The Lights of Christmas

The Lights of Christmas was really cool! Watching Charity Parker sniff a large pizza at Little Caesar's later that night was cool too!! We went a little victorian, rode a
train, went on a horse carriage ride, ate some yummy mini donuts, tromped through lights and gift shops and hugged the snowman and teddy bear. We had a fabulous night. Yay for field trips!

Gaudete Sunday!! Rejoice!!!

From Magnificat's reflection section for Gaudete Sunday....

"Nature warns us by a clear sign that our desitation is attained. That sign is joy. I mean joy, not pleasure. Pleasure is only a contrivance devised by nature to obtain for the creature the preservation of its life; it does not indicate the direction in which life is thrusting. But joy always announces that life has succeeded, gained ground, conquered. All great joy has a triumphant note. Now, if we take this indication into account and follow this new line of facts, we find that wherever there is joy, there is creation; the richer the creation, the deeper the joy" (Henri Bergson). Joy is perfectly compatible with moral excellence; it is a sign of this excellence and contributes to its perfection. The fount of joy lies in the innter depths of our being, at the roots of our freedom, when this freedom is open to the oupourings of goodness and love.

Yet, in order for the waters of this fount to pour forth within us, we have to make a personal choice of great price: When we receive the call to a greater good, a good that will reveal to us the true joy at the core of our lives, will we know how to break free from the charms of pleasure through a liberating renunciation? The discovery of joy beyond our trials is a decisive step on the way to moral maturity. One even comes to perceive, upon fulfilling its requirements, that joy does not destroy, but rather defines and rightly orders, pleasure.

Father Servais Pinckaers, O.P.
Father Pinckaers is professor emeritus of moral theology at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel, shall come to thee Oh Israel!!

Events, events, events....

The Dead Sea Scrolls were great! It was amazing to see the first written word of God. Highlights...the Genesis scroll, Isaiah, Psalm 119.....learning about pottery and the essenes....having lunch at Seattle Center......going on a field trip with the youth!!!!

Today..... Dec. 19th

The Lights of Christmas!

If you're interested in coming bring your permission forms (or your parent to sign one 'cuz I'll bring extras). I've got 4 extra tickets since some people can't go today! Meet Jeannie and Val at the entrance at 5pm!!

Tomorrow.....

The Parish Christmas Party/ Bye bye Bettie Party!!

Thursday..... Dec. 21st

Gathering Place/ Soup Kitchen and.........................

JEANNIE'S YOUTH GROUP CHRISTMAS PARTY!!!

The Bishop's request on fasting for peace.

Here's some info on the rules for Catholic fasting.

Fasting as explained by the U.S. bishops means partaking of only one full meal. Some food (not equaling another full meal) is permitted at breakfast and around midday or in the evening—depending on when a person chooses to eat the main or full meal.

http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Lent/faqle9902.asp

The Archbishop is asking us to make a sacrifice and pray for peace. It's all about giving of yourself physically to suffer a little for the greater body of Christ. Let's pray for peace as we wait for the Prince of Peace this Advent :)

Original Sin and Suffering - 2nd week of Advent!

It's Advent, so we're trying to clean our souls up and get them spiffy for the Lord's coming on Christmas and when he comes again to take us home!

(**modified from Lifeteen “Full Filled” retreat.)

Sin. We’ve emptied ourselves of it. So how do we stay out of it?

Picture it: You realize that you’re in an unhealthy relationship. Emptying your jar means not only breaking up with someone who is dragging you down, emptying your jar, your life, but it also means that you might spend some nights alone – all alone – just you and God. That is a tough reality sometimes.

Picture it: You realize that you are consumed not by God’s fire, but by the need to be liked or to be accepted. Everything you do and don’t do, say and don’t say, wear and don’t wear, is in some way, big or small, affected by those you go to school with or hang out with. You realize that by emptying your jar, your life, also means that you probably won’t “fit in” completely. It means that to truly follow the Gospel means you can’t accept certain behaviors in the people around you, because they lead to sin and, ultimately to death. That’s a tough reality sometimes.

Picture it: Your jar is empty and God is calling you not to fill it….not to fill it with busyness, not to fill it with your own wants or desires – He wants to be the one to fill it. Think about it, God wants you to remain completely empty and be filled only by Him to COMPLETELY let go of control. Can you do it? Can you trust Him?

True repentance has two motions: turning away and turning toward. Last week you turned away from sin. Unless you identify those areas of your life that lead you into sin, however, there is a good chance that you will walk back into it…even seek sin.

Fear of emptiness (being emptied of the comforts which lead you to sin) is what the devil wants. He wants you to doubt God’s grace and the fulfillment you get with God.
Emptiness of sin makes us nervous, anxious, scared, worried, frustrated, doubtful.
We are afraid to let God take care of everything. Why when we know that God is bigger than the issues we have and he sees all our hurts and knows our every need? He sees everything, he knows everything, he knows you, and he loves you.

