Advent party

UPDATE: You can RSVP through this Wednesday December 10, 2008 for the party Saturday December 13.

Join us for our Advent party, on December 13 at Chris and Elizabeth’s house in West Columbia. This will be a night of fine food, drinking and fellowship! We ask that couples or individuals bring a side dish and beverages. The main course will be provided. Please RSVP to colayacs@gmail.com by December 6 10. Directions will be mailed once we receive your RSVP.

Hope to see you all there!!!

It's All About the Majority: The Catholic Laity

Hi folks!

Our upcoming meeting is all about us! We will discuss the role of the laity in the Catholic Church.

Since Vatican II there has been a lot of confusion regarding the proper role of the laity regarding their role in the Church. Many of you may remember our first meeting, where we briefly touched upon this topic--now we will devote a whole evening to discusing our role!

Just who are the laity? According to Lumen Gentium, a document from Vatican II, the laity should be "understood to mean all the faithful except those in holy orders and those in a religious state sanctioned by the Church" (#31). In other words, most of the people in the Catholic Church!

So, if most of the people in the Catholic Church are part of the laity, shouldn't there be more lay ministry and/or power sharing with the clergy? It would seem the role of the laity needs to be strengthened within the Church and that there needs must be a greater level of power exerted by the laity since the majority are not ordained or leading a professed religious life. In the name of collegiality, shouldn't the laity have more power? Just what is the proper role of the laity?

Perhaps we should follow the advice of Paul Lakeland:

The laity must take on an adult role, claiming accountability and responsibility
for their work and ministry. This means everything from democratically participating in decision--making to selecting bishops, collaborating with ordained ministers at the parish level, and working at diocesan and national levels to carry out the church's mission.

Or perhaps we should follow the reasoning of Hans Kung, who supports a greater role of the laity in terms of Church heirarchy. Kung is also an advocate of democratizing the Catholic Church.

So, come join us Tuesday, November 5, as we look at the role of the laity in the Catholic Church!

October 8 Meeting: Catholic GOTV

G.O.T.V. - it's an acronym in political parlance that means Get out the vote. For Catholics Christians voting is more than a right granted under the U.S. Constitution or a privilege given by the state, it's a moral obligation. As such we are bound to make sure we're informed on the issues that we face individually, as a community and nation when we step into the booth.

How do we make sure we're "well informed" and what exactly does that mean? Well it means making decisions based on your Conscience (CCC#1778) by employing the virtue of Prudence (CCC#1806).

The Church for her part does not dictate for whom or how one is to vote, but does seek to assist her members in forming consciences and right judgement in light of the teachings of Christ as they have been traditioned through the Church. We are people of both faith and reason and as such "are called to bring truth to political life and to practice Christ’s commandment to love one another (Jn13:34)."

For their part the Bishops, in their capacity and authority as teachers, have released a document called The Challenge of Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship. In it the Bishops say:

A consistent ethic of life should guide all Catholic engagement in political life. This Catholic ethic neither treats all issues as morally equivalent nor reduces Catholic teaching to one or two issues. It anchors the Catholic commitment to defend human life and other human rights, from conception until natural death, in the fundamental obligation to respect the dignity of every human being as a child of God.

Catholic voters should use Catholic teaching to examine candidates’ positions on issues and should consider candidates’ integrity, philosophy, and performance.

As such the bishops have highlighted seven themes from Catholic Social Teaching to illustrate the importance of keeping our focus on our common humanity and the sanctity of that humanity.

So we know what the church considers to be important - which is a broad range of issues. But where do the parties stand on these issues amongst the many others? We've heard from the pundits, the media and the folks all around us that this years election is perhaps the 'most crucial election in our lifetime.' So for our October meeting we're going to find out just that - in as much as the constraints of our meeting time allows.

In order to do this more fully, we've invited a person from the two major parties to come and speak with us.

Representing the Republican Party will be Wesley Donehue. Wesley is a political strategist and owner of Under The Power Lines a political consultancy firm. He's worked on many campaigns including the SC State Senate Republican Caucus and Sen. Jim DeMint.

• See the Republican Party platform here (it's a .pdf file)

And for the Democrats we've got Joey Oppermann. Joey is the third Vice Chairman of the Democratic party, he's a recent law school grad and is currently working on democratic campaigns in the upstate of South Carolina.

• See the Democratic Party platform here (also a .pdf file)

In the end though, as we conclude our evening's session we must remember what else the Bishops remind us to do. "We must look beyond party politics, to analyze campaign rhetoric critically, and to choose their political leaders according to principle, not party affiliation or mere self-interest” (USCCB, Living the Gospel of Life, no. 33), in our efforts to discern who we're going to vote for come November, not just for President, but all the way down ticket to dog catcher.

So we look forward to seeing you all at Delaney's in 5pnts October 8 at 6pm for some beer and food and great conversation. Until then!

