Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

Dear Friends in Christ,

August 26 was the 100th birthday of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. Most of us remember this little nun who did so much good for the poor in India. Most of us remember this little nun who did so much good for the poor in India. I was privileged to hear Mother Teresa speak once in 1982 at Thomas Aquinas College. Here is an excerpt of her speech:

“I hope you have learned to pray. And if you have learned to pray, that is your strength, that is your joy. And through this life of prayer, make sure — the fruit of prayer is always the deepening of faith. And the fruit of faith is always love. And the fruit of love is action. We must put our love for Jesus in the living action.

How do we do that? If we do it with Jesus, if we do it for Jesus, and if we do it to Jesus, then we know that we are with Him because He has said so.

This is not an act of faith, to believe that I am doing it to Jesus. Jesus has said, "Whatever you do to the least of My brethren, you do to Me." And also the condition — in our last day when we come face to face with God, we are going to be judged by what we have been to Him, and He says, "I was hungry; and you gave Me to eat; I was naked, and you clothed Me; I was homeless, and you did it to Me." There is no imagination, no maybe.

Just as we believe that two and two make four — we don’t need to believe that; we know it is like that — so [it is the same] when Jesus has said, "You did it to me," that presence. And to be able to do that, we need the Eucharist, we need Jesus in the Holy Communion, we need the Bread of Life. That is why Jesus made Himself Bread of Life to satisfy our hunger for His love. And then He makes Himself the Hungry One so that we can satisfy His hunger for our love…

And how do we have to do that? Where does it begin, this love? At home. And how does this love begin? [The] family that prays together, stays together. And if you stay together, you will love one another as God loves each one of you, as Jesus wants us to love one another — not in sadness, but in joy. To think that I can love God in my brother, in my sister — it is a wonderful thing.”

Let us pray for that spirit of love that Mother Teresa had for others.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand

Summer at SJB

Dear Friends in Christ,

Our summer cleaning is over and school begins tomorrow. The summer has been a slower season, but we have had some interesting summer activities which I’ll describe for you. In spite of our limited resources we were able to afford some small improvements. We removed some old plants and added some new flowers and shrubs around the rectory and in the rectory garden. Irrigation lines were repaired, trees were trimmed, and the school has a new tree in the yard. A new landscape company is caring for the church and school grounds.

There have been some important spiritual activities this summer too. Our new evangelization team goes out on Saturday afternoons to visit homes in our neighborhood. I accompanied them on a recent Saturday and blessed the home of a family. They are encouraging people to come to Sunday Mass, receive the Sacraments and become active in our parish. Please pray for them. Do you think God is calling you to this ministry? Please speak to me about this possibility.

The slower summer schedule has permitted me to do some extra reading. During July and August I am meeting with our permanent deacon candidate. We are studying together St. Augustine’s book On Christian Doctrine, which explains how to interpret the Bible. It has been a challenging but rewarding experience. St. Augustine is a great guide for understanding difficult Bible texts. If you are ready for a challenge you will find interesting insights into many Bible passages by reading this book.

Speaking of St. Augustine his feast is coming up this Saturday. He is an important saint for Norbertines because we follow his Rule in our communities. The Rule begins with a passage that could apply to all of us. “Let us love God above all things, dearest brothers, then our neighbor, for these are the chief commandments given to us.” There is a challenge that doesn’t require too much reflection. May the Lord help us to live this commandment day
by day.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand

Consecration to our Lady

Dear Friends in Christ,

Last week we explained the doctrinal basis for consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary. This weekend we will renew our consecration on this feast of the Assumption. There are four practical aspects of consecration to our Lady that will help us to live this consecration day by day.

First, our union with Mary requires a strong prayer life. Everyone is involved in activity in our busy world, work, family, church, school, and many other areas. We need time to re-charge spiritually so that our lives reflect our Christian commitment. Mary was also a busy person. She had to care for the Child Jesus as well as the home at Nazareth. The Holy Family was poor and so she had all the work of maintaining, cooking, cleaning, and child care without any of the modern conveniences of today. In spite of the hardships Mary had a deep prayer life which made her radiant with God’s love.

