Golden Jubilee Mass

Saints of Education: Mother Catherine

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Mother Catherine, a woman of great courage and vision, is the foundress of the Sisters of Mercy who have served in our parish school since it opened in 1959. Mother was born on September 29, 1778 and died November 11, 1841. Her window faces the parish school and is positioned next to two other saints of education (St. Herman Joseph and St. Elizabeth Seton).

Mother Catherine’s face is based on a portrait painted while she was still living. She wears the original habit of the Sisters of Mercy. In her right hand she holds the rosary worn by the Sisters which is distinguished by the characteristic “Mercy Cross” (white inner Cross superimposed on a black outer Cross). This Cross also forms part of our parish school’s official shield. She wears on her left hand the simple ring which symbolizes the total consecration of her life to Jesus, her heavenly Spouse.

Mother is holding a cup of tea. Shortly before her death, when her sisters had been keeping vigil around the clock and wearing themselves out to take care of her in her final illness, Mother Catherine instructed the superior to “give them a cup of tea when I’m gone”.

The background has several details which evoke the Irish countryside, homeland of Mother Catherine and our Mercy Sisters. Typical hills, farmland, cottages, sheep and a grazing horse can be seen in addition to the shamrocks growing at her feet. The cat at Mother’s feet is a special tribute to Sister Mary Vianney Ennis, the Mercy Sister who has served our school the longest. She came to St. John’s in 1962 and became principal in 1975. Sister has endeared herself to generations of alumni and their families and happens to be a great lover of cats (the cat portrayed here belongs to the artist who designed the windows!).

The window contains the keys, symbol of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, placed in Mother Catherine’s window because of her great devotion to the mystery of God’s Mercy. They symbolize the power granted by Christ to His apostles (and through them to all priests) to bind and loose sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation (cf. Jn. 20:22-23). The keys face away from each other to symbolize binding and loosing of sins. The cross-shaped design in the keys reminds us that it is the Lord’s Cross that unlocks the fountain of God’s mercy in our lives. These keys also happen to resemble the actual keys of Mother Catherine on display at her first foundation in Baggot Street, Dublin.

The shield in the lower panel is that of the Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher to which the donor of the windows belongs. The shield bears the typical “Jerusalem Cross” composed of five different Greek crosses, a large one in the middle for the wound in the heart of Christ and two at the top and bottom for the wounds in Our Lord’s hands and feet. All are in the color of blood.

Saints of Education: St. Herman Joseph

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St. Herman Joseph, a priest of the Norbertine Order, was born in the Rhineland around the middle of the 12th century and died at a great old age on April 4, 1241. As a young boy he attended one of the first and best known of the Order’s schools. He is the patron saint of students educated by the Norbertine Fathers. His window is positioned next to Mother Catherine, representing with her the commitment of dedicated religious to the work of education in our parish school.

St. Herman Joseph is the only saint in our windows whose head is uncovered—out of respect for the Lord present in his arms. His face is based on the ancient statue found in the abbey church of Steinfeld in the Eifel, Germany, where he entered the Order as a young boy. He wears the monastic tonsure (haircut) common in that epoch. He is dressed in the white habit of the Norbertines as it would have looked at that time.

From his childhood St. Herman Joseph had many mystical experiences. In one of them, as a boy, he offered an apple to the statue of the Virgin and Child at the church of the Capitol in Cologne. The statue came to life and the Child Jesus took the apple (He is holding the apple in the window). He holds the Child to evoke the nurturing aspect of the work of education. The Christ Child is dressed as King with His Sacred Heart exposed. St. Herman Joseph wrote the earliest known hymn to the Sacred Heart of Jesus which opens with the line, “I hail Thee kingly Heart most high." St. Herman Joseph wears a ring on his left hand which he received from the Blessed Virgin during the celebration of their mystical espousals. The white roses growing at his feet are reminiscent of the saint’s purity and great love for the Blessed Virgin whom he liked to call his “Rose”. The crescent moon above his image also
evokes the Virgin. The bats flying in the air recall a story from his youth when he chased the bats out of the abbey bell tower using a volume of St. Augustine—the bats symbolizing the inner demons against which the true monk must struggle for a lifetime.

St. Herman Joseph shared the profound devotion of the Norbertines for the Blessed Sacrament. He holds a chalice, symbol of the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, which is the source and summit of the Church’s life. A wooden pail sits by the side of the stream in the lower panel. This evokes the period in the saint’s life when he was sacristan of the abbey church, and would rise early each morning to fetch from a pure mountain stream the water which would be poured (a single drop) into the chalice at Mass: he wanted nothing but the best for the celebration of the Sacred Mysteries.

In the lower panel is also the coat of arms of Abbot Eugene J. Hayes, O.Praem., the abbot of St. Michael’s Abbey (1995—current) under whose tenure the Norbertine Fathers arrived at St. John’s. The left side of the shield is the coat of arms of the Norbertine Order (crossed crosiers and fleur-de-lis) and St. Michael’s Abbey (the wing of St. Michael). On the right are the personal arms of Abbot Hayes.

