03 May 2010

Serving @ the Soup Kitchen!

Dear Villagers,

We had a glorious Condiment Fight Club last night at our regular Village meeting! Villagers went head-to-head with ketchup, thousand island, and steak sauce to compete for the crown of victory. In the end, after valiant efforts from all, Annemarie Johnson emerged victorious! Her barrel of "Condiment X" (a mixture of teriyaki sauce, grape jelly, ketchup, and salad dressing) was equally frightening to all. She was awarded the crown of victory and $15 to Coldstone Creamery!

Our Bishops have told us that "a basic moral test is how our most vulnerable members are faring. In a society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor, our faith recalls the story of the Last Judgment (Mt 25:31-46) and instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first." It is our responsibility as Catholics to consider the needs of the poor and reach out with Christ's compassion!

This Saturday, 5/8 The Village has been invited to serve lunch at the Detroit Rescue Mission Soup Kitchen- where for over 100 years they have been providing hope to disadvantaged and homeless men, women and children.

Won't you come out this Saturday from 10:30am-2pm to provide lunch to nearly 150 people? Of all the great things to do on a Saturday- doesn't this top them all? Let's come together this Saturday to answer Jesus' call to feed His sheep! (John 21:17)


RSVP to Serve @ the DRM Soup Kitchen, Saturday 5/8

To ensure we have enough parent drivers, you must RSVP by this Wednesday 5/5 to bspizarny@sta2.org. Volunteer drivers are needed to transport our group to Detroit. We’re leaving St Thomas this Saturday at 10:30am, serving until 1pm, and arriving back at St Thomas by 2pm. 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.

St Bridget of Sweden @ Dead Theologians Society this Thursday, 7-8pm
Come out this week to hear Parishioner Terry Fremuth share on Saint Bridgette of Sweden, who he describes as a powerhouse of prayer! 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


No Regular Village Meeting this Sunday, 5/9- Happy Mother's Day!
Be sure to thank your Mothers for all the sacrifices they make for you! Join us in two weeks on Sunday 5/16 for a solid Eucharistic Adoration night, and a surprise birthday party for someone we all love. :)

Your Question of the Week: What do you do when you’re dating out of your faith?
First of all, it certainly is not wrong to date non-Catholics! That said, there are a few things to keep in mind. Ever notice how you pick up mannerisms of your friends? They say, ‘bad company corrupts good morals’. We become like the people we hang out with! If you date someone who doesn’t know or love God, you may find yourself praying less, and talking about your faith less. How might these small trends be exacerbated over a lifetime of marriage?

The goal of dating is to discern the vocation of marriage and who you are called to marry. The goal of marriage is to become holy and help your spouse get to heaven! It’s important to check whether or not you and your significant other have these same goals, even if you’re both “Catholic.”

Many Catholics are happily married to spouses who don’t share their beliefs. However, if your Catholic faith is an important part of your life, dating/marrying someone who doesn’t share your faith can be difficult. The Catechism warns us that mixed marriages can be difficult when it comes to raising children, Sunday morning, and even sexual morality (Catechism 1635). These things may seem really far away, but if you date and fall in love with someone without consideration for their religious beliefs, you may be opening up a whole bucket of heartbreak for yourself down the road!

If you do date someone of a different faith, keep in mind that you must accept that person as they are today- whether or not they may one day become Catholic. You cannot date a potential future version of someone- you can only date the reality of who they are today. While interfaith dating might lend itself to some great interfaith dialogues, it’s unfair to both of you if your future relationship hinges on someone converting.

Years ago I dated a man who wasn’t Catholic. After countless dialogues and books, we realized neither of us would compromise our beliefs, and there was no future for us in marriage. I sure wish we’d thought of some of these things beforehand, it might have saved us both a bit of heartache! :(

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