Recent Posts

Most Used Categories

Day: October 22, 2009

You are Here :
Poetry

October 22 – An excerpt from Anhelli by Juliusz Słowacki

And turning, the Shaman said to Anhelli :
“On what dost thou meditate above this black water? Is it of the tears of the people?
Or dost thou ponder on that prophet? Or on thyself?”

As he spoke, there came a great echo from the explosion of a mine,
and it resounded above their heads, ringing like an underground bell.
And the Shaman said : “Lo, that is the tolling for the dead prophet!
Behold, there is an angel of the Lord for those who see not the sun. Let us pray.”

And raising his eyes, he said :
“God! God! We beseech Thee that our torture may be a redemption.

“And we will not supplicate Thee to return the sun to our eyes,
and the air to our breasts,
for we know that Thy judgment hath been passed upon us
but the newborn are guiltless. Have mercy, O God!

“And forgive us that we bear our cross in sorrow and are not joyful like the martyrs;
for Thou hast not said whether our torture shall be reckoned in us as a sacrifice;
but tell us that and we shall rejoice.

“For what is life that we should regret it?
Is it a good angel who abandoneth us in the hour of death?

“The heat of our blood is the fire of the sacrifice, and the sacrifice is our desires.
Happy are those who can consecrate themselves for the people.”

Translated by Dorothea Prall Radin and edited by G. R. Noyes

Niedziela w kopalni/Sunday in the mine by Jacek Malczewski

A obróciwszy się Szaman ku Anhellemu rzekł: Czemuś się tak zamyślił nad tą czarną wodą, co z łez jest ludzkich? czy o tym proroku dumasz, czy o sobie?

Gdy mówił, rozeszło się wielkie echo od wybuchu miny, i powtarzało się nad głowami bijąc jak dzwon podziemny. I rzekł Szaman: Oto jest dzwonienie po umarłym proroku! Oto jest Anioł Pański dla tych, którzy nie widzą słońca. Módlmy się.

I podniósłszy oczy rzekł: Boże! Boże! prosiemy Cię, aby nasza męka była odkupieniem.

A nie będziemy Cię już błagać, abyś powrócił słońce oczom naszym, i powietrze piersiom naszym, bo wiemy, że Twój sąd nad nami jest zapadły… lecz nowonarodzeni niewinnemi są. Zlituj się. Boże!

A przebacz nam, że ze smutkiem krzyż dźwigamy i nie weselemy się jak męczennicy; bo nie powiedziałeś, czy męka nasza policzoną nam będzie za ofiarę: lecz powiedz, a rozweselémy się.

Bo cóż jest życie, aby go żałować? Czy to jest Anioł dobry, który nas opuszcza w godzinie śmierci?

Gorąco krwi jest ogniem ofiary, a ofiara są chęci nasze. Szczęśliwi, którzy się mogą za lud poświęcić.

Christian Witness, Perspective, PNCC,

…and the hubris will work against them

For instance on some of the posts listed at WDTPRS (here and here for example, but there’s a lot more out there). While its all great to be happy for those who have been given the option to enter the Catholic faith, it is uncharitable to grunt with glee over the Archbishop of Canturbury’s embarrassment, the reclaiming of properties, etc. You can be right about something and maintain charity as well.

What do I hear? We were right all along, you’re stupid (as were your ancestors), have nothing to offer us really, and give us the dang buildings back. Nice…

It’s a huge turn off for anyone who would even think of discussing next steps. PNCC and Orthodox folks take note.

Christian Witness, Perspective, ,

You want to be THAT Catholic?

An interesting headline which sums up my thought on the announcement from the Vatican in regard to establishing Personal Ordinariates via an Apostolic Constitution for Anglicans/Episcopalians who wish to go over to Rome en mass.

First, I want to say that I am happy that Rome took this action. It is a welcome and bold move designed to give assurance and protection to folks whose entire Church ethos is Anglican and Catholic. It allows them to keep what they know and to live within a Church that stands by Scripture and TraditionOf course excepting the hot button issue of the role and scope of the Pope and various dogmas that exceed Tradition.. For those seeking stability amongs the rocky shores of the via media and Protestanism it is best for them.

There are tons of questions of course which won’t be sorted out until the Apostolic Constitution is issued and the various Departments in Rome react to the problems and issues that arise. Some of the bigger questions in my mind are: What will they do with former Roman clergy who left for Anglicanism, got married, and now want to return (and to a lesser degree former Roman Catholics who went over and want to re-enter, but as clergy)? What about the issue of serial marriages among clergy (divorced and remarried clergy)? What of “gay” clergy who tend to have an affinity for high churchiness in Anglicanism, will Rome’s newish rules regarding the non-admission of homosexual men apply here?

I also noted that new clergy who are to be trainind to serve in the Personal Ordinariates will have to be trained in seminary in the same programs that form regular Roman seminarians (this as opposed to houses of study for the Eastern Churches which are seperate). How will that “from the ground up” training affect the Anglican ethos in these Ordinariates? It looks like Anglican formation will take a secondary, even tertiary role in the formation program, kind of like an add-on course one soon forgets.

