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| A big thank you to the entire SFHS community for your generosity, tireless effort, and big hearts. Last Tuesday, the LIFE Team delivered 8,896 non-perishable food items and over $1,400.00 to our sister parish, St. Lawrence of Brindisi, in Watts. |
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2nd Quarter Franciscan Virtue: Service
The Cracked Pot - A Reflection on Service
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Many years ago a rich man had a servant whose job was to carry water each day from a distant stream to his master's house. The servant carried water in two large pots, each which hung from opposite ends of a pole he carried across his neck. One pot was in perfect condition and always delivered a full portion of water at
 the end of the long walk from the stream. The other pot had a crack in it, though, and always arrived at the master's house half full.
For two years, the servant delivered only one and a half pots of water to his master's house each day. The undamaged pot was proud of itself. It had been made to carry water without leaking, and it did the job perfectly. The cracked pot, on the other hand, felt ashamed. It was miserable knowing it was not able to accomplish what it had been to do. Still, it did the best it could, even if it was only half of what the perfect pot could do.
Finally, the cracked pot spoke to the servant one day at the stream. "I need to apologize to you," the pot said, "For two years now, I have been able to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value for your efforts.
The servant simply said, "When we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."
As they made their way back to the house, the cracked pot saw the gorgeous wildflowers beside the path, and was cheered a little by their beauty.
When they reached the house, the servant said to the cracked pot, "Did you notice that there were only flowers on your side of the path? I've always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path. Every day when we walked back from the stream, you watered them. For two years, I've been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. If you weren't just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.
Each of us has our own unique flaws. You might say that we are all a bunch of cracked pots. In God's great economy, nothing goes to waste. The Lord knows what your shortcomings are, and the shortcomings of those around you. He will use these to his advantage - and your advantage as well. Serving those around us is a way of cultivating these "flowers" in the world around us. And he uses us to play the role of the servant in the lives of others, finding that their flaws are not flaws at all... but, in fact, gifts that must be used in a very different way. Paul wrote, "If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness." (2 Corinthians 11:30) Paul had quite a few flaws, which he freely acknowledged, but God still used him in a mighty way. Hopefully, your service toward others can allow these "flawed" people to see that God wants to use them as well.
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St. Francis Announces Launch of New School App
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Interested in keeping track of all things St. Francis from your smart phone or tablet? We are thrilled to announce that there is now a FREE APP for that! Go to the APP store, type in "St. Francis High School" and look for our unique SFHS logo. The APP will provide you with a user-friendly interface to access calendars, news & announcements, photos, faculty/staff contact information, and much more. We hope you enjoy this new form of access...GO KNIGHTS!
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Congrats to St. Francis grad Peter Vagenas '96 on being named as the new GM of the Los Angeles Galaxy! Well done, Pete!
LOS ANGELES, CA - The LA Galaxy announced on Monday, Nov. 28, that former captain Peter Vagenas has been named LA Galaxy General Manager. The two-time MLS Cup winning midfielder will serve as the General Manager and Vice President of Soccer Operations. In his new role, Vagenas will oversee all soccer activities of the LA Galaxy, LA Galaxy II and Galaxy Academy, including player acquisition, scouting and management of the club's coaching staffs.
"Peter has been an influential figure in the continued growth of the LA Galaxy both on and off the field for a long period of time," said LA Galaxy President Chris Klein. "In each of his roles with this club - team captain, Academy Director and VP of Soccer Operations - he has consistently shown an unparalleled dedication and expertise. We will continue to fill our front office with qualified and innovative individuals and we have full confidence that Peter will excel as our General Manager and Vice President of Soccer Operations."
