Prośby nasze Panie racz łaskawie wysłuchać, być nam obroną, miejscem ucieczki, a wyzwoliwszy nas z więzów grzechowych, zachowaj nas od wszego złego. Przez Chrystusa Pana naszego. Amen.
God looked at everything He had made, and He found it very good.
Teenagers and children —“ you have a job to do.
We need you to build on the foundations we have laid. We need you to build, not by becoming us, but by adding your uniqueness, your gifts, your personalities to the Church —“ to the Christian life.
Adults, all of us, are afraid, not just for your safety, not just for your health, education, and well-being, but for the most important aspect of your life —“ that you share yourselves with us and that what you share be everlasting.
You are more than the future.
When people talk at you they tell you —“ ‘oh look you are our future.’ Then they try to capture your imagination and attention. They do this by trying to give you everything. Look you can be rich, we can provide you with cool music and clothes, fun and pleasure are easy. Just remember, you are our future.
Those sayings, those types of things are just a way for people to capture you. They want to capture you and turn you into what they are.
Mom and Dad, your teachers and friends, counselors, doctors, all want you to be their future. ‘Look, you are just like me.’
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Christian Family.
Our Holy Church chooses to mark this special day as a festival. Our Holy Church chooses to focus on family.
But what is family? Is it a group of older people and their future? Is it a group of clones where everyone thinks, looks, dresses, eats, and acts the same?
I don’t think that these would count as Christian families.
The essence of the Christian family is the conscious sharing of ourselves with each other. That is what heaven will be like —“ no barriers, no putting on masks. You will be the perfection of who you are, and you will share yourself freely in the adoration of God.
That means that we, here on earth, have to bring who we are to the table. It means that we all have to respect the fact that God created each of us in His image, as today’s reading from Genesis tells us:
Then God said: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness… God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them.
God does not make mistakes. He doesn’t make errors in His use of His creative power. He endows, gives, each of us a share in His image. We each have a uniqueness —“ a unique personality, unique skills and abilities, all coupled with a natural desire to be part of a family, to be loved, and to reach God.
My dear children and teens, I do not want you to turn into me. I already have one me.
Remember that Jesus said a very powerful thing when he blessed the children:
“Amen, I say to you,
whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child
will not enter it.”
Jesus, being God, knows that each person, regardless of their appearance, status, age, or stature is valuable in His Church. As St. Paul tells us:
Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all and in all.
What I wish for —“ and more importantly what I pray for —“ is that you turn into ‘the you’ God created you to be. I pray that Our Lady, our patron, watches over you and guides you so that you share yourselves with the entire Catholic Christian community. And finally I pray with Jesus who said:
I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the evil one.
They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world.
Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth.
As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world.
We pray that the world does not bind you, but that you challenge the world by your Christian witness. We pray and ask that you be kept safe, and that you clearly see that you are valuable, not as our clone, not as our future, but simply because you are valuable to God.
Teenagers, children, you have a job to do. The job you have is to share yourselves with us as a community, and with the whole world – to share that part of God’s image that is you.
+ Come Holy Spirit, come!
And from Your celestial home,
shed a ray of light divine!
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Light,
of Strength, and of Love. With His
sevenfold gifts He enlightens the mind,
strengthens the will, and inflames the
heart with the love of God. We should
invoke the Holy Spirit daily, for the Spirit
aids us in our infirmity. We do not know
what we should pray for, nor how we
should pray, but Scripture tells us that
the Spirit Himself asks for us.
Prayer
Almighty and eternal God, You have
regenerated us by water and the Holy
Spirit, and have given us forgiveness for
all our sins. From Heaven send forth
upon our Holy Synod Your sevenfold
Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and
Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and
Fortitude, the Spirit of Knowledge and
Piety, and fill us with the Spirit of the
Fear of the Lord. Amen.
Give them virtue’s sure reward;
Give them Your salvation, Lord;
Give them joys that never end. Amen.
The Gift of Wisdom
Embodying all the other gifts, as charity embraces all the other virtues, Wisdom is the most perfect of the gifts. Of Wisdom it is written “all good things together came to me in her company, and countless riches at her hands.” (Wisdom 7:11) It is the gift of Wisdom that strengthens our faith, fortifies hope, perfects charity, and promotes the practice of virtue in the highest degree. Wisdom enlightens the mind to discern and relish things divine, in the appreciation of which earthly joys lose their savor, while the Cross of Christ yields a divine sweetness according to the words of the Savior: “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves.” (Matthew 11:29)
Prayer
Come, O Spirit of Wisdom, and reveal to the souls of all those attending Holy Synod the mysteries of heavenly things, their exceeding greatness, power and beauty. Teach all in attendance to love these above and beyond all the passing joys and satisfactions of earth. Help all of us to attain them and possess them for ever. Amen.