Secondly, we imitate Mary by obedience. Mary was always obedient to God’s will from the moment of her consent at the Annunciation to the sorrowful acceptance of her Son’s sacrifice on Calvary. We know that our true happiness lies in conformity with God’s will even when this seems very difficult. For Mary there were many difficult times, the miraculous pregnancy, the journey to Bethlehem, the flight into Egypt, the hardships of Nazareth, following Jesus in his public ministry, and finally the great trial of His passion and death. Mary’s acceptance of these trials as God’s will should inspire us also to accept our trials with patience.

In addition, we should always obey the Church’s Magisterium and our bishop when they teach in matters of faith and morals. Jesus said to His apostles: “He who hears you hears me” (Luke 10: 16). When we listen with obedient ears to the apostolic teachings in the Bible, when we heed the Holy Father’s advice and are faithful to the Church, we know that we are doing the Lord’s will. Love is the third sign of our consecration. Jesus says, “This is how all will know you for my disciples: by your love for one another” (Jn. 13: 35). Mary is the model for the disciple. Her love for Jesus was supreme, and her love for us is shown in her role as mother of the Church. We return this love by our consecration which perfects our union with her for the good of the Church and the salvation of others.

The last element in our consecration is suffering out of love. We know that Mary accepted sufferings as part of God’s plan. Her presence at the foot of the cross is proof of that. When we consecrate ourselves to Mary we make over our sufferings to her so that she can use them for the salvation of souls. The challenge for us is to suffer out of love. St. Maximilian Kolbe, whose act of consecration we will recite today at Mass, made the ultimate offering of his life to save another man from death. He was able to do this because of his consecration to Mary the Immaculata.

We may not be called to give up our life as a martyr, but we can offer all of our sufferings daily in prayer and in union with Mary. Let us renew our consecration today with great confidence that Mary will help us to grow more and more like her Son.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand

Assumption of Mary

Dear Friends in Christ,

Last year in August at the beginning of our 50th Anniversary celebrations we made our parish consecration to Mary. This year Mary’s feast of the Assumption falls on Sunday, August 15 and I think it is appropriate to renew this consecration as we celebrate our 50th Anniversary. This week and next week I will devote to catechesis on Marian consecration.

What is Marian consecration?

All of us as baptized persons are consecrated (set aside for God). We “put on Christ” as St. Paul says (Gal. 3, 27); the white baptismal garment is a sign of this consecration. We are members of Christ’s Mystical Body, the Church. Mary is the Mother of Christ and also Mother of the Church. Jesus entrusted Mary to St. John as He was dying on the cross. “He said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother.’”(Jn. 19, 26-27). St. John at that moment was our representative, standing in for all those who live by the cross of Christ. Therefore, all who want to follow Christ, as St. John did, should take Mary as a mother.

Because of her Immaculate Conception by which she is free from all sin, Mary is full of grace by the power of the Holy Spirit. At the Annunciation the angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you.”(Lk. 1, 35). Mary’s union with the Holy Spirit is so powerful that she is the one through whom the Holy Spirit dispenses His graces. This is the teaching of one of the greatest Marian theologians, St. Maximilian Kolbe. Of our consecration to Mary St. Maximilian says, “By linking our lives to Mary’s through consecration, we too become channels of grace”. In this way we not only benefit ourselves, but we become instruments in Mary’s hands for the salvation of others.

As Vatican Council II teaches, calling upon Mary’s intercession “does not hinder in any way the immediate union of the faithful with Christ, but on the contrary fosters it” (Lumen Gentium, no. 60). Our union with Jesus is actually strengthened by our consecration to Mary. Like the beloved disciple, St. John, let us take Mary into our “home” that is into our hearts by consecrating ourselves to her. It is a sure way of holiness and leads to salvation.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand

Legion of Mary

Dear Friends in Christ,

Recently you heard about our parish evangelization group and perhaps you would like to know more about what they are doing and why. There is a precedent for this activity and knowledge of its history will hopefully show why it is important for the Church.

