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Month: October 2009

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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.

Poetry,

October 21 – The Horse and the Bear by Simonas Stanevičius

Where runs the Nevėžis of old, where, passing by Raudondvaris,
Towards the faraway Nemunas its icy-cold water it hurries,
Where in hot summer the sun from the East, majestic, shows,
And where the hills laugh in glee, and like gold the river-wave glows,
One day a tethered horse grazed in the mead where the juicy grass grows,
Recalling its sorrowful life and all its misfortunes and woes:
How all its days it had hauled cumbersome loads until late,
How little it slept at night, how little by day it ate.
“Ah me, the sun is arising, the fields come to light after night;
The dewdrops shine bright as silver —“ truly, a wonderful sight!
And I have to get up, starting my daily chores once again,
Pulling my cart through the road-ruts, whether ’tis sunshine or rain!”
And while the horse pondered so, and the sun rose in glory yonder,
Up it suddenly looked and lo! beheld a true wonder:
There in a clump of hazel, dragging its chain through the grass,
It saw not far from the meadow a lonely mountain bear pass.
Frightened, the horse started up from the resting-place where it lay,
But —“ “Fear me not: I’ll do you no harm!” the horse heard it say
“Our grandsires and fathers of old have lived in friendship and peace;
Together we two grew up; together we age —“ be at ease!
Today, too, as you may notice, our fortunes are much the same:
You have your forelegs tethered —“ I, too, on my neck wear a chain!”

Translated by Dorian Rottenberg

Kur Nevėžis nuo amžių pro Raudoną Dvarą
Čystą vandenį savo ing Nemuną varo,
Tenai, kad vasarvidžiu saulelė tekėjo,
Juokės kalnai ir vilnys kaip auksas žibėjo,
Ilsėjos pančiuos arklys ant žolyno žalio,
Minėjo vargus savo ir sunkią nevalią:
Kaip sunkiai vakar mėšlus per dieną važiojo,
Kaip maž naktį teėdė ir maž temiegojo.
,,Štai jau tek skaisti saulė ir lankos jau švinta,
Ir rasa nuo žolynų kaip sidabras krinta,-
Ir man jau reikės kelti ir prie darbo stoti,
Ir vėl ratus kaip vakar per dieną važioti.”
Kad taip dūmojo arklys vasarvidžio rytą,
Staiga jis ten išvydo daiktą nematytą:
Valkiodama lenciūgą po žalius žolynus,
Vaikščiojo skardžiais kalnų meška po lazdynus.
Šokosi nusigandęs žirgelis bėrasis.
,,Nebijok,- tarė meška,- nieks pikta nerasis!
Tėvai mūsų nuo amžių sandaroj gyveno,
Drauge gimė ir augo ir drauge paseno.
Štai ir dabar vienokia mus laimė sutiko:
Man lenciūgas ant kaklo, tau pančiai paliko.”

Poetry

October 20 – The Necessities of a Diary by Kornelijus Platelis

Because afterwards everything intertwines, merges,
Great imaginings
Crumble into a thousand pieces, tiny homunculi,
Watching your dreams and meditations.
Though calendar time never coincides
With a soul’s history, it alone
Links it with “history.”
So if you can find no other way
To protect yourselves against diminishment,
Ever-shorter years, blunting sensations, longing,
From that which is given too late, when desire
Comes only from habit, remembering past desires,
And you are not even sure if you ever really
Had them, or if they were in fact
The rats of mangy consciousness
Spawned by poor reading and banal ideas, then
You open your diary
And there read your old lies
To yourself, and connecting them to world history,
Create new truths, enormous contemplations.
Because there are as many minds
As sands on the ocean’s shore —“ they
Are carved by the wind and tossed by the waves
And do not know why.

Translation by Jonas Zdanys

dienorastis/diary

Nes paskui viskas susipina, susilieja,
didieji įsivaizdavimai
subyra į tūkstančius šukių, mažų homunkulų,
sekiojančių jūsų sapnus ir apmąstymus.
Nors kalendorinis laikas niekada nesutampa
su sielos istorija, jis vienintelis
sieja ją su „istorija“.
Tad jeigu kitaip negalite gintis nuo susmulkėjimo,
trumpėjančių metų, bunkančių pojūčių, ilgesio,
nuo to, kas duodama per vėlai, kai jau geidžiama
tik iš įpročio, prisiminus būtus geismus,
ir net nebepamenate, ar to iš tikro
buvo trokšta, ar tai – jau vėliau
blogos lektūros ir banalių vaizdinių išperėtos
nusususios sąmonės žiurkės, tada
atsiverčiate savo dienoraštį
ir ten išskaitote savo senuosius melus
sau patiems, ir siedami su pasaulio istorija
sukuriate naujas tiesas, didžiuosius įsivaizdavimus.
Nes atskirų sąmonių tiek, kiek smilčių
vandenyno pakrantėje: jas
vėjas nešioja ir blaško bangos, ir jos nežino, kodėl.

Christian Witness, Poetry, Saints and Martyrs,

October 19 – The Magnificat of the BVM as recorded by St. Luke

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden.
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is on those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm,
he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts,
he has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and exalted those of low degree;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent empty away.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his posterity for ever.”

Translation according to the Revised standard Version of the Holy Bible

"Wielbi dusza moja Pana,
i raduje się duch mój w Bogu, moim Zbawcy.
Bo wejrzał na uniżenie Służebnicy swojej.
Oto bowiem błogosławić mnie będą odtąd wszystkie pokolenia,
gdyż wielkie rzeczy uczynił mi Wszechmocny.
Święte jest Jego imię –
a swoje miłosierdzie na pokolenia i pokolenia [zachowuje] dla tych, co się Go boją.
On przejawia moc ramienia swego,
rozprasza [ludzi] pyszniących się zamysłami serc swoich.
Strąca władców z tronu, a wywyższa pokornych.
Głodnych nasyca dobrami, a bogatych z niczym odprawia.
Ujął się za sługą swoim, Izraelem,
pomny na miłosierdzie swoje –
jak przyobiecał naszym ojcom –
na rzecz Abrahama i jego potomstwa na wieki».

Poetry

October 18 – Heritage by Łukasz Mańkowski

My gaze is upon centuries past,
To bygone works from primeval times,
Brave deeds and many tears.
My spirit permeates another world,
Under the skies of my ancestor’s days,
Their youth passing away like the wind.
That heritage swims in my dreams,
Those times drowned in tears.
Where is the legacy of those years?

Translated by Dcn. Jim

Mój wzrok spogląda w przeszły wiek,
W pradawny czas minionych dzieł,
Gdzie dzielne czyny i wiele łez.
Mój duch przenika w inny świat,
Pod niebo przodków dawnych lat,
Gdy wiatr młodością wiał.
W tamte dziedzictwo płynę w snach,
Za tamte czasy tonę w łzach.
Gdzie jest dziedzictwo z tamtych lat?

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