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.)

Tuesday 6th Week of Easter @ St. Apollinaris School

HOMILY GRAPHICS - TUESDAY 6TH WEEK OF EASTER
MAY 23, 2017
8:45 AM ORDINARY FORM MASS (4TH, 5TH, 7TH, 8TH GRADES)



In the Gospels for the past few days, Jesus keeps talking about "the Advocate."

This is the Greek word "Paraclete" which means "someone to stand by you." Since English doesn't have a specific word for that, it's sometimes translated "comforter," "helper," "consoler," "mediator," and probably other ways, too.

The "Advocate" is the Holy Spirit, who comes to us in both Baptism and Confirmation.

We hear about, and study the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. But it's more than just a list.

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, perfect the Virtues. So, we need to know about the Virtues, too. But this is more than a list.

Some of the Virtues are "infused" at Baptism. These are Faith, Hope, and Love. But like muscles and brainpower, if you don't exercise these Virtues ... they don't get very strong.

The other Virtues are the "human" virtues – prudence, temperance, fortitude, and justice. These we develop by thinking the right way, acting the right way, behaving the right way, and being the way God has created us to be. When we do bad things, think bad thoughts, do wrong things – we don't become "bad" in and of ourselves, but we weaken the ability of God's grace to perfect us.

If we don't build up our virtues, there isn't anything for the Holy Spirit to perfect through His Gifts.

Similarly, there are also the Fruits of the Holy Spirit. Another list you have to memorize. But it's more than a list.

The Fruits of the Holy Spirit are a foretaste of Heaven for us, here on Earth. When we build a foundation of Virtue, and through Grace allow the Holy Spirit to act in our lives and perfect those virtues with His Gifts, we will experience the Fruits of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives.



And so, it is like building a house. We build our spiritual "house" on the foundation of the Virtues, and through the Sacraments, receive the Gifts of the Holy Spirit which build us up by perfecting those virtues, and as we continue to live virtuous lives in God's grace, we begin to experience the Fruits of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

6th Sunday of Easter @ St. Apollinaris Church

HOMILY - SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER  (YEAR A)

MAY 21, 2017
7:30 AM, 5:30 PM ORDINARY FORM (ENGLISH) MASSES



Statics is the branch of engineering mechanics that analyzes the forces and torques acting on a physical system that is in static equilibrium with its environment. In other words, the structure or system isn’t going anywhere; and by design, it shouldn’t be going anywhere.

Granted, this is a simplification that is used early on in an engineering curriculum to allow a student to begin to learn how to design structures – like buildings or bridges – that are mostly stationary.



Now, anyone who’s ever been in a high-rise building; or driven on a bridge in high winds, knows that structures are rarely stationary. And in fact, it is disastrous to design a structure so rigid that it is unable to experience an appropriate amount of give and take with natural movements in the environment.

Nonetheless, the study of statics allows a student to gain familiarity with structural and supporting members and to gain some knowledge of various aspects required to construct basic physical systems.



Today is the Sixth Sunday of Easter.

In today’s Gospel taken from St. John’s Gospel chapter 14, Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit as the “Spirit of truth.” He uses a word, translated here as “Advocate,” literally (from the Latin) someone who speaks for a person or for a cause – colloquially a supporter or a proponent.

The word here in the Greek is (parakletos and is) sometimes translated as comforter or consoler. Comfort comes from the Latin (con + forte) and means to give someone strength. Consoler is also from the Latin (con + solare) and means to give someone support.



Our modern lives are often structured in such a way that we have no place for rest … no room for relief. Yet, if we find ourselves ready to collapse under the weight of many responsibilities we need to seek relief from the Holy Spirit – the Third Person of the Trinity – He whom Jesus calls the “Advocate” to be with us in those times when we need extra strength and added support.

Without the spiritual help of the Holy Spirit, we most certainly will have difficulty not only in living the Christian life; but also in just getting through the day.

The Holy Spirit comes to us in Baptism – our first experience of His strength and support. Yet, more specifically, we associate the Holy Spirit with Confirmation – in which we receive the Holy Spirit in a way that fortifies and builds us up for mission – to be apostles – in the world.



Through Baptism, we have been made sharers – partakers – in the Divine Life of God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. United with Christ as members of His Body, we receive adoption as daughters and sons of the Father; and through our participation in the Trinitarian mystery of the Godhead, are filled with the Holy Spirit.

By our connection with God – who in His being is Love – we are then able to love as we are called to love; and to live in His love – through our sharing in God’s being.

