The Red Mass
Thursday, October 18, 2012

Photos

St. Thomas More Award Acceptace
by Recipient J. Dennis McQuaid

Thank you, Don Carroll, for your kind and generous introduction. I appreciate that you omitted mentioning lots of things you know about me; the revelation of which would have cast great doubts on the wisdom of my selection for this award!

Thank you Bishop McElroy for being the celebrant of the Red Mass this evening and for your comments and blessing of our meal. I am confident the bowed heads during the blessing were not due to people checking their smart phones for the Giants and 49’er scores!

Thank you to President Bob Zaletel and the members of the Society’s Board for the honor you have given me in choosing me to receive this year’s St. Thomas More Award.

When I look at the list of past award winners: an Archbishop and other outstanding members of the clergy, a Lieutenant Governor, Supreme Court and Appellate Court Justices, Judges and distinguished members of the Bar (like my introducer, Don Carroll), I am surprised and humbled to now be included on that list.

When I think about St. Thomas More in connection with the Award, I look for things in my life that could even faintly resemble aspects of the life of this incredible man.

He was a man of great learning which he demonstrated in his voluminous writings and which led to his selection by King Henry VIII and Cardinal Wolsey as the first layman to be the Lord Chancellor. He was a fervent believer and adherent to his faith in the Church, which of course led to his martyrdom when he chose loyalty to his Church over the demands of the King he otherwise served faithfully and well.

I cannot of course begin to be considered in the same realm as this great saint. So I searched further and discovered a few faint resemblances in our lives.

We both initially studied for the priesthood before choosing to serve the community as laymen.

We both became lawyers.

We both tried our hand at politics – his efforts resulted in great success but eventually martyrdom. Mine resulted in minor success before I was handed my head, so to speak, by the likes of John Burton and Barbara Boxer in my campaigns for Congress.

I did discover one interesting parallel in our lives. After his first wife died, Thomas More married again. So did I. I have always said that I have been blessed in my life to have married two fabulous women; and no, I did not find them in a binder!

But Thomas More was heard to comment that he never understood why his second wife did not find his attempts at humor to be funny. Now that I can identify with.

So obviously having difficulty justifying this award by comparing myself to the Saint for whom it is named, let me share with you some other thoughts I have as a result of my selection.

It is often said that a person is a product of his environment. In my case, I have been blessed all my life with incredibly supportive and sustaining environments, most of which are represented by you who are in this room tonight.

The first environment was and is my family. I was one of eight children of Jack & Helen McQuaid, both 3rd generation Northern Californians. We were raised in San Carlos. My parents were truly pillars of St. Charles Parish. They ran the annual parish carnival; then helped build the new church and school. I was in the first graduating class of St. Charles under the guiding hand of a great teacher, Sister Ann Maureen. My deceased wife, Barbara, was also a member of that class.

My father always went to the 7 am mass on Sunday because there was no sermon at that mass! My mother went to mass daily and made sure we knew she was praying for us. Lord knows her prayers were needed!

My family has always been there for me. My wife, Susan, my children John, Sheila & Michael along with my grandchildren, Ella, J.J., Mazie & Jana are here tonight. My daughter Christy and grandson Ryan are up in Oregon but here in spirit. I am so proud of my kids.

After grammar school, I entered the Seminary (to the great surprise of my parents and delight of my sisters!) and found the next great environment in my life. I spent over 9 years at St. Joseph’s and St. Patrick’s and formed friendships that continue to this day. I loved my years in the Seminary. One of the tables is filled with my Rhetoric Class of ’59 classmates, 3 of whom were con-celebrants of the Mass tonight. “Rhetoric” Class was so named because that year we had to give speeches in a class taught by a really tough professor, Father Charlie Dillon. If he were here right now, I fear what marks I would get.

After I left the Seminary, I was suddenly eligible for the draft so I entered the Air Force. While on active duty, I went to USF Law School and entered the legal community environment. I stayed in the Judge Advocate General’s department in the Reserves and worked with many outstanding lawyers all over the country during my 30 years of service. One of those lawyers, Ladd Bedford, joined my small Sonoma law firm 36 years ago and we have been colleagues and friends ever since. He is here tonight as are a number of my partners from Hanson Bridgett. I have been blessed to practice with these outstanding lawyers and am proud to be part of a firm that is so committed to public service and diversity. Proof of Hanson’s Bridgett’s commitment to diversity was shown when I was admitted to the partnership even though they knew I am a Republican! In fact, the St. Thomas More Society should be proud of honoring not 1 but 2 Republicans tonight as my good friend, Don Casper, whom was eulogized at the mass, was also a die-hard Republican! In San Francisco yet!

