It’s time to bust out the tents and spend the weekend roughin’ it at Watermark Camping 2010!

The cost of this weekend is $20 (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).

I’m not sure which video games would be worse, this one or all those rated M ones.

Speaking of forgiveness, last weekend, gay pride parades were held all over the US. Where you normally see fire and brimstone protests, the Marin Foundation, a non-profit that aims to build a bridge between the religious and GLBT communities through scientific research, and Biblical and social education, showed up to the Chicago parade with a different message.

You can read more about it here.

It’s about a priest from Wyoming, who during his seminarian days made an unfortunate decision that cost the lives of two of his fellow seminarians. The resulting journey is a powerful one of forgiveness and redemption that really challenges my fear of failure.

Fall in love with the Lord, and it will change everything. Fall out of love with Him, and it will change everything.

“In the last six years alone, I’ve been fingerprinted four times,” said Mick Kelly, a 32-year-old former philosophy student who will be ordained next month in the Arlington Diocese. “That’s more than some criminals out there get.”

Most of the priests he investigated had come from an era when celibacy was not taught at seminaries in a pragmatic, thorough way. Another thing the fallen priests had in common, he said, was that not one had kept up his daily prayers.

So at Mount St. Mary’s, he has urged seminarians to pray at least one hour every day. If they don’t, he demands to know what they could possibly be doing that’s more important than talking to God?

But not even prayer can substitute for love. That’s what stuck out most to Rohlfs in the wreckage of the fallen priests’ lives. “We can teach them everything we know, but, in the end, duty cannot do it,” he said. “It must be love — loving God more than you love sin.”

“Another thing the fallen priests had in common, he said, was that not one had kept up his daily prayers.” That was the most sobering thing for me. We live in such a culture of busy-ness, noise, and distraction that it’s easy to not spend time talking with God. In effect, we have placed whatever it is we’re so busy doing in front of God. We love those things more than we love God.

We can see the effect lack of prayer can have on the priesthood, a group of people that Catholics deem so holy, and so what makes us think we can get away with it for our own lives, we, who are less “holy”? Wasn’t it St. Francis de Sales who said, “We all need one half hour of prayer every day. Except when we’re busy, then we need an hour.”

How about in our daily prayer times, let’s throw up a few prayers for our priests and while we’re at it, let’s pray for Joe Kim and all those to be ordained.

There have been only 20 Perfect Games in 135 years of Major League history which means there have been more people who have orbited the moon than this elite club of pitchers. The sports world has blown up in the aftermath especially after TV replays clearly showed that the runner was out by a half step (a fairly large margin in baseball).

So what does this have to do with being Catholic?

Well, in an age of entitlement and self-justification, it has become increasingly rare to see public examples of graciousness. If you pause the video (below) at the 39 second mark, what would you expect the pitcher’s reaction to be? So often we see players blowing up at the umpire, reacting in a way as if they have been personally and mortally wronged because they deserve it. Galarraga just smiles and walks back to the mound. That should be homily-bait in itself. At least in some semblance of “normalcy”, the manager of the Tigers comes out to argue. Galarraga on the otherhand, whereas it is common for the wheels to fall off after such a distraction, just continues on his business retiring the next batter for a one-hit shutout. In post-game interviews, Galarraga was very gracious towards the umpire ironically acknowledging that “nobody is perfect”, instead of stewing on how badly he had been robbed. In another surprise, the umpire, who are a proud bunch typically known for tersely standing by their calls, fully concedes that he made a mistake and “cost the kid a perfect game.” He even reached out to Galarraga after the game to personally apologize.

As a sports fan, I found myself a bit confused by the situation because this is not the typical reaction you see. Usually the player will raise a big stink, criticize the umpire after the game, and get himself a fine for doing so. The umpire would say that he called it like he saw it. Instead of the extra fodder the news outlets would typically get, there is no gossip to distract here. The fact that both parties called into mind the human aspect of it made this story stand out beyond the typical potential scandal. It also stands out as a glowing example of humility and reconciliation in a game that so often can be about assertion at the expense of another and using grudges to motivate.

Though this play may be what pushes the use of instant-replay fully into Major League baseball, always remember that there is no instant-replay in real life.