First, let’s look at the Gospels. We know that Jesus sent out his Apostles to preach the Gospel and they went two by two to towns and cities. Later, after Jesus’ ascension into heaven, the Apostles separated and founded churches in various countries. The Church is by nature missionary, which means, that she continues to seek new opportunities to spread the good news of salvation. For this reason there are great missionary saints like St. Francis Xavier who spread the Gospel in the Far East and our own California Apostle, Blessed Junipero Serra.

In modern times lay people have been involved in missionary work. We have Lay Mission Helpers who work with clerical and religious missionaries in developing countries. We have the Legion of Mary, founded in 1921 by Frank Duff in Ireland, which blends spiritual and apostolic work.

One of the main works of the Legion of Mary is house to house visitation. In this work the Legion members visit homes in the parish and inquire about the Catholics present and whether they may need the Sacraments. They also invite inactive Catholics to return to Church and provide information about the local parish by leaving copies of the Sunday bulletin. Our evangelization group is very closely modeled on these home visits ofthe Legion of Mary. They gather at our church and receive a priest’s blessing before they go out to visit homes in the parish. They present Catholic literature approved by the pastor that encourage active participation in the Catholic Church. They have been studying Catholic Doctrine and are well-prepared to engage persons in dialogue and answer questions about the faith.

Members of our Legion of Mary Praesidium have joined these young people in their visits, and we have already seen some good fruit of their efforts. People they have visited have contacted us and are interested in learning more about the Catholic faith. One of these days you may hear a knock on your door and open to find a parishioner asking you about your Catholic faith. Please welcome them and encourage them in this excellent work.

All of these parish evangelizers have a personal prayer life that nourishes and strengthens their apostolic work. Please pray for them so that the kingdom of God will continue to spread in north Costa Mesa.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand

Social Justice

Dear Friends in Christ,

Last week I wrote about some of our dedicated parishioners who work quietly but faithfully in various ministries around the parish. This week I would like to focus on a ministry that has not been operating fully in the past year, social justice. First, let’s examine why the Church wants us to be active in this area.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines social justice as providing “the conditions that allow associations or individuals to obtain what is their due, according to their nature and their vocation”(no. 1928). It flows from the Lord’s commandment to love our neighbor. When we respect the rights and dignity of others, regardless of race, creed, nationality, or religion we are practicing social justice. We are called to be a neighbor to those in need in the spirit of the Good Samaritan.

The Popes for more than 120 years have written extensively about social justice. Their encyclicals have covered questions about labor relations, economic policies, poverty in undeveloped lands, migration of peoples, and many other topics. The fact that most people in the world live in poverty should prompt us to ask not so much what is being done about it but what are we doing about it. Right here in our area there are opportunities to promote justice. We just need to be more aware of them.

The Diocese of Orange has an Office for Respect Life, Justice, and Peace which coordinates events and provides educational opportunities to raise awareness of social justice issues. At present our parish has a respect life representative, but we do not have a social justice representative.

Please ask yourself if you feel God’s call for this important ministry to His people. If you are interested or know of someone who would be ideal for the position, please contact me, and I will put you in contact with other representatives in our area. The Diocesan Office provides regular meetings of social justice representatives who network on events throughout Orange County.

May the Lord bless you all for the love you show to the least of His brothers and sisters.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand

Ministries at SJB

Dear Friends in Christ,

You know of course that a parish like St. John’s requires a staff of paid individuals who work to fulfill the mission of the Church. Some work directly to promote this mission, like the pastor and vicars; others work in ancillary positions like the maintenance staff and secretaries. All are needed, just as all the members of the body are needed for the proper functioning of the body even though some have humbler functions than others.

Beyond the paid staff, however, the parish has volunteers whose work is no less important. These men and women give of their time and skills to spread the Gospel, minister to the needy, and provide for other services that are very important in fulfilling the parish mission. I would like to provide you with three examples of volunteers whose invaluable help is a real gift to our parish.

