Attached is an invitation to our Feast Day Mass for St. Jose Maria Escriva which will take place on June 17 at 7:30 at St. Bridget.
July Meeting - Saturday July 9, 7:00 am
Our July Saturday meeting will be July 9, at 7:00 am, in the parish hall (basement).
We will start at 7:00 AM and finish by 7:55 AM so guys can attend Mass at 8:00 AM
The following will be our points for discussion from Practical Theology by Peter Kreeft.
TBD
You can purchase the book at:
The Catholic Company - https://www.catholiccompany.com/practical-theology-350-ways-your-mind-can-help-you-become-a-saint-i79986/
Thanks to Frank for volunteering to facilitate our July meeting.
Thanks to Frank, Andrew, and Martin for facilitating our June meeting!
Email lshadowen@aol.com to volunteer to facilitate a meeting!
Andrew's Notes From Saturday's Meeting
June Men’s’ Book Group /Practical Theology, by Peter Kreeft / Points 210-213, 215
210 The necessity of the Incarnation
There appears to be no proof of necessity, so theologians discuss whether the Incarnation was fitting.
Augustine says, “We shall also show that other ways were not wanting to God, to Whose power all things are equally
subject, but that there was not a more fitting way of healing our misery.”
I imagine that God could have healed all, for example, by wiping away all traces of the fall of man. It would be as if it never
happened. If Augustine was right in saying that the Incarnation was the best of many ways of healing our misery, I suspect
that we may agree that the Incarnation was necessary. Some aspect of falling and being redeemed perfected the nature of
creation.
211 A good but unanswerable question
This is a fascinating twist on #210. Suppose man had not fallen (or God had wiped away our fall), would Christ then have
become man?
What benefit is there to us in asking this question but to better understand truth. I ask, would not the Incarnation have
been the cause for closer intimacy with God? It seems a reasonable question, yet Adam and Eve walked with God. Can one
be closer? Questions about an alternative reality lead us to answers about our own reality. While the question is
unanswerable it does give us a new perspective.
212 Christ on other planets?
Can God make a rock so big that he can’t lift it? I say yes, and he can lift it too. Sometimes an absurd answer is appropriate
for an absurd question.
Could God have created another planet, another humanity? Sure.
Could God create a second, third, fourth… rational species on Earth? Sure.
Could each rational species, made in the image and likeness of God, sin, fall and be redeemed by the Son of God. Yes.
What is the value of these questions but to test our understanding of God, of God’s limits, of God’s power, of God’s love?
God is omnipotent. I don’t know about other planets, but He did make us.
213 Adoration of an image of Christ
St. Basil says, “The honor given to an image reaches to the prototype.” This is so simple a child has no difficulty with the
idea. In our age should we refuse to talk to a person on the telephone or participate in a video conference because the
phone is not the person, or the video picture is not the person. No, this is absurd. I gladly talk through a phone to my
friends. I pray through an image to my Lord. A crucifix brings the passion into my heart, and I weep. Surely, I am not so
much a fool as to weep for the pain of the statue itself? Are we not men, with bodies and senses? Can our vision, our
hearing, our smell not invoke the higher things? I am no artist. The statues and stained-glass windows in my life are far
more pleasing and bring me closer to God than the images of my own imagination. From the hands of the artist through my
eyes and into my mind, comes an image of my Lord. My soul resonates with the image in my mind and gives greater glory
to God.
215 Relics
Kreeft writes that relics, like images, invoke the memory of the person. I would like to suggest that the sense of touch is
key to the operation of relics. A relic could be clothing, a Rosary, just about anything. To make this personal, imagine
something passed on to you by family. I have a coat of my father’s. Though he is still alive I think of him when I wear the
coat. To touch a relic brings us closer in spirit to the original owner. In the case of a sacred relic, this brings us closer to a
saint, someone pleasing to God. We take comfort, feel unity and renew our resolve.
June Meeting - Saturday June 4, 7:00 am
Our June Saturday meeting will be June 4, at 7:00 am, in the parish hall (basement).