“On any countdown of terrific Catholic stories over the last twenty years, the renaissance of the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine would have to be near the top of the list. Numbering some five million faithful, about ten percent of the Ukrainian population, Greek Catholics follow Orthodox liturgical and spiritual traditions but have been in full union with Rome since the 16th century.

Under the Soviets, the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine was the largest illegal religious body in the world, and one of the most persecuted. The legendary Ukrainian Cardinal Josef Slipyi, who spent two decades in the gulags, once said that his church had been buried under “mountains of corpses and rivers of blood.” During his 2001 visit to Ukraine, John Paul II beatified 27 Greek Catholic martyrs under the Soviets — one of whom had been boiled alive, another crucified in prison, and a third bricked into a wall.

Given that history, the church’s recovery in the short span of time since the Soviet Union imploded has been nothing short of miraculous. In 1939, the Greek Catholics boasted 2,500 priests; by 1989, the number had fallen to just 300. Today it’s back up to 2,500, with 800 seminarians in the pipeline. Greek Catholics played key roles in the “Orange Revolution” of 2004/05, which for a brief, shining moment, promised to bring democracy and the rule of law to Ukraine.

In many ways, the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine has become a global model for the evangelization of culture.

Today, however, Catholicism in Ukraine may once again be at risk, as a new government has come to power which seems bent on reviving Soviet-style authoritarianism. On May 18, an official of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the successor to the KGB, visited the rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv — the only Catholic university in the former Soviet Union, which means it’s the only Catholic university in twelve time zones. The police official warned the rector, Fr. Borys Gudziak, against students participating in illegal anti-government protests. (Gudziak, by the way, is a 50-year-old Ukrainian-American born in Syracuse, New York, who holds a Harvard doctorate in Slavic and Byzantine Cultural History.)

The SBU official also insisted that Gudziak sign a letter and then give it back, presumably to be placed in police archives. Gudziak refused, charging that asking people to sign letters and turn them over to the police was a classic KGB technique for recruiting collaborators.”

Click here for the whole article.

They also have an incredible opportunity. You can volunteer to teach English in Ukraine during a summer and experience the life of Greek Catholics. Check that out here. You could also do that in China for a year in Maryknoll. Ok I’m done.

AMDG

Most of you should know Rev. Joe Kim, who is a good friend of Watermark. You may know him from such events as a past retreat leader or guest CM teacher or star of the annual Revs vs Sems basketball game. He was classmates with our very own Justin Cho and is even the brother-in-law of one of Watermark’s founders.

Coming up on Saturday, June 5th, 2010, Joe will receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders and be ordained into the Catholic priesthood. You are cordially invited to be a part of this special day.

Here are details which you can also get from the diocesan website:

Saturday, June 5, 2010
9:30 in the morning

Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph
80 South Market Street
San Jose, California

Here’s a fun post.

A group of Australian artists have created images of Biblical narratives from the perspective of Google Maps’ satellite view. It includes the crossing of the Red Sea, the crucifixion, the garden of Eden, and Noah’s Ark.

You can go directly to their online gallery here.

As you may have heard, this Saturday, there will be NO Boom Sizzle. Instead, we will be taking a break to have some fun in the sun with a Rec Day! We know that many of you will be in the middle of your AP exams and we want you to study as hard as you can so you can come and take a break, Watermark style (it will also help convince your parents to let you come)! We’ll just be hanging out with various activities including frisbee, dodgeball, and volleyball, and supposedly a crazy game/relay is in the works. Unfortunately, dinner will not be provided. Details are below:

Particularly off of today’s Post-Confirmation class, mainstream articles about people (and celebrities) realizing the emptiness of the “hook-up” culture and choosing to take a stand against it is a refreshing change. Interestingly, the people in the article are taking more of secular route as well. Just thought I’d share…

The USCCB has been tirelessly working the past several years to revise the English translation of the Mass to better reflect the original Latin Missal promulgated by Pope Paul VI. Yesterday, the Holy See has officially approved the new translation and the USCCB will begin officially using the new version in late 2011.

