Greetings, All!
       I apologize for the lateness of this blog post.  The December Areopagus will be held tomorrow, December 19th, at seven p.m.  Rendezvous point:  The Kots' house.  I will not post their address on the blog, but I have already sent it out this past Saturday and today in my reminder e-mails.  If you have not received these e-mails, or lost them somehow, and need the Kots' address, please e-mail me at tgagnon@centurytel.net.  Please bring plenty of questions for Odysseus the Box and a delicious snack for us all to eat.
                    Have a Joyous Advent!
                            
                       In Christ,
                                  Evelyn             
           

           Salutations!

                Last month's meeting at the Peddemors' was wonderful and had a surprise for the Areopagites present.  Father RJ, a priest friend of Father Ward, began the meeting with a short talk on St. Catherine of Siena and then answered a few questions live and from the box before Father Ward took over.  Many thanks to Father RJ and to our host family!  Father Ward continued the meeting with a discussion on Cicero's Discourses on Old Age.  We then continued asking (and answering) our questions.  The following matters were included:

•      What is blasphemy?  This question also led to a live question:  Is it okay, in writing a story, to make the "bad guys" swear?
•       If Adam had not taken the apple from Eve, would she only have been cast out of the Garden of Eden?
•       Does the Church have any teachings about concealed weapons?
•       Is it okay to go pleasure shopping (for fun) on Sunday?
•       How can you help a loved one who is trying to fight a pornography addiction?
•       What do you think of tattoos on men and women?  Do you think it is bad?
•       When saying my daily Rosary, I find it helps to have it on my ipad.  Does this count as prayer as long as I still meditate?
•        Why do we leave the last line from the Bible off when we say the Our Father?
•        I know someone who swears often and takes the Lord's name in vain.  The first few times this happened I gently rebuked, but this person just blew up and became angry.  Lately I just asked God for forgiveness and to bless this person in my head instead of speaking.  Should I do more?            
•        What are the Church's views on adoption?  It seems to me that if one has a child that they can't support, they obviously cannot abort or murder the baby, but they could put it up for adoption.  Additionally, it seems that if one could not have children, for good reasons, the person could adopt a child.  Is it wrong to think this?

            Our next meeting will be at the Kot's house on the third Friday of the month, December 19th, at seven p.m.  A reminder posted on the Blog and an e-mailed reminder will follow later this week.
      Have a Blessed Advent, Everyone!

                             In Christ,
                                  Evelyn Gagnon

St. Catherine of Siena, pray for us!
Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!

                 Hello Everyone!
                       The November Areopagus will be held this Friday, November 21st, at seven p.m. at the Peddemors residence.  We are very grateful to them for hosting our numbers!  I will not be posting their address on the Blog, so if you need it, please e-mail me at tgagnon@centurytel.net.  Please bring a delicious snack to pass (these are much appreciated) and questions for the box, Odysseus, the Ever-Hungry.  Safe Traveling!
                     
                            In Christ,
                                Evelyn

Outstanding October

           Greetings and Salutations to my fellow Areopagites,
                     
                   We had a wonderful meeting this past month of October at the Ren residence.  We are grateful to them for hosting us!
                    Father began the meeting by having us all introduce (or reintroduce) ourselves and state one of our favorite saints.  He then proceeded to read some articles on a couple recent incidents involving colleges, which we discussed before continuing on to the box.
                    The questions included therein (or asked live) included:

• Is swearing a mortal sin?   
• Can a sin be mortal if you didn't know it at the time?
• Is the host valid if there is something else besides water and wheat in it?
• Does it matter what kind of Catholic you are since the Catholic Church started in Rome? (we assumed that, by "kind", the author of this question meant "rite")
• When is a good age to start courting, assuming you believe your vocation is marriage? 
• How would you defend the Catholic Faith against the claim that, since we believe that we consume Christ's Body, we practice cannibalism as part of our Faith?
• Is "fan-girling" wise?  Is it a sin?   

                     November's Areopagus will be held November 21st at the Peddemor's house.  If anyone is interested in hosting an Areopagus meeting, please let me know.  Meanwhile, keep thinking of questions for the box (Odysseus is always hungry) and have a good Month of the Holy Souls.
                        In Christ,
                            Evelyn

Queen of All Saints, pray for us!

