St. Paul and the Pauline Year

Dear Friends in Christ,

Today begins the Year of St. Paul, which Pope Benedict XVI announced a year ago. Tradition has it that St. Paul was born about the year 8 A.D. and so 2008 marks the bimillenium of his birth. What does this mean, dedicating a year to St. Paul? According to the Holy Father, this year will offer us an opportunity to study the life and letters of St. Paul, which are found in the Bible. In addition, the Holy Father is encouraging ecumenical meetings for prayer and dialogue with other Christians. We know that St. Paul’s letters are widely read by Christians of all denominations, and so this year gives us the opportunity to read and share the richness of St. Paul’s writings with the hope that increased understanding of the great Apostle will help all Christians grow toward unity.

In Rome one of the four major basilicas is named St. Paul outside-the-walls, where St. Paul is buried. Pope Benedict said, "In the papal basilica and Benedictine abbey attached to it, there can take place a series of liturgical, cultural and ecumenical events, as well as various pastoral and social initiatives, all of them inspired by Pauline spirituality.

"Special attention can also be given to pilgrims who from various places will want to go to the tomb of the Apostle in a penitential way in order to find spiritual benefits.” (Homily of Pope Benedict XVI, announcing the year of St. Paul).

However, if you can’t travel to Rome there is a way to make a local pilgrimage here in Orange County. Bishop Brown has designated three churches as pilgrimage destinations for the Pauline Year. They are:

• St. Cecilia, 1301 SE Sycamore St. Tustin (for Mid Orange County), Mission Basilica San Juan Capistrano (for South County), and S
• St. Angela Merici, 585 South Walnut Ave., Brea (for North Orange County).
  

In making a pilgrimage you are embarking on a spiritual journey. In order to reap the fruits of this journey there is a “plenary indulgence” offered for those who fulfill the following requirements when visiting these churches:

N20. § 1. To gain a plenary indulgence, in addition to excluding all attachment to sin, even venial, it is necessary to perform the indulgenced work and fulfill the following three conditions: sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion, and prayer for the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff.

§ 2. A single sacramental confession suffices for gaining several plenary indulgences; but Holy Communion must be received and prayer for the intention of the Holy Father must be recited for the gaining of each plenary indulgence.

§ 5. The condition of praying for the intention of the Holy Father is fully satisfied by reciting one Our Father and one Hail Mary; nevertheless, one has the option of reciting any other prayer according to individual piety and devotion, if recited for this intention.

The Holy Father concluded his homily on St. Paul with these words:

"May he (St. Paul) guide us and protect us in this bimillenary celebration, helping us to advance in the humble and sincere search for the full unity of all the members of the mystical body of Christ."

Guard your people, who rely on the patronage of your apostles Peter and Paul, O Lord, and keep them under your continual protection. Through Christ our Lord. Amen

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand

Note from the Pastor

This Sunday we will celebrate the feast of St. John the Baptist at all Masses. Readings and other liturgical texts will all be taken from the Mass of June 24.

Recent California Supreme Court decision

Dear Friends in Christ,

The recent California Supreme Court decision which attempts to change the definition of marriage shows how far people are willing to go to legitimize a way of living that directly contradicts the law of nature. That men and women are physically different is undeniable. That marriage is a natural institution, created by the God of nature, for the procreation of children is a fact that is written in the very fabric of our being. Since God is the Lord of nature, the Church will not permit same-sex couples to be married in a Catholic ceremony. Nor will the Church validate these unions once they are performed by court justices or other ministers. Marriage involves the lifelong commitment of one man to one woman for their mutual love and support, and for the procreation and education of children. Domestic partners in California and most other states already have benefits equivalent to a husband and his wife. This issue is not really about rights and benefits; it is about making a lifestyle acceptable and equivalent to the established institution of marriage between a man and a woman. This is what many reflecting persons and the Church are opposed to.

In a few weeks we will mark the 40th anniversary of Pope Paul VI’s Encyclical Humanae Vitae (Of Human Life). In that prophetic document the Holy Father spoke of marriage in this way:

Married love particularly reveals its true nature and nobility when we realize that it takes its origin from God, who "is love," (6) the Father "from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named." (7) Marriage, then, is far from being the effect of chance or the result of the blind evolution of natural forces. It is in reality the wise and provident institution of God the Creator, whose purpose was to effect in man His loving design. As a consequence, husband and wife, through that mutual gift of themselves, which is specific and exclusive to them alone, develop that union of two persons in which they perfect one another, cooperating with God in the generation and rearing of new lives. (no. 8).

Later in the same document he addresses rulers of nations: “Do not tolerate any legislation which would introduce into the family those practices which are opposed to the natural law of God. (no. 23, emphasis added).

As responsible citizens the people of California have already spoken regarding the nature of marriage, that it is the union of a man and a woman. We must not tolerate this contradiction of our voice by a few judges. The happiness we seek to preserve as members of this free country is at stake in this crisis. Moreover, our happiness as human beings in society is also threatened by this decision. Here is the Holy Father’s concluding statement in the Encyclical:

For man cannot attain that true happiness for which he yearns with all the strength of his spirit, unless he keeps the laws which the Most High God has engraved in his very nature. These laws must be wisely and lovingly observed. (no.31).

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildedbrand

Novena at SJB

Dear Friends in Christ,

With our parish festival coming next Saturday and Sunday, I wanted to write you about our Novena which has already begun. The Church has made novenas (nine days) prior to major feasts as a means of preparing the faithful spiritually for the celebration of the feast. The original novena was made by Our Lady and the Apostles during the nine days between the Ascension of the Lord and the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. In some cultures, the nine days preceding Christmas are celebrated with prayers and Masses.

Since St. John the Baptist is our patron we are honoring him with a novena of Masses that began Friday evening at our 5:30PM Mass. Here is the schedule of the remaining novena Masses with the names of the homilists:

• Saturday, June 14 at 5:00PM - Rev. Hildebrand Garceau, O. Praem.
• Sunday, June 15 at 5:00PM - Rev. Leo Celano, O. Praem.
• Monday, June 16 at 5:30PM - Rev. Gregory Dick, O. Praem.
• Tuesday, June 17 at 5:30PM - Rev. Vincent Gilmore, O. Praem.
• Wednesday, June 18 at 5:30PM - Monsignor Joseph Herres
• Thursday, June 19 at 5:30PM - Rev. Pascal Nguyen, O. Praem.
• Friday, June 20 at 5:30PM - Rev. Luke Laslavich, O. Praem.
• Saturday, June 21 at 5:00PM - Rev. Robert Hodges, O. Praem.
  

On Sunday, June 22 we will celebrate our patron’s feast at all the Masses. Let us ask him to protect and bless us so that we may prepare the way for Christ in the hearts of our brothers and sisters as he did.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand