December 9 -- Theology on Tap

Theology on Tap: "Living the Life of Christ in the Academy: A Conversation with Catholic Faculty"

Tuesday evening December 9, 7:30 PM, Newman House.

Theology on Tap is a forum where Catholic undergraduates, graduates, faculty, and the chaplains gather to discuss Catholic theology within the context of current and pressing modern issues, all in a casual setting. Join us on December 9 for a discussion with Cornell faculty about the challenges of maintaining one's Catholic identity at a secular university.

December 4 -- The Commoditization of Self

I hope you all had a restful Thanksgiving.

This week I've attached an article that Father Bob briefly discussed with me. (Had to send in 2 separate emails...) It's from a journal he likes called The Hedgehog Review. The article is entitled "The commoditization of self." It describes how the way in which individuals define themselves has changed in recent history. This has implications on community and I thought it would be interesting to discuss this in light of Church.

Please join us at the Newman House, Thursday (tomorrow) at 8pm. Reading is never a prerequisite and directions are below.

CommoditizationOfSelf_Part1.doc

CommoditizationOfSelf_Part2.doc

November 20 -- Becoming Like Christ

Tonight we will continue with Theresa helping us to examine virtues as exemplified by Saints. Hope you can all come. Bring your Bible if possible, but we can share too.

Please note that we will be meeting at 410 E. Lincoln St. this evening.

See you soon!

November 13 -- Becoming Like Christ

This week we will again be led by Theresa who will help us reflect on particular virtues as exemplified in particular saints. This week may include humility, obedience, or others. Last week was very fruitful and enjoyable.

Please join us at 8PM at the Newman House, directions below.

ps - If you ever have any questions about grad group or would like to chat with someone before coming to check it out, don't hesitate to call me. I've been going for just over a year and get so much out of it.

November 6 -- Becoming Like Christ

Theresa has volunteered to lead a reflection for us this week on specific virtues and how they are exemplified by selected saints. More details are below. It should be a valuable and interesting discussion and I encourage all of you to come. We'd particularly like those of you who have attended in the past to come join us again. Your presence is missed.

Meet this Thursday at 8PM at Newman House.

I'm thinking specifically of the "Becoming Like Christ" resource I co-authored several years back. We used them once in grad group but only Jonathan was here at that time, I believe.

Each "week" a different virtue is examined with a brief bio of a Saint associated with that virtue. The 14 "chapters" (each only 3 pages), which don't have to go in any order, are on: Hope, Righteousness, Faith, Humility, Obedience,Love, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Peace, Justice, Truth, Service and Holiness.

October 30 -- De-christianizing America

Tamas has graciously volunteered to lead a discussion this week, Thursday, 8PM, Newman House.

The selection is a chapter from Pat Buchanan's book "Death of the West." The chapter is called "De-christianizing America." For now, Tamas has suggested going to a bookstore to read it. I will also look into finding another avenue for getting this selection to everyone.

ps - I encourage you to volunteer to lead discussions on short selections. This enables us to do such discussions with advanced notice for reading, etc. Just drop a line or give a buzz.

October 23 -- Fr. Gabriel Francis, SFM

The Catholic Grad Group will be meeting a bit early (7:30 PM) this Thursday in Loft 1 of Willard Straight Hall (all the way at the top of the stairs!) to hear a guest speaker, Fr. Gabriel Francis, SFM. Fr. Gabriel will be speaking to both us and the Aquinas undergraduate group on the interior life. This promises to be an excellent presentation and I urge all those who are able to attend.

Fr. Gabriel is the co-founder of a new Franciscan brotherhood, based in Scranton, PA and Lincoln, NE. This brotherhood was inspired by the Second Vatican Council's call for religious orders to return to the charism, or spirit, of their original founders. Their own summary of this charism can be found here:

http://ww.unavoce.org/franciscns/charism.htm

This charism represents a variety of Capuchin Franciscanism, which seeks to balance the active and contemplative life (the early Franciscans were given over to an almost entirely active life).