We will start at 7:00 AM and finish by 7:55 AM so guys can attend Mass at 8:00 AM
The following will be our points for discussion from Practical Theology by Peter Kreeft.
Email from Frank:
We’ll be moving thru 210-230 on Saturday the 4th.
I’ll be covering 220-230.
Andrew will have 210-13 and 215
Martin will cover the Marian Suite with 214, 216, 217, 218.
You can purchase the book at:
The Catholic Company - https://www.catholiccompany.com/practical-theology-350-ways-your-mind-can-help-you-become-a-saint-i79986/
Thanks to Frank D and team for volunteering to facilitate our June meeting.
Thanks to Steve G for facilitating our May meeting!
Email lshadowen@aol.com to volunteer to facilitate a meeting!
June Meeting - Saturday June 4, 7:00 am
Our June Saturday meeting will be June 4, at 7:00 am, in the parish hall (basement).
We will start at 7:00 AM and finish by 7:55 AM so guys can attend Mass at 8:00 AM
The following will be our points for discussion from Practical Theology by Peter Kreeft.
Email from Frank:
We’ll be moving thru 210-230 on Saturday the 4th.
I’ll be covering 220-230.
Andrew will have 210-13 and 215
Martin will cover the Marian Suite with 214, 216, 217, 218.
You can purchase the book at:
The Catholic Company - https://www.catholiccompany.com/practical-theology-350-ways-your-mind-can-help-you-become-a-saint-i79986/
Thanks to Frank D and team for volunteering to facilitate our June meeting.
Thanks to Steve G for facilitating our May meeting!
Email lshadowen@aol.com to volunteer to facilitate a meeting!
Evening of Recollection at Benedictine this month /Feast Day Mass
Our Evening of Recollection will be at the Benedictine Abbey 12829 River Rd, Richmond, VA 23238 this Wednesday June 1st at 6PM as there will be an event at ST. Bridget during this time.
Also attached is an invitation to our Feast Day Mass for St. Jose Maria Escriva which will take place on June 17 at 7:30 at St. Bridget.
June Meeting - Saturday June 4, 7:00 am
Our June Saturday meeting will be June 4, at 7:00 am, in the parish hall (basement).
We will start at 7:00 AM and finish by 7:55 AM so guys can attend Mass at 8:00 AM
The following will be our points for discussion from Practical Theology by Peter Kreeft.
Email from Frank:
We’ll be moving thru 210-230 on Saturday the 4th.
I’ll be covering 220-230.
Andrew will have 210-13 and 215
Martin will cover the Marian Suite with 214, 216, 217, 218.
You can purchase the book at:
The Catholic Company - https://www.catholiccompany.com/practical-theology-350-ways-your-mind-can-help-you-become-a-saint-i79986/
Thanks to Frank D and team for volunteering to facilitate our June meeting.
Thanks to Steve G for facilitating our May meeting!
Email lshadowen@aol.com to volunteer to facilitate a meeting!
Kozak's Korner - Recommended Materials
The Next American Awakening Starts Here - The Catholic Thing
https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2022/05/14/the-next-american-awakening-starts-here/
https://www.sfarchdiocese.org/letter-to-priests-of-the-archdiocese-on-the-notification-sent-to-speaker-nancy-pelosi/
https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2022/05/no-overturning-roe-would-not-establish-theocracy
Dr. Pat Reardon
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Dr. Pat Reardon, who participated in the Men’s Group for a number of years.
Here is his obituary:
REARDON, Patrick Augustine, M.D., 90, son of the late Francis X. "Foxo" Reardon and the late Carolyn Thurston Reardon, departed this life on May 18, 2022.
Dr. Reardon (more endearingly known as "Dr. Pat") was predeceased by his wife of 36 years, Dorothy Estes Reardon; brothers, Francis X. Reardon, John E. "Jack" Reardon, Joseph J. "Jerry" Reardon and Gordon T. Reardon; and sister, Margaret A. Latimer.
