St. Joan of Arc @ St. Apollinaris School

HOMILY - MONDAY 7TH WEEK OF EASTER
MAY 29, 2017
10:30 AM ORDINARY FORM (ENGLISH) MASS



St. Joan of Arc, also known as the "Maid(en) of Orleans" was born in 1412, 75 years into the 100 Years' War. During that time, France was split three ways between the British, the Burgundians, and the French. In 1425, St. Joan of Arc had visions of St. Michael, St. Margaret, and St. Catherine telling her that the Dauphin (prince) had to be crowned King, and the French would be victorious. In 1429, the King was crowned, and France began to win the battles. In 1430, St. Joan of Arc was captured by the Burgundians who turned her over to the British in 1431. The British held a mock trial and determined she was a witch, so they burned her at the stake. The Pope held a new trial in 1456, and ruled that she was not a witch, but had lived a holy life. She was beatified in 1909, and canonized a saint in 1920.

Memorial Day @ Calvary Catholic Cemetery

HOMILY - MONDAY 7TH WEEK OF EASTER

MAY 29, 2017
10:30 AM ORDINARY FORM (ENGLISH) MASS

“Taps” is a bugle call played at dusk, during certain military ceremonies, as well as when giving military honors at funerals. The particular tune we associate with “Taps” is also known as “Butterfield’s Lullaby” because it came to us in its present form through Union Army Brigadier General Daniel Butterfield, – an American Civil War general and Medal of Honor recipient – who commanded the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Division in the V Army Corps of the Army of the Potomac. It was in July of 1862, while at while at Harrison's Landing, Virginia, that Butterfield replaced the previous French bugle call used to signal "lights out” with the current call.

Linguistically, the word “taps” comes from the Dutch word “taptoe” which meant time to close the beer taps, and send the troops home.

Humorous? Perhaps. But for those of us who served in our Nation’s defense, the fondest memories of our fallen comrades most likely come from gatherings at the Enlisted or Officer’s Club, or perhaps a unit or squadron Barbecue.

Indeed, despite the serious business we were about while on active duty, it almost seemed mundane. And perhaps it is somehow wired into our psyches to remember the good times … the fellowship and camaraderie we shared while serving in harm’s way.

Today we commemorate the civic holiday known as “Memorial Day.” Looking through the history, it would seem that there are quite a few locations that claim to be the “first” … the first to honor the fallen; the first to lay flowers on graves; the first parade; the first memorial service.

Knowing how much our own heavenly Father loves us all, and in a Trinitarian spirit of generosity, I would like to solve this conundrum of unnecessary competition by declaring that all of them are first, no matter when or where … just as all of us are beloved of God – whoever you are, you are His favorite.




Originally known as “Decoration Day,” and dating from the time of the United States Civil War, it wasn’t until the 1960s that it became known universally as Memorial Day. And at that time, was moved from its customary day of May 30, to the last Monday in May.

I remember this vividly, as my own dear mother’s birthday is May 31. And she has never let us forget that it used to be the day after Memorial Day. She will be 27 for the 57th time tomorrow, and I thank God that she is still healthy, living with my dad after over 60 years of marriage.

Yet today, we honor the fallen. Who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of their country. Many of us have relatives or friends who served. Some who died in that service – whether they be brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, grandfathers, or great-grandfathers – by blood or by fellowship. 

Words escape us, despite slogans such as “All gave some, but some gave all,” and “Land of the free, because of the brave.” And while these are good and appropriate, they somehow fall short of the full depth of gratitude we owe those who died to preserve the ideals and freedoms that define us as Americans.

The best theological definition of death is that it is a mystery. An ending to life, no doubt; but the beginning of something seen only as through a mist or a fog. The death of someone who is young and in the prime of life is a tragedy, as we consider a happy long life to be a blessing.

And so, today let us pray for those who have died in war. There are no sides in this, and so we embrace Our Lord’s call to pray for our enemies as well. 

