From the Principal’s Desk 1.31

To Our Friends,

Summer is at last here and except for a few exams, the students are done. Now it is time for rest and restoration, for vacation and play and for preparation for next year. Summer is not without its dangers as we well know. So encourage your children to remember that school is on holiday, it has not disappeared; that goodness knows no season but is always active; that God shows his love just as much when they are enjoying fine weather and free time, as when they are studying and that sin is no obstacle to His mercy.

Charles Wesley in the hymn “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing” writes the following line- ‘He breaks the power of cancelled sin, He sets the captive free’  and ‘Jesus the name that charms our fears, that bids our sorrows cease”   Two sentiments that sum up how I want my summer to be, forgiven, free, fearless and without sorrow. May all of you have a similar summer and until we meet again- May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Thank you for such a good year!

From the Principal’s Desk 1.30

Dear Friends,

Well the world didn’t end this weekend, so I better write something! Now, if you knew the world was going to end in a few days what would you do?  Would you spend all of your money? Visit great places, reconcile with estranged loved ones? There is a lot we could do but it does make me think of a story I once heard.  A saint was playing a game with some Brothers. One put forward the question, “If you knew you were to die in the next half hour, what would you do?  “I would run to the chapel,” said one. “I would go to confession,” said another, “I would kneel down and pray the rosary” said the last. The Saint had not spoken so they asked, “Father, what would you do?”

The Saint looked at them and replied, “We are here to play a game. It is what we are supposed to be doing. When the Master comes I want Him to find me doing what I am supposed to be doing, so I will keep playing the game.”

Ultimately what matters most is whether we are doing what God wants or not. For students this week I am certain it is God’s will that they study and prepare as best they can for finals. So to all you students and families- Go For It!

From the Principal’s Desk 1.29

Dear Parents and Friends,

Tomorrow is Graduation and last night was the annual Senior Banquet. I had the privilege of speaking to the assembly and would like to summarize my thoughts for all of you.

St Paul states in 1 Corinthians 13 that without love I am nothing. It is clear that the only true measure of success is whether or not we do our actions with love.  For love transcends the human experience and brings us toward the divinity that we are as Children of God. So whether one becomes a father or a mother, or a doctor, or a lawyer, or a builder, or a landscaper, or a farmer etc. it is not what we do that makes us a success but how we do it. What is lacking in this world is not good work, but love. Yesterday my son received his first Holy Communion and as we prepared to leave for church I bent down to tie his shoes. I did not tie his shoes simply because they were untied or I was afraid he would trip but rather because they are my sons shoes; my son whom I love. What made Blessed John Paul great was not because he was Pope but rather, because his actions bespoke love. What made Mother Theresa a saint was how she took care of the people of Calcutta. She differed from other social workers in that she cared for the dying with love. Love can be defined as the self less desire for the good of another. So “Beloved let us love one another, for love is of God.  Anyone that loves knows God."

In addition we are also called to give witness, for we go forth into this world as ambassadors of Christ. We are members of his family, we are sons and daughters of God and as such we need to make sure that we are honorable representations of the family of God. So we need to be the best in whatever task we choose, we need to excel in what ever job we take,  for if we do it in love, then we will know, as Scripture says, in Christ our labor is not in vain.

To all the graduates of Holy Family High School I say congratulations. You have been wonderfully trained and prepared and now it is your turn to use what you have been given. May God bless you and prosper all the good you do. May Christ inspire every action and may you listen to Him who walked on water, raised Lazarus from the dead and is the very Lord of Glory.

From the Principal’s Desk 1.28

Dear Parents and Friends,

Next week is an important one for many of our students, actually about 25% of them.  On Wednesday at 10 AM they will, for the first time, march down the path into the newly renovated Mike G. Gabriel Stadium to their seats, waiting to receive their diplomas and officially end their High School years. It is an awesome achievement and one that is shared by many, especially the students themselves.

While we have had the graduations in the gym we decided to try outside for several reasons. The stands can seat as many as the gym, and we have extra seating on the stadium floor and the hillside has been landscaped into steps which can fit additional seats. This allows you to bring a chair with a back, something not possible in the gym.   Mornings in the spring in Colorado are generally fair and mild and the backdrop of the lake in one direction and the mountains in the other should be lovely.  

For the handicapped and elderly we are reserving parking by the baseball field and we will have golf carts available to bring you closer to your seats.  The stadium is handicapped accessible.

In the event the weather is doubtful we will place a phone call at 8 AM stating the graduation will be inside and delayed to 12 noon. The students who are not graduating are invited to come to the ceremony but not required.  

Please keep the seniors in your prayers. It is a great and terrible thing to finish high school and start your adult life. (As we all remember, perhaps all to well!)  They will need our guidance, our love and probably some of our cash; mostly they need God’s grace. He who guides the birds of the air, who directs flowers to grow and fish to swim, will guide our children if they let Him. May they do so.

-The Graduation occurred in the gymnasium do to inclement weather-

From the Principal’s Desk 1.27

Dear Friends,

Unlike many of you I watched the Twin Towers burn on Sept. 11, 2001 and could smell the smoke from my house. I watched in sadness the wreck and devastation that was wrought by one man’s evil vision and by those willing to carry it out. I drove supplies up the NJ Turnpike to those working at ground zero and prayed fervently for the souls of those who died. I also taught students whose parents where killed in the attack.  So when I say I am glad Osama Bin Laden was finally brought to justice and that President Obama and the military did their jobs well, I mean it.

However, the biggest news of the last few days was not the death of Osama, or the wedding of the Royals but the Beatification of John Paul the Great.  Here was a man whose vision brought life, not death; who filled those around him with love not loathing and whose life has been a source of blessing. When he visited Denver in 1993, I was at Mile High Stadium and chanted with the crowd, “John Paul II we love you!” and to this day I can hear in my mind the Polish Popes accented voice chanting back to us, “ John Paul II, he loves YOU!” and realizing it was the truth.  In the final result it will not be hate and fear which conquers the world, but love.  May we all teach our children that while we must confront evil and seek justice we are set free by the love of Christ.

Next week I will have more to say about graduation and the end of the school year but for today I will end with these words of Scripture, “In