For the week of September 27, 2009

Thanks to the following families who helped this past week
The Bowe and Haeuser families for hosting students over the weekend
The Bonello, Lim (Daniel), and Mikolaycik families for driving carpools

Meet the Teachers Sunday, September 27th a face-to-face between parents, their son, and the teachers.
Time: Freshmen 6:30 pm; Sophomores 6:50 pm; Juniors 7:15 pm; Seniors 7:40 pm.
Begin: in the parking lot near the library where Fr. Gabriel will distribute name tags,
Continue: the yellow classroom and the recreation room.
End: Behind the school for a reception.

Having a caring audience for learning gives students a powerful reason to continue to learn and to work hard. It gives extra value their efforts at school. Listening well is the most important role of parents at the conferences. Refer to September 20th's entry for more details.

The National Merit Scholarship Program has awarded Thomas Nguyen a letter of commendation for his outstanding performance on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Congratulations, Thomas!

St. Michael’s Published Authors
Poems of the following students were published by Creative Communication in their Spring 2009 poetry edition:
Michael Forsyth ‘09
Edward Lim ‘11
Mark LeMire ‘10
Thomas Nguyen ‘10
Vitalyi Tractenberg ‘11

Parent Lunch
Our first Parent Lunch of the year is being provided on Tuesday (St. Michael’s Day) by Capt. and Mrs. Matt Holke. Mrs. Holke chairs our Parent Lunch committee. If you would like to volunteer to help with a future Parent Lunch, please contact Mrs. Holke. Sponsoring a lunch is a great way to celebrate your son’s birthday! Mrs. Holke’s contact information is listed in the Parent Telephone Directory or call the school office.

CPR Training
Capt. Matt Holke will be conducting the first session of CPR training for all room leaders on Tuesday evening. CPR training is a safety measure required of all room leaders.

Student Birthdays
9/29 Jake Holke
10/6 Charles Sandoval

College Representative Visits
The following college representatives will speak to students during lunch this week:
· Monday – Holy Cross College
· Thursday – John Paul the Great
In addition, St. Michael’s students will tour Irvine College on Tuesday afternoon.

Upcoming Athletic Events
Monday, Sept. 28th: XC @ STM; 2:00 pm


Weekly Homily by Fr. Adrian Sanchez, O. Praem.
Among other things, Fr. Adrian works in the prison ministry.

We celebrate today the feast of St. Matthew, the Apostle and Evangelist. As we heard in the gospel of today's Mass, St. Matthew was a tax collector, which was a very despised profession among the Jews of our lord's time, because the taxes were collected for the Romans who were occupying the holy Land of Israel.

And so the tax collectors were seen as collaborators with the enemy against God's people. They were considered to be among the worst class of sinners; a respectable Jew would have nothing to do with a tax collector.

This is why the Pharisees were so shocked to see our Lord associating with this tax collector. Jesus was not ashamed to be with these rejects of society; in fact He went to seek them out, because, as He tells us in the gospel, it is the sick who need the doctor.

The doctor was Jesus Himself and since the Pharisees were too proud to acknowledge their own spiritual sickness, they passed up the opportunity to be healed. But for the tax collectors, prostitutes, thieves, and adulterers it was impossible to hide their spiritual diseases; everyone knew what they were, so they could come to the feet of our Lord without shame, and beg from Him forgiveness and healing.

And so St. Matthew received the healing of Christ; He not only left his collector's job, but he joined the circle of the twelve disciples. He abandoned his past once and for all, never looking back on what he had left, and followed Christ for the rest of His life with an undivided heart.

After writing his account of the life of our Lord, like all the apostles he ended his life spreading the gospel to the nations, dying a martyr in Asia. Through his intercession may we have the grace first of all to acknowledge at all times our need of healing, and so always remain dependent on our Lord; and secondly, that we may learn to follow Christ with an undivided heart, turning our backs completely on the sins of our past, and doing all we can to become, as St. Paul says in the first reading, the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the Body of Christ.

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
· Mr. George Ghosn who is ordained a deacon on September 27th.
· Mrs. Anna Guerra, who is recovering from knee replacement surgery.
· Mrs. Jodi Meschuk for a healthy pregnancy.
· Mrs. Betty Vaughan who suffers from declining health.
· St. Michael’s older priests and those who care for them.
· Those who suffer the effects of the current economic crisis.
· Those who are in the armed forces.

For the week of September 20, 2009

Thanks to the following families who helped this past week
The Bonello, Dimen, and Schardt families for hosting students in their home over the weekend
The Aaker and Bonello families for driving carpools


Meet the Teachers Sunday, September 27th
a face-to-face between parents, their son, and their son's teachers.

