Sunday, March 1, 2009

AOTM: January (Atheism); February (Pacifism v. War); March: Mortification?

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Well, I don't know about anybody else, but I'm mortified to learn that contrary to having the usual meat-heavy menu, this month the Argument of the Month Club's banquet will feature a vegetarian menu in honor of Lent and the sole speaker, Father Robert Altier.

Once the ladies discover that veggies are on the menu this month, we'll have to contract with the South St. Paul Police Dep't to keep them from bashing down St. Augustine's basement doors.


Of course, some would say that I could use a few vegetarian meals.

Fr. Robert Altier:

To Mortify or not To Mortify?

Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth

Col. 3:5

Join us at 6:00pm Tuesday March 10th at St. Augustine Church in South St. Paul , for Lenten style AOTM with Fr. Altier ($12 for the entire evening food, drink (check Menu below) and Presentation).

Fr. Robert Altierwill be discussing the importance of Catholic devotional practices withan emphasis on self-denial and mortification. Possible points of discussion may include: Did Vatican II do away with the medieval practice of penance? What’s so important about abstinence and fasting? Doesn’t God just want me to be happy? How do our sufferings here benefit us and the souls in Purgatory? Why is it good and necessary that we suffer?

Fr. Robert J. Altier was ordained to the Priesthood in 1989 at the Cathedral of St. Paul. He served for three years as an Associate Pastor at the Church of St. Raphael in Crystal and he served as the Associate Pastor at the Church of St. Agnes in St. Paul for fourteen years. He was assigned as Chaplain at the Regina Medical Center in Hastings, MN.

Fr. Altier has lectured throughout the Twin Cities and is best known for his series on the Fundamentals of Catholicism and for his devotion to the Eucharist and to they Blessed Virgin Mary.

Fr. Altier has been a member of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites for 24 years and serves as the Spiritual Director for the Mater Dolorosa Chapter in St. Paul. Fr. Altier was a weekly guest on the Drew Mariani Show on Relevant Radio.

He is the Chairman of the Board of the Holy Family Adoption Agency, a truly and fully Catholic Adoption agency. He is also President of Help the Helpless, an organization which raises funds to support handicapped orphans in India. Fr. Altier is also the Spiritual Director and a board member of Catholic Parents OnLine, a group which seeks to keep parents of school aged children informed regarding issues pertinent to parents and education. He is also the Spiritual Director for the Archdiocesan chapter of the World Apostolate of Fatima and he heads the committee for the annual Archdiocesan May Day Rosary Procession.

AOTM EVENING SCHEDULE -FYI- Many of our Catholic participants start the evening by attending Mass first at Holy Trinity Parish, located at 749 Sixth Street South St. Paul Minnesota 55075, which is just south of St. Augustine on Sixth Avenue.

You may join us at any point during the evening.

6:00pm Social Hour and Appetizers ( AOTM’s feasts, created with the best
7:00pm Dinner
7:30pm Main Presentation
8:15pm Dessert
8:30pm Q&A

For Just $12 at the door (The total cost for the night) you will get great appetizers (check menu), beverages, and contemplate upon Father Altier's challenging thoughts while you listen and enjoy a fabulous “Manly (vegetarian) Meal” (check menu). Prepare yourself to challenge or simply question the Father during the Q&A after dessert. Men of all creeds and ages are welcome to join in the good humor, food and fellowship. Priests and seminarians get in free, but will not be shown partiality in the discussions. Fathers are encouraged to bring their grandpas and sons.

AOTM Menu: In keeping with the season we will be serving up a Lenten meal, AOTM style of course.

All AOTM Forums are served buffet style. It is all you can eat and drink.

  • Appetizer: Chips, Chips and more Chips.

  • Dinner: Roasted Vegetable Soup -Bell peppers (red, green, orange and yellow), portobello mushrooms, asparagus, onions (yellow and red) and artichokes are covered in olive oil, herbs and garlic. They are roasted to perfection and folded into a creamy broth. As a side to this sacrificial Lenten meal we will have a variety of fresh cake and baked breads from "Oxendale’s Market", 5025 34th Ave. S. Mpls MN 55417.

  • Dessert: The dessert will be Scrumptious Apple Pie from the “Baker’s Wife Pastry Shop” 4200 28th Ave. S Mpls MN 55417 in south Minneapolis. Of course we can not do ice cream with the pie. We want to maintain some sort of sense of sacrifice and mortification so we will be serving the pie with fresh whipped cream!

8 comments:

Laura The Crazy Mama said...

In the spirit of mortification, I'm going to refrain from saying what I thought when I read about your poor meatless menu and:

...a variety of fresh cake and baked breads...
...pie with fresh whipped cream...

I hope you have a lovely meeting and stuff yourselves...full of good, informative, interesting information from Fr. Altier. Yeah, that's the ticket. See how mortifyish I am today?

Unknown said...

Do I detect a tinge of the "green-eyed monster", Crazy Mama?

The Ironic Catholic said...

It ain't hardtack and water, Ray! :)

Enjoy yourself--

Cathy_of_Alex said...

What Crazy Mama and IC said!

True mortification would be fried gristle on mouldy bread, no dessert, choleric water as the only beverage option.

I'm jealous. Father always gives a good talk.

If you want to unite yourself spiritually to his talk wear a hair shirt, no shoes, a girdle, sit right by the food table but don't eat anything.

Pax

Unknown said...

Ladies, I think you have made a good point. Probably too late now.

But I would imagine that food and beverage consumption will be much more moderate than normal. The April meeting will come during Easter week.

But I will make a suggestion that next year we observe a lot more mortification.

Of course, objectors will raise the point that "giving up things", food and drink particularly, is only one form of Lentan resolution.

Some are praying more, some are going to Mass more often, some are increasing their almsgiving and the contributions of their time and talent, etc.

Anonymous said...

is listening to slander and gossip a mortal sin---yes a person reputation is a sacred right.


why don't you post some teaching on this subject

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Unknown said...

At 7:23 PM, Anonymous said…
These are good programs, especially the one given by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf. Let him know how much you enjoyed it. His address at the Sabine Farm is XXXX.

[Anton: I’m glad you liked Fr. Z’s appearance at the AOTM in January. I was there also and we had one of our largest attendances ever and it was well worth it. But Fr. Z values his privacy I am sure and I don’t want to be a party to giving out his U.S. address. If anybody would like to thank him for his appearance at the AOTM meeting, or for other things/comments he has posted on his W.D.T.P.R.S. blog, the best way to contact him would be by email at FRZ@wdtprs.com .]

Anton