~Matt

Follow-up from Sept. 10 Meeting

Hi All,

I just wanted to include a few follow-up comments for folks who may have a few more questions.
In our discussion about the Holy Spirit, the question that many seemed most interested in was "What instances or when do I pray to the Holy Spirit?" It may help to think of the Nicene Creed in order to understand when it is appropriate to pray to the Holy Spirit:

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets.

Let's take a look at "the Lord, the giver of life." Without the Holy Spirit there would be no life. The Holy Spirit must be present to, but not present in everything (this idea should make more sense by contrasting the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament versus the New Testament).

Someone mentioned Gen. 1:2 - "the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters" [sometimes translated as "a wind from God" or "God's Spirit"]. Once that mighty wind sweeps over the waters life began creating, that life force, or Who gives life, is the Holy Spirit.

The Psalms also reaffirm the importance of the Holy Spirit: "When you [God] send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the earth" (Ps 104:30). Life continues because the Holy Spirit is here to support.

By saying "proceeding from the Father and Son" we are witnessing to a dynamic relationship between Father, Son and Spirit. A relationship that many have tried to discuss in the past 2000 years of Christianity, but one that we will never fully understand until we meet God face to face.

Because the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and Son the Holy Spirit must also be divine and He must have some role to play in the life of every living thing. For instance, how did Christ become man?--"The angel said to her [Mary], 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you" (Lk 1:35). Through the Holy Spirit Mary conceives and she gives birth to both God and man.

The Catholic church, since the time of St. Augustine, has understood the Holy Spirit to be the Love shared between the Father and the Son. This Love is so great that it is another Person. Hence why we say that he proceeds from the Father and the Son.

But very important to any discussion of the role or distinction of the Holy Persons is our understanding that God is above or outside of time. So by saying proceeds we do not mean to imply subordination (Fr. Bernard touched on this briefly). In other words, by saying the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father or the Son, we do not mean to imply that the Father existed and then created the Holy Spirit! Instead we are simply trying to show a relationship of distinct persons that are God.

Because the Holy Spirit is God, it only makes sense that we should worship and glorify Him!

So, we come to our last point of the Creed, "He has spoken through the prophets." All true prophets are empowered by the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament the Spirit would give a prophet what he needed at a specific time but would later leave; think of Samson, Saul or David . And don't forget what happens once the Spirit withdraws from them!

In the New Testament we learn that the Spirit must open our ears to hear the Son and that He, the Holy Spirit will lead all to Truth (1 Cor 2:9-13 and Jn 14:26). Remember that anything true must come from God.

Hopefully this clears up a little of what we discussed last night. Please feel free to comment and ask questions!

I also found this video clip about the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, thanks to Dcn. Jack, that may be of some interest to you.

The International Catholic Charismatic Renewal website (there is music in the background).

A succinct answer about baptism in the spirit can be found here.

Next Meeting! Sept 10

Hey folks, this meeting we've got to special guest lined up to speak with us about Catholic Spirituality especailly as it relates to the Charismatic Movement. Rev. Jack Crocker, Deacon and Fr. Bernard Oniwe, OP will be presenting.

Remember that the meetings are from 6-8ish with the first half hour as a time to socialize, have a beer or two and order some good food.

See y'all at Delaneys!

Next Month's meeting Catholic GOTV

Catholicism and Islam

Hi Folks!

This week's meeting topic will focus on interreligious dialogue among Catholics and non-Christians. The main point of discussion will be our relationship with Islam.

I'm sure that you may all be familiar with Pope Benedict's quotation from a 14th Century text about Islam in a speech from September 12, 2006: "Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." But, how many people read the rest of the speech?

Benedict certainly apologized for making the remarks and made clear that the remarks did not reflect his personal opinion. Still, many are left wondering how, as a Catholic, we should understand our relationship with the Mulsim world?

We will take a look and dicuss the document Nostra Aetate, the Vatican II document that outlines the church's relationship with non-Christian religious. In addition to that document we will also discuss what other popes have said about Islam. We will also look at some of the positive outcomes following the Regensburg lecture.

With this in mind, we look forward to a spirited discussion on Catholic and Muslim relations at Delaney's from 6 to 8 PM on Wednesday, August 6!

Schedule for the Rest of the Year

OK folks, we've got our schedule of meetings worked out - location will be the same, except for perhaps the December meeting, and the times - we'll let you know about the dates and times in each "meeting post."

Comments are more than welcome and encouraged.

All meetings will take place at Delaney's in Five Points from 6 to 8 PM (except for the Advent party--TBD).

• August: West meets East, Catholicism and Islam - we're working on getting someone to come speak to our group.
• September 10: Holy Mary Mother of God!:Catholic Spirituality, devotionals, prayers, practices - this is going to be a two part series with the second half in the new year, for this meeting we're going to discuss the Charismatic movement in the Church and have a guest speaker come to discuss Charisms and practicing the faith charismatically.
• October 8: Catholic GOTV - we're going to look at the Bishops voter guide and have some one from both the Democratic and Republican party (anyone know an official with the Libertarian party?) come speak to us about the upcoming election and where there candidates stand in relation to the issues.
• November 5: It's all about 'we' - a discussion on our role as lay persons within the Church and more importantly within our communities.
• December 12 (TBD): Happy Advent and Merry Christmas - the first annual YACS Christmas party, do communicate over the next couple of months a time and location.