Our Father … Hail Mary … Glory be to the Father …
Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit
On my knees, before the great
multitude of heavenly witnesses, I offer
myself, soul and body, to You, Eternal
Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of
Your purity, the unerring keenness of
Your justice, and the might of Your love.
You are the Strength and Light of my
soul. In You I live and move and am. I
desire never to grieve You by
unfaithfulness to grace and I pray with
all my heart to be kept from the smallest
sin against You. Mercifully guard my
every thought and grant that I may
always watch for Your light, listen to Your
voice, and follow Your gracious
inspirations. I cling to You and give
myself to You and ask You, by Your
compassion, to watch over me in my
weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of
Jesus and looking at His five Wounds,
and trusting in His Precious Blood and
adoring His opened Side and Stricken
Heart, I implore You, Adorable Spirit,
Helper of my infirmity, to keep me in
Your grace that I may never sin against
You. Give me grace, O Holy Spirit, to
say to You always and everywhere,
“Speak for Your servant is listening.” (1
Sam. 3:10b)
Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit
O Lord Jesus Christ, Who, before
ascending into heaven, did promise to
send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work
in the souls of the Apostles and Disciples,
grant the same Holy Spirit to our Polish
National Catholic Church that it may be
made perfect in the work of Your grace
and Your love. Grant us the Spirit of
Wisdom that we may despise the
perishable things of this world and aspire
only after the things that are eternal; the
Spirit of Understanding to enlighten our
minds with the light of Your divine truth;
the Spirit of Counsel that we may ever
choose the surest way of pleasing God
and gaining heaven; the Spirit of Fortitude
that we may bear our crosses with You
and that we may overcome with courage
all the obstacles that oppose our
salvation; the Spirit of Knowledge that
we may know God and know ourselves
and grow perfect in the knowledge of
the Saints; the Spirit of Piety that we
may find the service of God sweet and
amiable, and the Spirit of the Fear of the
Lord, that we may be filled with a loving
reverence towards God and may dread
in anyway to displease Him. Dear Lord,
mark our Polish National Catholic
Church with the sign of discipleship and
enliven our Holy Synod in all its dealings
with Your Spirit. Amen. +
Boże, który nam pozwalasz obchodzić dzień urodzin dla nieba świętych Męczenników Twoich Sergjusza i Bachusa, spraw, ażebyśmy w wiecznej szczęśliwości z ich towarzystwa się weselili. Amen.
Father Jim Tucker has the next callout for the Ipod Shuffle: Random Playlist for the Weekend.
Here’s mine:
- He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands – Loretta Lynn, The Gospel Spirit
- Bar na Stawach – Wolna Grupa Bukowina, Słonecznik
- Wysławiajcie Panie —“ Taizé, Venite Exultemus
- Góral Polka – Dynatones, Vintage Dynatones
- Rock`n`roll na dobry początek – Budka Suflera, Za Ostatni Grosz
- Doxology —“ Passion Worship Band, Hymns Ancient & Modern
- Beautiful Loser —“ Bob Seger, Beautiful Loser
- Nuta z Ponidzia – Wolna Grupa Bukowina, Niechaj zabrzmi
- Dressed for Success —“ Roxette, Look Sharp!
- I Was In The House When The House Burned Down – Warren Zevon, Genius: The Best Of Warren Zevon
It appears that the R.C. Church is being confronted by the latest ‘word on the street’ rumors.
Among these are a BBC story on the abolishment of the Limbo concept, and from a pointer at Hallowed Ground, a discussion on an imminent decree allowing the free and unrestricted universal usage of the traditional (Tridentine) liturgy (allegedly coming to a R.C. Church near you this November).
Either the R.C.’s are getting more PNCC or WRO or people are putting faith in rumors.
Perhaps someone can now comment on how the Pope will give the liberals a goodie by abolishing Limbo while throwing conservatives a bone by giving them the Rite they desire. It’s all part of a [pick one: deeper mystery, Masonic plot, chain-yanking exercise], someone will claim.
Kim Fabricius posts Ten propositions on peace and war at Faith and Theology. This is a must read.
+ Come Holy Spirit, come!
And from Your celestial home,
shed a ray of light divine!
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Light,
of Strength, and of Love. With His
sevenfold gifts He enlightens the mind,
strengthens the will, and inflames the
heart with the love of God. We should
invoke the Holy Spirit daily, for the Spirit
aids us in our infirmity. We do not know
what we should pray for, nor how we
should pray, but Scripture tells us that
the Spirit Himself asks for us.
