First off, let’s talk about the overarching goal of chastity. What’s the reward? I mean, we would not want to invest so much time into school, homework, and tests unless we knew we would be rewarded with discovering new passions and hopefully attaining a decent paying job. Chastity is not easy, and, especially with society telling us that masturbation, pornography, and objectifying others are all good, healthy, normal things, it is easy to lose sight of the importance of chastity in the first place. Now, is chastity a virtue of “no’s?” Well, in some ways, yes it is. It means saying no to sexual gratification in all its forms, but that’s hardly a fraction of what it really means. In reality, chastity is a deep and profound YES.

Now hold up, this may seem completely counterintuitive, so let me explain. In Genesis, God created man and woman, he created us as sexual beings. This means that sex and our sexuality is inherently good because God Himself made us that way. But He didn’t just make us sexual beings and leave it at that. By creating us as sexual beings, he issued a calling for each and every one of us to use our sexuality for the greater glory of God, basically to use our sexuality in a manner proper for our calling. For married people, that means being loyal to their spouses. For single people, that means living a life of abstinence in anticipation for marriage. For religious and priests, that means living celibately. This is where we come to the virtue of chastity because amongst all of these pathways comes an underlying foundation in which we must acknowledge that each person deserves to be treated with dignity and that our sexuality is God-given and must be used according to His will. What this all means is that being chaste is what God calls us to be, and with that comes amazing rewards that we cannot even imagine.

But let’s get more practical, if we want to be chaste, where do we start? Perhaps one of the most important things to realize about chastity is that it is rooted in discipline. What is discipline? Well, we can begin by saying that it is something that nearly all people struggle with. The reason why is because discipline focuses on the nitty-gritty efforts of everyday living. Discipline is not about getting an A in a class, it is about putting in the effort every day to study and do the homework for a good grade. Discipline is not about losing those pounds we don’t want to look a certain way, it is about pushing ourselves to exercise three, four, or five times a week to meet goals for our physique. It is not about establishing a solid prayer life; it is about having the willpower to pray every day, even when we are tired or busy. Discipline is the means through which we accomplish goals by having the perseverance to work toward those goals every day. It is also the means through which we stay chaste. Those who take a few days to focus on being a little more observant of their thoughts and actions will know what I mean because moments of lust can come at us in a heartbeat. All it takes is one person, one image, or one thought for us to fall into the temptation to lust, and this happens every day. Chastity is not one battle that is fought and won; it is a lifelong struggle we must fight every day of our lives.

The idea of being a little more observant of our thoughts and actions leads me into a second key piece of chastity: self-awareness. The reality is that our sexuality is ubiquitous; it is everywhere. It affects how we talk, how we act, how we dress. It is embedded into our everyday living, which is natural and good. What chastity forces us to do, though, is to not be completely ignorant of it. Chastity compels us to be aware of our sexuality when it comes to lust. Sometimes it is a certain person, a certain image, a certain situation, or (heck, let’s be honest) a certain body part that sets off lustful thoughts or actions. It is part of our calling, to recognize those moments where we fall, to acknowledge that we are weak in those moments, and to avoid those moments as best we can. This is what we call avoiding the near occasion of sin.

Now, trying to avoid those moments where we lust requires another key component called self-control. We have to be able to master our own passions and not be subject to them. We do the same thing when we exercise and choose to not give into the pains of our bodies and, instead, press on toward our goals. We have to remember that our passions and our sexuality are inherently good, but they need to be used in a proper manner. Even though we can be tempted to give into those passions, doing so is not liberating. This is a message that you hear all the time: “JUST DO IT!” However, by giving into our passions, we are not set free by them, we are enslaved by them. Drawing from my own personal experiences and the experiences of my friends, when we talk about masturbation and pornography, those types of things trap and ensnare the soul. What often results is a feeling of self-loathing because of the weakness and shame associated with the fact that the temptation to masturbate or look at pornography has complete control and cannot be resisted. There is no self-control. There is no sense of inner strength to combat the whims of passion. All that exists is weakness, shame, and an unfulfilled desire for something more. Perhaps a good analogy is receiving an A on a test you cheated on. Sure, it will feel good at first to have the A, but, afterward, what lasts longer is the sense of emptiness from circumventing the true purpose of the class and not living up to the expectations others have for you.

