COLLEGE STUDENTS:  College night at the St. Brigid Rectory will be Monday August 16 at 6:00PM.  Come and join other college students from St. John and St. Brigid (and friends) for some good food and fellowship.  As usual we will be joined by Kenneth and Nannette Johnson and Donnie and Linda Lynch.  Catch up on what your old friends are up to before starting another semester of classes.  Freshmen are especially welcome - come hear some good advice from the wizened old veterans bout their freshmen years!  Fr. Dan

June 27, 2010            13 Ordinary Time C      Luke 9:51-62

...If we are faithful followers of Jesus wherever we go, in whatever we do; we will be better off for it.  We will be better spouses, parents, friends, classmates and neighbors if we put Jesus first.  Jesus doesn't call all his disciples to leave everything behind but Jesus does demand his disciples to put him first in our lives...

...The Samaritans wouldn't welcome Jesus but Jesus rebuked the disciples James and John because they wanted to call down 'fire from heaven to destroy the Samaritans'.  The disciples had to learn some of the demands of being followers of Jesus.  Vengeance, intolerance and the use of force are not allowed. Putting Jesus first means violence is not the answer to life's problems; that as long as revenge is the answer to insults and retribution demanded for every injustice - there will be no healing.  Jesus' disciples are called to find other ways - to follow a NEW direction when confronted with evil in this world...

 ...Putting Jesus first is always our first step as we make our way along the journey of discipleship.

June 20, 2010                    12th Ordinary Time C       Luke 9:18-24

 Who do people say that we are?  They will recognize us as disciples of Jesus if we are willing to pick up our cross.  And if we are willing to help others carry their cross then we will send a clear message about who Jesus is and what it really means to be his disciple.  

It's good we have a feast today called Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Christ; the only other one like it during the church year is the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday.  There is a great temptation for us to take the Mass for granted.

 The miracle of the loaves and fish offers us consolation, Jesus will respond and satisfy our needs.  The miracle also challenges us to go out of our way to share God's blessings with others in need.  Those are two good things to remember when we receive Holy Communion at Mass.  The sacred meal is here to nourish us, to offer us reassurance that Jesus is present to us now.  And the sacrifice of the Mass also reminds us of Jesus' suffering and death and tells us we can share Christ's presence with others by our acts of charity and service. 

 There are many different ways to understand and appreciate the miracle of the Eucharist; the one way we never take the Eucharist - that is to take it for granted.

May 30,2010         Most Holy Trinity                 John 16:12-15

 From the first moment we try to explain God�s grace in our human language we automatically put limits on the infinite.  One famous theologian put it this way � he said, �when we come upon an infinite sea we don�t try to conquer it, we joyfully try to float upon it�.  Or as Flannery O�Connor, one of our best American Catholic writers said, �Dogma is only a gateway to contemplation, it preserves mystery for the human mind�.

Church teachings and theological explanations are important because we need to understand as much as we can about the God who made us and loves us. But the most important thing about church doctrine is that it serves as a �gateway�, it can help lead us to experience God�s love for us in our daily life.  To know and experience God�s love for us is far more important than understanding God�s love for us.  That is the central mystery of God�s grace � it is meant to be experienced, to be enjoyed and to be shared with others.  A true human experience of the divine mystery of the Trinity is only a breath away.  God is only a breath away from us when we consider it is God�s breath that gives us life, that God came down from heaven to be human like us to be able to touch us and that we are sustained by God�s love because we are created in God�s divine image. 

The mystery of God�s grace is not somewhere far above us, it is not even close enough for us to touch; but it is deep within us as we live and breathe.  Church doctrine and theological explanations can tell us what we believe and help us understand our relationship with God.  But it is only by opening our hearts and enjoying the great mystery of God�s infinite love for us that we can know whose we are and how close our loving God is to us right now.

May 23, 2010                                        BUILDING A FUTURE OF HOPE CAMPAIGN

 It was in May of 2009 that we began the Building a Future of Hope campaign at St. Brigid parish.  Many thanks to all who served as leaders on the campaign committees and to all who chose to participate by returning a pledge card.

At the end of one year $194,500 has been pledged toward our $388,000 target and St. Brigid parish will keep half, $97250.  As of now $81,200 has been received in donations and half $40,600 is in the St. Brigid savings account.  Once again, thanks to all for participating and for following up on your quarterly, semi and annual donation payments.

 Remember, too, that our parish initiative is fixing up the St. Brigid school building that is currently being used for religious education classes and other events.  Possible projects for the building include work on the heating/cooling system, new windows, repaired plumbing, cleaning/painting classrooms and bathrooms, renovating the ground floor kitchen and cafeteria, etc.  Installing the new windows is the first priority and then sometime in late 2011 or early 2012 an as hoc committee will be formed by the parish council to determine when the other projects will proceed.

