November
26, 2006
Looking
Ahead
Online
Masses
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, in this, click
here.
Convent
for rent
What would you do with an 18,000 square foot, three story, empty convent
building? For over a decade we’ve been renting it to Nassau County
for Police Department Offices. The police are scheduled to move out
in January, leaving us with an empty building and no one to rest it
to. The building goes for $250,000 a year in rent and it needs some
capital improvement for a new tenant. If we cannot find a new tenant,
I’m sure the neighbors won’t like a boarded up building
any more than we would and the parish loses this needed income. Please
pray for the right tenant!
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
19: Giving Thanks
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
The
season of Advent is a week away. And we get “cheated” out
of a week of Advent this year because the fourth Sunday of Advent is December
24th. We only have hours in that forth “week” of advent, not
days. So since Advent will come and go so quickly, let me offer a few
tips for getting the most out of the season:
(1) Do what’s
most important. God and the people in my life are what’s
most important. So even though I’m going to be shopping for presents,
decorating, writing cards, etc., I’m not going to let those things
dictate my life. I’m going to concentrate on what’s most important.
(2) Live unfulfilled
lives. Our lives are never going to be complete anyway,
until we rest in God someday. In the meantime, we’re tempted to
fill our restlessness with buying and eating/drinking. I recognize that
I can’t be totally fulfilled in this life so I’ll accept that
and work on giving my life to others as I live in expectation of Jesus
coming. (By the way, one reason I don’t turn on my Christmas lights
before Christmas is because it’s a reminder that while we wait for
Christ, we’re still in darkness, we’re still not fulfilled
--and waiting can be a very spiritual stance.)
(3) Come
to mass. The four Sundays of Advent (yes that includes
Christmas Eve morning!) form a journey of expectation that help us to
look at ourselves and our relationship with God more clearly. And if you
can make the time, come at least several times during the week to daily
mass to discover the quiet hope found in the beautiful readings of Advent.
Or come to one of the special services we’ll have during this season.
By next Sunday we hope you’ll receive our booklet with the Advent/Christmas
schedule. Read it through and pick something to come to as a way of deepening
your spirituality during this holy time.
(If you don’t receive one of these booklets in the mail, it might
mean that your family hasn’t completed the Census
we started a year ago. We’re now using the new census list as a
basis for our mailing. So one Advent thing to do is to fill in a Census
form. It’s what Joseph and Mary did their first Advent!)
