Friday, March 11, 2005

Newsletter of 03/11/05

Somos el Cuerpo de Cristo
Thoughts from Some Fellow Parishioners of Holy Spirit—March 11, 2005

Obedience
“…there is the challenge for us to be obedient as Jesus was. And this is a very important quality that we must develop for ourselves and to understand what obedience really is. Sometimes we think obedience is just blindly following whatever we’re told to do. Well, that is not a virtue, simply to follow, to do whatever you’re told. Blind obedience is not a virtue; it is a failure of responsibility. Obedience really means, the word itself means, to listen deeply. …Listen deeply and respond! That’s what Jesus did, he listened deeply to God and where God was leading him and he responded.

…We have to listen to God … speaking deep within our hearts, to listen deeply to God and follow where God takes us with confidence and with trust that God’s love will always be, where God is leading us to a full appreciation and living out of that love.”
-Bishop Thomas J. Gumbleton, The Peace Pulpit, First Sunday of Lent

Disingenuous, revisited…
disingenuous, adj. not frank; insincere; covertly guileful; crafty.
Disingenuous remarks seem to have become the norm in discussions regarding Sr. Margarita. At the very least, inconsistent and conflicting would be appropriate descriptions. When asked point blank if Sr. Margarita was being hired by our pastor for a position in our religious education program, the answer was “no.” Sr. Margarita, when asked the same question, responded by saying she was only volunteering. However, it is also widely reported that Sr. Margarita plans to be working in our parish after Lent, and that she has refused another job offer so she can be available to direct the religious education program at Holy Spirit parish.

It is worth noting that the “wonderful Lenten program” that Sr. Margarita currently volunteers to our parish consists of taking the children who are first communion preparation age away from attending mass with their families and providing them preparation class. Other volunteers get to deal with the children who do not meet that age requirement. Apparently this new and “wonderful” preparation program is more desirably than our current parish program of two years religious education, additional family sacrament classes and retreats, and encouragement to attend mass together as a family.

Parish Council Update
If only there were something to report. It seems that the vague nomination process of one month ago has been sucked into a black hole. Who was nominated? What process will be used to determine who will serve? For that matter, what will be the role of the parish council? Why were the nomination slips not anonymous – or did the pastor need to collect information about his parishioners? And the big question, who will want to serve on a council that may never meet or be the fall guy for mandating changes that the parish does not want or need?

Union Blues
Stay tuned for more information regarding looming court troubles for our parish due to failure to meet legally binding contract agreements with the United Farm Workers Union.

Clericalism-
The belief that “priests and bishops are apart from and superior to the laity.” Our priests, pastors and bishops are without question deserving of our respect. But respect is a two-way street with no room for superiority. As Paul clarifies in his analogy of the church community to the body in I Corinthians 12: 20-26: the body of Christ has many parts – all necessary and all to be cherished. No one part can claim to be more important or give superiority to any other part.

This Holy Week, we will be powerfully reminded of how we are to be disciples when Jesus, our Teacher, washes the feet of his friends and followers. Jesus once again invites us to follow Him in compassion and humility.
-from a fellow parishioner

Washing Feet
Speaking of Holy Thursday, this service is creating quite a bit of discussion. It is vital that the group of people selected for the symbolic “washing of the feet” represent our parish as a whole, for its diversity of viewpoints and gender. Our pastor has chosen who he wishes to participate, and his choices will reflect his thoughts on our parish, and who and what he values.

Psalm 30
In The Blindfold’s Eyes by Sr. Dianna Ortiz, she describes how her community desperately prayed the psalm from the lectionary from the day she was abducted as they waited and hoped for news that she was still alive. The psalm was prophetic for her community, and can be a prophetic prayer our parish community as well because we dare to hope.

I praise you, Lord, because you have saved me
And kept my enemies from gloating over me.
I cried to you for help, O Lord my God,
And you healed me;
You kept me from the grave.
I was on my way to the depths below but you restored my life.

Sing praise to the Lord, all his faithful people!
Remember what the Holy One has done
And give him thanks!
His anger lasts only a moment,
His goodness for a lifetime.
Tears may flow in the night
But joy comes in the morning….


Prepared by RGV Parishioners for Progress and edited by Jerry Brazier: gbrazier@rgv.rr.com.

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3 comments:

Kanickers said...

So, it should be a done deal: Sr. Margarita has said that she will NOT be hired at Holy Spirit. If she is hired, she would be proven a liar, and we CANNOT, WILL NOT have a known, proven, lying Sister teaching our children. That would be outrageous, sacrilegious! So, thank you Sr. Margarita for clearing that up.

Not to preempt your "Union Blues" story, I hear that the parish has NOT been paying into the union pension plan, as required by the settlement. How dishonest, thieving, unchristian is that?! How can the pastor and bishop get away with this?! It is illegal as well as being very unchristian!

St. Athanasius, save the hierarchy from themselves! "The floor of Hell is paved with the skulls of bishops." -St. Athanasius, 4th Century Church Doctor, persecuted by segments of the hierarchy.

I am not talking about Church doctrine, which one might argue rightly or wrongly. What is happening at Holy Spirit Parish is good old fashioned immorality, lying, and clearly illegal acts amounting to theft. That is a sin regardless of whether you do it kneeling, sitting, standing, or squatting. And when done by bishops and priests, who lead others to do the same; Lord have mercy! How bad does the Church have to get before it repents?!

From an angry parishioner, as Christ was angry.

Kanickers said...

"If she is hired, she would be proven a liar, and we CANNOT, WILL NOT have a known, proven, lying Sister teaching our children."

I say, Why Not? We now have a priest that would rather lie than tell the truth! Just be more of the same!
Another of the angry-

Kanickers said...

I was disgusted to say the least when I heard the controversy involving Sister Margarita. How can a Sister who has pledged her entire life to the Word and the Teachings of the Lord lie without hesitation. Even if Father Brum asked her to lie about the situation she should have had the integrity and the honesty to say "No" to Fr. Brum. Her vows preclude her from saying lies to anyone. She should have said, “You tell them about this yourself." However, Fr. Brum has her under his complete control and she finds it necessary to commit a sin just to satisfy him. This is exactly the type of power and control that Fr. Brum has exhibited throughout the entire time he has been here at Holy Spirit.

Sister Margarita tells the truth to her fellow parishioners and that is why we have heard the rumors that she will be assigned the Religious Education Duties after Lent and First Communions are over. That is why she is already involved with the children who are about to make their first Holy Communion. Makes sense doesn't it???

Now that I have proof that Sister Margarita will lie for Fr. Brum, I will not allow my grandchildren to attend catechism if she does become Director of Religious Education. If she can lie for him who else can/will she lie for???? No way will I allow such a hypocrite to teach my grandchildren ever!!!!!!! Besides Mrs. Martha Sanchez is a great teacher with a God-given talent as she does a wonderful job in preparing all our children for First Holy Communion. One can see The Holy Spirit working within her as she lovingly teaches our children. There is NO need for a change. Why does Fr. Brum want to change this position? You guessed it and I don't have to elaborate. Let's pray for our Parish, as it appears to be in a sinkhole!

From a Parishioner-