March
20, 2005
Palm Sunday
What
are you doing for Easter?
The
Three Days
The
celebration of Easter begins with the three holiest days of the year:
Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday night. There’s lots
going on in our parish these days. So check out the schedule in this
bulletin. Some of the celebrations will be done in different languages
-- each language group having its own celebration. But Holy Thursday
night and Holy Saturday night are so much about us being one family
that we celebrate only one liturgy those nights. Is it easy to pray
in three or four languages? For some yes, for some, no. But it’s
more than worth the effort. God comes to us not only in words, but in
personal real presence. When we’re together as one in one place,
God is really in that act of unity.
A
Reminder
I almost forgot to mention the Easter Fund Collection. Please be generous
since we live off this collection til Christmas.
Catholic
Ministries Appeal
I’ve pledged. Have you?
You can pledge online here!
At
College?
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:
March 13th: The Stench
March 6: To Tell or Not
To Tell
February 27: Dry Mouth Dry
Soul
February 20: Good to Be
Here
February 13: And he was
hungry?
Ash Wednesday '05
February 6: Ashes Already?
January 23: Catholic Schools
Week
January 16: Continued Charity
January 9: Migration
January 2:All is bright?
Columns from 2004
Columns from 2003
Columns from 2002
We’re
used to hearing the question, “What are you doing for Lent?”
and we normally answer that with promises to give up, to do good, to pray
more. But since Lent is nearly over, we could take a moment to make a
plan for the fifty days of Easter.
After all, though Lent lasts a
mere 40 days, Easter stretches out to a great 50 days! Long after the
eggs are found and the bunnies are gone from the baskets, we’re
still “doing Easter” in our church and in our homes.
So....what are you doing for Easter?
If you need some ideas, consider these:
• Laugh more. Jesus
beat the devil and cheated death. That’s something to laugh about
in wonder and awe. What are you taking too seriously in your life that
needs some of God’s resurrection joy?
• Look for Jesus.
All the apostles and friends of Jesus went about their “regular
lives” after the resurrect and Jesus kept showing up and surprising
them. He’s looking for a way to be close to you too. So look for
him.
• Come to church.
I’m always impressed by how many people come to mass during Lent
(in some cases as if it was one of those Lenten chores). Then when Easter
comes, the church empties out.
Well this year, stay! Our glorious celebration of the resurrection of
the Lord is something to take part in Sunday after Sunday -- and even
during the week. If you’ve never celebrated the Eucharist throughout
the Easter Season, try it this year.
• Live like you believe in the resurrected
Jesus. The apostles discovered the forgiving, freeing,
feeding, healing love of God and then, filled with the Holy Spirit, went
out to share this with others.
Let’s do likewise.
The mystery of Easter starts this
Holy Thursday. Come join us!
You are Person
