Praise & Worship with Adoration

Please join the Newman Center's very own, Sundays@7 music group for a spirit-filled evening of Praise and Worship music and Eucharastic adoration - Thursday (tomorrow!) October 1st from 7:00 to 8:30pm in the Newman Center Chapel.

Welcome Week!

This week, Monday, September 28th - Sunday, October 4th, is welcome week at the Newman Center. The Newmanites have planned loads of great activities to welcome the new and returning UW students. Check out this list of activities and go to a few (all) of them... sounds like fun!

Monday 8:00pm - Monday Night Football Game
From Newman we'll head over to Denny Field to play an impromptu game.

Tuesday 8:30pm - Movie on the Roof
Popcorn, friends, and Superstar! Bring Your Own Blankets.

Wednesday 9:00pm - Candlelight Mass
10:00pm - Ice Cream Social

Thursday 7:00pm - Praise and Worship Night
Our 7pm Choir has put together a night of beautiful worship music for us to celebrate our love for our God. Enjoy a prayerful evening with us!

Friday 8:00pm - Jazz Cafe
The foyer will transform into a classy coffeehouse complete with espresso, delightful treats, relaxed ambiance, and all usual bells and whistles for an awesome social hour.

Saturday 1:00pm - Pike Place Market Trip
We're hopping on the bus downtown to check out one of the most famous traditions of Seattle city life.

Sunday 4:00pm - Newman BBQ
Free Food! Can't say no to that...

LUNCH with the Dominicans!

Join us TOMORROW, Sunday September 27th after the Noon Mass for Lunch with the Dominicans. Father Jordan Bradshaw, OP (who just this week celebrated 26 years as an OP) will be our guest Dominican this month. So, congratulate Father Jordan when you see him, and come have lunch with him as well. :) We'll be meeting in the back of the church and will then head over to Hi-Life in Ballard.

40 Days for Life Kick-Off Rally

Join us TOMORROW (Tuesday, September 22nd, at 7pm at the UW Newman Center) for an evening of fellowship and prayer, featuring local pro-life speakers. 40 Days for Life is a focused pro-life campaign with a vision to access God’s power through prayer, fasting, and peaceful vigil to end abortion in America. This fall, over 200 cities throughout the world will be joining in the 40 days campaign from September 23rd to November 1st. Let's begin the 40 Days for Life season in a positive, unified way by joining together and encouraging one another to take a stand for life!

The mission of the campaign is to bring together the body of Christ in a spirit of unity during a focused 40 day campaign of prayer, fasting, and peaceful activism, with the purpose of repentance, to seek God's favor to turn hearts and minds from a culture of death to a culture of life, thus bringing an end to abortion in America.

For more information about the 40 days campaign or to sign up for vigil hours on-line, go to the 40 Days Seattle website or email.

Drinks with the Dominicans - THIS Wednesday

Join us this upcoming Wednesday, September 23rd at 7:00pm at The Blue Star Cafe and Pub for Drinks with the Dominicans. We're particularly blessed this month to have our YAther, Fr. Jordan Bradshaw OP, teaching us a bit about the rich history, traditions, and spirituality of the Dominican Order. So, come join us for drinks, discussion, and fellowship as we all learn more about these OPs whom we so dearly love.

We heart our Dominicans!

Cornerstone Mexico Mission Trip - August 2010

Come join Young Adults, ages 18-35, from the parishes of Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, St. Mary Magdalen and more, to answer the call to serve others during a week of prayer, service and fun in Tijuana, Mexico. We will be working alongside a family to help build their new home and learn about their culture in a very personal way. Esperanza International is an organization dedicated to working in partnership with communities in the Tijuana region seeking long-term solutions to the needs present in their families. Find out more about the organization at www.esperanzainternational.org.

Space is limited! Turn in applications with $125 deposit as soon as possible. Contact Ed DeBroeck or Nicole Lusier for more information via cornerstone.esperanza@gmail.com Or find our facebook group “Cornerstone Esperanza Mission Trip.”

Total estimated cost of the trip per person is $750-$850. You will be responsible for the initial deposit of $125. There will be many group fundraisers to help you raise the remainder of the funds. A payment schedule will be followed, the payments will either be funded from our fundraising efforts or individually as you see fit, since God’s wealth is distributed in different ways.

There is an informational meeting scheduled for Monday, September 21st, 2009 from 7:00 - 8:15pm in St. Ann's Hall (under Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Everett).

September Holy Hour Reflection

Mark 8:27-35

Jesus and his disciples set out
for the villages of Caesarea Philippi.
Along the way he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that I am?”
They said in reply,
“John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others one of the prophets.”
And he asked them,
“But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said to him in reply,
“You are the Christ.”
Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.

He began to teach them
that the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and rise after three days.
He spoke this openly.
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them,
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake
and that of the gospel will save it.”