Vagenas previously played for the Galaxy during nine of his 13 years in Major League Soccer and was a part of the Galaxy's 2002 and 2005 MLS Cup championships. He was named Vice President of Soccer Operations in January 2016 after serving as Director of the LA Galaxy Academy since 2013. During his time as LA Galaxy Academy Director, Vagenas helped establish the Galaxy's Academy into one of the most successful in North America with 15 Academy Products currently signed to professional contracts across LA Galaxy and Galaxy II. In 2015, Vagenas oversaw the development of the LA Galaxy Academy Blended Learning Program, a first-of-its-kind program that provides a full high-school education at StubHub Center for student-athletes immersed in the same professional environment as LA Galaxy and LA Galaxy II.
"Being from Los Angeles and having invested much of my career into the growth of the LA Galaxy, I am extremely proud to continue with this great club as General Manager and Vice President of Soccer Operations," said Vagenas. "I feel that my experiences within this organization will allow me to succeed in this role as the LA Galaxy continue to grow as a premier soccer club in North America. I look forward to working with both our front office and coaching staff as we push to win championships while further aligning all of our operations within the LA Galaxy, LA Galaxy II and the LA Galaxy Academy."
While Vagenas served as Vice President of Soccer Operations this year, the LA Galaxy launched LA Galaxy Girls' U-14/15, U-16/17 and U-18/19 Academy teams that will compete in the U.S. Soccer Girls' Development Academy League, becoming the first and only Girls' Academy program to be fully-funded by a Major League Soccer side, allowing talented local athletes to join free of charge.
Vagenas, a product of Pasadena, California, was originally selected by the Galaxy in the second round of 2000 MLS SuperDraft with the 23rd overall selection. The St. Francis High School (La Cañada Flintridge, California) and UCLA product made his professional debut on May 24, 2000, against the New England Revolution, scoring on his debut in stoppage time of a 2-1 loss. He was named club captain ahead of the start of the 2005 season and led the Galaxy to MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup victories.
The former midfielder started in 164 of the 183 regular season games that he appeared for the Galaxy, scoring 14 goals and adding 25 assists during his career in LA. He also scored two goals and notched two assists in 19 postseason games, reaching the MLS Cup Playoffs eight times in his 13 years as a player, including in each of his first six seasons as a pro.
Throughout his 13-year career in Major League Soccer, Vagenas represented Seattle Sounders FC, Vancouver Whitecaps and Chivas USA in addition to the Galaxy. He appeared in more than 250 combined regular season and postseason games while winning two MLS Cup titles (2002, 2005), four Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup titles (2001, 2005 with LA; 2009, 2010 with Seattle) in addition to the 2002 Supporters' Shield and 2000 CONCACAF Champions Cup with LA.
In addition to his club career, Vagenas, who holds a U.S. Soccer Federation "A" coaching license, represented the U.S. at the 1999 Pan American Games, the 2000 Sydney Olympics and also made two appearances with the U.S. National Team. At the Olympics, he finished with a team-high three goals as he helped lead the U.S. to a fourth place finish, the best finish by a U.S. team in Olympic history. Shortly after returning from the Olympics, he made his full international debut, coming on as a second half substitute in a 2-0 win over Mexico at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum on October 25, 2000...(read the article
HERE)
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Congratulations to the Cast and Crew of Peter and the Starcatcher!
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Congratulations to the cast and crew of Peter and the Starcatcher! Thank you for another amazing St. Francis High School Arts production. We are so grateful to our friends, family, and community for your continued support.
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Booster Club's 25th Annual Christmas Tree Drive - Pickup on Sat., Dec. 3 (7:30-11:30 a.m.)
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The SFHS Christmas Tree Drive Pickup is always a fun-filled family affair that you don't want to miss!
As a reminder, pickup is THIS SATURDAY, December 3rd, from 7:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. We are looking forward to seeing you there as we welcome the Christmas season!
WREATHS and ORNAMENTS will still be available for purchase on the day of pickup on a first-come, first-serve basis while quantities last!
We are still in need of additional student volunteers to help on the day of pickup. If interested, please sign up at:
Feel free to contact Lori Shackel or Denise Byer at [email protected] or 818.522.1617 with any questions. Thanks again for your support and generosity! GO KNIGHTS!
