Meeting in the Month of Mary

A great thank you to the Gagnon Family for hosting last month's meeting! The Peters Family has kindly offered to take up the torch this month. The meeting will be held at their house this Friday, the 20th, at the usual time of 7:00 p.m. sharp.

I know we're all waiting on the edge of our seats for Summer, so let's throw some of that pent-up anticipation into learning some new aspects of our Faith. Bring questions, friends, and a snack to stop all our chattering teeth from this cold spell if you can!

Feel free to message or text me for directions.
God Bless,
Gabrielle

Photo Credit: La Visitation, Domenico Ghirlandaio, 1491.
In this month of Marian feasts, let us remember and emulate the fervent devotion St. Louis de Montfort held for Our Lady. All true devotion to Mary leads to Jesus Christ, for who better to instruct us in knowledge and love of the Son of God than His mother? We pray that like St. Elizabeth at the Visitation, we may recognize and revere Our Lady as our channel to God, Salvation, and the Resurrection. 

Going to the Gagnons'

Hello, fellow Areopagites!  The Gagnon family has kindly offered to open their home to our meeting this month! It will be this Friday, April 15th, at the usual time, 7:00 p.m. on the dot. Their address is listed below, and please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions. Come with questions, friends, and a snack to pass if you can! 

The Gagnon Home

12351 Hegel

Goodrich, MI 48438

Also, I am looking for someone to save Ulysses the Question Box from the captivity of Calypso, as Fr. has so humorously dubbed me! I cannot make it to this Friday's meeting, and I would greatly appreciate a volunteer to take him to and fro. Please email or text me if you would be able to do so! :)

God Bless,

Gabrielle

Lenten Illumination

 A very warm thank you to the Kray Family for generously opening their home to our meeting on such short notice last night! I'm sorry Ulysses had to miss it; he was detained by Calypso, as Fr. so humorously explained! For others who missed it as well, a recap of yesterday's curiosity:

• I think it is in the Gospel of Luke (the wise men, and the finding in the temple), where it says a couple of times that “Mary kept all these things in her heart.” What exactly does this indicate? And why is it repeated?
• If Jesus said, “about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mt 24:36), and if Jesus is God, then why doesn’t he know?
• I heard something once about different levels of happiness in heaven. Can you explain this?
• If God can create Mary without original sin, why doesn’t he create everyone else that way?
• Does a marriage count if the priest does not bless the wedding rings properly?
• Can you explain why some Protestants do not include some books in the Bible, books which Catholics do include? Why is this?
• What do you do if your friends don’t respect your parents’ property, and you have to hang out with them?
• I want to be a nurse for babies when I’m older, and if the baby is dying and I want to baptize the baby, and the parents won’t let me baptize the baby, can I over-power the parental rights to baptize him/her? Because every child needs to be a child of God. Help me understand this please!
• How exactly does the Catholic Church feel on organ donations?       

 I have had a few offers over the last few weeks to host our next Lenten meeting, on April 22nd I believe, but if anyone is sure they would like to host Areopagus please email me, thank you!

Photo Credit: Carl Heinrich Bloch- Christ at Gethsemane II
Let us remember throughout this Lenten Season that Jesus wept in the Garden for each sin, large and small, that we have committed in our lives. Let us keep His image on our hearts and minds so that we may console His sorrow with our penitence and wipe His tears with our gratitude for His sacrifice.

A New Year With New Questions

Thank you to the Kucels for hosting a wonderful talk last night; it was a great way to usher in the New Year!

A little recap of the evening:
-What is trust?
-What is your position on drinking?
-Are the Harry Potter books sinful to read?
-Is hypnosis a sin?
-Why is it that when we make the Sign of the Cross we go from left to right?
-What does it mean if you are Lutheran?
-Why do we pay money to light a candle at church? Are we paying for the donation of the candle? Or for the prayer intention?
-How does one handle a sister who is slowly leaving the Church and is rebellious to what people tell her?
-How do you explain the Immaculate Conception and deep devotion to a Christian that believes we are worshiping Mary as a God?
-Mark 15:32 says that both two criminals beside Christ during the crucifixion reviled Him, as well as in the book of Matthew. But in Luke 23:39-43 it says one criminal reviled Christ while the other one rebuked that criminal.
-Is it sinful to "bootleg" music? People justify it by saying , "it's sharing, not stealing."