First, let’s look at the mission of being mindful of the poor. A member of our St. Vincent de Paul Society is available one day each week to respond to calls for help from persons in need. This member comes to interview the client and discerns whether or not the need is legitimate and then decides how the Society will help the person. This takes time, patience, and compassion. Members of the St. Vincent de Paul society are heeding the Lord’s call to feed the hungry and provide drink to the thirsty. They are truly blessed.

Secondly, let’s consider how volunteers respond to spiritual needs. Approximately 60-70 homebound or convalescent residents receive Holy Communion weekly from our ministers to the sick. A minister to the sick carries the Eucharistic Lord to these people who are unable to come to Sunday Mass. The minister offers love and compassion to those who have very little human contact because of their physical limitations. Jesus said, “I was sick and you visited me”. Our ministers to the sick receive a blessing from the Lord for their generous service.

Finally, I ask you to recall what happened at Mass today. You heard the readings proclaimed by one of our lectors. An usher may have helped you find a seat. You were probably met at the door by one of our greeters. These persons are volunteers who are here to serve you as members of the church.

Join me today in thanking the volunteers of the past who spent years in service to the parish. Let’s also thank the volunteers of today who continue to promote the Church’s mission, even in hidden ways. May the Lord continue to bless us with generous volunteers. Our parish depends on such gifted people.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand

Supporting SJB

Dear Friends in Christ,

Let me take this opportunity to thank all of you who responded to my recent appeal for help. Our parish’s financial situation continues to be very delicate. Please continue to support us through the summer. With some people gone on vacation, it’s challenging to keep up with bills.

As you can see from our PSA thermometer, we are getting closer to our goal. So far we have collected about $63,500 which is about 80% of our goal. Once we reach our goal of $80,000 we will begin receiving rebates, which will help us to get through these slower weeks. If you participated last year in PSA but have not committed this year, I invite you to consider the following:

Think of what St. John the Baptist means to you, a place where you have long-lasting friends, a growing community of faith with groups for all ages from the young to the mature, a liturgical life you have grown to love and cherish. Then consider how much you are currently giving to the parish and how you could pledge to the PSA. A pledge means giving over a number of months.

Even a small pledge of $200 could be spread over the next four months. It would be complete in November with payments of only $50 per month; that’s only about $12 per week. You spend about the same for a meal at a family restaurant or at the movies. Reflect on the blessings the Lord has provided, the needs of our church, and pray about how God wants you to respond.

We are waiting for final figures from our parish festival. You will see the results as soon as we can provide them. With more time during the summer months, why not use the time to build up your spiritual life? Our chapel is air conditioned and provides a quiet place for prayer. You could sign for one hour a week and read a good spiritual book.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand

CFCA at SJB

Dear Friends in Christ,

I have extended an invitation to Rev. George Knab O.M.I. to come to our parish on the weekend of July10-11, 2010. Father Knab will speak to you about the work being done by Christian Foundation for Children and Aging, and how this provides a trustworthy way to actively participate in the social outreach of the Catholic Church and answer the Gospel call to serve the poor.

CFCA is a lay Catholic organization that has served more than 6000,000 children, youth and elderly in 24 developing countries since 1981-empowering them to make more choices in their lives, live with dignity and reach their potential. CFCA’s unique sponsorship program is highly personalized. It matches a child, youth or aging person at a project overseas with a sponsor in the U.S. who cares about and encourages them.

For about a dollar a day, a sponsor helps to provide much-needed nourishing food , medical and dental care, the chance for a child to go to school, livelihood programs for families and much more. All of these efforts are directed at affirming the dignity of every person in their local community. Please join me in welcoming Father Knab to our parish.

Sincerely yours in Jesus Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand

Festival

Dear Friends in Christ,

When you read this we will be in the midst of our parish festival. I hope you and your family will spend some time at the festival and enjoy the food, games, rides and entertainment.