The Building a Future of Hope campaign is a three year pledge drive so all the donations won�t be in the bank for some time.  There is plenty of time to participate by filling out the pledge card in the back of church if you have not already done so.  If you are considering joining the 40% of our parish who have already pledged to the campaign or if you have any questions, please feel free to call Fr. Dan at 877-2461.

May 16, 2010                Ascension of the Lord C             Luke 24:44-53

 So even though we are now in the Age of the Church we know, too, that Jesus is still with us.

Jesus is with us in the Bible.  Jesus is alive in his words of love, mercy and compassion.  The words he spoke to those first disciples are just as real and true for us today and Jesus becomes even more present to us when we read, study and pray his words in the Bible.

In our Church Jesus is present to us in the Sacraments; especially in the Eucharist, the Sacrament of his Body and Blood, but also in the Sacrament of Reconciliation where we can know the same forgiveness Jesus offered to the sinners of his time.

We know Jesus is in our community where he told us he would be present whenever two or three are gathered in his name.  Especially now as we gather to pray in worship and thanksgiving on the Lord�s Day � Jesus is present among us.

 Jesus is also present to us in the poor and needy among us.  Service to the poor is not just a case of charity or even a matter of justice and obligation; service to the poor is an opportunity and blessing for us.  It is not our actions to help the poor that make Jesus present; Jesus said he was present in the poor and needy person.  When we tend to those in need, Jesus told us, it is as if we tend to Jesus himself.  Our great temptation is to judge just who is worthy of our help but at the end of the world in the great judgment scene Jesus says we will be judged on how we reached out to help others regardless of their situation.

 We have been in the Age of the Church for nearly 2000 years now and Jesus is still present among us just as he promised.  When Jesus ascended into heaven he said he would �draw all things to himself�.  Being a member of the church puts in motion, we are constantly being drawn closer and closer to Jesus until as last we will become one with him forever.

We should rejoice and be glad the early church had the organization and the authoritative leadership, which we now call hierarchy, to be able to call a council.  The Council of Jerusalem allowed for prayer, discussion, expert witness and the opportunity to listen and learn from each other.  More importantly, the Council allowed the leaders in the church to discern the will of the Spirit of Wisdom and Truth Jesus gave to them on the Feast of Pentecost.  Concerning the issue of forcing the gentiles to adhere to Mosaic law before being baptized in the church their decision was clear.  Not to place on you any burdens beyond that which is strictly necessary.  Their world changing decision  was that the gentiles did not have to become Jewish before becoming followers of Jesus.  The Spirit led them to believe that Jesus was born for the salvation all people, that Jesus died on the cross for everyone's sins and that the glory of Jesus� resurrection and the gift of eternal life in heaven awaits all those who believe in his name.

 The momentous decision from the Council of Jerusalem meant that although the church was born in Jerusalem it would not be limited to just the people of Israel.  The disciples of Jesus were not restricted to the boundaries of the Jewish religious laws, customs and traditions.  The Council had decided that the church truly was to be catholic, that is, �universal�.  One of the first rules of the church was to not place any unnecessary burdens on people.

 The church is always confronting new problems even into our modern day world. And the church will always be discerning what exactly is necessary to be a good catholic.  Our hope and our prayer is that our church leaders will always be open to the Spirit of Wisdom and Truth and be aware of laying unnecessary burdens on those who believe.

And we always continue to remember and give thanks to the early church for that first Council of Jerusalem; after all, without their decision all of us here would be considered unacceptable and we would be denied admission to our very own church.

May 2, 2010             5th Easter C                   John 13:31-35

Jesus tells his disciples they must follow a new commandment.  Now, there is nothing new when Jesus says �love one another�.  The great Old Testament law commanded the Jews to love God above all things and to love your neighbor as yourself.  The Ten Commandments were instructions on how to live out the great commandment.  But when Jesus knew the time was coming that he would no longer be with his disciples he taught them a new way to practice the old commandment.  �Love one another�, Jesus said.  But then he added, �As I have loved you, so should you love one another.�  This changes everything because we know how Jesus loves us.  Jesus offers us healing and forgiveness, with us Jesus seeks reconciliation, not retaliation.  In everything he does Jesus offers us the possibility of new life and renewed hope.  Jesus� unconditional love for us is shown in his willingness to die for us.  The way Jesus loves us changes everything for us and his new commandment for us is to love others in the same way.

If we and the world around us are going to experience God�s promise to �make all things new� it will be because we have the courage and commitment to love others the same way that Jesus loves us.


