We are still two weeks away from the beginning of Advent, but the psalm we will hear this Sunday at Mass is like an announcement of Christmas: “Sing praise to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and melodious song. With trumpets and the sound of the horn sing joyfully before the King, the Lord. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.” The most beautiful time of the year is approaching.
Before Advent and Christmas, we will celebrate Thanksgiving Day, when we gather around the table with our families to give thanks for the blessings we have received this year.
During my first year as the editor of this storied newspaper, one of the most special experiences for me was the Bright Christmas Campaign. I want to thank all our readers who contributed to the campaign last year. Thanks to your generosity, we were able to raise more than $100,000.
Now that we are getting ready to give thanks for our blessings, it is a good time to think for a moment about those who are less fortunate and do something to help them.
And so I ask you to remember your neighbors in Brooklyn and Queens this year as you have done for the past 50 years. You have responded year after year with donations that are given directly to priests, sisters and church groups that work with those in need.
Many of you should already have received a letter inviting you to contribute to Bright Christmas. I hope that you will be as generous as you can afford to be — we know that many you will receive many similar requests during this season.
We feel honored knowing that so many have adopted The Tablet’s Bright Christmas as their special charity at Christmas.
It is an opportunity to share with those in need. It is a small, but significant, way to put into practice Jesus’ words in the Gospel of Matthew:
“Then the King will say to those on his right hand, ‘For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you made me welcome, lacking clothes and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.’ Then the upright will say to him in reply, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?’ …
“And the King will answer, ‘In truth I tell you, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.’”
The money we collect during the campaign is given to parishes and groups that apply for help from Bright Christmas.
If you are a pastor, parish associate, or director of a diocesan group and you need assistance this Christmas to help kids in your area, you should contact me immediately so that The Tablet can help.
We do not accept requests from individuals. There are other outlets for that.We make grants only to parish groups and others associated with the Diocese in Brooklyn that ask us for help.
If you have a request, send it directly to Jorge Dominguez, c/o The Tablet’s Bright Christmas, 1712 Tenth Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11215.
This is not a toy collection drive. We don’t accept clothing or other such goods for distribution. This is a cash deal only. You send us the money and we put it directly into the hands of someone who is working directly with people in our neighborhoods.
In turn, they use the funds in the most effective ways for those in their charge. Some buy and wrap presents. Others conduct a group Christmas party. Still, others share a Christmas meal with their families.
To donate, send your contribution to The Tablet’s Bright Christmas Fund at the address listed above. The sooner you send the money, the quicker we can share your love with someone who needs it this Christmas.