September 25, 2011

Thanks to those parents and friends who have helped this week:
To all the parents who worked at the Gala
To all the parents and grandparents who contributed to the reception following our Student Led Parent Teacher Conferences.
For driving carpools: Mr. Rennie Allen, Mrs. Eileen Aragon, Mr. Brokaw, Mrs. Chelsey Lenahan, Mrs. Anna Dang, Mr. Andy Portka,

Student-led Parent Teacher Conferences, September 25th: a face-to-face meeting 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 mobile classroom where Fr. Gabriel will distribute name tags,
Continue: the yellow classroom and the recreation room.
End: Behind the school for a reception coordinated by Mrs. Christian.
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, using complete sentences) 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.

The parents' role is to:
· Look at your son’s online grades before coming to the conference. This is easy when you log in at http://www.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 their efforts at school. Listening well is the most important role of parents at the conferences. We’ll see you on Sunday!

September High School Information Nights
St. Michael’s will be represented at the following high school information nights. If you have a child or know someone who has a child who will be entering 9th grade or above next year, come to one of these informative events:

Tuesday, Sept. 27th: Our Lady of the Assumption, 611 West Bonita Ave., Claremont, CA 91711; 7:00 p.m.

Parent/Student Handbook: Chapter 2, Sections 7, 8, 9
SECTION 7: COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SCHOOL AND HOME
Regular contact between school officials and parents fosters dialogue and understanding for the benefit of the individual and common good. To this end the school provides an online calendar, online grading program, a weekly electronic newsletter, the abbey quarterly, and other items. Informally, contact with the school administration is welcome either when picking-up or when dropping off a student or by a telephone call. Formal communication either by school officials or by home should be established by appointment and written letter.

SECTION 8: TRANSPORTATION
Transportation to and from school is the responsibility of the parents. Carpools are useful if the driver is on time. Since carpools are entirely the option of the parents, problems or difficulties arising from these arrangements cannot be referred to the school. Teachers may not provide transportation for any student without the expressed permission of the headmaster.

SECTION 9: DROP OFF AND PICK UP OF STUDENTS
Students report to school every Sunday between 7 pm and 7:30 pm. Students arriving late will stay the following Friday afternoon until 4:30 pm. Pick up time is Friday after room inspection which is typically about 12:40 pm. Drop-off and pick-up location is exclusively in front of the school. Students should know before they return to school who will pick them up the following Friday.
Students will not be excused during school hours (from Sunday night to Friday afternoon) for vacation or other non-school functions unless special arrangement is made with the school office. Those who do receive this authorization to leave St. Michael’s when school is still in session are required to spend one weekend for each day of “leave.” During that compensatory weekend fees are charged and the student will work for the on-going needs of the school.
Doctor’s appointments should be made only for non-class time. The pick-up can be no earlier than 2:30 p.m. The student must be back on campus by 8:00 p.m.
Students always arrive and depart in their uniform.

Sports
Tuesday, Sept. 27th: Cross Country @ Mile Square Park; 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 1st : Football vs Pacific Lutheran @ Daniels Field Sports Center; 3:30 p.m.

This Week’s Birthdays
9/28 Michael Howard

This Week’s Photos: First Honors Outing

Weekly Homily by Fr. Benedict
Among other things, Fr. Benedict teaches Religion.

“They were afraid to ask him about this saying.” The disciples believed that Jesus was the Messiah and the Son of God, and now He tells them that He will be handed over. Being the Messiah and the Son of God didn’t seem to be compatible with being vulnerable and dying, so they didn’t understand. The Blessed Virgin was told that she would conceive and bear a son. This, however, did not seem to be compatible with her vow of virginity. Unlike the disciples she was not afraid to ask how it was to be done. Mary asked the Angel Gabriel and He told her.

We are also given commands which seem incompatible. We are told to pray always by Jesus, to be recollected and at the same time we have to care for our families, teach classes, work, or go to class. But what is our reaction to these seemingly contradictory commands? Do we like the disciples just assume that it is some mystery and not bother to think about it? Do we become content with just assuming that it is impossible? Or, like the Blessed Virgin do we ask our angel “How?” How are we to pray always and go about our daily duties?

If we are not afraid to ask this question, our angels will show us how we are to pray always. They will point out to us all those times in-between our duties where we could be recollected. They will remind us to pray. Our angels will even remind us in the middle of our duties, but we have to ask with the trust of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who trusted in the words: “I will be for her an encircling wall of fire, and I will be the glory in her midst.”

Jesus wishes to be the glory in our midst as He was for the Blessed Virgin. We, however, need to be brave enough to ask “How?”

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 without written permission of the author.