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Day of Giving Success on Road to $1 Million
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 We wish to thank all those who so generously contributed to our first-ever Day of Giving on Tuesday, November 22nd (please see below for a complete list of donors).
We love you and are humbled by your passion for keeping St. Francis High School a ONE IN A MILLION experience. We are pleased to announce that this one-day appeal In support of our
ONE IN A MILLION Annual Fund campaign raised over $150,000 towards our year-end goal of $1 Million! Your selflessness reminds us that our St. Francis family is, indeed,
ONE IN A MILLION! Thank you!
We will continue to work hard together to reach this goal. To our current parents who have so generously pledged to support this fund, we are grateful for all that you can, and will continue to do, to honor your commitments.
To our Alumni, we are excited to announce that we will be hosting a private reception after the conclusion of the 2016-17 school year to honor the class with the greatest participation. Two classes will be recognized - one with the greatest amount raised and one with the greatest percentage of class participation. More details will be made available on our
ONE IN A MILLION Giving Page so please stay tuned.
Thanks again for all you do! GO KNIGHTS!
Tim Murphy '94
Director of Development and Alumni Relations
The Agakanian Family
Gino Altobelli '86
Dan Anderson '70
Ray Arriola '84
Michael Baca '75
Denise & Robert Bacall
Paul Bader '76
Habib Balian '88
Christopher Bavasi '65
Karen & Jim Bell
Jordan Bell '09
Michael Betance '86
Patricia and Lee Bird
Gregory Boyer '65
Greg Brakovich '70
Kip Braun '95
Manny Bravo '89
Claire & Jim Brewer '65
Patricia Brugman
Andrew Burghdorf '00
David Bruneau '65
Ashleigh Buchan Jr. '78
Bridgid Sloyan & Dan Campbell
Gavin Campbell '17
Stephen Campbell '70
Michael Cardinale
Alfred Ciocca '68
Will Clarke '68
Christopher Copping '06
Kevin Cordano '83
Ernie Cruz
Ernest Cruz III '91
Keiri Custodio '88
Doug Damon '68
Kevin Danni '97
Alison & Michael Davitt
Brad DeJardin '84
Scott Delphey '01
Eddie Diaz '78
Paul Diaz '96
Richard Dilluvio '81
Paul DiPietro '04
Rick Dinger '85
David Doyle '61
James Drummy
Mary Eckhardt
Jeffrey English '87
Michelle Escobar
Claudia & William Ferguson
Leigh Ann Fernstrom
Jeffrey Ferris '99
Ted Fuller '60
Patrick Hagan '89
Nancy Hagopian
Charles Harris '67
John Heidelman '69
Christopher Henry '90
Mark Heydorff '70
Kevin Holmquist '04
Maria & Tom Horner
Christina Galante |
Gregory Garcia '83
Michael Gates '10
Amy Giardello
Eric Gleason '93
Tammy Goad
Joshua Godson '97
Garrett Gomez '10
Kyle Gomez '13
Linda and Rene Gomez
Larry Gray Jr. '60
Larry Gray III '84
Rosanna Jaquez
Andre Jardini '69
Matthew Jones '90
Monica Jones
Joe Kadlec '82
Spencer Kirkwood '06
Hunter Kirkwood '08
Markus Klein '89
Bart Kubelka '66
Kimchele Kunitake
James LaGuardia '77
Thomas Lang
Warren Lobdell '56
Sam Longo '73
Mark Loretta '89
Jorge Lopez '93
Eddie Lund '86
Kenny Lund '82
Mariah MacNeil
Brent Mason '95
Sean McCarthy '76
Mike McCartney '63
James McGoldrick '83
Curt McSweeny '75
Patrick Miller '72
Tom Moran
Andrew Moss '02
Phyllis & Angelo Mozilo
David Munoz '85
Gregory Murphy '92
Mike Murphy
Tammy & Tim Murphy '94
Joseph Natalizio '10
Michael Natalizio '14
Valerie & Brad Nelson
Brett Nelson '11
Sam Nicassio '85
David Nilsen '88
James Nitz '73
Jim Nuccio '68
Karen & Don O'Connor
Mike Odell '81
John Orlandini '69
Earl Parker '77
Kirk Peterson
Shannon & John Petersen
Marilyn Pieroni
Dennis Predmore '65
James Predmore '71
David Raba |
Adam '12, Brett '12 & Chad '12 Rahtz
Timothy Rahtz '75
Matthew Raiche '89
Kevin Reynolds '92
Michael Rizzo '85
Stephen Roberts '74
Rosemary Robinson
Joseph Saldana '94