He is survived by son, Colonel (ret.) Patrick D. Reardon and his family, Josie, Patrick, Peter and Matthew, of California; and by his daughter, Maria Nguyen and her family, Tuan, Sean, Tori, Gabrielle and Marc, of Ashburn, Va.; his sister, Rose Mary Cosby of North Chesterfield; and his brother, Michael Reardon (Ute) of Mechanicsville; and many nieces and nephews.
Dr. Pat graduated from Benedictine High School in Richmond and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps after graduation. He survived the now-infamous boot camp at Parris lsland, and was called to active duty during the Korean War from August 1950 to February 1952. A self-made man, he then used his Gl Bill and money saved from working for a local railroad company to put himself through college, and graduated with honors from the Medical College in Virginia in 1959.
ln 1962, with the war in Vietnam brewing hotter - but still somewhat out of the limelight - a compassionate and defender of the poor and needy, Dr. Pat receiving another calling to serve, decided to put his medical practice on hold and volunteered to go to Quang Ngai, Vietnam to work for the then famous Dr. Tom Dooley's founded organization, MEDICO/CARE. It was in Quang Ngai where Dr. Pat met up with, whom later becoming his best friend, Mr. Huy, a not so young Second Lieutenant in the ARVN Medical Corps. And it was also there that Dr. Pat met and was asked to be the godfather to Mr. Huy's son, Patrick, whom he later adopted along with his sister, Maria, and brought them to the U.S. at the end of the war.
In 1967, Dr. Pat again put his thriving practice on hold and chose again to return to Vietnam to work with A.M.A. (USAID) Quang Ngaiand Danang, Vietnam and later USAID/US Catholic Conference, Nha Trang, Vietnam. After Vietnam, he attained residency at hospitals in Honolulu and Hilo, Hawaii, before finally settling down with his final practice with the Petersburg Children Clinic, Ltd., in Colonial Heights. He retired in November 1997.
Dr. Pat was an avid gardener and could often be found working in his gardens. He was known for sharing his summer crop.
Answering the calls from the needy, he volunteered and courageously served more than four years in war-torn Vietnam. He was also a staunch defender of the unborn around the world. Dr. Pat's compassionate ways, unshakable faith and humanitarianism will be more than sorely missed by all.
Visitation will be held at Bliley's Funeral Home, 3801 Augusta Ave., Richmond, Va. 23230, Monday, May 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. with the Rosary being prayed at 7 p.m.
A traditional Latin Mass will be offered on Tuesday, May 24, at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, 828 Buford Rd., Richmond, Va. A livestream of the Mass can be found at www.blileys.com.
Published by Richmond Times-Dispatch from May 21 to May 23, 2022.
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/timesdispatch/name/patrick-reardon-obituary?id=34894543
June Meeting - Saturday June 4, 7:00 am
Our June Saturday meeting will be June 4, at 7:00 am, in the parish hall (basement).
We will start at 7:00 AM and finish by 7:55 AM so guys can attend Mass at 8:00 AM
The following will be our points for discussion from Practical Theology by Peter Kreeft.
Email from Frank:
We are going to tag team June 4th with Andrew, Martin, Bobby and me covering sections 210-230
You can purchase the book at:
The Catholic Company - https://www.catholiccompany.com/practical-theology-350-ways-your-mind-can-help-you-become-a-saint-i79986/
Thanks to Frank D for volunteering to facilitate our June meeting.
Thanks to Steve G for facilitating our May meeting!
Email lshadowen@aol.com to volunteer to facilitate a meeting!
June Meeting - Saturday June 4, 7:00 am
Our June Saturday meeting will be June 4, at 7:00 am, in the parish hall (basement).
We will start at 7:00 AM and finish by 7:55 AM so guys can attend Mass at 8:00 AM
The following will be our points for discussion from Practical Theology by Peter Kreeft.
Email from Frank:
We are going to tag team June 4th with Andrew, Martin, Bobby and me covering sections 210-230
You can purchase the book at:
The Catholic Company - https://www.catholiccompany.com/practical-theology-350-ways-your-mind-can-help-you-become-a-saint-i79986/
Thanks to Frank D for volunteering to facilitate our June meeting.