One of my colleagues and close friends has been my mentor as a lawyer for the past two decades. His name is Ted Kolb and he too is here tonight. Ted is a legend in the San Francisco legal world – a recipient of the 50 year award from the American Bar Association and Alumnus of the Year at USF Law School. Ted is still practicing full time as he has for the past 67 years. Ted, thanks for being here.

Another of the environments that have nurtured me has been my involvement in some terrific organizations over the years like the Seminary Alumni Association, Friends of Marin Center, Novato Human Needs Center and North Bay Children’s Center. A special place in my life has been the Family Club, an organization dedicated to music and the arts and good fellowship. Several tables are filled with great friends from the Family Club and I thank them as I do all of you for being here tonight.

Finally, I want to acknowledge the environment of my Catholic religion that has sustained and supported me all my life. My involvement with the St. Thomas More Society has been a special source of great discussions about moral issues critical to our lives. I have been in nurturing parishes in Marin and Sonoma. Two of my previous pastors were planning to be concelebrants at the mass tonight, but one of them, Monsignor Jim Tarantino, had to cancel late this afternoon. Father Ray Decker, now retired pastor of my parish in Bolinas, is here. These two priests are two of the best homilists you will ever hear.

I also had the privilege of serving on the Archdiocesan Finance Council with Bishop McElroy and Monsignor Harry Schlitt. Thank you Monsignor for joining us tonight.

There are two people here tonight who have contributed in special ways to my Catholic environment. Our homilist Father George Crespin has been a close friend since my Seminary days. He has become a part of our family performing all our weddings, funerals and baptisms. Susan and I just returned from a vacation in Europe with him. Father George was a pastor in Berkeley after serving as Chancellor and then Vicar General of the Diocese of Oakland under Bishop John Cummins. George is a priest who was ordained at the time of Vatican II and his priesthood has always reflected “ Gaudium et Spes” the Joy and Hope that was the liberating vision of the Second Vatican Council. He is one of the voices calling for dialogue in the Church to move things in a positive direction despite recent scandals and retrenchment from the spirit of Vatican II by some in the Church. His life has been dedicated to the poor and to reminding those in authority in the Church that the Church does not exist for its own sake but has a liberating mission of service to the world.

The second special person here tonight is a recent acquaintance of mine. I met Sister Sandra Schneiders when she gave a great talk at the St. Thomas More Society on the current role and to some extent the plight of Women Religious (aka the nuns) in the church of America today. Sister Sandra is a scholar and a theologian at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University. In August of this year, she was given the “leadership award” by the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. Her acceptance address was an unshrinking look at the struggle in the Church arising out of the Vatican’s investigation of Women Religious in the United States. Her focus in her talk was to view the current distress caused by the investigation in the context of the theology of Vatican II. Her talk is a “must read” for all of us who are concerned about the current struggles within the Church and are seeking clear direction. We are indeed honored to have Sister Sandra join us tonight.

In conclusion, I want to emphasize that this honor you have given to me tonight is really an honor that is recognition of the fact that I am a product of some wonderful environments –

My family …….my seminary years…….my law career, my community involvements and my life in the Catholic Community.

What all of us need to do as members of our families, as members of the legal profession or as members of the clergy, as citizens of a great country – is recognize that we are creating an environment for those who come behind us. I hope we can be as positive for them as all of my environments – all of you – have been for me. Thank you.

THE ANNUAL SAN FRANCISCO RED MASS
Sponsored By
THE ST. THOMAS MORE SOCIETY OF SAN FRANCISCO

Saints Peter and Paul Church
666 Filbert Street, San Francisco

Thursday, October 18, 2012
5:30 p.m.

Honoring The 2012 St. Thomas More Award Recipient
J. DENNIS MCQUAID
PARTNER, HANSON BRIDGETT LLP
(With a special tribute to Don Casper, former President of the STMS)

The Annual Banquet will follow the Red Mass
The San Francisco Italian Athletic Club
1630 Stockton Street, San Francisco
7:00 p.m.

J. DENNIS MCQUAID

J. Dennis McQuaid graduated from St. Joseph’s Seminary in 1959 and from St. Patrick’s Seminary in 1961 with a degree in Philosophy. After leaving the seminary in 1962, Mr. McQuaid enlisted in the United States Air Force, where he served both domestically and overseas.

