Ricardo Castanon

Greetings brothers in Christ!

The talk last night was awesome and I'm so grateful to those who came. I've included a few pictures of the talk in this post that Ramon took (he's not very handy with a camera, so we're sorry if they're a little blurry). Thanks again to the lovely Ms. Glenda Aragon for setting up the whole thing and still looking great for being up since 4 in the morning!

Things getting started for the evening

A nice turnout for the evening

 

The MAN of the hour

Of course, the Knights of Dei were there

 

Awesome worship music going on

 

A moment of silence for our blessed Lord

 

A quick summary for his wrap-up and...

 

Sure enough, stuff for sale afterwards!

Thanks again to Dr. Castanon, the Knights, parishioners who showed up, Glenda Aragon, the band, and (of course) God.

In Christ,

Matthew the Scribe

Friday Update

Greetings brothers in Christ!

On behalf of the Knights, I would like to thank those who showed up to our first meeting. And a special thanks to those who have been praying for our ministry, it has really helped us get to where we are now. For those who expressed interest in the men's group but were unable to show up, I'd like to extend an invitation to next week where we will have a more comprehensive outline of what the ministry will be doing or talking about, as well as time for questions, discussions and commentary. And, for those who would like, a review of what the previous night covered. I've included a few pictures to give an idea of the setting we're in looks like (the rest can be found on our Facebook page). Don't be fooled if some guys look bored: they're NOT, it was late and we ate A LOT of food!

On Saturday June 25, 2011 the Knights will be going to confession from 4-5 pm. NOT because of the stuff we did the day before (get your minds out of the gutter people!). So if anyone (women included) doesn't like going alone, we'll be there. Also, the Knights will be attending the talk tonight by Ricardo Castanon on the Eucharist (see previous post) as our first official group activity. I invite everyone to go! Our very own Glenda Aragon promises an excellent presentation (and she DON'T lie). Until then, god bless you all.

Our new motto: "As iron sharpens iron, so man sharpens his fellow man." (Proverbs 27:17)

In Christ,

Matthew the Scribe

Our First Meeting

Greetings brothers in Christ!

It has been a while. I hope you have all had a pleasant break since the ministry fair and have prayed about possibly joining our ministry. But NOW the time has come to (hopefully) put some of that drive to work. We look forward to meeting anyone who is interested in our new ministry during our first meeting: Friday June 24, 2011 in the Holy Rosary Life House at 6:30 pm. We hope anyone who is even a LITTLE curious about the ministry to stop by this Friday. It's an introductory night so we'll be going over what we want to do in the future. So if it appeals to you you're more than welcome to join. If not, you at least know what's going on. Food and beverages will be served!

Some Knights will be meeting at 4:30 pm in the Holy Rosary chapel for adoration, evening prayer and Mass. While the meeting isn't officially until 6:30 pm, meeting early for Mass (5:30 pm) and prayers is something we encourage but not require. For those who can make it, please meet us there!

Also, we will be attending the talk on the Eucharist this Saturday by Ricardo Castanon. This will be the first event Knights will be attending as a group. 

I'll be posting this message on Facebook and again on the blog. Those who signed up, please expect a phone call or e-mail.

In Christ,

Matthew the Scribe

Big News...

The Knights have officially joined Facebook.com!

 

On top of our blog, the Knights will also be updating our new Facebook page. Members like Diego and Ramon aren't big fans of Facebook, but even THEY had to admit it was a good idea. It's a more popular mode of communication, so it's an ideal place to get into contact with more people. "Like" us if you please! 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Knights-of-Dei/206466706064345

In Christ,

Matthew the Scribe

 

Ministry Fair 2011

Greetings brothers in Christ!

On behalf of all the Knights, I would like to thank everyone who signed up or took a newsletter yesterday. When we began the fair we had two goals in mind: One was to sign up for a number of local ministries. Part of our evangelization pillar is to be active in our community, and the fair was a perfect place to get information on where our services can be utilized most. In the future we will be helping out the Antioch community garden, feeding the homeless, clothing the less fortunate and other works of charity. All those who signed up will be getting a list of events we will be attending.

Second, we wanted a dozen people to be interested in the ministry. A small number, not shooting to high but wanting a decent amount to get started. Well...

WE DID IT!!!

And on top of giving an excellent homily for Pentecost, our Pastor was able to take time to pose for a picture with his "favorite" new ministry. 

 Knights Cody, Jose, Diego and Ramon standing with Fr. Roberto Corral, OP

(*Not featured: Knight Matthew the Scribe)

Thanks again to anyone who signed up or at least pretended to care! We ask you to keep looking at the blog for updates. You're all in our prayers. We look forward to meeting anyone who is interested in our new ministry during our first meeting: Friday June 24, 2011 in the Holy Rosary Life House at 6:30 pm. 

In Christ,

Matthew the Scribe

Confession and Ministry Fair!

Greetings brothers in Christ!

As we mentioned earlier, one of the communal aspects of the KoD is to hold accountability for one another. The main way we can do that is by supporting one another when we go to confession. We're not all perfect, so we need this sacrament to help us through the more difficult aspects of our life.  I don't know about the rest of you guys, but as a man, I find it difficult to go to confession on my own. So this ministry is supremely helpful to those who need a sort-of "buddy system": a group of like-minded men who want to confess but don't want to go alone. The whole idea is to encourage one another, NEVER TO JUDGE!