As we heard in the First Reading from the Acts of the Apostles, the Holy Spirit led the early Church from Jerusalem, through Samaria in the north, and out into the world. We must allow the Holy Spirit to direct us to be firmly rooted in our faith, yet flexible enough to follow the promptings of the Spirit.



In the Epistle, St. Peter tells his listeners, and us as well, to be able to “give an explanation … a reason for our hope.” The words here mean “a word from,” and “the word.” And so, by keeping Christ in our hearts, we will have a clear conscience – which might also be translated as “to give clear knowledge or understanding.” And so, again, we see the action of the Holy Spirit in imparting His gifts to the Church.

As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, let us pray for a deeper outpouring of the Holy Spirit – given to us at Baptism and strengthened at Confirmation. May the gifts of the Spirit build upon our the foundation we have laid, so that we might allow the Holy Spirit of God to fill us with His power, to transform us into the image of Christ – members of the household of God the Father … and filled with the grace, and mercy, and love of the Holy Spirit.

Jeopardy @ St. Apollinaris Parish Retreat

JEOPARDY - PARISH EASTER RETREAT INTERMISSION
MAY 20, 2017
1:00 PM

AROUND THE WORLD

100 The approximate population of Catholics in the world.

What is one billion.

200 The continent with the largest number of Catholics.

What is South America.

300 The number of Catholic priests in the world.

What is four hundred thousand.

400 The country with the highest Catholic population.

What is Brazil. 

500 The city, besides the Vatican, housing the most relics.

What is Pittsburgh. 

WHO’S WHO IN 33 AD

100 Jesus’ grandmother.

Who is St. Anne. 

200 The Apostles mentioned most in the Gospels.

Who is St. Peter. 

300 St. Luke’s occupation.

What is physician (doctor).

400 The Apostle to the Gentiles (not one of the twelve.)

Who is St. Paul (or Saul of Tarsus).

500 A dove told him Jesus was the Son of God.

Who is John the Baptist. 

BOOKS OF THE BIBLE

100 He wrote the first five books of the Old Testament.

Who is Moses. 

200 The number of New Testament authors.

What is 10. (9 is also acceptable.) 

300 Two out of the four Major Prophets. 

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel

400 The two bishops addressed in the Pastoral Epistles.

Who are Timothy and Titus.

500 The number of Minor Prophets.

What is 12. 

HOLY, HOLY, HOLY

100 A gift from Our Lady, still present in Lourdes, France.

What is a miraculous spring of water. 

200 The author of St. Faustina’s diary?

Who is Jesus Christ. 

300 Levitation earned this saint the name “the flying friar.”

Who is St. Joseph of Cupertino. 

400 This saint is mentioned in the Ambrosian Canon.

Who is St. Apollinaris of Ravenna.

500 This 20th century flying friar chased bombers away from his hometown.

Who is St. Padre Pio (of Pietrelcina) 

MASS APPEAL

100 Vatican II said to hold this musical instrument in highest esteem at Mass.

What is the pipe organ. 

200 The number of Bible readings at Mass on a Sunday or Solemnity.

What are three. 

300 A ferial Mass is this.

What is a daily Mass. 

400 This hymn is sung before the Collect on Feasts or Solemnities.

What is the Gloria (Glory to God.) 

500 This prayer, dating to the 4th century, is known as the Canon of the Mass.

What is Eucharistic Prayer I. 

JESUIT INITIALS

100 S.J.

What is Society of Jesus.

200 I.H.S.

What are the first three letters of “JESus” in Greek. 

300 F.X.

What is (Who is) Francis Xavier.

400 S.T.D.

What is Doctorate in Sacred Theology.

500 A.M.D.G.

What is For the Greater Glory of God. 

POPE CULTURE

FINAL

Besides being popes mentioned in the Roman Canon, what do Linus, 

Cletus, Clement, Sixtus, and Cornelius all share in common?

What is martyrdom. 

THANK YOU TO OUR THREE CONTESTANTS! 

First Place won a copy of Fr. Mitch's book "The Holy Land: An Armchair Pilgrimage," 



and the runners up won copies of Fr. Mitch's book "The Holy Spirit: A Bible Study Guide for Catholics."



THANK YOU, ESPECIALLY, TO FR. MITCH PACWA, S.J. FOR AN ENTERTAINING, INSPIRATIONAL, AND EDIFYING DAY OF MASS AND RETREAT TALKS!