Neal Salisian '98
Charlotte Saydah
Jeff Schmidt '93
William H. Scott Jr. '61
Bob Seidler '84
Michael Seidler '83
Fred Selayandia III '84
Lara & Giuseppe Serventi
Michael Seymour '84
Brennan Sheedy '98
Ryan Sheedy '87
Tom Sheedy '63
Phil Simon '68
Joe Skeehan '72
Jason Smith '89
Christine & Peter Smith
Dwight Sory '73
Maryann Spinella
Charlotte Maya & Tim Stratz '84
Kevin Susank '70
Steve Sutherlen '64
Stephan Taylor '00
Dennis Terrazone '69
Rodney Terrazone '69
Jim Theiring '85
Shaun Theiring '17
Bridget & Mark Thompson
Dianna Tipple
Timothy Torre '68
John Tracey
Joe Traver '94
Tracy & Scott Traver '97
Mark Trueblood '75
Conor '11 and Maureen Uhlir
Morgan Underwood III '77
Matthew Vidales '09
Francis Villanueva '94
Kerry Walsh '63
Patti & Jim Weisenberg
Colleen & Luke Welsh '82
Patrick Wickhem '64
Maya Zaitzevsky
Christopher Zappia '09
Matthew Zieman '05
Joanne Zovak |
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Pasadena Sports Now Football Coach of the Year: Jim Bonds, St. Francis
By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor, Pasadena Sports Now
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St. Francis was without question the area's most consistent and successful football program in 2016.
The Golden Knights went 9-2, despite a schedule that had 10 playoff teams in their path.
It's two losses came by a combined 8 points, and St. Francis led at some point in both of those games.
They also held a couple of those playoff teams to 30 points or more under their season's average.
For the success it had, the discipline it displayed and the detail in which his team carried out a season's worth of game plans,
St. Francis coach Jim Bonds has been named the Pasadena Sports Now Football Coach of the Year.
Bonds has been lauded for his football IQ from friend and foe alike.
He is now 134-66 in 17 seasons at St. Francis.
His nephew and quarterback Michael Bonds called him "an offensive genius," and the father of Cathedral star Jamire Calvin, who also serves as the Phantoms' defensive coordinator, said, "no one is more of a challenge to prepare for than Jim Bonds."
While it's true that any coach is as good as the talent of his players, it can also be said that the way a team reacts to adversity, and in pressured situations, is just as much a reflection of its coach.
St. Francis was as focused and calm in big games and moments as anyone, and did so in a season that saw the Golden Knights pick up about a month's worth of victories that were literally not determined until the game's final play.
"This season was very special, because of the chemistry we shared and the lifelong relationships that were made throughout the journey," Jim Bonds said. "Not once did we as a staff ever worry about our team practicing hard or being mentally prepared. That starts with the senior leaders, and we had a great group of guys. They loved each other and loved playing the game of football together, and when you have that, you can beat teams that may have more talent than you. I believe we did that a couple times this season by playing team football and sticking to our team motto: It's amazing what you can accomplish when nobody cares who gets the credit."
That old-school quote they use as a team motto has been used by Presidents Truman and Reagan, legendary coach John Wooden and many others, and it does reveal much about this team.
It's a group of intelligent, educationally-driven, humble young men, who let their play do their talking.
In several games this year, opposing sidelines and opposing fans made comments about St. Francis being less than "street," inferring the Golden Knights weren't tough enough, and yet in almost every case, St. Francis went home with a victory and a dignity that any school, parent or coach could be proud of.
