December 11, 2011

Thanks to those parents and friends who have helped
● For providing parent sponsored lunches for students and faculty, the Aguilar Family and the Porretta Family
● For all those who donated food and time to the Advent and Carols reception.

Advent Lessons and Carols
December 11th at 7:00 p.m. We encourage the whole family to join us for this beautiful event! A reception will follow.

Financial Aid Applications Due: Please begin submitting your financial aid renewals for the 2012-2013 school year. Applications must be received by PSAS prior to February 1, 2012. The application may be found on our school webpage in the Admissions section or by opening the following link: http://stmichaelsprep.org/images/stories/Admissions/psas_financial_aid_application.pdf
Photographers! When you take exceptional photos of the students doing things noble, virtuous, studious, or fun -- send a copy to the school. This will significantly enrich the treasury of photos available to adorn the electronic and real walls of the campus.

Parent/Student Handbook: Chapter 3 , Section 15
SECTION15: HONOR ROLL PRIVILEGES
Rewards and privileges at St. Michael’s are aligned with academic success.
Students who enjoy First Honors (94%-100% grade point average) will be treated by the administration to an off campus dinner once a quarter.
They may also bring their own computer and printer to school to use at their own desk. Personal computers are stored in the school office, checked out by the roomleader at 6:00 pm, and returned at 9:45 pm.During the evening recreation period from 6:00 to 7:00, students on First Honors may play games on their computers, as long as the content of the game does not offend Catholic moral teaching. Watching films or any entertainment shows on one’s computer is strictly forbidden to all students at all times.

If a student plays computer games after the evening recreation, that computer will be confiscated for two weeks with a donation to the mission funds of $100. If any student assumes computer privileges that are not his, that computer will be confiscated for two weeks with a donation to the mission funds of $100. If any student watches a film or any other entertainment show on a computer, that computer will be confiscated for two weeks with a donation to the mission funds of $100. For this reason, students are strongly encouraged to place passwords on their computers to prevent others from unauthorized use. IPods used as movie-watching devices on campus will be confiscated for two weeks and may only be redeemed with donation to the mission funds of $100. All these infractions negatively impact the student’s conduct grade, 10 points “off the top.”
Roomleaders may also enjoy this privilege throughout the week at the First Honors level if they have maintained at least an 88% with no “D” or “F”. Recreational use of the computer (games, etc.) is likewise determined by this scale.
At no time does the school assume liability for loss and/or damage of the computer (hardware, software, information) or the radio (CD player, iPod™).

This Week’s Photos: School choir singing at Mass at St. John the Baptist Parish; Soccer Team; Room Cleaning

Sports This Week:
Congratulations to our basketball team for winning their last 2 games!

*Tuesday, Dec. 11th: Soccer and Basketball @ San Diego Jewish Academy, 3:30 p.m. *Thursday, Dec. 8th: Soccer vs. Emerson @ STM; 3:00 p.m.
*Friday, Dec. 9th: Soccer @ Southlands, 3:15 p.m.; Basketball @ St. Margaret’s,
3:00 p.m.

Birthdays This Week:
Dec. 15th: Moises Gomez; Michael Porretta
Dec. 19th: James Howard

Homily of the Week by Fr. Brendan Hankins, O. Praem.
Among other things, Fr. Brendan is one of the Assistant Deans and teaches American Literature.

Blessed Miguel Pro is an unassuming saint and much is made of his sense of humor and proclivity for practical jokes. But he clearly fits the mold of holy men in at least 2 fundamental areas; he suffered with patient resignation and he died a most holy death.

Like the prophet Daniel, who was forced to leave his home in Jerusalem, Blessed Miguel was forced to leave Mexico due to religious persecution; traveling from Mexico to California to Spain, Nicaragua and Belgium. He then underwent an extended period of poor health and consented to 3 operations which were intended to relieve his pain, but they had the opposite effect. Resigned to it all he wrote “The doctors found three openings, with the wound they made on the 5th of January still open and bleeding, so here I am in bed again, dieting and unable to say Mass, with the prospect of bleeding again as soon as they give me the medicine, which is the rule after the operation. God be praised for it all! He knows the reasons for all these setbacks. I am quite resigned to it, and I kiss the hand that sends me this suffering.”

It was at this point that his superiors decided to send him back to Mexico believing he may die and wanting to give him the comfort of dying near his family. Indeed, death was on the horizon, but it would come after a period of great apostolic activity and under some of the most difficult of circumstances. Within 23 days of returning to Mexico all public worship was suppressed. In the days preceding the suppression Catholics flocked to the confessionals and the still infirm Blessed Miguel heard confessions 10 hours a day and had to be pulled out of the confessional on 2 occasions after passing out. After the suppression the Church then went underground and Blessed Miguel took communion to hundreds each day, organized spiritual conferences, found shelter, food and clothing for nearly 100 poverty stricken families.

Subsequent to being arrested on several occasions and constantly harassed by police he was captured for the last time on false charges. In today’s gospel our Lord tells his disciples that he will give them wisdom that their adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. Blessed Miguel was sentenced to death without a trial or opportunity to defend himself, but his actions spoke eloquently. Led before a firing squad his last request was to be given a few moments in prayer. He then held a crucifix in one hand and a rosary in the other while standing with his arms extended to each side. Photographers were present to capture the execution and put the pictures in the paper in order to deter additional religious activity, but Blessed Miguel’s faith and resignation to offer his life in imitation of his Savior had the opposite result. Following Blessed Miguel’s example there was even greater enthusiasm and devotion and many more offered their lives before the firing squad, carrying the newspaper photo of Blessed Miguel’s martyrdom with them.
Shortly before his death Blessed Miguel wrote this prayer “I believe, O Lord, but strengthen my faith, Heart of Jesus, I love thee, but increase my love; Heart of Jesus, I trust in Thee, but give greater vigor to my confidence; Heart of Jesus, I give my heart to Thee, but so enclose it in Thee that is may never be separated from Thee. Heart of Jesus, I am all Thine; but take care of my promise so that I may be able to put it in practice even unto the complete sacrifice of my life.

Blessed Miguel Pro—Pray for us!

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
● Jodie Meschuk, wife of Coach Aaron Meschuk, who is expecting.
● The paternal grandfather of sophomore Andrew Bonello who is hospitalized with a broken hip.
● Mrs. Marge DeClue, past parent-league president, who has declining health.
● Mr. Glenn Emanuel, a member of the Norbertine Lay Order, who has a serious heart condition.
● Mrs. Beverly Schaefgen who is battling cancer.
● Those who are in the armed forces.
● St. Michael’s older priests and those who care for them.