November
12, 2006
Putting
Our Two Cents Worth
Blood
and Money
As I was writing about the widow in today’s gospel who gave all
she had to the temple, I wondered if I should dare ask for blood too.
Of course the answer is “yes”! We’re having our semi-annual
Blood Drive tomorrow (Monday, Nov 13th) from 4 to 9pm and because of
the people who give blood, hundreds of lives will be saved. Each pint
of blood can be used to help up to five people. When we read in the
paper that there are car accidents, and that people are shot, and when
we know our hospitals are seeking to heal many folks through operations,
we know that blood is needed. When I give a pint of blood, it’s
actually healthy for me (men have no natural way of getting rid of built
up iron--something that can adversely affect some organs). When I give
it’s spiritually healthy for me too -- I just gave my life for
others.
Away
at 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:
November 5: Our Youth, Our
Hope
October 29: A Dark and Stormy
Night
October 22: Washington Trip
October 15: Marriage Help
October 8: Fall Fix Up
October 1: Cut Off Week
Sept 24:War Begins At Home
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
In
the midst of all the spiritual works and charity works we do, I keep getting
reminded of the bills we have to pay. So it was with some trepidation
that I saw that in this Sunday’s gospel Jesus praised a woman for
putting in only two small coins into the collection. “Oh no!,”
I thought. “If everybody wants to get Jesus’ attention by
putting in only two coins (or two dollars), we’re sunk!”
My fears are assuaged of course
by the generosity of many parishioners. Over the past eight months, the
donations to our parish have actually increased by several thousand dollars
each week. A number of families have signed up for automated giving and
that provides a regular income to the parish. So I want to take a moment
to say “thank you” to those who regularly share with the parish
what God gives them.
On the other hand, I wonder if
today’s gospel would encourage folks to give more. Even though we’re
very careful with how we spend the donations, we still are facing large
bills. (For example, recent rains have revealed new roof leaks in several
buildings.) It turns out that Jesus didn’t praise the widow because
she gave two cents, but because she “from her poverty, has contributed
all she had, her whole livelihood.” Some people do that today --
one way is that they remember the parish in their wills. One widow in
our parish gives a generous block of stocks each year (she gets to write
off the donation, isn’t hit with capital gains taxes, etc. -- so
it’s win-win.) Recently a former parishioner who lives in Florida
received a large financial settlement and sent 10% of that to St. Brigid’s
for the continuation of our ministry here.
I wish the gospel told us more
about the widow. What kind of spirituality did she have that freed her
to give away the little she had? How did she come to trust God that much?
What happened to her next? We don’t know the rest of her story.
We’re here today grappling with the practical and spiritual questions
of our lives. I give a percentage of my salary back to the parish -- the
widow makes me think about whether I’ll choose to do more.
Are we giving from our substance
or giving God just leftovers?