         Hi, All!
                This month's Areopagus meeting will be held on October 17th, the third Friday of the month, at 7 p.m.  We shall gather at the Ren's house at 15824 Hough Rd.  Allenton, MI 48002.  Please bring a snack to pass, questions, questions, and more questions for the box, and perhaps a friend (with yet more questions).  
                  Safe Traveling!
                   
                 In Christ,
                        Evelyn

Super September

  Hello, Everyone!
       
             The Areopagus meeting at the Flynn's last month was superb.  We are very grateful to them for hosting us!  Our questions, comments, and trivial matters included:

• If Adam and Eve were the first man and woman in the Bible and they had two sons, where did their sons' wives come from?
• What is the best way to restore someone's trust?
• What would you suggest for a morning prayer routine?
• Did Hermits have to get special dispensation from Sunday Mass, or were most of them able to go to (or say) Mass?
• Are altar  boys dispensable?  When did they start helping at Mass?
• How should one deal with Catholics who are really into evangelizing/working with non-Catholics when they don't really know their faith?
• Is saying "Good Lord" or "Lordy" taking God's name in vain? 
• What should one who is seriously considering a religious vocation, but does not know which particular order to enter, do?   
• If one receives a Sacrament of the Living knowingly in mortal sin (specifically Confirmation or Matrimony), do they have to receive it again to make it valid?

               The next meeting on October 17th will be held at the Ren's residence.  Address will follow later this week.  Enjoy this beautiful month of October!

               In Christ,
                    Evelyn

Queen of the Holy Rosary, pray for us!
 

   Hi, Everyone!
         
         This month's Areopagus meeting will be held next week's Friday, September 12th, at seven p.m. (This will be the second Friday of the month, NOT the third).  We shall meet at the Flynn's house.  I will not post their address, but if you need it, please e-mail me so that I can get that information to you.  Please bring something delectably delicious to fuel our minds (food for philosophers) and plenty of questions, comments, and trivial matters (food for thought) for Odysseus the Box.
                Safe Traveling!
                  
                        In Christ,
                             Evelyn
          
        

Amazing August

   Greetings All,
         We had a wonderful meeting at the Tanis' this month!  The weather held out all meeting, the sky clear even unto the last person's exit.  Thank you for all your prayers concerning this matter.
          Father began the meeting with Cicero's Discourses on Old Age, then we commenced upon the questions.  These included:

• How does one meditate?
• What is justice?
• Can an individual join the Army if the boot camp does not allow for Sunday Mass?
• If someone is baptized into a Protestant religion, do they have to be re-baptized to become Catholic?
• When is a weapon classified as a Weapon of Mass Destruction by the Church?
• What are some standards for modesty in swimsuits?
• If God gives humans free will and intellect, why does He create souls that He knows will go to Hell?
• If one's confirmation sponsor leaves the Catholic religion and becomes Orthodox, does that affect them?  What is the difference between the Catholic religion and the Orthodox religion?
• At what point does memento mori (remember that you must die) cross from a healthy reminder to an unhealthy fixation?

          Next month's Areopagus meeting will be held at the Flynn's house, September 12th.  This date is the second Friday of the month, a week earlier than usual.  More information will follow in the next post.  In the meantime, the school year approaches...Have a good year everyone!  
           In Christ,
                 Evelyn

St. Isaac Jogues, pray for us!
St. Rene Goupil, pray for us!

   Hello, Everyone,
          This Friday's meeting (August 22nd) will still be held at the Tanis' house.  Mrs. Tanis suggests wearing closed-toe shoes, as the meeting will be around a fire, and a long-sleeved shirt and pants for defense against the mosquitoes.  The Tanises will have some mosquito spray available.  She also recommends parallel parking along the sides of their driveway so that cars are able to pull out in the center as needed when people are leaving.
          If you can, please also bring portable chairs to make seating arrangements more flexible.
          I will not be posting the address, so if you need it, please e-mail me for it.
          Please continue praying for good weather and bring questions for the box and a snack to pass.  I hope all of the Areopagites can make it!
               
