Fall Retreat

A month has already gone by since our retreat and yet it seems like we were just at the Sierra Club Foster Lodge in Mt. Laguna. I guess when something is that fun you remember it like it was yesterday.

We journeyed up the mountain on Friday night in various cars, giving us the opportunity to get to know the people in our car a little bit better. As people arrived we began to eat dinner and then came the icebreaker. We learned a little bit about everyone, discovering that the YAGS are a diverse group of people with many talents, such as wine making, hair cutting, and creating online dating profiles. The evening stretched on into various games and then we stretched out all over the cabin to go to sleep.

The original plan for Saturday morning was to take a couple of hiking trips, however as we woke we discovered that not only was it cold, it was also very wet. So the morning began with talks by Daniel Heineck and Huy Nguyen about the histories of the Nicene and Apostle’s Creeds. Following their talks the brave ones of us decided to take on the weather and went out hiking, getting quite wet along the way.

The day continued with Andrea Grim speaking on the meaning of the line “we believe in the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church” that is embedded in the Nicene Creed. We took a break for lunch and more socializing. Fr. Joseph Sergott graciously led us in mass later in the afternoon, and Danny Blessing taught us all about the differences between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.

Following dinner Fr. Joseph gave us an opportunity to learn about the wording changes that are being made in the Nicene Creed that will begin next Advent. We rounded out the evening’s spiritual activities with taize prayer, and then it was time for more games, including some very heated rounds of mafia, and lots of laughter (my stomach was seriously hurting from laughing too much).

Sunday morning came with a light snow. We ate breakfast, celebrated mass, said our goodbyes and drove on home. Everyone walked away with great memories of community, new friendships, and a better understanding of our faith and how we profess it.

Many, many, many thanks to Ben Horne, our fearless leader, without whom none of this would have been possible. He’s the YAG equivalent of a rock star!

We’ve already booked the lodge for next fall, so get ready for another amazing retreat, I hope many of you can come!

- Andrea Grim

The rest of the pix are here!

December Second Sunday Supper Recap

I had the privilege of being invited this past Sunday, December 12, to give a talk for the December Second Sunday Supper event.   I decided to talk about Our Lady of Guadalupe. Around 15 YAGS participated in the discussion and we also had delicious deep-dish pizza brought by Andrea from Regents Pizzeria! 

Here are some recaps of the talk:

Who is she?

Our Lady of Guadalupe is a celebrated Catholic icon of the Virgin Mary and Mexico’s most popular religious and cultural image. 

Why did I choose her?

Her feast day, December 12^th was the day of the YAG event. 

The Story of Our Lady of Guadalupe

According to tradition, Juan Diego, a simple indigenous peasant, saw a vision of a young girl of fifteen, surrounded by light, on the slopes of Tepeyac, near Mexico City. Speaking in the local language, Nahuatl, the Lady asked for a church to be built at that site in her honor, and from her words Juan Diego recognized her as the Virgin Mary.  Diego told his story to the Spanish bishop, Fray Zumárraga, who instructed him to return and ask the Lady for a miraculous sign to prove her claim. The Virgin told Juan Diego to gather some flowers from the top of Tepeyac Hill.  It was winter and no flowers bloomed, but on the hilltop Diego found flowers of every sort, and the Virgin herself arranged them in his tilma, or peasant cloak. When Juan Diego opened the cloak before Zumárraga on December 12, the flowers fell to the floor, and in their place was the Virgin of Guadalupe, miraculously imprinted on the fabric.

How the story applies our lives?

There are two important lessons as we reflect on Our Lady of Guadalupe.  One is of faith, and the other of understanding.

The first lesson is that God has chosen Mary to lead us to Jesus. No matter what critics may say of the devotion of Mexicans (and Mexican descendants) to Our Lady of Guadalupe, they owe their Christianity to her influence. If it were not for her, they would not know her son, and so they are eternally grateful.

The second lesson we take from Mary herself. Mary appeared to Juan Diego not as a European madonna but as a beautiful Aztec princess speaking to him in his own Aztec language. If we want to help someone appreciate the gospel we bring, we must appreciate the culture and the mentality in which they live their lives. By understanding them, we can help them to understand and know Christ. 

Discussion Topics

Why did the Virgin Mary choose Juan Diego and insist that he speaks to the Bishop on her behalf?

What symbolic testimony does the apparition serve for the Mexican people, especially the indigenous people?

How has Mary been part of your faith life and helped you to grow spiritually?

Have you had any interactions with Catholics in other parts of the world and how they’ve integrated their cultural traditions into their spiritual lives?

Thank you

Finally, I want to take this opportunity to express my grateful appreciation to the people of Newman Center, especially the young adult community.   My first event was the YAG retreat and it was very welcoming, engaging, and spiritually uplifting experience.  I also had the opportunity to attend the Thanksgiving Dinner at Ben’s place and it was wonderful to meet all the folks there.  Finally, the YAG Sunday Dinner was awesome and gave me the opportunity to learn more about Mary and her strong connection with the Mexican people.  As I head out to Japan this upcoming Sunday, I will be thinking and praying for all of you in the YAG community. Thank you for your friendship, hospitality, and the grace of fellowship.  God bless you and have a joyful Advent!

- Todd Chen

YAG Thanksgiving Recap

Dave with a turkey leg.

A sizable contingent of YAG-ers descended at Ben Horne's establishment at La Jolla Shores on Tuesday the 23rd of November for the annual YAG Thanksgiving feast.

Dave using the electric turkey carver. Fancy.

Although there was no flag football (much to Huy's dismay), everyone brought enough food to feed the 47 people who took part in this event. We ended up covering every essential staple for a suitable Thanksgiving feast. Some non-traditional (but still very yummy!) food was also provided, clearly indicative of the great diversity of our YAG corps. After all the bowls, pans, and plates of food were set, Fr. Joseph gave a short blessing over the food and the group...and then we were off!

Tara made the beautiful (and yummy) bird.

In addition to good food, the night was punctuated with great conversation and fellowship with familiar faces and some new friends. It was a great celebration of the holiday and a fantastic precursor to the season of Advent and the beginning of a new liturgical year!

- Sean Rogers

Link to the rest of the pictures here.