While still in the Air Force, Dennis began his legal studies at the University of San Francisco School of Law, from which he graduated in 1970 and thereafter began his legal career as a Judge Advocate General officer. After leaving active duty in 1972, he continued to serve his country as a member of the Air Force Reserve, including as a Senior Member of the Judge Advocate General’s Department, where he concentrated on environmental and governmental contracts law before retiring as a Colonel in 1992.

Upon leaving the Air Force, Dennis embarked on a 40-year private legal career with an emphasis on real estate and land use practice. He is currently a partner at the law firm of Hanson Bridgett LLP in San Francisco.

Throughout his career, Dennis has served as leader of his local, national, and spiritual communities. From 1977-78 he was a Planning Commissioner for the City of Novato and was elected to the Novato City Council in 1983-87, serving as Mayor in 1984-85. In both 1980 and 1982 he ran as the Republican candidate for the United States Congress. Among his charitable and civic activities, Dennis has served as Chairman of the Lincoln Club of Northern California, President of the Ignacio Rotary Club, Trustee of The Air Force JAG School Foundation, President of the Family Club of San Francisco, and on the Boards of Directors of the World Trade Club, the Novato Human Needs Center, the Friends of Marin Center, and the Marin Symphony.

It is within the local Catholic community, however, that Dennis has most prominently served as both leader and servant. As a member of the Board of Directors of Catholic Social Services of Marin County from 1972 to 1978, he led the effort to establish The House at San Quentin, which to this day serves the needs of inmates’ visitors and families. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of the St. Joseph’s-St. Patrick’s Seminary Alumni Association since 1985, and he served as the group’s President in 1989-90. From 1998 to 2002, he served on the Finance Council of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, where he helped to develop the St. Mary’s Chinese Center in Chinatown. Dennis is a long-time member and former President of the St. Thomas More Society of San Francisco. He is an active member of St. Leo’s parish in Sonoma where he serves as a lector. Dennis and his wife Susan are the proud parents of four children, and doting grandparents of five grandchildren.

The Annual San Francisco Red Mass
Sponsored by The St. Thomas More Society

Bishop Robert McElroy and Msgr. John Talesfore with San Francisco Superior Court Judge Kathleen A. Kelly following the annual Red Mass for the legal profession at SS. Peter & Paul Church. Bishop McElroy presided and Msgr. Talesfore was the Homilist at Mass, during which the 2011 St. Thomas More Award was presented to Judge Kelly.

Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. with St. Thomas More Award Recipient Judge Kathleen A. Kelly and St. Thomas More Society President Adrian G. Driscoll at the San Francisco Italian Athletic Club for the annual Red Mass banquet. The sold-out banquet was attended by Bishop Robert McElroy and many members of the Clergy, Justices of the Court of Appeal, Superior Court Judges, and distinguished Bay Area lawyers.

Saints Peter and Paul Church
666 Filbert Street
San Francisco

Thursday, October 27, 2011
5:30 p.m.

Honoring the 2011 St. Thomas More Award Recipient
The Honorable Kathleen A. Kelly
Judge of the San Francisco Superior Court

The Most Reverend Robert W. McElroy
Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco
will be the Principal Celebrant of the Red Mass

The Annual Banquet followed the Red Mass at
The San Francisco Italian Athletic Club
1630 Stockton Street
San Francisco
7:00 p.m.

Remarks by The Honorable Kathleen A. Kelly, Judge of the San Francisco Superior Court, Recipient of the 2011 St. Thomas More Award

I would like to extend my Deepest thanks to the St. Thomas More Society for this great honor. I particularly wish to thank: Society President Adrian Driscoll, Vice President Bob Zaletel, Judge Suzanne Bolanos, Tippy Mazzucco, Tim Crudo, Isabel Ord, John Ring and St.Ignatius College Prep, Joanne Desmond and FX Crowley for all their time and effort organizing this beautiful event.

I would also like to recognize all my judicial colleagues, for your presence and support, not just tonight but each day, as you dispense justice in a society so in need of your thoughtful, fair and courageous work.

Washington, DC may boast that the U.S. Supreme Court attends their Red Mass, but how fortunate are we to have both Monsignor John Talesfore and our one of a kind Governor Jerry Brown with us here tonight!

. . . (Thank you/recognition of Kevin Holl, and family members….)