Knowing, too, that while we struggle with temporal realities here in this world, in the Gospel we heard today, we know with the certainty of Faith in Christ Jesus that

In the world [we] will have trouble,
but take courage, [He has] conquered the world.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord …

Photos of the grounds at Calvary Catholic Cemetery

 

Ascension Sunday @ St. Apollinaris Church

HOMILY - EXTERNAL SOLEMNITY OF ASCENSION ON SUNDAY  (YEAR A)

MAY 27-28, 2017
4:30 PM (SAT), 9:00 AM ORDINARY FORM (ENGLISH) MASSES

“Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith” … – … or more simply, Queen Elizabeth … – … is the longest reigning monarch on the face of the Earth … by a good 15 years, followed by the Sultans of Brunei and Oman, then Queen Margrethe of Denmark, King Carl Gustav of Sweden, King Mswati of Swaziland, and the Emperor of Japan. There are 21 others, who date their reigns from the 1990s, including Pope Francis (yes, he is a monarch!) who is ranks 7th from the bottom despite his short reign of only 4 years.

Being Americans, we tend to think of Kings as abusive despots who suspend rights on a whim, tax free citizens without adequate representation, and arbitrarily suspend normal government operations in favor of brutal martial law.

Yet our neighbors to the north, that is – Canadians – give the Queen nearly as many titles as do the British, and apart from a unique vowel shift, most people would be hard pressed to tell the difference between us and them.

Despite 250 years of the United States “championing democracy,” there are still 28 reigning monarchs across the globe. Doing whatever mayhem they do.

15 of them – more than half – use the title “King,” which is unique in that there are three major linguistic systems at play in titles that are translated as “King.” 

The English word “King” has Germanic roots, coming from the Old German koenig, meaning “kin” or “relative”. The origin here would be in the headman of the barbarian tribes of central Europe.

The romance languages have Latin roots, and the word “Rey” (“Rei,” “Rej”) comes from the Latin word rex, where we get the English word “ruler”. 

Interestingly, there is much more in common between the individual who sits on the throne (“ruler”) and the thing that you use to measure distance (“ruler”) than you may think. Since the origin of this word is: “guide”, as well as “custom” or “order”. 

And finally, the middle eastern, or Semetic languages, use the root melek, whose original meaning was “counselor” or “advisor”. Although in Modern Arabic, the same word means to possess or to own … not really what I would call an ideal picture of modern civic leadership or governance.

But, across the nations that still have monarchs, there exists linguistic or sub-conscious idea … that those in charge should have some relation to the people they govern, as well as being able to guide or advise their nation and populace.

Today is the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord.

In today’s readings, we hear two accounts of the Ascension – one from the beginning of St. Luke’s second writing, known as the Acts of the Apostles (that was the First Reading,) and the second from the very end of St. Matthew’s Gospel (which is also shared among the other Synoptic Gospels).

There is one line in the account from Acts that stands out for me:

When they had gathered together they asked him,
"Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

We might reflect on Our Lord’s words to Pontius Pilate before His death:

“My kingdom does not belong to this world.”

As well as what we heard repeated in today’s Psalm, 

“God mounts his throne to shouts of joy,” … 
“the LORD … is great king over all the earth.” … 
“sing praise to our king, sing praise.” …
 “God reigns over the nations.”

And so, as we commemorate today Jesus’s Ascension to the right hand of God the Father, we might ask ourselves, what sort of King do we see Jesus as … or perhaps, what sort of King do we allow Him to be in our daily lives?

Is He a tyrant, against whom we rebel? A despot who steals our fun, and abuses our freedom?

Or rather, is He a kinsman, a beloved relative; with whom we share our lives?

Is He a ruler, a guide; someone who shows us the way, or against whom we measure our lives?

Is He a trusted counselor? A sought-after advisor?

I would hold that the root meanings of the word “King” in English, Latin, and Hebrew … all hold for us a valuable image of who Christ should be for us. And, even more so, we must realize that He has, indeed, restored the kingdom … if only we would give Him rule over every aspect of our lives.

As we approach this altar to receive the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ – our Savior, our Redeemer, our Brother, and our Ruler – let us pray for a deeper relationship with Him … through Him, and in Him.

May the Eucharist we receive today give us the strength and the courage to go forth from this place, proclaiming that He is risen … He lives … and He reigns.

¡Viva Christo Rey!

Retreat Talk @ St. Apollinaris School

RETREAT TALK - 6TH GRADE CONFIRMATION RETREAT
MAY 26, 2017



Why are you being confirmed?

Is it just a "merit badge?" As if Catholicism were just some sort of scouting program?

God desires for you to spend Eternity with Him. That is, instead of "the other place."

