Father Gregory Boyle Mass and Sharing
Villanova Preparatory High School
Ojai, California
9:30 am, Tuesday,October 2, 2018
What a glorious morning we all shared at Villanova and its beautiful campus surrounded by the Ojai Mountains in October. Father G, a Jesuit Priest in Los Angeles, and founder of Homeboy Industries, a gang intervention and employment ministry to the gangs of East LA, was in Ojai with two of his homeboys to have Mass and share, with many tears, his stories. The Homeboys both shared also, and their stories of their childhood home lives were very heart-wrenching. Father G's book, "Tattoos on the Heart,” is a classic and blessed José Espinoza, a resident of a nursing home in Ojai.
José was a former gang member with tattoos and author of "A Tale of Strength.” He asked the nursing home to schedule a bus for him to attend Father G's Mass and sign his book. José is older, age 64, and now disabled and in a wheelchair. Yet, his determination to meet Father G was moving. The two, Priest the same age as José, and former gang member José, met and talked. José received Holy Communion from him.
The gym was packed and filled with students of Villanova High School, and elementary school students also, parents, alumni, the community, and the school choir sang several songs. They ended with the song "Lean on Me." No one wanted to leave the Mass or the speech afterward, for God was mightily with us all, Catholics and Protestants alike...the sky was blue after the terrible rains, winds, fires, and mudslides of last December were behind us all, and we were all one in the Lord on this special day. "Lean on me when you're not strong, and I'll be your friend; I'll help you carry on, for it won't be long 'till I'm gonna need somebody to lean on. So just call on me brother when you need a hand, we all need somebody to lean on." The high school students sang beautifully.
"There is no force in the world better able to alter anything from its course than love." —Father Gregory Boyle
"God is just too busy loving us to have any time left for disappointment.”—Father Gregory Boyle
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