              In Christ,
                      Evelyn    

      Hello Everyone,
            This month's Areopagus meeting will be held this Friday, August 22nd, at 7 p.m. at the Tanis residence.  I will not post their address on the Blog, but will e-mail it.  If you cannot find this e-mail or have not received it, and do not know the address, please e-mail me at tgagnon@centurytel.net so I can get that information to you.
             The location for this meeting is dependent upon the weather.  If the weather is likely to be rainy on Friday come the 20th, the meeting will be removed to my house.  I will write another post and send a second e-mail on the 20th to communicate the verdict.  However, if the weather is likely to be fine, the location will remain the same.
              Mrs. Tanis suggests wearing closed-toe shoes as the meeting will be around a fire pit and long-sleeved shirts and pants to keep away the mosquitoes.  The Tanis' will have some mosquito spray available.
               Please bring plenty of questions to the meeting and a snack to pass, and please pray for good weather.  Safe traveling!

                         In Christ,
                              Evelyn
                 
                    

     Greetings, Fellow Areopagites!
         This past July's meeting was held at the Kot residence - many thanks to them for hosting! - where Father began the meeting by resuming the discussion over Cicero's discourses on old age.  Of the questions, comments, and trivial matters contained within the box and our brains, we covered such topics as:

• What are some specific rules to be followed during a courtship?  Should the couple always be chaperoned?
• Can you ever hear your Guardian Angel talking to you?
• Can sin draw us closer to God?
• Besides the Mass, what is the most powerful prayer?
• What should guys do for chivalrous and honorable behavior toward girls in general, aside from the usual manners of opening doors, etc?  What should a girl expect?
• A trivial matter:  What is your favorite type of cheese?                                                                                                                                                                

           This month's Areopagus will be held on the fourth Friday, August 22nd.  I apologize for this late Blog notice on the date.  I sent out an e-mail concerning this and the address of the host house this past Friday.  I will be sending another on the 20th.

           In Christ,
                 Evelyn

St. Maximilian Kolbe, pray for us! 
   
              

   Hello, Everyone!
        The next Areopagus meeting will be held this Friday, July 18, at the Kot's residence.  The meeting shall commence at 7 p.m.  Please bring a snack to pass and plenty of questions for the box. 
         I will be e-mailing the address of the house, but not posting it on the blog.  If you need it but have not received my e-mails, please e-mail me at tgagnon@centurytel.net.
         Safe traveling!  I hope to see everyone there!
      
          In Christ,
               Evelyn             
       

Joyful June

      Greetings Areopagites!
          We had a great time at the Pilarski's last meeting with many Areopagites attending.  We are very grateful to the Pilarski family for opening their floodgates to our teen-aged tidal wave!
           Due to the present season of summer, we did not discuss Cicero this past meeting, but instead Father Ward spoke to us about summer modesty and the importance of modesty to our spiritual life.  Several of the Areopagites also gave some good standards of modesty to be followed for both girls and boys.  One of the suggestions by an Areopagus teen was that, as a guide for girls, if Our Lady wouldn't wear an outfit, then they shouldn't either. 
          We went through a lot of great questions.  Some of them were:

• Can the Bible be wrong in small, inconsequential ways?
• What is a healthy friendship?
• How should a Catholic respond to a college that hosts a "Black Mass" as an "educational" and "exploratory" event into different "religions"?  Could they attend that college?  What if they already attend that college?
• Is torture intrinsically evil?
• What is the difference between the Tridentine Low and High Masses?
• In war is it moral for non-fatal military actions against civilians?
• Where did ketchup originate? (This was a trivial matter)
• When a boy and girl who are unmarried hug, would it be more prudent for them to perform a "side" hug in order to guard against temptations to lust?
• Is there a reason we do not call characters from the Old Testament that we know to be in Heaven (such as Moses and Elijah) "saints"?
• In following the Principle of Subsidiarity, if a higher level in a hierarchy (such as the state) can perform a task more efficiently than a lower level (such as the city) could, should it interfere in the lower level's performance of that task? 

           The July 18th Areopagus will be held at the Kot Residence.  I will be sending out a reminder e-mail soon with the address.  Please make sure that I have your e-mail address so that you can stay informed.  Hope to see everyone there!
               
                 In Christ,
                      Evelyn

St. Maria Goretti, Pray for us!

