Our First Mass of the new school year

 All San Miguel High School students filed over to our neighboring church, St Monica Roman Catholic Parish, for the first mass of the year on August 11th, 2023.

It was a special mass for a number of reasons - as Mr. Dave Mason, the school's President & CEO explained.

1. It was behind this church, in two classrooms where San Miguel High School began. Our first classes and forays into the Cristo Rey Network model of corporate work study began in this humble way.
2. The presiding priest for this - our first service of the year - was Alumnus Father Jesus Gomez, class of 2015. 
3. And it was the only mass of the year where all students were together. Every mass after this one will be missing one grade level, depending on the day of the week when that grade is at their corporate jobs.

We were also blessed to have our two new Brothers assisting in the service. Brother Javier Hansen, who teaches Freshmen Theology and Brother Matthew Chiantella who is our new Director Campus Ministry  and Student Life. 

Brother Matthew and Brother Javier

After resounding harmonies from our choir, we heard from Fr. Gomez. He shared that in addition to knowing the school from its earliest days, he was proud of the journey he embarked on since his first days at the school. 

Representative from each class lit their Class Candle

The Blessing of the Candles & One La Salle Prayer

Fr. Gomez shared he was a part of the Cross Country team that went to the State finals. And that while working all four years at the University of Arizona's Medication Management Center (which licensed out to Sinfonia) Fr. Gomez was considering a career in Pharmacy.

As often happens in Lasallian schools, and especially ones a part of the Cristo Rey Network, Fr. Gomez began feeling called elsewhere, closer to Jesus.

As the first Alumni priest to preside over San Miguel's mass, he is also a newly minted Uncle to San Miguel's first Executive Leader Alumna, Oralia Gomez, who is now Director of Admissions and Recruitment.

The spirit of St. Jean Baptist de La Salle is well enfused at San Miguel High School, where our students, teachers, and leaders are all part of one community, "Entering to Learn, Leaving to Serve." 

Br. Jesus Lara; Fr. Jesus Gomez; President/CEO Dave Mason

Here is Fr. Gomez's full Homily: 

Dear friends, for nearly two decades, these walls have seen the many faces of all the different students that have walked these hallways, there has been thousands and thousands of miles driven to take students to and from work, and yes at one point there were sport banners that hung from these walls. But each school year begins with the mass of the invocation of the Holy Spirit, and the school year ends with the baccalaureate mass right before graduation. But what happens in the months between august and may? Well there are certain truths that we can mention, although we all come from different backgrounds, there is something we all say day in and day out, and even in every single class that we walk into and that is: "Let us remember... and it ends somewhere along the lines of "Live Jesus in our hearts... SO that's the first set of guaranteed truths that happen here, the other is that at some point in your time here at San Miguel, you will see a mural that stands visible to most of the campus, and it says "Enter to learn, leave to serve.' And that my friends are not only a mission of this school for everyone that enters into this campus, but it's the mission of Jesus Christ to all of us here present!

Today we gather to celebrate this mass, asking for the invocation of the Holy Spirit. That He may guide us into what the Father has planned for all of you. These are the words of Christ the come alive in the Gospel we just heard. Christ is asking God the Father, that his disciples may come to find the truth, but not just his disciples but everyone that comes after them. What this means is that they no longer belong to the world, but they remain in the world, but he sends them back so that everyone can come to know the truth through them. Its sounds similar to the mural that we see here at school, although we remain in the world, we are set apart, there is something that is different being a San Miguel student, to one day be sent back out into the world as disciples. But that doesn't mean that we have to wait till the day right after graduation, to begin this mission, the mission starts now. 

I don't know that I've ever tried to imitate even the greatness of people because I really deeply believe God made every individual one of us to be us the way we are to the best and fullest we can be and while we're inspired by Saints and good men and women and by events and all those were inspired by that but that makes you one i want to be who and what I should be, can be, and such. 

For all you seniors, I know it can be challenging for the realization that this time next year you will be starting off in colleges and universities, the mission to get there is in front you now, for juniors, they say that the hardest year at San Miguel is this one that you are about to embark, but don't let that scare you, it is indeed doable, for all you sophomores, you return to you second year, we look back to see how you started your journey here, but look towards the future and see what is it that Christ wants for you as a student. And for all you freshmen, all I can say is enjoy every single day of your high school career, freshmen year is where you begin to lay the foundation for the rest of your life. Because this is what Christ wants from all of us here, Christ intercedes for you in ways that are not even imaginable to the human mind, and this is something to take with you for all of your days here at San Miguel and for every day for the rest of your life, because God has loved Christ and has loved you since the foundation of the world. Pope Benedict said "We are not some casual and meaningless product of evolution. Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary." You belong here, you are necessary for the mission that Christ has called you for, and all of this is possible because Christ loves you. 

People who are alive their heads are alive they're emotions are alive that if they don't whimper through life or even piously crawl through life. They're alive they're alert they're in tune with God they're in tune with humanity they're in tune with themselves and they live this they live with an intensity and I like people like that you know I was just telling a guy last night and we were this was a bit about holiness and he was wondering about what happens in the future I said don't fuss over that get on the road where you know it is you know the conclusion and don't get off you may rest a while you may go to this side or that side a little bit but don't get off the road because you know that's the road that's leading you where you want to go and where you should go don't let your life fall apart that's kind of what it is grab your life and live it and I think that's what God wants and I think that's what holiness is. And only where God is seen does life truly begin. Only when we meet the living God in Christ do we know what life is. 

Become the students of San Miguel High School, so that the world may know that you mission, your discipleship is that you come here to learn, but you leave to serve, serve your life, but serve it with love, because God has loved you before the foundation of the world.