Hello Everyone!

December's Areopagus meeting will be at the Kot's house, December 18, at 7:00 p.m.  I will not post their address on the Blog, but will send it out within my monthly e-mails.  Please bring a delicious snack to pass, and many of questions for Odysseus the Box.
                       
                             In Christ,
                                Timothy

Thanks to the Pilarski family for hosting us last month.  The questions for the November Areopagus were:

• What should one do when inappropriate pictures are sent to them through email, texting, etc?
• What is your personal opinion on Halloween activities and ideology?
• A religion book states: "The Greek Church use leavened bread; since the 9th century the Latin Church has used unleavened bread".  It also states that either kind is valid. Is this true?  Does the Greek Church still use leavened bread?
• How old do you think youth should be to begin dating?

Hello, Everyone!
           Hello! I am Timothy and I will be taking over the e-mails for Evelyn who is going to college. This month's Areopagus meeting will be at the Pilarski's house, November 20 , at seven p.m.,  I will not post their address on the Blog, but have sent it out within my monthly e-mails. Please bring a delicious snack to pass, and many of questions for Odysseus the Box.
                         
                             In Christ,
                                Timothy

 Apologies for the delay in posting these questions. The questions from the last few months are:

• If one were playing soccer and had to take off his scapular and died during the game would he still receive the merits of wearing a scapular?
• How would you recommend studying the liberal arts?
• Suppose someone wants to marry yet feels a calling to the priesthood. What should he do?
• I want to read and study arguments against homosexuality. Are there any authors that you could recommend to me for reading material?
• I have seen the names of saints listed with either "hist." or "trad." after them I assume that they stand for history and traditional, what is the difference? Also some have "new" or even "new and traditional" after them what do these mean?
• What is the best way to use social media and cell phones without falling into occasions of sin?
• In Lord of the Rings are their any perfect couples other that Beren and Luthien?
• I used to be in the habit of saying the Rosary in bed. often I would fall asleep. I no longer do this, but occasionally can't fall asleep. Can I say the Rosary to the apparent consequence that I will fall asleep? Is this being disrespectful to Mary?
• If one fell asleep on Sunday would they have to go again to fulfill their obligation?
• If someone sold their soul to the devil, would they have to go to an exorcist or would they just have to make a good confession?
• When we go to heaven, will earth still be accessible? Is heaven a defined place, or state?
• In my class, my professor talks a lot about evolution. I realize, that some forms of evolution, slight changes to an organism (finches for instance) are plausible. However when does plausible evolution end and implausible evolution begin?

    Hello, Everyone!
           This month's Areopagus meeting will be held tomorrow, August 21st, at seven p.m., at the Ellis' house.  I will not be posting their address on the Blog, but I sent it out in my usual e-mails.  If you still need it, please contact me at tgagnon@centurytel.net.  Also:  I will be "retiring" fairly soon, and will be passing on the box to my successor.  Before giving them the Areopagus e-mail list, I would like to weed out any old or unused addresses (some of my e-mails bounce back from certain addresses, which I have had to remove).  If anyone has updated their e-mail address or does not want to be on the list anymore, please let me know so that I can update my list.  Please bring a delicious snack to pass, and plenty of questions for Odysseus the Box.
                           
                             In Christ,
                                Evelyn 

    Hello, Everyone!
          The past two months' meetings, held at the Kray's house and the Rectory respectively, were very enjoyable.  Many thanks to the Kray family and Father Ward for hosting us!  We began each meeting by watching a clip from the movie, The Demographic Winter, then discussed the content presented in the clips.  After this, we moved on to the questions, comments, trivial matters, and good jokes, which included:

•  How can one keep bad things (thoughts, images, etc.) from popping into their mind?
• Someone made the statement that "the world was much worse back then than it is now". How should I answer?
• What is the correct response to have when untrue, scandalous gossip is spoken about oneself?  What about when it's spoken in ones presence?
• When you go to confession and you remember a sin and you're done and out of confession, will the sin be forgiven?  Or should you go back in line and confess it?
• Say you are going to a movie that you know has bad images in it, could you still go?
• Is it okay to have a baby's Baptism at someone's home if you still have a priest conduct it?
• What are the dangers of looking for boys on the Internet?

            This month's meeting will be held tomorrow, August 21st, at seven p.m. at the Ellis home.  Please bring a delicious snack to pass and plenty of questions for us to discuss!

                          In Christ,
                               Evelyn

St. Kateri Tekakwitha,   Pray for us!
Sts. Isaac Jouges, Rene Goupil, and Jean Lalande,     Pray for us!