Saints of Education: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

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St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American-born citizen to be canonized a saint, completes the trio of education saints facing the school. She is considered the Patroness of Catholic Schools in the United States. Mother Seton was born on August 28, 1774 and died on January 4, 1821. She married and had five children before her conversion to Catholicism after the death of her husband.

Mother Seton’s face is based on two original portraits painted during her lifetime. She is wearing the original black habit of the Sisters of Charity, the Congregation which she founded, with the characteristic “bonnet”. Her rosary hangs from the habit, a reminder of the emphasis she placed on prayer in her life and the life of her Sisters. She is holding a classic one-room American school house in her hands. Mother Seton established one of the earliest U.S. Catholic schools, St. Joseph’s Academy, shortly after her arrival in Emmitsburg, Maryland in 1809.

Mother holds the American flag in her hand, symbol of her distinction as the first “American” saint. The flag has fifteen stars and stripes, as it would have looked at the time of the founding of her first school. In 1818 Congress reduced the number of stripes to thirteen, allowing only the addition of stars for each new state.

Also emphasizing Mother Seton’s American background are the flora and fauna of the Eastern United States: the Monarch butterflies and Milkweed plant (upon which the Monarch depends), Lazy Susans and the Baltimore Oriole (state bird of Maryland where Mother Seton founded her congregation and school). There are also two hefty Elm trees to the right and left of her cape.

Mother Seton is wearing a precious wedding ring on her left hand, symbol of the Sacrament of Matrimony. She would not have worn this after becoming a nun, but it symbolizes the “treasure” of marriage which she left behind after her husband’s death to seek another kind of treasure. For parents with challenging children, Mother Seton is a wonderful patroness who struggled mightily and grieved deeply over the choices of her wayward son.

In the lower panel is the Shield of Bishop Norman F. McFarland, second bishop of the diocese of Orange (from 1987-1998). The left side of the shield is that of the diocese of Orange with the characteristic Santa Ana mountains, orange tree, mission courtyard and waves of the ocean. Bishop McFarland’s personal arms are on the right side of the shield.

Saints of Culture: St. Patrick

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St. Patrick is the great missionary monk and bishop who evangelized the people of Ireland. He lived from about 390 to 460 A.D. Together with the other windows on this side of the church, his window celebrates the marvelous ethnic diversity of the parish. He represents the Irish and other Anglos of European background who were instrumental in establishing the parish in its early years. The founding pastor of St. John’s, Rev. Msgr. Anthony McGowan, was Irish, as were all the Sisters of Mercy attached to St. John’s.

This is the primary “dedication” window of the parishioner who donated all of the stained glass windows in the church. It (together with the other windows) is dedicated with humble gratitude to the memory of Msgr. Daniel Brennan who brought the donor into the Church at St. John’s and confirmed him. The face of St. Patrick, which has no reliable iconographic tradition, resembles that of the very Irish Msgr. Brennan (while St. Patrick is often portrayed with a beard, serious studies of his iconography actually prefer a beardless St. Patrick).

St. Patrick bears the insignia of a bishop – miter, crosier, and ring. The crosier is decorated with a shamrock leaf, highlighting its effective use by St. Patrick as a tool for teaching the mystery of the Trinity. Over his green chasuble (evoking the Irish) is the white pallium with superimposed crosses which represents his role as the founding bishop of the Irish Church.

In the background is a small stone church, symbolizing the many ancient churches and dioceses which St. Patrick founded in Ireland. Shamrocks grow at his feet and snakes scurry away. Though the ancient “legend” of St. Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland can be historically questioned, the fact that he drove out many demons (represented by snakes in the tradition of the Scriptures) remains. His crosier is planted firmly on the head of one of those unfortunate “demons”.

Kneeling at the feet of St. Patrick is an adult representative of the many thousands brought to the faith by St. Patrick as well as those who have come into the Church through the ministry of St. John the Baptist parish. He wears a simple white alb, like those worn by the catechumens on the night of their baptism at the Easter Vigil.

St. Patrick is administering the Sacrament of Confirmation to the kneeling figure. A dove overhead symbolizes the Holy Spirit received in the Sacrament. St. Patrick’s thumb is signing the forehead of the kneeling figure with the oil of Chrism, as is done by the bishop at Confirmation in our own day.

The shield in the lower panel is that of the Order of the Knights of Malta to which the donor belongs. The shield features the typical “Maltese Cross” with pointed ends on each arm of the Cross to evoke the sharp nails and thorns in Our Lord’s Passion.

Saints of Culture: St. Juan Diego

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St. Juan Diego is the humble Indian peasant of Mexico to whom Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared in 1531 and to whom She gave the famed likeness of Herself. He was born in 1474 and died on May 30, 1548. Together with the other windows on this side of the church, this window celebrates the marvelous cultural diversity of our parish and represents in a special way all those of Mexican and Latin American background.

The iconographic tradition for St. Juan Diego’s face is sketchy. In the earliest known image (the so-called “verdadero retrato”), he is depicted with dark skin and facial hair. Also present in this earliest depiction of St. Juan Diego is his broad-rimmed hat. He wears the hat which evokes both his cultural background and his labors and journeys under the hot sun of Mexico. He is also dressed in the
traditional garb of the Mexican peasant, the sandals on his feet once again underlining his humble origins. We are reminded in this window that Mary has most often chosen to visit the humble and the poor in Her apparitions on earth.

