November 24, 2001
The Grinch Who Stole Advent
Advent
Wreath Blessing
Next week you can say this prayer when you light the first candle on
your advent wreath at home...
Gracious God,
as we get ready to celebrate the feast of the Birth of Jesus, come and
make our darkness bright. Let this wreath be a sign of your life and
your light. May the light of these candles remind us to be patient with
ourselves and one another. May they call us to hope, may they help us
to see that Jesus is coming again into our lives.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
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. Lots of people tried it last week.
Away
at College?
If you know of a St. Brigid parishioner who
is away at college, you can help us stay in touch through our parish’s
weekly “letter from home”. Send in their name and e-mail address
just click here.
Today’s
Bible Quote
“God delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us
to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness
of sins.”
-Colossians 1:13
Technology
Ministry
If you’d like togive your time and expertise at helping our parish
connect its telephone systems or develop its computer networking or
work on its website, you can let us know by filling in our
online
form
El
Salvador Trip
If you’d like to see the parish’s mission trip to
El Salvador online, you can see photos and a travelogue by
clicking here.
Want
to e-mail Father Ralph?
Past Columns
Nov 24:Let Me Count
the Ways:
Nov 11:Plenty of
Rooms
Nov 4: Treat, Definitely Treat
Oct 28: Figuring
It Out
Oct 21:Prayers for
Our Time
Oct 14: Warring Words
Oct 7: Getting more
from the Word
Sept 30: Saying Goodbye
Sept 23:
Gray Days
Sept 16: This
Week's Tragedy
Sep.9: Summer Vacation
Sep
2: I Used to be an Embryo
August 26: Holy
Walking
August
19: Just Like Family
Aug
12:Incredible Forgiveness
August 5: Diocesan Doings
July
29: On A Mission
July 22: Piecing Together
July 15th: Unpacking St Brigids
July 8th: Happy to Be Here
July 1st : First Words
But I’m afraid that Advent has been stolen from us over the last few decades. The Halloween decorations aren’t off the shelves when the Christmas decorations start taking over (in early October!!) There seem to be a million Christmas parties BEFORE Christmas, so that by the time Christmas comes, we’re over-fed, over-stimulated, and over-tired. And have you noticed how on the day after Christmas, some people have already tossed their trees on the curb as if it was all over? They turn off their Christmas lights (isn’t this the time they should be turned on?)
Christmas only begins on the 25th of December and this feast lasts for a brief and glory-filled season (remember the “twelve days” of Christmas?) Christmas often can be overwhelming because we’ve been trying to feast for forty days before -- and that’s harder to do than it sounds.
In “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas”, the Grinch discovers that the people can be happy without material gifts. In my version of “The Grinch Who Stole Advent”, the Grinch would discover that people can be happy if they slowed down, stopped rushing around, took some time to rest, to pray, to be with their family and to reflect on where God is coming into their lives.
During the week ahead, you might consider a few of things to keep Advent from being stolen:
(a) Have some symbol of the season in your home -- An advent wreath is perhaps the most popular -- light one candle each week of Advent.
(b) Talk with your family about how to make things a little less hectic by waiting until the season of Christmas to do the Christmas celebrating.
(c) Don’t forget the real meaning of the season of Advent -- read the Sunday mass readings from the bible during the week before you come to church -- let the images of Isaiah color your hopes.
(d) Remember that Christmas is about the birth of Jesus.
Concentrate on what Jesus would want you to do for his birthday, more than what you want. There is a great peace in that.
Come Visit Our Online Tour of our Youth Group's Trip To El Salvador!
For the Record..
See Father's Ralph's first spoken greeting to the community at St. Brigid..
Italian Mass
(translation provided)
(translation provided)
Haitian Mass
(translation provided)