All Saints

Dear Friends in Christ,

As we enter the month of All Saints and remember our heroes of the past, let’s focus on all that they have done to build up the Church. Recently Pope Benedict canonized Br. André Bessette of Canada and Mother Mary MacKillop of Australia. St. André worked miracles and brought spiritual comfort to thousands who visited him. Mother Mary dedicated herself to educating the poor of rural Australia. Both are shining examples of stewardship because they lived out their baptismal commitment by serving others in the local Church where they lived.

How are we building up our local Church in Orange County? Surely there must be holy people who have been parishioners of St. John the Baptist! These holy men and women of our parish who have died in Christ helped start this parish; they served in parish organizations and worked on parish projects. We should pray for the happy repose of their souls during this month of November.

A good steward serves his/her parish and the wider Church, especially the poor. If you want to donate to the relief effort for Indonesia, please go to the Catholic Relief Services website www.crs.org and make an online donation or mail your donation to the Diocese of Orange and mark it “Indonesia”.

Your call to service includes your local church too. Next weekend you will have an opportunity to become acquainted with the various groups and ministries here at St. John’s. Please consider joining a group and live your baptism in true Christian discipleship. After all, the Lord has given all of us gifts. Sharing our gifts means gaining a heavenly return.

God bless you,

Fr. Hildebrand

Election: November 2, 2010

Dear Friends in Christ,

The General Election is coming soon, November 2. The Catechism of the Catholic Church: “Co-responsibility for the common good make it morally obligatory to pay taxes, to exercise the right to vote, and to defend one’s country” (#2240). Voting is both a right and a duty. We have these rights because ours is a government of the people. We have a duty to assist in the governing process by electing public servants who will be responsible for our common good.

What should a Catholic (or any morally upright person) look for in choosing a candidate for public office? There are five modern moral issues that are non-negotiable. How a candidate stands on these issues should indicate whether he/she is worthy of our vote. These issues are: Abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, human cloning, and gay marriage. In short, a candidate who opposes all of the above has a true moral sense and deserves our serious consideration. Let’s look at each one as it affects society as a whole.

Abortion kills future citizens and threatens the stability of society because the strength of a society is measured on how it treats its weakest members. Pope John Paul II said in Christifideles Laici:

If, indeed, everyone has the mission and responsibility of acknowledging the personal dignity of every human being and of defending the right to life, some lay faithful are given a particular title to this task: such as parents, teachers, healthworkers and the many who hold economic and political power.(no. 38).

Euthanasia is an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering. It is morally unacceptable and must always be forbidden (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2277). Here again are the words of John Paul II: "All offences against life itself, such as every kind of murder, genocide, abortion, euthanasia..all these and the like are certainly criminal: they poison human society (Christifideles, no. 38). Production of human embryos in order to harvest stem cells is immoral because the embryos are destroyed in this process. The same is true for human cloning which is being promoted so that the clone’s organs can be removed to replace diseased organs. This amounts to having a “twin” for spare parts. Such bio-technologies usher in a brave new world completely removed from the moral order.

Finally, recognizing same sex unions as “marriage” is to redefine marriage by removing the essential element of the procreation of children. Such unions are harmful to the proper development of human society. As we enter the voting booth November 2 let us do so as responsible, well-informed citizens. Pick up a copy of our Voters Guide and above all pray for our public servants that moral values and the common good may guide them in all their decisions.

Fr. Hildebrand

Beatification of John Henry Newman

Dear Friends in Christ,

Just a few weeks ago the Holy Father Benedict XVI was in England for a pastoral visit. At the end of his stay he celebrated the Mass for the Beatification of John Henry Newman (1801-1890). Newman was raised in the Church of England (Anglican) and became an Anglican minister. During the course of his studies of church history he discovered that Christianity had divided and that the Church Christ had founded was the Church of Rome, the Catholic Church. He converted to Catholicism in 1845, was ordained a priest in 1847, and created cardinal in 1879.

Here is an exerpt of Pope Benedict’s homily at the beatification: While it is John Henry Newman’s intellectual legacy that has understandably received most attention in the vast literature devoted to his life and work, I prefer on this occasion to conclude with a brief reflection on his life as a priest, a pastor of souls. The warmth and humanity underlying his appreciation of the pastoral ministry is beautifully expressed in another of his famous sermons: “Had Angels been your priests, my brethren, they could not have condoled with you, sympathized with you, have had compassion on you, felt tenderly for you, and made allowances for you, as we can; they could not have been your patterns and guides, and have led you on from your old selves into a new life, as they can who come from the midst of you” (“Men, not Angels: the Priests of the Gospel”, Discourses to Mixed Congregations, 3).

He lived out that profoundly human vision of priestly ministry in his devoted care for the people of Birmingham during the years that he spent at the Oratory he founded, visiting the sick and the poor, comforting the bereaved, caring for those in prison. No wonder that on his death so many thousands of people lined the local streets as his body was taken to its place of burial not half a mile from here. One hundred and twenty years later, great crowds have assembled once again to rejoice in the Church’s solemn recognition of the outstanding holiness of this much-loved father of souls. What better way to express the joy of this moment than by turning to our heavenly Father in heartfelt thanksgiving, praying in the words that Blessed John Henry Newman placed on the lips of the choirs of angels in heaven:

Praise to the Holiest in the height And in the depth be praise; In all his words most wonderful, Most sure in all his ways! (The Dream of Gerontius).

Blessed John Henry Newman, pray for us.

Fr. Hildebrand

Pakistan Floods

Dear Friends in Christ,

In the spirit of the Gospel command to love our neighbor and provide food, drink, and shelter for the poor I am writing this letter to you to ask your help for our brothers and sisters in Pakistan.

You have heard the news about the recent flooding. Here is more about a Catholic organization that is responding and deserves our help in the ongoing effort to bring relief to Pakistan.

After the worst flooding in Pakistan in living memory, Catholic Relief Services is leading an emergency response to help thousands of weary survivors throughout Pakistan
recover and rebuild their lives. More than 17 million people have been affected by the
floodwaters, and more than 4.5 million are homeless. By providing shelter and hygiene kits containing plastic sheeting, bed mats, soap, kitchen supplies, water purification tablets, rehydration salts and covered buckets to store water, CRS is assisting many suffering Pakistanis to survive. CRS is also hiring residents in cash-for-work programs to restore clean drinking water by rebuilding water supply systems.

With your help, CRS will continue to make a difference for the people of Pakistan. (From the CRS webpage). To donate to CRS please go to their website www.crs.org or use the blue Special Offering envelope and include your gift in the collection today. “Whatsoever you did to the least of my brethren, you did unto me” (Matthew 25).

God’s peace and blessings to all of you.

Fr. Hildebrand