(Blue is Info from “A Father Who Keeps His Promises” by Scott Hahn)

So how did we get this way? How did we come to the point where we lack trust in God? Why do we fall to sin? Why do we suffer from all of this?
Adam and Eve and the first sin – Original Sin

Here's a neat video on The Beginning. Just know that they take some creative story-telling liberties and they aren't using straight up Bible verses. Also, after Lucifer fell we refer to him as Satan. But other than that, it's a pretty neat video and fits into our discussion well.

The serpent lied to us and we believed him. Unfortunately sometimes we still do.

Check out Genesis 3: The Fall of Man

If we’re on Adam’s team (the human race team) and he is our challenge "champion" then we are troubled with the fate he “won” for us. The Stain of Original Sin.


Quote from Scott Hahn
“ Once the nature of Adam’s sin is understood to be his refusal to suffer out of love for his Father and bride, three conclusions logically follow. First, the divine curse of suffering imposed on Adam and Eve was reasonable. Second, their humble acceptance of that punitive suffering would be remedial. Third, Christ’s bearing of this curse, in his own sacrificial suffering on the cross, would prove to be redemptive.”

“Willingness to give ourselves out of love, even if it entails suffering, is what makes us fruitful.”
Adam failed to give himself willingly out of love, trusting God and being obediant to Him. He doubted God and feared the serpent aka the devil more than he trusted God. He failed God and he failed his wife.

Thus the curse of suffering was laid upon us all.

“Our father still wants us to be fruitful; that is why he imposed the curse of suffering, in order to keep alive our potential to become supernaturally fruitful.”

Suffering as part of the Church (which is Christ’s mystical body) shares in the redemption factor which gets us into heaven. Christ’s sacrifice made it possible for us to get into heaven. So being part of his church and part of his mystical body redeems us, but we have to “take up our cross” and suffer along with him as well. This is why there is suffering in the world.

As Christians we are called to suffer joyfully with Christ for through his suffering and the suffering of the Church his bride we are redeemed! We can’t be totally free from Original Sin until we’re in heaven, but the only reason we’re allowed into heaven/paradise in the first place is because of Christ’s strength in death to counter Adam’s weakness. Christ is the new Adam being the perfect man and Mary is the new Eve as the perfect woman. Through Mary's self giving "Be it done to me according to thy word", and by Christ's death on the cross we are again allowed to partake in salvation. We can see that "tree of life" again.

This is all the spirit of Advent. It’s penitential, but it’s life giving. We’re suffering because we’re waiting in anticipation, but we’re joyful because Christ is coming!!

For more info check out "A Father Who Keeps His Promises" by Scott Hahn, The Catechism of the Catholic Church #396 - 421, and some of these links In Innocence We Were Created, To Explain Infant Baptism You Must Explain Original Sin, Verse by Verse on Original Sin

Courtesy of B.Lo aka Brother Laurence

Network Shows We'd Like to See
(If Catholics took over the airwaves.)

Married With Lots of Children
A young Catholic couple with seven children live a happy, Christ centered, hectic life.

Friends of Christ
Five attractive and funny 20-something Catholic men and women share the fun and fulfillment of chaste, platonic relationships as they discern their vocations.

Madrid About You
A sitcom about an annoying Catholic apologist who constantly pesters a 30-something NY couple to become Catholic.

As the World Burns
A lighthearted, "feel good" sitcom set on the Day of Judgment.

All My Baptized Children
The uplifting story of a devout Catholic widow and her heroic efforts to raise her kids strong in the Faith.

IHS-1
24-hour all Catholic music video channel.

I Dream of Genealogies
(Whoops, never mind. Thats a Mormon show.)

The Samsons
This animated Old Testament family gets into hilarious religious dilemmas caused by their rambunctious long haired son who's really, really strong.

Sesame Street Preachers
Evangelization and apologetics training for kids! Catholic toddlers learn how to explain and defend the Faith through rhymes, skits, and cute songs.

Father Seinfeld
The funny, quirky story of a New York Jewish Comedian who converts to the Catholic Faith, becomes a priest, and spends his life working among Indian children in rural New Mexico.

God's E.R.
True stories of the confessional (names have been changed to protect the absolved).

Heavenly Court T.V.

A dramatic, edge of your seat depiction of Matthew 25. See souls judged and sentenced for all eternity.

Wheel of Providence
See ordinary people answer challenging questions that lead them to discover the will of God for their lives!

N.Y.P.D. Blue Army
A tense, gritty, dramatic series about hard boiled cops who fight street crime and spread the message of Our Lady of Fatima.

Oprah Sin-Free
A sassy daytime talk show featuring interesting guests who talk about how they avoid sin and cultivate virtue.

The Whore of Babylon (Five)
Part five in a thrilling mini series adventure about the Catholic Church's heroic struggle against, and victory over, the antichrist and his minions.

WWC "Wrestling With Your Conscience!"
Top moral theologians grapple with real, live sinners who give lame excuses for not repenting and returning to the sacraments.

Bayside Watch
Attractive, athletic young Catholic men and women save unsuspecting people from the dangers of bogus Marian apparition cults.

From Envoy Magazine May/June 1997, Volume 1.3

News from the Archbishop

Prepare your heart!!

It's Advent!!!

