July
16, 2006
Got
a mission?
Farewell
to Father Wismick
For
the past half-year Fr Wismick Jean-Charles has been living and working
among us at St. Brigid’s. Fr.Wismick was assigned as Associate
Pastor at St. Brigid’s several years ago, then returned to Haiti
to lead Our Lady of Lourdes school. Each summer he has come back to
St. Brigid’s and was assigned temporarily to our parish a few
months ago. Now he has received a full time assignment as Associate
Pastor of St. Anne’s in Brentwood and we’re planning a farewell
celebration for him at the 2:30 Kreyol Mass on Sunday July 30th followed
by a reception on St. Brigid’s Green at 4pm. All invited!
Sommer
in the Summer
Each summer, I look for opportunities to get together with parish families
for conversation (and dessert). It works like this -- give me a call
(or e-mail me) with a possible date; invite friends and neighbors over
(around 12 is a good number); think of questions or topics you’d
like to discuss; make dessert.
This is a good way for me to hear what people are interested in or concerned
about and to get to meet them outside the church setting. You can reach
me via e-mail:
shepherd@saintbrigid.net
Welcome
Home
Many of our college students are home for the summer and we’re
happy to see them back at St. Brigid’s on the weekends. Congratulations
to all who successfully completed another semester and especially to
all who graduated Congratulations to all who are graduating from high
school too.
Census
Continues
Of the approximate 6,000 families we usually send mail to, we’ve
received completed Census booklets from over 4,000. So we’ve got
a ways to go.
Is your booklet in?
e-mail Father Ralph:
Past Columns:
July 9:Missing God
July 2: Jesus Interrupted
June 25: One Here, One to
Come
June 18: A Father's Gift
June 11: Charity Begins
At Home
June 4: Turning Silver
May 28: Eight Years •
Eight Months
May 21: If Any
May14: Celebrating Mothers
May 6: Celebrating Priests
April30: Baked Fish
April 23: What we hear
April 16: Out of the Tomb
April 9: Jesus, Our Source
of Peace
April 2: NOW, Can you Hear
Me?
Mar 26: Can You Hear Me
Again?
Mar 19: Can You Hear Me
Now?
Mar 12: Now Take 4Steps
March 5: Take A Step
Feb 26:Coming Home
Feb19: Visiting Heros
Feb 12: Passing Pastor
Feb 4: Annual Appeal
Jan 22: Abandoned Nets
Jan 15: Everlasting Life
Jan 8: I'm not going to
jail..
Jan 1: Happy New Year
Columns
from 2005
Columns
from 2004
Columns from
2003
Columns from 2002
Last
week we heard in the gospel, how the people of Jesus’ hometown put
no faith in him because they had known him as “the carpenter”
and couldn’t believe that a carpenter could be God (or God’s
messenger). There is a similar moment this week in the Old Testament reading
that we hear at mass (Amos 7: 12-15). It’s the story of a man named
Amos who is a “dresser of sycamores” -- that is, he prunes
trees for a living. Amaziah, the local priest, is upset with Amos because
he is starting to preach to the people a message from God. Amaziah can’t
believe that God would choose a gardener to be a prophet.
Amos replies that indeed he isn’t
from a family of prophets or from a social class of prophets -- no, God
just chose him to go and preach. This is not unlike today’s Gospel
(Mark 6: 7-13) where Jesus sends out the twelve apostles to preach and
heal. These were men with ordinary jobs -- fishermen, tax collectors,
etc. I don’t know who was more surprised at the success of their
mission: the local religious leaders or the apostles themselves.
If in ages past God has called
ordinary people with ordinary careers to bring a message of hope, healing
and peace into the world, shouldn’t we expect that God does the
same now? So do YOU have an ordinary job? Did you ever experience God
moving you to bring the good news of God’s love to others? Perhaps
you did and you knew it was God who was leading you. Perhaps you did,
but didn’t recognize God in the midst of what was happening. Today’s
readings help us reflect on our relationship with God to see how God calls
each of us to bring God’s good news to others.
I’m very blessed to be a
priest. I really am fulfilled as a person in bringing God’s presence
to people, especially through the sacraments. But there is no way a pastor
could minister alone without all the people who are called by God to give
something of their lives to build up God’s kingdom in this world.
I live with great gratitude for all that the people of St. Brigid’s
do for each other and beyond. And I expect that God will continue to lead
new people into an active life in our parish -- particularly you!