As I look around this room, it is striking the number of dedicated leaders who give back immeasurably to causes ranging from ICA to AA. Our community is better for your extraordinary work and --as we St. Cecilia grads were taught to say-- You are all the “finest, the greatest and the best!”

St. Thomas More, inspires us, especially in difficult times, to strive to be courageous and just.

No matter your faith, St. Thomas is a model for doing what is right, no matter the personal cost. While Thomas More had the distinction of serving in the King’s Court, for me, as both a lawyer and judge, I feel most privileged and indeed blessed to have served in the Juvenile Court.

In this time of economic crisis, our court is being significantly impacted and sadly, the children who appear in our juvenile courts are often forgotten. This is a time, when we should all aspire to live up St. Thomas’ model of integrity and take courageous action for those who may have no voice.

During my many years at Youth Guidance Center, I have seen unspeakable suffering and pain, yet

At the same time, I have also been witness to remarkable acts of courage, indeed miracles, that unfold without fanfare or even a mention, in the juvenile court every day.

In this place, I have seen extraordinary acts of mercy, such as when a father whose daughter was killed by a stray bullet came to the sentencing of the young shooter and spoke of compassion. Despite his own anguish, he comforted the boy by saying his family had forgiven him for his daughter’s tragic death.

I met a young man who was involved in a very serious case; his life was spiraling down. He had given up on school and even more, yet with the help of the amazing Juvenile Re-entry Team, present here tonight, he went on to complete a rigorous program and is now in college. As his probation was about to end, his mother cried with gratitude at his remarkable success.

I have seen the sad eyes of a young girl all alone in court, with no family or other support, and then seen her smiling face months later when, with the help of her probation officer and Catholic Charities, she was all dressed up receiving an award for her efforts in school and in her group home.

I have seen children confined in juvenile hall give thanks at Thanksgiving for being alive and on Christmas for the simple gift of a gingerbread cookie.

For- it is in the Juvenile Court, where true saints exist among us today. I am grateful beyond measure in particular to Sister Janet Harris and Jack Jacqua both of whom are with us tonight. Sister Janet, has worked miracles through her juvenile jail writing program (the inspiration for the local program known as The Beat Within). And I don’t know where our City would be without Jack Jacqua, co founder of the Omega Boys club, who spends every day, holidays and late nights in our jails, with our kids, dispensing the firm commitment and love of a father figure to young men who are so grateful for his prayers and support.

It gives me hope, as well, that the next generation is coming forward, through innovation and collaboration to lead the nation in cutting edge efforts to give youth and their families the support they need to succeed: Becky Marcus, Danny Reyes, Marci Sandoval, and Elizabeth Fairbanks, you never give up and your courageous work inspires me every day.

As I close, I would like to share a portion (excerpt) of a prayer by Ina J. Hughes:

…Let us pray:

For children who bring us sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions,
Who hug us in a hurry and forget their lunch money…
And we pray for those who have no safe blanket to drag behind them,
Who watch their parents watch them die,
Whose pictures are not on anyone’s dresser, whose monsters are real.
…We pray for children who don’t like to be kissed in front of the carpool, whose tears we sometimes laugh at and whose smiles can make us cry.
…And we pray for those whose nightmares come in the daytime,
who aren’t spoiled by anybody, who cry themselves to sleep.
We pray for children who want to be carried and for those who must,
For those we never give up on and for those who don’t get a second chance.
For those we smother and for those who will grab the hand of anybody kind enough to offer it.

I thank you for this great honor and pray that we remember the children in our community who need us most.

October 21, 2010: Annual Red Mass and Dinner was held at the beautiful Church of Notre Dame des Victoires on Bush Street. The principal celebrant was Auxiliary Bishop William Justice. The homily was given by Father Tony Sauer, S.J.
Read: Homily given by Father Tony Sauer, S.J. >

The recipient of the St. Thomas More Award was the former President of the St. Thomas More Society and one of our most inspirational leaders: Hugh Donohoe.
Please note the citation he received >

The Red Mass was followed by a no-host cocktail reception and dinner at the Family Club at the corner of Bush and Powell Streets, just one block from the Church.

Remarks by Hugh A. Donohoe of this year's St. Thomas More Award honoree >

August 8, 2010: During the American Bar Association convention held in San Francisco, we are sponsored a special Red Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral at the 9 a.m. Sunday Mass. The celebrant was Auxiliary Bishop William Justice. The Cathedral choir sang traditional Gregorian Chants. After the Mass, our Society hosted a reception in the meeting rooms below the Cathedral.

