Baccalaureate Mass For My Athlete-Scholar-Niece @ Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep w/Bishop Tom Daly & Graduation Mass for my Nephew @ St. James School

 

My Mom's 30 Years of Service to NASA (Evelyn Perez)

Be Real Superheroes of God; Not Just Watch 'Avengers' Superheroes (Homily #133 for Baptism of 12 Babies, Including Baby of My Former St. Pat's High Student)

I baptized 12 new babies today.  I used the ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ movie to make some points about the Gospel for the young families that were present.

(Recording of Homily #133 for Rite of Baptism of 12 New Babies) 

One of the babies is the baby of my former St. Pat’s High student from over 16 years ago.  My former student’s married name is Mary Jane Paningbatan Gatmaitan.

The 1^st photo you see here is Mary Jane and her brother Alan on my right.  And then on my left is my other former student John Salangsang.  I still remember both Mary Jane and John in my Religion class like it was yesterday.  Ahhh, those were the days….my early 20-something years.  It is a joy when I see former students still love and serve God.

I joked with Mary Jane before the Rite of Baptism started that I was going to pick on her.  She smiled and replied, “Oh, that’s nothing different.”  Ha!  Great come-back line, M.J.   I didn’t have her brother, Alan, as a student b/c I left St. Pat’s to finish my dissertation— I left school to go to school. Alan is engaged.  He reminded me about doing "spoiler alerts" and joked that if people haven't seen "Avengers: Infinity Wars" by now then they missed out.  Of course, not everyone watches TV or movies, so this needed to be designed in such a way that those who have not seen the movie clip or piece of literature understands the idea being conveyed.  After the baptism, it was funny and neat seeing John S. cuz I had just listened to one of his podcasts the day before, and here I am running into him today.  The second photo is Mary Jane with her family.  Actually, this baby is her second child.  (more commentary below)

When I took roll call at the very beginning, I explained to a pretty well-attended church event that the reason the Catholic Church baptizes is b/c the first Twelve Apostles did it.  In the Bible (Acts of the Apostles), entire households were baptized like with Cornelius, and so the Catholic Church has retained this 2,000 year practice of infant baptism.  When the Protestants came along in the 16^th Century, and the Fundamentalists that came from them in the 19^th/20^th Century or so came along, this practice was protested.  But the newly baptized babies are the Elect and chosen from a young age, just like many prophets were chosen at a young age.  Parents and godparents need to cultivate faith that was planted in babies’ souls in baptism as they grow, esp. w/the graces that are given in the Seven Sacraments of the Church.

Mary Jane’s relative, Jessica, was phenomenal singing/chanting the Responsorial Psalm “The Lord is My Shepherd,” and someone named Rick read from the First Letter of Peter.  I read the Gospel from Mt. 28 which is the Great Commission.

I am deeply honored and privileged to have baptized 86 since my ordination 4 years ago.  Five of these 86 were former students’ babies. 

Please remember in prayer the families of the following:

Julian Alexander

Maddox

Galatea

Malachi

Arya Reign

Kenjie

Zachary Noah

Samara Bailey

Lorenz

Naiyah

Ariana Catherine

Skylar Paige

One of the babies was crying a lot, so I waited on one of them for a while before baptizing him.  It was fine with me, because I understand when kids cry we have to adjust sometimes to them.  It turned out fine in the end.

Some of the babies were asleep, some were curious, one blocked me when I went to make the Sign of the Cross on his forehead.  I am amazed with how the parents take their children’s baptism seriously.  Thank you, parents, for bringing your children to the saving waters of life!

Among those who asked to take photos, a mother came up to ask me afterwards to take a photo with her twin daughters who were also baptized at St. Catherine’s.

When families were asking me for picture poses with them after the Baptism, I reminded them to post these on social media.  Posting events like this is a great way to spread the Gospel online and how it is practically lived in every day family life. 

People kept calling me “Father,” even though I explained to them that I was only a deacon. 

I’m sure I’m forgetting some other events in Catholic culture, but these give you a snap shot of a Catholic infant baptism ceremony.  I cleaned up as much as I could, and then I ran into the sacristan, Fred, who said that he would help.  Thank you, Bro. Fred!

After I unvested, and before I left the church, I knelt down in the back of the church with my attention to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.  I also entrusted the families to Mary’s Immaculate Heart and consecrated them to Jesus through Mary.

As I knelt and bowed my head, I thanked Jesus in my heart briefly and then left to go home. 

When I got home, my kids told me I smelled like Sacred Chrism.  Then, one of the kids said, “Chrism is royalty!”  I said, “That’s right, you are a prince of the Kingdom.  You are a princess of the Kingdom.”  Mariana said that I “smelled like St. Catherine’s” as we sat down for lunch.  I guess I had holy water, candle smell, and sacred chrism all over me.

As we celebrate the Solemn Feast of Pentecost this weekend, may the Mother of Jesus who was with the Eleven be with us today.

Thank you for reading all the way down this blog.

If you'd like more information on baptizing your baby at any Catholic church in your area, please let me know, and I will send you the right information if you do not know how to move forward.

 At St. Catherine's Church in Vallejo, we have the baptism class for parents and godparents every 1st Sat. of the month from 9am-12pm.  And we have community baptisms (outside Mass) every 3rd Sat. of the month at 1130am.  The parish office number is (707) 553-1355.