Prayer Requests
● Mrs. Marge DeClue, past parent-league president, who has declining health.
● John Ramsey, who struggles with health issues.
● 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 Donna Beckman
● For the repose of the soul of Florence Lussi.

September 18, 2011

Parent Gala Meeting
This Sunday, September 18th, 7:00 p.m., there is a Parent Gala Meeting in the student dining room. All parents working at the Gala next week must be present for this important meeting.

Thanks to those parents and friends who have helped this week:
For hosting weekenders: the Dang Family; the Porretta Family; Saglietto Family
For bringing refreshments to the football game: the Schardt Family
For taking pictures for the school at the football game: Mr. Jesus Gomez

Student-led Parent Teacher Conferences, September 25th: a face-to-face meeting 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.
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, using complete sentences) 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 http://www.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 their efforts at school. Listening well is the most important role of parents at the conferences. We’ll see you on September 25th !

September High School Information Nights
St. Michael’s will be represented at the following high school information nights. If you have a child or know someone who has a child who will be entering 9th grade or above next year, come to one of these informative events.
Tuesday, Sept. 27th: Our Lady of the Assumption, 611 West Bonita Ave., Claremont, CA 91711; 7:00 p.m.

Sports
● Congratulations to our football team on its recent victory over Noli. Our team’s record is now 2-0!
● Friday, Sept. 23rd football vs. Big Pine @ STM, 3:30 p.m.

This Week’s Photos: student life; cross country team

This Week’s Birthdays

9/22 John Michael Mikolaycik

Weekly Homily by Fr. John Henry Hanson
Among other things, Fr. John Henry is the school’s College Counselor and teaches English.

“Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities,… and many others who provided for them out of their resources.” The implication is that these women were “accompanying” our Lord because they had received healing from Him. They had been “cured” of evil spirits and infirmities of body and mind--which probably means, moral problems and physical or emotional ills. Then began their time of recovery.

After we have encountered the Lord in this way, and have decided to surrender ourselves to Him, our lives are in a state of recovery. Our resources become His resources. We put ourselves in His hands totally and completely. Blessed Columba Marmion even uses the expression with both eyes closed, or blindfolded. And from that time on, everything we have, every resource of mind and body, is His. Our past is His just as much as our future.

In Christianity, recovery has to mean conversion. And conversion must mean Christ reclaiming us for His own. Our resources become His resources. This process is one of complete submission of ourselves to Christ. He says, “Take my yoke upon you.” It can be very hard and painful to submit to His love when our poor, wounded selves want to have some say over how our resources are used. Gradually we must learn that this cannot be. Our healer must be the Lord and Master of all we are and have.

To speak of recovery means that we are recovering from something. We are passing from an old life to a new, from an old frame of mind to a renewed mentality--an extremely important change for us to undergo. What is more important than receiving physical healing is how our perspective changes on everything. If we still have physical or emotional problems, we can begin to see something we could never see before: God has a purpose for this. Converted people can go from asking “Why me? Why these inconvenient and painful troubles?” to seeing that maybe my acceptance of these things plays a crucial role in my spiritual and moral recovery.

St Paul’s example sheds light on the experience of every Christian: “…to keep me from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me…. Three times I besought the Lord about this, that it should leave me; but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” St Paul accepted that and then learned to rejoice in it.

Our frame of mind must change like that, so that we can belong entirely to the Lord and confidently submit ourselves to His care for a lifetime. As Scripture says, “let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” That is how we see all things now--including the hardest thing to accept: our sins.

The women who accompanied Jesus needed to be forgiven. And as they traveled with Him and the Apostles, they probably remembered their sins, and felt shame, as they heard Jesus speak and interacted with Him. And very often they were probably astonished that He was accepting their help, using their resources--the resources of former unconverted sinners. Now they were converted and would still need the Lord’s forgiveness, though maybe not in the same ways. What was Jesus saying to them and what is He saying to us, about their recovery and ours?

We have to see how the failures of a moment or the accumulated failures of a lifetime cannot keep us back from God. A bad moment we may have had within the last hour, cannot be an excuse for present inertia. We will have our bad moments, and we have to be responsible enough to accept the unpleasant consequences when we have been thoughtless, impulsive, or unmortified. But our recovery cannot come to a standstill because we see something wrong in ourselves. The same Jesus who helped us once is still helping us now. He saved us from one kind of problem then, He can save us from other kinds of problems now. There was something in me that Jesus healed. There is still more that needs to be healed.

