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Month: March 2008

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Homilies,

The Fourth Sunday of Lent

—Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents,
that he was born blind?——¨
Jesus answered,—¨
—Neither he nor his parents sinned;—¨
it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him.—

To our minds Jesus’ statement presents an inconceivable problem. This man was born blind – afflicted – for the sole purpose of showing forth God’s power? Yet that is what happened. Affliction, fearful trouble, showed forth God’s light.

Look at the Gospel. The parents of the man born blind tried to avoid trouble:

Ask him, he is of age;
he can speak for himself.—
His parents said this because they were afraid
of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed
that if anyone acknowledged him as the Christ,
he would be expelled from the synagogue.
For this reason his parents said,
—He is of age; question him.——¨

They wanted to avoid doing the hard thing, attesting to the truth in the face of certain condemnation.

Jesus Christ proclaimed the fact that He is the light of the world. Yet, we still live in fear, fear of condemnation, fear of failure, fear of pain, sickness, misfortune, poverty, weakness. Fear… we fear it all. We fear because we forget that we have nothing to fear.

We have an opportunity today — to remind ourselves that there is nothing to fear as long as we cling to Christ and His Church.

Jesus brought the light, and His light penetrates to the depth of our being. Jesus asks that we allow His light to penetrate into our lives in the same way it penetrated into the life of the man born blind. Jesus’ light destroys all fear. His light does not provide for an easy-going existence, an existence where nothing bad will happen to us as long as we believe. Rather, His light provides for an existence, a life, where nothing, no man, no trouble, no illness, nothing can separate us from God’s love, God’s promise. Jesus’ light gives us the fulness of life – true life – where even in the face of fearful things we are free from fear, we are assured.

Brothers and sisters,

The Pharisees were all caught up in the healing of the blind man. They debated the healing. How could this happen? What could it mean? How was it brought about? They wanted the details and they missed the point, they missed the light. They missed Jesus. On the other hand the man born blind, who lived with the suffering and degradation brought about by his blindness, did not wonder at all. He didn’t curse his former life, ‘Jesus what took you so long,’ but looked at his new life with steadfast joy. He didn’t need an answer. He did not fear the Pharisees. He had the answer, Jesus.

Friends,

If we allow Christ’s light to penetrate us – if we become changed by it, we will have eternal life, a life where fear means nothing. Like the man born blind we will have the answer. We will fear nothing.

The example of our ancestors in faith, the holy saints, apostles, and martyrs, the founders of the PNCC and our parish, Bishops Hodur and Padewski, should be an example to us. There is nothing to fear if we hold true to our faith, if we join together in this holy cause. None backed down or apostatized in the face of fearful things. None at all, for they knew that nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Jesus’ light does not mean an end to suffering. In today’s world it is likely that we will suffer all the more for living in His light. But that suffering is brief – and in reality inconsequential. That suffering is nothing when measured against the promise of eternal life. A promise we are to proclaim – because by it the whole world will be healed and made whole.

Family,

Today, with our Lenten penitential service, we begin again, we renew our commitment, our decision to live in and with the light of Christ. We begin again in our decision to live in accord with our brothers and sisters in the Holy Church. We choose to reject sin and all fear, and we repent.

It is time, the Passiontide begins next week. It is time to choose the light of Christ, to reject all fear, to proclaim the cross and the resurrection. It is time to live in His light, and to reflect that light, sharing it with the world.

As St. Paul noted, we must:

Live as children of light,—¨
for light produces every kind of goodness—¨
and righteousness and truth.

It is our job. It is the truth we must proclaim. It is the struggle we must undertake. It is our work – and by it we will be victorious. Walk out of here today and be fearless. We have nothing to fear. We have chosen to live in the light of Christ.

Amen.

Fathers, PNCC

March 2 – St. Andrew of Crete from the Great Canon of Repentance

Despise not Thy works and forsake not Thy creation, O just Judge and Lover of men, though I alone have sinned as a man more than any man. But being Lord of all, Thou hast power to pardon sins.

The end is drawing near, my soul, is drawing near! But you neither care nor prepare. The time is growing short. Rise! The Judge is near at the very doors. Like a dream, like a flower, the time of this life passes. Why do we bustle about in vain?

Come to your senses, my soul! Consider the deeds you have done, and bring them before your eyes, and pour out the drops of your tears. Boldly tell your thoughts and deeds to Christ, and be acquitted.

There has never been a sin or act or vice in life that I have not committed, O Saviour. I have sinned in mind, word and choice, in purpose, will and action, as no one else has ever done.

Therefore I am condemned, wretch that I am, therefore I am doomed by my own conscience, than which there is nothing in the world more rigorous. O my Judge and Redeemer Who knowest my heart, spare and deliver and save me, Thy servant.

The ladder of old which the great Patriarch saw, my soul, is a model of mounting by action and ascent by knowledge. So, if you wish to live in activity, knowledge and contemplation, be renewed.

Because of his crying need the Patriarch endured the scorching heat of the day, and he bore the frost of the night, daily making gains, shepherding, struggling, slaving, in order to win two wives.

By the two wives understand action and direct knowledge in contemplation: Leah as action, for she had many children, and Rachel as knowledge, which is obtained by much labour. For without labours, my soul, neither action nor contemplation will achieve success. — Troparia from Ode 4, Monday of the First Week of Lent

Perspective, Poland - Polish - Polonia, Political

No Visas for Poles (going to Canada…)

From the IHT: Canada lifts visa requirments for Poland and three other Eastern European countries

TORONTO: Canada is lifting visa requirements for travelers from Poland, Slovakia, Lithuania and Hungary.

