Thanks to those parents and friends who helped make the week a success
● Mrs. Murphy-Dimen for providing dinner for the soccer team.
● Mrs. Porretta, Mrs. Salazar, and the Aguilar family for providing a Parent Lunch.
● Maria Saglietto for coordinating our Advent Lessons and Carols reception and all those who contributed.
● Mrs. Murphy-Dimen for providing dinner for the soccer team.
● Mrs. Porretta, Mrs. Salazar, and the Aguilar family for providing a Parent Lunch.
● Maria Saglietto for coordinating our Advent Lessons and Carols reception and all those who contributed.
● The Bowe and Schardt families for hosting a student over the weekend.
General announcements to Parents
● 1st Semester Exams are this week, Wednesday through Friday.
● Christmas Break begins this Friday with 12:40 p.m. dismissal; Students return January 9th at 7:00 p.m.
Speech and Debate Results
● 1st Semester Exams are this week, Wednesday through Friday.
● Christmas Break begins this Friday with 12:40 p.m. dismissal; Students return January 9th at 7:00 p.m.
Speech and Debate Results
● Lincoln-Douglas Debates: "Has Pope Benedict XVI Now Permitted the Use of Prophylactics to Prevent AIDS?"; Jacob Holke (Negative) won.
● "Does the Buck Stop with Bradley Manning?"; Daniel Murphy-Dimen (Negative) won.
Prose Poetry:
● "Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force" by Dwight E. Eisenhower. Jonathan Bonello, 1st Place
● "Excerpts from the Declaration of Independence" William Perez-Warnisher, 2nd Place
● "Ecclesiastes 7" Nicholas Hanson, 3rd Place
● Individual Humorous Interpretation: "Quotes of Russel Crow" Michael Martin, 1st Place
● Duo Humorous Interpretation: "Excerpts from the 'Blues Brothers'" Jacob Holke, 1st Place. Spencer Manson, 2nd Place
● Sweepstakes: Daniel Murphy-Dimen, 1st Place, Jonathan Bonello, 2nd Place, Jacob Holke, 3rd Place
The Blind Children's Center
Anton Gerami, James Howard, Chris Nguyen, and Vitalyi Tractenberg accompanied Father Claude to the Blind Children's Center of Santa Ana on Monday. The students played Kris Kringle and distributed 3 toy guitars, 2 stuffed animals, 1 NERF sword and 1 block puzzle for toddlers to the young children in after school care. After distributing the Christmas gifts, our students joined the children on the playground for tag and Hide N' Go Seek. This latest visit follows several earlier visits over the last two semesters where St. Michael’s students volunteer their services to Dr. Kim Neuhauser and her staff as they work toward "enabling blind, visually impaired and deaf/blind children and youth achieve their full potential to lead independent lives." We look forward to our next visit very soon!
Las Mañanitas 2010.
Typically, every year on December 12th, the students of St. Michael’s celebrate the feast of our Lady of Guadalupe with a Triduum of Prayer and 'Las Mañanitas' -- an early morning procession of song and serenade to 'wake up' the Virgin of Guadalupe on her feastday. This year the feast of La Guadalupana falls on a Sunday, so the school's
celebration was transferred to the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, December 8th and the Feast of Saint Juan Diego on December 9th, which is also the anniversary of his first apparition of the Virgin. On the evening of the 8th, the entire student Body sang and prayed the Vigil Prayers in Honor of the Empress of the Americas. At sunrise early the next morning, many students, Norbertine Fathers and Fraters, and lay faithful formed a solemn procession from the summit of Indian Hill, around the school grounds and up to the front doors of the dorms where all renewed their consecration to this same Empress of the Americas amidst song and incense.
Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)–Western Catholic Education Association (WCEA)
celebration was transferred to the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, December 8th and the Feast of Saint Juan Diego on December 9th, which is also the anniversary of his first apparition of the Virgin. On the evening of the 8th, the entire student Body sang and prayed the Vigil Prayers in Honor of the Empress of the Americas. At sunrise early the next morning, many students, Norbertine Fathers and Fraters, and lay faithful formed a solemn procession from the summit of Indian Hill, around the school grounds and up to the front doors of the dorms where all renewed their consecration to this same Empress of the Americas amidst song and incense.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 school’s self-study for improvement. Please take a moment to fill it out once it is sent to you via email.