The last critical aspect of chastity I will talk about is the virtue of fortitude, which basically means “toughness” both in an internal and external way. Fortitude is perhaps the most important virtue needed for chastity because not only is it counter-cultural, but it seems to “go against the grain” of our own sexuality. God gave us hormones and sexual desires, but oftentimes when we think about chastity, it just seems to go against what we really feel. That is one of the reasons why lust, objectification, and sexual gratification are so pervasive because people think those things just ‘feel’ like they go with their sexuality. However, lust, objectification, and sexual gratification do not coincidence with our sexuality because, just like we talked about earlier, our sexuality is made for something greater. But, in those moments, when we are most desperate and temptation feels like it is about to take over and translate into sin, is when the virtue of fortitude comes in. Fortitude allows us to have the strength to overcome any type of temptation that arises, through what I can only describe as a persistent stubbornness to follow the will of God no matter what.

Now for the big question, why am I even talking about chastity at all? Well, from what I have experienced, there is not any other place where the virtue of chastity will be as useful as in college. In high school, relationships are common, but their level of physical activity is more subdued because of adult supervision in school, the presence of parents at home, and the general ‘minor’ legal status. In college there is no adult presence to limit physical activity because the students are adults themselves, unleashing a waves of sexual activity, objectification, and self-seeking pleasure. The widespread presence of alcohol and drugs only seek to magnify these issues. After my first few weeks, I realized what a dark place college is for sexual morality. The idea of chastity had never felt so foreign to my environment before. This is the reality of the college environment, and the more practiced you are in the lifestyle of chastity through discipline, self-awareness, self-control, and fortitude the easier transition you will have, to not only stay chaste in college but be an example for others to follow.

This is what God calls us to do: to be a light for others in the midst of darkness. How is God calling you to be that light for others?

“I, the Lord, have called you for the victory of justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for nations.” (Is 42:6)

God gave me a clue as to what I was lacking at my first large group meeting for Intervarsity. The moment the band began playing worship music I felt a sense of rejuvenation and peace that I had not felt in months. In the presence of other Christians I felt emboldened to authentically live out my faith and be wary of just “going through the motions.” For the first time in college I actually felt at home.

God showed me that I was lacking a spiritual community.

Up until college, a spiritual community is something most people take for granted. The spiritual community we grow up with is simply the community our parents are a part of. We go to church and youth group (sometimes unwillingly) because our parents make us go. However, in college, our parents are no longer present, and we are faced with the important question of which communities we want to join. Do I prefer a large or small group? Do I want it to be Catholic or Christian? Do I prefer to have a community with certain ethnicities present or completely diverse? These types of questions will come up as each individual discerns which community is the best fit. However, my number one piece of advice to any Catholic going into college is this: JOIN ONE. No matter what you do, join a spiritual community in college.

Oftentimes young Catholics going into college really question the importance of joining a community at all, so let me put some weight behind this choice.

From my experiences, the best indicator of whether or not someone will stay strong in their faith after high school is whether or not they join a local spiritual community (Newman, Intervarsity, etc). An example I like to think of is when Thomas separates himself from the rest of the disciples who are in hiding after Christ’s death (Jn 20:24-29). People often point out that Thomas was not afraid of persecution by the Jews like the rest of the disciples were. Thomas was not afraid because he did not care. As Thomas loses his faith in Christ, he removes himself from the community of disciples. In his case, separation from a local spiritual community corresponded with a loss of direction in terms of his relationship with God. It actually takes the witnessing of the disciples, his own community of believers, to bring him back to the faith.

There are people who can uphold their faith without a community, but it is similar to starting a race with lead shoes, you can get to the finish line but it sure as heck is a lot more difficult. The reason why is because a community, among many other things, pushes each of its members to grow and serves as a fallback for those who falter. A community nurtures, supports, and sustains the faith of each of its members providing an essential tool for personal and communal growth. I love St. Paul’s analogy of a community using the human body.

