September 23, 2001
Gray Days
Quote
of the Week
“How is it possible to commit acts of such savage cruelty? The
human heart has depths from which schemes of unheard-of ferocity sometimes
emerge, capable of destroying in a moment the normal daily life of a
people. But faith comes to our aid at these times when words seem to
fail.
Christ’s word is the only one that can give a response to the questions
which trouble our spirit. Even if the forces of darkness
appear to prevail, those who believe in God know that evil and death
do not have the final say. Christian hope is based on this
truth; at this time our prayerful trust draws strength from it.”
--Pope John Paul II
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
“ You cannot serve two masters.”
Luke 16
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:
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
The days of the past week have been among
the most beautiful -- blue skies, pleasant temperatures - the gardens
are in full bloom and the backyard crops are still coming in abundance.
Normally people would be elated by this gift, yet we live in a cloud that
dulls our joy.
How can we enjoy any kind of beauty after
the shroud of evil that covered our hearts and souls two weeks ago?
At first, once we got past the disbelief, we were filled with resolve
-- to love our families and our God like never before. We would hug the
ones we love and tell them how much they meant to us. We would reconcile
our stupid differences, forgive past hurts. We resolved never to let petty
things cloud our judgment or distort our lives again. And we talked to
God (and listened to God) and came to church to be with one another and
found a peace and strength that mocked the evil and the terror, for we
came to believe that in all of this trial, God would win.
And then the TV continued to attack our senses.
Andwe couldn’t go to the store or to school or to work without yet
another reminder that the destruction is all so real and not a dream.
We heard heart-breaking stories of those who never made it out of the
buildings, of those whose lives are now shattered without a spouse, without
a parent, without a son or daughter, without a sister or brother. It doesn’t
stop.
So a new phase in our lives begins. It is
a phase of stress that leads to shortened tempers, and worn patience.
It is a phase that makes us want to close our eyes and cover our ears.
We find ourselves being hard on ourselves and on others and we wonder
what happened to all that resolve to love and care.
These reactions to the stress we’ve been under are natural but they
are not our destiny. When we realize that the power of evil not only sought
to destroy our power to love on the day of the terrorist attacks but continues
to wear away at our ability to sustain love, then we can focus our attention
on who is the enemy of the coming days.
The enemy are NOT those we’re
feeling disappointed in; NOT those we’re getting annoyed at; NOT
those who are insensitive to us in our lives. The enemy is, as scripture
says, “the devil who like a prowling lion is seeking to devour someone.”
Yet we need not fear the evil one for we have the Holy Spirit to comfort
and guide, to give new breath and hope.
So take a deep breath. Slow down. Notice
the beauty of these days and the gifts of the people in your lives. Be
good to yourself. Continue to hope. Pray for peace.
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)