For more information, check out the official website the USCCB has set up to facilitate the biggest change to the Mass in English in 40 years.

Given the recent event in the news, we as Catholics are reminded by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and individual bishops around the country of the Church’s position on this matter.

“Justice for Immigrants,” the official campaign for immigration reform of the USCCB, has compiled this brief info sheet that I found very informative.

Other good reads are from Bishop John Wester of Salt Lake City and Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles.

In many ways, the usual arguments for “gay marriage” apply here, but there is the added complexity that whatever holes and flaws there are in the logic get one more level of obscurity on this side of the debate. What is interesting to me is that the article reads with genuine perplexion. Even the usual hallmark of “equal rights” doesn’t seem to have the same sexiness. As a quote from the article says, “Once you grant the divorce, you are recognizing that there was a marriage.”

In order to begin to understand this issue, we need to understand what the Church teaches about sacraments and love. Think of this as a preview of this Sunday’s Post-Confirmation class.

Continue reading here… Cannot be Smoked, Injected, or Snorted

Thought I’d share this with you guys! I’m not sure how many of you patrol through the comments, but Sandy posted a link to this video awhile ago. I know some of you have been listening to Catholic radio during Lent, so you might have heard the audio version of this commercial. I was SO EXCITED when I found out there was a video version. It kind of gives me chills every time I watch it… makes you proud (prouder…?) to be a Catholic!

Anyway, you all can listen to it FOR FREE off of the catholic.com website at this link… OR, better yet, if you have an iPod – which I’m pretty sure most of you do – you can subscribe to the Catholic Answers Live! podcast.

As I gathered myself at Ash Wednesday Mass, though my body hadn’t felt like going, my spirit experienced a peace wash over it. I became fully aware of my dirtiness, but I began to feel the Holy Spirit fill the spaces I had started to create in my soul. It made me so thankful that the Church, through the Spirit’s leading, guides us in these liturgical seasons every year. It’s like She knew that we would get caught up in all the things we need to do, the worth that we’d feel in the things we accomplish, and fill up holes in our life with lesser things so that we squeeze out space for God to love us and forgive us.

Good thing we have a Church that is right where we are wrong.

“It was the biggest shock in my life, when I realised how horrible, soulless and without feeling the five star lifestyle is,” he said. “In those three weeks, we spent all the money you could possibly spend. But in all that time, we had the feeling we hadn’t met a single real person – that we were all just actors. The staff played the role of being friendly and the guests played the role of being important and nobody was real.”

All the money from the selling of his possessions will to go his microcredit charity where he doesn’t take a salary.

It’s pretty challenging to see a real life example of someone following Jesus’ words to the rich young ruler in Mark 10:21 to, “Go, sell what you have, and give to (the) poor and you will have treasure in heaven.” I just pray he got the last part of Jesus’ words, you know, the whole “come, follow me” thing. I think he’ll really find what he’s looking for there.

1. Priest checks fingerprints for mass attendance

2. Pope cautions tribunals against granting annulments too easily

3. A pro-choice writer defends Tim Tebow’s pro-life Super Bowl ad

4. A commentary on Dominican Sisters of Mary appearing on Oprah

Download the permission slip and ride form and turn it into Rosemary or Derek.

Last year, on Valentine’s Day, LTS went up to People’s Park in Berkeley, CA to have lunch and a conversation with the homeless. Spending the morning making sandwiches, we listened to a talk on poverty and then went to Mass before trekking down to the park to scope out some cool people to eat and hang out with.

This year, it’s happening again! (:

Please tell all of your friends! We are making more than double the amount of lunches last year (since we ran out so quickly). We will be meeting in the parking lot at St. Clare’s Parish at 10:00 AM. We will leave promptly at 10:15. If you are not there, I hope you have nice parents who will drive you up to Berkeley!

Last year, it rained. This year, we will also do it rain or shine. Please bring umbrellas, and wear jackets in case it does rain.

A note about presence:

• Wear a jeans, a t-shirt, and a sweater/jacket. Do not wear heels, do not wear a strapless dress, do not wear anything that is overly excessive.
• Although this is a fun event, please remember to respectfully listen to the leaders and other participants during this event. Do not stray from the group or behave inappropriately.
• Please be wary of your surroundings when you are taking a picture. Don’t be disrespectful! Pictures are great, but I would encourage you to live the moment instead of trying to capture the scene. Especially do not take pictures of people if you haven’t asked their permission.