“As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit. Now the body is not a single part, but many. If a foot should say, “Because I am not a hand I do not belong to the body,” it does not for this reason belong any less to the body. Or if an ear should say, “Because I am not an eye I do not belong to the body, “ it does not for this reason belong any less to the body. . . God placed the parts, each one of them, in the body as he intended.” (Cor1:12-16, 18)

What good is an arm or a leg or an eye all by itself? Each body part can perform its specific function, but each is made to function within the larger context of the human body. In the same way, each individual is meant to fulfill specific roles or duties within the context of a spiritual community. In this way, the positions and abilities we have come to fruition in the place they were meant to be utilized.

If you notice, St. Paul does not just suggest we join a spiritual community he says we are obligated to. “Because I am not a hand” is not a good enough excuse! “Because I am too busy with activities or tired of youth group or do not get along with people at church are all not good enough excuses! We are all part of one body in Christ. We are all part of the universal Church, meaning we have an obligation to fulfill our roles within it.

The funny thing about community is that you do not realize what you are missing out on until you become a part of one. So, whenever you find yourself without a spiritual community, especially in college, join one and stick with it because it is your obligation, your calling, and your path towards reaching your fullest potential in Christ.

We live in a time and society where people have lost sight of this. Last year alone, we have seen dangerous decisions coming from our national capital. The Department of Health & Human Services is about to decide whether or not to force all Catholic institutions to provide contraception or face closure. The same department also denied a grant request from the USCCB that would have allowed the organisation to continue providing services to refugees and migrants just because Catholics refuse to use that money to provide contraception and abortion services to these refugees. There was also the execution of Troy Davis and dozens of others in the United States. The case of Troy Davis drew the criticism of many prominent world leaders, past and present, including Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former President Jimmy Carter, and Pope Benedict XVI.

However, we can also look at the other side of the coin and see that 2011 has also been a good year. The same department mentioned above issued a decision to not allow certain contraception that are abortifacient in nature (i.e. drugs that cause abortions, such as the morning-after-pill) to be sold to girls over-the-counter. 2011 also saw the official end to the decade-long War in Iraq, which both Blessed John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have condemned on numerous occasions to both former President Bush and President Obama. Another sign of hope is that the number of executions carried out in one year in the United States for the first time has fallen to less than 100 people. Also, about a month ago, the governor of Oregon announced a halt on all future executions in the state and at the same time, there is a growing movement in California to completely outlaw executions in 2012.

Later this month, on Saturday, January 21, we have the opportunity once again to join other pro-lifers in San Francisco to peacefully pray for and reflect on a society that supports life from conception to natural death. It is our moral obligation as Catholic Christians as well as human beings to oppose all forms of violence that threaten to end God’s gift of life to humanity. This is a family-friendly event, so please feel free to invite your family and friends (they do not need to be Catholic) to join us this year at the Walk for Life!

Event details: (please note that the location has changed this year)

Who: you, your family, your friends
What: 8th Annual Walk for Life West Coast
Where: We will meet no later than 11:20am at the Fremont BART Station and go to SF together. The rally starts at the Civic Center Plaza this year (this is different than previous years), the walk is along Market Street (not the Embarcadero), and the end is at Justin Herman Plaza (this is where the walk started in previous years)
When: Saturday, January 21 (we will meet at 11:20am at the Fremont BART Station, rally starts at 12:30pm and walk starts at 1:30pm)
Cost: $11.20 round-trip BART ticket (accepts coins, cash, and credit/debit cards); Walk for Life itself is free

Permission slip is available here. You are also welcomed and encouraged to bring your own signs (keeping in mind this is a family-friendly event). There are also a limited supply of pre-made hand signs at the rally too.

Who’s invited?
All high school-ers, college kids, post-grad, YAGs and not so young YAGs. Everybody!

Where is it?
Please RSVP to see location.

When is it?
5:00PM Saturday, 12/31/11 to 12:30AM Sunday, 1/1/12

Food Assignments:

Please RSVP here: http://tinyurl.com/wm-new-years-party

Here is a very accessible blog post explaining the importance of today.

Every year, there are thousands of families who live right here in Silicon Valley that cannot afford to buy their kids presents for Christmas. Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County offers a Donation Station where people can drop off donations for these low-income families so that their kids can also experience the joy of Christmas morning of getting something under the tree.

While the spirit of Christmas is not about consumerism, it is about serving others, especially the marginalized and vulnerable. After all, God took on human form as a vulnerable infant.