Reconciliation

Prayer

Good Works

Fasting

Holy Reading

Waiting patiently with excitement!!!

Don't forget the Parish Reconciliation Service on Wednesday at 7pm!!!

Here's a cool article on Advent Click Here for the original article.
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As We Wait in Joyful Hope
Ancient Catholic Customs Can Control Christmas Materialism
By Kevin Orlin Johnson

For many American Catholics, Thanksgiving kicks off another season of "here we go again"-fending off the annual bombardment from advertisers and the temptation to measure Christmas in terms of presents. It's a month-long struggle to get all of our holiday work done and somehow keep Christ in Christmas, too.

Many of us look back to a simpler Christmas in the "good old days," a mythical time when the holiday came wrapped in a stocking full of chocolates and maybe an orange. Well, let's look back a little farther and stand where we can get some perspective on the matter.

For one thing, when you look at the liturgical calendar, you'll notice that Christmas isn't the Church's major holiday. It never has been. Church Fathers such as Augustine didn't include a commemoration of Christ's birth in their lists of holidays at all. Early Christians focused their attention on Easter, the holiest day in the Church's calendar, the solemnity of solemnities.

In fact, our pattern of activity each week still echoes the Easter Triduum. That's why every Friday has always been a day of penance (it still is, by the way-the rule is either no meat or an equivalent penance, every Friday). Saturday was originally a day to lie low and keep quiet, which is why we have two-day weekends instead of laboring six days, as it says in Genesis. Sunday is the "little Easter" commemorating the resurrection in the splendid liturgies of the principal Mass of the week. The early Church recalled this more explicitly in its weekly liturgies, but in the old days Easter itself was surrounded by vigils, processions, songs, presents, feasts, and parties for which everybody bought new clothes.

Today we've shifted all of the fuss and festivities to Christmas, and we pass over Easter almost entirely. But Easter still overshadows the commemoration of the birth of Jesus-spiritually, theologically, and liturgically-as the high holy day, the most solemn and joyous holiday of all.

That's undoubtedly why we didn't get around to commemorating the birth of Christ in the liturgy until about the late fourth century. The earliest surviving record of a specific celebration of the Nativity is a sermon by St. Optatus, bishop of Mileve in Africa, from about 383. Evidently, Optatus was the first to put a Feast of the Nativity into his diocese's calendar. The idea caught on almost immediately, but the feast was celebrated on different days in different places any time from November to March. It wasn't set at December 25 for the whole Church until about 650, and even then it wasn't a major holiday. It wasn't called "Christmas" until about the year 1000. The Feast of the Nativity didn't get loaded down with all secular customs of Christmas-the caroling, the banqueting, and the elaborate exchange of presents-until about five hundred years later.

Christians in northern Africa, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean were still observing a fairly low-profile Christmas around the year 1500. But it was different in northern Europe. About that time, that part of the world experienced a mini-Ice Age. Suddenly there was snow in the winter, lots of it; people had to work all summer to store up food for the weeks and months they'd be kept indoors. By the end of December you'd probably be stringing the dried fruit into endless garlands and singing incomprehensible songs anyway, holiday or no.

Certainly having the neighbors in to sit around a blazing Yule log wouldn't cut into your workday. All of the extras that naturally settled around Christmas-which comes just after the winter solstice-were not so much a burden as a welcome excuse for some social and physical activity. The parties back then were a well-earned celebration of a whole year's work harvested and gathered into barns.

Nowadays, of course, we wear ourselves out doing all of that stuff in addition to our normal daily workload, which takes the whole point out of it. Simplifying things to a leisurely level would be a courageous counter-cultural stand. But as our forebears in faith filled their empty hours with Yuletide cheer, they did something else, too, in the weeks before Christmas, something that can still put the holiday in perspective: They observed Advent.

Advent is really a lot like Lent. Both are roughly month-long seasons of preparation for a joyful holiday. In fact, starting in about the sixth century, Advent and Lent used the same liturgies, Mass for Mass, in the Latin Rite. During both seasons, you would see the purple vestments of mourning, symbolism echoed today by the colored candles of the Advent wreath. In the reign of Innocent III (1198-1216) the vestments of Advent were black. Long after that, pictures and statues were covered, the organ was silenced, and flowers were banned from the churches, just as during Lent. Even in the Ambrosian and Mozarabic rites, where there was no special Advent liturgy, there was still a requirement to fast during the season before the Nativity. It was designed to remind us of the need to repent in preparation for a holy season.

In Protestant denominations, of course, Advent has largely faded away. That's probably why the secular observances of Christmas, as they rushed in to fill the void, got out of hand. Advent fasting and almsgiving used to keep people aware of the proper use of material goods and of the need to offset other people's poverty with the excess from our own prosperity. If you take the penitential observances away, the secular celebrations can seem somehow obligatory, somehow the essence of Christmas.

Well, you wouldn't get far asking people to give up Santa's jolly red suit in favor of sackcloth and ashes. But there's one crucial difference between Lent and Advent: Christmas doesn't have Passion Week preceding it. The penitential observances of Advent always had a festive character to them. The idea was to contain your excitement before Christmas and to use that energy in preparing for Christ's coming. So people took on these penances joyfully-something that only a Christian could do. They'd pause in their celebrations to acknowledge their sins and to clean house spiritually, overjoyed that Christ came to us, but aware of our unworthiness to receive him.

