May
13, 2007
Loving
Our Mothers
Prayers
for Father Augustine
Father Augustine will be joining us for the summer again this year.
We expect him to arrive at the end of June. He just got word that his
mother is gravely ill so he is headed home from Rome to India to be
with his family. Please keep them in your prayers.
Father
John Returns
Father John is returning from his three-month sabbatical this coming
week. Strike up the band! Bake a cake! And if you haven’t had
a chance to see his blog from his sabbatical, be sure to check it out
online here
There WILL be a quiz!
Save
the Dates
Father Jim Hannon celebrates his 50th Anniversary on Sunday, June 10th
at the 11:30am Mass. Refreshments to follow.
Father Cine will finish his term at St.Brigid’s at the end of
June. Celebrate his ministry the evening of June 24th. Details to follow.
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.
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.
e-mail Father Ralph:
Past Columns:
May 6: About Father George
April 29: Hearing Voices
April 22:Three Stones
April 15: What a week!
April 8: Alleluia! Alleluia!
April 1: Holy Week
March 25: Climate Change
March 18: Take A Step
March 11: Cold Enough for
You?
March 4:Stocking the Shelves
Feb 25: Basket Case
Feb18: Ashes and Desert
Dust
Feb11: Get Ready, Get Set,
REST!
Feb.4: Lent Lurking
Jan.28:Catholic Schools
Week
Jan.21:Crying in Church
Jan.14: Love ahead
Jan.7:
So How Was Your Christmas?
Columns
from 2005
Columns
from 2004
Columns from
2003
Columns from 2002
It’s
Mother’s Day in America today and we remember all our mothers who
have gone to God and ask the Lord to bless them with eternal joy. We also
celebrate with our mothers who are still with us and ask God’s blessings
on them on this special day.
There is the annual question of
“what to give your mother on Mother’s Day?” And while
the TV commercials suggest that a diamond would do, if you ask mothers
what they’d like, often the answer is about love and the happiness
of their children.
“I want my children to love
each other the way I’ve loved them.” or, “I want my
family to be at peace with each other.” or “I want my children
to carry on the love I taught them after I’m gone.”
Oh wait! That’s what Jesus
says in today’s Gospel! (John 14:23-29). Jesus knows he will be
returning to the Father in heaven, so he tells his disciples his desire
that they love each other the way he’s loved them; that they should
live in his peace; that they should carry on his work -- guided by the
Holy Spirit -- after he’s gone.
So loving our mothers and loving
Jesus brings us to the same outcome. What makes our mothers happy and
what makes Jesus happy are the same things. Thus one of the best ways
to celebrate Mother’s Day is to celebrate Easter, this fifty-day
feast of new life which Jesus gives us.
If there is anything in our lives
that alienates us from our sisters and brothers, now is the time to ask
Jesus for the new life that reconciles. If there is anything that is not
of peace, now is the time to ask Jesus to send the Holy Spirit of peace
into our daily lives. If we’ve been holding back in doing what Jesus
wants us to do with our lives, now is the time to live the way we were
meant to live.
Our mothers would be so happy.
May God bless all the mothers in our parish!