Our perspective needs to change: From the time we commit our lives to Jesus Christ, everything we have, every resource of mind and body, is now His. Our past is His just as much as our future. We can claim nothing for ourselves. Mother Teresa once said, “I have given Him everything, even my sins.” What do we have left to give? Today, is there something, some part of us, some resource, that we are hesitating to put at His service? And are we using our sins as a barrier or an excuse against being generous?

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 without written permission of the author.

Prayer Requests
● Mrs. Marge DeClue, past parent-league president, who has declining health.
● John Ramsey, who struggles with health issues.
● Mrs. Beverly Schaefgen, whose thyroid cancer has returned after having been in remission
● 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 Donna Beckman
● For the repose of the soul of Florence Lussi.

September 11, 2011

Parent Talk: Sunday, Sept. 11; 7:15 p.m.

September High School Information Nights
St. Michael’s will be represented at the following high school information nights. If you have a child or know someone who has a child who will be entering 9th grade or above next year, come to one of these informative events.

Monday, Sept. 12th: St. Callistus Catholic School, 12901 Lewis St., Garden Grove, CA 92840; 6:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 14th: Serra Catholic School, 23652 Antonio Pkwy, Rancho Santa Margarita, 92688; 6:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 27th: Our Lady of the Assumption, 611 West Bonita Ave., Claremont, CA 91711; 7:00 p.m.

Thanks to those parents and friends who have helped this week:
For hosting students over the weekend: The Schardt Family
For assisting at the football game: Mr. Ralph Martin

Sunday Night Drop-off
This year the school is making a temporary change in its rule for the Sunday Night drop-off. For the remainder of the 2011-2012 academic year, whenever a student does not have any Sunday evening school obligations (i.e. class, meeting, etc.) and when there is no parent obligation either (parent meeting, etc.), he may return to school on Monday morning, in time for his first period class. Of course, all students are welcome to return on Sunday evening if they so wish. The same applies to Monday evening/Tuesday morning when there is a 3-day weekend. The school will review and evaluate this procedure at the end of the school year. Your feedback is welcome.

Parent/Student Handbook: CHAPTER 2, SECTIONS 1,2, AND 3
SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION

The success of everyone at St. Michael’s depends on the active cooperation of the Norbertine confreres, students, parents, lay teachers, staff and benefactors in working toward the common good of this unique community. St. Michael’s Prep believes that for harmonious living, academic growth, and wholesome personal development of the student, a well-regulated life is fundamental. Like any community, a school must establish certain standards and rules which express the school’s philosophy in a variety of circumstances. Likewise, it must enforce the same so that its every member might be

SECTION 2: HEADMASTER’S RIGHT TO AMEND
In developing the policies and rules for St. Michael’s, this handbook is written as clearly and as explicitly as possible. Nevertheless, during the school year new and unusual situations might arise. Therefore, the headmaster reserves the right to amend school rules and regulations as necessary during the school year. Parents will be promptly notified by mail of any such amendments. The ordinary means of this notification is the To Parents and Friends. The Headmaster is the final recourse within the school and may waive any regulations in this handbook if deemed in the best interest of fairness and justice. He is the final interpreter of all regulations and policies in this handbook.

SECTION 3: NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY
St. Michael’s Preparatory High School admits students of any race, color, national, and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. The school does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its education policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, or athletic and other school-administered programs. Non- Catholic students are welcome and participate in the religious celebrations and rites of the school within the guidelines established by the Catholic Church.
In those cases where the number of applicants exceeds the number of students the school can enroll, Catholic students are given precedence over those who are not Catholic, and this without regard to race, color, or national origin.

Sports
Congratulations to our football team on winning their first game!
This week’s game is: Friday, Sept. 16th, STM vs. Noli Indian School @ Noli, 6:00 p.m.

This Week’s Photos: Football team; Cross Country team

This Weeks Birthdays

9/16 Scott Schardt

Weekly Homily by Fr. Victor Szczurek, O. Praem.
Among other things Fr. Victor teaches Latin and Greek, and is the Assistant Headmaster

There’s something about the tears of a mother that just breaks one’s heart. It’s been said that even the most hardened of criminals, someone who could walk to the executioner without even flinching, cannot bare to see his own mother cry. If you’ve ever done something wrong to make your mother cry, then you know the feeling. If you haven’t, then thank God.

This week we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, Mater Dolorosa. So, what is it we’re celebrating? Are we celebrating while our Lady is weeping? Or even, the fact that she is weeping? The day before is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross—Christ’s victory over death and sin; but it was a victory that came only through much sacrifice, the sacrifice to end all sacrifices, the perfect expression of God’s love for us sinners. This feast is a sort of echo of the Feast of the Holy Cross. As water and blood flowed from the side of Christ, so tears flowed from our Blessed Mother’s “eyes of mercy”—and all for us sinners, and all because of us sinners.

