O św. Zyto! swem życiem zasłużyłaś sobie na to, że Chrystus przyjmując cię w niebie wyrzekł do ciebie te słowa: – Sługo wierna i dobra, iżeś była wierną nad małem, postanowię cię nad wielą —“ wnijdź do radości Pana twojego. Uproś nam u Zbawiciela tę łaskę, abyśmy służyli Bogu w tym stanie, w jakim jesteśmy, i nie pragnąc złudnych rzeczy ziemskich, spełniali wiernie obowiązki na nas nałożone. Amen.
Gerald Augustinus of The Cafeteria Is Closed blog has posted the story and videos of Bishop Tod Brown in Mean Tod Brown.
Bishop Brown is the heterodox R.C. Bishop of Orange, CA who physically forced a woman to stand up to receive the Holy Eucharist.
Here is the woman’s testimony:
I was sitting on the side of the Church, 3rd row, where Bishop Tod Brown distributed the Holy Eucharist, (in the video, I am the woman with short brown hair and glasses, wearing a black sweater and long white skirt sitting on the opposite side (from the camera) of the aisle in the center of the church) and upon approaching the Bishop to receive, I genuflected, out of reverence for the Sacred Species and remained on one knee to receive the Blessed Sacrament. Bishop Brown refused to give me Holy Communion. Bishop Brown said, —You need to stand up—.
I was in shock and didn’t move or respond. He then reached out and took hold of my folded hands, attempting to physically pull me to a standing position, and said more sternly, —You need to stand.—
I looked up and whispered, quietly and respectfully, —Please, bishop—, and he then grabbed my arm, and pulled me, as though to physically pull me up to a standing position (although obscured, you can see where he bends down and extends his right arm to grab mine) as he stated more loudly, —Get up—.
Still on one knee, I then asked very quietly and with genuine ignorance, —Why?—
As he stood up straight he responded, very loudly and sternly, —Because THAT’S the way we receive communion. Now, GET UP, you’re causing a scene.’
Sarcasm warning!
I’m thinking that he should have beaten her with the ciborium…
Oh shoot! Not ciborium —“ you know the special earthy materials cup thingy that holds the, the, whatchamacallit.
O Jezu! któryś umiłował kościół, iż samego siebie wydałeś zań, aby był bez zmazy i zmarszczki, powstań i ucisz wiatry piekielnych potęg, który w dzisiejszych czasach na nas uderzają. Amen.
Note: Your deacon blogger is an alum of Canisius College in Buffalo, NY. At the time the book I am transcribing was written (1904) Peter Canisius was not yet declared a saint by the Roman Catholic Church.
Pontifications has reprinted Convert Provocateurs, an article by Fr Addison H. Hart that originally appeared in the September 2000 issue of Touchstone magazine.
It’s a great read and I highly recommend it.
After reading it you will be amazed reading some of the comments. Amazed and sad really, because in short order some people digress into the typical, yes, but argument. Yes, but didn’t I mention that we belong to/have the only true Church. Yes, you’re close, but you don’t have the fullness of “the Church”.
Fr. Hart speaks a quasi-prophetic message about our eschatological times. He discusses our need to work together, faith, hope, charity… In conclusion he states:
So, in place of polemicism, let us witness to a better way: humility at all times about each of our own Traditions, charity towards one another now in all our dealings (even in our theological exchanges), and hope for a future that—”like it or not—”will put all things in proper perspective and that we will inevitably share.
We (and yes, I’m mindful of my own sinfulness and lack of charity) will have a lot to answer for.
[dels]blogs4god/church[/dels]
While the Turks hold the Secretary of State’s feet to the fire over Cyprus, Fr. Joseph Huneycutt has a piece on the refusal of Israel to recognize the validly elected Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem – all in an attempt to blackmail the new Patriarch into turning over property in Jerusalem for more Jewish settlements :cry:. See When Jews Run the Church (Kinda Sorta).
No sooner than my lobbing a few truths at the fallacy of Turkey then we read that our illustrious Secretary of State is there, hat in hand, and ready to sell out Cyprus for the price of Turkey’s support on an Iranian war.
From ANA:
The Communist Party further said that “the representative of the U.S. placed the victimiser and the victim in the same sack, Turkey and Cyprus, since she called on Cyprus to proceed with measures which will facilitate ‘northern Cyprus'” and pointed out that “it is obvious that the people of Cyprus cannot be optimistic about the ‘solution’ being prepared on the issue of Cyprus.”
You read it here first (oh well, second or third). The communists are stepping up to state the obvious. Turkey invaded Cyprus illegally, has persecuted Greek and other Christians in its walled enclave, and refuses to get out (mosques and all).
From the Turkish press —“ Zaman Daily: Rice Backs Turkey’s Entry to EU
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she believes Turkey should enter the European Union (EU).
