O św. Zofjo, która wraz z trzema córkami swemi ożywiona byłaś prawdziwą miłością wiary Chrystusa, i zasłużyłaś z niemi na koronę chwały w niebie, wyproś nam u Boga tę łaskę, abyśmy wyznając Jezusa przed ludźmi nietylko słowy ale i uczynkami, zasłużyli sobie na zbawienie wieczne w niebie. Amen.
When Saul arrived in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples,
but they were all afraid of him,
not believing that he was a disciple.
Then Barnabas took charge of him and brought him to the apostles,
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus and most especially today all of you, our beloved mothers,
Poor Saul, fired up for the Lord. He arrives in Jerusalem and tries to join the disciples there. His Jewish friends have rejected him as a heretic and apostate. But Saul is on fire, ready to take on the world and convert all to the name of Jesus. He’s ready to bring them to Jesus’ Church. Saul met a cold, stony wall of silence, both from the Jews and from the disciples in Jerusalem.
Like Saul, our children are born into this world with hearts on fire for the Lord. They are full of hope and consummate wonder at the greatness of God’s creation.
Our children are born into a world that yearns and groans for the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom so easily seen in their love. Children see the Kingdom of God with a love and understanding that surpasses the learning of the sophisticated and the imagination of the theologian. Like Saul our children are called to make the name of Jesus known to all.
Saul, the new believer, on fire for the Lord, needed a friend. Barnabas took him under his wing and brought him to the Apostles. He introduced him to the Church. He not only made all the appropriate introductions, but he bore witness to Saul’s proclamation of the Lord.
Mothers, on this special day dedicated to your honor, reflect on this passage and on what Barnabas did for Saul.
You do the very same thing for your children, born into the world, and into your motherly care, with the fire of the Holy Spirit within them.
These, your children, are not known to the world and the world fears their innocence and love. Like Saul, your children are neophytes to the faith. Like Saul, your children’s coming here identifies them as heretics from the beliefs of and faith in the world.
You, by sacrificing from your very heart, have brought them into the world and, like Barnabas; have taken them under your wing. You protect them and love them. Doing right by them you bring them to the apostles, to the Holy Church. You bring them here and they bear witness to the way you raised them. They bear witness to your faith in Jesus Christ and His Church.
In the beginning their witness is the innocence of love that knows God so well. Their witness is the innocence of love that allows them to see the very plain fact that Jesus loves them and wants to be with them.
If you have listened to the words of the psalmist:
Let the coming generation be told of the LORD
that they may proclaim to a people yet to be born
the justice he has shown.
… then your children will do that throughout their lives. They will forge ahead, and with your love and guidance they will continue to proclaim Jesus Christ, the Messiah. In a time to come, and to a people yet to be born, they will bear witness to His name.
This is your heritage and your gift.
As mothers you hope, pray, and most especially work, non-stop, for the welfare of your children. You wish —“ and more than wish —“ you make possible your children’s ability to reach beyond themselves, to become the gift that God has given to the world from the very instant they were conceived.
You know, as mothers, that your children can achieve greatness, personal success, and perhaps even great fame. Perhaps they will achieve the sort of quiet fame most of us reach. It is the quiet fame of being a good provider, a faithful friend, a good husband or wife. Regardless, you have cooperated in bringing God’s gift to maturity.
Jesus Himself told us that the Father:
…takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,
and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
Mothers, you are the branches that have borne fruit. Not just the mere presence of a child, but the presence of a child, who with your love and care, matures into a man or woman of God. The Father has pruned you through the struggles, pains and sorrows you have faced, and has made you the instrument through which your children will become powerful witness for Jesus Christ. Remember to have faith in the fact that the Father makes you into the perfect instrument for the job you have to do.
St. John reminds us that the Father’s commandment is this:
we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,
and love one another just as he commanded us.
You understand this well. You live this in your witness, your example to your children and to the world. Because of you your children will have life everlasting. Thank you for giving us this gift. Thank you mom for bringing us to the Lord.
[dels]blogs4god/sermons[/dels]
Zapomnij o Boże grzechów moich; między tych męczenników, którzy krew dla ciebie przelali, policz także duszę moją, a ludu twego, krwią Chrystusa odkupionego, broń od złości grzechów pogańskich. Boś Ty nasz Bóg, nasz Pan, Błogosławiony na wieki wieków. Przez Chrystusa Pana naszego. Amen.
I’ve added Philorthodox to my blogroll (thanks to the Young Fogey)
Per their masthead:
This site is dedicated to the traditional Anglican expression of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ. We profess the orthodox Christian Faith enshrined in the three great Creeds and the Seven Ecumenical Councils of the ancient undivided Church. We celebrate the Seven Sacraments of the historic Church. We cherish and continue the Catholic Revival inaugurated by the Tractarian or Oxford Movement. Definitely not ‘tepid centrist Anglicanism!…’
Father Chandler Holder Jones, SSC who runs the blog has written some on the PNCC and has an interest in the Old Catholic/Independent Catholic movement.
Błogosławiona Jutto, która ukochałaś ubóstwo i pokorę, a dla nędzy biźniego miałaś życzliwe serce i hojną rękę, uproś nam u Boga tę łaskę, abyśmy starali się nie tylko o dobro doczesne bliźniego, ale i o uświęcenie wewnętrzne, i wten sposób wysłużyli sobie miłosierdzie u Boga. Amen.
