November 4,
2007
Stopping
in Jericho
Voting
Some think this isn’t the “big year”
for elections because we’re not electing a president. Yet, the
local elections can often have more effect on our lives than the national
ones. We are responsible to be faithful citizens and vote. Here’s
a quote from a document on Faithful Citizenship written by our National
Council of Bishops:
“The coming elections provide important opportunities to bring
together our principles, experience, and community in effective public
witness. As Catholics we need to share our values, raise our voices,
and use our votes to shape a society that protects human life, promotes
family life, pursues social justice, and practices solidarity”
Be sure to take some time between now and election day to examine the
candidates and issues. Then be sure to vote.
Are
you in College?
Please
subscribe to our occasional "letters from home" service and
receive news of interet from St. Brigid.
Signup online here.
Online Masses
We are now 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.
e-mail Father Ralph:
Past Columns:
October 28: Heroes, Saints
& Souls
October 21:How Fast is God?
October 14: Who says thank
you?
October 7: Sacrament of
Charity
September 30: This Old Gazebo
September 23: Missing Sheep
September 16: Speaking English
September 9: He's baaaack!
August 26: The Narrow Gate
August
19: Comings & Goings
August 12: Mass Schedule
Change
August 5: Better Late Than
Never
July 29: Sunday in the Chapel
July 15: Celebrating Kelly
July
8: I'm so not dead yet
July 1: Worse than Raccoons
June 24:Sommertime
June 17: Celebrating
Fr Cine
June 10: When Nature Turns
June 4:Celebrating Father
Jim
May 27: Praying in Tongues
May 20: Making (up) the
difference
May 13: Loving our Mothers
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
clear from the start of today’s Gospel (Luke 19:1-10) that Jesus
had no intention of staying for dinner in Jericho. But when he sees the
man in the tree (Zacchaeus), his original plans are put aside. Zacchaeus
too probably has plans -- like extort more money from people, have his
tax collectors kick back more money to him, etc. But after a dinner with
Jesus he’s promising not only to stop doing the bad things, but
he promises to be a most generous man.
A meal with Jesus has that kind
of power. That’s why I spend so much of my time inviting people
to come to church on Sunday. I know that when they open their hearts to
Jesus and come to mass, Jesus can have a profound effect in their lives.
But there are some who can’t be cajoled into coming to church. For
some reason they must find themselves “up a tree” before they’d
set foot in the door of a church. When sickness or death, unemployment
or accidents occur, only then some people discover a desire to see Jesus.
So it’s important for each
of us to witness how Jesus is our refuge and help, how Jesus is our comforter
and guide, how Jesus is our teacher and our source of peace. We do that
by the example with give and by the words we speak. I doubt Zacchaeus
would have climbed the tree to see Jesus if he hadn’t heard about
Jesus from his fellow townspeople. We can have an effect on others, especially
when they’re facing a trial in life.
It’s also important not to
miss the point that Jesus altered his plans to have dinner at Zacchaeus’s
house, even though that wasn’t his original intention. We too intend
to walk through “Jericho’s” when God would rather us
stop and see who’s “up a tree” and to spend time with
them. So perhaps this is the week to slow down on life’s hectic
journey and look around us to see whom God intends for us to pay attention
to -- even though that might not be our initial plan. There is a Jericho
that God invites us to stop in for a time and do Jesus’ work of
outreach and reconciliation. Where is your “Jericho?”