Check back soon for the next "meeting post" for August's meeting.

Who is Cathol and what are his teachings? (Part 1?)

Catholics and Catholicism are at the receiving end of a great deal of startling vituperation in contemporary America, although generally, those responsible never think of themselves as bigots... What is striking about [anti-Catholic comments] is not any individual phrase or accusation, but the completely casual way in which these views are stated, as if any normal person should be expected to share these beliefs.... Complaints about anti-Catholicism are likely to provoke counter charges of oversensitivity, much as complaints about racism or anti-Semitism did in bygone generations. As Andrew Greeley writes, anti-Catholicism is so insidious precisely because it is not acknowledged, not recognized, not explicitly and selfl-consciously rejected. The attitudes are so ingrained as to be invisible.

-Dr. Philip Jenkins,

The New Anti-Catholicism

From the above quote, it should be fairly clear to what July's meeting is about.

We live in a pluralistic society. In the market place of ideas, it's very often that the values of any one person or group are going to be debated, that sometimes toes are going to be stepped on, it's inevitable. But sometimes debate moves into derision, and for much of our history and experience Catholicism has suffered such derision albeit subtle or nuanced. It's how we handle such situations that matter most.

Unlike African Americans and the Jewish Community, two groups where such derision has come to be termed bigotry and looked down upon, Catholicism isn't an immutable quality of biology as in the case of race, and for better or worse is not a single monolithic culture as with the Jewish Community - it's a free association, though an association that carries qualities not unlike both.

As the quote above notes, because one's Catholicism isn't an immutable fact of your nature nor is Catholicism limited to a cultural minority AND because Catholics haven't, unlike African-Americans or Jews, been overtly oppressed it's considered OK to take it further than friendly debate - without any regard or deference afforded as to other groups in that very market place of ideas.

Interestingly enough as Catholics the assault is three fold, we get get chided from the Left - usually associated with Atheists, pro-Identity groups (Feminism, Gay Movement are only two examples); from the Right - from Protestant Religious Groups, the "Gun Lobby" (an umbrella term here), Capitalists, and anti-environmentalists , and then again from the inside - from the person in the pew over who may subscribe to any of the above listed ideologies and more.

Being attacked from all sides and even under friendly fire it begs the question how do we handle such situations? Since our Religion is a free association perhaps the first (two part) question to ask is -

Why am I Catholic and what does being Catholic mean to me?

After we determine the answer to that question we can then address the discourse, debate, and mud slinging that is coming from all around us. Whether it's a Pastor demeaning Roman Catholicism as the whore of Babylon, or your Protestant friend asking you if you've been saved. Whether it's a co-worker who says that Catholicism denigrates women because she won't ordain Women and is anti-abortion, or perhaps the cousin who believes that the church is anti-gay.
What about the "NeoCon" who believes the church protests too much about waging war, Or the local NRA chapter questioning why the Church cares so much about guns. The list of supposed grieved goes on and on and on.

This folks is the art of apologetics.

So we look forward to seeing you all on July 9, 6pm for drinks and discussion at Delaney's in 5 points. Cheers! ~ Matt

PS: So after all that seriousness - here's the reason for the title of the post and what made me think of the "Apologetics" theme for this meeting - Eddie Izzard "picking" on the Church of England.

First Meeting Pics

Thanks so much to everyone who came out last night for the inaugural meeting of "Imbibing the Spirit!" We had a great time and here are a few of the pictures! See you all in a month, if not before! More posts to come soon.

"Getting to Know You"

Hi Y'all!

Our meeting on June 4 will be a Getting to Know You session where we will introduce ourselves to one another and discuss the direction that this group will take in the upcoming months. The first couple meetings have already been planned out, so that we will actually have something to discuss.

The theme is Who is Cathol and what are his teachings? (trust us the title may be irreverent but after we break bread and discuss it'll make a lot of sense!!!)

Your collective responses to these introductory gatherings will guide the direction future group meetings--Thank You Holy Spirit.¹

So, come and join us at Delaney's Pub on Saluda Ave in Five Points on June 4th from 6 to 8 PM.

The first beer is even on us!

Click on Delaney's for more information on food and beverage selection!

And for your viewing pleasure, because you know you were reminded of it with that snazzy title (thanks Matt) here's the scene from The King and I.




Matthew 18:20 - For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

Details About the New Group

This group will be exclusively run by young adult Catholics! And is open to all young adults Catholics in Columbia from ages 21 to 35!

The Young Adult Catholics of Columbia will meet monthly or bi-weekly for fellowship and discussion. We anticipate meeting for drinks and dinner followed by discussion of our meeting topic. Topics will range from the basics of belief to current events.

So please stay tuned to this blog and our email list, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/colayacs, for future updates!

Zach and Matt