St. Juan Diego holds the tilma in front of him with roses spilling out, recalling the events which surrounded the first “unveiling” of the holy image. The miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is at the center and heart of the window, imprinted on St. Juan Diego’s tilma, as She was at the center and heart of the saint’s life.

St. Juan Diego’s Indian name (Cuauhtlatoatzin) means “the talking Eagle”. In the panel above his head there is a soaring eagle with beak opened. Pictured in the background of the window are some typical plants and cacti native to Mexico. The mountains in the background flatten at one point evoking the mesa-like landscape of the southwest.

The window contains a bottle at St. Juan Diego’s feet with the initials “O.I.” which stand for Oleum Infirmorum or “Oil of the Sick”. St. Juan Diego was on his way to seek the sacrament of the sick for his uncle who was seriously ill when Our Lady stopped him to give him the miraculous image on December 12th, 1531. The bottle at his feet represents his errand of mercy interrupted by Our Lady (who also looked after the cure of the sick uncle). Growing at St. Juan Diego’s feet are the aloe plants which are native to Mexico and contain many healing properties—a further symbol of God’s abundant graces granted to the sick who receive this Sacrament.

The shield in the lower panel is that of Bishop William R. Johnson, first bishop of the diocese of Orange (from 1978-1986). The left side of the shield is that of the diocese of Orange with the characteristic Santa Ana mountains, orange tree, mission courtyard and waves of the ocean. On the right side of the shield are the personal arms of Bishop Johnson.

Saints of Culture: St. Andrew Dũng Lạc

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St. Andrew is the most prominent of the Vietnamese martyrs. He was born in 1795 and died a martyr for the faith on December 21, 1839. He belonged to a peasant family, but eventually entered the priesthood at a time when the church was being severely persecuted by the Vietnamese authorities. His presence in this window represents another major ethnic group of the parish, the Vietnamese community, and indirectly, all those of Asian descent. He completes the trio of windows celebrating the ethnic diversity of our parish (which is by no means limited to the three cultural groups represented in the windows).

The face of St. Andrew is based on a popular representation consistent with the limited iconographic tradition. Although he is often portrayed wearing the black biretta of European origin, here he wears the typical conical hat which is a symbol of traditional Vietnamese life. It is worn throughout Vietnam and also appears in rural areas of neighboring Laos and bordering areas of Cambodia. In this window the hat is especially symbolic of the poor peasant background of St. Andrew’s family members who worked the land under the hot sun of Asia.

St. Andrew wears the vesture of a diocesan priest (black cassock, white surplice and stole). The red stole, reminiscent of his martyrdom, has a typically Vietnamese textile pattern. Around his neck is a thin red line, evoking his eventual martyrdom by beheading in 1839. His hands are chained to recall his suffering through imprisonment for the faith. At his feet are the typical Asian neck harness worn by prisoners of the time on their way to execution, as well as the blade used in his beheading. St. Andrew stands calmly above these instruments of death which he knows ultimately have no power over his soul. He holds the palm branch, symbol of his victory over death. In the background are plants typical of Asia, including palm trees to the left and right of his shoulders, evoking the psalm text, “The just man shall flourish like the palm tree” (Ps. 92:12). In the panel above his head is the sun, appearing here in the only window of a saint from the east. In the panel below his feet are lotus flowers and tropical fish evoking the beauty and colors of Asia.

The stole worn by St. Andrew is a common symbol of the Sacrament of Holy Orders. In this context, it takes on an even richer significance because it is worn by one who did not hesitate as a priest to “lay down his life for his sheep.”

The shield in the lower panel is that of Bishop Tod D. Brown, third bishop of the diocese of Orange (from 1998 to present). The left side of the shield is that of the diocese of Orange with the characteristic Santa Ana mountains, orange tree, mission courtyard and waves of the ocean. On the right side of the shield are the personal arms of Bishop Brown.

The Stained Glass Windows of SJB

St. John the Baptist Catholic School recently celebrated “Fifty Years of Mercy” during Mercy Week last year. On September 25, 2009, we celebrated the unveiling and blessing of the new stained glass windows in the Church. This important milestone in SJB's history brought beautiful works of art which illuminates the many facets of SJB School and Parish. Now, the six stained glass windows are available for online viewing.

Saints of Culture:

• St. Andrew Dũng Lạc
• Juan Diego
• St. Patrick

Saints of Education:

• St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
• St. Herman Joseph
• Mother Catherine

A Letter from Fr. Pascal

Dear friends at SJB,

First, I would like to thank Fr. Hildebrand for inviting me to write something to all of you on this weekend’s Pastor’s Corner. It is my opportunity to express my gratitude to all of you for your warm welcome when we all just arrived at the parish, your understanding and forgiveness for my shortcomings, your patience, your support, and most of all your love and prayers.