Canadian Immigration Minister Diane Finley said Saturday the visa-free status for the four countries takes effect immediately.

About 33,000 Poles came to Canada on short-term visas in 2007.

Poland welcomed the move. Warsaw lifted visa requirements for Canadians in 2004, when Poland joined the European Union.

Warsaw would like the United States to introduce a similar policy.

As would I. Of course being a staunch ally never stopped the U.S. from stepping on Poland. Yalta and all you know… Poland is slowly waking up to that fact and is pulling out of Iraq. Hopefully they do the same with the ABM installation the Bush Administration is touting, either that or force Washington to pay dearly for what they want – in advance.

Current Events, Everything Else, Perspective, Political

Incarceration rate lower for immigrants

From the San Francisco Chronicle: Study: Incarceration rate lower for immigrants

Immigrants in California are far less likely to land in prison than their U.S.-born counterparts, a finding that defies the perception that immigration and crime are connected, according to a study released Monday.

Foreign-born residents make up 35 percent of the state’s overall population, but only 17 percent of the adult prison population, according to the Public Policy Institute of California, which conducted the research.

Noncitizen men from Mexico between the ages of 18 and 40, which the study indicated were more likely to be in the country illegally, were eight times less likely to be in a “correctional setting,” the study found.

The study did not address the visa status of those included among the foreign-born, which would include citizens and noncitizens, including those in the country legally and illegally.

Nonetheless, these results have implications for the current debates over immigration policy, said Kristin Butcher, co-author of the report.

“Our research indicates that limiting immigration, requiring higher educational levels to obtain visas or spending more money to increase penalties against criminal immigrants will have little impact on public safety,” Butcher said in a statement.

While immigrants often have lower levels of education and higher poverty rates, which are normally associated with higher crimes rates, other factors are probably contributing to the underrepresentation among the foreign-born in state prisons…

The story doesn’t mention it, but I would venture to state that immigrants are representative the societies they come from, i.e., family oriented, hard working, and with a strong religious and moral code founded in the Catholic faith. They are here for the purpose of improving the lives of their families – the collective whole of their lives. Going to prison defeats that purpose.

Christian Witness, Current Events, Perspective, Political

Chaldean archbishop kidnapped

From Reuters via the Gulf News: Gunmen kidnap Iraqi Chaldean Catholic archbishop

Mosul, Iraq: Gunmen kidnapped the Chaldean Catholic archbishop of Mosul on Friday in the northern Iraqi city and killed his driver and two guards, police said.

In Rome, Pope Benedict deplored the kidnapping of Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho as a “despicable” crime and urged the gunmen to free the prelate.

Provincial police spokesman Brigadier-General Khaled Abdul Sattar said Rahho was kidnapped in the al-Nour district in eastern Mosul when he left a church.

“Gunmen opened fire on the car, killed the other three and kidnapped the archbishop,” he said.

…

An assistant to Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, the Chaldean patriarch of Baghdad and spiritual leader of Iraq’s Catholics, said they had heard that three people were killed and they did not know the fate of the Rahho.

Chaldeans belong to a branch of the Roman Catholic Church that practises an ancient Eastern rite. Most of its members are in Iraq and Syria, and they form the biggest Christian community in Iraq.

The Vatican issued a statement in Rome saying the pope was saddened by “this new despicable act” which it called a premeditated criminal act.

“The Holy Father asks the universal Church to join in his fervent prayer so that reason and humanity prevails in the kidnappers and Monsignor Rahho is returned to his flock soon,” the statement said.

A number of Christian clergy have been kidnapped or killed, and churches bombed in Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion.

Last June, gunmen killed Catholic priest Ragheed Aziz Kani and three assistants in Mosul, 390 km north of Baghdad, after stopping his car near a church in the eastern part of the ethnically and religiously mixed city.

The assailants dragged out the priest and his assistants and shot them dead in an attack that was condemned by Pope Benedict…

This sort of thing didn’t happen under Saddam Hussein. Now, the persecution of Christians is a regular occurrence. This under the U.S. backed government of Iraq. That’s the U.S. government run by a man who calls himself a Christian.

Of course, as I’ve said here before, Evangelicals like Mr. Bush believe Catholics aren’t Christians at all. To Mr. Bush the murder of these people is just one more step along the route to the Armageddon. Hurray for Israel, hurray for death, hurray for the second coming. My will be done.

Thankfully, real Christians of every sort have the assurance that only the Father knows the time, and that Mr. Bush’s idea of control does not affect God in any way (other than the sorrow He must feel at the deaths that Mr. Bush has inflicted).

May God return the Archbishop safely and may the perpetual light shine upon those who were murdered. Amen.

Fathers, PNCC

March 1 – St. Andrew of Crete from the Great Canon of Repentance

The Lord rained fire from the Lord, my soul, and burnt up the former land of Sodom.

Escape to the mountain like Lot, my soul, and make Zoar your refuge in time.

Run from the burning, my soul! Run from the heat of Sodom! Run from the destruction of the divine flame.

I alone have sinned against Thee, sinned above all men. O Christ my Saviour, spurn me not. Thou art the good Shepherd; seek me, Thy lamb, and neglect not me who have gone astray.

Thou art my sweet Jesus, Thou art my Creator; in Thee, O Saviour, I shall be justified.

I confess to Thee, O Saviour, I have sinned, I have sinned against Thee, but absolve and forgive me in Thy compassion. — Troparia from Ode 3, Monday of the First Week of Lent

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