So what we are celebrating is our Lady’s love for us, evidenced by her tears. The fact is that she is all done crying, as our Lord is all through with His suffering. They are both in heaven, in perfect happiness; but every tear that she poured out at the foot of the Cross was poured out because of our sins. Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange reminds us that our Lady shared in all the sufferings of her Divine Son, suffering (as He did) from the time she conceived until the act of Redemption was consummated on Calvary; and just as Christ by His sufferings merited graces for us and made reparation for our sins, so she, albeit not in strict justice, did the same by her tears.

Now while we can rejoice that our Lady’s sufferings helped save us, united as they were to the sufferings of her Son, we ought not to forget that it was we who made our Blessed Mother cry—you and me; and just the thought of it should break our heart. So the next time you are tempted to let fly that unkind word or judgmental thought; the next time your tempted to sloth or impurity, dishonesty, avarice or envy; the next time your tempted to even the smallest sin, think of our Blessed Mother’s tears. Has she wept for us in vain? Is a sin worth adding another tear, so to speak, to our Blessed Mother’s eyes. Wouldn’t it be better instead to shed some of our own tears for our past sins and so change her tears of sorrow to tears of joy?

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 without written permission of the author.

Prayer Requests
● Mrs. Marge DeClue, past parent-league president, who has declining health.
● Mrs. Mary Fischinger, grandmother of Ian Shaffer, who is recovering after some difficulties with her heart.
● Mrs. Beverly Schaefgen, whose thyroid cancer has returned after having been in remission
● Those who are in the armed forces.

● St. Michael’s older priests and those who care for them

September 4, 20122

Thanks to those parents and friends who have helped this week:
● For hosting students over the weekend: the Bonello Family, the Hierro Family and the Schardt Family
● For all those participating in school carpools

Sunday Night Drop-off
This year the school is making a temporary change in its rule for the Sunday Night drop-off. For the remainder of the 2011-2012 academic year, whenever a student does not have any Sunday evening school obligations (i.e. class, meeting, etc.) and when there is no parent obligation either (parent meeting, etc.), he may return to school on Monday morning, in time for his first period class. Of course, all students are welcome to return on Sunday evening if they so wish. The same applies to Monday evening/Tuesday morning when there is a 3-day weekend. The school will review and evaluate this procedure at the end of the school year. Your feedback is welcome.

Successful Opening Day

Thank you to all the parents and students for participating in the school’s Opening Day events. This was meant to help all students and their families help ease into the school year. Overall it was a very successful and enjoyable day. Below are some of the results from a recent poll taken by the parents who participated in the Opening Day 2011-2012:

Parent/Student Handbook: CHAPTER 1, SECTIONS 1-7

SECTION 1: SCHOOL PHILOSOPHY
Drawing upon a tradition of over eight centuries in education, the Norbertine Fathers of St. Michael’s Abbey govern and serve St. Michael’s Preparatory School. They are assisted in this mission by dedicated lay people who share the same philosophy and vision. The formation of a St. Michael’s student integrates faith, academics, and character. These advantages will continue to form him throughout life, long after he has left his school days behind.

Faith: St. Michael’s welcomes young men who possess the aptitude and commitment both to receive and to enrich what its school community has to offer. The heart of our unique school’s identity is the Catholic Faith, from which flow the truths on which we base our approach to education. The person and teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ are the source and fulfillment of true happiness. The experience of Catholic Christian living leads the student to Jesus through a liturgical and sacramental life, supported by prayer, teaching, guidance and example. The sacraments of Penance and Holy Eucharist are available to students every day. The bishop confers Confirmation on eligible students every other year.

Academics: Our program consists of challenging academic courses for the college-bound student. These courses endeavor to communicate knowledge in fidelity to the Catholic intellectual tradition, and so to form our students as men of insight and integrity, qualities which will enable them to be discerning, responsible citizens in a world which has great need of them. Our scholars center their efforts on preparing for college and fulfilling life work. While emphasizing the Western heritage of theology, humanities, the arts and the sciences throughout our curriculum, we seek to round-out a young man’s education through athletics as well.

Character: As a boarding school, St. Michael’s offers significant opportunities for a consistent and wholesome growth toward maturity. Much of the responsibility for the day-to-day running of the school is shared with the students who learn to cooperate with their peers and with those in authority in attaining common goals. A positive but realistic self-knowledge along with an attitude of respect for others is the foundation of a young man’s moral character. The cultivation of individual dignity guides students to accept self-discipline and responsibility as essential aspects both of personal freedom and of participation in a community. St. Michael’s fosters this character development in all areas of student life.

