September 30, 2001
Saying Goodbye
Prayer
from the Funeral Mass
Lord our God,
you are always faithful and quick to show mercy.
Our brothers and sisters were suddenly and violently taken from us.
Come swiftly to their aid, have mercy on them and comfort their families
and friends by the power and protection of the cross.
Signs
of New Life
If you’re buying spring-flowering bulbs for your garden, why not
buy an extra pack for the church gardens and bring it to the parish
center? This spring we will be reminded of all the new life that is
yet to come.
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
“ Seek after integrity, piety, faith, love, steadfastness, and
a gentle spirit. “
--1 Timothy 6
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
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
We are beginning the sad task of saying goodbye
to loved ones who have perished in the terrible attack on the World Trade
Center. Over the course of a few weeks we have scheduled funeral masses
for those who will not be coming home to us.
This is particularly difficult because at a “normal” funeral,
we can at least bless the person’s body, and bring it to a place
of rest. The events of September 11th left people without even that consolation.
In the story of salvation there were two
people whose bodies were not found after their deaths. First Jesus. When
the women went to the tomb, they did not find his body. He had been raised
up. Second, Mary. Just last month we celebrated the feast of her assumption
in which we recall that Mary was taken body and soul into heaven after
her death.
So while there is nothing good about the
death of our loved ones, and while we would really, really want to be
able to bless their bodies as we send them home to heaven, the men and
women who perished a few weeks ago share the same resurrection of our
Brother Jesus and our Mother Mary.
The truth of this resurrection is that both
Jesus and Mary are not gone from our lives, but are really present every
day. Isn’t this also true of all those who died and were raised up?
Our wives and husbands, our fathers and mothers, our children, our brothers
and sisters and friends have died but through the power of God which conquers
all evil, they are now to live forever -- and not just away from us in
heaven, but their spirit, their love, their prayers, their guidance will
be with us in our daily lives. This is what we mean when we speak of the
“communion of saints.”
I, along with the rest of our parish staff,
wish to continue to offer our prayers and support to all those who are
suffering through these days.
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)