This week’s photos: Our Lady of Guadalupe; Soccer
Parent/Student Handbook: Chapter 7, Sections 4, 5, and 6
SECTION 4: MUSIC
All students may listen to music in their rooms, whether on ipods or cd players or computers, as long as headphones are used so that the music is not audible to others lest they be disturbed in their studies. Ipods and cd players must not be seen outside student rooms. All students must always use earphones or
headphones, even during recreation. Great discretion on the part of the student should be used in selecting the type of music. This is done according to the guidelines of the administration.The playing of musical instruments is warmly encouraged. However, this is permitted in the hallways, upstairs classroom, and downstairs only, and not in student dorms, for the same reason as before. If instruments are played inside student rooms, they will be confiscated until the end of the week.
SECTION 5: TELEPHONE CALLS
Students who possess cell phones may bring them to school and store them in the school office. They are then picked up, distributed nightly at 6:00 by the roomleaders, and returned at 9:45. Charging the cell phone is the responsibility of the student during that time.
Unauthorized use of cell phones outside these times, or during this period while at Holy Hour or class, will result in the confiscation of the cell phone for the duration of a semester. School authorities may check cell phone log for date and time of calls and texting to help determine compliance to these standards.
SECTION 6: MAIL
As a rule of thumb, parents should communicate with their son by mail. Written messages provide the specificity and clarity that a quick phone message cannot. When sending mail to the students, please clearly indicate the name and address of the sender as well as the receiver.
Etiquette Point of the Week
A gentleman need not use his handkerchief to stifle a slight sneeze, cough, or burp at the table. Instead he uses his napkin. If a gentleman finds himself in a situation, such as a fit of sneezing, that necessitates the use of his handkerchief, he leaves the table. A gentleman never blows his nose at the table.” A Gentleman at the Table, Bridges and Curtis; Brooks Brothers Press
Athletics
Wednesday, Dec. 15th: soccer vs Crean Lutheran @ STM; 3:00 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 16th: soccer vs St. Monica @ STM; 3:00 p.m.
Student Birthdays This Week:
Dec. 15th Michael Porretta
Dec. 18th Justin KohDec. 19th
Dec. 19th James Howard
Homily preached by Fr. Victor Szczurek, O. Praem.
Among other things, Fr. Victor is the Assistant Headmaster and teaches Latin.
He appears “like a fire”, with flaming words, shattering his enemies, trampling them underfoot like breadcrumbs; he shuts up the heavens and brings down fire, and so on. This description of Elijah which we heard in today’s reading sounds more like the curriculum vitae of a seasoned soldier, or the biography of a heavyweight champ. You almost want to instinctively add, “and he floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee.” And yet this is a description of a simple prophet,
some poor, raggedy old fellow who prayed a lot. In fact, Elijah is venerated as one of the most important contemplatives in salvation history, the Founding Father of the Carmelites even, continually held up by the spiritual writers of both East and West as the ideal ascetic. This is a man whose last moments on earth can be topped by very few, a dramatic finish
indeed—riding off (or better up) into the sunset in a chariot of fire. But, once again, he didn’t seem to do very much with his life; he just prayed a lot. So how did he accomplish so much?
He prayed a lot. Whether it was single-handedly defeating the 450 prophets of Baal in a spiritual showdown, or bringing proud kings to their knees, or raising a poor widow’s son from the dead, Elijah’s success can all be attributed to his life of prayer. As one Eastern spiritual writer said, commenting on the life of Elijah: “When someone is so united with God through unceasing prayer and contemplation,” then he is capable of such great things; “for the person…compels [so to speak] our most compassionate God to do whatever he wants” [Philokalia, vol. 2].
If prayer is so powerful, so necessary, why is it that prayer is so belittled by so many, even by many practicing Catholics, even by many clergy and religious, whose first duty in life is prayer? Is having a heart to heart talk with Almighty God such a small thing? Is adding one’s voice to the choir of saints and angels the last thing on one’s to-do list each day? Is interceding for all of humanity before the throne of God (shutting up the heavens, if you will) viewed as something that interrupts all our more important duties? Do we “pencil God in”, saving a place for Him until something a little more exciting comes along?
