December
30, 2007
What's
Next?
Christmas
Joy!
“Bethlehem” was filled again this year as thousands of people
came to St. Brigid’s on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. What
were they seeking? On the one hand I hope they found Him. On the other
hand, I hope they’ll come back for another look in the weeks ahead.
There’s more Jesus to be discovered.
So many people contributed to our celebrations of Christmas -- we distributed
Christmas gifts and food to hundreds of needy families...we mailed our
Christmas booklet to 6,700 homes...we printed carols...and practiced
singing, bell ringing, instrument playing...we decorated the church
and chapel...we prepared readings and Christmas homilies...we celebrated
the Sacrament of Reconciliation with hundreds of people...we greeted
all who came with joy.
Thank you everyone!
e-mail Father Ralph:
Past Columns:
December 23:Joseph Awoke
December 16: Already but
not Yet
December 9: Extreme Peace
Makeover
December 2: In Joyful Hope
November 25: And it was
just Monday
November 18: Religious Education
Week
November 11: We Did Good
November 4: Stopping in
Jericho
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
The
crumpled wrappings have been cleared (mostly) from the living rooms and
the only Christmas songs to be heard are on CDs, since the radio stations
went secular again at midnight on 12/25. Christmas came. Now what?
The church continues to celebrate
the Christmas Season (known to some only as the “Holiday”
Season) for the next few weeks so there IS something more to come. Today,
for instance, is the Feast of the Holy Family...next week the Feast of
the Epiphany...and finally the Feast off the Baptism of the Lord.
These three Sundays tell us about
the “now what?” that follows Christmas day.
Holy Family: What’s
it about: Joseph and Mary and the baby Jesus have a difficult
life. The birth in the stable is only the beginning of the indignities
they face -- the worst of which is the slaughter of the innocents by Herod’s
soldiers. They escape to Egypt -- life as a refugee family is not fun.
What does it mean for us? Our lives are not
without hardship either. Yet God is in our midst here and now. We can
grow as holy families too despite life’s troubles.
Epiphany: What’s
it about: Foreigners discover Jesus and believe. What
does it mean for us? Jesus is for everyone, not just for
“people like us.” He is light to all nations. So when people
come together in any nation (like the “nation of St. Brigid’s”)
it is Jesus who unites us. We’ve got to keep figuring out what it
means to be one in Christ -- which is more than just being tolerant.
Baptism of the Lord:
What’s it about: Even
though Jesus is the Son of God, he humbles himself to be baptized by John.
He leads by example. What does it mean for us? Since
we’re baptized into Jesus’ life, we’re called to that
same kind of humble attitude. How many of the fights and hurts that happened
in families on this past Christmas could be healed if we adopted this
attitude of Jesus?