We still use Advent calendars and wreaths to measure out joyful anticipation, but we can learn a lot from the old Advent practices that we've forgotten. Kids probably begged Optatus himself for Christmas presents, but for a month before that they would collect pennies for the poor, going door to door with a little Christ-child doll in an Advent variation on trick-or-treat. Families would have meager meals and give the unused food to the needy. Parishes used to have penitential feasts after Mass during Advent, with menus that were abundant but austere-bread and water, maybe, or fish, but plenty of it.

People had a good time keeping Advent, although music and dancing were forbidden then, just as during Lent. It was all part of a "discipline of joy" that is still an important part of our heritage today. Listen to the Mass after the Lord's Prayer: "In your mercy keep us free from sin . . . as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ." That's Advent, right there.

Maybe we can still recapture this uniquely Christian attitude of joyful penance. During these Advent weeks bring out that Lenten alms box and add coins to it before a meatless Friday dinner. Sing an Advent song as you do. Put the poor on your gift list: books and toys for the children, of course, but the whole family might save up for a bigger gift-an overcoat, maybe, for somebody who couldn't otherwise afford it.

And pay more attention to Easter. It's still our highest holy day. And the weather's usually nicer, too.


Kevin Orlin Johnson, Ph.D., is author of several books about the Church and her teachings, including Apparitions: Mystic Phenomena and What They Mean and Rosary: Mysteries, Meditations, and the Telling of the Beads.
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We're going to see this Movie on Friday. Meet at the Theatre at 3:30 to buy your $6.00 matinee ticket. The show is at 3:50. Don't forget your permission slips! Bring your friends and family!

Cancelled

Hey guys,
sorry to inform you that the retreat is cancelled! The Lions Camp on Camano Island doesn't have water, or electricity right now and they're pretty low on the priority list for the PUD. We'll be rescheduling it, but don't worry....there's more excitement to come for December, check out the calendar! See you all on Sunday! Have fun in the snow!!!

Retreat??

So here's the deal. Snow! Unless you're living in a hole, you should know by now that there's lots of snow outside, no school, and super icy roads. I personally think that having a retreat in the snow would be awesome. However, we're not sure if there's another blizzard coming, or if the power will be staying on throughout Camano Island. So we're going to wait another 24 hours to see if we're still having this Advent Retreat. Keep Checking for updates! If we do have the retreat just bring your $25 with your permission form to the Lions Camp on Camano Island on Friday night at 4:30. In the meantime, enjoy the snow!!!

Advent retreat!!!!

Get your permission forms and money in by Monday the 27th so we have an idea of how much food to buy etc!!!!

That's $25.00 to St. Cecilia's Parish!

The Big Bad Media - Food Poisoning

Scripture Genesis 3:1-6 - The Fall of Man....
Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals that the LORD God had made. The serpent asked the woman, "Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?"
The woman answered the serpent: "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden;
it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, 'You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.'"

But the serpent said to the woman: "You certainly will not die!
No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is bad."
The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

We all want to be good people, right? God created us to be go to heaven. How are we supposed to become good people? Where are we supposed to get our information from?
“Where should we get our information about morals from?”

Examine your day ! “Day in the life of...…you!”

Do the Media Survival Test.

Top five: tv shows watched, movies seen, video games played, songs on the radio, web sites visited

How many of you would watch this with…..friends, brother or sister, grandparent, mom or dad, Virgin Mary, Jesus? Why?

What are we saturating ourselves with?

“What does the big bad media tell you?”
You’re not good enough. You need this stuff to make you happy. Do whatever you want, whenever you want. Life is all about pleasure. Sex feels good so do it. Drinking until you’re trashed makes you feel good, so do it. Being skinny will get you a boyfriend and you don’t have any value without one, so stop eating. God doesn’t exist. Churchy people are fanatics. Churches and rules just suffocate you, so don’t go.

This is what you’re saturating your life with. Commercials, tv, video games, talking on the phone, listening to pop radio, surfing the internet, reading magazines. You saturate in this, you talk to your friends who saturate in this....don't drown in the world's media!

It may not hurt you right away on the surface, but this marrs your soul. Engaging in this sort of activity without thinking about it, will contaminate your soul and affect your relationships, your life, and those around you.

Where are we getting our morals?

What does the media want from you?
It wants your $$money$$. The people that fuel the media are out to make a buck. They don’t care about your soul.
How do they get you hooked? The slippery slope of desensitization.

Shock, shock, shock! Everything is about shock value. Elvis Presley shocked people in the 50’s. Michael Jackson and Madonna shocked people in the 80’s. The Spice Girls shocked people in the 90’s. What’s shocking now? Where are we going? What do you have to hold on to?

So what do we do about this?