“Elijah has already come,” our Lord said, “and they did not recognize him.” They did not recognize the greatness in the gruff ascetic, John the Baptist. After all, why should they? He didn’t do much except pray all day and eat locusts. As St. Francis de Sales said of him, “His life was a continual prayer.” And yet St. John the Baptist, the second Elijah, also brought about the conversion of many and was feared by kings, and prepared the way for Christ; and to think that he did this without ever emailing, twitting or texting. He just prayed a lot.
In the coming years it is very possible that our active works will become more and more limited by the enemies of the Church: laws prohibiting us from doing certain things, or going to certain places, and so on. But no one will ever be able to keep us from doing the most important and most powerful thing we can do and ought to do: pray…a lot.
With some days of vacation and holy leisure approaching for many of us, it is a good time to call to mind what our chief duty is and the fact that we can do far more good for the world and for ourselves than we can even imagine by simply celebrating one Mass, attending one hour of the Divine Office, reciting one Rosary.
May Holy Elijah, St. John the Baptist and all the saints (who now spend eternity praying a lot) intercede for us, that we may use our time wisely and holy conversation with Almighty God, to Whom be all glory and honor. Amen.
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
He appears “like a fire”, with flaming words, shattering his enemies, trampling them underfoot like breadcrumbs; he shuts up the heavens and brings down fire, and so on. This description of Elijah which we heard in today’s reading sounds more like the curriculum vitae of a seasoned soldier, or the biography of a heavyweight champ. You almost want to instinctively add, “and he floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee.” And yet this is a description of a simple prophet,
some poor, raggedy old fellow who prayed a lot. In fact, Elijah is venerated as one of the most important contemplatives in salvation history, the Founding Father of the Carmelites even, continually held up by the spiritual writers of both East and West as the ideal ascetic. This is a man whose last moments on earth can be topped by very few, a dramatic finishindeed—riding off (or better up) into the sunset in a chariot of fire. But, once again, he didn’t seem to do very much with his life; he just prayed a lot. So how did he accomplish so much?
He prayed a lot. Whether it was single-handedly defeating the 450 prophets of Baal in a spiritual showdown, or bringing proud kings to their knees, or raising a poor widow’s son from the dead, Elijah’s success can all be attributed to his life of prayer. As one Eastern spiritual writer said, commenting on the life of Elijah: “When someone is so united with God through unceasing prayer and contemplation,” then he is capable of such great things; “for the person…compels [so to speak] our most compassionate God to do whatever he wants” [Philokalia, vol. 2].
If prayer is so powerful, so necessary, why is it that prayer is so belittled by so many, even by many practicing Catholics, even by many clergy and religious, whose first duty in life is prayer? Is having a heart to heart talk with Almighty God such a small thing? Is adding one’s voice to the choir of saints and angels the last thing on one’s to-do list each day? Is interceding for all of humanity before the throne of God (shutting up the heavens, if you will) viewed as something that interrupts all our more important duties? Do we “pencil God in”, saving a place for Him until something a little more exciting comes along?
“Elijah has already come,” our Lord said, “and they did not recognize him.” They did not recognize the greatness in the gruff ascetic, John the Baptist. After all, why should they? He didn’t do much except pray all day and eat locusts. As St. Francis de Sales said of him, “His life was a continual prayer.” And yet St. John the Baptist, the second Elijah, also brought about the conversion of many and was feared by kings, and prepared the way for Christ; and to think that he did this without ever emailing, twitting or texting. He just prayed a lot.
In the coming years it is very possible that our active works will become more and more limited by the enemies of the Church: laws prohibiting us from doing certain things, or going to certain places, and so on. But no one will ever be able to keep us from doing the most important and most powerful thing we can do and ought to do: pray…a lot.
With some days of vacation and holy leisure approaching for many of us, it is a good time to call to mind what our chief duty is and the fact that we can do far more good for the world and for ourselves than we can even imagine by simply celebrating one Mass, attending one hour of the Divine Office, reciting one Rosary.
May Holy Elijah, St. John the Baptist and all the saints (who now spend eternity praying a lot) intercede for us, that we may use our time wisely and holy conversation with Almighty God, to Whom be all glory and honor. Amen.
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
● For the repose of the soul of Mr. Vince Pattee, athletic coach at Santa Margarita Catholic High School.
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