November
19, 2006
Giving
Thanks
Thanks
for Giving
Among the things I give thanks for, are the over 100 people who came
out to the blood drive last week. 82 Pints were collected. Many lives
saved.
Thanksgiving
Psalm
If you’d like to make a thanksgiving psalm for your family’s
thanksgiving day meal, click
here. Different members of the family can make their own psalm and
share them at the time of grace before meals.
Online
Masses
A week ago we completed our first test of the Streaming Video capabilities
of the internet. We are now going to be able to stream masses and other
events live over the internet to homebound folks and to relatives who
live in other lands. If you’re interested in this, click
here.
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:
November12: Putting Our
Two Cents Worth
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
When reflecting on paintings of the first American
Thanksgiving (sorry, kids there were no DVD’s of the event back
then) it becomes obvious how uncomfortable the event must have been. I’m
not only talking about the lack of plumbing or heat. (Imagine having YOUR
thanksgiving outdoors in your back yard on a cold November Thursday.)
It was also uncomfortable because the coming together of Wampanogue and
Puritan cultures was not as warm and noble as the painters have portrayed.
Why should we think that the coming together of disparate cultures, the
joining of two communities with different languages and customs, would
be any easier than it is today? And yet, despite the uncomfortable meal,
a truly American icon was born.
Whether your ancestors came from Durazzano or Dublin,
Germany or Greece, Mexico or Africa, El Salvador or the Philippines --
they all eventually were embraced by this American feast of Thanksgiving
-- some had more pasta, some had more beans -- but all became infected
with this ideal of our society being a multi-cultural mix, united in Thanksgiving:
one people with different heritages, customs, accents and colors.
When we gather for mass this Thursday
at 9am, We’ll be
re-creating our own “Brigidian” version of the first thanksgiving.
Yes, it might be a bit uncomfortable for some, but that’s what makes
it so genuinely American! I’m looking forward to celebrating this
day with our whole parish family.