You have the choice. You have the power to change this culture with your faith. Pope John Paul II talks about a culture of death. This is the culture of death. A culture that tells us we can do things without God in mind and we’ll be okay…A culture that whispers that same thing the serpent whispered to Eve in garden of Eden. Pleasure without God. It’s called “Hedonism: That pleasure is the principle good and proper goal of all action. Self indulgence.” No! In Christ we find real freedom. We are called by God and by His Church to build a culture of life, the City of God, bring ourselves and others to heaven.

How do we do it? By the choices we make, how we spend our time, how we think about the media that we take in, how we guard our eyes and ears, how we educate ourselves, who we choose to listen to, how we examine our lives, how we discern God’s plan for our lives, how much we listen to God’s voice.

Here’s the truth about living a Catholic life….It’s hard.

John 15:18-20 Jesus says....

"If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first.
If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you.
Remember the word I spoke to you, 'No slave is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you."

Catholicism is not for wussies. But it’s only hard if we try to do it on our own. We have to realize that we can’t do this of our own power and alone. This is why God said he would never leave us, this is why God gave us the Eucharist, this is why God died for us, and this is why he gave us this Church and the sacraments, that we might be strengthened for the journey home to him.

Examine yourself in relation to what you take in......

How much have you let the media influence your life?
Honestly, do you spend more time at church and speaking with your parents than you do watching tv, listening to the radio, surfing the internet, and talking to your friends on the phone? What messages from the media do you struggle with the most?
Have you been told or ever felt that the Church stifles your freedom? Or suppresses your freedom?
How have you been desensitized in your life?
What can you do in your life to use your time more wisely? How can you center on the things that give you better morals instead of the lies from the media?
How practical is all of this? Do you think you’ll actually do it? Why or why not?
Why is it so much harder to spend 15 minutes praying instead of watching TV?

Announcements!

We've got an Advent retreat coming up! Dec 1-2 at the Lions Camp on Camano Island. Pick up your registration forms in the foyer and at Youth group on Sunday! Registration forms must be in by Monday Nov. 27th if you want to come!

We're going to see the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Pacific Science Center. If you're interested sign up at youth group. We're going to try to get tickets for December 9th!

If you like decorating, sign up to decorate Merril Gardens retirement community for Christmas on Nov. 24th! Renee will be heading that function!

Prayer!!! (Capture the flag this wed @ 8pm)

You can’t show someone you love them or have a relationship with someone if you aren’t communicating with them. Prayer is lifting our hearts to God and our way of communicating with Him.

Mass is prayer perfected. In it we not only communicate our hearts to God by participating in all 4 different types of prayer, we take part in the Eucharist which brings us into a perfect heavenly union with God. Heaven kisses earth at consecration. God gives his body to us in perfect love in the Mass as a bridegroom gives himself to his bride.

Types of Prayer (stuff in brackets is when we do it at Mass)
Adoration – Praising God (Gloria and Alleluia)

Contrition – Asking for God’s forgiveness (Kyrie Eleison)

Petition – Asking God for a favor (Prayers of the Faithful)

Thanksgiving – Showing God gratitude (Eucharist)

Some different ways of entering into prayer

Traditional Prayers http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/prayers/index.htm

Meditation http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12345b.htm

Rosary http://www.newadvent.org/search/?cx=000299817191393086628%3Aifmbhlr-8x0&q=rosary&sa=Search&cof=FORID%3A9

lectio divina http://www.walburga.org/Lectio.html

Office of the Hours/Liturgy of the Hours/Divine Office/Brievary

(Also called the prayer of the Church)www.universalis.com

and

http://www.walburga.org/Office.html

Singing Holy Music

Just remember that your prayers are always answered. They may not be answered in the way that you want, but God who knows you inside and out, and better than you know yourself will answer your prayers. Our God will answer them in his time when he sees it is best.

Prayer is asking in faith. This is an opportunity for you to show your faith and perseverance in prayer.
Faith is to be sure of what you hoped for, and the evidence of things unseen.

Christ and the Agony in the Garden… “take this cup away from me, but not my will but your will be done.”

It's like using a cell phone......

Are you answering your phone?
Do you have good reception? Does your phone have static?

Just remember God's phone is always on, he never has a dropped call, and he's got infinite bars of reception. He is always listening, and always speaking to you. Are you always listening and always speaking to Him?

Pray without ceasing.

And don't forget, you can talk to Jesus face to face. He's in Catholic Churches everywhere.....Jesus is in the gold box! Or sometimes if you're lucky in a monstrance exposed. You don't have to imagine him, he's right there.

If you have any questions, leave a comment or e-mail Val cecilia3@catholicweb.com

UIOGD

Announcements

Merril Gardens retirement community is looking for youth volunteers to decorate for Christmas!!! All interested youth are invited to come decorate the day after Thanksgiving (Nov. 24th) at 9am. Contact Val at the office or during youth group for more info.

The High School Advent retreat is coming up on December 1st and 2nd at the Lions Camp on Camano Island. Save the date! We’ll be joining youth from our neighbor parish Immaculate Conception, Arlington.
High School and Middle School Youth keep your eyes peeled on the website for the date and time of our
EXTREME CAPTURE THE FLAG

at STANWOOD HIGH SCHOOL. It’s COMING....