We will have all materials to fill up the sandwich bags. You don’t need to bring anything except a water bottle. There will be a leader who will look after valuable items (we will keep them locked in the church/kitchen where we make the sandwiches).

We will be meeting at St. Clare’s parking lot to carpool to a church near People’s Park at 10:00 AM. Please be prompt!

It’s sad to me that the majority of Catholics who find themselves unaffiliated with any religion now just gradually drifted away. All that time spent at church and nothing was found worth giving their life for. That sucks…particularly when inherent in being Catholic is the opportunity to receive Jesus, the Lord of the universe, in person.

On the flip side, I found it very revealing that the majority of Catholics who are now Protestant converted because their spiritual needs weren’t being met. I think this is an area the Church can really grow in at the lowest level. A personal example of this has been the struggle to find available spiritual directors.

Anyhow, I’m sure you noticed a lot of interesting connections as well. Feel free to share.

You can read the full report here.

Blog Post: Greatest Nothing I Ever Felt

If you’ve had the same experience about Adoration as Jennifer (I admit I have), come to this Saturday’s Boom Sizzle to at least be in His presence.

Another Advent season has come and gone. At SJCCC, this usually means another year of rotating which St. Clare’s community actually gets to celebrate Midnight Mass at midnight and another Christmas Party successfully pulled off with all the hustle and bustle of the preparations beforehand. Somewhere in the midst of all this, we try to hold on to the true meaning of Advent – the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. As we pondered this sacred mystery during the Christmas liturgies this year, I could not help but notice another recurring tradition – the mass influx of old, familiar, young adult faces returning to their roots. Among the faces in the crowd, there are those who have gone away for college and are home for winter break, there are those that have moved away and are back to visit family, and there are those that are still in the area and making a cameo as they no longer make their home with us.

I grew up in the community and like many others, went away for college. After graduating, I have since moved back home with SJCCC. From this perspective, I find myself excited to see so many old friends and acquaintances. But conflictingly, I also find myself feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of people and the thoughts and questions running through my head. Absence creates a bit of a wall. For some relationships, they are easily torn down, but for others, it breeds a bit of hesitation to even say hello. I can’t help but wonder what their lives are like now. How have they changed? How will they perceive how I have changed, if at all? Are they finding satisfaction in their work or are they looking for a career change, potentially forced by the recession? Have they grown in their faith or took a few steps backwards or maybe they lost it entirely? Do they feel that perhaps SJCCC does not boast the spiritual depth they need to grow in their faith or maybe they feel judgmental eyes fabricated by gossip, assumption, or personal insecurity? Will anyone reach out? “Hey! Long time no see! How’s it going?”

I imagine that for the Young Adults coming home, the feelings must be similar if not magnified. It must be exciting to see the place where so much time was spent and so many good memories were made. Or it must be dreadful to return to a place where attendance was forced and no meaning was ever found or attempted. For better or for worse, one of the costs of an academic success oriented culture is the inevitable sheltering to the “real world” with all of its vices and desires. Going to college, while one of the badges of child-rearing success for Chinese parents, can be an eye-opener for the freshly-minted Young Adult. So inevitably, returning home is likely seen through the lens of the new experiences; maybe a symbol of repression, or happier, more faithful times, or spiritual mediocrity, depending. For some, the subconscious desire is to see things exactly how they were left, but they find themselves surprised that things are chugging along, pushing on, and that there is a new generation of Watermarkers or college graduates. “Wow! I don’t recognize anyone anymore…”

What is God’s plan for Chinese Americans in a Chinese Catholic Community whose mission is to reach out to Chinese immigrants? Surely, it can not be just for our feet to run out of ground as more and more new immigrants raise their American born children pushing us past the extent of what is built, could it? This yearly pilgrimage of young adults back to our community is a snapshot of the journey SJCCC has taken, in all of its successes and all of its shortcomings. We are still finding our way as even the definition of “young adult” is still evolving while we struggle to define who exactly fits in to this category. The current definition seems to be, “anyone who is or was affiliated with Watermark who has graduated from high school.” I find solace in the fact that our Christ, named Emmanuel, is with us when we soar and when we are stumbling in the mud, groping in the dark. Let us hold fast to Jesus, our Savior, both personally and as a community so we would grow ever closer to his loving and compassionate heart leading the way. As we do, in spite of the prodigal experiences or spiritual heights away from SJCCC, perhaps Young Adults who come back would say that they caught a glimpse of God, the Father. Welcome home.

