St. John the Baptist Catholic Church & School

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church & School A Roman Catholic Parish and Elementary School, served by the Norbertine Fathers, where the Gospel of
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Faithful to the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church, and under the pastoral care of the Norbertine Fathers, SJB Parish and School, in the noble tradition of Catholic education, prepare the way for students and our families to build a civilization of love in this world, and know the fullness of God’s love and glory in the next. SJB Catholic Parish, located at the heart of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange in California:
•Centers its life on the worship and celebration of the Holy Eucharist.
•Embraces diverse cultures, praising God in four languages.
•Sends forth its people to be effective witnesses to the love and truth of the Gospel. We invite you to join us at our celebrations of God's love and to explore the daily activities we offer.

09/15/2026

Fr. Matthias Gray, O.Praem., celebrant
www.sjboc.org

Sep 15 – Blessed Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. Today we celebrate a title given to our Blessed Mother that focuses on...
09/15/2026

Sep 15 – Blessed Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows.
Today we celebrate a title given to our Blessed Mother that focuses on her intense suffering and grief during the passion and death of our Lord.

Traditionally, this suffering comprised the 7 dolors (sorrows) of Mary foretold by Simeon who proclaimed, “This child [Jesus] is destined to be the downfall and the rise of many in Israel, a sign that will be opposed and you yourself shall be pierced with a sword so that the thoughts of many hearts may be laid bare” (Luke 2:34-35).

The 7 sorrows of our Blessed Mother included the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt; the loss and finding of the child Jesus in the Temple; Mary's meeting of Jesus on His way to Calvary; Mary's standing at the foot of the cross when our Lord was crucified; her holding of Jesus when He was taken down from the cross; and then our Lord's burial. For this reason, Mary is sometimes depicted with 7 swords piercing her heart; each new suffering received with the courage, love, and trust that echoed her fiat, let it be done unto me according to Thy word, first uttered at the Annunciation.

Pope John Paul II reminded the faithful, “Mary Most Holy goes on being the loving consoler of those touched by the many physical and moral sorrows which afflict and torment humanity. She knows our sorrows and our pains, because she too suffered, from Bethlehem to Calvary. 'And thy soul too a sword shall pierce.' Mary is our Spiritual Mother, and the mother always understands her children and consoles them in their troubles. Then, she has that specific mission to love us, received from Jesus on the Cross, to love us only and always, so as to save us! Mary consoles us above all by pointing out the Crucified One and Paradise to us!”

Today’s Collect: Father, as your Son was raised on the cross, His Mother Mary stood by Him, sharing His sufferings. May your Church be united with Christ in His suffering and death and so come to share in His rising to new life.
www.sjboc.org

Sep 14 – Glorious Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross!Today’s feast, The Exaltation of the Holy Cross, celebrates ...
09/14/2026

Sep 14 – Glorious Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross!
Today’s feast, The Exaltation of the Holy Cross, celebrates two historical events: the discovery of the True Cross by St Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine, in 320 under the temple of Venus in Jerusalem, and the dedication in 335 of the basilica and shrine built on Calvary by Constantine, which mark the site of the Crucifixion.

The basilica, named the Martyrium, and the shrine, named the Calvarium, were destroyed by the Persians in 614. The Church of the Holy sepulcher that now stands on the site was built by the crusaders in 1149.

However the feast, more than anything else, is a celebration and commemoration of God's greatest work: His salvific death on the Cross and His Resurrection, through which death was defeated and the doors to Heaven opened.

The entrance antiphon for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is: "We should glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, for he is our salvation, our life and our resurrection: through him we are saved and made free."

www.sjboc.org

Sep 13 – Blessed 24th Sunday in Ordinary TimeDo we always forgive others? This is today’s challenge from our readings. O...
09/13/2026

Sep 13 – Blessed 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Do we always forgive others? This is today’s challenge from our readings. Or do we forgive some who offend us and not others?

Each one of us must ask himself or herself. Am I a person who bears grudges? How do I deal with the person who harms me or hurts my feelings?

Only God can give us the grace to forgive all others, those who have harmed us in any way.
God calls us to complete forgiveness of others. God is so clear in today’s readings: if you do not forgive, how can you possibly ask forgiveness?

How do we treat those who harm us? In today’s Gospel Jesus gives us the story of the servant who could not pay his debt. None of us can repay our debt to the Lord. Should God then put us in prison? Instead, He forgives us our debts and asks us to forgive others.

All of us who have sinned can understand the debt we owe to the Lord. The more we see that debt, the more we can understand that we must forgive others.

Today, when we hear His voice, let us not harden our hearts. Instead, let us learn to forgive, even those things that seem unforgivable. It is God Himself who is inviting us to cleanse our souls and forgive all who have harmed us. Every time that we hold on to our anger and refuse forgiveness, we harm ourselves.

Let us live for God and live God’s forgiveness every day—from our hearts!
www.sjboc.org

09/12/2026

Fr. Matthias Gray, O.Praem., celebrant
www.sjboc.org

Sep 12 – Blessed Memorial of the Most Holy Name of MaryToday we celebrate the Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary. T...
09/12/2026

Sep 12 – Blessed Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary
Today we celebrate the Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary. This feast is the counterpart of the Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus.

Honoring the Holy Name of Mary as a feast was established c. 1513. It was removed during the reform of the General Roman Calendar in 1969 but restored by Pope St. John Paul II as an optional memorial in 2002.

It is of great importance that we honor Jesus and His Holy Name. Our main inspiration comes from St. Paul to the Philippians 2:9-11: “Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Reverence is also extended for the Blessed Virgin Mary and her name. The Catholic Encyclopedia explains that "we venerate the name of Mary because it belongs to her who is the Mother of God, the holiest of creatures, the Queen of heaven and earth, the Mother of Mercy . . . The feast commemorates all the privileges given to Mary by God and all the graces we have received through her intercession and mediation."

The Roman Missal includes directives to bow our heads in reverence at the names of Jesus, Mary, and the Saint of the Day when they are mentioned in the prayers of the liturgy.

In the 18th century the Divine Praises or Laudes Divinae were added to the prayers at Benediction, but can be prayed many times in reparation for the many abuses to the name of Jesus and Mary. Included in the litany, we proclaim, “Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother."
www.sjboc.org

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1015 Baker Street
Costa Mesa, CA
92626

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