Time: Freshmen 6:30 pm; Sophomores 6:50 pm; Juniors 7:15 pm; Seniors 7:40 pm.
Begin: in the parking lot near the library where Fr. Gabriel will distribute name tags,
Continue: the yellow classroom and the recreation room.
End: Behind the school for a reception.
Note: Three minute timeframe. If parents have more than one student attending, the conference is "private" and the other son should wait for his turn to lead his presentation about his learning.

The objective is to help your sons accept more of the responsibility and ownership for their learning. To demonstrate to what degree you son has accomplished this objective, he has prepared a sampling of his classwork to show you.
During your meeting with the various teachers, your son will succinctly:
· Introduce you to his teacher;
· Tell you the basic academic habits (note taking, summarizing reading, etc.) that he is good at;
· Tell you the specific things (knowledge, skills, abilities) in each class that he is good at;
· Tell you the things he is going to improve in (growth areas);
· Tell you the strategies/steps to achieve his goals;
· Tell you how you, his parents, can assist him to achieve his goals.

Your role as a parent is to
· Look at your son’s online grades before coming to the conference. This is easy when you log in at TeacherEase.com;
· Listen to son when he speaks about his strengths/weaknesses and goals for each of his classes;
· Briefly confirm (or correct) your son’s self-identified strengths/weaknesses and goals. Don’t plan on saying anything more than a few words – not more than one or two sentences
· Send a note to your son during the week which summarizes your view of the conference. Praise. Encourage. Exhort. Love.

Having a caring audience for learning gives students a powerful reason to continue to learn and to work hard. It gives extra value to their efforts at school. Listening well is the most important role of parents at the conferences. We’ll see you on Sunday!


Student Birthdays
9/20 Thomas Nguyen
9/22 Jack Mikolaycik
9/29 Jake Holke

College Representative Visits
The following college representatives will speak to students during lunch this week:
· Monday - University of San Francisco
· Tuesday - Arizona State University
· Thursday – Mount St. Mary’s
In addition, students will have the opportunity to speak to a variety of college reps when they attend the annual college fair at Santa Margarita Catholic High School Thursday, September 24th at 7:00 pm.

Admissions to St. Michael's Prep
Open House Dates: Sunday, October 18, 2009 and Saturday, November 14, 2009
Open House Times: 3:30 – 5:00 pm

Upcoming Athletic Events
Thursday, Sept. 24th: XC vs Bethel Baptist @ Mile Square Park; 3:30 pm
Friday, Sept. 25th: Fball vs. Christian Life Academy @ STM; 3:00 pm
Saturday, Sept. 26th: XC @ Dana Hills High School; time TBA


Weekly Homily by Fr. John Henry, O. Praem.
Among other things, Fr. John Henry teaches freshman English and Advanced Placement English.

“Behold your Mother.” This is our Lord’s command to us, on this commemoration of Our Lady of Sorrows. What do we see when we look and behold our Mother? What does the Lord want us to see? We see that we are loved by a woman who is virgin, mother, and sinless. If you combine all three you get the most powerful love on earth and in heaven—second only to God’s. Virginity, maternity, impeccability. What is it like to be children of such a mother? What place does sorrow have in her love for us?

Love and sorrow go together in her somewhat in the way they did for St Paul: “My little children, with whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you!” The sorrow Our Lady had during Jesus’ passion is passed--but that we will not allow ourselves to be changed by it, here is a cause for ultimate sorrow. Her love for us, and her sorrow for us, is rooted in the fact that she saw the Lord’s blood shed for herself and for us. Our Lady saw the blood, the saving blood. She knows firsthand the power of that blood--and that for us, there is nothing that the Blood of Jesus cannot accomplish in our lives: there is no sin that cannot be overcome, no wound that cannot be healed, if we will trust in the love that poured out its blood for us.

Her motherhood over us reflects this truth--and so it is strong, true, compassionate, but never sentimental. She is At pains until Christ be formed in us. We are her children, but she will not “baby” us. As a strong mother, with our best interests at heart, she will not put up with our nonsense—whatever form our individual brand of nonsense takes--usually some form of self-love—acting out of wounded self-love, self-righteousness. Or taking an escape hatch from reality, from the Cross. Each of us has at least one escape hatch that we use to hide from ourselves, others, reality in general.

For Our Lady at the foot of the Cross, there was no escaping, no looking away, no desire to be elsewhere. When we desire to be elsewhere, she understands our weakness, but does everything in her power to bring us back. She knows we are headed in the wrong direction: away from Calvary, not toward it. Remember that she handled Christ as a baby, saw Him grow up, crucified and risen. Having been a first-hand witness to every stage of perfect love, she will not turn and allow us to indulge in counterfeit, self-love. She will not allow us to waste time believing that love consists in anything other than self-sacrifice, vulnerability, and truth.