Bonds refuses to take credit for all that success.
He made sure to praise assistants Mark Gibbons (def coordinator), Ted Corcoran (o-line/special teams), Joe Monarrez (wide receivers), Pat Carroll (tight ends/slot receivers), Mike Cesta (def backs), Scott Traver (linebackers), Bill Stewart (d-line), Tony Zarrillo (def-asst) and running backs coach Mike Russell.
"The thing I will remember most about this season is being coached by my uncle," Michael Bonds said. This has been the highlight of my life to this point. He is an offensive genius and he makes playing quarterback so much fun. It is amazing what you can accomplish when you have a passion and enjoy what you are doing every day."...(read the full article
HERE)
Quotable:
Senior Daniel Scott: "He's helped me all four years here at St. Francis. I think he's one of the smartest coaches around, and he's taught me things I could never even imagine, whether it's the simple details of running a route or just becoming an overall man. He's definitely one of my role models, and someone I look up to a lot."
Senior Jace Harrick: "I'm very lucky to be able to share my senior season with such great individuals. Coach Bonds is as great a coach as one could have. He knows exactly what he's doing but he doesn't only make us better players, but better young men. He made us want to win so badly."
Senior Gabriel Mathews: "Coach Bonds is a great coach. He inspired us every practice to go as hard as we could by proving it would show up in games. He knows how to bring the full potential out of his players and I admire that greatly. He is the reason I would love to be a coach when I get older."
Maxx Jakeway: "I have played for Coach Bonds for three years and have nothing but the highest respect for him. As a player, all you want is a fair chance to play and coach has always made it clear that he wants the hardest workers on the field. I think his football program is one of the best and it's been an honor to be part of it. As a coach, he really knows how to get the absolute best out of every player on the field and as a person. We trust in his coaching and that let us excel together as a team."
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It's never easy to lose, but it's always important to learn from defeat. A true Golden Knight arises stronger and smarter after being knocked down!
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SFHS Basketball Off to a Strong Start
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Yesterday, December 1st, The JV basketball team defeated Pasadena, 57-43. Marcelino Martinez '18 had a strong performance with 12 points and 7 assists. With the win, the JV team improved to 2-0 on the season. The team plays again this evening at 7:30 p.m. vs. La Canada at La Canada High School. GO KNIGHTS!
In addition, we want to congratulate the SFHS JV basketball team on defeating Hart High School earlier this week by the score of 45-36. Mitchell Gravino '19 led the way with 16 points and Alex Stalick '18 had 14 rebounds. GO KNIGHTS!
St. Francis Golden Knights Main Philosophy:
#TeamFirst
Success is amazing to achieve, but unobtainable to achieve by yourself. #TeamFirst comes back to the simple goal that the team ALWAYS comes before the player.
Everything we do, every decision we make on and off the court always needs to circle back to the question, "Is this putting my teammates before myself."
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Visitation Week Welcomes Prospective Golden Knights to Campus
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An impressive collection of scholars, artists, athletes, gentlemen, and future Golden Knights!
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SFHS Soccer Teams Open Season with Strong Wins
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Congratulations to St. Francis' JV and varsity soccer teams on winning their first games of the season on the road against Canyon! JV won 2-0 and varsity battled for a 3-1 victory. GO KNIGHTS!
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MOTIVATION...OR LACK THERE OF
By Todd Wolfson, Always Be Contagious (ABC)
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 A few years ago St. Francis grad and Associate Head Coach of Duke's women's basketball team, Hernando Planells '94 (Coach H), created Always Be Contagious (ABC) and the #ALWAYS (
Authentic,
Leadership,
Willingness,
Action,
Yugen,
Selfless) program while working with athletes and actors. Since then it has expanded and helped programs, teams and businesses grow in their communication, team building, leadership and culture. With extensive experience working with coaches, athletes and teams, actors and businesses, ABC has been able to cultivate unique commitment with results that are continuously growing.