Spend some time with Him…  At this Saturday’s Boom Sizzle…

To meditate and pray…  Because He will be listening.

Came upon this article when I was doing my daily ESPN browsing, and found out that the Oakland A’s top prospect has left baseball to enter into priesthood.  It is awesome to see that he has left his life of potential fame and fortune to pursue a higher calling.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4849432

It is also interesting to read some of the comments made by other people.  It has turned ESPN into a religious battlefield.

Apparently teen pregnancy rates are on the rise according to this article. I was bummed to read it, but was a little annoyed by the following quote:

“It’s interesting to note that this flattening out of the rate and the increase in the rate is happening at the same time that we’ve seen substantial increases in funding for abstinence-only programs,” Finer said.

“We do know that when we saw the big decline in the ’90s, that a lot of that decline was due to improved contraceptive use among teens.”

It’s not that I think the existing abstinence-only programs are particularly great (more TOB anyone? though that’s a whole other separation of church and state conversation altogether), it’s just that “improved contraceptive use” is just a short-term band-aid type of solution that doesn’t touch upon the real issue of what leads teens to make these choices and what they are looking for in the first place. I appreciate that the general public is wanting to lower teenage pregnancy rates (we agree on something!), but what bothers me is that we have stopped trying to engage the person and instead implement an impersonal solution leaving them to their own devices.

To me, a life worth living includes putting in the effort for good spiritual and moral formation even if some teenagers decide to do it anyways. Instead of throwing our hands up relenting that they will do it anyways, let’s get down on our knees and pray that even though they do it despite our efforts, give us the grace to keep trying.

I can only imagine how road rage would evolve into air rage. *sigh* another thing to confess.

BUMP+ is a provocative new web series from Yellow Line Studio that follows the stories of three women facing unintended pregnancies.

Conflicted military wife Katie Donahue (Tina Schlapprizzi), fame-seeking sorority girl Hailey Kirsch (Lyndsey Doolen), and free-spirited mother of two Denise Jensen (Isabelle Giroux) have just one thing in common. They’re all expecting…unexpectedly. Each woman has her own reasons for accepting a reality show producer’s invitation to chronicle the very personal journey toward a decision about her pregnancy; but no one, including their physician, Dr. Patterson (Andray Johnson), is prepared for what happens when the cameras start rolling.

Check it out.

More than ever young people today need the chance to experience Jesus in their lives. This retreat, happening during the season of Lent, will be a great opportunity for you to experience a special retreat designed for high schoolers. All students in high school are strongly encouraged to attend (mandatory for those preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation) as they will have a chance to learn, pray, and build community. Fr. Paul Coleman will be leading the retreat this year.

The cost is $170 and permission slips can be downloaded here. Permission slips are due to your CM teacher by Sunday, January 31. Please do not let cost be an issue – scholarships are available as needed. Please e-mail Pat for more information.

Here’s the breakdown:

Don’t know what Jesuit final vows are? Here is an interesting article by Fr. James Martin S.J. (excerpt below):

After “solemn” vows, the “fully professed” take five “simple” vows, privately–after Mass, in a side chapel or a sacristy. These vows show how well St. Ignatius understood human nature. First, we vow never to change anything in the Jesuit Constitutions about poverty–unless to make it “more strict.” Second, a vow never to “strive or ambition” for any dignity in the church, like becoming a bishop. Third, never to “strive or ambition” for any high office in the Jesuits. Fourth, if we find out that someone is striving for these things, we are to “communicate his name” to the Society. (A friend calls this the vow to rat out someone, but it’s another indication of how much Ignatius wanted to eliminate ambition, as far as possible, from the Jesuits.) Finally, we take a vow that, if we are somehow made bishop, we will still listen to the superior general. And, by the way, you’ll notice that the famous “fourth vow” to the pope is regarding “the missions,” reflecting Ignatius’s understanding that the pope had a better view of where in the world the Jesuits were needed. As John W. O’Malley, S.J., has written the fourth vow, often misunderstood in Catholic circles, is about worldwide mobility.

