September
24,2006
War
begins at home
Office
Safety
Over the past two months we’ve had several burglaries overnight
at the parish center. We have put in some new security procedures to
address this. One concern is that some visitors to the parish center
enter the inner rooms without first notifying the receptionist that
they are in the building. We still want to be as welcoming as ever,
but we’re asking all those who visit to please check in with the
receptionist before entering the inner hallways and offices. If you
have an appointment with a staff member, he or she will meet you in
the front office when you arrive.
When visiting the office, you’ll notice the beautiful new desktop
on the main desk. Many thanks to Francesco Marasco who fabricated and
donated the new desktop. We appreciate his generosity.
Off
to College?
Are you or your child away at college? At St. Brigid’s we like
to stay in touch via occasional e-mails as we send photos and news from
“home”. College students wishing to be connected through
our “Letters from home” can sign up online here
or you can mail or
e-mail thecollege names and e-mail addresses to Father Ralph and he’ll
put them on the list.
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:
Sept 17: Who Do You Think
You Are?
Sept
10:God Be With You
Sept 3: Back to
School
August 27: Merry Christmas
August 20: Wine or No Wine
August 13: Mangia...
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
“Charity
begins at home,” the saying goes, but so too does war. The scriptures
for this Sunday are so full of violence -- the Book of Wisdom speaks of
torture and death; the letter of James talks of fighting and war; Jesus
tells his disciples that he is going to be put to death. I would much
rather come to church this week with something cheerier.
Yet there is so much happening
in our world that threatens peace -- the loss of lives in Sudan through
starvation and war, ongoing torture, death and destruction in Iraq, resurgence
of the the Taliban in Afghanistan, the aftermath of the Israeli-Lebanese
war, Iran’s threats...nothing cheery here.
The power of the Word of God each
week is that it brings us beyond our own borders into the world that our
sisters and brothers inhabit. Our response to the Word is both outward
and inward -- outward in that we pray for those whose lives are threatened
by violence and destruction, and we look for ways to help economically
and politically. But there is a call to look inward too. War does begin
“at home.” The letter of James asks, “Where do the wars
and where do the conflicts among you come from? Is it not from your passions
that make war within your members?” We’re challenged to listen
to ourselves speak. In what ways do we express our feelings toward those
who are different from us? Do our family members see in us the kind of
wisdom that James describes as “peaceable, gentle, compliant, full
of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity?” When
we fight among ourselves and speak negatively about others, we teach our
children that this is acceptable and we sow seeds of discord in another
generation.
After reading today’s scripture
passages, it seems quite sad that even after 2000 years of the knowing
Jesus, the“Prince of Peace”, as a human race we’re still
little better off than people were two millennia ago. Let there be peace
on earth and let it begin with us. Now the time to begin again in any
way we can in our own homes, church and community. May God help us in
this and may we be open to God’s help.
