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!


                     

  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!