Thanks to those parents and friends who helped make the week a success
● Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Aaker for assisting with St. Michael’s outreach program.
● Mrs. Rudy Aguilar and. Mr. and Mrs. Brian Tran for hosting students over the weekend.
● Mrs. Maria Saglietto for volunteering to coordinate the Advent Lessons and Carols reception,
● Mrs. Miriam Schardt for picking up our completed letterman jackets and delivering them to the school.
General announcements to Parents
● Parent Lunch, Thursday, Dec. 9th provided by Mrs. Aguilar, Mrs. Dimen
● Advent Lessons and Carols, Sunday, Dec. 12th; 7:00 p.m. Reception follows.
Admission Matters
Open House, Sunday Dec. 5th @ 3:30 p.m.
Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)–Western Catholic Education Association (WCEA)
● Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Aaker for assisting with St. Michael’s outreach program.
● Mrs. Rudy Aguilar and. Mr. and Mrs. Brian Tran for hosting students over the weekend.
● Mrs. Maria Saglietto for volunteering to coordinate the Advent Lessons and Carols reception,
● Mrs. Miriam Schardt for picking up our completed letterman jackets and delivering them to the school.
General announcements to Parents
● Parent Lunch, Thursday, Dec. 9th provided by Mrs. Aguilar, Mrs. Dimen
● Advent Lessons and Carols, Sunday, Dec. 12th; 7:00 p.m. Reception follows.
Admission Matters
Open House, Sunday Dec. 5th @ 3:30 p.m.
Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)–Western Catholic Education Association (WCEA)
A survey will be sent to parents this week regarding various aspects of the WASC/WCEA Self-Study. Please take a moment to fill it out once it is sent to you via email.
This week’s photos: Fall Sports Awards Ceremony
This week’s photos: Fall Sports Awards Ceremony
Parent/Student Handbook: Chapter 7; Section 3
SECTION 3: STUDENT RESIDENCE
PRIVACYThe Student Residence should remain private. Parents, teachers, alumni and visitors may not enter the student residence at any time. This restriction extends also to the stairs, except when on business in the Headmaster’s office.
To assure the greatest possible privacy and an atmosphere conducive to study, no student is allowed at any time to visit the rooms of his fellow students. This includes extended standing at doors or windows, or talking across the hallway or out of windows. Students are not to be called out of their rooms or disturbed from their studies.
Etiquette Point of the Week
A gentleman does not intrude or interrupt when someone they wish to speak to is talking on the telephone. If the person you want to speak to is occupied on the telephone, it is better to leave and come back when the person has concluded their phone conversation. How To Raise A Gentleman, Kay West; Brooks Brothers Press
Athletics
FALL SPORTS AWARDS
Football:
Impact Player of the Year - Anton Gerami
Defensive Player of the Year - Vitalyi Tractenberg
Offensive Player of the Year - David Suh
Most Improved Player - Brian Schardt
"GIVE IT A GO!" - John Hebert
1st Team All-League - Anton Gerami
1st Team All-League - Brian Shardt
Honorable Mention All-League - Daniel Murphy-Dimen
Cross Country:
Most Improved – Charles Sandoval
Most Inspirational – Michael Howard
Most Valuable Runner – James Howard
This Week:
Tuesday, Dec. 7th: soccer vs Community Charter @ Hansen Dam; 3:00 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 8th: soccer vs Mary Star @ Mary Star; 1:30 p.m.Thursday, Dec. 9th: soccer vs TVT @ TVT; 3:00 p.m.
Homily preached by Fr. John Henry Hanson
Among other things, Fr. John Henry teaches English and Scripture.
St Peter cried out, “Lord, save me!” He intended his cry to reach the ears of Jesus only--but it was not only for Jesus. It was for all the world to hear. And today we hear it. Isn’t it embarrassing, to have your helplessness exposed like that? From the confident, “Lord bid me come to you,” to the plea “Lord, save me!”? Or St Paul, when he was still breathing murderous threats against Christians, bent on destroying the Church, then he is thrown to the ground, he is rebuked, he is humbled. Isn’t that embarrassing? If such things happened to us, and were recorded in Scripture for all people of all time to hear proclaimed, to meditate upon, to hear preached about… wouldn’t it be embarrassing to hear about our moments of weakness made so public?
Although today we are not celebrating Saints Peter and Paul as individual saints, we are celebrating the anniversary of the dedication of their churches in Rome. These great basilicas are dedicated
to the glory of God in honor of two very imperfect men who, by the grace of Christ, are now just men made perfect. Yet the example of their weakness and imperfection continues to be placed before us--nearly two thousand years after the fact--not as a source of embarrassment, but of glory. Blessed John Henry Newman once said in a sermon that everything about the New Covenant inaugurated by Christ is perfect and heavenly and glorious--except one thing: the ministers, the heralds, the priests of that new covenant. The Lord Jesus wants the Gospel of salvation to reach the ends of the earth by means of faulty, flawed men--men who carry the treasures of grace, of their ministry and apostolate in clay vessels and do not try to hide the fact that they do.