O Jezu dla ciebie żyję, o Jezu dla ciebie chcę umrzeć, o Jezu twoim chcę być w życiu i w śmierci. O Jezu tyś moim życiem, a umrzeć dla ciebie jest zyskiem dla mnie. Dziękuję ci zbawicielu za łaskę, iż przyjąłeś mnie do grona wiernych sług Twoich, i ze wkrótce stanę przed tronem Twoim w niebie. Amen.
You may wish to check out the website of the IV All-Diaspora Council of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. The business at hand is the re-unification of ROCOR with the Moscow Patriarchate.
O Boże, któryś sługę Twego św. Jana Damasceńskiego, za obronę czci obrazów świętych, i za rozliczne cnoty wieczną nadgrodziłeś chwałą, za jego przyczyną użycz nam tej łaski, abyśmy na widok obrazów świętych przypominali sobie ich cnoty, i starali się usilnie je naśladować. Amen.
Prosimy Cię wszechmogący wieczny Boże, udziel nam ducha pokory, abyśmy wysoko o sobie nie rozumieli i na obowiązkowe nie narzekali prace, ale patrząc na przykład św. Izydora oracza naśladowali go w cnocie, pracy i modlitwie. Amen.
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review carried a story by Craig Smith on May 4th concerning the firing of a Roman Catholic parish’s youth music director. The youth music director was fired by the “pastor” of the Roman Catholic Church in Sewickley, PA. The pastor is being backed up by the Pittsburgh Diocese of course.
The youth music director, Mary Lynn Pleczkowski, is the wife of a PNCC priest who serves with the United States Air Force. He was recently stationed in Afghanistan.
Mrs. Pleczkowski had worked for the R.C. parish for fifteen (15) years. Many in the parish were saddened by her sudden firing.
The Roman Catholic Church is using a little known provision in its ‘laws’ called the ‘Cardinal’s clause’ as the reason for the firing.
Mrs. Pleczkowski is now without work. I imagine that that’s quite a burden, you know with two children and with your husband away serving his country – most recently in harms way.
Now, the stated reason for using the ‘Cardinal’s clause’ is because the R.C. Church does not recognize Father and Mrs. Pleczkowski’s marriage. Father Pleczkowski was a R.C. priest who left the R.C. Church to get married. He subsequently joined and was accepted by the PNCC as a priest in good standing.
The R.C. Church has a double standard concerning PNCC clergy. They recognize our orders and other sacraments (the Tribune Review story states they do not which is in error), but refuse to recognize PNCC clergy in good standing who used to be R.C. priests.
This double standard opens up all sorts of problems and personally I think it is motivated more by “hurt feelings” than by good theology.
Imagine this. A R.C. parishioner finds him/herself in urgent need of the sacraments. They avail themselves of the sacraments from a PNCC priest. Should they have checked the ‘do not call’ list before doing so?
Many people who read this blog would understand the differences between sacraments being valid and licit (from an R.C. perspective). But what about that poor parishioner who hears half truths from certain R.C. pastors who carry an animus toward the PNCC? These pastors aren’t even familiar with the information printed in the back of the missalette they use.
Speaking of animus:
The October 2005 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and PNCC joint press release on the R.C. – PNCC dialog had this little tidbit in it:
Sacramental sharing between PNCC military chaplains and Roman Catholic military personnel was also discussed.
Actually that statement has been in a few of the releases. Hmmm, I wonder if someone got upset because Father Pleczkowski gave communion to an R.C. soldier (which is perfectly allowable)?
Here’s a few excerpts from the Pittsburgh piece: ‘Cardinal’s clause’ used in church firing
The use of a little known Catholic statute to fire a music leader at a Sewickley church has outraged some parishioners and divided a congregation that has been through controversy before.
The Rev. Ed Wichman removed Mary Lynn Pleczkowski from her paid position as associate music director at St. James Church because she’s married to a priest affiliated with a church the Vatican does not recognize.
Wichman invoked the “cardinal’s clause,” which, in part, prohibits people whose marriages are not recognized by the church from holding church positions. Pleczkowski married her husband, Robert, in a Methodist church about 20 years ago. He now is a priest in the Polish National Catholic Church.
The marriage didn’t show up on the radar screen until Wichman was assigned to the parish, Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese spokesman the Rev. Ron Lengwin said. Wichman attended Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md. with Pleczkowski’s husband roughly two decades ago.
St. James announced Sunday that Pleczkowski was “moving on” from her post.
Pleczkowski did not return numerous calls. Wichman referred calls to Lengwin.
Pleczkowski had worked as associate music director at St. James for about 15 years.
Her dismissal stunned the youth choir Pleczkowski oversaw and hurt her family, said friends and relatives.
“She got kids involved in the choir, and that sparked them to be more involved in the parish,” said St. James parishioner Anna Villella, of Sewickley. “I understand there are rules and regulations but … this is tremendously difficult on the children.”
“Everyone is devastated. She is like a second mom,” said Lacey Gerle, 18, of Sewickley, who has been in the choir at St. James since the sixth grade.
…
A person who posted a comment at Kelly B’s Blog on Your Sewickley may have had a similar clue about revenge.
For info about St. James Parish (they have four websites):
St. James’ Diocesan website
St. James’ own website (Mrs. Pleczkowski is still listed under the Parish Directory, Music Ministry)
St. James’ music ministry website (Mrs. Pleczkowski is prominently listed)
St. James School
From their April 16, 2006 bulletin (note PDF format):
SHORT SERMON
We were called to be witnesses –
not lawyers and judges.
The URI for the bulletin is in part “/bull/20060416”. Yep.
Check out the “Marriage Moments” articles from the bulletins. Ooops, not you Mrs. Pleczkowski.
[dels]blogs4god/polity[/dels]