Join us for our annual Regnum Christ members’ Christmas party!
Date: Dec 15, 2024
Time: 5:00pm – 9:30pm
Mass starts at 5pm, followed by cocktails, dinner and Christmas carols.
Location: Our Lady of Santa Clara Retreat Center
22840 Mercedes Rd, Cupertino, CA 95014
Enjoy delicious food, festive drinks and delightful company.
Please RSVP by December 6, 2024.
We can’t wait to celebrate with you.
Regnum Christi Christmas Party Read More »
On Christmas morning, and on weekdays throughout the Christmas season, the Church’s liturgy invites us to delve deeply into the first Chapter of the Gospel of John. John the Evangelist was an eye-witness of the events he describes. And since he was at the same time both the youngest and also the longest-living of the Twelve Apostles, he had a whole lifetime to contemplate the significance of those events. A meditative reading of his words, a lectio divina of John 1, therefore, can be a powerful way to live the season of Advent, which is designed to help us discover afresh the wonder and the meaning of the Incarnation of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And that’s exactly what we will do in this Advent Retreat Guide, What Are You Looking For?
The Personal Questionnaire/Group discussion questions and the full text are available in the Companion Guide Book. The Small Group Companion Guide has the questions and quotations. Either download the PDF Companion Guide Book or purchase it. The Companion Guide Book is available for purchase as a paperback at Amazon. Pause the video at any moment to go to the Companion Guide Book or continue to the next meditation.
What Are You Looking For?: An Advent Retreat Guide on John, Chapter 1 Read More »
Q: My grandchildren ages 10, 11, and 16 claim not to believe in a God. One of them reports, “I don’t believe in God, I believe in science.” They do, however, like most kids, dream of presents for Christmas. They do not have parents who were ever married or have a home for them to live in. They and their mother live with us. The parents have a history of battering, fighting, and substance abuse. Having the “father wound” seems like a reasonable argument for an absence of faith. Their mother does not want us “pushing religion” on them. I am just wondering how to downplay the material aspect of Christmas. If you have any suggestions, I would appreciate it. – M.S.
Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC
A: It must be heartbreaking to see your grandchildren without the faith. It sounds as though they have been dealt a difficult hand. As you mention, their “father wound” might hinder them from having a healthy religious outlook.
First, it’s good to remember that helping your grandchildren learn about Jesus and his plan is the best thing you can do for them.
Since they are living in your house, you have every right to display as much of the religious side of Christmas as you want. In any case, most children can’t resist a Nativity scene. So that might be a good thing to set up in your home.
Let the kids see you praying. And let them see images of the Blessed Virgin and Jesus around the home. If your daughter objects to any of these displays of piety, you could gently remind her whose home she is living in.
It would be good to intensify your prayers for your daughter and the children. This is where your daughter still needs a mom. Cultivate your devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary through the rosary. Our Lady knows well the hearts of moms and grandmoms.
And day by day your example of love and Christian charity will have its impact. Perhaps it might take a while to see a change in the rest of the family. That’s OK — the Holy Spirit has his time and place for souls to come to conversion.
In the meantime, it might be helpful to leave good books around the house. Helpful might be the Ignatius Press series on saints written for young people.
You might want to look into the books of Fulton Sheen, Peter Kreeft, and Patrick Madrid and leave them around the house, too. The Spirit can inspire a healthy curiosity in young and not-so-young readers.
Keep up a spirit of hope, too. The effort you make can make a difference in the eternity of each of your loved ones.