Thanks to Steve G for facilitating our May meeting!
Email lshadowen@aol.com to volunteer to facilitate a meeting!
June Meeting - Saturday June 4, 7:00 am
Our June Saturday meeting will be June 4, at 7:00 am, in the parish hall (basement).
We will start at 7:00 AM and finish by 7:55 AM so guys can attend Mass at 8:00 AM
The following will be our points for discussion from Practical Theology by Peter Kreeft.
TBD
You can purchase the book at:
The Catholic Company - https://www.catholiccompany.com/practical-theology-350-ways-your-mind-can-help-you-become-a-saint-i79986/
Thanks to Frank D for volunteering to facilitate our June meeting.
Thanks to Steve G for facilitating our May meeting!
Email lshadowen@aol.com to volunteer to facilitate a meeting!
June Meeting - Saturday June 4, 7:00 am
Our June Saturday meeting will be June 4, at 7:00 am, in the parish hall (basement).
We will start at 7:00 AM and finish by 7:55 AM so guys can attend Mass at 8:00 AM
The following will be our points for discussion from Practical Theology by Peter Kreeft.
TBD
You can purchase the book at:
The Catholic Company - https://www.catholiccompany.com/practical-theology-350-ways-your-mind-can-help-you-become-a-saint-i79986/
Thanks to Frank D for volunteering to facilitate our June meeting.
Thanks to Steve G for facilitating our May meeting!
Email lshadowen@aol.com to volunteer to facilitate a meeting!
May Meeting - Saturday May 7, 7:00 am
Our May Saturday meeting will be May 7, at 7:00 am, in the parish hall (basement).
We will start at 7:00 AM and finish by 7:55 AM so guys can attend Mass at 8:00 AM
The following will be our points for discussion from Practical Theology by Peter Kreeft.
Chapters 190 - 210
Email from Steve G:
Perhaps you can send this note on to the SBMMFF folks to serve as a few preliminary thoughts about what our next discussion might look like. As always, if anyone has any additional feedback before Saturday that would be great.
This Saturday we will review the chapters 190 through 210 of Practical Theology. These chapters break down into four themes.
First, there is a discussion a number of day-to-day concerns such as temptation, curiosity, games and jokes, modesty, etc. (190-196). These are the day-to-day things that often vex us, such as why we are tempted, why we often are victims of pride, and how we deal with every day lack of thoughtfulness. Not surprisingly, St. Thomas appeals again and again to reason and common sense and it seems worth discussing how we can benefit from the discipline of relying on reason as he does.
Second, there is a short discussion of what I would call truths and words. (197-198). I found this particular compelling sense it relates to the avalanche of words we are exposed to on a daily basis, many of them far from well intended. These two sections give us helpful insights about the power of words, particularly in connection with the struggle between our intellect and our emotions.
Third, there is a lengthy set of discussions about the contemplative life and the differences between the contemplative life and the active life (200 — 206). This is not very surprising given St. Thomas’s life as a monk. However, I found these sections to be particularly difficult given the current culture of active and even frenetic lives we seem compelled (likely by false secular prophets) to lead, and the dearth of time for appropriate contemplation. Balancing those two is a challenge I’d bet all of us face on a daily basis.
Fourth are several chapters on perfection (and how we can strive for it without ever achieving it) which lead up to a discussion of the Incarnation (207-210). To me, these are the most “theological” of the chapters and discussing the importance of the Incarnation versus the Resurrection should be interesting.
I’m looking forward to our time together.
Steve
Thanks to Steve G for volunteering to facilitate our May meeting.
Thanks to Andrew S for facilitating our April meeting!
Email lshadowen@aol.com to volunteer to facilitate a meeting!
May Saturday Meeting Materials
Email from Steve G:
Perhaps you can send this note on to the SBMMFF folks to serve as a few preliminary thoughts about what our next discussion might look like. As always, if anyone has any additional feedback before Saturday that would be great.
This Saturday we will review the chapters 190 through 210 of Practical Theology. These chapters break down into four themes.