2009 St. Thomas More Award Recipient -
FIRST DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL JUSTICE ROBERT L. DONDERO
Thursday, October 22, 2009

New: Read Justice Dondero's Remarks >>
New: Read Archbishop Niederauer's Red Mass Homily >>

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St. Thomas More Society of San Francisco is pleased to announce that the Robert L. Dondero, First District Court of Appeal Justice, was the 2009 recipient of the Saint Thomas More Award.

The award was bestowed upon Justice Dondero on October 22, 2009 during the Red Mass at Saints Peter and Paul's Church. Our annual banquet was followed at the Italian American Athletic Club.

We are very pleased to announce that Archbishop Niederauer celebrated the Mass and deliver the homily.

St. Thomas More Society of San Francisco sponsors the annual Red Mass and dinner, at which the Society presents the St. Thomas More Award to one who exemplifies the ideals of service and sacrifice in the pursuit of justice so conspicuously reflected in the life and death of St. Thomas More. The Red Mass continues a tradition begun by English barristers and judges in the 13th century of offering prayers to the Holy Spirit that all men and women in the legal profession, the judiciary and the public life be blessed with wisdom and understanding. Red vestments are traditionally worn at the Mass to commemorate the scarlet robes of the Lord High Justices.

Justice Dondero's Remarks:

Thanks to the following persons for this event: Gregory Schopf, Dennis McQuaid, Members of the Board of Directors of St. Thomas More Society who selected me, Father Charles Gagan for his remarks, Wife & Daughters for their support ----You have to always thank your family for their support.

I first learned I had been selected for the award on June 8, 2009. I had just returned from a vacation in Hawaii with my wife and I was at the Courthouse at 400 Mc Allister reviewing materials that had accumulated while away. I received in the morning a call from Greg Schopf, president of the St. Thomas More Society, telling me that I had been selected to receive the award at the Red Mass. I was quite surprised by the notice, asking Greg was the organization sure they wanted to give it to me. He indicated he was very sure and we discussed the details for this Red Mass. A couple of hours later, oddly enough, I received a phone call from the Governor’s office, and the Appointment Secretary, Sharon Majors-Lewis. She advised me in the strictest confidence that the Governor was going to elevate me to the Court of Appeal. Hence in the span of a few hours on the same day, I realized the experience of the Biblical admonition, render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s. Needless to say, I could have bounced home that evening.

Each honor was a most humbling experience. I, however, want to focus on the first honor tonight--- the St. Thomas More Award. In all candor, I can say I am most surprised and shocked by this honor. I am so awed because it is named in honor of a man who was martyred for his beliefs. I have seen on stage the presentation of A Man for All Seasons and viewed the film starring Paul Schoefield. I am awed by this giant. He was a man much more religious than me; he even studied for the priesthood before he decided he could do more as a lay person. He wrote Utopia, studied with Erasmus, was a respected lawyer, colleague of Wolsey and Henry VIII, eventually became the Lord Chancellor of England---indeed the first layman to serve as the Lord Chancellor. Also, the man was named the patron saint of politicians by Pope John Paul II. And because of his successes as a lawyer and his strength as a spiritual person, he is today honored in major cities of this nation at Red Masses annually.

That is not me and it is probably not any person in this room.

When you receive an award like this and reflect on the life of its inspiration-----you need to ask yourself the question: What is it about Thomas More that allows you---the recipient---to at least attempt to share in such an honor. You think about this question and even meditate on it for answer.

Sainthood is hardly the answer---at least for me. Martyrdom is not an option I wish to consider at the moment. Any evaluation of this issue needs to be assessed----at least for most of us-----according to Shakespeare’s admonition in Julius Caesar: “The fault dear Brutus is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings.” We are mortals, subject to humanness and therefore, error.

Yet there is at least one feature of our humanity that can be developed to make us like Thomas More----and that is the matter of conscience. We are all human and therefore we all have one.

Pope Paul VI described conscience as the “most secret core and sanctuary of a man. Where he is alone with God, Whose voice echoes in a person’s depths.”

More was obsessed with being true to his conscience. Being conscientious---true to his moral code-----was in the forefront of his life especially as he faced Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell over the issue of the Act of Supremacy. Thomas More’s prison letters in the last year of his life contain serious reflection on being conscientious----honoring his beloved family obligations, his king as the national leader, and of course, his God.