If you were going to build a house, you would have to put in a foundation. If you're going to build a good life, you need a foundation, too.

The foundation of a good life is the Virtues.

These are "good habits." You don't get good habits by acting badly. You build up good habits by acting good. Just like getting a good jump shot requires practice, growing in virtue means practicing living virtues.



The good news is that through Baptism and the Sacraments, we receive the Theological Virtues of Faith, Hope, and Love. Faith to believe what is unbelievable. Hope to trust when there is no light at the end of the tunnel. And Love, to love those people who aren't very lovable or when we don't feel like it.

These affect us as human beings by acting on our Heart, Mind, and Soul.

Faith affects the Mind, Hope affects the Soul, and Love affects the Heart.

By allowing these infused virtues to act in our lives, we become more than who we are, that is, supernatural. God has given us these Supernatural virtues for just this reason.

The natural virtues are Prudence, Temperance, and Fortitude. These, too, affect the Mind, Soul, and Heart. Prudence helps us to make good choices, Temperance helps us to respect ourselves and others, and Fortitude allows us to keep going when what we're doing is difficult – to have courage and boldness to do what is right. And Justice helps us balance our lives between friends, family, God, and community.

The Virtues are the foundation of a good life, but are even more than that. Virtues make us into the most perfect version of ourselves. Through God's grace and our effort, we become who God created us to be.

In Confirmation, the Gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to us in abundance. The Gifts of the Holy Spirit perfect the Virtues within us. But if we forgot to do our homework on becoming virtuous – that is, by developing good habits in our Heart, Mind, and Soul – we don't give the Holy Spirit much to work with. The more Virtues – that is, the more good habits you have – the greater the gifts to be received.



Whatever Virtues you do have, will be perfected – and amplified – by God's grace through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the reception of His Gifts. Through all the Sacraments, but especially through Confirmation.

But if we haven't put down a solid foundation of Virtue in our lives, the Gifts of the Holy Spirit won't have much to perfect within us. That is why it is important to develop good habits and grow in Virtue by being virtuous.

As we grow in Virtue, the Gifts of the Holy Spirit strengthen, perfect, and amplify these Virtues within us through His sevenfold Gifts. These, too, affect us.



As human beings, we are Body, Heart, Mind, and Soul. The Virtues and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit affect our Heart, Mind, and Soul.

Knowledge, Understanding, and Counsel are Gifts that affect the Mind; helping us to take in, process, and share what we see, experience, and learn. Fear of the Lord and Piety affect the Soul; helping us to show reverence for God and the many gifts He has given us, and helping us to respond in our lives by sharing our gifts with God and neighbor. And Wisdom and Fortitude affect the Heart, helping us to make the appropriate choices, and to have the courage to follow through.



Thus, Our Heart, Mind, and Soul are affected by God's grace in Baptism through the Supernatural Virtues, by our own efforts (and the efforts of our parents and teachers) to develop good habits by living the virtues, and through Confirmation allowing God's grace to perfect our efforts through the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Then, in the end, we will manifest the Fruits of the Holy Spirit in our lives. That is, we will begin to experience Heaven on Earth. But it's not a light switch sort of thing – it takes work and effort. We need to exercise Faith, Hope, and Love – the Theological Virtues; we need to develop good habits by exercising the Human Virtues of Prudence, Temperance, and Fortitude. And once we have laid down a solid foundation of Virtue in our lives, the Gifts of the Holy Spirit will perfect these Virtues in our Hearts, Minds, and Souls. Building us up into the best version of ourself – based on God's perfect plan, the plan He has laid out for each one of us from all Eternity.



And in that action of the Holy Spirit in our lives and our response to God's grace, we will begin to see Heaven on Earth in the Fruits of the Holy Spirit. We will be able to experience the Glory of God in our lives and share that with others when we cooperate with the Holy Spirit and God's grace in our lives.

Jeopardy @ St. Apollinaris School

JEOPARDY - 6TH GRADE RETREAT ACTIVITY
MAY 26, 2017

STUFF IN CHURCH

100 These long wooden benches sound like they might smell.

What is a pew.

200 This podium is where both Old and New Testament are read from.

What is the ambo. 

300 He walks and stands on the priest’s right side.

Who is the deacon.

400 This is where the transubstantiated hosts are kept.

What is the tabernacle. 

500 Their pictures adorn the walls and windows in a church.

Who are the saints. 