* * * 

(I forgot to record Homily #132, but I am noting it here.  It was for a house blessing followed by deliverance prayers for someone who experienced an evil presence.  This house blessing was not the same as the house blessing for my childhood friend which I recorded here.)

3 Major Times I Cried While Contemplating the Life of Mary in the Mystics

My heart was greatly moved at least 3 times while listening to the life of Mary according to 4 mystics:

1.) When Jesus & Mary were present in spirit before and during the beheading of St. John the Baptist to strengthen him;

2.) When Mary's soul was reunited w/her entombed body at the Assumption/Dormition;

3.) When the Holy Trinity crowned Mary as Queen, after Jesus decreed that what the Son experienced was also fitting for the Mother who is seated at the Son's right hand to experience, too.

Love Others as Jesus Loves on the Cross, Not as the World Loves (Homily #131)

10am (8 mins)

12pm (9 mins)

The other day, I read an old journal entry I wrote 5 years ago.  [And it is very relevant b/c we have a young family baptizing their babies & parents of those who had their First Holy Communion yesterday.]  It goes like this:   

THEOLOGY CONVERSATION BETWEEN ME & MY 7 Y.O. LAST NIGHT
(as I was half-asleep dozing off)

He said: I’m sorry I spilled my fruit punch at Taco Bell. [My brother] pushed my arm.

I said: And that’s why it’s an accident. But if you consented, then you would be in trouble.

He said: Yes, I know.

I said: That’s why your will is very important. Love is in the will. Just like sin is in the will. And we must always love God.

He said: So love is God’s will?

I said: Yes. God is love. And just like in [the movie] “Finding Nemo” when Marlon the clownfish looked all over the ocean for his son, Nemo, so [God’s love] will always search for us.

He said: Like the Prodigal Son?

I said: Yes, and we must always choose God in our will. And we must always avoid sin.

He said: Okay.

I said: God is all that matters. Nothing else matters; not our money; not our house; not our cars. Only God matters. Everything else will fade away. Good night. I love you.

And then he said: I love you, too.

I

The one theme in this story for me to emphasize is that love is in the will.  This leads us to today’s Gospel where Jesus gave us a new commandment.  Jesus said, “Love one another as I love you.”  This one sentence forms the two main points of our reflection: (1) The first main point is “love one another…” and (2) the second main point is “…as I have loved you.” 

Let’s go to the first part of the sentence: “Love one another…”  Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI wrote in his encyclical letter, Deus Caritas Est (God Is Love) that “by acknowledging the centrality of love, the Christian faith has retained the core of Israel’s faith, while at the same time giving it new depth and breadth” (cf. DCE 1).  When Jesus said in the first part of that sentence, “Love one another…,” he summarized all the Old Testament commandments.  As the Second Reading from the First Letter of John says, everyone who loves knows God but whoever does not love does not know God (for God is love). 

St. Thomas Aquinas defined love in this way: “To will the good of another.”  Here, love is an action that begins in the heart.  It is a human choice.  Love is not just a temporary feeling or a fleeting emotion that comes and goes.  Love is a decision for good or evil.

And notice that love is concerned more and more with the good of the beloved, the other.  Love wants the beloved to be and to be fully in God’s eyes.  Love doesn’t focus on me, myself and I.  Rather, it takes us outside ourselves and desires what is true, good, beautiful and right for the beloved.  And that’s the first point.  We love even when we don’t feel like it.

II

This leads to the second part on “…as I have loved you.”  So how should we love as Christians?  The model for love is not human love and human wisdom but divine love.  Jesus doesn’t just say, “Love one another…”  Period. End of sentence.  Instead, Jesus says, “Love one another…” how?  “…AS I love you.”  The standard for TRUE love is Jesus.  And how did Jesus set the standard for us to follow? He gave himself [kenosis] all the way to the Cross, until it hurt.  We are to love the way Jesus loved.  Just look at the crucifix.  True love requires sacrifice.

You know, there are some somewhat silly bumper stickers that say “My religion is toleration” or “My religion is co-existence.”  From Christian point of view, these stickers are worldly wisdom.  They are minimum morality.  But our standard of love is not some worldly bumper stickers or even a book or even ideas, but a living Person to be encountered—Jesus Christ who is God’s Love in the flesh!  Do two lovers who want to get married say to each other, “I tolerate you.  I co-exist with you.  Will you marry me?” No, they say, “I love you.”  Love wills the ultimate good of the other, and the ultimate good of the other is Heaven!

When we are in love with Jesus, we keep his commandments.  When love is in our heart, the all the rules, and requirements of being Catholic, and going to Mass and the Sacraments, or the church laws about marriage – all of these – are not a burden.  The Commandments bring joy to the heart.  Jesus said we are his friends if we do what he commands.  Love freely wants to live in friendship and grace with God.

So in summary, we meditated on the two parts of “Love one another as I love you.”  O Mary, mother of Jesus and our mother, you who stood at the foot of the Cross, “teach us to know and love” Jesus “so that we too can become capable of true love” (DCE 42).  Help us to follow Jesus’s commandment to love one another as he has loved us.  Amen.

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