There are always new beginnings on our journey of life, and this is one of them. I am reminded of the providence of God from the Book of Ecclesiastes: “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven— A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.” (3:1-4) I have many memories of having the privilege of being with the families of SJB in all the different “times” of their lives over these precious years; joyful as well as sad times. I will treasure them always.

I know that when I began here, I was welcomed with open arms. I remember meeting Msgr. Daniel Brennan for the first time and asking him about Costa Mesa. After a few sick calls in the dark, I mentioned to Monsignor about how hard it is to look for address numbers in front of homes here. Monsignor went to his room, brought out his big six-volt yellow flashlight, and gave it to me. Sister Vianney was very kind too, and introduced me to her circle of friends and parents in the school. These and so many others who make SJB so special will forever be in my thoughts and prayers.

Now, I have a new “beginning” with the Expansion Project at the Abbey. It is an important task that Abbot Eugene has asked me to do, and it needs to be done for securing the future of the Abbey. I trust in God’s providence, as always, that He will provide for what we need and that this project will be completed in his own good time. I ask for your support and prayers, for without God’s help nothing is possible.

May God bless all of you for your generosity and kindness which you have shown to me over these years. May He, through the intercession of St. John the Baptist, keep you strong in your faith and help you to be joyful witnesses for Christ, our Lord and Redeemer.

Sincerely,

Rev. Pascal Bao Nguyen, O.Praem.
St. Michael’s Abbey
Silverado, CA 92676
(949) 858-0222

A Farewell to Fr. Pascal Nguyen, O.Praem.

FR. PASCAL'S FAREWELL MASS
Sunday, January 18, 2009 at 11:00 AM

Please join us for the reception in the Parish Hall immediately following the Mass, as we bid farewell and show our appreciation to

Fr. Pascal Nguyen, O.Praem.

for serving St. John the Baptist, since the arrival of the Norbertine Fathers six and a half years ago. Fr. Pascal’s service have touched the lives of all of us here at SJB parish community.

Fr. Pascal has begun his new assignment at St. Michael’s Abbey and its Expansion Project. The Abbey is in the process of expanding its present facilities to a more stable location.

To learn more about St. Michael’s Abbey and its Expansion Project, please visit www.StMichaelsAbbey.com or call (949) 858-0222.

May God bless him with health and success in all the endeavors which God has planned for him.

------------------------------------------------

What will you remember most about Fr. Pascal?

Please comment. Thanks.

The Holy Cure of Ars: Patron of Priests

Today, August 4th, is the Feast of the Cure of Ars - St. John Mary Vianney, the patron of priests.

Make sure to thank our Norbertines for all they do.

The following is an except from the "Catechism on the Priesthood" by Saint John Mary Vianney

"Who placed Him there, in that tabernacle? It was the priest. Who was it that received your soul, on its entrance into life? The priest. Who nourishes it, to give it strength to make its pilgrimage? The priest. Who will prepare it to appear before God, by washing that soul, for the last time, in the blood of Jesus Christ? The priest -- always the priest. And if that soul comes to the point of death, who will raise it up, who will restore it to calmness and peace? Again the priest. You cannot recall one single blessing from God without finding, side by side with this recollection, the image of the priest."

"Go to confession to the Blessed Virgin, or to an angel; will they absolve you? No. Will they give you the Body and Blood of Our Lord? No. The Holy Virgin cannot make her Divine Son descend into the Host. You might have two hundred angels there, but they could not absolve you. A priest, however simple he may be, can do it; he can say to you, "Go in peace; I pardon you. " Oh, how great is a priest! The priest will not understand the greatness of his office till he is in Heaven."

"The priest is not a priest for himself; he does not give himself absolution; he does not administer the Sacraments to himself. He is not for himself, he is for you. After God, the priest is everything. Leave a parish twenty years without priests; they will worship beasts. If the missionary Father and I were to go away, you would say, "What can we do in this church? there is no Mass; Our Lord is no longer there: we may as well pray at home."

"If I were to meet a priest and an angel, I should salute the priest before I saluted the angel. The latter is the friend of God; but the priest holds His place. Saint Teresa kissed the ground where a priest had passed."

www.saints.sqpn.com

Closing Homily at World Youth Day 2008

Papal Homily at Closing Mass in Sydney "May This 23rd World Youth Day Be Experienced as a New Upper Room"

SYDNEY, Australia, JULY 19, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is the text of the homily Benedict XVI gave at the World Youth Day closing Mass Sunday morning local time.

* * *

Dear Friends,

"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you" (Acts 1:8). We have seen this promise fulfilled! On the day of Pentecost, as we heard in the first reading, the Risen Lord, seated at the right hand of the Father, sent the Spirit upon the disciples gathered in the Upper Room. In the power of that Spirit, Peter and the Apostles went forth to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth. In every age, and in every language, the Church throughout the world continues to proclaim the marvels of God and to call all nations and peoples to faith, hope and new life in Christ.

