September 21, 2003
The Children will lead us
Be
like Jesus: Do Carpentry
We’re looking for some volunteer carpentry help for a few small
projects around our parish buildings. Do you have the time and skill
to share with us? Give Father Ralph a call (or e-mail him) if you can
help.
Becoming
A Catechist
Can you recall the person in your parish (when you were growing up)
who taught you the most about God? Beyond your parents or grandparents,
there might have been a wonderful religion teacher who shared his/her
faith with you. You can be this person for another generation. In our
Religious Education Program, in our Youth Ministry program for teens,
there is an opportunity to pass on our faith to our young people. There
are still some openings for this year ahead -- in fact some children
will be without catechists unless a few more people feel God’s
“tug” to get involved in this ministry.
If you are feeling God’s call to be a catechist this year, call
the Religious Education Office for more info.
(516) 333-9434
Off to College?
Hundreds of our parishioners headed off to college -- either for the
first time or as returning students. At St. Brigid’s we like to
stay in touch through
e-mail “letters from home.”
Once a person has an e-mail address at school (or if he/she uses a personal
address), please let us know what it is so we can include them when
we write.
Here's a handy college link so you
can send this info online.
e-mail Father Ralph:
Past Columns:
Sept 14: Triumph of
the Cross
Sept 7: Nine-eleven: Two
Years Later
August 31: Where the
Summer went
August 24: Lessons from
the Blackout
August 17: Here and
There
August 10: Surrender
August 3: Reaping Rewards
July 27: What's your
mission?
July 20: From a Deserted
Place
July 13: Nothing for the
Journey
July 6: God at Home
June 29: Going in Stages
June 22: Sommer in the Summer
June 15: Our Newest Priest
Ordained
June 8: The Feast of Pentecost
June 1: Beyond First Communion
May 24: Felicidades Manuel
May 18: Twenty Years Later
May 11: Bows for Peace
May 4: Upcoming Ordinations
April 27: One Heart One
Mind
April 20: Amazingly Graced
Days
April 13: Ashes to Palms
April 6:
God Embedded
March 30:
Pastoral Visits
March 23:
Turning Tables
March
16: Transfiguring Imagination
March
9: Beasts and Angels
March 2:
Lent and Imagination
Feb 23: Sorrow
Far and Wide
Feb 16: Saints
Feb 9: Columbia Lessons
Feb2: Giving At A Difficult
Time
Jan 26: Penny Power
& Catholic Schools
Jan19: Yet Another
Year
Jan 12: Stealing Jesus
Jan5: The Wise Still Come
From Afar
Columns from 2002
As we celebrate Catechetical Sunday -- celebrating
the church’s mission to teach everyone (children and adults) about
the Good News of Jesus -- we pay close attention to Jesus in today’s
gospel. He is listening to his apostles arguing over who of them is the
greatest and in response he takes a child, puts his arms around the child
and invites his apostles to receive the child with love. If you do that,
he says, you receive me.
You and I aren’t surprised by this,
but the apostles were. In the society of the time, people didn't bond
emotionally with their own children the way we do today. So many, many
children died at a young age that to become too attached would hurt too
much. Often mothers would bear children every nine months during their
lives so they found themselves perpetually pregnant and constantly working
to survive these pregnancies and to help their children survive poor health
conditions. Children in that society were often seen as “another
mouth to feed” and the society didn’t place great value on children
until they were able to be productive -- helping with the farming or other
tasks.
So Jesus surprises the apostles by embracing
the child as a sign of God’s value for every person no matter how
young, how fragile, how needy. The followers of Jesus then go against
the culture of their day by valuing children in a new way.
Today we too go against culture in how we raise our children. The busy
and fragmented society around us says “Why bother to go to church
with your children? Just send them to religion class so they can get some
sacraments. Life’s too busy to get really serious about God. After
all, what has God done for us lately? We’re living in terrorist times
so live for today and we’ll catch up with God some other time.”
But as members of St. Brigid’s parish
we love God and our children very much. We have so many opportunities
for our children and families to get to know God’s love, protection,
challenge and peace whether it’s at our Family Mass (10am) the 10:15
mass with the Youth Choir, the 6pm Rock Mass -- actually as you know we
welcome kids and families to all masses here. Families take the time each
week to let Jesus embrace their children and their parents at mass. It’s
a great experience to be blessed in such a way for the week ahead. Yes,
it goes against culture, but that doesn’t stop us. The love for our
children leads us to pray together.
You are Person