March 21, 2010 5 Lent C John 8:1-11

...The scene is filled with drama. The woman is guilty, she was caught in the very act of committing adultery, the law has been clear since the time of Moses, the penalty is death by stoning. The woman is made to stand in the middle and her hands are probably tied behind her back and her feet tied also to keep her from running. The crowd is moving in closer, growing in numbers and in excitement and anticipation. They are fully armed. Their hands and their pockets are filled with stones at the ready. Their heads and their hearts are filled with righteousness because the law, also, is written in stone.

But the Pharisees had asked Jesus, 'So what do you say?' And for a moment everyone stopped and their attention was focused on how Jesus would answer. With everyone now looking at him Jesus had the chance to put into real life action the mercy and forgiveness he had been preaching about in the parables. Jesus was able to diffuse the mob violence and disarm the crowd, he was able to expose the legal righteousness of the Pharisees. Somehow in that tense dramatic moment Jesus was able to show that God's mercy and justice is about repentance, conversion and real change of heart and not the letter of the law that demands condemnation, shame and punishment.

...But if anyone thinks the guilty woman got off too easy then they have missed the entire point of Jesus' lesson that day. Because it wasn't about the sinful woman at all!

...At first all the attention, the target so to speak, was on the woman. But then Jesus drew the attention to himself and then Jesus managed to make every person in the crowd look at themselves. Only when the crowd quit focusing on the woman, paid attention to Jesus and took a good hard look at themselves did they finally get the message. That day the angry crowd experienced conversion; their hearts and their behavior were changed!

Today the gospel story is all about us. Do we really trust that God's love and forgiveness is strong enough to turn death into life? Are we really committed to the tough Christian ministry of reconciliation which always requires that we first look at Jesus and then at ourselves before we even think about judging others? Are we really being sincere when we pray forgive us God, as we forgive others? So what do you say?


March 14, 2010 4 Lent C Luke 15:11-32

...The older brother was hurt, angry and resentful - after all, he didn't do anything wrong. He was the righteous son but there he was, unhappy and standing out in the dark missing out on the party.

God's forgiveness is something we all have to celebrate and if we are not willing to join the forgiveness for one another, if we are not part of the reconciliation, then we will miss out on the joy and be stuck in our own hurt and resentment. So this story ends. Will the older brother finally come to his senses? He still has decisions to make. Will he share in the lavish forgiveness that God offers? He hasn't got far to go and his father has already come out to meet him. But is his choice to come in out of the darkness.

February 28, 2010 2 Lent C Luke 9:28-36

Peter, James and John were faithful Jews when they went with Jesus up the mountain-top that day - Moses and Elijah were the perfect symbols for their entire religious life - the Law and the Prophets. But when Jesus was transfigured before their eyes the apostles themselves came to a new understanding of God's promise and presence.

Their experience on the mountain-top gave them the vision and confidence they needed to hope Jesus would overcome his passion and death through the glory of the Resurrection.

How have we embraced with humility and sacrifice the crosses in our life this Lenten season? It's much easier for us to just ignore and avoid the evil and suffering in our life - like the apostles we would rather just stay right there on top of the mountain. But it is the transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain-top that gives us the vision and the hope to make our Lenten journey. Like Jesus did, we can pick up our cross because we believe the glory that was revealed in Jesus on the mountain-top is also promised to us.

February 21, 2010 1 Lent C Luke 4:1-13

we do need to understand the real and powerful of evil among us. That reality is consistent all through the gospels and it is the main message of the story of Jesus' forty days in the desert. Evil is real, present and powerful. Jesus didn't ignore it, he didn't avoid it; Jesus went out into the desert to confront it.

This Lent is a time for us to confront any way the power of evil may be a presence in our lives. The powerful presence of evil is not nearly as strong as the power of God's love but it can be very dangerous when it is ignored and avoided.

This lent we can be honest and confident when we confront the ways we are tempted by evil. Because like Jesus who was led into the desert by the Holy Spirit, and was strengthened by prayer and fasting, and who was tended to by the angels; If we want this Lenten season to be a meaningful time for us, to really make a difference in our lives, the Scriptures, the Sacraments and our whole church community is there to support us.

February 14, 2010 6 ordinary C Luke 6:17-26

WOE to those who are rich, full, joyful and well liked by others. It can be said of Jesus that he came to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable. That Jesus should befriend the poor and suffering and challenge the rich and comfortable should not come as a surprise to us. That part of Jesus' mission as the Messiah is prophesied consistently all through the Old Testament and prophets all the way up to and including his mother Mary who proclaimed in the Magnificat that God will put down the mighty and lift up the lowly, that God will fill the hungry with every good thing and God will send the rich away empty.