From her place by the Cross, as from her place in heaven, all that Our Lady wants to accomplish in our lives is the formation of Christ in us. She is urgent about it; as she set out in haste to share the Lord with St Elizabeth, so is she insistent about Christ being formed in us. Our Lady tries to move us forward to our place in heaven, the place that she sees clearly; the place that Christ has purchased for us by His blood. When she sees us stalling, held by back by sadness or discouragement or fear or unbelief, she says: Quick--move on, trust in the Blood of the Lamb, and move forward!

Our Lady sees the end that each of us must reach, the graces necessary, how much time we have. She who beholds the face of God in perfect clarity sees everything necessary for us to reach that vision, and everything that is incompatible with that vision--mainly, our nonsense. When we protest over God’s will, when we say unfair, she sees something else. She sees our incomprehension, but also how everything fits mysteriously into God’s plan for us. Most especially, she sees the blood that once redeemed us and continually renews us.

Today, her message to us is: If you hear about Christ’s love for you and it makes you wonder, or if you think the testimony of the saints is exaggerated, resolve that problem quickly. You are headed for ruin if you leave any question in your mind about the love that should be the foundation of your life. She says, No matter what sins you’ve committed, or how often, or how premeditated they were: I saw the blood—I saw it shed for me and for you. Will we believe her and in the power of Jesus’ blood? “One of the soldiers pierced his side … and at once there came out blood and water. She who saw it has borne witness--her testimony is true, and she knows that she tells the truth--that you also may believe.”


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. Anna Guerra, who is recovering from knee replacement surgery.
· Mrs. Jodi Meschuk for a healthy pregnancy.
· Mrs. Betty Vaughan who suffers from declining health.
· St. Michael’s older priests and those who care for them.
· Those who suffer the effects of the current economic crisis.
· Those who are in the armed forces.


School events are regularly updated. Please check the school calendar. StMichaelsPrep.org/calendar Contact the school office for more information: PamChristian@StMichaelsPrep.org (949) 858-0222 ext 237

For the week of September 13, 2009

Thanks to the following families who helped this past week
· The Dimen family for hosting students in their home over the weekend
· The Aaker and Bonello families for driving carpools

GALA Parent Meeting
Join us Sunday evening, Sept. 20th at 7:30 pm for an informational meeting with Mrs. Casey Cook in the student dining room.

Admissions
St. Callistus Catholic Elementary School will host the first in a series of High School Information Nights on Monday, September 14th from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. If you know anyone in that area who would enjoy meeting Fr. Claude and finding out more information about St. Michael’s, please let them know about the event. St. Callistus is located at 12901 Lewis St., Garden Grove, CA 92804

Student Birthdays
9/16 Scott Schardt
9/20 Thomas Nguyen
9/22 Jack Mikolaycik
9/29 Jacob Holke

This year’s flu season at St. Michael’s Prep
As you know, flu passes easily from person to person. Because of the increased likelihood of the H1N1 virus (swine flu) spreading this season, many parents are especially concerned. The faculty and staff at St. Michael’s Prep are proactive in their efforts to protect the students. The extra preventative measures to reduce the spread of all strains of flu at St. Michael’s Prep include:
· Hiring a registered nurse to visit the campus each Wednesday to monitor student health.
· Establishing an infirmary in the dorm to isolate potentially infectious students until they return home.
· Doubling the days for which physical education is required so that students are outside and benefit from moderate exercise more often.
· Installing a special hot/cold water dispenser in the dorm area to increase hydration.
· Turning off the lights at 11 pm to encourage students to rest adequately.
· Stocking facial tissue in all the classrooms to reduce contamination.
Supplying foam sanitizer in the dining room to improve hygiene.
· Strengthening the quality control of all the student room jobs, especially bathroom cleanliness.
· Adding another day to the Thanksgiving Holiday.

There are also important preventative measures parents, too, can take. These include:
· Keep your son at home for at least 24 hours after he no longer has a fever and the signs of fever, without using fever-reducing drugs. Keeping chil­dren with a fever at home will reduce the number of people who become infected.
· Encourage your son (and all your family members) to wash their hands often with soap and water. Set a good example by doing this yourself.
· Encourage your son (and all your family members) not to share personal items like drinks, food or un­washed utensils.
· Teach your son (and all your family members) to cover up their coughs or sneezes using the elbow, arm or sleeve instead of the hand when a tissue is unavailable.
· Do not spread rumors of possible flu infection. Check with the headmaster’s office for accurate information.