SECTION 2: MISSION STATEMENT
St. Michael’s Preparatory School witnesses to the fullness of the Catholic faith and teaches in fidelity to a sound Catholic intellectual tradition. St. Michael’s is exclusively a boarding school for boys, grades nine through twelve, who are capable of benefiting from and contributing to its spiritual and academic community. The School provides the academic attainments necessary for acceptance to a four-year college or undergraduate program at a university in the United States of America. St. Michael’s is served by Norbertine priests and seminarians and by a committed lay faculty and staff.

SECTION 3: ACCREDITATION
St. Michael's Preparatory School is jointly accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA).

SECTION 4: CEEB/ACT CODE: 052273

SECTION 5: SCHOOL SHIELD
The school shield closely parallels that of the Abbey. The wing which appears on the left represents St. Michael the Archangel, the heavenly patron of the school. The fleur-de-lis on the opposite side represents the Norbertine Order which was founded in France. The ribbon surrounding the shield is the motto of the school. This practice of “looking ahead from the vantage point of tradition” has taken its character from the educational philosophy of the Norbertine Order; it receives its spiritual moorings from the very roots of the Catholic Church itself. The “tradition” St. Michael’s seeks to embody is truly timeless. Such a tradition affords one a “vantage point” without equal. The value of this tradition is proportionate to our fidelity to it.

SECTION 6: SCHOOL COLORS
White, Blue and Gold.

SECTION 7: ALMA MATER
Purity of purpose, values and ideals,Wings of St. Michael guide us through the years.White, blue, and gold, a fleur-de-lis, a cross,Prepared for all good works, no matter what the cost.
Friendships are formed, tradition’s found its home;Deeply rooted people the world to ever roam.White, blue, and gold, a fleur-de-lis, a cross,Prepared for all good works, no matter what the cost.

This Week’s Sports
Friday, Sept. 9th: Football vs Concordia @ St. Michael’s; 3:30 p.m.

This Week’s Photos: Football practice

This Weeks Birthdays
9/5 Luan Tran

9/8 Brian Schardt

Weekly Homily by Fr. Brendan Hankins, O. Praem.
Among other things Fr. Brendan teaches American Literature and is one of our assistant deans.

There are 403 photos of St. Michael’s Prep School alumni from 40 different graduating classes hanging on the walls in the high school dorms. And our current high school students spend a lot of time looking at those photos. But they do more than just look at them. They study them, compare them. Even students who rarely study anything else devote a great deal of time and thought to these photos. They try to find which alumni resemble students who are currently enrolled in the school. They see something of themselves in those photos. Students who have endured the same trials, slept in the same dorm rooms, etc. Upper classmen pass on the history of the school, the history of the students to the under classmen as they move from year to year and from frame to frame. The first week of school freshmen were already pointing out where their class picture will be hung.

We might look at the scriptures in a similar light. St. Augustine speaks about reading our rule of life as if we were looking in a mirror. “that you may see yourselves in this little book, as in a mirror, have it read to you once a week so as to neglect no point through forgetfulness.” As often as we hear the scriptures read we should be doing more than simply listening, but studying them, comparing them. Are our actions motivated by the hope reserved for us in heaven, in accord with the Colossians before us? Is the Gospel bearing fruit and growing among us.

Do our words and actions preserve or defend the unity of the Church or the unity of our own community as St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians was intended to do. When we encounter Christ in Holy Communion or in the Confessional are we moved to do works pleasing to Christ. The Church Father’s commenting on Christ healing Peter’s mother-in-law and how she promptly rose to minister to him say “For when He (that is Christ) has visited us, we carry Him in our heart and mind; He will then extinguish the flames of our unlicensed pleasures, and will make us whole, so that we minister to Him, that is, do things well-pleasing to Him.”

Despite the 403 alumni whose portraits adorn the walls of the dorms, there are many who lived in the same dorm rooms, even for several years, but whose portraits never made it to the wall. Graduating from the high school doesn’t exactly guarantee the Beatific Vision, but it certainly can be a means by which God trains and prepares you to persevere in your commitments in life ; through the good and the bad alike. Because, most likely, there will be other commitments which, believe it or not, will be even more challenging than graduating from St. Michael’s Prep.

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 without written permission of the author.

Prayer Requests
● Mrs. Marge DeClue, past parent-league president, who has declining health.
● Mrs. Mary Fischinger, grandmother of Ian Shaffer, who is recovering after some difficulties with her heart.
● Mrs. Beverly Schaefgen, whose thyroid cancer has returned after having been in remission
● Those who are in the armed forces.
● St. Michael’s older priests and those who care for them