It is always a natural temptation - when we are in trouble we turn to God and when things are going well we are tempted to forget and leave God behind like we don't need Him anymore. Being a good steward is the best way to resist that temptation.

When things are going well a good steward is constantly aware of being surrounded by God's blessings. Blest are they who are grateful for God's gifts. Blest are they who are generous in sharing God's gifts with others. For theirs is the Kingdom of God also.

February 7, 2010 STEWARDSHIP

Gratitude and generosity with our gifts of time, talent and treasure are the ways our life of discipleship can make a difference for those around us. I thank you all for all the ways you have blessed our parish with your gifts of time, talent and treasure this past year.
You know a catch of 153 fish is great but that is not what astonished everyone at the lake that day with Jesus. What really got their attention is that there are 153 different kinds of fish in the lake and when Jesus told them to cast their net they collected one of every kind. Now that�s amazing, spectacular, even miraculous. See what can happen when everyone shares their own unique gifts with the community - it really makes a difference when you participate. THANK YOU

BUILDING A FUTURE OF HOPE  AS OF FEBRUARY 2010

Target -       $388,000        Pledged -     $195,000        St. Brigid parish portion received and in savings account - $35,500        40% participation response 

This is a 3 year pledge drive so the total amount pledged, $195,000, will remain the same but hopefully after 3 years we will have a total of around $105,000 in our parish account.  That money is set aside for improvements in our parish school building.


January 31, 2010 4th ordinary C Luke 4:21-30

In describing the specific qualities of love Paul is sending the Corinthians a Christian challenge. He is telling all of us that love is more than a sincere belief, more than a grand virtue, more than a highly held ideal, more than just a feeling. Christian love is a way of life.

Our Christian love, based on the way God loves us, needs to be the way we live our life EVERY day, with EVERY person we encounter, in EVERY situation we find ourselves. The qualities of love that Paul describes are not dependent on how we feel � that we are tired, in a hurry or being taken advantage of doesn't mean that we are excused from acting with Christian love ourselves. Our obligation to be a Christian in EVERY part of our lives is not suspended because someone else is being rude, mean and arrogant.

The Corinthians heard Paul's message about love loud and clear and so did all the other young Christian communities. By the end of that first generation people were beginning to call them Christians � followers of Jesus Christ. They said of them, 'look, see how those Christians love one another'.

January 24, 2010 3rd Sunday Ordinary Luke 4:14

Both Ezra and Jesus preached sermons that were remarkable even by biblical standards. But it is just as important that we notice not only the sermons but how the people reacted to them. We hear a lot of sermons in our lifetime; some are short and some are long, some are inspiring and some don't make any sense at all. None of them will ever match up to the sermons preached by Ezra and Jesus. But it is just as important to think about how we react to them. Are we concerned enough to pay close attention to God's word? Are we committed enough to try our best to understand what God is saying? Are we faithful enough to hear God's word delivered to us and to act upon it, to let it make a difference in our everyday lives?

Whether it is the 'whole load' or just one sentence; the scripture is fulfilled not when Jesus teaches and when the preacher preaches � scripture is fulfilled in our hearing it and putting it into action.

January 10, 2010 Baptism of the Lord Luke 3:15-22

Jesus had to be baptized for the same reason he had to born into our world as a baby at Christmas, he had to share our humanity. Jesus became one like us when he was born as a baby � he was without sin � but in his baptism Jesus joined with all the other sinners being baptized by John. Jesus joined with us at his birth and at his baptism. Jesus shares in our humanity and will even know and suffer from the consequences of sinfulness. Like all of us.

We are only baptized once but like the sacrament of marriage we must live our promises every day. If we don't tell our spouse we love them everyday, if we don't show our spouse we love them everyday, then those promises we made long ago tend to fade away. A sacrament is a sign, we must SEE it happening. Our baptism needs to be lived out every day also. The church community, the sacraments and the Holy Spirit are all ways to move forward in our journey with Jesus that began with baptism. Our baptism is always calling us to become more and more like the children of God we truly are.

January 3, 2010 Epiphany Matthew 2:1-12

However you wish to enjoy and celebrate the Epiphany story - the message and the gospel truth remains the same. God is revealed to us in the person of Jesus and even more important than that - Jesus is God's revelation to ALL people. The magi are the first non-Jewish people to see Jesus. Jesus, born from Jewish people, born into the Jewish religion is the long awaited Messiah promised to the people of Israel. The Epiphany story tells us that the salvation Jesus brings is for ALL of us. That's the good news we celebrate today and what better way to hear it than through the wonderful story of the magi and the star. Maybe hearing the story once again will help us to re-commit ourselves to our Christian journey and help us to be more ready and alert to find God's revelation in places, events and people we least expect.