In these days I too have come, as the Successor of Saint Peter, to this magnificent land of Australia. I have come to confirm you, my young brothers and sisters, in your faith and to encourage you to open your hearts to the power of Christ's Spirit and the richness of his gifts. I pray that this great assembly, which unites young people "from every nation under heaven" (cf. Acts 2:5), will be a new Upper Room. May the fire of God's love descend to fill your hearts, unite you ever more fully to the Lord and his Church, and send you forth, a new generation of apostles, to bring the world to Christ! "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you". These words of the Risen Lord have a special meaning for those young people who will be confirmed, sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit, at today's Mass. But they are also addressed to each of us - to all those who have received the Spirit's gift of reconciliation and new life at Baptism, who have welcomed him into their hearts as their helper and guide at Confirmation, and who daily grow in his gifts of grace through the Holy Eucharist. At each Mass, in fact, the Holy Spirit descends anew, invoked by the solemn prayer of the Church, not only to transform our gifts of bread and wine into the Lord's body and blood, but also to transform our lives, to make us, in his power, "one body, one spirit in Christ".

But what is this "power" of the Holy Spirit? It is the power of God's life! It is the power of the same Spirit who hovered over the waters at the dawn of creation and who, in the fullness of time, raised Jesus from the dead. It is the power which points us, and our world, towards the coming of the Kingdom of God. In today's Gospel, Jesus proclaims that a new age has begun, in which the Holy Spirit will be poured out upon all humanity (cf. Lk 4:21). He himself, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, came among us to bring us that Spirit. As the source of our new life in Christ, the Holy Spirit is also, in a very real way, the soul of the Church, the love which binds us to the Lord and one another, and the light which opens our eyes to see all around us the wonders of God's grace.

Here in Australia, this "great south land of the Holy Spirit", all of us have had an unforgettable experience of the Spirit's presence and power in the beauty of nature. Our eyes have been opened to see the world around us as it truly is: "charged", as the poet says, "with the grandeur of God", filled with the glory of his creative love. Here too, in this great assembly of young Christians from all over the world, we have had a vivid experience of the Spirit's presence and power in the life of the Church. We have seen the Church for what she truly is: the Body of Christ, a living community of love, embracing people of every race, nation and tongue, of every time and place, in the unity born of our faith in the Risen Lord. The power of the Spirit never ceases to fill the Church with life! Through the grace of the Church's sacraments, that power also flows deep within us, like an underground river which nourishes our spirit and draws us ever nearer to the source of our true life, which is Christ. Saint Ignatius of Antioch, who died a martyr in Rome at the beginning of the second century, has left us a splendid description of the Spirit's power dwelling within us. He spoke of the Spirit as a fountain of living water springing up within his heart and whispering: "Come, come to the Father" (cf. Ad Rom., 6:1-9).

Yet this power, the grace of the Spirit, is not something we can merit or achieve, but only receive as pure gift. God's love can only unleash its power when it is allowed to change us from within. We have to let it break through the hard crust of our indifference, our spiritual weariness, our blind conformity to the spirit of this age. Only then can we let it ignite our imagination and shape our deepest desires. That is why prayer is so important: daily prayer, private prayer in the quiet of our hearts and before the Blessed Sacrament, and liturgical prayer in the heart of the Church. Prayer is pure receptivity to God's grace, love in action, communion with the Spirit who dwells within us, leading us, through Jesus, in the Church, to our heavenly Father. In the power of his Spirit, Jesus is always present in our hearts, quietly waiting for us to be still with him, to hear his voice, to abide in his love, and to receive "power from on high", enabling us to be salt and light for our world.

At his Ascension, the Risen Lord told his disciples: "You will be my witnesses ... to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Here, in Australia, let us thank the Lord for the gift of faith, which has come down to us like a treasure passed on from generation to generation in the communion of the Church. Here, in Oceania, let us give thanks in a special way for all those heroic missionaries, dedicated priests and religious, Christian parents and grandparents, teachers and catechists who built up the Church in these lands - witnesses like Blessed Mary MacKillop, Saint Peter Chanel, Blessed Peter To Rot, and so many others! The power of the Spirit, revealed in their lives, is still at work in the good they left behind, in the society which they shaped and which is being handed on to you.

Dear young people, let me now ask you a question. What will you leave to the next generation? Are you building your lives on firm foundations, building something that will endure? Are you living your lives in a way that opens up space for the Spirit in the midst of a world that wants to forget God, or even rejects him in the name of a falsely-conceived freedom? How are you using the gifts you have been given, the "power" which the Holy Spirit is even now prepared to release within you? What legacy will you leave to young people yet to come? What difference will you make? The power of the Holy Spirit does not only enlighten and console us. It also points us to the future, to the coming of God's Kingdom. What a magnificent vision of a humanity redeemed and renewed we see in the new age promised by today's Gospel! Saint Luke tells us that Jesus Christ is the fulfilment of all God's promises, the Messiah who fully possesses the Holy Spirit in order to bestow that gift upon all mankind. The outpouring of Christ's Spirit upon humanity is a pledge of hope and deliverance from everything that impoverishes us. It gives the blind new sight; it sets the downtrodden free, and it creates unity in and through diversity (cf. Lk 4:18-19; Is 61:1-2). This power can create a new world: it can "renew the face of the earth" (cf. Ps 104:30)!

