Prosimy Cię wszechmogący Boże, abyśmy grzechów naszych ciężarem przygnębieni, ulgę i wyzwolenie znaleźli za przyczyną błogosławionego Leonarda, opata. Przez Chrystusa Pana naszego. Amen.
From Reuters: Vatican cautions against executing Saddam
—Even in a situation like Iraq, where there are hundreds of de facto death sentences every day, adding another death to this toll will not serve anything,—
Quoting Father Michele Simone, deputy director of the Vatican-approved Jesuit journal Civilta Cattolica, commenting on the death sentence given to Saddam Hussein today.
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him,
“You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
Today’s readings and Gospel would seem to allow me and other members of the clergy an opportunity to do a no-brainer homily. After all, the readings and Gospel simply point out that we are to love God and love our neighbor.
Most people would know that —“ and they would know it intuitively. You could be a Christian, a Jew, or a Muslim and know that much. The vast majority of Americans have a belief in God and they know, at least subconsciously, that they are supposed to love Him. After all, He loves them.
In presenting a homily I could opt to drone on about love. Love, love, love —“ all you need is love. Not a bad Beatles tune.
The concept of love, like the Beatles tune, has become the Muzak of our times. Love is discussed, analyzed, Dr. Phil’d, Oprah’d, written about, and presented in the media almost constantly. Love is the staple through which Hallmark has made billions.
Moses, Jesus, the scribe all say:
“Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone!
Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God,
with all your heart,
and with all your soul,
and with all your strength.
When they say ‘Hear, O Israel,’ who are they talking about? The Jewish people? Modern Israel?
No, ‘Hear, O Israel‘ is addressed to you and to me. We are Israel, grafted onto the vine. As St. Paul tell the Ephesians:
Therefore, remember that at one time you, Gentiles in the flesh, called the uncircumcision by those called the circumcision, which is done in the flesh by human hands, were at that time without Christ, alienated from the community of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have become near by the blood of Christ.
In Jesus’ blood we have become adopted sons and daughters and co-heirs to God’s promise. Jesus, perfect priest and perfect sacrifice, who because of His sinlessness had no need to offer sacrifices for Himself to the Father, sacrificed Himself for us.
The first and foremost proof of God’s love is the shedding of Jesus’ blood for us, and in that blood our adoption.
When Moses, Jesus, and the scribe speak of the required totality of love —“ a love involving every aspect of our being, what are they talking about?
Have you ever felt that kind of love, the kind that causes you pain when you are away from the one you love? The kind of passionate, deep, pervasive, total love that can best be described as hunger?
That’s the kind of love they were talking about. And, they did not mean until the honeymoon is over.
We, the new Israel, are to pour ourselves and our totality into God alone.
Listen to the love described in today’s Psalm:
I love you, O LORD, my strength,
O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.
My God, my rock of refuge,
my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!
Praised be the LORD, I exclaim,
and I am safe from my enemies.
The LORD lives! And blessed be my rock!
Extolled be God my savior.
The psalmist was in love with the Lord. To him, the Lord was everything.
Our love for God and our neighbor is a derivative of God’s perfect love. God’s love is within us, and we as Catholic Christians share most closely in that love because the Holy Eucharist is present, here among us and within us.
Our love is indeed a derivative of God’s love because God’s love is part of our very essence as human beings. This is why the taking of life is immoral —“ for God places His love in each and every human being, whether an embryo, a single cell, a blastocyst, a prisoner, the elderly, or the terminally ill. God’s love is within all, even our enemies.
Our love for God and for our neighbor is a full immersion experience.
When Jesus saw that the scribe understood this He said:
“You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
When you commit yourself, when you immerse yourself, when you allow nothing to stand between you and your love —“ that is, God, then, just like the scribe who understood, you will be assured of the fact that you are not far from the kingdom of God.
But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
Check out The Undercroft, a new blog. The writing there is wonderful; a lot to consider in efficient verse.
Thanks to the Young Fogey for pointing to this.
Św. Edmundzie, któryś okazał się stałym w przeciwnościach, a zamiłowany w cierpieniu; ścigany przez zawistnych, oczerniany przez bezbożnych znosiłeś krzywdy z dziwnym serca spokojem! Wyproś mi u Boga tę łaskę, abym Cię naśladował, i stal się godnym niebieskiej szczęśliwości. Przez Chrystusa Pana naszego. Amen.
- The Envoy – Warren Zevon, The Best of Warren Zevon
- Boom Boom Mancini —“ Warren Zevon, Genius
- Lazy —“ Deep Purple, Machine Head
- Desbocado —“ Bruno Battisti D´Amario, Samba para Ti & More
- Moja ty Marysiu —“ Promni, A witajcie przyjaciele
- Trampled Under Foot —“ Led Zepplin, Physical Graffiti
- Ur w ziemi chaldejskiej —“ Stanisław Soyka, Tryptyk Rzymski
- Dancing Dreams —“ Michael Urbaniak, Michael Urbaniak
- Mr. Bad Example —“ Warren Zevon, Genius
- Nobody In His Right Mind Would Have Left Her —“ George Strait, Greatest Hits Volume II
Racz ochraniać, Panie, Kościół Twój nieustanną opieką świętego Karola Wyznawcy Twego i Biskupa, a jako pasterska gorliwość uczyniła go chwalebnym, tak niech za jego przyczyną i my w miłości dla Ciebie coraz żarliwszymi będziemy. Amen.
