July 6, 2002
One Nation Under God
Going
on Vacation?
You
can find out what time masses are in the place you’re travelling
to online at www.masstimes.org
or on the phone at
1-800-MASS-TIMES
Please continue to support St. Brigid’s with weekly summertime
donations even if you’re away -- unfotunately our bills don’t
go away for the summer! Thanks.
Headed
for Finishline
Our fiscal year ends August 31 and we’re hoping to reach our goal
for the Bishop’s Annual Appeal in time so that we can get our $25,000
rebate in time to balance our budget. Thanks to all who made pledges.
Right now we have $23,000 left to go in paying off the pledges. So if
you’ve made a pledge, please send in your payment soon. As you
can see, every dollar paid from now on, will come back directly to us,
yet until we finish our pledges, we won’t receive any of the rebate.
Please help us cross the finish line.
Ongoing
Support
In looking over church records for the past years, it’s clear that
we suffer financially during the summer months when folks are away.
Unfortunately the bills don’t go away in the summer so please continue
to offer support to our parish, even if you’re travelling. Thanks.
Cool Way to Pray
If you’d like to try out a new interactive prayer site online,
go to the St. Brigid’s home page and click on the “Church
Interactive” link.
Today’s Bible Quote
"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."
--Matthew 11
Technology Ministry
If you’d like to give your time and expertise at helping our parish
connect its telephone systems or work on its website, you can let us
know by filling in our
online form
Want
to e-mail Father Ralph?
Past Columns:
June 30: Anointing
the Sick
June 23: Giving Thanks
to God
June 16: Father's
Day
June 9: Fall Mass
Schedule
June 2: Summer Plans
May 26: Spreading
the Faith
May 19: Passing Grace
May 12: Changing
Times
May 5: Reason for Hope
April 28: Changing
Ministry
April 21: The Poor Are Hurt
Again
April 14: Celebrating
50 Days
April 7: Where have
they put him?
March 31: Alleluia!
Alleluia!
March 24: Hardly
Hosanna
March 17: Roll The
Stone Back
March 10: Here's
Mud In Your Eye
March 3: Our Local
Drought
Feb 24: Welcoming
Bishop Murphy
Feb 17: We Will Rise
Again
Feb 10: Very
Good Now
Feb 3: The Multi
Cultural Church
Jan 27: Appealing
Words
Jan 20:Our
Wonderful School
Jan 13: Changing
Times
Jan 6: Farewell Father
Augustine
Thisweek’s celebration of Independence
Day helped us to look at the earliest days of our country and how the
“founding fathers” took courageous steps to create a nation
that was united and was free. One week earlier it was disappointing to
hear of the California court which declared the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional
because it proclaims that we are one nation under God. The truth is, whether
the pledge mentioned it or not, we are a nation under God. It’s good
to be reminded though, and thus the pledge’s inclusion of this truth
is something to be proud of.
But lest we forget the words that come before
“under God”, let’s take a moment this Independence Day
to reflect on “one nation”. The beauty of the United States
is not only that 50 states are in unity with each other, but that our
country has welcomed people from every land to be one with us. So it was
with our ancestors who came from distant lands. So too it is now as we
welcome new immigrants to our shores.
During my first year here at St. Brigid’s I’ve experienced the
American quality of “one nation under God” more intensely than
any other place I’ve lived. Here people of different cultures, languages
and backgrounds come to be one under God. I look out from the sanctuary
each day to see people joined together in praying the Lord’s Prayer
-- people who were born in different lands, now together in one place
because of Christ; people who are not merely tolerant of others that are
different than themselves, but people who are proud to be one with each
other. Never am I more proud to be an American than when I see the kind
of unity that allows people to put aside their prejudices to accept one
another with God’s love. Never am I more proud to be Catholic --
a word that means “universal”. When I see the kind of unity
we have here, I know it is a taste of heaven, for when we go to be with
the Lord someday, we will be together with our sisters and brothers of
every land.
But we’re not in heaven yet. Sometimes,
like in California a week ago, we forget we’re “under God”.
Sometimes, due to our discomfort with immigrants, we forget we’re
“one nation”. The Fourth of July is a good time to recommit
ourselves to the whole phrase: “one nation under God.”