Post Convention

Convention was fabulous!! We had a great time listening to Ennie Hickman, Deacon Harold Burke Sivers, and Sarah Bauer, going to workshops, going to mass, praying, hearing some fun music, riding mechanical bulls, dancing, getting lost while trying to find our sleeping parish, and much more.

St. Cecilia's had an awesome showing with 19 teens and 6 chaperones and 2 teens in ACCY! You guys are awesome. To those of you who sadly couldn't come, start psyching yourself up for next year. Ask those who went this year, it was about 2/3 of our youth group!!

Special Thanks to the Chaperones, Tim and Marie Salerno, Kathy Zietz, Jeannie Smith, and Colin Parish it couldn't have happened without you!

Jesus....

....One Way, True Life.



Hillsongs - One Way

I Lay my life down at your feet, your the only one i need

I turn to you and you were always there.

In troubled times it's you i seek, i put you first thats all i need,

I humble all I am all to you!



One Way Jesus, your the only one that I could live for.

One Way Jesus, your the only one that I could live for.



You were always, always there. Every how and everywhere

Your grace abounds so deeply within me

You will never ever change, yesterday today the same

Forever 'til forever meets no end



You are the way the truth and the life

We live by faith and not by sight for you.

We're living all for you

Seussical the Musical

Hey! Who wants to go see Bianca Campbell on the 11th at 7pm in Seussical the Musical? Leave a comment if you want to come.

Click here for more information about Seussical the Musical

Convention!!!

Hey I just got the word, we're staying at Mary Queen of Peace in Sammamish!!! There will be over 100 other teens from different parishes staying with us there. It should be a lot of fun. We're leaving from St. Cecilia's parking lot at 7am on Saturday morning. Make sure you take a shower before we leave because there are none at Mary Queen of Peace. We should arrive back by 4:30pm on Sunday afternoon.

What you should bring to Convention:

• Sleeping Bag
• PJ’s
• Change of Clothes for Sunday
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Other toiletries
• Camera
• Rosary
• Bible
• Journal
• $$ for Lunch and Dinner Saturday and Lunch Sunday

Again.......
Departure for BCC: 7am Saturday from St. Cecilia’s

Arrival back: 4:30pm Sunday at St. Cecilia’s

Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory

A few things to sum up last night and a few things to supplement your information in case you had more questions....

A message from your youth minister:

"You want to go to heaven! If you didn't know that already, I'm telling you. God made each one of us out of love, and because he is so loving he wants us to return to Him in heaven. So why would he put us in hell? You put yourself in hell. If you choose to turn away from God and turn towards Satan, you put yourself in hell. Hell exists because of God's perfect justice, but he does not want you in there. Remember, Christ said that he thirsts. He thirsts for souls. So come on back. If you've turned away, you can always come back. Christ is waiting for you to do just that.

So what do you need to do? How do you stay away from the worm that never dies and the fire that is never quenched? From the terrible sound of wailing and teeth grinding for all eternity past the end of all time? And the worst...how do you make sure that you aren't eternally separated from God and spending eternity in torment at seeing his loving glory never able to get there?

Christ.

He's always the answer. Be like Christ, listen to Christ's words, follow His Church (The Catholic Church), listen to his mother. The Catholic Church is the Bride of Christ. We are the Mystical Body of Christ. He gave himself to us. He gives the fullness of his truth for salvation to the Catholic Church. So....receive the sacraments especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation, come to mass, pray for mercy, ask our Blessed Mother for guidance and intercession, and be the best Catholic that you could possibly be. That's the best advice I can muster. Oh and if you want to figure out how to do all that stuff, come to youth group!!!!!

But for Heaven's sake, stay out of Hell!"
-Val


Some extra reading if you're interested......


"What Is Heaven Really Like?
By Jimmy Akin
(on www.catholic.com Search: heaven)

Deepest Longings
The fundamental essence of heaven is union with God. The Catechism explains that "perfect life with the Most Holy Trinity . . . is called ‘heaven.’ Heaven is the ultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness" (CCC 1024). It also states that "heaven is the blessed community of all who are perfectly incorporated into Christ" (CCC 1026).

Traditionally theology has explained the chief blessing or "beatitude" of heaven as "the beatific vision"—an insight into the wonder of God’s inner, invisible essence. "Because of his transcendence, God cannot be seen as he is, unless he himself opens up his mystery to man’s immediate contemplation and gives him the capacity for it. The Church calls this contemplation of God in his heavenly glory ‘the beatific vision’" (CCC 1028).

Because humans are made for having a conscious relationship with God, the beatific vision corresponds to the greatest human happiness possible.

Many people wonder how our relationships with others will work in heaven. Some have even wondered whether we will retain our own identities. The answer is that we will.
The Christian faith assures us that those in heaven "retain, or rather find, their true identity" (CCC 1025). We do not become anonymous, interchangeable entities in heaven. Rather, we each receive our own reward (cf. 1 Cor. 3:11–15).

This does not mean that there will be no changes in our relationships. Jesus was clear in teaching that we will not be married in the next life (Matt. 22:30). But because we retain our identities, we will continue to know and love those we were close to in earthly life. Indeed, in heaven our love for them and our spiritual intimacy with them will be truer, purer, and stronger than it was in this life.