A few years ago we decided to link the festival with the feast of our patron St. John the Baptist. This is traditional in most parishes, especially when the patron feast falls during the warmer seasons. At Mass this weekend we are celebrating the feast of St. John the Baptist to focus on our patron and ask his intercession for all of us.

The festival has a two-fold purpose. First, it is a community building event. Parishioners come together to interact with each other and to meet in an environment that is family friendly and conducive to socializing. Relationships are formed and strengthened. We have an opportunity to celebrate spiritually at Mass and socially at the festival.

The festival is also a fund raising event. We depend on its proceeds to pay our bills and salaries during the slower summer months. What we can save is kept for emergency expenses and projects for improvement of our facilities.

Thank you for your support of our parish. My recent appeal to you brought a generous response from some of you. I hope that all of you will be able to continue to commit a percentage of your treasure to our parish.

My best wishes for a relaxing summer vacation (even if it has to be a “stay-cation”). If you are travelling don’t forget that Sunday Mass is still an obligation. It can be interesting to visit a local
parish church where you are travelling. When I was in college I worked in Grand Teton National Park during the summer. Every Sunday I helped the local pastor with Mass in a little log chapel.
Many people from all over would come to Mass. It was a great experience. For information about times and locations of Mass at your destination please go to www.masstimes.org.

See you at the festival,

Fr. Hildebrand

Feast of Stt. John the Baptist

Dear Friends in Christ,

The feast of our patron saint John the Baptist draws near. We are very blessed to have such a powerful saint to watch over our parish community. As you know the Church normally celebrates a saint’s day on the anniversary of his/her death, their “birth into heaven”.

In the case of St. John the Baptist we also celebrate his birthday. The Solemnity of the Birth of St. John the Baptist is June 24 (this Thursday). Because of his importance for us, we will celebrate the Mass of St. John the Baptist next weekend in conjunction with our 50th Anniversary Festival.

Here are some lessons we can learn from our patron’s life. Even before he was born John leaped in his mother’s womb for joy in the presence of the Lord, who was hidden in Mary’s womb. Let us remember to welcome unborn human life with joy, always rejecting the evil of abortion. St. John prepared the way of the Lord by his preaching and baptism of repentance. By our example we can prepare hearts to receive the grace of God. Perhaps we can encourage someone to become a Catholic or reach out to a lapsed Catholic to return.

As a model of the spiritual life, St. John the Baptist teaches us to allow Jesus to increase while we strive to decrease our pride. Jesus called John a shining lamp. May our patron guide our steps and strengthen our heart so that we will give a good example to others. St. John was so committed to the truth that he was willing to lay down his life. May his witness to truth keep us committed to learning the truth and
living it with love and sacrifice. St. John the Baptist, pray for us.

Sincerely yours in Christ and St. John the Baptist,

Fr. Hildebrand

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SJB Festival Opening Ceremony

• When: June 25 at 3:00 pm
• Where: Under the Big Tent
• Invocation by Fr. Hildebrand
• Greetings and Proclamations by Civic Leaders: Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, Assemblyman Van Tran, City Mayor Alan Mansoor
  

What a great way to start the Festival!

Sacred Heart of Jesus

Dear Friends in Christ,

This past week we celebrated the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In fact, June is the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart.

Some of us may remember in years past groups dedicated to the Sacred Heart and songs honoring the Sacred Heart. In our parish the Vietnamese community has a group called Men of the Sacred Heart.

What are we talking about when we speak of devotion to the Sacred Heart? Certainly we do not refer simply to the physical fleshly heart of Jesus alone. Here is how the Catholic Encyclopedia explains it:

“The worship, although paid to the Heart of Jesus extends further than the Heart of flesh, being directed to the love of which this Heart is the living and expressive symbol. On this point the devotion requires no justification, as it is to the Person of Jesus that it is directed; but to the Person as inseparable from His Divinity. Jesus, the living apparition of the goodness of God and of His paternal love, Jesus infinitely loving and amiable, studied in the principal manifestations of His love, is the object of the devotion to the Sacred Heart, as indeed He is the object of the Christian religion.”(New Advent website, Catholic Encyclopedia, Article on the Sacred Heart).

