December
11th, 2005
Mary
for Us All
Thanks
for Life
A few weeks ago 79 people showed up to donate blood in our semi-annual
blood drive. Of those, 19 were deferred ( a pretty large number)
resulting in a collection of 60 pints of blood. Even with that, through
the generosity of St. Brigid's donors, we were able to help up to 240
people with the blood that was donated. Thanks to Bob and Gilda Harrison
and Bill and Mary Ann Havron for coordinating the drive.
Mark your calendars: The next St. Brigid's Blood Drive is scheduled
for May 15, 2006. (And for all those who were deferred - eat some raisins
and spinach and come on back as well!!)
Census
Continues
Of the approximate 6,000 families we usually send mail to, we’ve
received completed Census booklets from nearly 2,000. So we’ve
got a ways to go.
Is your booklet in?
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Past Columns:
Dec 4:Smoothing Rough Roads
Nov 27: Rending the Heavens
Nov 20: Gobble Gobble
Nov 13: Talents Galore
Nov 6: Our Census Has Begun
Oct 30:Get ready, set...
Oct 23: This Time For Real
Oct 9: Parishioners Don't
Read This
Oct 2: What would Jesus Sign?
Sept 25: New Pastor
Sept 18: Welcome Gonzalo
Sept 11: New Beginnings
Sept 4: Spreading the Faith
August 28:World Youth Day
Words
August 21: Dressing Up
August 14: Harsh
Words
August 7: Tiny Whispering
Sound
July 31: Welcoming Rob
July 24:Wedding Bells
July 17: Summer Weeding
July 10: Ministry to Seniors
July 3: The Painters are
Coming!
June 26: The Last 25%
June19: Sommer in the
Summer
June 12: Great News Anoying
News
June 5: What's Essential
May 29: Setting Priorities
May 22: Painting Project
May 15: We are the Church
May 8:Mother of the Church
May 1: On Life and Death
April 24: Habemus Papam
April 17: The Spirit Abounds
April 10: Two men on a journey
April 3: He's baaack!
March 27th: Not the best
news...yet
March 20th: What are You
Doing For Easter?
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
Last
Thursday we celebrated the Feast of the Immaculate Conception -- for our
nation, this is a Holy Day of Obligation, because as Catholic Christians,
we have dedicated our country to Mary and this is our special feast day.
But just to the south of us, Monday, December 12th is a Holy Day of Obligation
too. The country of Mexico celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
(and we celebrate it in our parish in a special way too with a procession
and special mass).
Missionaries who first came to
Mexico with the conquistadors had little success in the beginning. After
nearly a generation, only a few hundred native Mexicans had converted
to the Christian faith. Whether they simply did not understand what the
missionaries had to offer or whether they resented these people who made
them slaves, Christianity was not popular among the native people.
Then in 1531 miracles began to
happen. Mary appeared to a humble man, Juan Diego. The signs -- of the
roses, of the uncle miraculously cured of a deadly illness, and especially
of her beautiful image on Juan's mantle -- convinced the people there
was something to be considered in Christianity. Within a short time, six
million Native Mexicans had themselves baptized as Christians.
The first lesson is that God has
chosen Mary to lead us to Jesus. The native people of Mexico owe their
Christianity to her influence. If it were not for her, they would not
know her son, and so they are eternally grateful. The second lesson we
take from Mary herself. Mary appeared to Juan Diego not as a European
madonna but as a beautiful Aztec princess speaking to him in his own Aztec
language. If we want to help someone appreciate the gospel we bring, we
must appreciate the culture in which they live their lives. By understanding
them, we can help them to understand and know Christ. Our Lady of Guadalupe
is patron of the Americas. Mary is the mother of us all.