Three of the founding members take a moment in prayer to prepare mentally and spiritually for their confession.

 

Now they await for the presiding priest to hear their confession.

 

Once our new ministry picks up, we will be meeting regularly (roughly twice a month) for confession. We ask that you continue to pray for us and we will be praying for potential members. 

ALSO, REMEMBER WE WILL BE ATTENDING THE MINISTRY FAIR TOMORROW, JUNE 12, 2011 FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN OUR MINISTRY OR JUST HAS QUESTIONS.

 

In Christ,

Matthew the Scribe

 

Upcoming Ministry Fair

Here's a reminder of the fair the Knights will be attending. Hope to see you there!

In Christ,

Matthew the Scribe

The Revelation Talk!

Greetings brothers in Christ!

Tonight was a great success. Despite our wonderful pastor forgetting to spread the word on Sunday, many people showed up to hear Fr. Albert Paretsky talk about the Book of Revelation. Fr. Albert comes to us from the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley.

 Fr. Albert Paretsky, OP (Left) and Fr. Roberto Corral, OP (Right)

I'm glad our parish is stocked with good Dominican friars. 

KoD member Diego (right) is seen talking to Fr. Albert after the talk. Like a good Catholic, he enjoys engaging in good conversation that help to understand the theological richness of our faith. 

Could these young men be future KoD members, priests, fathers or lay religious?   

Thanks again to Fr. Albert for coming to talk with us and to all the faithful parishioners who attended.

In Christ,

Matthew the Scribe

 

Lecture on Revelations

Greetings brothers in Christ!

Just a quick post here to remind anyone in the Bay Area that tonight, a Dominican priest will be giving a talk on the Book of Revelation. With the recent end of the world “scare” promoted last month, a growing interest has developed on the most misunderstood book of the bible: Revelations (formerly the “Book of the Apocalypse”). If you or anyone is interested in this talk, please join us tonight (June 6) at 7:30pm at Most Holy Rosary Parish in Antioch, CA. A couple of KoD members will be there as it is part of our ministry to listen to theological talks like this.

Also, if you are in the Antioch area anytime Sunday June 12^th, feel free to drop by the parish for our “MINISTRY Fair” to find out more about ministry. There will also be other ministries being offered at other booths which KoD will being signing up for. Another of our callings is to help the community in any way we can, so there will be more ways KoD members will be able to help their fellow man and being more Christ-like. We hope to see you there.

In Christ,

Matthew the Scribe

An Introductory Letter

Greetings brothers in Christ!

Let me be the first to welcome you to our ministries’ blog. I am ‘Matthew the Scribe’.

Please don’t let our name fool you. We are not a men’s group specifically for medieval knights or ancient crusaders. Ours is a war being fought on our home front, not against principalities but with our spirits against the forces of secularism, consumerism, atheism and any number of things that hurt our relationship with God. We are a Roman Catholic Men’s Group devoted to learning and discussing theology while maintaining a Christian brotherhood that holds accountability for one another.

Our ministry in based on the four pillars of: fellowship, study, prayer and evangelization. The four pillars will be discussed further in subsequent posts; a brief summary of each will suffice for now:

 1. Fellowship is very important for this ministry to succeed. In a world where men are continually tempted by pornography, opportunities for adultery and have grown weary or disinterested in their Catholic faith, this group hopes to help men who want to break free of these vices. There is a strict NO JUDGING policy among us. We’re all men, we all have the same problems and daily struggles. KoD employs a system of holding accountability for one another. In a caring and respectful way, we should call one another or confide in the group about impure thoughts, difficulties at home or struggles with the faith. As a group we meet regularly for confession at our home parish in Antioch. (Confession can be done on your own, but as men we find it easier to go to confession when we are encouraged and accompanied by friends.)

2. Study is one of our pillars because we belong to the Roman Catholic Church. We have the privilege of being part of a great tradition, but its rich history and advanced theology calls us to study it diligently. For those who haven’t picked up a book in a long time or are unfamiliar with Catholic literature, don’t worry. You are among friends! KoD wants everyone to know the information so we study together, helping one another through difficult texts. Obviously this isn’t all done in a classroom setting; most of the time it’s done at a restaurant or home setting, with a meal (and the occasional beer!).   

3. Prayer is vital in this overly secularized, overly sexualized society. It is one of the most powerful tools in opposition to the spirit against Christ. As a community of brothers, we will be praying together frequently: before and after meals, before and after meetings, for individual members who are struggling, for the group during hardships, regular Eucharistic adoration, attending Mass and occasionally Vespers.

4. Evangelization comes with being a disciple of Christ, no matter what Christian denomination. We are called to give of the fruits of our study and prayer.

I invite you to keep checking our blog regularly for updates on events we (as a group) will be ministering to, theological events we’ll be attending in the Bay Area, lectures and talks we will be hosting (usually with guest speakers), meeting times and other information that will be released in the future.

In the mean time, continue praying for us and for our new ministry. And rest assured, we will be praying for you.

In Christ,

Matthew the Scribe