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!!