The article below was written by St. Francis' Head Basketball Coach, Todd Wolfson, and was published on the Always Be Contagious (ABC) website:
Play Hard! Run! Dive on the floor! Hustle! Take a charge!
Show up at 6:00am, practice, lifting, training, study hall, team meal, film, practice, rehab, sleep, repeat.
Fall ball, spring league, summer games, AAU, trainer work, dribbling coach, shooting coach, strength and conditioning.
Are we doing too much? Are our players tired?
In 2016, I listened to a total of eight coaches speak at coaches conferences. Excited high school coaches sat in awe as they listen to the men and women they idolize as they are blessed enough to coach at the division one level. Hanging on every word and transcribing the numerous nuggets of information, thinking these notes were the key to success that they could take home and implement to win state championships. At the end of each coaches speech came the words, "Any questions?". Hundreds of hungry hands arose dying for information from these famous men and women in which they idolized. After the fourth or fifth speaker I started to notice a trend in the questions asked by the audience.
"How do I get my team to play harder?"
"I feel like there are times where I want it more than my team, do you get that?"
"What tools do you use to motivate your team?"
Wait a second. Why are there so many coaches here asking about motivation? Is there an epidemic around the sport of basketball where players aren't playing hard? As coaches we get up every day, excited, hungry and eager to teach and compete. Why cant our players? What's going on with our sport?
I have heard all the excuses...
This generation is different, they don't have any work ethic.
You cant be tough on them anymore, they will transfer.
I shouldn't have to ask my team to play hard.
I feel the answer to this problem is YOU! (The coach)
The team needs to believe in YOU. If your players don't believe in you, they wont play hard. Your players will not be motivated and wont make the extra effort for a coach who they don't love and respect. Whether that's right or wrong, that's the way it is. It's the same in business, the more respected the boss, the more the workers will go out of their way to not let the boss down. Same goes in basketball, if your players respect you and believe in you as a coach, they will make the hustle plays and be more motivated when they believe in the head coach.
Everyone dreads being around people that you do not like and respect. Toxic relationships make any situation unenjoyable. I remember as a player I couldn't stand my head coach. I would show up a minute before practice, wouldn't stay late and didn't put in the extra effort because any extra minute I would have to be around my coach was a minute too long. The players didn't respect him, we didn't trust him and being in the same gym as him wasn't fun. Why give extra effort for a man we didn't respect?
Your players have to love you, they have to respect you and they have to trust you. Your players have to feel that you care about their well being more than just if they can score or rebound. Your players need to know you care about their basketball life, as well as their personal life. Your players need to believe that you will do whatever it takes to get them to the next level.
Sitting at coaching clinics writing down word for word the X's and O's that these college coaches were giving isn't the solution to motivating your team. Running the right plays or having the best defensive schemes isn't going to get your team to play harder and become more motivated. YOU (the coach) are the biggest factor in your teams motivation. They will play hard for you if they believe in you and respect you. Get to know your players, shoe them a little love and loosen up off the court, you may find a more motivated team next season...(read the full article
HERE)
Coach Todd Wolfson is head Varsity Basketball Coach at St. Francis High School (my alma mater!) in La Canada, California. Prior to SF Todd was the head basketball coach at Chaminade High School where he led the Eagles to the 2014 California State Championship and was named CIF coach of the year for the second time in six years.
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Fr. Jeff Baker '03 Celebrates Thanksgiving Liturgy with SFHS Family
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What an immense blessing it was to have St. Francis grad Fr. Jeff Baker '03 return home on Tuesday, Nov. 22, to help preside over our Thanksgiving Liturgy. His call to the priesthood is a powerful testament to the importance of discovering your vocation. In the spirit of the season, we are grateful to Fr. Jeff and all of our Capuchin Franciscan friars for their selfless commitment to a life of Christian service! GO KNIGHTS!