For those in Pre-Confirmation or Confirmation CM classes, this event will count as 4 hours of Christian service credit.

Two permission slips (here and here) must be filled out and preferable turned in before the day of the event, so we have an idea how many people are going. Parents are also invited to join in our service program!

If you’ve never played before, don’t worry! It’s kind of like hockey, except you’re running in your shoes and you play with a “broom”. Everyone is basically a beginner when you have to run on ice with sneakers. Just wear appropriate/comfortable clothing and athletic shoes. If you’re known for running faster than your body will let you, you might consider bringing a helmet or knee pads.

To register, please do the following before Sunday, 12/11:

One last recap:

However, please note that this is NOT an official Watermark event (no permission slips required)!

Aside from yourselves, you should just plan to bring some athletic shoes (cleats helpful but optional) and clothes you don’t care about too much.

Looking forward to seeing you there! Here’s some awesome inspiration for the big game.

Recap:

I’m not talking about the end of the world, I’m talking about the annual high school retreat!

The retreat will start on Friday, March 30 and end on Sunday, April 1 at the St. Francis Retreat Center in San Juan Bautista (remember your school trip in 4th grade?). The Watermark Staff want to let you and your parents know now, because this year we are offering early-bird registration to high schoolers who want to lock in a spot on the retreat. All you need to do is fill out and turn in the permission slip along with a check to any of the Watermark Staff members by Christmas.

If you do not register by then, don’t worry, because you can still register during our Regular Registration period (Dec. 26 – Feb. 20) for just a little bit extra.

Keep in mind that space is very limited on this retreat and we expect all the spots to be filled, so if you are interested in attending, register soon! All candidates for confirmation either this year or next year must attend a retreat as part of their confirmation preparation. Any Watermarkers who have gone on a retreat before can tell you what an amazing experience it can be to just ditch your computer, phone, and TV for a weekend to be with God.

March 30, 2012: where will you be?

Apparently, there is a Catholic rap world and leading the way in getting the word out is phatmass.com. Among other things, phatmass strives to (from their website):

Produce authentic hip-hop with a strong Catholic message as a method of creative communication. *Phatmass is strongly opposed to using any form of hip-hop in the liturgy.

One of their artists is a Catholic priest, Fr. Claude Burns, who goes by the stage name: Fr. Pontifex. You can read more about him in this interview. One of his songs, Perceptions, tells the story of being ridiculed by an attendee of an album release party, who suggested he was a pedophile because he was a priest. I enjoyed the raw nature of the lyrics. Check it out below (click track 6):

Come to St. Clare’s Lower Church at 7pm on Saturday, October 29, 2011!!

Be ready for a night filled with Fun, Food and Laughter! Come dressed to impress in your Halloween costumes! Bring your friends! There will be Prizes and Games for everyone!

Hopefully, one of those descriptions gives you a clue as to who I am, though most know me by the name of Matthew.

After experiencing a month of college, I have felt a small calling to share my thoughts and insights regarding life in college as a disciple of Christ. As many people have said, college is a time of new-found independence which comes with its fair share of excitements as well as temptations. As I go through all the twists and turns of college life, I hope to write about the many different thoughts I have surrounding the things I learn, hear, or experience in regards to living out my faith both internally (prayer life, personal challenges) and externally (being a witness to the faith).

Even though Watermark is geared toward high school ministry, college is just around the corner. With my reflections, I hope to provide a unique perspective that will challenge you to consider certain areas of your life where you can grow deeper in your relationship with God as well as give you a small taste of life in college.

Here are some new releases that are worth watching (or avoiding).

Footloose
This is a remake of the original film (which came out before some of us Staff members were even born) starring Kevin Bacon (Sebastian Shaw from X-Men: First Class). It talks about a teenage boy who comes to a small town and by the end of the movie has convinced the town to accept teens drinking, doing drugs, having sex, and breaking other laws. The remake, like the original, portrays religion as something that prevents people from living life and encourages parents to just let their kids do whatever they want as long as they are happy. It is no wonder that the Catholic News Service has rated this film O for morally offensive. In other words, Catholics regardless of age should avoid watching this film.