We also live our lives as conscientious, motivated people. Call it a moral compass or a rooted spirituality----by reflecting on values-----core values of our lives and applying them daily to our conduct-----our conscience becomes as Father Robert Araujo Society of Jesus noted, “well formed.” The well formed conscience will separate and indeed elevate us, from the selfish and narcissist who thinks only about personal gain or attention. I believe a well formed or nobler conscience will allow me to judge fairer, follow the meaning of the law more diligently, and of course exercise compassion within the legal framework. To you in this group who practice law in all arenas, you will be able to strike, as advocates, fair but not foul blows as you litigate or make decisions in your legal practice. To those who are involved in fund raising or charitable activity, or in the area of finance or the corporate world, the well formed conscience essentially reflects the golden rule---do unto others as you would have others do unto you.

Receiving this award reaffirms the need for me to be reflective of my core values and spiritual personality. Complacency and the moment can present distractions, but your recognition tonight and reflecting on this award brings me back and renews the focus. Thank you very much.

Archbishop Niederauer's Red Mass Homily

For the twenty years or so, we have heard the word “values” very often in public life: family values; national values; traditional values. Values are claimed by both political parties and all candidates, on each side in every political issue.

What are values? Briefly, values are judgments and beliefs about what matters and what does about what matters more than something else. We make assumptions about our lives and then we make choices based on those assumptions. Those assumptions embody our values and our choices express them.

Jesus Christ was in favor of values even before the Republicans and Democrats discovered them. Today’s gospel reading, from Matthew, contains the opening sentences of Jesus’s famous Sermon on the Mount. This passage is called the “Beatitudes”, because in these sentences Jesus declares who in this world he considers beatus or blessed--happy. This is where Jesus announces the values of the kingdom of God which he has come to proclaim and establish. The Beatitudes are the platform for his public ministry and for his work of redeeming us and making us his own people, now and forever.

The Beatitudes are not new laws. They are new ways of living beyond mere human laws. They are values for kingdom living. If we take these Beatitude values seriously in our daily lives, we will find that they not only fly in the face of conventional wisdom, they blow that wisdom apart! These values turn human expectation upside down and inside out: blessed are the poor, the meek, the sorrowing, the persecuted? Our world commonly assumes that fulfillment comes mainly through earthly goods.

Years ago, when I was teaching in the seminary, I was asked to give a talk about these Beatitudes to future priests. In preparation, I asked myself what the beatitudes meant to me? I also asked whether they were the only values or beatitudes I had ever heard of as I grew up in a middle¬ class Catholic neighborhood in the 1950s. No, they were not. Alongside these Scriptural beatitudes, I had heard other “beatitudes” in the world around me. So with apologies to Matthew, Chapter 5, and Luke, Chapter 6, these are some of those worldly Beatitudes I remember hearing in the air around me:

Let’s be fair: most of those values are not sinful, they just aren’t good ultimate values, and when they try to pass as ultimate, they sound narrow and shallow.

The Beatitude wisdom of Jesus contradicts what we might call “natural cleverness.” You know the kind of cleverness I mean: When someone starts a sentence by saying, “Now several years ago, if I had been really smart, I would have…” How do you expect that sentence to end” “I would have sold all my dot-com stocks” Or, “I would have bought that house across the street real cheap when those people had to see so fast.” That’s natural cleverness. You don’t usually expect to say “Now last year, if I had been really smart, I would have: made a weekend retreat; set aside some time for prayer each day; volunteered to serve meals to the homeless center one day each month; cleaned out my closet and sent things I never wear to the St. Vincent de Paul Society for the needy.” We don’t usually talk that that. Alas, too often we don’t think like that either.

Compared to natural cleverness, the values of Jesus can seem wimpish, even foolish. That’s why our second reading is so important: St. Paul writes to the Corinthians, saying that Christians are not wise, influential or well-born in a worldly sense; that we often seem weak and foolish, compared to the strong and clever ones of this world. But, Paul says, God has chosen the weak and foolish to “show up” the strong and clever ones, and God our Father has given us his Son, Jesus Christ, to be our wisdom and justice and holiness and salvation, so that we can do no boasting before God, only in God.

We’ve had fair warning: these beatitudes of Jesus will not make us rich or famous or powerful or envied, or even comfy – they will make us God’s children and give us a share in his life forever. Are we still interested?

