December 1, 2002
Praying at Mass
Advent
Patience
If your Christmas decorations aren’t up yet, don’t
panic. You’ve got 24 days of Advent ahead! We don’t follow
the K-Mart or Target Christmas calendar, we follow the Catholic calendar
which says these next four weeks are for quiet waiting, for reflecting,
for anticipating the joys of the coming of Jesus into our lives. Slow
down. Choose to do something to go against the commercialism of December.
For example, even if you’ve already put up the lights, wait til
Christmas eve to light them up. And then let them blaze for the whole
Christmas season!
Donations
Still Needed
A
number of local businesses and organizations have contributed over $10,000
toward our parking lot project. We still need further donations to afford
this project. If your company or organization can help us at this time,
please give a call.
Away
at College?
We'd
love to stay in touch.
To receive the “letter from home”, take this bulleting with
you to college as a reminder to send in your e-mail address. Just Click
Here!
Scripture
Quote of the week
Week
''You do not know when the lord of
the house is coming,
whether in the evening, or at midnight,
or in the morning.
May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping.
What I say to you, I say to all: "Watch!"
--Matthew 13
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:
Nov 24: Doing
Thanks
Nov17: Faith
Has Its Awards
Nov 10: Parking
Lot Update
Nov3: Daughters
of Mary
Oct27: Father
Richard
Oct 20: Changing
Seasons
Oct 13:Technology
Update
Oct 6: Youth Ministers
Sept 29: Who's
Here?
Sept 22: God
the Unfair
Sept 15: The
Joy of Judy
Sept 8: Facing the
Terrible Day
Sep 1: Sharing the
Faith
Aug 25:Empty Shelves
Aug 18: Comemmorating
Sept. 11th
Aug 11: Taking Time
To See
August 4: Moving
Music
July 28:Meet
the Missionaries
July 21:
Press One Now
July 14: Having
Our Say
July 6: One
Nation Under God
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
There are three changes that affect how we celebrate mass at St. Brigid’s:
(a) We’ll carry the Book of the Gospels in procession instead of the whole book of readings (lectionary). It’s placed on the altar until the time the gospel is read. This reminds us that we’re fed by the gospel at the table of God’s Word, as well as the Eucharist.
(b) When the priest says, “Pray my brothers and sisters that our sacrifice may be acceptable to God our almighty Father” everyone in church is to STAND as they say “May the Lord receive the sacrifice at your hands...” etc. (No explanation was given for this change. It’s just what we do now.) All the rest of the standing, sitting and kneeling is the same.
(c) When we are in the communion procession, just as we reach the minister who is giving out communion, we are to bow our heads as a sign of reverence to Christ present in the Eucharist. (The instructions are clear that people should not be genuflecting or kneeling at communion time -- that calls attention away from Christ and onto the person). A reverent bow of the head will indicate our faith and we are united with one another in this sign.
Sometimes small changes like this feel a little awkward at first ‘cause we’re used to doing something a certain way. But they’re a chance for us to stop being in “automatic pilot” when we pray and they help us to reflect on what we’re doing and what we believe in.
The updated Introduction to the Roman Missal doesn’t cover things like cell phones and beepers or chewing gum in church. (Maybe in the future?) And while we’re pretty good about those things here, it probably doesn’t hurt to remind the folks you come to church with (especially at funerals and weddings when there are visitors) that they should turn off the beeping devices and that gum is not a good idea in church (either in the mouth or stuck to the pews!)
Let us pray!
