Next meeting on election day!

Hello Connect!

How are you? Our next meeting is already one week away! It is on Tuesday, November 6th, at 7 PM in the youth room. Same day as election day. Don't forget to mail your ballot in before then! Everyone's opinion counts and should be heard.

The topic for this month is Advent. We have a guest speaker from the parish staff who has volunteered to lead this topic, Craig Lundberg. Thank you for volunteering! He will discuss the meaning, history, and how to prepare for Advent. An emphasis on how to make this Advent and Christmas more spiritually meaningful to us and our families this year. Hopefully address why it is so commercialized and how we can avoid that distraction and teach that to our family and friends.

Cy found out that Habitat for Humanity is starting a new building project and there are available Saturday openings from November-January. She will also update us on St. Vincent de Paul Thanksgiving baskets. They have a list of items in the bulletin that they still need. If we could help donate food, items or money for the baskets, that would be wonderful! We'll discuss more at the meeting.

Glendora also has volunteer information for Catholic Community Services to share with us.

Looking forward to seeing everyone again! Enjoy the beautiful, vibrant fall colors before they're all gone!

In God's Blessing,
Reggie

October Meeting- Presidential Election 2012

Hi Connect!

It was great seeing more familiar faces last night. It was a fun and engaging meeting.

Thank you, Jonathan, for leading the discussion on 3 political issues that affect the Catholic community: protection of life, contraception and gay marriage. Very sensitive topics, that I am very grateful we were able to share with each other any questions, information or opinions we had in a very open and respectful manner. I just love this group! =)

So Jonathan tied the issues with the Theology of the Body, a study of God revealed through our human bodies, a communion with God and others. Love as giving versus using. Love and marriage is total free, faithful and fruitful. It was very interesting to look at these issues through this point of view.

Here is a very brief summary:

1. Protection of Life- We are made in image like God. Capital punishment, let us repent until our last day. Abortion, God does not make mistakes. The church allows exception of this if endangers mother's life.
2. Contraception- President Obama’s plan that all employers, including religious institutions, who provide health insurance include birth control at no cost. For- women's rights, freedom to choose, financial and planned parenting. Against- Woman then becomes an object of desire, natural family planning
3. Gay marriage- for- equal rights, against- love homosexual people, but condemn the act. Government cannot redefine marriage. not fruitful.

Here are websites recommended by members to check out.
Phil recommends:
Here is a link to the podcast I was talking about. People can go here in itunes to subscribe to it http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-stuff-you-should/id412678859b
Their normal web site is http://catholicstuffpodcast.com/

Jonathan recommends:
The following are the links that I used to get my information:
- http://www.catholicvote.org/index.php?/site : Great site to check out all of the issues including ones we covered and others we did not. It also shows where each candidate stands on the issues.
These sites go into great detail on the church's reasoning behind their stances on the issues:
- http://www.catholicbridge.com/ - http://chastity.com/ - http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resources/

Cy recommends:
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=D9vQt6IXXaM&hd

The first presidential debate was today. The debate schedule is as follows: October 11, VP debate. October 16, Presidential debate. October 22, Presidential debate.

Thank you again to everyone for participating in the meeting. Thank you, Jonathan for leading the engaging discussion. Don't forget to vote!

God Bless,

Reggie