Today’s secular world throws curve balls at us all the time. AskACatholicPriest is a Q&A feature that anyone can use. Just type in your question or send an email to [email protected] and you will get a personal response back from one of our priests at RCSpirituality. You can ask about anything – liturgy, prayer, moral questions, current events… Our goal is simply to provide a trustworthy forum for dependable Catholic guidance and information. So go ahead and ask your question…
“Ask a Priest: What If My 3 Grandkids Say They Don’t Believe in God?” Read More »
Q: I am a tutor at an underprivileged middle school for my work/study job at college. All the tutors have to throw a “Holiday Party” in December for the kids and make decorations for it. But since the kids are from public school, we cannot have any Catholic or religious decorations. Is it a sin for me to help throw this party since I am Catholic and believe the true meaning of Christmas is about Christ’s birth? Also, is it a sin for me to help make secular decorations for the party? My second question is: We are also throwing a Halloween party for the kids where they come and trick or treat at the dorms. Some of the decorations are like zombies and other spooky-type things. They aren’t gory or scary to look at, but I am just not a big fan of all the strange things that go along with Halloween. Is it wrong for me to help throw this party and decorate for it as well? The main focus isn’t on the decorations — it’s on them coming to trick or treat and get some goodies. I really am more worried about the party in December. Thanks for your help! – M.
Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC
A: I think you could participate in both events.
The first event, the Holiday Party, doesn’t sound like anything inherently sinful, notwithstanding its secular nature. If the theme of the party is explicitly to pooh-pooh the religious connection with Christmas, then that would be a different case.
The Holiday Party is probably a lowest-common-denominator event that is designed not to make anyone feel excluded (such as non-believing or non-Christian students). It is not the kind of event, however, that would be appropriate in, say, a parish or Catholic school.
As for the Halloween party, I don’t see an immediate problem, either. Some people might disagree and say that anything that smacks of zombies, etc., is pagan and should be excluded totally. But I’m not sure that that view needs to be embraced.
Nevertheless, this might be a good moment to step back and consider what path you want to take as a career.
These parties are a taste of the secularism that is all around us. If you choose the path of working in public schools, you will likely face much more serious issues in this regard.
Now is the time to ask yourself whether you want to face that prospect. Or whether you would want to dedicate yourself to institutions that are decidedly Catholic.
Both paths can be paths that offer you a chance to fulfill your Christian mission in this world and help many people, but they will have different challenges. You might want to prayerfully discern this question and ask the Lord how he wants you to serve him.
Perhaps you are already thinking about these issues. Ideally, whatever you do, you will do for the glory of God.
Today’s secular world throws curve balls at us all the time. AskACatholicPriest is a Q&A feature that anyone can use. Just type in your question or send an email to [email protected] and you will get a personal response back from one of our priests at RCSpirituality. You can ask about anything – liturgy, prayer, moral questions, current events… Our goal is simply to provide a trustworthy forum for dependable Catholic guidance and information. So go ahead and ask your question…
“Ask a Priest: Is a Non-Religious Party Near Christmas OK?” Read More »
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Alex Kucera has lived in Atlanta, GA, for the last 46 years. He is one of 9 children, married to his wife Karmen, and has 3 girls, one grandson, and a granddaughter on the way. Alex joined Regnum Christi in 2007. Out of the gate, he joined the Helping Hands Medical Missions apostolate and is still participating today with the Ghana Friendship Mission.
In 2009, Alex was asked to be the Atlanta RC Renewal Coordinator for the Atlanta Locality to help the RC members with the RC renewal process. Alex became a Group Leader in 2012 for four of the Atlanta Men’s Section Teams and continues today. Running in parallel, in 2013, Alex became a Team Leader and shepherded a large team of good men.
Alex was honored to be the Atlanta Mission Coordinator between 2010 to 2022 (12 years), coordinating 5-8 Holy Week Mission teams across Georgia. He also created and coordinated missions at a parish in Athens, GA, for 9 years. Alex continues to coordinate Holy Week Missions, Advent Missions, and Monthly missions at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Cumming, GA.
From 2016 to 2022, Alex also served as the Men’s Section Assistant in Atlanta. He loved working with the Men’s Section Director, the Legionaries, Consecrated, and Women’s Section leadership teams.
Alex is exceptionally grateful to the Legionaries, Consecrated, and many RC members who he’s journeyed shoulder to shoulder, growing his relationship with Christ and others along the way. He knows that there is only one way, that’s Christ’s Way, with others!
