 10+ teens who came out to help with Stations of the Cross at Glacier Hills last week, it was really special. Everything went smoothly, and many of those who attended said it had been years since they had been able to participate in the Stations! Some people arrived a half an hour early just to make sure they got a good seat. We also got to meet and encourage St Thomas' oldest Parishioner, Katherine Cole who is 103 years old! She said she didn't want to wrestle Chris Silva, she thought she might get hurt. :)

This Sunday is Divine Mercy Sunday, which means there is cool stuff happening here at St Thomas with our entire Parish Family! The Divine Mercy Events are such a big deal that this year we're not having our regular meeting, so that we can all go to this together instead! In the year 2000 Pope John Paul II gave this feast day to the Church- a day to remember God's incredible mercy and pray for all sinners. Read this for more on Divine Mercy Sunday.

This Sunday instead of our regular Village Meeting we'll join our Parish Family from 2-4pm in the Church for:

* Eucharistic Adoration
* Personal Reflections
* Quiet Prayer
* Recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet
* Opportunities for Confession


Saint Aloysius Gonzaga @ the Dead Theologians Society


Come out this week to discover this holy man, the patron saint of youth and purity!

· 6:30pm: socializing in the Parish Offices

· 7-8pm: gather in the Church choir loft for prayer with the Saints! (Elizabeth St door is always open)

· 8-8:30pm: snacks in the Parish Offices

Retreat @ Franciscan University of Steubenville!

Spaces and partial scholarships are still available! Cost for participation is $235, all-inclusive. Registration is due ASAP with a $70 deposit. The remaining $135 is not due until April 18th.

This July 9th-11th, join The Village @ St Thomas for our annual roadtrip to the Franciscan University of Steubenville High School Youth Conference!

The Village has been attending these Youth Conferences since 2008, and our teens have unanimously found them to be challenging, inspiring, and lots of fun. This Youth Conference will feature at least one powerful hour of Eucharistic Adoration, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass each day, nationally-renowned Catholic speakers, men’s and women’s time discussing the call to chastity, and two workshop sessions addressing a broad spectrum of topics.