Empowered by the Spirit, and drawing upon faith's rich vision, a new generation of Christians is being called to help build a world in which God's gift of life is welcomed, respected and cherished - not rejected, feared as a threat and destroyed. A new age in which love is not greedy or self-seeking, but pure, faithful and genuinely free, open to others, respectful of their dignity, seeking their good, radiating joy and beauty. A new age in which hope liberates us from the shallowness, apathy and self-absorption which deaden our souls and poison our relationships. Dear young friends, the Lord is asking you to be prophets of this new age, messengers of his love, drawing people to the Father and building a future of hope for all humanity.

The world needs this renewal! In so many of our societies, side by side with material prosperity, a spiritual desert is spreading: an interior emptiness, an unnamed fear, a quiet sense of despair. How many of our contemporaries have built broken and empty cisterns (cf. Jer 2:13) in a desperate search for meaning - the ultimate meaning that only love can give? This is the great and liberating gift which the Gospel brings: it reveals our dignity as men and women created in the image and likeness of God. It reveals humanity's sublime calling, which is to find fulfilment in love. It discloses the truth about man and the truth about life.

The Church also needs this renewal! She needs your faith, your idealism and your generosity, so that she can always be young in the Spirit (cf. Lumen Gentium, 4)! In today's second reading, the Apostle Paul reminds us that each and every Christian has received a gift meant for building up the Body of Christ. The Church especially needs the gifts of young people, all young people. She needs to grow in the power of the Spirit who even now gives joy to your youth and inspires you to serve the Lord with gladness. Open your hearts to that power! I address this plea in a special way to those of you whom the Lord is calling to the priesthood and the consecrated life. Do not be afraid to say "yes" to Jesus, to find your joy in doing his will, giving yourself completely
to the pursuit of holiness, and using all your talents in the service of others!

In a few moments, we will celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation. The Holy Spirit will descend upon the confirmands; they will be "sealed" with the gift of the Spirit and sent forth to be Christ's witnesses. What does it mean to receive the "seal" of the Holy Spirit? It means being indelibly marked, inalterably changed, a new creation. For those who have received this gift, nothing can ever be the same! Being "baptized" in the one Spirit (cf. 1 Cor 12:13) means being set on fire with the love of God. Being "given to drink" of the Spirit means being refreshed by the beauty of the Lord's plan for us and for the world, and becoming in turn a source of spiritual refreshment for others. Being "sealed with the Spirit" means not being afraid to stand up for Christ, letting the truth of the Gospel permeate the way we see, think and act, as we work for the triumph of the civilization of love.

As we pray for the confirmands, let us ask that the power of the Holy Spirit will revive the grace of our own Confirmation. May he pour out his gifts in abundance on all present, on this city of Sydney, on this land of Australia and on all its people! May each of us be renewed in the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgement and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence, the spirit of wonder and awe in God's presence!

Through the loving intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, may this Twenty-third World Youth Day be experienced as a new Upper Room, from which all of us, burning with the fire and love of the Holy Spirit, go forth to proclaim the Risen Christ and to draw every heart to him! Amen.

© Copyright 2008 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Happy Birthday St. John!

FEAST OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST

“The Church observes the birth of John as a hallowed event. We have no such commemoration for any other fathers; but it significant that we celebrate the birthdays of John and of Jesus. This day cannot be passed by. And even if my explanation does not match the dignity of the feast, you may still meditate on it with great depth and profit.

John appears as the boundary between the two testament, the old and the new. That he is a sort of boundary the Lord himself bears witness, when he speaks of “the law and the prophets up until John the Baptist.” Thus he represents times past and is the herald of the new era to come. As a representative of the past, he is born of aged parents; as a herald of the new era, he is declared to be a prophet while still in his mother’s womb. For when yet unborn, he leapt in his mother’s womb at the arrival of blessed Mary. In that womb he had already been designated a prophet, even before he was born; it was revealed that he was to be Christ’s precursor, before they ever saw one another. These are divine happenings, going beyond the limits of our human frailty.

When John was preaching the Lord’s coming he was asked, “Who are you?” And he replied: “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness.” The voice is John, but the Lord “in the beginning was the Word.” John was a voice that lasted only for a time; Christ, the Word in the beginning, is eternal.”

-From a sermon by St. Augustine on the birth of St. John the Baptist

SJB Festival 2008

QUICK FACTS ABOUT THE BIRTHDAY OF SJB

· SJB has two feast days: June 24 – Birthday & August 29 – Death

· SJB is the only saint other than Jesus and Mary to have the Church celebrate both birthday and death

· SJB is the only saint to have an account of both birth and death in the Gospel

· SJB birth was foretold by Angel Gabriel (like Jesus) to Zachary, a priest in the Temple of Jerusalem, that his wife, Elizabeth would bear a child, even at her old age

· SJB first met Jesus in his mother’s womb at Mary’s visitation

· SJB is often described as the last of the Old Testament prophets and the bright between Judaism and Christianity.

· SJB is the cousin and the forerunner of Our Lord Jesus

COME TO THE FESTIVAL ON JUNE 21-22, 2008
TO CELEBRATE ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST’s BIRTHDAY!

Pope Benedict XVI's Visit to the U.S. Video

Happy Easter!

