Thanks to the families who helped this past week
• Parents who carpooled students: Mrs. Laurie Mikolaycik, Mrs. Marcie Perez, Mrs. Miriam Schardt, and Mr. John Terlisner
An easy way to stay up to date.
St. Michael's Weekly Newsletter is now published using an online "Web Log" format. The most obvious way to stay updated is to navigate to the site each week. Some people, however, would like an easier way for all of the new content of "To Parents and Friends" to be sent to them in a single package with their other favorite news sites. The easiest way to do this is with a Reader. On this site, scroll down to see on the right hand column a label "Subscribe", below which is a box labeled "Posts". Click on this box to see more easy ways to receive updates from this and other websites.
Tuition Payment Deadline:
Friday, December 4th is the deadline for the second installment of the 60%/40% payment program.
Congratulations to our Soccer Team, 2009-2010.
Aaker, Josh
Bowe, Brendan
Cannizzaro, Nicholas
Gonzalez, Esteban
Holke, Jacob
LeMire, Marc
Lim, Daniel
Murphy-Dimen, Daniel
Pfeifer, Nicholas
Porretta, Joseph
Porretta, Michael
Ruiz, Ricky
Terlisner, Joseph
Soccer coaches: fr. Benedict and fr. Stanislaus.
Soccer games this week:
Monday, Nov. 30th, vs. Calvary Chapel/Downey @ STM; 3:00 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 1st, vs Crean Lutheran @ Irvine Valley College; 3:00 p.m.
Admissions
St. Michael’s next Open House is Sunday, December 6th at 3:30 p.m. in our school library.
Weekly Homily by Abbot Eugene Hayes, O.Praem.
“Bless the God of all who has done wondrous things on earth.” We heard these words just a couple of minutes ago. They, are as we all heard, words taken from the book of Sirach, a book reflective of the mindset that is truly wise. The wisdom that is praised in this book and others of the Old Testament, the Hebrew Scriptures, is eminently practical, in our minds at least. Wisdom is that quality which enables one to discern, to identify, to know what is right and what is wrong, what is good and what is evil. And once that is established, wisdom becomes operative and chooses a course of action. The good is identified and then acted upon, pursued, attained. The question of giving thanks, the theme which is all over the texts used at this Mass approved by the American Bishops some years ago, is of primary importance on this day. The Gospel, both consoling and saddening, underlines this.
As happens in other moments where Our Lord heals, there is also a lesson to be learned, a greater and more pressing point than the actual cure, the liberation from some evil whether natural or supernatural. Here it is clear that Our Lord is touched by the one’s man’s return and touched also by the absence of the other 9. Many of us in Christ’s place, seeing the one man coming towards us alone, would have been waiting already for some time with great expectation for the consequent thanks and overflowing expression of thankfulness for what we had done. Perhaps if we dare to put ourselves in Christ place even for a moment, we would be thinking that this one is just the first to return, the others will follow. Or: “I guess the others asked him to be the spokesman for the others nine” with the added thought that probably the one who returned was sent to invite us to the celebratory meal the 10 of them were sponsoring with the added invitation to “bring your Mom and maybe some of the apostles” Christ doesn’t seem to have engaged in such cogitations. In response to the man throwing himself at his feet the Lord says: “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine?” So, it is not just good or pleasant or expected but it is right, fitting, just to give thanks to the Lord.