The Young Fogey has tons of links to different takes on this. My title above was derived from his link to Brother Stephen at Sub Tuum who writes in Anglicans in the River: Practical Considerations for Catholics:

A few observations and things to remember in today’s excitement:

Scale: If every Anglo-Catholic in the world were to jump at the new offer, their numbers wouldn’t add up to that of a major Archdiocese. When you diffuse those numbers around the globe, things will look pretty much the same other than to professional church watchers. This is a time for thanksgiving, not sweeping prognostication…

He goes on to recount the issues to be dealt with. I think he has it right. This is a bold move and a grand gesture, but in practicality — not much will happen. It is something to be happy about but don’t expect a tidal wave to activity. There will be a few high profile moves and then the band will die to a low hum.

Reading the reaction of the African Bishops puts it all into perspective. The CS Monitor’s headline caputes that perfectly: Will Vatican lure Africa’s Anglican anti-gay bishops to Catholic church?The article is really badly writen in relation to the whole issue of homosexuality and the Church’s stance – typical MSM blather about something they know nothing about.:

Despite fierce opposition to homosexuality, African bishops say the Vatican’s effort to bring more Anglicans to the Catholic church will falter, largely because of the autonomy that they enjoy…

That said, the African Biships are not Anglo-Catholics. They don’t want to be “THAT Catholic” other than dressing up in regalia from time-to-time. No, to be “THAT Catholic” you have to actually do as Huw says in Help, Help! I’m Being Oppressed!I am deeply impressed with this article and plan to comment more in future posts.:

Responsibility, self-limiting choices, delayed gratification, postponed joy… these are the stuff of maturity.

To flee them is simply immaturity raising its ugly head. To flee them in the name of ego, self and —spirituality not religion— is sheer stupidity for it will mean the dissipation of self, ego and spirit. Eventually, lack of responsibility and self-imposed limits will lead to death.

To be “THAT Catholic,” whether PNCC, RC, Oriental or Orthodox you have to actually say no to some aspects of autonomy, to thinking of yourself as on an island of self-rule. To be “THAT Catholic” means to live a sacrificial lifesyle – one where the Lord and His body, the Church (found on Scripture AND Tradition), lead you. It took Peter a long time to learn that, and he’s still learning too.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go.” — John 21:18

Poland - Polish - Polonia, ,

A new bereavement program for Polonia in Chicagoland

From the Niles Herald-Spectator:

A new bereavement program, created by Rainbow Hospice and Palliative Care, offers Polish-language support and resources to Chicago-area residents of Polish heritage as well as Polish-speaking immigrants grieving the loss of a loved one. Bereaved members of the community may call (847) 292-2342 at any time to talk with or leave messages for licensed Polish-speaking counselors and trained volunteers who can answer questions about the grief process, share information about how to help someone who is bereaved and to find assistance with culturally sensitive bereavement support. Along with the Polish Intake Line, the Rainbow Hospice and Palliative Care Bereavement Program also offers a Web portal with Polish-language resources about general grief, children’s bereavement and culturally based programs offered by Rainbow Hospice and Palliative Care. Call (847) 732-4554 or send an E-mail.

Wsparcie w żałobie dla osób polsko-języcznych

Centrum Wsparcia dla Osób w Żałobie przy Hospicjum “Tęcza” w Park Ridge oferuje wiele form pomocy. Jeśli ty lub ktoś kogo znasz potrzebuje wsparcia w tym trudnym okresie po śmierci bliskich, prosimy o kontakt pod numerem, (847) 292-2342.

W każdy czwartek od 9:30 rano do 5:30 po południu polskojęzyczny terapeuta I specjalnie przeszkoleni wolontariusze odpowiedzą na Państwa pytania, udzielą po polsku wyjaśnieś na temat procesu zachodzącego po stracie bliskiej osoby oraz informacji o sposobach pomocy bliskim sobie luzdiom w żalobie, między innymi o tym gdzie znaleźć dla nich wsparcie.

W pozostawe dni tygodnia można będzie zostawić wiadomość na taśmie, a obsługa Polskiej Linii Informacyjnej będzie się z Państwem kontaktować w późniejszym terminie.

Christian Witness, Perspective,

My Alma Mater names a new President

From Canisius College: On October 20, 2009, the Canisius College Board of Trustees named John J. Hurley as the 24th president of the Jesuit university.

John J. Hurley was appointed the 24th president of Canisius College on Monday, October 19, 2009 by the college’s Board of Trustees and will assume the position on July 1, 2010. He is the first lay president in Canisius College’s 140-year history.

A 1978 alumnus of Canisius College, Hurley has served as executive vice president of Canisius College since 2007 and vice president for college relations since 1997. In these roles, Hurley is the designated senior administrative official, responsible for the college’s strategic planning, integrated marketing, legal and compliance issues and athletics marketing. He also oversees the college’s advancement operation, which includes development, public relations, creative and Web services, alumni relations and government relations…

Interesting that they wouldn’t name a Jesuit to the position. I hope that the move is a tribute to the gentleman’s skills as a leader and not a further sign of secularization in [Roman] Catholic colleges and universities. For more on that see The State of [Roman] Catholic Higher Education by Patrick J. Reilly.

All Right Reserved © 2005 - 2023