The Hell There Is!
http://www.catholic.com/library/last_things.asp

The doctrine of hell is so frightening that numerous heretical sects end up denying the reality of an eternal hell. The Unitarian-Universalists, the Seventh-Day Adventists, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Christadelphians, the Christian Scientists, the Religious Scientists, the New Agers, and the Mormons—all have rejected or modified the doctrine of hell so radically that it is no longer a serious threat. In recent decades, this decay has even invaded mainstream Evangelicalism, and a number of major Evangelical figures have advocated the view that there is no eternal hell—the wicked will simply be annihilated.

But the eternal nature of hell is stressed in the New Testament. For example, in Mark 9:47–48 Jesus warns us, "[I]t is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, where the worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched."

And in Revelation 14:11, we read: "And the smoke of their torment goes up for ever and ever; and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name."

Hell is not just a theoretical possibility. Jesus warns us that real people go there. He says, "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few" (Matt. 7:13–14).

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, ‘eternal fire.’ The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs" (CCC 1035).

In his 1994 book, Crossing the Threshold of Hope, Pope John Paul II wrote that too often "preachers, catechists, teachers . . . no longer have the courage to preach the threat of hell" (p. 183). Concerning the reality of hell, the pope says, "In point of fact, the ancient councils rejected the theory . . . according to which the world would be regenerated after destruction, and every creature would be saved; a theory which abolished hell. . . . [T]he words of Christ are unequivocal. In Matthew’s Gospel he speaks clearly of those who will go to eternal punishment (cf. Matt. 25:46). [But] who will these be? The Church has never made any pronouncement in this regard" (pp. 185–6).

Thus the issue that some will go to hell is decided, but the issue of who in particular will go to hell is undecided. "

Check out the Catechism of the Catholic Church for more info.... www.catholic.com
and www.ewtn.com also have some great resources. Just put heaven, hell, or purgatory in the search field. Otherwise, here's a really funny video you might like.

DISCLAIMER:
This is just for fun. There is no such thing as Protestant Heaven and Catholic Heaven. Just one.

Middle School - question about other Churches

Remember when I drew that diagram that looked like a broom with all the different branches that came from the Catholic Church? Here's a figure that will show you all the different branches of known protestantism (all the other Christian Churches that broke off from the Catholic Church ) starting with the Lutherans. This diagram came from "The Catholic Source Book". Click on the little picture to see it full size

As you can see, protestantism is not unified at all. The Catholic Church had been around for 1500 years or so before this splintering started. Now there's a whole bunch of churches without a shephard doing their own thing.

Last Sunday's Topic - Miracles

Remember to get your Convention forms in by Wednesday!!!!

Here are the notes from last night. Click on the colored links for more detailed info about each topic!


MIRACLES

What is a miracle?

St. Thomas Aquinas says:

"Those effects are rightly to be termed miracles which are wrought by Divine power apart from the order usually observed in nature"

-if a scientific, medical or psychological explanation exists for what had only appeared to be a miracle, then it isn’t an authentic miracle. Only immediate, spontaneous, and inexplicable phenomena are up for consideration as authentic miracles.

Some types of miracles:

Eucharistic Miracles

Lanciano

Marian Apparitions

Lourdes



Fatima




Guadalupe




Miracles Having to do with Saints

Incorruptibility (St. Bernadette, St. Catherine Laboure, St. Jean Vianney, St. Francis Xavier, John XXIII)

(***please note that livingmiracles.net has a lot of cool and useful information, however not all of the miracles on this website are approved by the Catholic Church. Take note of the miracles specifically listed here below, these are well known and have been approved for devotion for many years :) ***)

Liquefaction (St. Januarius)

Odor of Sanctity (St. Pio)

Levitation (St. Joseph of Cupertino, St. Teresa of Avila)

Bilocation (St. Pio)

Stigmata (St. Pio, St. Francis of Assisi)

How does a miracle become approved by the Church?

• all miracles need to be documented and authenticated, so eyewitnesses alone are considered insufficient.

• Medical, scientific, psychiatric, and theological experts are consulted

• Cardinals and bishops give approval

The Church does extensive investigations and then makes a determination. Either

1. It’s a hoax where someone is pretending to see apparitions, when in reality they’re lies or staged illusions.
2. Natural causes can explain it.
3. The phenomenon can’t be explained one way or the other.
4. The devil is at work.
5. It’s a supernatural event of heavenly origin. It’s a miracle!

The Church condemns any and all hoaxes as well as any trick of the devil.

It only endorses authentic apparitions of supernatural and heavenly origin.

** Even if the Church determines that an apparition is worthy of belief, Catholics aren’t obligated to believe it. They aren’t considered revealed truth and are not a part of the Deposit of Faith***

Usually if weird messages or secrets are supposedly released about the world ending then you can be assured it’s fake.