“The love of Christ gathers us together” says St. Paul. As humans we are drawn to Jesus because of His love for us. That love was manifested most perfectly in His offering of His life on the cross. After His death we recall that a soldier pierced His side with a lance and from his heart flowed blood and water, a sign of the saving Sacraments of the Church.

The Norbertine St. Herman Joseph is one of the earliest devotes to the Sacred Heart. He composed poems honoring the Heart of Jesus in the 12th century. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, a Visitation nun of the 17th century is known as the Apostle of the Sacred Heart. She is said to have seen Jesus, Who gave her the famous promises of the Sacred Heart, which include the First Friday devo-
tions. Quoting the words of Jesus to her, St. Margaret Mary relates the prom-
ise related to the First Fridays as follows:
I promise you in the excessive mercy of my Heart that its all-powerful love
will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on nine first Fridays of
consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they will not die under my
displeasure or without receiving their sacraments, my divine Heart making
itself their assured refuge at the last moment."

Heart of Christ we sing your praises, well-spring of eternal love.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand

A Priest's Prayer

Loving Father,

I praise you, I love you, I adore you. Send your Holy Spirit to enlighten my mind to the truth of your Son, Jesus, Priest and Victim.

Through the same Spirit guide my heart to his Sacred Heart, to renew in me a priestly passion
that I, too, might lay down my life upon the altar.

May your Spirit wash away my impurities and free me from all my transgressions in the Cup of Salvation,

Let only your will be done in me. May the Blessed Mother of your dearly beloved Son, wrap her mantle around me and protect me from all evil.

May she guide me to do whatever He tells me.

May she teach me to have the heart of St. Joseph, her spouse, to protect and care for my bride.

And may her pierced heart inspire me to embrace as my own your children who suffer at the foot of the cross.

I humbly cry to her: please be my consoling mother, and help me to be a better son. Lord, make me a holy priest, inflamed with the fire of your love, seeking nothing but your greater glory and the salvation of souls.

I humbly bless and thank you, my Father, through the Spirit, in Christ Jesus, your Son and
my brother.

Amen

Appreciation in the Month of May

Dear Friends in Christ,

The month of May is nearly over. It has been a very important month for our parish. We have celebrated the First Communions of more than 200 children. Bishop Flores confirmed more than 100 on May 18. The crowning glory of the month was our parish’s 50th anniversary celebration with Bishop Brown. The bishop was very pleased with all the dedicated service and hard work, as he mentioned in hishomily. He obviously enjoyed celebrating Mass for us and as he said, the Holy Spirit was present in the sound and the wind. He blessed our new stained glass windows, which include the great Holy Spirit window in the choir loft. This was truly like another Pentecost. Sincere and heartfelt thanks:

• To our committee members, who have labored hard and long for two years
• To our invitation committee who prepared and addressed invitations
• To our commemorative book staff who worked right up to the deadline and produced an admirable book that tells our parish story
• To our musicians who performed beautifully, including the offertory piece which was premiered yesterday
• To our ushers who helped everything go smoothly
• To our extraordinary ministers, altar servers, and lectors, who assisted so skillfully at the Mass
• To our carpenters and environmental workers under the direction of members of the Vietnamese community who spent three days late at night in building and preparing a magnificent setting for the Golden Anniversary Mass that had historical and liturgical significance
• To our cooks and food service volunteers, who presented an elegant and delightful reception after Mass.
• To our Knights of Columbus for their help and distinguished service
• To our financial advisors and benefactors who provided from their talent and treasure to make this an event not to be forgotten
• To our first aid workers, police, traffic control for their vigilance and direction
• To every one else who had anything to do with preparing, setting up and taking down the altar and environment, especially volunteers from the Vietnamese and Spanish communities.
  

