August
13,2006
Mangia...
The
"Convent"
The old convent building on St. Brigid’s Lane has been home to
offices of the Nassau County Police Department for many years and our
parish has received over $200,000 a year in rent from Nassau County.
This is about to end. Due to consolidation of police department operations,
they will soon move from the convent.
This will not only leave us with an empty building, but with a significant
loss in income. We have had a few interested parties but no firm offers
yet. I mention this in case there is an appropriate entity which is
looking for the kind of space we’re offering. It’s critical
that we continue to rent this building since loss of income would leave
us with an annual debt that would involve either significant cuts in
programs or significant fund raising programs. Renting to a new tenant
makes a lot of sense..
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:
August 6: Mixed News
July 30: Impossibly Little
July 23: Come away!
July 16: Got a Mission?
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
Poor
Elijah! In today’s first scripture reading (1Kings 19:4-8) we hear
how he’s so tired from walking through the desert that he wants
to lie down in the shade and die. (Did you ever have a day like that?
-- the brutally hot weather of a few week ago would put us in Elijah’s
frame of mind).
Of course God has other plans for
Elijah. Elijah awakens and finds some water and cake and an angel who
basically says, “Mangia!” (East something!) Elijah does as
he’s told, and then we hear that famous line: “Strengthened
by that food, he walked forty days and nights to the mountain of God.”
While reading food packages in
the grocery store, I hadn’t come upon any food that would be THAT
energizing. That food from God certainly would be welcomed in my diet!
But wait -- we DO have a food from God. And that is food that IS God!
Every time we receive Jesus in
the Eucharist, we’re energized for another “forty miles.”
(As you may know, “forty” in the bible is a convenient reference
to “the right amount” -- you know, like it rained forty days
and forty nights...the Israelites wandered, forty years in the desert,
Jesus fasted for forty days, etc.) I don’t know yet what “forty
miles” I’m going to be called upon to walk this week ahead.
The visitor at the door, the phone call, the e-mail, the home visit, the
folks at masses...all of these moment when I listen to people and experience
something from their lives are part of a priest’s “forty miles”
and I know it’s Jesus’ presence in my life through the Scripture
and the Eucharist that strengthens me.
Maybe you know someone who is feeling
like Elijah this week. Maybe THEY could use some God-food. Maybe they
haven’t been to church in a while and are really very hungry for
the food we offer. Why not reach out and invite? One of the ways of doing
that is to listen to their story, to tell how being part of church helps
you be strengthened for your “forty miles” and invite them
to come along with you either next weekend, or even during the week. Invite
them to “mangia!”
