Thanks to the following families who helped this past week
• Dr. and Mrs. Bruce Schardt who set up chemistry labs and tutored in chemistry
• Those who provided the Semester Exam Parent Lunch: Mrs. Lauren Hanson, Mrs. Mary Lakomy, Mrs. Regina Lim with baby David, and Mr. and Mrs. Hao Lim with their daughter
Congratulations to our students
• Nicholas Hanson, who passed his review board to earn the rank of Eagle Scout. Nicholas’ success with his final project was organizing a community outreach with the Bethesda Project in Philadelphia, PA in May 2009.
• Christmas Door Decorating Contest Winners: First Place –Thomas Nguyen, Conrad Lakomy, Daniel Murphy-Dimen, and Alexander Stropko. Second Place – Jake Holke, Josh Aaker, Michael Martin, and Jack Milolaycik.
Birthdays
Jan. 10th Spencer Manson
Jan. 12th Marc LeMire
Jan. 14th Alan Le
Admissions
• Fr. Victor will host an information table after all the Masses at San Secondo D' Asti in Guasti, CA on Sunday, December 27th. If you know any families who would enjoy finding out more information about St. Michael’s, please let them know about this event.
• St. Michael’s entrance test is Saturday, January 30th at 9 am.
Weekly Homily by Fr. John Henry Hanson, O.Praem.
Among other things, Fr. John Henry teaches English in the Prep School
In today’s Gospel, Jesus commands the disciples of St John the Baptist: “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard.” The holy Baptist appears to us in this Advent season as the Lord’s Precursor, as the one who prepared the Lord’s way. And he did this by giving testimony, bearing witness to Christ. He bore his own testimony--not someone else’s--not by hearsay, but by his own experience he bore witness to Christ. The Lord wants each of us to have our own testimony about Him--not someone else’s, but our own. Saint John sent two of his disciples to see Jesus so that they would have their own testimony about Him, and not simply take his word for it.
We are called to imitate the disciples of the Baptist, and all the saints, like St John the Baptist, by imitating them according to what is most important about them. We are not to mimic their actions or parrot their words or otherwise pretend. To imitate the saints, in any age, is to surrender ourselves to Christ and experience Him in our lives firsthand. No one else can believe for us, hope for us, or love for us. This is ours to receive from God and ours to give back to Him.
In St Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus asks His disciples: “Who do men say that the Son of man is?” But He is not satisfied to hear about what others are saying; He turns the question directly at them: “But you, who do you say that I am?”
The experience of St Peter, who responded to the Lord’s question, was not that of St John the Baptist, though they both believed in the same Christ. The experience of St Ignatius of Antioch was not the same as St Ignatius of Loyola, though they had the same catholic faith. The experience of St Catherine of Alexandria was not that of St Catherine of Siena, though they both loved the same Lord Jesus. Nor was the experience of St Teresa of Jesus that of St Therese of the Child Jesus or of Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
And yet they all had something in common: an authentic, personal encounter with Christ. They were redeemed people and they acted like redeemed people. They were loved and they acted like loved people act. They were forgiven and they lived as forgiven people live--all with humility, generosity, gratitude, an eagerness to love and forgive others as they had been loved and forgiven: signs of authentic contact with Christ.
An image of the spiritual life that Blessed Columba Marmion uses may help us to figure out why the saints had such intimacy with the Lord, whereas our devotion may alternate between hot and cold. He says, Our God is a consuming fire, and most of us spend our lives circling round the fire instead of plunging into it.
We all need to be purged of something that stands in the way of our relationship with Christ. Maybe for most of us it is something we habitually postpone--even in a season whose purpose is to prepare us for Christ. We are always waiting for just the right conditions before we will change: a different setting for my spirituality, different people to serve or to work with or live with--something outside of us must change before we do. The perfect family, monastery, friends, co-workers--none of these exist in reality. And Christ does not expect us to live under such perfect conditions, but to come to Him in the sinful and imperfect circumstances of our lives—and plunge ourselves into them as into His transforming fire.
This is where our transformation takes place, where we are purged, instructed, corrected, chastised, and saved. This is how we can imitate St John’s disciples, and all saints throughout the ages: They approached the consuming fire and allowed it to shape and mold them in the ordinary circumstances of their lives. St Josemaria Escriva says that “Either we learn to find Him there (in the ordinary), or we will never find Him.”
The ultimate message of all the saints, beginning with Our Lady, is: See what the Lord has done for me! We will meet many saints in heaven, canonized and un-canonized, whose victories we will rejoice in, as they will rejoice in ours. Here is one, we will say, who overcame pride and haughtiness; here is another who acquired chastity after a long struggle; here is still another who finally learned to trust after living in fear for so long. We will look at each other and understand without speaking: Look what Jesus did for me! Look what Jesus did for you! He is the Lord, and there is no other!
At this point--not only in Advent, but in our lives, do we have a testimony? Not someone else’s testimony, but the one you were made to have? Could you go and tell John what you have seen and heard?
In publishing this homily, we hope to share a portion of the spiritual treasure by which the students are enriched every day. However, this homily may not be reproduced by the parents or friends of St. Michael’s without written permission of the author.
Prayer Requests
• Mrs. Ermelinda Carino, who recently lost a lung and now struggles to afford the oxygen she needs.
• Mr. Jack Doherty who is battling cancer
• Mrs. Betty Evans, who has been diagnosed with malignant melanoma
• Mrs. Marilyn Garvey’s recuperation after surgery.
• Mrs. Amber Manly for a healthy pregnancy
• Mr. Richard Nelson, grandfather of David Hall, who is battling cancer
• St. Michael’s older priests and those who care for them.
• Those who suffer in the current economic crisis.