Sunday, January 31, 2010 @ 7PM
Tickets: $15
Bay Area Chinese Bible Church
750 Fargo Avenue
San Leandro, CA 94579

Directions from St. Clare’s.

From their website:

Combining elements of soul, pop, rock, gospel and blues, Tim Be Told has emerged in the Charlottesville music scene with their own unique sound. After tracking their debut album “Getting By” in the summer of 2007 and playing their first show a mere few months later, the band has gone on to perform at various East Coast venues such as the Knitting Factory, Jammin Java, and the Satellite Ballroom. Recent winners of UVa’s 2008 Battle of the Bands, Tim Be Told (Tim Ouyang, Luan Nguyen, Andrew Chae, Jim Barredo, and Parker Stanley) continues to grow a loyal and passionate fanbase both in Virginia and beyond. With each show, the band gains new listeners with their infectious guitar hooks, captivating melodies, and driving rhythm parts; but most importantly, they hope that their music will cause people to view life through a different lens, one of honesty, hope, redemption, and change.

This Saturday, January 16th, Boom Sizzle is going to be spiced up! We are going to have an extravagant bible study, complete with a formal dress code, snacks, and a modified schedule! Please join in on the fun and RSVP below!

http://www.evite.com/pages/invite/viewInvite.jsp?inviteId=VFCGHQWLSISSNDNTUGPI&unknownUser=true

On Saturday, January 23, the 6th Annual Walk for Life West Coast will be happening again in San Francisco. It was a great experience for Watermarkers last year! The point of the event is to celebrate life and raise awareness about how we can end the culture of death in the United States. The event is open to women, men, old, and young. This is a family event, so invite your parents too!

There will be speakers talking about their experiences and after they are done, all 30,000+ people walk together down the Embarcadero in prayer. It is a really different experience and not something that you can experience that often.

If you are interested in going, there is a Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=272522861814 and the main website is http://www.walkforlifewc.com/. We will be meeting at the Fremont BART station that day at 9:50am.

The event organizer is not affiliated with Watermark, but if you have any questions, send me an email at edwardhchow[at]gmail[dot]com or talk to other Watermarkers who went last year.

Recap:

Who: You, your friends, your parents, your siblings, everyone!
What: Walk for Life
Where: Justin Herman Palaza to Marina Green via the Embarcadero
When: Sat. 1/23 11am-1pm (meeting at Fremont BART at 9:50am)
Why: To celebrate life!

We will have Maryknoll priests as guest speakers for part of class this week. Pre-Confirmation and Confirmation will meet together in Classroom 2 and Post-Confirmation will be in their usual spot in the North Hall.

http://quake.usgs.gov/recenteqs/Quakes/nc71336726.htm

For most people, the things of God are not given priority, they do not impose themselves on us directly. And so the great majority of us tend to postpone them. First we do what seems urgent here and now. In the list of priorities God is often more or less at the end. We can always deal with that later, we tend to think. The Gospel tells us: God is the highest priority. If anything in our life deserves haste without delay, then, it is God’s work alone.

Today too there are simple and lowly souls who live very close to the Lord. They are, so to speak, his neighbors and they can easily go to see him. But most of us in the world today live far from Jesus Christ, the incarnate God who came to dwell amongst us. We live our lives by philosophies, amid worldly affairs and occupations that totally absorb us and are a great distance from the manger. In all kinds of ways, God has to prod us and reach out to us again and again, so that we can manage to escape from the muddle of our thoughts and activities and discover the way that leads to him.

Details:

What to Bring:

(utensils will be provided)

Party Time!

To see legacy posts, feel free to visit our old (now defunct) blog here: http://watermarkyouth.blogspot.com