             Hello, Everyone!
                   This month's Areopagus meeting will be held tomorrow, Friday, June 5th, at seven p.m. at the Kray's house.  I will not be posting their address on the Blog, so if you need it, please contact me, so I can get that information to you.  Please bring a delicious snack to pass and plenty of questions for Odysseus the Box.  I place emphasis on the first request due to the lack of snacks at the last meeting.  The hosts provide the house; the Areopagites should be providing the snacks.  At least part of the meeting will be held outdoors, so please dress for the weather and possible bugs.
                     Also, if you have not been receiving e-mails lately or know that someone has not been receiving my e-mails, please let me know, because some of the addresses bounce back, and I am not quite sure who they belong too, if they're old, or something else.  Please also let me know if the addresses I have are not in use anymore, so I can clean up my list a little.

                                           In Christ,
                                                  Evelyn

                                               

    Felicitations, Fellow Philosophers!
              We have had some wonderful meetings these past few months.  Many thanks to our hosts for these months:  the Spankies, the Pilarskis, the Evards, and the Hastings!  I apologize for not posting these questions sooner.  At last night's meeting, we began with, instead of Cicero, the movie, "The Demographic Winter".  We will be watching this movie over the next few meetings in ten-minute parts at the beginning of each meeting.  Father Ward, before starting the movie, gave us a few questions to ponder and answer while watching the clip.  Afterwards, we discussed the part of the movie we watched, then moved onto the questions.

               Among those questions we have discussed the past few meetings were included:

•   What is the best way to deal with liturgical abuses?
•    In the Bible, there is a saying, "I desire mercy and not sacrifice" (somewhere along those lines).  What is meant by this?
•    If two mountain climbers were roped together and one slipped so they were both hanging, only supported by one guy, could he cut the other guy off his line?  Either both die, or one makes it.
• With school, I do not have enough time for leisure reading.  So for the summer I want to catch up on some leisure reading.  Do you have any suggestions? 
• Is it sinful for men to wear earrings?  
• I have a teacher who is obviously putting the Catholic Church in a bad light.  I try to block some of his attacks, but after this semester I can take another course with him.  Should I take another class under him to defend the Church, or should I avoid him?
• Do you have any recommendations for regaining chastity in a relationship that you do not want to simply abandon?  
• I know women cannot become priests, but I don't know exactly why.  Why can't women become priests?
• Is it uncharitable to not friend a relative on Facebook because they sometimes post things that go against your beliefs or are just plain annoying?
• Do you think that juveniles around 10-15 years old who have committed murder should be sentenced as adults or be treated differently, such as being counseled?
• A friend sent me an article saying, if you're asked to bake a cake for a same sex wedding, Jesus would say bake two, paraphrasing Matt 5:41, and adding Jesus would never exclude anyone. What can I say to that? 
• How does one adore Christ in daily prayer?  It's easy at Mass or at Eucharistic adoration, but how does one apply it to their prayer life?
• Does the Catholic Church do cremations now?
• What does it mean to defend traditional marriage?  What goal should we be pushing for?  Protection of conscience?  Preventing the civil approval of nontraditional marriages?
• What are the roles of nuns in the Church, and how did they first start?

               Our next meeting will be held on the FIRST Friday of the month, June 5th, at seven p.m.  More information will follow later this month.  Have a beautiful and blessed month of May!

                      In Christ,
                          Evelyn

Holy Mary, conceived without sin, Pray for us who have recourse to thee!

      Hello, Everyone!
           This month's Areopagus meeting will be held tomorrow, Friday, May 15th, at seven p.m.  We meet at the Hastings' house.  We are very grateful to them for hosting us!  I will not be posting their address on the Blog, but have already sent it out in the e-mail, so, if you need it, please contact me at tgagnon@centurytel.net.  Please bring a delicious snack to pass and plenty of questions for us to discuss.  (I will be posting questions on the Blog Saturday after this meeting; I apologize for the long delays.)
                         In Christ,
                               Evelyn      

    Hello, Everyone!
              This month's Areopagus will be held tomorrow, April 17, at seven p.m. at the Evards' house.  We are very grateful to them for hosting us!  I will not be posting their address on the Blog, so if you need it, please contact me at tgagnon@centurytel.net.  I have already sent it out in two reminder e-mails.  Please bring a snack to pass and plenty of questions for the box.  Enjoy the warm weather!