• Those who are in the armed forces.
• Dr. and Mrs. Bruce Schardt who set up chemistry labs and tutored in chemistry
• Those who provided the Semester Exam Parent Lunch: Mrs. Lauren Hanson, Mrs. Mary Lakomy, Mrs. Regina Lim with baby David, and Mr. and Mrs. Hao Lim with their daughter
Congratulations to our students
• Nicholas Hanson, who passed his review board to earn the rank of Eagle Scout. Nicholas’ success with his final project was organizing a community outreach with the Bethesda Project in Philadelphia, PA in May 2009.
• Christmas Door Decorating Contest Winners: First Place –Thomas Nguyen, Conrad Lakomy, Daniel Murphy-Dimen, and Alexander Stropko. Second Place – Jake Holke, Josh Aaker, Michael Martin, and Jack Milolaycik.
Birthdays
Jan. 10th Spencer Manson
Jan. 12th Marc LeMire
Jan. 14th Alan Le
Admissions
• Fr. Victor will host an information table after all the Masses at San Secondo D' Asti in Guasti, CA on Sunday, December 27th. If you know any families who would enjoy finding out more information about St. Michael’s, please let them know about this event.
• St. Michael’s entrance test is Saturday, January 30th at 9 am.
Weekly Homily by Fr. John Henry Hanson, O.Praem.
Among other things, Fr. John Henry teaches English in the Prep School
In today’s Gospel, Jesus commands the disciples of St John the Baptist: “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard.” The holy Baptist appears to us in this Advent season as the Lord’s Precursor, as the one who prepared the Lord’s way. And he did this by giving testimony, bearing witness to Christ. He bore his own testimony--not someone else’s--not by hearsay, but by his own experience he bore witness to Christ. The Lord wants each of us to have our own testimony about Him--not someone else’s, but our own. Saint John sent two of his disciples to see Jesus so that they would have their own testimony about Him, and not simply take his word for it.
We are called to imitate the disciples of the Baptist, and all the saints, like St John the Baptist, by imitating them according to what is most important about them. We are not to mimic their actions or parrot their words or otherwise pretend. To imitate the saints, in any age, is to surrender ourselves to Christ and experience Him in our lives firsthand. No one else can believe for us, hope for us, or love for us. This is ours to receive from God and ours to give back to Him.
In St Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus asks His disciples: “Who do men say that the Son of man is?” But He is not satisfied to hear about what others are saying; He turns the question directly at them: “But you, who do you say that I am?”
The experience of St Peter, who responded to the Lord’s question, was not that of St John the Baptist, though they both believed in the same Christ. The experience of St Ignatius of Antioch was not the same as St Ignatius of Loyola, though they had the same catholic faith. The experience of St Catherine of Alexandria was not that of St Catherine of Siena, though they both loved the same Lord Jesus. Nor was the experience of St Teresa of Jesus that of St Therese of the Child Jesus or of Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
And yet they all had something in common: an authentic, personal encounter with Christ. They were redeemed people and they acted like redeemed people. They were loved and they acted like loved people act. They were forgiven and they lived as forgiven people live--all with humility, generosity, gratitude, an eagerness to love and forgive others as they had been loved and forgiven: signs of authentic contact with Christ.
An image of the spiritual life that Blessed Columba Marmion uses may help us to figure out why the saints had such intimacy with the Lord, whereas our devotion may alternate between hot and cold. He says, Our God is a consuming fire, and most of us spend our lives circling round the fire instead of plunging into it.
We all need to be purged of something that stands in the way of our relationship with Christ. Maybe for most of us it is something we habitually postpone--even in a season whose purpose is to prepare us for Christ. We are always waiting for just the right conditions before we will change: a different setting for my spirituality, different people to serve or to work with or live with--something outside of us must change before we do. The perfect family, monastery, friends, co-workers--none of these exist in reality. And Christ does not expect us to live under such perfect conditions, but to come to Him in the sinful and imperfect circumstances of our lives—and plunge ourselves into them as into His transforming fire.
This is where our transformation takes place, where we are purged, instructed, corrected, chastised, and saved. This is how we can imitate St John’s disciples, and all saints throughout the ages: They approached the consuming fire and allowed it to shape and mold them in the ordinary circumstances of their lives. St Josemaria Escriva says that “Either we learn to find Him there (in the ordinary), or we will never find Him.”
The ultimate message of all the saints, beginning with Our Lady, is: See what the Lord has done for me! We will meet many saints in heaven, canonized and un-canonized, whose victories we will rejoice in, as they will rejoice in ours. Here is one, we will say, who overcame pride and haughtiness; here is another who acquired chastity after a long struggle; here is still another who finally learned to trust after living in fear for so long. We will look at each other and understand without speaking: Look what Jesus did for me! Look what Jesus did for you! He is the Lord, and there is no other!
At this point--not only in Advent, but in our lives, do we have a testimony? Not someone else’s testimony, but the one you were made to have? Could you go and tell John what you have seen and heard?
In publishing this homily, we hope to share a portion of the spiritual treasure by which the students are enriched every day. However, this homily may not be reproduced by the parents or friends of St. Michael’s without written permission of the author.
Prayer Requests
• Mrs. Ermelinda Carino, who recently lost a lung and now struggles to afford the oxygen she needs.
• Mr. Jack Doherty who is battling cancer
• Mrs. Betty Evans, who has been diagnosed with malignant melanoma
• Mrs. Marilyn Garvey’s recuperation after surgery.
• Mrs. Amber Manly for a healthy pregnancy
• Mr. Richard Nelson, grandfather of David Hall, who is battling cancer
• St. Michael’s older priests and those who care for them.
• Those who suffer in the current economic crisis.
• Those who are in the armed forces.
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