Christmas Break

Like me, my blog is enjoying the Christmas Break. 

Remember that Christmas is a season not a day, and the happiness we feel on December 25th can last beyond that day. However, We have to choose Joy. 

Enjoy your families, and I look forward to posting again in 2015.

Joy

This past Sunday was Gaudete Sunday, which is a celebration of the Joy that is approaching with the coming of Jesus at Christmas. Our CKS students have had many opportunities to spread joy this holiday season—bringing in canned food for St. Vincent DePaul, purchasing toys for our toy drive, and adopting a Christmas “Angel” in our Parish.

Recently, Grace Casper, a CKS alumnus, and Sam Awad were recognized for the joy they have helped spread as Co-Presidents of the teen organization Teens for Haiti. This organization, completely run by teenagers has raised tens of thousands of dollars to give the people of Haiti a “hand up rather than a hand out.” To date the organization has raised money for a generator to power a clinic, a chicken farm project, and the expansion of vegetable farming program. More details can be viewed at their website http://www.teensforhaiti.com/.

The Tampa Bay/Hillsborough Human Rights Council honored Teens for Haiti with the Youth Leadership award at a ceremony Friday, December 12, 2014. There, alongside religious sisters, judges, and retired colonels, who were also honored for their contributions to the community, were two teenagers. This is an important reminder during this season of Advent that we are all called to spread Joy to others. I challenged our students this week to conclude this semester’s peace mission the same way we started it, with a smile. Each day, I asked them to find three people, smile at them, and wish them a “Merry Christmas.” Joy is contagious, and I hope our student do their best to spread it. 

Merry Christmas!

Immaculate Conception

Today, December 8, 2014, Catholics around the world celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. If you ask a Catholic what that means, you are likely to get a wide range of answers like, it celebrates Mary going to Heaven; it celebrates Mary saying “Yes” to God; or most likely, it celebrates Mary conceiving Jesus in her womb “magically.” Those answers would all be wrong. 

The Immaculate Conception celebrates Mary’s conception in her mother’s womb without original sin. This is a difficult concept to explain to students, especially the younger ones. We choose to focus on the fact that Mary, even as a baby was without sin. It is a reminder to us all that we are born with original sin and, more importantly, will continue to sin throughout our lives. Our God, however, in His mercy, provides an opportunity to confess our sins and repair our relationship with Him through the sacrament of Reconciliation.

All of our students will have the opportunity to receive Reconciliation tomorrow at school. I challenge all our CKS families to go to Reconciliation at least once this Advent season. Reconciliation times are listed in the church bulletin As we prepare our homes for Christmas, let us experience God’s mercy to prepare our hearts. 

Happy New Year?

"Happy New Year!" Fr. Len greeted the congregation at 12:30 Mass yesterday with this phrase. After several confused looks and several repeated expressions from Father, we realized he wasn't crazy! Yesterday, Sunday, November 30, marked the beginning of a new year for the Church calendar and the start of the season of Advent. This is a time of waiting and preparation for the coming of Christmas.

At morning assembly, I asked students how many of them decorated their homes this past weekend. Many told me their "Shelf Elf" had come to visit, some talked about decorating their Christmas trees, and others told me about dads putting lights on the house. We often take time to make these outward preparations during Advent for Christmas. Do we take the same kind of time to prepare ours hearts? I asked the students to reflect on what inward preparations they wanted to make for the coming of Christmas.

Saint John Bosco instilled in the boys under his care a devotion to Mary, Jesus' Mother, daily communion, and frequent confession. As a school, we will provide our students an opportunity for confession next week; each Wednesday we offer our students an opportunity for communion at mass; and at the beginning of each day of Advent at school we will say a Hail Mary. Through the Intercession of Mary, we will ask God for patience during Advent to prepare our hearts for the coming of his Son, Jesus.