Their way of life is extremely simple; they embrace "Lady Poverty" vigorously, in the spirit of St. Francis himself -- wearing simple habits and owning nothing themselves.

Fr. Gabriel will discuss the structure of the Interior Life -- the structure of the soul, both in its fallen state and in its rightly ordered, God-directed state. Father is an excellent speaker and the talk should prove both practical and exciting.

Additionally, if anyone would like to meet Fr. Gabriel more informally, you are all invited to join him for dinner at around 6:30 in Williard Straight's Ivy Room. Father Gabriel will be glad to talk to you about being a Franciscan, the priestly life, and how he came to leave his modeling career (that's right, he was a fashion model!) about ten years ago for the religious life.

I look forward to seeing everyone there. Take care.

October 16 -- Coffeehouse

This Thursday, 8PM at Newman House should be pretty fun and interesting. Here's the plan:

• Activity:

  Janee has suggested a poetry reading. I'd like to take that idea and run like heck with it. Please bring any type of poem, short creative article, or short piece of religious humor (keep it clean, Catholic preferred) to read and share and roar over with the group. The funnier the better. The possibilities are pretty much unlimited and this gives us a chance to show our funny and creative sides. I'm hoping this will draw a big crowd, so let's get fired up for the Catholic Grad Group. (I don't mean "fired-up," just "fired-up," if you know what I mean). Show some spirit! Please bring funny friends who have interesting laugh styles.

• Food:

  I'm going to make a Chinese takeout run - a "Chinese fire-drill" if you will. Please let me know if you'd like me to pick something up for you and I'd be glad to oblige. Please RSVP with any orders. If you'd like to bring any other goodies or carry-out, please feel free. Also, if anyone wants to participate in the run for the Chinese border, you are welcome to join. I'll probably place an order around 7 and pick up around 7:45. If you don't bring a fire in your belly, maybe, with the proper order, you can leave with one.

  ---

  I got a great question regarding musical acts at this Thursday's grad group. Music is more than welcome. As far as coffee house goes, I don't see why we can't brew a few pots o' joe. Sister Donna, is there a coffee pot we might use?

  ---

  I would just like to clarify a bit what Janee and I had in mind for the poetry reading. We were not actually thinking of solely humorous material, but rather a chance for people to come and share some of their favorite poetry - be this funny, spiritual, somber, exuberant...whatever. I would therefore encourage everyone not to feel restricted to the comical genre. Hopefully we can all enjoy each other's company, some munchies, and a nice eclectic mix of poetry and music. Take care.

  God's Grandeur
  The world is charged with the grandeur of God.
  It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
  It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
  Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?
  Generations have trod, have trod;
  And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
  And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil
  Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.
  
  And for all this, nature is never spent;
  There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
  And though the last lights off the black West went
  Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs-
  Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
  World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.
  
  - Gerard Manley Hopkins

  ---

  I'm very happy with Marc's broadening of scope for this Thursday's Grad Group meeting. My narrowing of Janee's original idea was pretty much random, and perhaps a reflection of my personal taste in poetry and whimsical musing. Leave it to a silly guy like me to take a beautiful idea and modify it into his own little comedy jam. Again, please feel free to bring whatever kind of poetry, song, story, or short literary work. This can be, as Marc points out, of any mood or genre. We'll see what God has in store...

  ---

October 9 -- Rosary

This Thursday we will not be having our regular meeting.

Instead, we will gather at 9:15 at the Anabel Taylor Chapel to pray the Rosary. If you go in through the main entrance, the chapel is to your left.

We will also offer intentions. If you are not able to come but would like to offer a prayer, let me know.

October 2 -- The Holy Longing

This Thursday night we'll be meeting at Newman House, on Llenroc Ct. off of Stewart Ave, 8PM. Below is a link for Chapter 1 of a great book entitled The Holy Longing, by Ronald Rolheiser. (2nd link on my page.) I think this will be a very good discussion piece for us. Even if you can't make it, I think you'll really like the selection.