The next order of business is our upcoming meeting. Father is going on a spiritual retreat for awhile, and has informed me we will be meeting in March next time. So, we're looking for a host for the 18th of March most likely. Please contact me if you're interested!

Photo Credit: Immaculate of Soult by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo.
Through her Immaculate Conception, Our Lady was the perfect vessel who brought our Lord and Savior into the world. Let us pray that  Our Lady will continue to bring great blessings into our new year, and pray that she will continue to bring our Lord to us every day of our lives.

To The Kucel's House We Go

 Once again, just to thank the Pilarskis for the wonderful meeting at their home last month. It was a wonderful way to spend a Blessed Advent day, firing up our Areopagites with fervor for the truth. This month we'll carry that fervor over into the New Year with a meeting on January 14th, at 7:00 on the dot. The Kucel's have generously offered their home to us this time. Come with a snack to share and an abundance of curiosity! Please don't hesitate to contact either the family or myself for directions.

A little recap of that truthful fervor of last month:

- Why must Catholics be married in a church? We have Mass outside; why is this any different?
- Is cloning animals a sin?
- Why did Jesus say such things to Peter, who He just named the visible head of the Church? (Matthew 16:21-23)
- Should everyone study Aristotle?
- Why do some Catholics believe that the Blessed Mother had no labor pains during the birth of Christ? In Revelations 12:2 it seems to explain it does.
- What do you do when your mom or dad makes you mad? They never let you argue with them (and of course, rightly so).
- How do you pronounce "ë" that is found in some Tolkien names? (This question in particular revealed some serious fervor in some of our Areopagites. Catholic symbolism in The Lord of the Rings or the Silmarilion, anyone?)


Photo Credit: Gentile da Fabriano, Adoration of the Magi (1423)
This month's photo was chosen with the Feast of the Epiphany in mind. The Magi traveled far for the truth; let them be an example to us in our own lives. No matter how long or difficult the journey, let the truth of Jesus Christ guide us safely on our way. Also, I thought it was very relevant considering a certain wise man we all know and love who travels all over Michigan, guiding us in our search for the truth. ;) Here's to our very own Dionysius!

An Advent Areopagus

We thank the Pilarskis for inviting us to their home! If you need directions, please contact Gabby, & she can get you there.

I hope you're in the mood for cake, because word on the street is that it is Carmel's birthday, and someone is bringing a happy-birthday cake! Don't let that discourage you from bringing some other munchies to share...

Art: Giotto (Giotto di Bondone, 1267 - 1337), 1304-06, Nativity: Birth of Christ, Fresco, 200 x 185 cm
Cappella Scrovegni (Arena Chapel), Padua, Italy.

Pre-Thankgsiving Philosophy

Well, we got it all figured out: this next Areopagus discussion will be held at the Caputos. Gabby is our new "in charge," but she might not have all of the addresses yet, so if you need an address, you might want to still contact Hilary. Pray for me, so I remember to bring Ulysses the Box. Remember the date and time: Nov. 19, 7pm.


Our last meeting at the Vrazos went very well, and we had these great questions, plus a few oral ones:

• Is it wrong to attend a college or university with a mission and morals that contradict the Catholic Faith?
• How can you tell you are doing what He has called you to do?
• I have a cousin, who I are about very much, who voted for Obama. I was wondering if there was anything I could do to tell him what he did was a sin.
• How did JP II die?
• When someone is criticizing another person or group and being very hostile, what is the best way to correct that person? Even if they are right.
• Does God know our eternal Fate before we are created? If God knew someone would go to Hell, why would He create them?
• Is it okay to go to haunted barns or hayrides for Halloween?

I  will also continue commenting a little about the Pope's letter to the Youth of the World on the occasion of World Youth Day 2011. See you then, and please bring a munchie to pass!