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Day: August 11, 2008

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Christian Witness, Perspective, PNCC, Poland - Polish - Polonia, ,

Posting spree, life, and gifts

Notice today’s posting spree? I can start by saying that I would have loved to spread this out as background information arrived, but this past weekend was just a bit too physically challenging for me. I felt absolutely lousy all weekend. I actually missed Holy Mass on Sunday – the first time in years. Needless to say, posting to the blog wasn’t high on the priority list. I feel much better now and have a burst of energy. I guess I just needed rest, light eating, and as always, God’s blessing. A measure of my renewed energy comes from the inspiration for many of these posts.

The source of many of today’s posts comes from a benefactor whom I truly admire – a storehouse of knowledge on the PNCC and a person I see as a true lover of the PNCC. I came home today to discover several items that he mailed, a publication from the Orthodox Christian Mission Center and a brochure from the University of Michigan’s Copernicus Endowment. I am looking through both while writing these words. More to come after I reflect on what’s there.

I am truly grateful for these gifts – not because they are things, but because of the time one man, with more knowledge and grace then I will ever have, spends in being the giver of gifts.

Bardzo dziękuje i Bóg zapłać Pan Władysław!

Christian Witness, Perspective, PNCC,

A Synod on the Word

From America: Synod on the Word of God

More than 40 years after the Second Vatican Council, the Bible still does not figure at the center of Catholic life the way the Eucharist does. When they meet in synod at the Vatican in October, bishops from around the world will address one of the great unfinished works of the council—”namely, how Catholics can make the word of God their own. Even though the Catholic Lectionary for Sundays was re-designed in 1969 to use a three-year cycle of readings in order to promote greater familiarity with the whole of Scripture, Catholics do not yet own the Scriptures the way many Protestants, especially evangelicals, do. In assigning —The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church— as the topic for the coming 12th Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Pope Benedict signaled his recognition not only of how important proclamation, prayer and study of the Scripture are to the church, but also of his awareness that the church has far to go to complete the council’s reforms…

I posted the following comment a few days ago. It hasn’t appeared yet as the magazine’s editors must review and approve every comment – something exceedingly difficult when otherwise busy running a magazine:

An interesting fact: The Polish National Catholic Church (of which I am a member) considers the Word of God to be a sacrament. The [Roman] Church found agreement with our understanding as noted in the joint publication: Journeying Together in Christ: The Report of the Polish National Catholic-Roman Catholic Dialogue (1984-1989).

We believe and state that the proclamation and preaching of the Word confers sacramental grace. The Church has recently published a pamphlet on this issue – available from the PNCC Bookstore for anyone interested.

What our understanding does in the practical sense is that it encourages due seriousness in the preparation and delivery of homilies. It also encourages the faithful to proactively participate in the Church’s understanding of the Word. More so, to understand that the sacrament brings about change – a growing closer to our Lord and Savior – and a life lived in accord with His way.

I wish you the best in your upcoming Synod and prayerfully hope that the Sacrament of the Word take its rightful place in the life of the [Roman] Church.

What I find so amazing is that the work and reforms of the PNCC (actually a re-claiming of Catholicism) are much in the same as the efforts undertaken by the Roman Church in Vatican II 60 years later. In my opinion the PNCC achieved those reforms without the damage that resulted from Vatican II (to me the things that Benedict, Bishop of Rome is trying to correct and re-reform). This may be due to the fact that the PNCC effort took place in a different time, that reforms that might have gone awry were kept in check by the inherent conservatism of the Polish diasporaSomething the Young Fogey has pointed to numerous times, or most likely that the Church’s understanding was simply in line with the faith of the first thousand years. I think this Synod is another step in the Roman Church’s process of finding the reforms of the PNCC as faithful and true to what the Church teaches.

Poland - Polish - Polonia,

Lake George’s Golden Age

Experience a bit of Lake George’s Golden Age at the former teaching studio of Metropolitan Opera Diva Marcella Sembrich. Mme. Sembrich was a pianist, violinist, teacher, Polish patriot and benefactor. Mme. Sembrich’s studio is one of the few buildings open to the public from northern New York State’s “Great and Gracious” period.

Mme. Sembrich’s teaching studio was the focal point of the summers she spent at her lakeside mansion, named Bay View. Juilliard and Curtis Institute vocal students sought instruction by the acclaimed Mme. Sembrich in that studio, now a Memorial Museum.