This might seem like a very strange and unsuitable choice of our Savior, but it is His way, and therefore the best way. Newman explains, talking to the faithful, that “Christ has appointed your brethren, of your own bone and your own flesh, to preach to you. It is your brethren that He has appointed… sons of Adam… men, like you, exposed to the same temptations, with [the] same human, wayward heart.” But that it is grace and grace alone that has separated us and enabled us to offer, with any credibility, the ministry of reconciliation. The Redeemer of the human race wills to spread His kingdom by means of the men He has redeemed, reconciled to Himself, and saved in hope. Only those who have been reconciled and who still seek reconciliation can offer that reconciliation to other sinners.
Really, if we look at the Gospels we will find that it is a pattern. The choice of Christ follows a pattern. Those who are put forward as models for repentance, conversion, humility are those whom we find in the strangest, most imperfect of places and circumstances. Where was St Matthew when he was called? He was an unpatriotic collaborator, collecting taxes for the enemy. Where was the prodigal son when he came to his senses and decided to turn back to his father? He was standing over a pig sty. Where was Mary Magdalene when her sins were forgiven? Weeping over the feet of Jesus, drying them with her hair, anointing Him--all the while being criticized and mocked by very powerful and influential men who did not approve of this unseemly reconciliation. If this Rabbi knew what we know… Well, this Rabbi knows.
Where was St Peter when he cried out? Sinking in the ocean, after having been sure enough to take steps across the water. And St Paul, even after the moment of his conversion, cried out three times and more for help. And where was
he? In temptation. These are the models that the Holy Spirit gives us in Scripture. Is it any wonder that we celebrate the churches that honor these men? Sinful men have built magnificent shrines to other sinful men whom Christ has made into great saints, the pillars of His household, the Church.
Our Lord wants the Gospel to reach your ears and mine through the voices of men who, like Saints Peter and Paul, bear the mark of Christ—through men who have been reconciled and are at peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, and who celebrate the moment of their weakness and humiliation before Him for what it is: the moment of grace and salvation.
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. Sandoval who has ongoing health problems.
● Those who are in the armed forces.
● St. Michael’s older priests and those who care for them.
This might seem like a very strange and unsuitable choice of our Savior, but it is His way, and therefore the best way. Newman explains, talking to the faithful, that “Christ has appointed your brethren, of your own bone and your own flesh, to preach to you. It is your brethren that He has appointed… sons of Adam… men, like you, exposed to the same temptations, with [the] same human, wayward heart.” But that it is grace and grace alone that has separated us and enabled us to offer, with any credibility, the ministry of reconciliation. The Redeemer of the human race wills to spread His kingdom by means of the men He has redeemed, reconciled to Himself, and saved in hope. Only those who have been reconciled and who still seek reconciliation can offer that reconciliation to other sinners.
Really, if we look at the Gospels we will find that it is a pattern. The choice of Christ follows a pattern. Those who are put forward as models for repentance, conversion, humility are those whom we find in the strangest, most imperfect of places and circumstances. Where was St Matthew when he was called? He was an unpatriotic collaborator, collecting taxes for the enemy. Where was the prodigal son when he came to his senses and decided to turn back to his father? He was standing over a pig sty. Where was Mary Magdalene when her sins were forgiven? Weeping over the feet of Jesus, drying them with her hair, anointing Him--all the while being criticized and mocked by very powerful and influential men who did not approve of this unseemly reconciliation. If this Rabbi knew what we know… Well, this Rabbi knows.
Where was St Peter when he cried out? Sinking in the ocean, after having been sure enough to take steps across the water. And St Paul, even after the moment of his conversion, cried out three times and more for help. And where was
he? In temptation. These are the models that the Holy Spirit gives us in Scripture. Is it any wonder that we celebrate the churches that honor these men? Sinful men have built magnificent shrines to other sinful men whom Christ has made into great saints, the pillars of His household, the Church.Our Lord wants the Gospel to reach your ears and mine through the voices of men who, like Saints Peter and Paul, bear the mark of Christ—through men who have been reconciled and are at peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, and who celebrate the moment of their weakness and humiliation before Him for what it is: the moment of grace and salvation.
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. Sandoval who has ongoing health problems.
● Those who are in the armed forces.
● St. Michael’s older priests and those who care for them.
For the repose of the soul of Mrs. Marcelline Todd. Mrs. Todd’s daughter-in-law is the assistant superintendent of the Department of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Orange
Posts