Real Steel
Hugh Jackman (aka Wolverine) plays a single guy whose world is turned upside down when a kid, who turns out to be the son he never knew he had, shows up at his doorstep. His occupation is in the field of robot wrestling (remote-controlled robots are made to wrestle each other). The kid develops this fascination of robot wrestling as well and starts competing with a robot himself. Despite using an older model robot, the film quickly turns into a David and Goliath story. It may be a Disney movie, but the Catholic News Service has rated it A-III for adults, although there is a footnote that says it is probably suitable for older teens.

Courageous
In contrast to the two films above, which show parents neglecting their duties to their families, Courageous is the exact opposite. This film tells the story of a Christian police officer, who commits himself to being a better father to his living children after his daughter dies unexpectedly. A few of his friends join in his pact to be better fathers and all are faced with challenges to the resolution during the course of the film. Even though one of the fathers leaves the Catholic Church, the underlying premise of the film makes it a good family film for teens and their parents. It (fittingly) is rated A-II for teens and adults by the Catholic News Service.

Casting Crowns also made a music video for a song in the film.

Birthright International: supports pregnant girls and women through their pregnancies
40 Days for Life: community of people praying and fasting for an end to abortion
Catholics Mobilizing: works with the USCCB to inform Catholics on how to engage in local campaigns to end the death penalty
Pax Christi USA: encouraging a nonviolent society through the model of the life of Jesus Christ
USCCB: Respect Life Month pamphlets covering all life issues

I want to introduce you to the newest Watermarker:

http://kubaby.wordpress.com/2011/10/10/gianna-soonae-ku/

This coming Saturday, 10/8, is our first monthly Watermark Dinner! Our parents know that it’s hard to study the Bible on an empty stomach and so they have graciously coordinated an awesome dinner for us.

Everyone is invited to join us and you may get a high-five from one of the staff if you bring your own cup/plate/utensils/etc to help us cut down on waste.

Dinner starts at 6:15PM and Boom Sizzle will start at 7:30PM as usual. The festivities will be in the Lower Church and you will want to be there. Remember, the family that eats together, stays together.

See you Saturday!

As usual, for the first one of the year, we go big and do it potluck style. The parents have graciously volunteered to coordinate the potluck so we should be covered!

All high schoolers are invited to come and join in on the fun. We also ask that you bring your parents as well since we will be having a separate Parents Meeting during the course of the festivities.

The essentials:

Boom! Sizzle.

My thoughts after watching this video are:

I’m very thankful for Pope John Paul II and his Theology of the Body which gives us a beatific vision of gender (among other things). For an overview, you can watch this video of Jason Evert speaking about masculinity through the lens of TOB.

I’ve also always been disappointed by the lack of male initiation into adulthood in western cultures. I’m not saying that it’s absolutely necessary as some initiation rituals are quite gruesome (warning: don’t read if you’re squeamish). However, without it, our culture can tend to keep males boys for a long time; either that or what it means to be a man starts to become really skewed.

Anyone interested in a Watermark Men’s Retreat?

Here is a USA Today column inspired by this year’s World Youth Day discussing the millennial generation’s growing preference for orthodoxy.

This article does make a good point when it says that there are disadvantages of listing one’s unborn baby, because in the event of a miscarriage, it may not be news that you want your entire social network to know. Again, this only re-affirms the fact that most people really do believe that an unborn baby is alive due to the sadness of the parents and sympathy from friends that occur during a miscarriage. If a foetus was just a collection of cells like an appendix or kidney, miscarriages would not be such a big emotional ordeal.

Mark Hart helps high school teens understand HOW and WHY the words of the Mass are changing. Mark compares the “dynamic equivalent” and the “formal equivalent” of how we translate words from Latin to English, and then explains the elaborate process used to create the new Roman Missal. Finally, Mark challenges teenagers to rediscover the meaning behind the words we pray at Mass each week.

It’s a bit long at 8 minutes, but seriously worth the watch.

2011-2012 Watermark Calendar

Available now!  It will be updated throughout the year so make sure to check it when you have questions about our events.  You can navigate to it by going to: Home –> Calendar or Home –> Program Year –> 2011 – 2012

Watermark Facebook Page

It’s brand new!  Go check it out and make sure to Like us to get our latest news and updates!