I attended the Central Diocesan Clergy Conference this past Tuesday.
The Holy Mass offered by Prime Bishop Nemkovich was beautiful and prayerful. Being together with my brothers, praying and singing, united to our Bishop, is always a wonderful thing.
A lot of normal business was covered during the meeting. My brother priests received the newly minted Missals, and the revised Service of Worship and Holy Communion for deacons will be off the presses shortly. Prime Bishop Nemkovich kindly showed me his copy. It is really well done with well defined rubrics.
The most interesting tidbits come from the discussion on PNCC —“ Roman Catholic relations.
The latest twist is that some R.C. clergy are now attempting to re-baptize members of the PNCC.
There’s other one-off silliness such as the diatribe against the PNCC contained in a weekly bulletin from the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus R.C. Church in Wallington, New Jersey. It appears that the Very Rev. Canon Felix R. Marciniak and company, having control over a parish of some 2,300 families, a school, and a whole bunch of organizations and activities, feels threatened by poor Transfiguration of Our Lord PNCC in Wallington.
Quoting the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus website (Parish History page):
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish is a living, breathing and growing sign of God’s love in our community and in our lives.
…as long as there are no PNCC parishes in our community.
In addition to the above, PNCC members are still being denied the Holy Eucharist in some R.C. parishes.
If you are a PNCC member, please remember that when attending Mass in a Roman Catholic parish (only when a PNCC parish is not nearby) you should come prepared with a copy of a Roman Catholic pew missal.
You can point out the text on the back cover to the local priest, showing him that you are allowed to receive the Eucharist. If that’s not enough (especially in cases where he wishes to re-baptize you), bring a copy of Journeying Together in Christ: The Report of the Polish National Catholic-Roman Catholic Dialogue (1984-1989) which clearly outlines the fact that the R.C. Church accepts our Baptism and Confirmation, Eucharist, Orders, and Anointing.
Remember, you still must fast two hours before receiving the Holy Eucharist and you may not take the Eucharist into your hands. Try to get in the line so that you may receive the Eucharist from a Priest or Deacon (which is not always possible, because they may be sitting to the side while the ‘Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist’ distribute communion*).
To play on the old adage: If everyone else is profaning the Eucharist are you going to profane it too?
Oh, and let me add one: You, like some PNCC members, may experience having R.C. priests attempt to proselytize you while you are in the hospital. Just show them the missalette and ask for the Eucharist.
*Which is not supposed to happen. These folks are only to be used in extraordinary situations, they are not to appear, act, or behave like clergy, and according to the most recent pronouncement from the Vatican they may not purify the vessels used for Holy Communion. Just like the prohibition against using profane materials for sacred vessels, these guidelines are often ignored by local R.C. clergy and bishops.
I have voted in every election, even the most mundane ones such as school board and library board elections, ever since I gained the right to vote.
Regardless of the hopelessness, regardless of the fact that my one vote will not achieve any kind of change, or make any difference in the predefined outcome, I will not refrain from voting.
This year’s vote is particularly important.
Voting is my statement —“ saying I believe in the United States that propagates this right. You remember —“ the nation of ideals —“ democracy, freedom, rugged individualism, family, true conservatism. When I vote I will be saying that I remember and believe in the country that didn’t torture its prisoners, that didn’t strike first, that didn’t spy on its citizens, and that didn’t call political opponents traitors.
This year is tough. I get to chose between Democrats who will pave the streets in the blood of aborted and murdered children (abortion and ESCR) and Republicans who will pave the streets in the blood of our serviceman and women, of prisoners (death penalty), and of so many innocents around the world.
The alternate lines offer a means of protest. Whether Conservative, Libertarian, Reform, or Green, a vote on those lines will say, at least in part, I do not agree.
In any event, I encourage you to get out and vote. Make your vote a moment of prayer, asking for God’s mercy on us just before you pull the level, punch the card, write the name, or press the button. Make your one small voice heard. We may never take back our state or country, but at least we can maintain our personal dignity (as long as they let us).
From the BBC: US closes ‘bomb secrets’ website
The US government has closed one of its websites that contained documents found during the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Weapons experts had complained that the site contained details on making nuclear bombs, the New York Times said.
The US had set up the site to post documents that it hoped might reveal information about Saddam Hussein’s weapons programmes.
A US national intelligence spokesman said there would be a careful review before the site went online again.
The website, Iraqi Freedom Document Portal, was set up in March after pressure from Republican legislators that intelligence experts were taking too long to comb through thousands of documents from Saddam Hussein’s Iraq…
That’s right, those Republican hard core neo-conservatives that led us into war were so ticked off that WMDs were not found that they wanted these documents released so they could pour through them to find proof of WMDs.
It appears that their desire for proof has led to their giving away the store (let’s see them accept personal responsibility). If some nut job terrorist imports a nuke we will be able to thank Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, and the rest of their company.
It’s ironic that the Bush administration is now touring the country telling everyone that electing Democrats will bring death and destruction to our shores.