During her visit to Athens, Rice met with Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyanni earlier today.
Following her meeting, Rice informed that she and her team spoke with both Turkey and the European Union, and they encouraged Turkey’s accession to the Union.
“Turkey is a European county,— she added, and —it should carry a European character. I believe Turkey should enter the European Union.”
That’s right, our —Christian— President and his administration!
Perhaps a reflection from Isaiah 5:20-23 would be helpful:
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
Woe to those who are mighty to drink wine, and champions at mixing strong drink;
who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice for the innocent!
Thank God for the Greeks who are far less likely to capitulate to the horde.
[dels]blogs4god/pundits[/dels]
O Boże, któryś św. Marka na pisarza Ewangelji świętej wybrać raczył, użycz nam tej łaski, abyśmy według nauki zawartej w Ewangelji żyli, w cnotach postępowali, i kiedyś byli uczestnikami tej chwały, jakiej on zażywa w niebie. Amen.
Fr. Andrew and I traveled down to Scranton, PA yesterday for the High Holy Mass in honor of the 40th anniversary of our Prime Bishop’s ordination to the Holy Priesthood.
It was a little rainy on the trip down, at least until we reached the Pennsylvania border. By the time we reached Scranton the sun was shinning. It was a magnificent day.
I absolutely loved the Holy Mass. The cathedral was packed of course. There were four bishops present, including the Prime Bishop. There were about 40 or more clergy for the celebration including the Very Reverend Fathers, Priests, deacons, subdeacons, and clerics, all dressed in choir.
You couldn’t ask for a more beautiful liturgy. The traditional liturgy performed by the Prime Bishop is absolutely stunning. I hope I am blessed to be taught by him someday.
The Prime Bishop does everything with great reverence and dignity. Every action, every gesture conveys meaning. No gesture, no word, is forced or uncomfortable. The liturgy is performed gracefully by a man of faith. It is the Holy Mass offered by Christ through His ministers as it should be.
Prime Bishop Nemkovich is truly a kind, generous, holy, and down-to-earth man. May our Lord Jesus Christ continue to reward him and grant him many more years of service in God’s field.
O Lord Jesus Christ, the great High Priest who calls chosen souls to offer Your body and blood in sacrifice and to assist You in saving souls, I beg You to grant our Prime Bishop health and every good grace so that he may continue to serve You at Your altar and bring Your faithful people to You. Amen.
Sto Lat Prime Bishop Nemkovich!
[dels]blogs4god/church, blogs4god/polity[/dels]
An excerpt from The Suffering of the Martyred Monk James of Kastoria and his two disciples, Hierodeacon James and the Monk Dionysius:
In order to find a plausible reason to kill the innocent sufferers, for he was ashamed to slay him without just cause, the sultan sent one of his pashas to ask the saint what his opinion was of Christ and of Mohammed. When the pasha put this question to the venerable one, the latter replied with firmness that our Christ is perfect God and perfect Man, and then explained to him the mystery of the Incarnation and the entire economy of God’s salvation and His Providence concerning man. “But what thinkest thou of our prophet?” the pasha asked the holy one. “Your Mohammed is not a prophet, but a charlatan and a liar, the enemy of Christ our God and of our Faith. No one man hath so angered God as Mohammed, and whosoever putteth his trust in him and holdeth him to be a prophet shall be damned.” The pasha conveyed all of this to the sultan, who was furious. Then did he send a company of his Janissaries to the prison, promising them his favor if they would but persuade the venerable one to deny Christ, employing whatsoever means they saw fit. And they going, sought earnestly with every machination to bring the saints to their religion. But the saints, all three together, cried out with one voice, “God forbid that we should ever renounce our Lord Jesus Christ, even if you torture us with ten thousand torments.” They, hearing this, reported it to the sultan.
My thoughts and prayers are with all my Armenian friends and all Armenians throughout the world on this 91st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
April 24, 1915, marked the beginning of the Armenian Genocide – a crime against humanity that led to the death of 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1923. The 500,000 Armenians who survived the horrors of this extermination by the Turks were expelled from their homes and forced to settle in various countries throughout the world.
To this day the Turks refuse to acknowledge the evils their nation committed. To this day Turks, while loudly proclaiming their ‘democratic’ values, persecute Christians.
The Turkish government turns a blind eye to Islamic hegemony in Turkey and Cyprus. Local Turkish communities persecute Christians, churches and monasteries are forcibly co-opted as mosques, clergy are beaten, killed, or must live behind locked doors. The Ecumenical Patriarchate is subject to Turkish rules, has had its property taken, and cannot freely exercise the only true faith.
The democracy of Turkey is a faí§ade covering for the dhimmitude of Christians.
May God save us from the Hagarenes.
[dels]blogs4god/pundits[/dels]