Daily hours from 10am through 12:30pm and 2pm through 5:30pm.

The Marcella Sembrich Opera Museum
Marcella Sembrich Memorial Association, Inc.
4800 Lake Shore Drive
Bolton Landing, NY 12814-0417
Telephone: 518-644-2431 or 518-644-9839

Christian Witness, PNCC,

Polish Day at the Shrine

From the Albany Polish American Community Center maillist: Polish Day, Sunday August 24, 2008 at the National Shrine of the North American Martyrs, Auriesville, N.Y.

Religious Services beginning at 2pm including Stations of the Cross, Recitation of the Rosary, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, Confessions in Polish and English. Concelebrated Mass in Coliseum at 4pm

Principal celebrant and homilest will be the Most Rev. Francis R. Reiss, D.D., Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit, Michigan

This event is sponsored by: Polish American Congress, Central Division of New York State.

I have attended in the past. It is a beautiful event and Polish National Catholics should not refrain from attending. Simply remember your obligations when receiving the Blessed Sacrament (fasting for two hours prior to receiving, make every attempt to receive from a clergy member, and receive on the tongue — not in the hand).

Christian Witness, Perspective

Can the rich feel our pain?

From poet, writer, and correspondent John Guzlowski: Have You Ever Met a Rich Person?

A couple of days ago, my friend poet Christina Pacosz sent me an article entitled —Rich Begin Feeling the Pain in Down Economy.— It was written by Mark Jewell for the AP, and he got me thinking about rich people.

What always amazes me about rich people is how little contact they have with the rest of us.

I’m 60 years old, have lived in America most of my life, have been educated here in private and public schools, have a PhD from a major university, have taught in American universities for 35 years–and still I have never met a rich person, I mean a really rich person, somebody with a yacht or a jet and a personal assistant to manage his lunch dates.

Where do the rich keep themselves?

I’ve met unemployed people, farmers, doctors, artists, factory workers, peddlers, homeless folks, business people, writers, lower and middle class people by the thousands, but I have never met a rich person.

Where are they?

Read the rest of the post and the comments. Helps to put things in perspective. Who is the rich man? Who isn’t feeding Lazarus? (Luke 16:19-31) We each need to answer that and understand our place in the parable.

PNCC

Your prayers please

From the Buffalo News: Weather indignities: Lake-effect rain and lightning strikes

Lightning strikes and lake-effect rain became the latest by-products of our wet and nasty early days of August, but relief could be on the way, at least by the end of the week…

…lightning struck at least twice over the weekend, damaging a Lackawanna church Sunday afternoon, after a Chautauqua County man was struck by lightning while cutting his grass Saturday evening.

The Lackawanna lightning strike sparked a steeple fire at the Polish National Catholic Church, at Pulaski and Franklin streets in Lackawanna. City firefighters responding to the 2:50 p.m. alarm put the fire out quickly. Moderate damage was reported to the church.

On Saturday night, Amos N. Byler, 41, of the Town of Chautauqua, was struck on the back of his head and neck at about 7:45 p.m., while cutting his lawn with a sickle, officials said. He was taken to Westfield Memorial Hospital, then transferred to an Erie, Pa., hospital for further treatment.

I ask your prayers for Holy Trinity Parish, its people, and its pastor, the recently ordained Fr. Gary Spencer, as well as for the health and healing of Mr. Byler.

Fathers, PNCC

August 11 – St. Ignatius from the Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians

Now the virginity of Mary was hidden from the prince of this world, as was also her offspring, and the death of the Lord; three mysteries of renown, which were wrought in silence by God. How, then, was He manifested to the world? A star shone forth in heaven above all the other stars, the light of which was inexpressible, while its novelty struck men with astonishment. And all the rest of the stars, with the sun and moon, formed a chorus to this star, and its light was exceedingly great above them all. And there was agitation felt as to whence this new spectacle came, so unlike to everything else [in the heavens]. Hence every kind of magic was destroyed, and every bond of wickedness disappeared; ignorance was removed, and the old kingdom abolished, God Himself being manifested in human form for the renewal of eternal life. And now that took a beginning which had been prepared by God. Henceforth all things were in a state of tumult, because He meditated the abolition of death. — Chapter 19.

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