Some miracles still being investigated and which have not been declared anything yet are

Medjugorje, The Shroud of Turin, and Naju

The Catholic Church will not approve a miracle as worthy of devotion until she is absolutely sure that the miracle is from God. This usually happens after the visionary (person receiving the apparition or miracle) has died or the visions stop. The Church must be so careful because she cannot teach anything that will lead the faithful away from Christ. For example, if the Church declared a miracle worthy of devotion while the apparitions or miracles were still ongoing and they turned out to be a hoax or something from Satan, she would have made a fatal error leading the faithful away from Christ. This is impossible, so that's why miracles still being investigated which are pending approval of the Catholic Church may take a very long time to be approved. It's part of the prudence of the Church.

Here's the link to a neat article from Catholic answers about Miracles.

Can Miracles Happen?

Announcements!!!

Lifeteen Announcements

The Seattle Archdiocese & ACCY Youth Convention is on November 4th and 5th. It’s a great convention to get your faith fired up! You MUST get Convention Registration Forms in to the office by Wednesday the 18th!! Cost is $60, if you can’t afford it, come talk to me.

The NW Eucharistic Marian Conference is on October 20th and 21st. The Youth Events will be on Saturday the 21st starting at 8:30am with Mass. Free food, incredible speakers, inspirational music, adoration and THE TRUTH! Don’t forget, OCTOBER 21st at St. Cecilia’s.

is on October 25th at 7pm. The theme for the night is “HEAVEN”. We’ve been learning about the Eucharist…..come spend some time with Jesus.

We’re having a Halloween Hangout on Saturday October 28th at 7pm in the Youth Room. I’ll be in costume, so you’d better be in costume! We’ll be watching
THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE
Here’s what the US Council of Catholic Bishops has to say about the movie. Their review can be found at this website.
http://www.usccb.org/movies/e/theexorcismofemilyrose.shtml
So movie, pizza, popcorn, and lots of other random stuff you’ll find fun. Come hang out!

Why am I Catholic?

This is a great video. Take a look.

Last Sunday's Topic - Mass and the Eucharist

Info from the handouts if you didn't get one last Sunday.

Oh and the answer to that one question that I didn't know...the word was "Hosannah".

Mass and the Eucharist

• The Eucharist is the Source and Summit of our Catholic Faith
• We need to receive in a state of grace every Sunday and as often as possible
• Just as we need food in daily life, we need the Eucharist. Christ was humble enough to make himself food.
• We see Christ under the accidents of Bread and Wine

26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord.

28 A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup.

29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself.

30 That is why many among you are ill and infirm, and a considerable number are dying.

31 If we discerned ourselves, we would not be under judgment;

I Corinthians 11:26-31

• The Eucharist sets us apart - God is physically in our Church all the time because of the Eucharist.
• When we come to Mass we come to the heavenly banquet where heaven kisses earth at consecration
• The priest is in Persona Christi when he consecrates the host
• Jesus and the sacrifice he made are outside of time. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8) The sacrifice once for all. No re-sacrificing at mass

• We are not cannibals
• "When you look at the Crucifix, you understand how much Jesus loved you then. When you look at the Sacred Host you understand how much Jesus loves you now," -Bl. Mother Teresa of Calcutta
• In the Hebrew prophecies they said that the Messiah would be a Priest “after the order of Melchizedek” -> sacrifice under bread and wine was required for the prophecy -> bread and wine become Christ’s body and blood -> body and blood are then sacrificed on the cross -> prophecy is fulfilled in Christ’s sacrifice in the cross -> the prophecy is then also fulfilled at every mass said by every priest in all time, everywhere
• The Holy Mass and it’s beginnings in the early Church are evidenced by the Didache (A.D. 70 the Apostle John was still alive.) written in New Testament times. It gives the instructions for mass!!

Helpful quotes:

“At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his body and Blood. He did this in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the centuries until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a paschal banquet in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us” – Sacrosanctum Concilium 47 Pope Paul VI

John 6:48-70

48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers did eat manna in the desert, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven; that if any man eat of it, he may not die.

51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. 52 If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give, is my flesh, for the life of the world. 53 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying: How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 54 Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you. 55 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day.

56 For my flesh is meat indeed: and my blood is drink indeed. 57 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him. 58 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, the same also shall live by me. 59 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead. He that eateth this bread, shall live for ever. 60 These things he said, teaching in the synagogue, in Capharnaum.

61 Many therefore of his disciples, hearing it, said: This saying is hard, and who can hear it? 62 But Jesus, knowing in himself, that his disciples murmured at this, said to them: Doth this scandalize you? 63 If then you shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? 64 It is the spirit that quickeneth: the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I have spoken to you, are spirit and life. 65 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning, who they were that did not believe, and who he was, that would betray him.

66 And he said: Therefore did I say to you, that no man can come to me, unless it be given him by my Father. 67 After this many of his disciples went back; and walked no more with him. 68 Then Jesus said to the twelve: Will you also go away? 69 And Simon Peter answered him: Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 70 And we have believed and have known, that thou art the Christ, the Son of God.

Christ didn’t back down and try to re-explain things. He meant what he said. The Eucharist is HIM - Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.

Click for more info on
How to Defend Christ's Presence in the Eucharist


And... lastly, a video you might find cool.