The advice given us by the liturgy today then is one which is ever timely: we are always to give thanks to the Lord, throughout our lives, throughout the year, every day and this day in particular as we unite with our fellow citizens in this observance of our national day of thanksgiving. “But Father Abbot, what are you saying, this has been a terrible year, the economy, unemployment, hunger, homelessness, sicknesses, deaths disappointments.” Perhaps some of those affected by such burdens have said something similar to all of us: why? How can you be thankful with all this?” And here we can take example from the “inventors” of this day, the ones who originated, it is said, on this land of ours, which even earlier than their arrival had been explored by others for the proclamation and spread of the Gospel, among other motives. Who were these people, these pilgrims, what was their story? With what sentiments did they sit down with their native neighbors to share meal? The introduction to this Mass in the missalete gives an answer: these pilgrims sharing a meal with native and friendly neighbors, “these people had a collective memory of a death-filled difficult voyage to a land which was also harsh to them. Today reminds us that even in the midst of difficulties we are dependent upon a God who loves us and gives us good things.” So in their footsteps, lots of us today and throughout the land which celebrates it, are sitting down with hearts that are not magically unburdened. Many others are not sitting down at all and countless others are being hosted by outreach programs throughout the land for what is probably the first substantial meal in a while, among those we might be surprised to find former neighbors and others known to us at one time or another.
“Bless the God of all who has done wondrous things for us.” This is good and beautiful and fitting and right. But, as the preface for today’s Mass will remind us, God doesn’t need our thanks. Our thanks do nothing for our God, who has no need of our praise. For even our desire to thank him is his gift to us. Furthermore, on this day, we are called as best we can, to do wondrous things for others, marvelously simple things, like supplying them in their basic want or needs. A week ago last Monday, November 16th our Holy Father Pope Benedict addressed the annual food summit sponsored by the Food and Agricultural organization of the United Nations (the whole text is on the Vatican website. It is well worth a read). There in words clear and striking and challenging, he spoke to this wondrous and marvelous work of supplying nourishment for those who do not have it. He said in part that the world: “is currently facing a grave economic and financial crisis…. Statistics bear witness to the dramatic growth in the number of people suffering from hunger, …notwithstanding the known fact that the world has enough food for all its inhabitants.” Indeed “Hunger is not so much dependent on lack of material things as on shortage of social resources, the most important of which are institutional…. nevertheless, while it is true that human solidarity inspired by love goes beyond justice – because to love is to give, to offer what is “mine” to the other – it is never without justice, which leads us to give the other what is “his”, what belongs to him by virtue of his being and acting. Indeed, I cannot “give” the other what is “mine”, without first giving him what belongs to him in justice (cf. ibid., 6)… Hunger is the most cruel and concrete sign of poverty. Opulence and waste are no longer acceptable when the tragedy of hunger is assuming ever greater proportions.” Thus the words of the Pope.
The celebration of this day impels us, I think, to assist in giving this same possibility and motivation to those most in need, that they too may have something right now to be thankful for. While we do this wondrous thing in imitation of the good God by assisting in the relief of the hungry in our own county we do it also, having been reminded by the Holy Father’s words, it is a just thing, even a mandatory thing, and an evangelical thing. During this month of November, more than once we have heard in the liturgy Our Lord’s narration of that tremendous scene in Matthew 26, at which all of us will be participants. May we be generous in giving to today’s collection which will be given in its entirety to the Second Harvest Food Bank in Irvine, an agency aligned with the St. Vincent de Paul society and supported by other Catholic groups such as the Order of Malta, who this week and today and throughout the year feed (and clothe and house also) some of the hundreds of thousands in our own Orange county who go without food, not just men, but women and children and, indeed, families. In doing such and reaching out to give the neighbor what is “his” and, of course for many other reasons, may we all be fortunate to hear from Our Lord those blessed words on that blessed day “For I was hungry and you gave me to eat.”
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. Jack Doherty who is battling cancer
• Dr. Joseph Gloudeman who suffers from the reoccurrence of cancer.
• Mr. Robert Greer, maternal grandfather of senior Michael Haeuser, who suffers from declining health.
• Mrs. Amber Manly for a healthy pregnancy
• Linda Vogel, mother of John Vogel, who suffers from cancer.
• Cole Workman, who at 21 months old, is healing from 2 broken bones in his arm.
• 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.
The repose of the souls of Clementine McDowell, the paternal grandmother of freshman Jacob McDowell, and of Vincentian priest, Fr. Thomas McIntyre.