Calvin has graciously volunteered to provide some wine selections. Others are welcomed to provide other munchies, desserts, or whatever.

If I could ask someone with a good set of directions to Newman House to send them to the list, that would be super.

And Sister Donna, let us know if the location works out alright this week. As always, thanks so much for allowing us to hold our meetings there.

PS - I think this discussion will be a nice one for both new and returning folks. We hope you can make it. Also, let me know if this file is too gargantuan or something. We'll figure out a way to get it to you.

http://www.people.cornell.edu/pages/jtp29/Holy Longing_Rolheiser_Ch1.ppt

September 25 -- Service Night

This week we'll be doing a service ministry under the auspices of Theresa at a local nursing home. Meet in the Anabel Taylor parking lot at 5:30 tomorrow. If you can bring your car easily, please do. We will visit the residents and sing songs for them for around an hour.

After that, we'll meet outside of Simeon's on the Commons at approximately 7:10. Simeon's is at the corner of E. State and Aurora. From there we'll pick a place to have dinner together. If you can't make the nursing home and would like to join us for dinner, or vice versa, by all means please do.

If you have any questions or if I have not made this all clear, please let me know.

September 18 -- Peace Activism and Fr. Daniel Berrigan

The Catholic Grad Fellowship group will be meeting again this evening at the Newman House for discussion. (It appars as though Thursday remains the best night of the week for the majority of those who responded to meet; my sincerest apologies to those who cannot make Thursday evenings. We hope to hold occasional service & social activities on other days of the week; everyone is most encouraged to participate when they are able to do so.)

A timely topic for this week would appear to be peace activism and Fr. Daniel Berrigan. Many thanks to Chris P.'s forwarded mini-bio. Kimberly has offered to look a little more into Fr. Berrigan's life and report to the group.

• When: 8 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18
• Where: The Newman House, 101 Llenroc Ct. (directions below)

Pax.

September 11 -- Wine, Cheese and Bible Grad Group

This Thursday come on out for some wine and cheese tasting provided by CCC! And while we're exercising our taste buds, we'll also read and reflect on the readings for this coming Sunday. Join us for some fun and fellowship in this first of its kind event. (As always, come when you can, leave when you must).

• When: 8 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11
• Where: The Newman House 101 Llenroc Ct. (directions below)
• Bring: Your Bible or just the readings for this Sunday: http://www.usccb.org/nab/091403.htm

Also, some of us will meet for dinner in the Ivy Room of Willard Straight Hall at 7p.m. We'll get our food and congregate at a table near the back windows, then walk down to the Newman House afterwards. You could also just come by ~7:45p.m. to walk to the Newman House with us.

September 4 -- Fellowship Invitation

I hope that everyone's semester is off to a good start.

Let me continue to extend a warm welcome to the new members of our community. I think that everyone will agree that Sunday's Grad Social BBQ was a great success.

I would like to invite all the graduate students, old and new, to consider giving the weekly fellowship group a try. The group consists of about 15-20 graduate students and young professionals who meet each week to share fellowship and to help each other grow in understanding and faith. I know the many pressures and time commitments we all face as graduate students, but I think you will find the hour or so a week you spend with group a nice chance to relax and refocus. As some may already know, those of us who have been here over the summer have put some thought and effort into how to improve the group. We plan to take advantage of the new Newman House being made available to the Cornell Catholic Community; we hope to organize semi-regular dinners and participate more as a group in service oriented activities.

For those of you looking for a little more information about the group, I'd like to point you to our website located at:

http://www.cs.cornell.edu/People/fluet/CatholicGrads

We will be having our first meeting of the semester this Thursday (Sept. 4) in Room 314 of Anabel Taylor Hall. (That's one flight up from the auditorium.) We'll take this opportunity to make introductions, choose an accomodating day for future weekly meetings, and generate ideas for future discussion topics. We'll also join together in faith by praying the Rosary.

If anyone has any additional questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. Also, if anyone cannot make this Thursday's meeting, but would like to give input towards scheduling future meetings, please email me this week.

Pax.

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