For more information, refer to the pamphlet “Take 3” Steps To Fight The Flu sponsored by the Center for Disease Control. http://pandemicflu.gov/seasonalflu/preventing.html

Athletics
Congratulations to Pioneer Football for their 58-6 win over Ribet Academy, a pre K-12 school located in Los Angeles.

Upcoming Events
Friday, Sept. 18th: Fball vs. St. Joseph's Academy @ Calvin Christian School, 3:30 pm
Saturday, Sept. 19th XC @ Woodbridge H.S., time TBA


Weekly Homily by Fr. Alphonsus Hermes, O. Praem.
Among other things, Fr. Alphonsus is the chaplain of the school and coordinates the care for the elderly priests.

There is a fascinating computer animation on the inner life of the cell produced by Harvard scientists and top-notch graphic artists depicting the complex workings of various parts of one cell in the human body. The astounding short video was made especially for college students of microbiology.

Although I didn’t understand most of the activity going on before my eyes, the sheer beauty of choreography, detail, and unity of purpose among all those many parts made it difficult not to replay the animation over and over again. In fact, there are two videos – an 8-minute version with a bland narration of the technical terms, and the more popular 3-minute preview accompanied by a haunting, dramatic musical score. You almost get the impression in watching this short movie that it’s the trailer of a full-length adventure story—coming to a theater near you! But, in fact, it’s nearer than you could imagine, taking place in some way in each of the trillion cells of your body at every moment, keeping your living organism alive and organized.

The story follows a white blood cell as it rolls along the interior of a tiny blood vessel, like a blob covered in Velcro, as the red blood cells hurtle past almost faster than the eye can see. Then the camera zooms in on the hairy filaments which cover the sticky surface of both the white blood cell and the interior of the blood vessel. Next viewer is taken in closer to view the proteins and molecules that make up the surface of the cell: its skin—which separates it from other cells, and its skeleton—which is constantly changing its structure so the whole body of the cell can move where it needs to be to help the person heal.

There were complaints about the video. Some arm-chair scientists objected that it oversimplified what was really going on because the actual activities within a cell are so complex. Some accused the makers of the movie Expelled of plagiarism because their similar video focused on many of the same activities of the cell which the Harvard animation shows, with similar camera angles and background structures, even though there would be thousands of other ways to depict the activity within the cell. Lawsuits between the two producers were eventually dropped. A doctor I know complained that when he studied cell biology 20 years ago, he had to read several pages of explanation, and try to piece it together in his imagination, while kids these days have the whole thing portrayed in a breath-taking computer animation.

One thought which struck me when I first saw “The Inner Life of the Cell” was that each part works to complete its goal in perfect harmony with every other part, according to its design. On the other hand, human beings, with all their intelligence, continually ignore their purpose. They thwart their design as mind and emotions, imagination and will grate against one another, aimlessly pursuing other selfish ends. The contrast between the symphonic unity of the microscopic organelles of every cell and the dysfunction and disintegration of the human heart suddenly appeared astoundingly tragic!

But it should not be that way, my brothers! The reverence and awe for each cell which this understanding of its activity inspires, and for the whole body which they make up, should be reciprocated in reverence and awe for the heart and mind, and a desire to direct all their parts and functions in symphonic unity, as a perfectly integrated whole.

St. Paul corrects these heart malfunctions, these diseases of the soul, by exhorting us to certain virtues: “Put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another.” Each of these reintegrate and heal our sickened souls. Especially the mother of all the virtues, love, puts all the other virtues in exact order: “which binds the rest together and makes them perfect”! Then our entire soul would work as harmoniously as our body does, even in its tiniest cell. So also each of us should work together as members of the Body of Christ.

The demands of the virtue of love are given central prominence in today's Gospel. If we recognize that every human being is designed by God, with a destiny to live with Him, then we will extend a love like His to each of them, even to our enemies. We will perform our function in the cell of Christ’s Body, doing good even to those who hate us. We will desire that they be healed, reintegrated, no longer diseased and dysfunctional. We will work for their conversion, and so be true children of the Most High.

As the Psalmist puts it, every element of creation, each part of every cell in our body, will be joined by our heart and soul to harmonize with the symphony of everything that lives and that breathes, to give praise to the Lord!

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. Anna Guerra, who is recovering from knee replacement surgery.
· Luke Holbach, who fractured his wrist during Friday’s football game.
· Mrs. Jodi Meschuk for a healthy pregnancy.
· Mrs. Betty Vaughan who suffers from declining health.
· Mrs. Terese Velasco, mother of alumnus John Paul Velasco ’08, who recovers from a stroke.
· St. Michael’s older priests and those who care for them.
· Those who suffer the effects of the current economic crisis.
· Those who are in the armed forces.

Repose of the soul of Mr. David Allen Bum, uncle of alumnus Andrew Bowdish '01.

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