                          In Christ,
                               Evelyn

    Hello, Everyone!
           This month's Areopagus meeting will be held tomorrow March 20, at seven p.m. at the Pilarski home.  The address is 13001 Excalibur Lane  Romeo, MI 48065.  We are very grateful to the Pilarski family for hosting us!  Please bring a snack to pass and plenty of questions for Odysseus the Box.

                    In Christ,
                         Evelyn

 Hello, Everyone!
         This month's Areopagus meeting will be held next Friday, February 20, at seven p.m.  We will meet at the Spankie's house.  I will not post their address on the Blog, but Mrs. Spankie has given me permission to post their e-mail in case anyone needs to get directions from them.  It is ricknrosie@wildblue.net.  I have already sent out an e-mail with the address, and will send out another next week.  If you do not get these e-mails and need the address, please contact me at tgagnon@centurytel.net.  Please bring a meatless snack to pass and plenty of questions for Odysseus the Box (be assured that he does not have to fast).  Please drive safely in the snow and stay warm! 
               Have a Blessed Lent, Everyone!
                       
                               In Christ,
                                  Evelyn

Joyous January

        Felicitations, Fellow Philosophers!
                  
                    Last month's meeting was quite enjoyable.  Many thanks to the Kostiuk family for hosting our meeting!  Father began the meeting with prayer and the continuing discussion of Cicero's Discourses on Old Age, as Odysseus the Box safely passed on his journey from Areopagite to Areopagite.  When he came in to land by Father Ward, his unloaded cargo included:

• When, how, and why was Areopagus started?
• What is Heaven like?
• Is it morally wrong to be involved in the animal rights movement? (valuing animal life as being equal to human life)
• Is it a sin to kill someone in self-defense?
• How should one deal with Catholics who do not act like Catholics and are extremely "diverse"?
• How do you defend the authenticity of the Bible?
• What happens to your guardian angel if you go to hell?
• How often should one receive Holy Communion? I had heard that one should not receive the Holy Eucharist more than once a day.
• Is it better to a have a false religion than no religion?
• I would like to know more about intrusive thoughts. (e.g. what are they, how to deal with them)
• Is it moral to kill someone to stop them if you know they are going to kill an innocent person? (this would be before they are actually performing the act)
• Does the Garden of Eden still exist?

                     Our next meeting will be held next Friday, February 20, at the Spankie's house  More information will follow.
                       Have a Blessed Lent, Everyone!
                             
                                  In Christ,
                                       Evelyn

St. Thomas Aquinas, pray for us!
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!
   
                                    
             
                                                  

       Greetings All,
            
                 This month's Areopagus will take place this Friday, January 16th, at seven p.m.  We meet at the Kostiuk's house; many thanks to them for hosting!  Please bring a question (or several) for Odysseus the Box, and a delicious snack to keep us going (We philosophers need to keep our strength up!).  Safe driving, and stay warm!
            
                      In Christ,
                          Evelyn

          Greetings and a Happy New Year to my fellow Areopagites!
                        
                I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas and a relaxing holiday break.  Our most recent meeting, held at the Kot residence in December, was well-attended (I believe our hostess, Mrs. Kot said there were around forty kids there, not counting their parents) and a lot of fun.  Many thanks to the Kot family for hosting us!  After Father Ward began the meeting with prayer and a continuation of the discussion of Cicero's Discourses on Old Age, the box was cracked open, and the following questions brought to light: 

• Would God have spared Adam and Eve if they had asked for mercy instead of blaming each other?
• I think it is interesting that, in biblical times, if a man looked at a woman impurely it was the "woman's fault".  But in this day and age it is now portrayed as the "man's fault".  Why do you think this is?
• If a mushroom is already a fungus, can it mold in your fridge? (Apparently, it can, for one Areopagite claims it has happened.  This was a trivial matter)
• Does it matter if a Catholic is Latin Rite vs. another Catholic Rite?  If one wanted to change from one rite to another, what would the process for that be?
• What is a good strategy for converting an SSPX member?
• How can one disprove evolution?
• What is the origin of swear words?
• What defines a recreational drug?  Could caffeine count?
• What is some basic background info on angels and demons?   

                Our next Areopagus meeting will be held this Friday, January 16, at the Kostiuk's house.  If anyone is interested in hosting a meeting, I need a house for the February meeting, to be held on the third Friday, the 20th of the month.  Please let me know as soon as possible if you want to host this or another month.  I can be reached by e-mail at tgagnon@centurytel.net.  
                  
                          Have a blessed New Year!
                                     In Christ,
                                        Evelyn

St. Paul, pray for us!
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!