Watermark Photos

Our photos have also been migrated over to the Facebook page (at least until Google+ really takes off =P).  You can navigate to it by going to: Home –> Media –> Photos

Watermark Resources

We have added a new Resources area that uses Google Documents to share resources that Watermarkers, old and young alike, might find valuable.  It is a work in progress and incrementally being added to.  Feel free to make suggestions!

For the 2011-2012 school year, we will be continuing where we left off! So if you will be an incoming Sophomore through Senior, and you’re interested at all in getting more involved, come to our 2011-2012 Core Team Informational Meeting and hear what each team has to offer!

The meeting will be held on Sunday, 7/31, after Mass from 4PM-5PM in St. Clare’s Room 2.

To be considered for a team, you *must* attend this meeting. However, if you have a special circumstance (ie. you are out of town), but would still like to join a team, please email Pat: patrick.ku@alumni.usc.edu.

By Watermark Youth Ministry  |  View on Facebook

It’s time to bust out the tents and spend the weekend roughin’ it at Watermark Camping 2011!

The cost of this weekend is $30 (please make checks payable to “SJCCC”) and there are only 32 spots available. Register now to guarantee a spot! Download permission slips here and make sure to indicate what equipment you can lend. You can also find the packing list here. Please turn forms in to Pat and direct any questions to him as well (patrick.ku (at) alumni.usc.edu).

Please note that this calendar is not complete and will be updated throughout the year.

The last thing Asian parents want is for their kids to grow up to be cartoonists … or journalists. Jeff Yang and a bunch of other guys who’ve wasted their fancy degrees discuss why their parents were probably right.

You can find the script they use here.

For more pictures from Relay for Life, click here

I think that how we handle change is also related to the growth we experience in our faith lives. Making the decision to live our lives with integrity (giving up pornography, no longer cheating, praying and reading the Bible daily, etc.) and dying to ourselves requires change. Sometimes we are resistant to it.

What should a Catholic reaction to this news be? This is the official statement released by the Vatican per the Director of the Holy See Press Office, P. Federico Lombardi:

Another good read is Fr. James Martin’s response.

Here is a playlist of all of them:

I realize the song is slightly inappropriate for Lent because of the A/H-word, but I couldn’t help myself. Perhaps I need to do more penance.

—

Dear Watermark,

I appreciate your support of Homeboy Industries. Your decision to include us in your charitable giving means so much to me and to all of the youth who participate in our program, seek our free services and work in one of our four businesses. You’ve made a difference in this, our most challenging year at Homeboy, and we are all grateful to you for stepping forward.

As I’ve travelled around the country and here locally in Southern California, I have been so encouraged by those of you I’ve had the opportunity to meet in person and all of you who have so generously reached out to offer assistance. You have helped us hold our doors open, enabling us to continue our work with at-risk youth, as they seek to leave their former gang lives behind and find hope for their futures.

Please continue to tell your family members, friends and work colleagues about Homeboy Industries. Our focused initiative in 2011 is Hire through Homeboy. Homeboy’s tagline reads, “Nothing Stops a Bullet Like a Job.” This is why we started the organization 23 years ago and remains top priority today. Help us spread the word, Hire through Homeboy.

“Mil gracias” for your ongoing support of Homeboy Industries and the many young people we assist as they withdraw from gang involvements. I am honored to count you among our friends, for our friends make our work possible.

Kind regards,
Fr. Gregory Boyle, S.J.
Executive Director

—

Dear Watermark,

Thank you very much for your recent, generous donation to CRS. We greatly appreciate your compassion and support of our humanitarian efforts in more than 100 countries. Your gift and prayers are powerful vessels that provide an abundance of hope and help to our most vulnerable brothers and sisters overseas. Your support is a blessing we cherish.

May God bless you and yours, now and always.

Sincerely,
Catholic Relief Services

—

Dear Watermark,

Thank you for your generous donation and for supporting our efforts to acquire and preserve a regional greenbelt of open space land in perpetuity, protect and restore the natural environment, and provide opportunities for ecologically sensitive public enjoyment and education.

Sincerely,
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District

—

Dear Watermark,

Thank you for your generous donation to Birthright. Your donation will be used to help mothers and their babies and will help Birthright continue our mission of assisting and counseling pregnant women in need. God bless you and please continue to pray for success in our work.