MIDDLE AGES

100 This medieval saint has a church named after him in Napa.

Who is St. Thomas Aquinas. 

200 Near the end of the middle ages, he discovered America.

Who is Christopher Columbus

300 An argument in the middle of the middle ages split the Church this way.

What is east and west. 

400 In the late middle ages, 7 popes lived in this country (not Italy.)

What is France.

500 This multi-national organization lasted through the middle ages until 1806.

What is the Holy Roman Empire.

BIBLE BABBLE

100 This is the language of most of the Old Testament.

What is Hebrew. 

200 The New Testament is in this language.

What is Greek.

300 The book of the Bible where the story of the Tower of Babel is mentioned. 

What is Genesis. 

400 Arguments among Hebrew and Greek Christians led to their ordination.

What are the first deacons.

500 The day the Apostles left the upper room speaking many languages.

What is Pentecost. 

POPE-ULAR PEOPLE

100 Three popes with this name lived in the last century.

What is Pius. 

200 He was pope when you were born.

Who is John Paul II. 

300 Where the current pope is from this country.

What is Argentina. 

400 The pope between John Paul II and Francis. He’s still alive.

Who is Benedict XVI. 

500 The pope who called the Second Vatican Council.

Who is John XXIII

MASS CHAOS

100 Do this before you sit down, or when you cross in front of the tabernacle.

What is genuflect. 

200 The three persons mentioned in the Sign of the Cross.

Who are the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

300 When you smell this at a solemn Mass, don’t call the fire department.

What is incense. 

400 This is carried at the front of processions going in and coming out of Mass.

What is the (processional) cross (crucifix). 

500 The two times the bells are rung at Mass.

What are at the elevations. 

ROMAN NUMBERS

100 One.

What is “I”.

200 Five.

What  is “V”. 

300 Ten.

What is “X”. 

400 One Hundred.

What is “C”. 

500 One Thousand.

What is “M”. 

MAMMA MIA!

200 Jesus’s Mother.

Who is Mary.

400 Mary’s cousin, also John the Baptist’s mother.

Who is Elizabeth. 

600 She is called “mother of the living,” and was Cain and Abel’s mother.

Who is Eve.

800 King David’s ill-met wife, also King Solomon’s mother.

Who is Bathsheeba. 

1000 She asked for her son’s to sit with Jesus in glory. Name the sons.

Who are James and John. 

MODERN TIMES

200 The pastor of St. Apollinaris.

Who is Fr. Donahue.  

400 The bishop of our diocese.

Who is Robert Vasa. 

600 The current pope.

Who is Francis. 

800 The year that pope was elected.

What is 2013.

1000 The number of popes in the 21st century.

What is three (3). 

LOCAL DIOCESES

200 The diocese we live in.

What is Santa Rosa.

400 The archdiocese south of us.

What is San Francisco. 

600 The diocese east of us.

What is Sacramento.

800 The diocese south east of us.

What is Oakland. 

1000 The diocese west of us.

What is Honolulu.

KNOW THE ANSWER

200 The answer to “The Lord be with you.”

What is “And with your spirit.”

400 The answer to “Through Christ our Lord.”

What is “Amen.”

600 The answer to “Christ have mercy.”

What is “Christ have mercy.”

800 The answer to “Lift up your hearts.”

What is “We lift them up to the Lord.” 

1000 The answer to “Go in peace.”

What is “Thanks be to God.” 

AMEN.

200 The Lord’s prayer.

What is the “Our Father.”

400 The Angelic salutation.

What is the “Hail Mary.”

600 This prayer starts with “I believe.”

What is the Creed.

800 This prayer, called a doxology, mentions the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

What is the Glory Be. 

1000 This prayer asks an archangel to “defend us in battle.”

What is the St. Michael prayer. 

CATHOLIC COUNTRIES

200 The country housing the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

What is Mexico. 

400 This country surrounds the Vatican.

What is Italy.

600 One of the two Catholic countries on the Iberian Peninsula.

What is Spain (or Portugal). 

800 The country with the largest Catholic population in the world.

What is Brazil.

1000 The continent has the least Catholics on the planet.

What is Antarctica. 

ST. APOLLINARIS

FINAL This modern-day country is the birthplace of St. Apollinaris.

What is Turkey. (or Antioch, or Roman Province of Syria.)