May the Lord reward you for a job well done. I have good reason to be proud of the parishioners of St. Johnthe Baptist parish.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand

50 Years

Dear Friends in Christ,

In May of 1960, 50 years ago, James Cardinal McIntyre formed a new parish from the territory of St. Joachim Parish in Costa Mesa, California. Until that time Mass had been celebrated in the newly erected church building on Baker St. since the fall of 1959; the site was named “St. Joachim’s Annex”. The parish was erected under the patronage of St. John the Baptist, the great Precursor and Herald of the Lord’s coming. With its school that had opened in September 1959 the parish served the growing Catholic community in north Costa Mesa. On this fiftieth anniversary of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church we give thanks to God, “the Giver of all good gifts”

• for the opportunity to offer the sacrifice of the Mass and the sacrifice of our praise,
• for the ministry of nearly 50 priests from Msgr. Anthony McGowan to the Norbertine Fathers,
• for the parish leaders who devoted their time, talent, and treasure to building up the parish both spiritually and materially,
• for the Sisters of Mercy and the lay teachers who have dedicated many years of their lives to the formation and education of our young people in our school,
• for the diverse ethnic communities that have blessed this parish with their gifts,
• for the family and parish celebrations over the years that have united our parish in the love of Christ.
  

Our challenge today, as we move into our next 50 years, is to persevere in prayer and in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, in union with the Church and under leadership of the Pope, our bishop and myself, unworthy as I am to be your pastor.

On this great feast of Pentecost 2010, the feast of the Holy Spirit, let us ask the Spirit for an outpouring of his gifts so that we will be a “light shining before all”. May the joy of that first
Pentecost be ours on this 50th Anniversary of “preparing the way” of the Lord. God bless all the people of St. John the Baptist parish.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand

Haiti Update

Children at the Foy Ti Zanmi Jezi (Little Friends of Jesus) Orphanage in Port au Prince, Haiti, received handmade "Hearts for Haiti" cards from the children at Sacred Hearts Academy in the Diocese of Honolulu, Hawaii. The orphanage was badly damaged in the quake, but thanks to the actions of the older children in getting the little ones out of the building, all of the children survived. A CRS team arrived at the orphanage with food and toys for the children.

I visited there three months after the quake with some soccer balls for the children and the hearts. School has “reopened” and classes are now held under a series of tarps around the edge of the orphanage. During the days, the orphanage also acts as a school for local children. Despite the hardship and the damaged building around them, the children are clearly living and learning in a loving and nurturing environment thanks to care of the Missionary Servants of the Sacred Heart. CRS partnered with the orphanage long before the quake and will continue to care for
them in the months and years to come.

Tom Price, CRS Senior Communications Manager

Golden Jubilee Mass

Catholic Legislative Network

Dear Friends in Christ,

Sincere thanks to everyone who filled out cards to join the Catholic Legislative Network, our Catholic Voice for important issues that face our children and families. I would like to point out that this network is fully supported by our California Catholic Bishops. Its purpose is to keep all of us informed regarding important legislation coming before our representatives in Sacramento.

In recent years we have seen propositions about parental notification regarding teen abortion, assisted suicide, and the meaning of marriage. The Catholic Legislative Network provides concise and informative email newsletters to keep us up to date on these and other topics.

As you know from reading the news, our state is in crisis, not only economically but morally. Our bishops believe that a strong, well-organized, statewide moral network made up of parishioners could become a force for good, responsible decisions from our state legislators. They also believe in the Biblical teaching that part of being a good Christian/Catholic is to be an active citizen.

You have heard the name Life and Dignity applied to this network. These two words summarize our Catholic social teaching and our approach to state and federal legislation. Life is precious from conception to natural death. Threats to life and dignity like abortion, hunger, war, poverty, or lack of access to health care must be confronted by us Catholics. We stand for those whose
lives are threatened, and we stand with those who are in need of food, clothing, shelter, and health care. Jesus Himself has given us this mission.

Some might ask, “Why is the Church getting involved in politics? Isn’t there a separation between Church and State?” The Founding Fathers of our country wrote into our Constitution that there should be no established or “state” religion (as there has been in other countries). In the U.S. we have freedom of religion; each person has the right to worship God according to his/her conscience. This governing principle is not to be understood as freedom from religion, or to hold no moral values. It is both the right and duty of people of faith to carry their values and teachings into the public arena. While we must respect the values of others, we must do our best to express our own Christian principles and hope that they will be reflected in the laws and policies of the state.