God bless,
Georgianne Carls
Birthright Volunteer

For the first time in the history of the Diocese of San Jose, we will be having an auxiliary bishop! Bishop-designate Daly’s episcopal ordination will take place Wed., May 25 in St. Joseph Cathedral Basilica, San Jose.

For more info, you can check out this article over at dsj.org.

Wow, this guy’s Chinese is way better than mine.

The best part of the video is when he imitates how he’d like to sing versus how the Chinese producers prefer him to sing.

Why did I post this to the Watermark blog? Because it’s about Chinese culture … and since he’s from Nigeria, chances are he’s Catholic =P.

Go check it out! Watermark, represent!

Download the registration form
(Please return registration forms to Pat by Sunday, March 27)

When? June 20th-24th, 2011
How Much? $310 (includes $100 deposit)
What Does This Include?
Bus Transportation
Lodging
11 Meals (not including lunch Monday and Friday)
T-Shirt and Large Group Photo
Scholarships are Available
Click here for Frequently Asked Questions

Click here to visit the DSJ page on the Diocesan Youth Retreat.

I think this is why I really enjoyed this article by Simcha Fisher entitled: Why I Love My Ugly Little Liturgy.

It amazes me that even in all of the imperfection, I still get to receive Jesus in this place each week. It’s a grace to be reminded of that which points out my own brokenness and sinfulness. Like Fisher says in her article, if Christ can stand it, so can I.

The Known Universe from AMNH on Vimeo.

From the passage, we learned that being in right relationship with our fellow humans is more important than our offering to God. During the wrap-up, I shared five practicals for how to reconcile with another person. If you missed it, here they are again:

1. Make a commitment to deal with the little things

It’s easy for us to gloss over certain things that actually might hurt us or that we know is probably hurtful to others. This can often lead to tensions exploding at some point in the future if it’s not dealt with. What would it look like if we learn how to keep the “list” short and interacting over them in a non-explosive way?

2. Commit to talking to each other and not to other people

The exception to this is if you’re not sure if it’s you or them. It can be helpful to find at third party who is removed from the situation to provide an objective view. What would it look like if we committed to stopping gossip?

3. Don’t act on feelings

It is easy to react out of frustration. Go to God with prayer and reflection asking Him to temper your feelings and to give you wisdom regarding what to say. Clothe yourself with humility. Ask God to show you where you have sinned.

4. Always give the benefit of the doubt

Learn to express your feelings in a constructive way that doesn’t paralyze your friends. Being loving can mean not accusing the other person of intentionally trying to hurt you.

5. Learn to say the words, “I’m sorry,” and, “I forgive you”

Sure, it sounds cheezy, but a lot of times we use that as a cop out for actually saying these words. If these words are not said, there will be lingering doubt. You have so much power when someone asks for your forgiveness. You cannot withhold grace because God doesn’t!

Perhaps I will share about it more in the future, but this is one thing that I’m really glad I learned before getting married and has already served me and Sarah well in our marriage so far.

Here’s a snippet:

Today—this evening—there is something happening. I can’t imagine what. It isn’t a federal holiday; it isn’t on your employer’s calendar; it isn’t on your children’s school calendar; I doubt it is even a Hallmark holiday. And yet, mysteriously, 100 million people will do something different than they do on a normal Sunday; 100 million. They will all watch the same television channel, so that it will be the most-watched program of the year—perhaps even of all television history, as it was last year. They will all make special food, especially chili and wings, so that it ranks only second to Thanksgiving as food purchasing for a holiday. It might even generate more prayers, on behalf of one team or the other, than many other days of the year.

Yes, the government investigator would probably find evidence of the Super Bowl in your finances and your calendar. It shows up; it makes a bump.

But what about last Wednesday? The investigator would point to the evening of February 2 and say, “It says Presentation; was that some sort of talk you were giving?” “Oh no,” you would say, “that’s the Feast of the Presentation—one of the great feasts of the Church year. It comes 40 days after Christmas, and celebrates when Mary and Joseph took the baby Jesus to the Temple. And so the Lord entered his Temple. And the old man Simeon said he would be a ‘light to enlighten the nations.’ And so the whole parish gets together in the evening. And we start out in the front of the property, and the priest blesses candles, and we have this candlelight procession, singing, until we get inside the church—which has been a Catholic tradition for centuries. And then we celebrate Mass. And then we go to the parish hall for a great dinner—with traditional foods for that feast day. And there are games for the kids; and one class always puts on a little skit about the day. It’s so much fun. I look forward to it every year. You know, you should come next year. I think you would really enjoy it.”