Felices Pascuas!

Chúc Mừng Phục Sinh!
Prospera Pascha sit!

Buona Pasqua!

Joyeuses Pâques!

Frohe Ostern!

Holy Saturday

Good Friday

The Last Seven Words of Jesus

I.
"Pater, dimitte illis, quia nesciunt, quid faciunt."
"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Luke 23:34

II.
"Hodie mecum eris in Paradiso."
"Amen I say to you, this day you shall be with me in Paradise."

Luke 23:43

III.

"Mulier, ecce filius tuus."

"Woman, behold your Son...Behold your mother."

John 19:26-27

IV.

"Deus meus, Deus meus, utquid dereliquisti me?"
"My God! My God, why have you forsaken Me?"
Mark 27:46

V.

"Sitio."

"I thirst."
John 19:28

VI.

"Consummatum est."

"It is finished"
John 19:30

VII.

"In manus tuas, Domine commendo spiritum meum."

"Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit."

Luke 23:46


"The seven last words of Jesus are also our seven last words – the words of terror and loneliness, of fear and horror, of despair and final surrender as we complete our journey and perhaps begin a new one."
--Andrew M. Greeley

Tenebrae

The Three Days of Darkness

On Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, SJB will starts its day with Tenebrae at 8:30 AM.

Here are some great notes about Tenebrae:

“Tenebrae” is the name given to the service of Matins and Lauds belonging to the last three days of Holy Week. It differs, in many things, from the Office of the rest of the year. All is sad and mournful, as though it were a funeral service; nothing could more emphatically express the grief that now weighs down the heart of our holy Mother the Church. Throughout all the Office of Thursday, Friday and Saturday, she forbids herself the use of those formulas of joy and hope wherewith, on all other days, she begins her praise of God. Nothing is left but what is essential to the form of the Divine Office: psalms, lessons and chants expressive of grief. The tone of the whole Office is most noticeably mournful: the lessons taken from the Lamentations of Jeremias, the omission of the Gloria Patri, of the Te Deum, and of blessings etc., so the darkness of these services seems to have been designedly chosen to mark the Church’s desolation. The lessons from Jeremias in the first Nocturn, those from the Commentaries of St. Augustine upon the Psalms in the second, and those from the Epistles of St. Paul in the third remain now as when we first hear of them in the eighth century.

The name “Tenebrae” has been given because this Office is celebrated in the hours of darkness, formerly in the evening or just after midnight, now the early morning hours. There is an impressive ceremony, peculiar to this Office, which tends to perpetuate its name. There is placed in the sanctuary, near the altar, a large triangular candlestick holding fifteen candles. At the end of each psalm or canticle, one of these fifteen candles is extinguished, but the one which is placed at the top of the triangle is left lighted. During the singing of the Benedictus (the Canticle of Zachary at the end of Lauds), six other candles on the altar are also put out. Then the master of ceremonies takes the lighted candle from the triangle and holds it upon the altar while the choir repeats the antiphon after the canticle, after which she hides it behind the altar during the recitation of the Christus antiphon and final prayer. As soon as this prayer is finished, a noise is made with the seats of the stalls in the choir, which continues until the candle is brought from behind the altar, and shows, by its light, that the Office of Tenebrae is over.

Let us now learn the meaning of these ceremonies. The glory of the Son of God was obscured and, so to say, eclipsed, by the ignominies He endured during His Passion. He, the Light of the world, powerful in word and work, Who but a few days ago was proclaimed King by the citizens of Jerusalem, is now robbed of all his honors. He is, says Isaias, the Man of sorrows, a leper (Isaias 53:3,4). He is, says the royal prophet, a worm of the earth, and no man (Psalm 21:7). He is, as He says of himself, an object of shame even to his own disciples, for they are all scandalized in him (Mark 14:27) and abandon Him; yea, even Peter protests that he never knew Him. This desertion on the part of His apostles and disciples is expressed by the candles being extinguished, one after the other, not only on the triangle, but on the altar itself. But Jesus, our Light, though despised and hidden, is not extinguished. This is signified by the candle which is momentarily placed on the altar; it symbolizes our Redeemer suffering and dying on Calvary. In order to express His burial, the candle is hidden behind the altar; its light disappears. A confused noise is heard in the house of God, where all is now darkness. This noise and gloom express the convulsions of nature when Jesus expired on the cross: the earth shook, the rocks were split, the dead came forth from their tombs. But the candle suddenly reappears; its light is as fair as ever. The noise is hushed, and homage is paid to the Conqueror of death.

Excerpted from the revered Liturgical Year by Abbot Gueranger, the Catholic Encyclopedia and other sources
http://www.sistersofcarmel.com/tenebrae.php

The Three Pillars of Lent...part three

Part Three: Concerning Fasting/Penance/Confession

The thought of fasting usually has been regarding food, abstinence from meat, and eating less on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Then there's the practice of "giving up something" for Lent. This has become a beautiful form of fasting, as spirtual discipline. For example, kids usually candy and sodas, while adults, it's shopping, so as to give the amount saved to the poor, or the things they enjoy, so as to spend more time doing things that matter. In all cases, fasting leads us to a greater self-discipline, a renewal of oneself.