***************************************************************

Reflection by Kevin Birnbaum

When I showed this Sunday’s Gospel reading to my wife, Jeanette, and told her I’d been asked to offer a reflection on it, her first reaction was, “There’s so much in this! Why did they give you so much?” It is, indeed, a staggeringly rich passage — there’s no way I could ever hope to do justice to all the riches it contains — but as I reflected on it, I began to see a deeper significance in my wife’s remark.

“Why did they give you so much?” The overwhelming richness of this Gospel reading seems to me to be emblematic of God’s whole relationship with us. God, in his grace, continually showers us with an abundance of spiritual and material blessings. And maybe it’s just me, but sometimes it can feel like a little too much to deal with — we know that we’re not doing justice to all the gifts with which we’ve been blessed. Sometimes, we wish God were just a little less generous towards us, because, as our Lord once said, “From everyone to whom much is given, much will be required.” And that’s intimidating, because we have been given a lot.

“Who do you say that I am?” Jesus asks. Most Catholics are more familiar with Matthew’s account of this exchange, with Peter’s full response that Jesus is “the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” and Jesus’ declaration that Peter is the rock upon which he will build his church. We also know, from Matthew, that Peter’s profession of faith was not a product of his own cleverness or insight, but was revealed to him by God the Father. It was a gift.

And what a gift — a gift freighted with responsibility and consequences. Peter could not have known at that moment all that was entailed in the truth he had just uttered. But Jesus soon made it clear. Peter’s friend, his master, the man for whom he had left behind everything — was going to suffer and be killed. Peter can’t bear to hear it. He rebukes Jesus: “No, it can’t be! Not you, Lord! It doesn’t have to be that way!” And Jesus responds, “Get behind me, Satan!” For it is the same temptation he faced in the wilderness, when the devil promised him earthly comfort, power and glory, if only he would abandon his saving mission, the ultimate gift of himself for the redemption of the world.

“Who do you say that I am?” Jesus asks. It is an urgent question — one that Jesus continues to pose to the world. I’ve heard some people speculate that when we die and go before the throne of God to be judged, that is the question we will be asked, the question on which our eternal destiny hangs. But there’s no need to speculate — Jesus has already told us how we will be judged:

“I was hungry; did you feed me? I was thirsty; did you give me drink? I was a stranger; did you welcome me? I was naked; did you clothe me? I was ill; did you care for me? I was in prison; did you visit me?

“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

“Who do you say that I am?” Jesus asks. Peter’s answer was quite literally a revelation. For most of us, it is not a difficult question. We know who Jesus is. We have been blessed with the gift of faith. We proclaim his identity every Sunday in the Nicene Creed. It’s practically rote. The question Jesus ultimately asks us is this: “Who does your life say that I am?”

We have been so abundantly blessed — not only with faith, but with plenty of food to eat, with a roof over our heads, with good friends, with grace through the sacraments, and with the opportunity to bask in the presence of our Lord and Savior in the Blessed Sacrament.

God gives us these blessings, these gifts, not just for ourselves, but so that we may make a gift of ourselves to others. Do we answer the call? Our lips proclaim that Jesus is Lord, but what do our lives say? Who do our lives say that he is? Will the people we meet on Saturday morning be able to tell that we spent Friday evening hanging out with Jesus?

Peter was blessed with the gift of faith nearly 2,000 years ago. He responded by giving his life in service to Christ and his church, and finally he followed our Lord to his own crucifixion. The witness of his life, and the lives of the other eleven apostles, changed the world forever.

We too have been blessed with the gift of faith. Are we willing to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Christ? What will our witness be?

Holy Hour

"Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament has His hands full of graces, and He is ready to bestow them on anyone who asks for them."

- St. Peter of Alcantara

Join us this upcoming Friday, September 11 from 7-8pm at the Newman Center for Holy Hour. We will spend an hour with the Lord including time for quiet reflection, song, scripture, and Rosary recitation.

Fr. Tom Memories Website

The Fr. Tom Memories website is now up! Check it out for fun videos, great pictures, and nice memories. If you have any photos and/or stories that you'd like to add to the website, please contact Joseph Cyr.

Critical Mass CD

From our friend, Lawrence Lam:

Hey all, some of you might know that I was working with my band back in Canada on a CD based on the Theology of the Body. I just got a box of freshly printed shrinkwrapped CD's come in today which I'm selling for $10 each (they're going for $15 online). I wrote two of the songs on the album. You can check out samples in the attached link. If you're interested, or know anyone who might be benefitted by this CD, let me know and I'll get some CD's over to you! Contact Lawrence at lawrence@catholicrock.com

Here's the official press release:

Catholic Christian rock band, Critical Mass, has just officially released their new album entitled "Body Language" in CD and download format. Winners of two previous Canadian Gospel Music Association Awards for Best Rock Album and three-time winners of UCMVA Unity Awards for their previous albums, Critical Mass is no stranger to pushing the boundaries of spiritual music, both stylistically and lyrically. On this, their 5th album, the band, along with the production efforts of Juno-nominated Andrew Horrocks, have created an edgy modern rock tapestry for a concept album based entirely on the topics of sex, love and communion. "This is a first for the Christian music scene", states lead singer and lyricist, David Wang. "For too long, society has portrayed Christians as looking at sexuality as something negative. We want to change this perception and show that sexuality is a gift from God and needs to be treasured." Over the course of a year, Wang researched Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body for inspiration, resulting in one of the most adventurous Christian rock albums in recent years. The song, "No Consequences", challenges conventional wisdom that chastity is not possible for the youth, "Devotion" is a song about the sacrament of marriage and "Alone" celebrates celibacy. "Friend" tackles homosexuality, sung from the perspective of a man with AIDS who is begging the Church to demonstrate Christ's love to him. There are remakes of two songs on the album, "Body and Blood" and "Walk You Home", introducing a new generation to these classics with a fresh and modern arrangement. The CD is now available through their website at www.CatholicRock.com but the band anticipates large sales through downloads at iTunes and Amazon.com.

Critical Mass is made up of band members Luke Kupczyk on guitars, Dave Flitton on guitars and keyboards, Lawrence Lam on keyboards, Scott McKendrick on bass, Tracey Doyle on percussion and Paul Kieffer on drums. The band is one of Canada's most successful independent bands, with their songs appearing on over 55,000 CDs. They played for a million youth at World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto. Their performances during the Papal Vigil and Papal Welcoming Ceremony were seen around the world by millions of viewers.

David Wang is the driving force behind Critical Mass. He is a father of 9. He has been involved in the Christian music industry for over a decade as a music columnist, concert promoter and songwriter.

"I believe that [Body Language] is the best that [Critical Mass] ever sounded. There is clarity and musicality in its guitar riffs, accompanied by solid production chops that are equal to what I hear on secular radio. The style veers from hard-rock ("Body is a Language," "No Consequence"), to joyous pop-rock ("Alone," "Walk You Home") to rock balladry ("Devotion") to praise and worship ("Body and Blood (Adoremus version)"). Regarding this last song, it stands head and shoulders above the praise and worship musical landscape... I really appreciate it when Critical Mass lets it all out, taking musical chances and coming up golden Lyrically, David Wang and company have stretched their craft and raised the bar. You may be hard-pressed to find a musical project that works this hard to shine the light of God's grace with this much minute detail in the darkened corners of our sexually saturated society." - Nick Alexander (Grapevine Magazine)

Listen to samples of the music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6Nttat0i9Y

August Holy Hour Reflection

Jn 6:41-51

The Jews murmured about Jesus because he said,
“I am the bread that came down from heaven, ”
and they said,
“Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph?
Do we not know his father and mother?
Then how can he say,
‘I have come down from heaven’?”
Jesus answered and said to them,
“Stop murmuring among yourselves.
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him,
and I will raise him on the last day.
It is written in the prophets:
They shall all be taught by God.
Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.
Not that anyone has seen the Father
except the one who is from God;
he has seen the Father.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes has eternal life.
I am the bread of life.
Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;
this is the bread that comes down from heaven
so that one may eat it and not die.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”

********************************************

Reflection by Amy Tribble:

I am left in awe by these words of Jesus; words that describe the most profound mystery of our faith. “I am the bread of life.” “…the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” Both the gift that we are offered, and the humility with which our Lord offers it, are staggering.

I am reminded of my first encounter with Jesus in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. It was about a year and a half before my return to the church, and I went to the chapel just looking for a quiet place, where I would not be noticed, to say a quick prayer. I came with absolutely nothing – I hadn’t even thought about God for years, I was not in a state of grace, and my life was falling apart. But what I left with was, in a word – everything. That moment in the presence of God radically changed my life. It was only a year later that I finally understood that Christ is really, substantially present in the host. If I had known at the time that he was there, I doubt that I would have dared to walk into that room!

This is what God does for us – he makes himself so tiny, so unassuming and humble that even at our worst we will not hesitate to come to him. We come to Jesus with nothing, we come only because the Father has called, and He offers us his very flesh as the food that we may eat to live forever. “Whoever believes has eternal life.”

And what is more, he does this for each of us personally. When the Jews murmur against Jesus, they say “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? Do we not know his father and mother?” It is hard to believe, even when the reward is so great. But we take comfort in their very objection. Yes we do know him – and he knows us. St. Therese of Lisieux asks, “Do you realize that Jesus is there in the tabernacle expressly for you – for you alone? He burns with the desire to come into your heart…go without fear to receive the Jesus of peace and love…”

And when we come before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, we are able to act as the mystical body of Christ, sharing God’s love with others. Pope John Paul II said that, “Through adoration, the Christian mysteriously contributes to the radical transformation of the world and to the sowing of the Gospel. Anyone who prays to the Savior draws the whole world with him, and raises it to God. Those who stand before the Lord…are presenting to Christ all those who do not know him or are far from Him.” How amazing, that, just by being here tonight, we are given the opportunity to bring Christ into the world!