Prayer
Almighty and eternal God, You have
regenerated us by water and the Holy
Spirit, and have given us forgiveness for
all our sins. From Heaven send forth
upon our Holy Synod Your sevenfold
Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and
Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and
Fortitude, the Spirit of Knowledge and
Piety, and fill us with the Spirit of the
Fear of the Lord. Amen.
On the faithful, who adore
And confess You evermore,
In your sevenfold gifts descend.
The Gift of Counsel
The gift of Counsel endows the soul with supernatural prudence, enabling it to judge promptly and rightly what must be done, especially in difficult circumstances. Counsel applies the principles furnished by Knowledge and Understanding to the innumerable concrete cases that confront us in the course of our daily duties as parents, teachers, public servants and Christian citizens. Counsel is supernatural common sense, a priceless treasure in the quest of salvation. “Most important of all, pray to God to set your feet in the path of truth.” (Sirach 37:15)
Prayer
O Spirit of Counsel, help and guide those attending Holy Synod in all their ways, that they may always do Your holy will. Incline their hearts to that which is good; turn them away from all that is evil, and direct them by the straight path of Your commandments to that goal of eternal life for which we long. Amen.
Our Father … Hail Mary … Glory be to the Father …
Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit
On my knees, before the great
multitude of heavenly witnesses, I offer
myself, soul and body, to You, Eternal
Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of
Your purity, the unerring keenness of
Your justice, and the might of Your love.
You are the Strength and Light of my
soul. In You I live and move and am. I
desire never to grieve You by
unfaithfulness to grace and I pray with
all my heart to be kept from the smallest
sin against You. Mercifully guard my
every thought and grant that I may
always watch for Your light, listen to Your
voice, and follow Your gracious
inspirations. I cling to You and give
myself to You and ask You, by Your
compassion, to watch over me in my
weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of
Jesus and looking at His five Wounds,
and trusting in His Precious Blood and
adoring His opened Side and Stricken
Heart, I implore You, Adorable Spirit,
Helper of my infirmity, to keep me in
Your grace that I may never sin against
You. Give me grace, O Holy Spirit, to
say to You always and everywhere,
“Speak for Your servant is listening.” (1
Sam. 3:10b)
Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit
O Lord Jesus Christ, Who, before
ascending into heaven, did promise to
send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work
in the souls of the Apostles and Disciples,
grant the same Holy Spirit to our Polish
National Catholic Church that it may be
made perfect in the work of Your grace
and Your love. Grant us the Spirit of
Wisdom that we may despise the
perishable things of this world and aspire
only after the things that are eternal; the
Spirit of Understanding to enlighten our
minds with the light of Your divine truth;
the Spirit of Counsel that we may ever
choose the surest way of pleasing God
and gaining heaven; the Spirit of Fortitude
that we may bear our crosses with You
and that we may overcome with courage
all the obstacles that oppose our
salvation; the Spirit of Knowledge that
we may know God and know ourselves
and grow perfect in the knowledge of
the Saints; the Spirit of Piety that we
may find the service of God sweet and
amiable, and the Spirit of the Fear of the
Lord, that we may be filled with a loving
reverence towards God and may dread
in anyway to displease Him. Dear Lord,
mark our Polish National Catholic
Church with the sign of discipleship and
enliven our Holy Synod in all its dealings
with Your Spirit. Amen. +
Niech nas wspomoże, prosimy Cię Panie, przyczyna św. Brunona, Wyznawcy Twego, abyśmy obraziwszy sprawiedliwość Twoją, przez modlitwy i zasługi jego, przebaczenie win naszych otrzymali. Amen.
St. Bruno was the founder of the Carthusian Order. A recent film, Into Great Silence chronicles their life.
Lorelle VanFossen of Lorelle on WordPress has written quite a few posts on splogs and other blog content thievery.
Sites such as Bitacle parse through RSS feeds from various blogs and steal their content. You don’t have to be an ‘A list’ blogger for this to happen to you – everyone is vulnerable. The splogs do not link back or trackback to the original site. They do not attribute the work, they just take the content. They then market the content as their own, coupling it with related advertising —“ thus making money for themselves – off your work.
This type of stealing, sometimes called scraping, is becoming more and more common.
Lorelle has various articles on this phenomenon as well as information on WordPress plugins and tools that help in identifying and stopping theft. Check out the following:
- The Bitacle Battle of Blogs
- What Do You Do When Someone Steals Your Content
- Digital Fingerprints Help Track Blog Content Theft along with Maxpower’s Digital Fingerprint WordPress Plugin Updated
- AntiLeech Splog Stopper: Fighting Back Against Content Thieves
While we faith bloggers don’t mind getting the word out, we should be careful as to how our content is used, what ads the content is paired up with, and what comments are made on our posts (yes, sploggers allow people to comment on stolen content). A word of warning is spoken.