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A special thanks to those sophomores who helped make this month's Knight of Service a memorable one. Before serving the dinner meal to over 450 men and women, we received a guided tour of the Midnight Mission, which included one of the program's residents sharing his inspirational story of recovery. His openness about his struggles with substance abuse was a tremendous gift for our group. It was a great reminder for all of us to remember how blessed we really are, especially as we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving.
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| Fun to see our LINK group families in action as they embody the Franciscan virtues of brotherhood and service! |
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A special thanks to those juniors who woke up early this past Saturday morning for this month's Day of Service. These young men did a wonderful job representing St. Francis. The Union Rescue Mission is one of the only human service agencies that accommodates women and children. For the first time in its 125 year history, women and children outnumber men in their building by more than 200. They tasked us with the responsibility of playing with the children and chaperoning the different stations during free time in order to give the parents a few moments of rest. We were extremely impressed by how caring our boys were with the younger children. It was evident that some of them have younger siblings at home. Near the end of the shift, they called the SFHS group to help serve the lunch meal for the last guests in the dining room. This entire experience helped remind all of us how blessed we really are.
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Forgetting to Live The Fourth in College
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Doubt the first. Cry the second. Trust the third. Live the fourth. Even in college.
You try to make it to church every week but you have conflicts, you have homework and you accidentally have to go get ice cream during that time. You have a million things on your mind. You try to keep up with the faith connection you had in high school, but it's just so different in a crazy college atmosphere. You want to remember how much Kairos used to mean to you, but you're afraid you can't anymore.
After you went on Kairos, you were confident that you would never forget what it meant to live the fourth. You would never forget that you never know another person's story. You would never forget that you have a support system for as long as you need them. You would never forget to love yourself every day.
But here we are. You forgot. And I did too.
Today I was going through a drawer and found my Kairos cross buried at the bottom. I haven't worn it for probably a year and half, and it threw me off that I didn't really care about it for that long.
Finding my cross made me realize that I've sort of forgotten how to live the fourth. I don't put my love into action when I complain so much about things that really don't matter, or when I wish I looked different because I don't like the way I am sometimes. Yes, Kairos was just a retreat we went on years ago and people are probably like, "Why are you not over it?" But living graciously and lovingly and fully isn't something people should ever get over.
So what should you do about it? How do you remember?
Read some letters.
Listen to all those songs you used to love.
Call that one person and see how they're doing.
Stop and look at the sky every once in a while.
Realize that people are on your side.
Surprise your best friend.
Appreciate a really good cup of coffee.
Read an actual book.
Text your mom more funny pics.
Talk to your siblings more, because they're the only ones who'll know you for your entire life.
Say a silent "thank you" the next time you're driving in the car, blaring music with the people who make you smile the most.
Kairos showed us that every single person has that thing that makes their life suck a little. Or a lot. But it also made us see how completely fine it is to be who we are, where we are.
Today in my cluttered drawer I stumbled upon a well-needed reminder that it's okay to doubt. It feels good to cry. It's scary but so important to trust. And it's beautiful to live...(read the full article
HERE)
"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, then go do that. Because what the world needs is people that have come alive." --Howard Thurman
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Graduate Pursues a Life of Service
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Congratulations to St. Francis grad Michael Togneri '13 on achieving his dream of becoming an LA City Firefighter! The St. Francis family is so proud of you and all of our graduates who have dedicated their lives to serving and protecting communities across the nation. GO KNIGHTS!
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A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
Images from Across the St. Francis Community
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| The St. Francis family hosted a Veterans Day Prayer Service around the flagpole. We are grateful for the service of our veterans and their families and humbled by the sacrifices they have made on our behalf. |
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| Our lunchtime fussball tournament heats up as the Golden Knights take to the table of competition. |
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| Christmas trees have arrived at SFHS! |
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| Fr. Christopher Iwancio, the St. Francis Campus Chaplain, blesses one of our students. |
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| Thanksgiving arrived early for the faculty/staff of St. Francis! As we reflect on our blessing, we are tremendously grateful for all of our supportive parents. |
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