Contact the school office for more information: PamChristian@StMichaelsPrep.org (949) 858-0222 ext 237
• Parents who carpooled students: Mrs. Laurie Mikolaycik, Mrs. Marcie Perez, Mrs. Miriam Schardt, and Mr. John Terlisner
An easy way to stay up to date.
St. Michael's Weekly Newsletter is now published using an online "Web Log" format. The most obvious way to stay updated is to navigate to the site each week. Some people, however, would like an easier way for all of the new content of "To Parents and Friends" to be sent to them in a single package with their other favorite news sites. The easiest way to do this is with a Reader. On this site, scroll down to see on the right hand column a label "Subscribe", below which is a box labeled "Posts". Click on this box to see more easy ways to receive updates from this and other websites.
Tuition Payment Deadline:
Friday, December 4th is the deadline for the second installment of the 60%/40% payment program.
Congratulations to our Soccer Team, 2009-2010.
Aaker, Josh
Bowe, Brendan
Cannizzaro, Nicholas
Gonzalez, Esteban
Holke, Jacob
LeMire, Marc
Lim, Daniel
Murphy-Dimen, Daniel
Pfeifer, Nicholas
Porretta, Joseph
Porretta, Michael
Ruiz, Ricky
Terlisner, Joseph
Soccer coaches: fr. Benedict and fr. Stanislaus.
Soccer games this week:
Monday, Nov. 30th, vs. Calvary Chapel/Downey @ STM; 3:00 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 1st, vs Crean Lutheran @ Irvine Valley College; 3:00 p.m.
Admissions
St. Michael’s next Open House is Sunday, December 6th at 3:30 p.m. in our school library.
Weekly Homily by Abbot Eugene Hayes, O.Praem.
“Bless the God of all who has done wondrous things on earth.” We heard these words just a couple of minutes ago. They, are as we all heard, words taken from the book of Sirach, a book reflective of the mindset that is truly wise. The wisdom that is praised in this book and others of the Old Testament, the Hebrew Scriptures, is eminently practical, in our minds at least. Wisdom is that quality which enables one to discern, to identify, to know what is right and what is wrong, what is good and what is evil. And once that is established, wisdom becomes operative and chooses a course of action. The good is identified and then acted upon, pursued, attained. The question of giving thanks, the theme which is all over the texts used at this Mass approved by the American Bishops some years ago, is of primary importance on this day. The Gospel, both consoling and saddening, underlines this.
As happens in other moments where Our Lord heals, there is also a lesson to be learned, a greater and more pressing point than the actual cure, the liberation from some evil whether natural or supernatural. Here it is clear that Our Lord is touched by the one’s man’s return and touched also by the absence of the other 9. Many of us in Christ’s place, seeing the one man coming towards us alone, would have been waiting already for some time with great expectation for the consequent thanks and overflowing expression of thankfulness for what we had done. Perhaps if we dare to put ourselves in Christ place even for a moment, we would be thinking that this one is just the first to return, the others will follow. Or: “I guess the others asked him to be the spokesman for the others nine” with the added thought that probably the one who returned was sent to invite us to the celebratory meal the 10 of them were sponsoring with the added invitation to “bring your Mom and maybe some of the apostles” Christ doesn’t seem to have engaged in such cogitations. In response to the man throwing himself at his feet the Lord says: “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine?” So, it is not just good or pleasant or expected but it is right, fitting, just to give thanks to the Lord.