Before we answer, let’s take a close look at the meaning of some of Christ’s Beatitudes.

“How blest are the poor in spirit: the reign of God is theirs”--while the rich in spirit want abundance, control and authority, the poor know they need everything from God.

“Blest too are the sorrowing; they shall be consoled.” We maximize pleasure and most of all avoid pain and suffering. Suffering is not to be sought, but neither is it to be avoided at all costs, particularly the costs of becoming fully human (“without a hurt the heart is hollow”) [Laurie sings here] of being open to others’ suffering and joy; of experiencing the kind of vulnerability which caring and loving lead to; of sharing the Cross of Christ.

“Blest are the lowly; they shall inherit the land.” We bristle at being overlooked, passed by, neglected, unappreciated. “We’re NO.1!” The lowly aren’t grovelers, but they inherit the land because they know they don’t own it; they don’t grasp and hoard; they share and are generous.

“Blest are they who hunger and thirst for holiness; they shall have their fill.” We are called to a passion for life in Christ; a craving for goodness. Not “Lord, you know what I really want next” but “Lord, help me know what you want next” - for me, from me.

“Blest are the peace-makers, for they shall be called sons of God.” We scorn do¬-gooders and bleeding hearts, but Jesus was one, IS one, and he will judge us. Face head on the difficulties of building solid, trusting relationships between people, with people.

“Blest are those persecuted for holiness’ sake; the reign of God is theirs.” Living the beatitudes COSTS – we will seem “fools” - it will be embarrassing; we will not always win or finish first; Jesus was persecuted and considered a fool right up until the moment when he entered into glory. Those are his values. He proclaims them to us. Now it’s our move. And tomorrow and the day after, and all our lives, it will always be our move - and He will always be there - as he is here--to urge us on, to pick us up when we fall to nourish and strengthen us, forgive and console us - be with us and within us—but in the value we live by, it is our choice, it is our move.

BEATITUDES (To be contrasted with Mt. 5: 3-12 and Lk. 6:20-26)

Blessed are those who own their own home;

Blessed are those who have a car, a stereo, and a hair dryer;

Blessed are those who go to college;

Blessed are those who can write their own ticket, are self:-employed, keep getting better jobs, promotions, or more money;

Blessed are those who live on clean, well-lighted, safe streets;

Blessed are those who know the right people, have reservations, make wise investments, can afford nice vacations;

Blessed are the winners;

Blessed are those who are charming, clever, witty, and can handle people well;

Blessed are those who live in a place where, the movies are first-run, and change weekly;

Blessed are those who get waited on by others in a store, and don’t have to wait on others themselves;

Blessed are those who can demand and get respect for who they are, for what they say and do;

Blessed are those with a high standard of living and a strong national defense;

Blessed are the young, the strong, the healthy, and especially those who are sexually attractive to one another;

Blessed are hospital patients only if they have a private room or if necessary, a semi-private room, but in no case a bed in a ward;

Woe to renters, immigrants, the unemployed, drifters, oddballs, the sick, the elderly, and people who talk to themselves out loud on the bus- - avoid them like the plague, because losing is catching!

2008 St. Thomas More Award Recipient - THE HONORABLE MING W. CHIN

Thursday, October 23, 2008
5:30 pm - Red Mass
7:00 pm - Dinner

St. Thomas More Society of San Francisco is pleased to announce that the Honorable Ming W. Chin, Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court, will be the 2008 recipient of the Saint Thomas More Award.

The award will be bestowed upon Justice Chin on October 23, 2008 during the Red Mass at Saints Peter and Paul's Church. Our annual banquet will be followed at the Italian American Athletic Club.

St. Thomas More Society of San Francisco sponsors the annual Red Mass and dinner, at which the Society presents the St. Thomas More Award to one who exemplifies the ideals of service and sacrifice in the pursuit of justice so conspicuously reflected in the life and death of St. Thomas More. The Red Mass continues a tradition begun by English barristers and judges in the 13th century of offering prayers to the Holy Spirit that all men and women in the legal profession, the judiciary and the public life be blessed with wisdom and understanding. Red vestments are traditionally worn at the Mass to commemorate the scarlet robes of the Lord High Justices.

2007 St. Thomas More Award Recipient - THE HONORABLE CARLOS T. BEA

October 18, 2007 - 70th Anniversary Red Mass Dinner Celebration Honoree Judge Carlos T. Bea and Archbishop George H. Niederauer, Ph.D.
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The Red Mass Awardees