First, there is a discussion a number of day-to-day concerns such as temptation, curiosity, games and jokes, modesty, etc. (190-196). These are the day-to-day things that often vex us, such as why we are tempted, why we often are victims of pride, and how we deal with every day lack of thoughtfulness. Not surprisingly, St. Thomas appeals again and again to reason and common sense and it seems worth discussing how we can benefit from the discipline of relying on reason as he does.
Second, there is a short discussion of what I would call truths and words. (197-198). I found this particular compelling sense it relates to the avalanche of words we are exposed to on a daily basis, many of them far from well intended. These two sections give us helpful insights about the power of words, particularly in connection with the struggle between our intellect and our emotions.
Third, there is a lengthy set of discussions about the contemplative life and the differences between the contemplative life and the active life (200 — 206). This is not very surprising given St. Thomas’s life as a monk. However, I found these sections to be particularly difficult given the current culture of active and even frenetic lives we seem compelled (likely by false secular prophets) to lead, and the dearth of time for appropriate contemplation. Balancing those two is a challenge I’d bet all of us face on a daily basis.
Fourth are several chapters on perfection (and how we can strive for it without ever achieving it) which lead up to a discussion of the Incarnation (207-210). To me, these are the most “theological” of the chapters and discussing the importance of the Incarnation versus the Resurrection should be interesting.
I’m looking forward to our time together.
Steve
Evening of Recollection May 4th St. Bridget 6 PM
Reminder: Evening of Recollection this Wednesday May 4th St. Bridget 6 PM.
May Meeting - Saturday May 7, 7:00 am
Our May Saturday meeting will be May 7, at 7:00 am, in the parish hall (basement).
We will start at 7:00 AM and finish by 7:55 AM so guys can attend Mass at 8:00 AM
The following will be our points for discussion from Practical Theology by Peter Kreeft.
Chapters 190 - 210
You can purchase the book at:
The Catholic Company - https://www.catholiccompany.com/practical-theology-350-ways-your-mind-can-help-you-become-a-saint-i79986/
Thanks to Steve G for volunteering to facilitate our May meeting.
Thanks to Andrew S for facilitating our April meeting!
Email lshadowen@aol.com to volunteer to facilitate a meeting!
May Meeting - Saturday May 7, 7:00 am
Our May Saturday meeting will be May 7, at 7:00 am, in the parish hall (basement).
We will start at 7:00 AM and finish by 7:55 AM so guys can attend Mass at 8:00 AM
The following will be our points for discussion from Practical Theology by Peter Kreeft.
Chapters 190 - 210
You can purchase the book at:
The Catholic Company - https://www.catholiccompany.com/practical-theology-350-ways-your-mind-can-help-you-become-a-saint-i79986/
Thanks to Steve G for volunteering to facilitate our May meeting.
Thanks to Andrew S for facilitating our April meeting!
Email lshadowen@aol.com to volunteer to facilitate a meeting!
May Meeting - Saturday May 7, 7:00 am
Our May Saturday meeting will be May 7, at 7:00 am, in the parish hall (basement).
We will start at 7:00 AM and finish by 7:55 AM so guys can attend Mass at 8:00 AM
The following will be our points for discussion from Practical Theology by Peter Kreeft.
Chapters 190 - 210
You can purchase the book at:
The Catholic Company - https://www.catholiccompany.com/practical-theology-350-ways-your-mind-can-help-you-become-a-saint-i79986/
Thanks to Steve G for volunteering to facilitate our May meeting.
Thanks to Andrew S for facilitating our April meeting!
Email lshadowen@aol.com to volunteer to facilitate a meeting!
Kozak's Korner
If Kozak’s Korner can include movies…we saw Father Stu last night. We enjoyed it, it gets pretty deep into the redemptive power of suffering.
The Fathom Events documentary is about Eucharistic experiences, from what I understand. It is a one night showing, April 25
https://www.fatherstumovie.com/home/
https://www.fathomevents.com/events/Alive-Who-Is-There?date=2022-04-25