The advice given us by the liturgy today then is one which is ever timely: we are always to give thanks to the Lord, throughout our lives, throughout the year, every day and this day in particular as we unite with our fellow citizens in this observance of our national day of thanksgiving. “But Father Abbot, what are you saying, this has been a terrible year, the economy, unemployment, hunger, homelessness, sicknesses, deaths disappointments.” Perhaps some of those affected by such burdens have said something similar to all of us: why? How can you be thankful with all this?” And here we can take example from the “inventors” of this day, the ones who originated, it is said, on this land of ours, which even earlier than their arrival had been explored by others for the proclamation and spread of the Gospel, among other motives. Who were these people, these pilgrims, what was their story? With what sentiments did they sit down with their native neighbors to share meal? The introduction to this Mass in the missalete gives an answer: these pilgrims sharing a meal with native and friendly neighbors, “these people had a collective memory of a death-filled difficult voyage to a land which was also harsh to them. Today reminds us that even in the midst of difficulties we are dependent upon a God who loves us and gives us good things.” So in their footsteps, lots of us today and throughout the land which celebrates it, are sitting down with hearts that are not magically unburdened. Many others are not sitting down at all and countless others are being hosted by outreach programs throughout the land for what is probably the first substantial meal in a while, among those we might be surprised to find former neighbors and others known to us at one time or another.
“Bless the God of all who has done wondrous things for us.” This is good and beautiful and fitting and right. But, as the preface for today’s Mass will remind us, God doesn’t need our thanks. Our thanks do nothing for our God, who has no need of our praise. For even our desire to thank him is his gift to us. Furthermore, on this day, we are called as best we can, to do wondrous things for others, marvelously simple things, like supplying them in their basic want or needs. A week ago last Monday, November 16th our Holy Father Pope Benedict addressed the annual food summit sponsored by the Food and Agricultural organization of the United Nations (the whole text is on the Vatican website. It is well worth a read). There in words clear and striking and challenging, he spoke to this wondrous and marvelous work of supplying nourishment for those who do not have it. He said in part that the world: “is currently facing a grave economic and financial crisis…. Statistics bear witness to the dramatic growth in the number of people suffering from hunger, …notwithstanding the known fact that the world has enough food for all its inhabitants.” Indeed “Hunger is not so much dependent on lack of material things as on shortage of social resources, the most important of which are institutional…. nevertheless, while it is true that human solidarity inspired by love goes beyond justice – because to love is to give, to offer what is “mine” to the other – it is never without justice, which leads us to give the other what is “his”, what belongs to him by virtue of his being and acting. Indeed, I cannot “give” the other what is “mine”, without first giving him what belongs to him in justice (cf. ibid., 6)… Hunger is the most cruel and concrete sign of poverty. Opulence and waste are no longer acceptable when the tragedy of hunger is assuming ever greater proportions.” Thus the words of the Pope.
The celebration of this day impels us, I think, to assist in giving this same possibility and motivation to those most in need, that they too may have something right now to be thankful for. While we do this wondrous thing in imitation of the good God by assisting in the relief of the hungry in our own county we do it also, having been reminded by the Holy Father’s words, it is a just thing, even a mandatory thing, and an evangelical thing. During this month of November, more than once we have heard in the liturgy Our Lord’s narration of that tremendous scene in Matthew 26, at which all of us will be participants. May we be generous in giving to today’s collection which will be given in its entirety to the Second Harvest Food Bank in Irvine, an agency aligned with the St. Vincent de Paul society and supported by other Catholic groups such as the Order of Malta, who this week and today and throughout the year feed (and clothe and house also) some of the hundreds of thousands in our own Orange county who go without food, not just men, but women and children and, indeed, families. In doing such and reaching out to give the neighbor what is “his” and, of course for many other reasons, may we all be fortunate to hear from Our Lord those blessed words on that blessed day “For I was hungry and you gave me to eat.”
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. Jack Doherty who is battling cancer
• Dr. Joseph Gloudeman who suffers from the reoccurrence of cancer.
• Mr. Robert Greer, maternal grandfather of senior Michael Haeuser, who suffers from declining health.
• Mrs. Amber Manly for a healthy pregnancy
• Linda Vogel, mother of John Vogel, who suffers from cancer.
• Cole Workman, who at 21 months old, is healing from 2 broken bones in his arm.
• 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.
The repose of the souls of Clementine McDowell, the paternal grandmother of freshman Jacob McDowell, and of Vincentian priest, Fr. Thomas McIntyre.
Contact the school office for more information: PamChristian@StMichaelsPrep.org (949) 858-0222 ext 237
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