"I speak not, indeed, of such a fast as most persons keep, but of real fasting; not merely an abstinence from meats; but from sins too." --St. John Chrysostom

Fasting can also be a act of penance. Pope Clement XIII wrote "Appetente Sacro" in 1759 to ask his Bishops to explain the reasons for fasting:

"You will begin most appropriately, and with hope of the greatest profit, to recall men to the observance of the holy law of fasting, if you teach the people this: penance for the Christian man is not satisfied by withdrawing from sin, by detesting a past life badly lived, or by the sacramental confession of these same sins. Rather, penance also demands that we satisfy divine justice with fasting, almsgiving, prayer, and other works of the spiritual life. Every wrongdoing -- be it large or small -- is fittingly punished, either by the penitent or by a vengeful God. Therefore we cannot avoid God's punishment in any other way than by punishing ourselves. If this teaching is constantly implanted in the minds of the faithful, and if they drink deeply of it, there will be very little cause to fear that those who have discarded their degraded habits and washed their sins clean through sacramental confession would not want to expiate the same sins through fasting, to eliminate the concupiscence of the flesh. Besides, consider the man who is convinced that he repents of his sins more firmly when he toes not allow himself to go unpunished. That man, already consumed with the love of penance, will rejoice during the season of Lent and on certain other days, when the Church declares that the faithful should fast and gives them the opportunity to bring forth worthy fruits of penance."

"It is only by sacrifice and suffering, offered as penance, that you will be able, by the grace of God, to convert sinners."
-St. John Vianney

Here are the penance services and confession hours at SJB:
Penance Services

--Thursday, March 6th at 7:15 PM in Vietnamese and English

--Thursday, March 13th at 7:30 PM in English and Spanish

Confession Hours

--Saturday, March 8th at 3:30-4:30 PM

--Satuday, March 15th at 3:30-4:30 PM

--Tuesday, March 18th at 8:00-9:00 PM

It is highly recommended that one goes to one of the Penance Services to avoid long lines during the confession hours.

Just for reference: The Seven Penitential Psalms are Psalms 6, 31, 37, 50, 101, 129, & 142

By order of Pope Innocent III (1198-1216), these prayers are to be prayed during the days of Lent. If they can't be said on each day of the Season, they can at least be prayed on Lenten Fridays (or one could pray one prayer on each of the 7 Fridays of Lent). One kneels when praying these Psalms, begins and ends with a short antiphon, and recites a Gloria in between. To download these Psalms in Microsoft Word format (10 pages), in both English and Latin, with Antiphons and Glorias, click here. (fisheaters.com)

The Sacrament of Confession is one of God's greatest gift. During Lent, by fasting, one will be able to reflect and meditate on God's mercy and His love.

Confession!
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John 20:22-23
And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
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The cry goes up "Why confess your sins to men? Why not just confess to God?" The answer is, as ever, the Incarnation. Jesus is not the Word made word or the Word made abstract theology or the Word made warm fuzzy feeling. He is the Word made flesh. And so, He commits His gospel into the flesh and blood hands of flesh and blood people and gives them the power to forgive sins in His name by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are creatures, not only of spirit, but of skin and bone. We need somebody with skin on to say "You are absolved of all your sins." So Jesus gives us the sacrament of reconciliation. (catholicexchange.com)

Contrition !
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Psalm 51:17
The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.
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Contrition is the second element of a good confession. It is part of the typically Catholic insistence of a marriage between word and deed, spirit and flesh, inner and outer. If you confess but don't mean to change, your confession is just a show. If you claim to have undergone a change of heart, but then refuse to confess your sins or change, you're just kidding yourself. By far, contrition is the most important element of the sacrament. If you are truly and fully contrite for your sins, but get killed in battle, or run over by a bus, or struck by a meteor before you get a chance to go to confession, you are still fully forgiven by God. But, of course, if you are seriously contrite and none of these somewhat improbable occurrences befalls you, then you should get to confession. And, wherever you are, you should pray the prayer of the psalmist: "Create in me a clean heart, and renew a steadfast spirit within me!" (catholicexchange.com)

The Acts of the Penitent!

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Isaiah 58:6
Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?

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One of the funniest things about the Sacrament of Reconciliation is the strange paroxysms that some opponents of the Church put themselves through to complain about penance. On the one hand, we're told that penance is an outrageous form of "works salvation" which allegedly requires us to do something in order to "earn" the grace of God. On the other hand, we're also told that penances are trivial and light and no work at all and that if the Church were serious, its priests would assign "meaningful" penances. So there you are: penance is a burden and it's not burden enough, according to the critics.

In reality, however, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is, like all things Catholic, incarnational. Repentance is supposed to issue in action, not just words. So the Church calls for some small act of penance to be done, not as a way of earning grace, but as a way of living out the grace we have received. Typically, this act is small precisely in order that it may not be a burden. But it is real because grace must be incarnate just as the Word had to become flesh. Real penance is not just a ritual: rather, it is a way of saying thanks!
(catholicexchange.com)

One just soul can attain pardon for a thousand sinners.
-St Margaret Mary Alacoque