If you have not yet signed up for the Catholic Legislative Network, please do so today by filling out the card you find in your pew today. Remember to print your email address clearly because this is the way to receive the newsletters from the Network.

Thank you for taking a stand to make the Catholic voice heard in California.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand

Month of May at SJB

Dear Friends in Christ,

The month of May brings with it continued Easter joys, and there are two joys that are especially connected with this month every year, First Communion and Confirmation. And this year we celebrate a special joy for our parish, our fiftieth anniversary Mass.

This weekend our school’s 2nd Graders continue their Christian initiation by receiving the most Blessed Eucharist for the first time. They have been preparing by the Sacrament of Reconciliation, studying, and prayer for this great moment. Now they will join us in receiving the Lord Jesus in Holy Communion and be filled with the grace of His real Presence. Please join me in praying for all of them that this Communion will be the first of many to come.

Later this month our Confirmation candidates, both youth and adults, will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit at the hands of Bishop Cirilo Flores. This will complete their Christian initiation as they join the ranks of those strengthened to be witnesses for Christ.

Please mark your calendars for the great climax of our parish’s 50th anniversary. You are cordially invited to our:

GRAND 50TH ANNIVERSARY MASS
MOST REVEREND TOD D. BROWN
BISHOP OF ORANGE, CELEBRANT
SUNDAY, MAY 23, 2010 10:00 AM

This Mass will feature all of our parish choirs in a special premiere choir piece written for this occasion. There will be refreshments and a “Hall of Memories” following the Mass. We are fusing the 9:30 AM and 11 AM Masses into one for this special event. Please tell your friends and relatives who have any connection with St. John’s to join us for this great event.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand

Exerpt from Pope Benedict XVI's Message for World Day of Prayer for Vocations

A fundamental element, one which can be seen in every vocation to the priesthood and the consecrated life, is friendship with Christ. Jesus lived in constant union with the Father and this is what made the disciples eager to have the same experience; from him they learned to live in communion and unceasing dialogue with God. If the priest is a “man of God”, one who belongs to God and helps others to know and love him, he cannot fail to cultivate a deep intimacy with God, abiding in his love and making space to hear his Word. Prayer is the first form of witness which awakens vocations. Like the Apostle Andrew, who tells his brother that he has come to know the Master, so too anyone who wants to be a disciple and witness of Christ must have “seen” him personally, come to know him, and learned to love him and to abide with him.

Another aspect of the consecration belonging to the priesthood and the religious life is the complete gift of oneself to God. The Apostle John writes: “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us; and therefore we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren”(1 Jn. 3:16).

With these words, he invites the disciples to enter into the very mind of Jesus who in his entire life did the will of the Father, even to the ultimate gift of himself on the Cross. Here, the mercy of God is shown in all its fullness; a merciful love that has overcome the darkness of evil, sin and death. The figure of Jesus who at the Last Supper, rises from the table, lays aside his garments, takes a towel, girds himself with it and stoops to wash the feet of the Apostles, expresses the sense of service and gift manifested in his entire existence, in obedience to the will of the Father (cf. Jn. 13: 3-15).

In following Jesus, everyone called to a life of special consecration must do his utmost to testify that he has given himself completely to God. This is the source of his ability to give himself in turn to those whom Providence entrusts to him in his pastoral ministry with complete, constant, and faithful devotion, and with the joy of becoming a companion on the journey to so many brothers and sisters, enabling them too to become open to meeting Christ, so that his Word may become a light to their footsteps. The story of every vocation is almost always intertwined with the testimony of a priest who joyfully lives the gift of himself to his brothers and sisters for the sake of the Kingdom of God. This is because the presence and words of a priest have the ability to raise questions and to lead even to definitive decisions (cf. John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis, 39)