And the investigator would mark down: Yep, this one is Catholic. This one is salt and light. This Feast of the Presentation isn’t a federal holiday, or on the employer’s calendar or the school calendar or in the Hallmark cards; but it sure makes a bump in his life.

I will give a high five to anyone who can tell me what scripture this song references. I’ll give you a hint. It’s one of the Old Testament references for this Saturday’s Bible Study passage.

(from Tastefully Offensive)

If you need another reminder of what the Walk for Life is all about, read this article about Abby Johnson who was a former Planned Parenthood director who is converting to Catholicism. The article shares her turning point when she assisted with an ultrasound abortion. It is quite intense and really sad. Abby will be one of the speakers at the rally on Saturday!

What do all these people have in common? They all have the right to life and they each have inherent dignity as a human being.

The conclusion of the first chapter of the Bible illustrates the beauty and sacredness of God’s creation. It is no wonder that God’s breath of life in all of His creation also serves as the foundation of Catholic Social Teaching. The Life and Dignity of the Human Person is the theme from which all other social justice themes arise. In spite of the fact that we are all sinners, we are all made in His image and loved as His children. This dignity and right to life is not earned; it is something God has gifted to us. God is the source of all human life and as stewards of creation we have no right to end the life of another human being.

The Catholic Church encourages all public and private citizens to uphold the sanctity of the life and dignity of the human person in her teachings throughout the centuries. There are certain intrinsic evils such as direct abortions, embryonic stem cell research, physician-assisted suicide, and genetic modification. The Church also believes that there are rare, if any, instances when it is morally acceptable to carry out the death penalty. Even warfare is limited to the Just War Theory with its roots going all the way back to Doctors of the Church such as Saint Thomas Aquinas and Saint Augustine of Hippo.

The Church’s teachings on life and dignity could not be more relevant today in our country. Abortions have increased ever so slightly for the first time in nearly three decades. Embryonic stem cell research is once again legally permissible. An increasing number of states continue to introduce legislation to legalize physician-assisted suicide. California just last year ended its moratorium on the death penalty. This past Sunday marked the 20^th anniversary of our involvement in the conflict in Iraq.

However, through the hard work of the pro-life movement, including many Catholics, we have had many victories. In your lifetime, almost half the states in our country introduced over a hundred pieces of legislation collectively to legalize physician-assisted suicide. None of them passed. In 2009, New Mexico abolished the death penalty. In 2010, 11 states passed dozens of bills that restricts access to abortion.

This weekend as we join tens of thousands of pro-lifers in San Francisco, we as Catholics are called to pray for all those who are victims of violence of any kind. Let us also take this time to re-dedicate ourselves to personally living more non-violent lifestyles in both our words and actions and urge those in power to champion policies, both domestically and internationally, that foster God’s sustaining peace.

—

Event details:

Walk for Life West Coast 2011 (Saturday, January 22)

11:00 AM   Rally at Justin Herman Plaza
12:00 PM   Walk for Life (along Embarcadero to Marina Green)
2:00 PM   Social Hour (browse through vendors, grab a bite to eat, enjoy music and speakers)
3:00 PM   Youth Rally (Fort Mason Event Center)

Permission slip can be found here.

Henry and I drew straws. He got to record. I got to do the dirty work.

More recently, she has been living at the Regina Laudis Abbey in Bethlehem, Connecticut, which is home to a Benedictine order of nuns, and she is now in the process of entering.

This article tells the Tale of the Unexpected.

And you know what’s funny? While I was reading the article, this song came up on my youtube playlist in the background. Prophecy? We will see.

Pretty cool that Watermarkers are out there in the world representing. And for a fun piece of trivia, the guy on the left with the iphone is actually Hank, our other co-founder.

There are lots of responses to the article out there. Here is a good one.

And lastly, always remember that we are Asians. Not Bsians. Kidding!!

Chords are here if you’re interested in learning the song.

PS. This song also has the distinction of being Sarah’s favorite worship song.