           
             
                                            

    Hello Everyone,   
       This month's meeting will be held this Friday, June 20, at 7:00 p.m.  We shall congregate at the Pilarski residence.  I will not post their address on the blog, so if you need it please e-mail me at tgagnon@centurytel.net.  Please bring a snack to pass and plenty of questions for debate.  Looking forward to Friday!
       In Christ,
            Evelyn

May Areopagus

        We had a wonderful meeting at the Spankies' home.  We are grateful to them for hosting the multitude of teenage philosophers (and parents) attending.  Father Ward began as he has for the past several meetings with reading a part of Cicero's discourse on old age and discussing it with the Areopagites.  As odd a topic as it seems for teenagers, Father uses Cicero to show us how we can prepare as youths for a better old age.  
        We had some other interesting discussions at this and the last month's meeting in April.  These were concerned with various topics, including:

• Would you go to Heaven or Hell if you committed suicide while wearing a scapular?
• Why do priests wear robes (cassocks)?
• What would have happened if Mary had said "no" to being the mother of Christ?  Would Christ have been born of someone else? 
• Is it wrong to not prevent someone from doing servile work on Sunday?
• Was WWII a just war?  Were the A-bomb incidents just?
• Is there a proper way to fold your hands for prayer (palms together versus fingers laced)? 
• If the Lord says to call no one "father", why do we call priests "father"?
• The immorality of yoga (do stretches, don't do yoga) 

          The next Areopagus will be held at the Pilarski residence on Friday, June 20th.  Here's hoping the weather will stop its fluctuation by then.
                      In Christ,
                           Evelyn Gagnon
        
           Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!
       

  Hello Everyone,
      
          The May Areopagus will be held tonight, May 9th, at 7 p.m. at the Spankies' house.  I apologize for not having posted the reminder on the Blog earlier.  I sent e-mails last week and last Wednesday to everyone.   They are titled under the subject of "May reminder", or "May Areopagus" and contain the address of the house.   If you did not receive or cannot find those e-mails and do not know the Spankies' address, please e-mail me at tgagnon@centurytel.net.

        In Christ,
            Evelyn Gagnon     

 

      My Philosophical Fellow-teens:  Greetings!
                This month's Areopagus meeting will be held Friday, April 11th, at 7 p.m. in Sacred Heart Catholic Church's social hall.  The address is 700 Maple Vista, Imlay City, MI, 48444.  For emphasis:  The meeting will be held in the social hall attached to the church, NOT the rectory.
                 If you could, Father Ward would like it if some of the Areopagites came to the 6 p.m. Way of the Cross devotions before the meeting.  Parents are welcome and Father suggests that they bring more comfortable chairs for themselves to sit on instead of the folding chairs in the hall.  Please bring a meatless snack to pass and plenty of questions to read and discuss.
         In Christ,
               Evelyn Gagnon
       

Felicitations, Fellow Philosophers!

    As many of you already know, I have taken over secretarial duties from Henricus Tyranicus.  Many thanks to him for his loyal service!
    Our last Areopagus was held at the Kostiuks' house.  We are very grateful to them for hosting the ample army of Areopagites!  This month and February we discussed various topics. (I had not posted the questions from last month, very sorry about that.)  The questions, comments and trivial matters included:

• How could one persuade and explain to Protestants that Purgatory is a real place?
• Is flirting a sin?  The following topic branched off of this question:  When does teasing become sinful or fall under flirting?   
• Is having a boyfriend or girlfriend while still young (high school, early college, and under) and with no intention of marrying that person OK? 
• Is it OK to write fictional stories about saints (especially if there is little known about their life)?
• How should one bear witness to God when constantly surrounded by people who reject Him?
• What can one do to avoid getting distracted or get out of distraction while saying the Rosary? Also:  What should they be meditating on while saying it?
• Would attending the marriage of a Catholic cousin getting married outside the Church be a mortal sin?
• What should someone about to have spiritual direction think about before going?
• How should one respond to a professor who insists that the evangelization of the Germanic peoples was tyranny on the part of the Catholic Church?                                                                

       I do not yet know for certain where the next Areopagus will be held.  As a note, April's meeting will not be held the third Friday of the month, but the second Friday (April 11th), as Good Friday falls on the third Friday.  If you are interested in hosting a meeting, please let me know. 
Have a blessed Lent Everyone!
       In Christ,
            Evelyn Gagnon